FicWad

Despite the cold and damp, Gilderoy Lockhart was sweating profusely. For all of his bluster, dueling was not his strong suit. Indeed, if Gilderoy were being honest with himself--which was rare--he was quite pathetic at it.

And yet here he was, preparing to attack the school where he had once been a professor, waiting for Bellatrix and Wormtail to return, inside Honeydukes’ cellar with Fenrir Greyback and half a dozen Snatchers.

Lockhart considered making a break for it, but ruled it out almost as quickly as the thought came to mind. Running simply wasn’t an option; he had witnessed first hand what the Dark Lord did to those who disappointed him. A quick death would be a blessing in comparison.

Gilderoy and the Snatchers all started when Wormtail and Bellatrix reappeared with a loud crack, both of them drenched from the storm and dripping onto the floor. Fenrir grinned, hoping to see some action soon. He was getting bored.

“Get up fools,” Bellatrix snapped at the Snatchers who were lazing around eating sweets. “We move now!”

“What’s the rush?” asked one of the younger more foolish Snatchers--unaware of the danger he was courting.

“It will take us some time to travel through the the tunnels up to the castle and find an entrance which hasn’t been blocked,” Wormtail hurriedly responded as Bellatrix’s eyes narrowed at the young Snatcher.

“Dumbledore will almost certainly have blocked the passage which led from behind the statue of the one-eyed witch as that is the one which Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott used to escape the castle,” Wormtail continued.

“Fortunately, before he was captured, Nott Sr left the Dark Lord a map which shows a number of exits which lead to the main tunnel to Honeydukes. We have to find one which hasn’t been blocked...”

“Enough!” Bellatrix snarled. “All the idiot needs to know is that we need to get a move on to be ready when the Dark Lord gives the order.”

Everyone lit their wands and Gilderoy swallowed nervously. He followed the others through the trapdoor into the dark tunnel under the sweet shop, putting some distance between himself and the young Snatcher who had annoyed Bellatrix.

~o0o~

Harry ignored the rain and glanced at the mountainside behind the castle where Daphne and Fleur were pointing. His eyes widened when he spied numerous flashes of brilliantly coloured light which appeared to be a hundred spells flaring against a nearly imperceptible globe enveloping the grounds of Hogwarts.

The near invisible barrier collapsed and a brigade of wizards raced towards the castle.

Harry tapped his handmirror and spoke, “Professor Dumbledore, they’re attacking from the mountain behind Hogwarts. There have to be nearly a hundred of them...”

“Thank you Harry,” responded Dumbledore’s image in the mirror. “Stay at the ready and keep me informed of any other movements. I am sending reinforcements to that side of the castle at once...”

Hermione had followed Harry out and grabbed a telescope which was aimed at the front lawn while Daphne rejoined Fleur under the umbrella.

There was another flash of lightning and roar of thunder. Hermione gave a little scream and everyone else dashed out of the Astronomy room onto the observation balcony, their wands at the ready.

“Harry, look, on the front lawn...” beckoned Hermione, her wet furry ears twitching.

Harry’s feet splashed through the puddles as he ran across the cobbled terrace and glanced downwards, seeing a swarm of... something, moving across the lawn. He peered through a telescope, his heart pounding in his ears.

“Inferi...” gasped Harry. “Hundreds of them...”

“And Trolls,” moaned Hermione, wagging her bushy tail, which was quickly becoming saturated by the downpour.

“Not to mention Giants and Werewolves,” Luna said helpfully.

“And Wizards,” added Parvati, when she spotted sparks and beams of light being shot from dozens of wands towards the castle.

Dora swore when she saw the size of Voldemort’s army. Jennifer swallowed anxiously.

“Everyone, open fire!” yelled Harry, “Aim for the monsters. Leave the wizards for the Order. We’ll start with bombarda maxima on my mark... NOW!”

The Coven reacted as one and a powerful blast ripped across the lawn dropping two giants and a dozen trolls. A hundred Inferi flew as well. But the Inferi picked themselves back up and rejoined the throngs which were growing larger by the minute. The Werewolves were hanging back with the Wizards who kept the aim of their own explosive spells trained on the windows and the front door of the castle.

The Coven fired several more times dropping fifteen more Trolls and another Giant, but the Inferi kept coming in waves.

Ginny, Neville, and Viktor shot their own bombardas into the midst of the swarming monsters but they kept coming. At least seven Giants had already reached the castle and begun hammering the walls and the front door. The castle trembled under the blows of the Giants, but the walls, windows, and the door appeared to be holding strongly for the time being.

