Chapter 48
Destiny Fulfilled
They ran down the street and into the narrow end of an open, enormous park that was strangely empty. Tonks kept to the trees on the outskirts and moved quickly. The Auror accompanying them looked cautiously about for any sign of trouble. They were met with none, however, and soon came to the south end of the park where a large group of trees met with the open, grassy plain. Harry was just beginning to wonder where on earth Tonks was taking them when she stopped suddenly. She looked around very carefully, as though they were about to pass through the barrier at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and didn’t want anyone to see, then suddenly ducked her head and stepped forward.
She disappeared completely.
The Auror motioned for Harry to follow. Having long since passed the point of expecting an explanation before doing something completely odd in the wizarding world, Harry put his head down and plunged forward, ready to find just about anything on the other side.
He wasn’t quite prepared for this, though.
It was as though he had entered into an enormous, invisible circus tent. Dozens and dozens of people were gathered within, mostly wizards and witches wearing Ministry robes denoting them as Aurors, though there were a few in normal, civilian attire. There was a great deal of yelling and messengers running to and fro. Harry had to be careful to avoid getting trampled on. There were tall, strange looking contraptions gathered on his left side that resembled catapults. Towering above the sea of heads to his right were Hagrid and Madame Maxine, and towering over them, Grawp. In the middle of the area was a platform raised several feet above the ground and looking out over the large, broad field in front of them. There, amidst a jumble of floating charts, maps, and other curious things, not to mention three or four important-looking wizards, stood Dumbledore.
Looking around in wonder, Harry noticed a strange, faintly glimmering sheen around the outside of the area, almost like they were in a large dome of some sort. While he could see the park, the trees, and the large open field perfectly from inside the dome, the dozens of wizards preparing for battle and the small command station were completely invisible from the outside.
Tonks led Harry to the raised platform, where Dumbledore was talking with a brown-haired man.
“I don’t believe it! In London? In front of thousands of Muggles! They’re violating every provision in the Statute of Secrecy!” the man cried in disbelief.
“Did you really expect them to play fair, Orville?” asked Dumbledore.
“Well…of course not…” the man named Orville sputtered, abashed. Harry recognized him as Orville Fledgeby, the man who had taken over most of the administrative functions of the Ministry since Amelia Bones had been assassinated. He had heard him quoted several times in the Daily Prophet, usually in reference to the goblins and trying to restart the wizard economy. He was a diminutive, brown haired man with glasses who looked more like he should be writing laws off in a dark room somewhere rather than enforcing them.
“It’s just that…one would hope there are certain borders no wizard would cross…” he said, finishing his sentence.
Dumbledore shook his head sadly.
“I suspect we will see borders far more serious than that crossed before this is all finished, Orville. Now call of your Obliviators. We need their help to fight this battle.”
Fledgeby’s eyes bulged out.
“But, sir”the Muggles! They would see everything. It is unheard of””
“If we do not come off victorious today there will be no need for the Statute of Secrecy because the Muggles will soon be DEAD,” Dumbledore interrupted, his voice impatient. “There are ways of covering the whole thing up once the battle is finished, just as we have hidden this park from their view. We need the help of the Obliviators now”
Fledgeby’s brow was creased with worry, but he obeyed.
“Yes, Albus. It will be done,” he replied weakly, then rushed off.
Harry and Tonks stepped onto the platform and stood to the side while Dumbledore dealt with more extremely pressing issues. From this vantage point Harry had a terrific view of the field and the hovering charts in front of the headmaster and the others, which mainly turned out to be maps and charts of the surrounding area. The largest “ a glistening, silver parchment that stood stretched out vertically in the air in front of them, was a map of London that had small, shimmering figures walking across it that Harry realized represented the various combatants and their current location. It reminded Harry of the Marauder’s Map. From the looks of things the Ministry’s forces and the elves were pulling back into the park, drawing the giants and Dark Recruits after them.
“The real battle is about to begin,” said Tonks with a heavy sigh, looking out over the broad field and drawing Harry’s attention away from the map. “Everything back there,” she motioned with her head towards the city streets where they had fought the giants, “was just a warm up.”
Harry was about to confront her about lying to all of them for the entire school year when Kingsley suddenly apparated in the trees not far behind them and came running up to Dumbledore.
“Chimaeras, Albus. They have Chimaeras,” he said darkly. “And they fly.”
“They fly?” replied the headmaster incredulously.
“Yes.”
“How many?”
“At least a dozen.”
The headmaster’s brow furrowed in thought. He took only a moment, then said, “Put a special force together, you and seven other wizards in your group. When the chimaeras come concentrate on bringing them down one by one.”
Kingsley nodded to show that he understood, hesitated slightly, then said, “We’ve never encountered chimaeras before, Albus. How are we to fight them?”
Dumbledore shook his head gravely. “Magic is of little use; their resistance is too strong. Fight them as you would a giant.”
