FicWad

There is Only Power
By Loralee
Chapter 11
Snape Returns

gobbledegook

Harry had raised the ancient Blood ward that night and sent Hedwig off with a message to Snape. He'd said in the letter that the ritual could be done in secret and no one needed to know that the Potions Master had been involved.

The next morning the school had been in an uproar. Dumbledore's retirement had come as a shock to most and several children had been yanked from the school by their parents.

Harry had stayed out of sight, dividing his time between Rowena's room and Godric. He'd found out several other protections available and activated them as well as a couple of interesting items. He discovered that he could cast though Gryffindor's sword.

Monday morning Harry sat at breakfast ignoring the odd looks he was receiving from most of the student body when he got a odd look on his face. Hermione noticed and asked him what was wrong. She was startled when he only grinned and got up from the table.

As he was approaching the head table the doors to the great hall burst open and in strode four men in armor. There were screeches and cries of fear from students and several of the teachers reacted with drawn wands.

Harry winked at McGonagall and turned to the new comers. The middle two figures were in black chain mail one with silver trim and black cloak with green lining, the other with gold trim and red lining. Flanking them were two with gold-bronze chain with red trim and crimson cloaks.

"Welcome gentlemen glad you could come." Cried Harry in an overly friendly voice.

"We are so" said one in bronze.

"glad to be here." Said the other in bronze.

"Enough you Gryffindor fools this is serious Potter," snarled Snape doffing his visored helm and reveling himself to the room amidst gasps and whispers. "We've received word, that Dark idiot is massing his troops he intends to march on Hogwarts."

Harry sobered and said, "Come with me." And turned to lead the four out of the hall, then stopped and looked over to the Headmistress.

"Sorry Professor, I'm going to have to lock down the owlery. No messages out by anyone. May we use your office and can have the Heads meet there?" At her nod he continued out the door heading for her office.

McGonagall dismissed the students back to their houses canceling classes for the day, told the prefects to keep a watch on the other students and motioned for Flitwick and Sprout to come with her and bolted for her office.

She found Severus Snape, Remus Lupin and the Weasley twins already there and wondered how Harry had guessed her password.

"Severus it is so good to see you. I was quite worried when you didn't return. Mr. Potter tells me that the mark is gone?" Said McGonagall laying a hand on Snape's shoulder as she entered the office.

"Yes" Severus said as he pulled back his shirtsleeve to show unmarked skin. "Potter's doing. Freed me from both my masters." There was no hint of malice or snark in the potion masters tone.

"Please sir how long do we have." Asked Harry after a moment for the others to gawk at Snape's arm.

"Dawn tomorrow, Potter, apparently he's taking advantage of the fact that the old man is no longer here and he is very upset that you are claiming to be a founder's heir. He believes that he can take the bond from you and have the castle for his own." Said Snape.

"With out the mark Severus how did you come by such information?" Asked Minerva.

Snape snorted and glared at the twins. "Believe it or not those two delinquents and their toys."

The twins grinned and shook hands silently congratulating each other.

"The spy cams worked?" Asked Harry eagerly. The twins nodded. And Harry gave a small victory dance. "So did you get his plans then?" The twins nodded once more.

Snape gave a sigh and reluctantly lifted the silencing charm he's cast on them on the way to the office.

Harry however didn't let them get started talking. "We need to do the ward ritual first and then make plans, I need to send a message to Ragnok."

"All ready done Harry, he'll be here this evening." Interrupted Remus.

"Good ritual first, battle plans after in the room of requirement."


There was a room deep in the heart of Hogwarts that only the Heads of House, Headmasters and Deputies know of. Harry was aware of it by being a founder's heir. Severus Snape had never been in the room due to wearing the dark mark. The ritual didn't take long and all the inhabitants could feel the difference in the magic that afternoon. The wards of Hogwarts were fully recharged, unforgivables could not be cast nor could any bearing the dark mark enter the castle.

The defenders of Hogwarts would have to go out of the castle to defeat Voldemort.

They believed that Voldemort had approximately thirty Death Eaters, eight trolls, several dozen dementors and a score of vampires. Due to the change in the wards none would be able to enter Hogwarts proper and the Dementors would not be able to cross the outer ward boundary at the edge of Hogwarts grounds.

The centaurs feeling the change to the wards sent a representative to say that evil would not be allowed to come through the forest.