The groaning Inferi which had reached the castle began piling up against the walls, clambering over each other, forming a mound of undead writhing corpses which reached higher and higher.

Viktor began shooting fiery explosive spells at the Inferi as the concussive ones were not enough to stop them. Dozens caught alight and Neville followed suit. But the flames soon sputtered in the downpour and the Inferi kept coming.

“It’s too wet for normal incendiary spells,” Harry shouted. “Viktor, Neville, Ginny, you three keep aiming bombardas at the giants and the trolls. The Coven and I are going to try... ow! ”

Everyone was startled and uttered little gasps at the stings of pain when the torrent turned to ice and large chunks of hail pelted them. But the stinging was rather minor and they all shrugged it off when they realised what was happening. Harry looked up; at least 40 wraiths swooped towards them.

“Dementors!” Harry grimaced. He knew that the Coven could at least deal with them easily enough. “On my mark... NOW!” Harry yelled again.

The Coven’s superpowered Patroni lit up the sky and the Dementors screamed. Moments later the Wraiths shattered, and black ice joined the clear hail which fell upon the students at the top of the Astronomy tower.

The Coven allowed their Patronuses to fade at Harry’s command. They refocused their aim at the ground below which was teeming with groaning corpses.

“AGAIN!” roared Harry.

The pulses of supercharged Patronus light flooded the lawn and the glowing ethereal felines leapt from their wands, pouncing into the midst of the Undead. The grunts and moans of the Inferi turned into hideous shrieks and their eyes burst into flames in their sockets. The advance of the Inferi halted as all of those within the radius of the Patroni shuddered.

The dead flesh withered and combusted despite the deluge, turning to ash. A thousand Inferi suddenly collapsed into heaps of skeletons, stilled forever. The Giants and Trolls kept hammering the castle, but the spells being fired from the other side of the lawn temporarily halted as the Dark Wizards dropped their jaws in shock.

MacNair and the Snatchers were flabbergasted, and the Lycans were equally astounded. They had never seen anything like it.

~o0o~

Even though the strengthened walls of Hogwarts had already withstood the assault much longer than they would have prior to the Coven’s sex-magic powered “upgrades,” the Headmaster doubted that they would do so forever. He suspected that eventually something would have to give--perhaps some windows--and that some of Voldemort’s forces would gain entrance through the breaches.

Dumbledore had left Snape, Lupin, Dawlish, Karkaroff, Hagrid, and Slughorn to guard the front of the castle while he, Flitwick, Sirius, Shacklebolt, McGonagall, and Hestia Jones had taken to the battlements at the rear.

The Headmaster had given Rita Skeeter the option of remaining protected by the House Elves in the dungeons. But she had surprised him by offering to help safeguard Hogwarts. Rita joined those defending the rear of the castle. Pomfrey, Trelawney, Sprout, Augusta Longbottom, and Arthur and Bill Weasley took another wing of the castle.

Mad Eye and Amelia Bones had wanted to be at Hogwarts too, but Dumbledore had ordered them to remain in London at Number 12 to protect the Potters' relatives.

“Do not hesitate to kill if necessary,” Dumbledore warned everyone, much to their astonishment. “We cannot afford to be lenient or all shall be lost.”

As the wind and rain whipped Dumbledore’s beard, he gave the command, and the Order members with him on the stony ramparts facing the mountainside began firing spells at the phalanx of dark wizards approaching.

~o0o~

Theodore Nott heard the explosions in the distance and saw the sky light up time and again as he scrambled down the mountainside. He slipped and fell in a muddy stream. Picking himself up in a panic, he suddenly realised that he couldn’t get off the mountain without entering the grounds of Hogwarts.

~o0o~

The Centaurs assembled in a wet clearing deep in the Forbidden Forest.

“We cannot stand idly by and let the Dark One take Hogwarts,” demanded Firenze passionately.

“We should not interfere,” Ronan replied dolefully. “This war is for wizards. They must determine their own future. It is not our fight. The stars...”

“The stars be damned. Of course it is our fight,” retorted Firenze angrily. “Do you think that Voldemort will allow us to remain here in the forest should he take the castle? This is our home, and the master of Hogwarts is a good wizard and a friend to us all whether you accept it or not.”

Ronan looked troubled. He stroked his red beard pensively and glanced at the dozens of Centaurs gathered around to try and get a read on the general mood. Then he looked to the black Centaur with a wild mane who was being uncharacteristically silent.