Harry consulted with McGonagall and Mad Eye Moody that afternoon on the castle defense. He had trained Harry and his friends during August and had truly not been surprised at the ease in which they had taken down the death eaters in Diagon Alley.

Harry felt that the one of the things that Voldemort depended on was that everyone was afraid. Harry had won three engagements in the last three months, the DoM battle, the attack on his relatives and the battle of Diagon Alley. He was no longer afraid of Voldemort.

He had spoken at length with Rowena and believed one of the rituals in her book could be used to defeat Voldemort.



Draco Malfoy approached his head of house that afternoon.

"Sir I need to know why you turned against the Dark Lord. He has yet to mark me, I was to be his spy here but Potter." He trailed off.

"Mr. Malfoy, I joined him under compulsion. My purpose was to spy. Voldemort is a half blood; he wants to rule the purebloods and only espouses the pureblood rhetoric to bring followers. He hates, Mr. Malfoy, everyone pureblood and muggle. Like a small child if he cannot have the world he intends to destroy it. I believe that many Death Eaters would leave his service if they could. He promises position and power yet he delivers only torture and degradation while he hides in dank cellars and has others do his dirty work." Said Snape hoping to persuade the boy.

"I believe you Sir, I do not want to follow a half blood. I will not help or join Voldemort. However I will not join Potter either. I will fight him if cornered and I will celebrate if Potter wins but I won't help him." Stated Draco.

Severus Snape just sneered, "That is truly Slytherin of you Mr. Malfoy."


Two score goblins arrived just after dark. The first twenty volunteers led by Ragnok himself and accompanied by Bill Weasley as liaison between the goblins and the headmistress of Hogwarts though everyone knew that Harry Potter was running the show.

The second twenty were the training cadre Harry had been training with. The goblin youths were excited to be able to go into battle for the first time. Harry questioned Battlemaster Ed about letting the youths go into danger.

"Their choice Swift Bolt they have to be blooded sometime. They've finished their training it is up to them to live or die. It is a good day to die but a better day to force the enemy to die." Was the reply he received.


By midnight Amelia Bones had arrived with a detachment of Aurors, members of the Order of Phoenix had been trickling in called by Minerva.

The students would set out the fight in the Great Hall guarded by the DA. Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna and Ginny would be on the grounds interspersed with the aurors and the goblins were to take flanking positions to either side. Snape and Remus were to stick to Harry and keep the Death Eaters off him while he dealt with Voldemort.

The teachers and Order members who were willing to fight would guard the doors and watch the rear of the advancing line opposing the dark lords forces. The rest of the Order would be in the infirmary ready to aid the injured.

Dobby was in command of a group of elves standing by to help the injured to the castle.

Fred and George were just finishing up placing traps and monitoring devices just inside the gates to Hogwarts when a lone figure started up the drive. They quickly followed, as they didn't want to miss the confrontation.

It was very early, just two hours before dawn when Albus Dumbledore entered the doors of Hogwarts. McGonagall was standing in the entryway.

"Albus" said McGonagall her lips set in a thin line. "If you disrupt the preparations I will stun you myself."

"I promise I will let you run this the way you see fit Minerva. I am only here to help protect the students." He said eyes twinkling.

"I'm not the one in charge Albus, Harry Potter is the one you must listen to and not upset." She said forcefully.

"I do not believe that Harry is ready for a confrontation with Voldemort, Minerva you must try to talk him out of facing him yet."

"You never learn Albus, keep your mouth shut. I am warning you." Then she escorted Dumbledore into the Great Hall where preparations were well underway.

Dumbledore was amazed to see goblins in traditional battle armor relaxing with hot drink and food, most of his Order were listening to last minute instructions from Alastor Moody, the Aurors were also having food, as were another group of humans wearing goblin armor.

"You've acquired a number of new allies Minerva, well done, I am curious what you've done with the wards, as I attempted to portkey in and was unable to." Said Dumbledore trying to identify the people in the goblin armor.

"Not my allies Albus, Mr. Potters, he is responsible for the wards as well. As a founders heir the wards are now stronger that they have been in decades." McGonagall smirked.

At that moment Dumbledore identified Severus Snape in goblin armor and his jaw dropped.

"Severus" he said as he started toward the group. Before he got half way across the room half a dozen wands were trained on him.