“And what is your counsel Bane?” Ronan inquired softly.

Bane hesitated. In times past, he would have expressed himself without delay, proffering his hopes that the wizards would kill each other to the last man. But Bane’s recent encounter with a most unusual coupling in the woods weighed heavily on his mind. Finally he responded.

“Harry Potter remains at the castle this summer,” Bane returned quietly.

Ronan lifted an eyebrow and began to nod, feeling reassured. He well remembered Bane’s infuriated reaction when Firenze had taken the young wizard upon his back. Firenze had been acting for the best in protecting Harry Potter at the time, but that had been a matter of preserving the peace. Joining a war was another matter altogether.

“I concur with Firenze,” Bane continued, his voice hardening. “We must fight.”

A flash of lightning rendered the shock on Ronan’s visage in sharp relief, and a number of other Centaurs began to paw at the ground and whinny incredulously. But as stunned as they all were, none were as surprised as Firenze himself.

Bane’s nostrils flared and he whisked his tail when he realised that his apparent change of heart required further explanation.

“The Potter boy--he is not at all like most wizards. I discovered him mating... with a Felinus... in our woods some weeks ago....” A chorus of gasps and neighing greeted Bane’s remarkable proclamation.

“Many in the wizard world revere him,” Bane carried on, ignoring the sounds of astonishment. “Harry Potter has the power to change the hearts of wizards--the example he and his mate present to their world must be protected. And there is more... his magic is Life itself--it must be nurtured and allowed to flourish.”

The gathering of Centaurs was silent except for the pattering of the rain. Finally a dappled Centaur stepped forward.

“If Bane counsels that we should fight alongside the master of Hogwarts against the Dark One, then I stand with him,” said the dappled Centaur resolutely. A murmur of agreement swept through the Centaurs and Ronan sighed with resignation. The decision had been made.

~o0o~

Harry groaned when he saw another horde of Inferi surging forward from the shadows and mist, crushing the bones of the fallen. The wizards in the distance began shooting spells at the castle again. The sound of squabbling on the terrace caught his attention and he peered at Ginny and Neville who were arguing.

“Neville... NO! She’s too strong for you...” Ginny screamed as Neville darted back into the castle. “We’re supposed to stay here--come back.” But Neville was gone and Ginny chased after him.

Parvati picked up the Marauders’ Map which Ginny had dropped as she bolted after Neville. Parvati’s wet black tail bristled and her furry black ears pricked.

“Harry,” gasped Parvati, “They’re in the castle--Bellatrix Lestrange and some others...”

Harry’s chest tightened as he peered at the map, which was thankfully impervious to water. Harry was torn. When he spotted Peter Pettigrew’s name on the map, Harry was stricken with the same violent urge as Neville.

“Bloody Hell,” Dora muttered. “We’ve got to do something Harry! Fenrir Greyback and that loathsome cretin Lockhart are with Lestrange too.”

“Hermione,” Harry looked at her beseechingly, “What should I do? I have to stay here to fight the Inferi, but we can’t let Neville and Ginny face Bellatrix and Wormtail alone?”

“I’ll go after them Harry. You stay here...”

“No, you can’t go by yourself--I have to go with you...” Harry retorted heatedly.

“Harry, please, I’ll be alright,” Hermione pleaded. “Someone else can come with me. You have to stay and direct the fight...”

“I vill go with her Harry,” Viktor responded. “You are needed here.”

“I... I’ll g...go too,” stammered Jennifer. She gulped, but then her rain streaked face flushed and a flame sparked in her eyes.

Harry stared at Jennifer as his heart thudded. He knew why she wanted to go.

“I’ll go as well Harry,” Dora said determinedly.

Harry closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath to steady himself.

“Right then,” Harry finally replied. “You go Hermione. Viktor, Jennifer and Dora can go with you. I’ll stay here with Fleur, Daphne, Luna, and Parvati. I’ll notify Dumbledore immediately. Just... please...” Harry heaved a sob, “...please stay alive!”

“I will Harry. I promise,” Hermione tried to smile, but she couldn’t stave off the tears. “Just remember that I love you Mr Potter...”

Harry blinked back his own tears and embraced his wife, feeling a swell of warmth as he inhaled the scent of parchment and toothpaste.

“I love you too Mrs Potter,” Harry whispered, kissing her. “We’ll get through this--I just know it.”