"If you try anything stupid, old man I'll kill you myself, Professor Snape is under my protection." Said Harry Potter who was dressed in traditional goblin armor as he stepped between Snape and Dumbledore.

Dumbledore was stunned; this was not a boy but a powerful man how had this happened and why had he not noticed?

"I was merely happy to see Professor Snape Harry I was worried about him as you should know."

"Look if you're here to help fine. If you're here to try to take control or criticize then leave. I haven't got the time to deal with you" Said Harry turning back to the parchment he'd been looking at.

Dumbledore looked around for support and found only wands. He discovered that the people in goblin armor were in fact Harry's friends. He backed away watching the easy give and take between Severus and Harry something he never thought to see. He turned back to Minerva.

"When did Severus return Minerva, was he with Voldemort the entire time? This information may be a trap if it came from Severus. I need to speak with him." Said Dumbledore urgently.

"Albus really, Mr. Potter removed Severus' dark mark and he has been in hiding from both you and Voldemort. You treated him rather shabbily after all. I quite understand why he didn't return to you. We performed the Head of House warding ritual this morning." McGonagall smirked.

Dumbledore shook his head, "Harry removed the dark mark, are you sure?"

McGonagall nodded, "I've seen his arm Albus. Harry gave him a choice apparently, one that you did not? He offered to let him leave the country and the war behind once the mark was removed. Severus has agreed however to return for at least this year with the provision that he does not have to see you. I will warn you now to leave the man alone."

Dumbledore gaped at her and finally nodded. "Very well, what would you have me do Minerva?"

Alastor Moody spoke up, "You can take a place on the line with the Aurors and the kids Albus if you are serious about helping. You'd best not interfere with Harry though. He knows what he is doing and has a plan. If you cannot keep from interfering then you should stay up to the door with the teachers. I spent a month training him and his friends Albus they're good some of the best I've every trained. They could be inducted to the Auror Department now if they were out of school. That Longbottom boy is better than Frank ever was."

"Why did you not tell me you were in contact with Harry this summer Alastor? That you were training him?" Asked Dumbledore in confusion.

"You didn't need to know Albus, I was asked by the Head of the DMLE to quietly train some at risk children in self defense. When I met with Potter the first time he asked me not to tell you. You were already being irrational about the boys disappearance." He leveled a glare at the old man. "Potter told me the prophecy Albus and exactly when you shared it with him."

Dumbledore nodded thinking for a moment watching Harry converse in gobbledegook with an old scarred goblin and then have a word with an Auror and came to a decision.

"Mr. Potter?" As Harry looked toward him Dumbledore pulled his wand and sank to one knee, "On my life and my magic I pledge you my support, I swear to follow your will and obey your orders in this coming battle." Dumbledore's magic flared around him as the oath took effect.

Several people gasp and Harry straightened, "I accept your oath Mr. Dumbledore and thank you."

The final preparations had been made and Harry spoke to the room.

"Voldemort and his forces will be here soon. Does everyone have a partner? I want you all to work in pairs.

"You haven't assigned me a partner, Lad." Said Mad Eye.

"You could stay up to the doors with the order and keep them in line." Said Harry with a grin.

"No Potter you can't keep me out of this bloody fight." Said the affronted Moody.

"All right," Harry looked around, "Will you partner with Mr. Dumbledore, then?"

Moody eyed Dumbledore a moment and nodded.

"Ok take the end of the line between Blackthorne and Battlemaster Ed's cadre. Keep an eye on that flank. Oh and Mad Eye, try not to lose any more pieces of yourself. You're already ugly enough." Said Harry with a grin.

Moody nodded once more with a twisted grin and gestured Dumbledore to him and moved to speak with the scarred old goblin.

"If our information is correct our force is a bit bigger than Voldemort's. I know that we can take him. The death eaters will be casting unforgivables. Remember that physical objects can block unforgivables. Stunning spells and kiddy jinxes are not what you need to be using as they can be undone to easily. If you think that you will not be able to permanently curse our opponents then speak up now. There is no shame in not being able to kill but I would rather not see you killed either."

Harry scanned the faces looking at him. They were resolute.

"We can win this tonight. I intend this to be the last battle of the second rise of Voldemort, to victory!" yelled Harry raising a fist.

"To Victory!" They replied.