Kingsley nodded and rushed off.
Dumbledore shook his head and turned to another of the wizards standing next to him on the platform, an ancient man with spectacles and a beard even longer than the headmaster’s. He was drawing strange, arcane-looking calculations in the air with his wand as though it were an invisible chalkboard. Tonks stepped forward and called out to get the headmaster’s attention. He turned to face them.
“Albus, I’ve given Remus, Scott, and Harris the order to fall back. They should be arriving shortly,” Tonks reported quickly. “And here’s Harry.”
“Excellent. Thank you,” the headmaster replied. He looked busier and more pre-occupied than Harry had ever seen him. “Go assist Higgins with the giant-traps and then standby for the assault. Harry, please wait here a moment.”
“Yes sir,” said Tonks, who gave Harry’s arm a quick squeeze to say ‘be careful,’ and hurried off.
Harry waited until Dumbledore had a break in the constant stream of messengers. He turned towards him.
“Have you heard any word from Wulfric?” he asked in a low, hopeful voice.
“No, sir,” Harry replied. The headmaster nodded slowly, then looked over towards the far side of the dome.
“The encounter is at hand. I want you to take command of the group of students who have insisted on coming. Stay hidden within the command barrier and the trees behind us and take care of anyone who comes too close. We must avoid being detected at all costs.”
The headmaster’s voice softened slightly.
“And be careful, Harry.”
Harry nodded. He could tell Dumbledore would rather that he didn’t participate in the battle at all, but for some reason he was allowing it. Perhaps he thought there was no way he would be able to keep him away. If that was the case, he was right.
“Now go. I will see you when the battle is over.”
“Yes, sir,” Harry replied, then turned to join his small command in the far corner of the dome. The task they had been given was a small one, to be sure “ keeping strays away from the barrier was quite low risk and would keep Harry and his friends far away from the biggest danger (which is what Dumbledore intended, Harry realized), but at least they would be able to contribute.
Harry arrived to find the group of his fellow students milling about anxiously. They turned to face him as he approached “ faces pale, hands sweaty, wands grasped tightly. Ron and Hermione hurried to the front of the group and watched him silently, waiting for orders. Harry paused a moment to take in the sight. About two dozen students. Nearly all were members of the D.A. and Harry knew their skills well. Ron and Hermione. Theodore Nott. Luna Lovegood. Seamus. Dean. Hannah Abott, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Susan Bones. Even Neville had somehow slipped through, though he wasn’t yet of age.
A calm contentment came over him. He knew these people. He had worked and learned with them for a long time, had even fought Death-Eaters side-by-side with some of them. They were trained. They were ready.
“Dumbledore wants us to guard the command barrier. We can’t let anyone from Voldemort’s army discover where we are. Break up into four groups “ Ron, take one and guard the eastern border. Hermione, take the second and cover the western one. Nott, you take the third and watch the front of the barrier, I’ll take the last and defend the rear. Ok, break up.”
Harry watched as the students quickly, obediently broke up into groups, five and six each. They grouped up irregardless of houses and friendships. A girl with black hair and a freckled nose towards the back of the groups caught Harry’s eye, then turned away and joined Nott’s patrol. Within moments they were ready.
Just then the wizards, witches, and elves that had been fighting in the various streets began flooding into the park, some apparating, many simply running. They began gathering in the center of the broad field in front of Harry, attempting to regroup before the Dark forces came.
“This is it, everyone. This is what we’ve trained for. Keep out of the open and don’t go beyond the barrier unless you absolutely have to “ otherwise we risk giving the location away. Ron, Hermione, Nott, keep an ear open in case we need to change””
Harry’s last piece of instruction was drowned out by Dumbledore calling out to the assembled group.
“The time has come! Everyone move out! Join with our forces in the center of the park. We must stop them here!”
With that the dome erupted in sound. The gathered battalions of witches and wizards began rushing out, some running into the cover provided by the trees in the back of the dome, other groups apparating all at once in deafening, air-splitting cracks. Harry felt his heart begin to race as the adrenaline pumped through his body in awful excitement.
“Healers, stand by. Do not leave the command barrier unless completely necessary. The house-elves will be assisting us with transporting the injured,” Dumbledore called out to a group on his right. Harry looked over to see a group of witches and a few wizards in lime-green robes waiting anxiously next to several rows of cots. One in particular caught his attention “ a plump, shorter woman with bright red hair wearing an especially apprehensive look on her face.
Mrs. Weasley.
Once the battalions of Aurors and other fighters left the tent Harry motioned for the students to take their places around the perimeter of the dome, which, with the exception of Dumbledore, three senior wizards (including the ancient one Harry had seen making calculations in the air), a handful of messengers, and the healers, was now empty. They moved into their positions and, not having anyone to immobilize yet, watched as the battle unfolded.
The Aurors, elves, and members of the Order of the Phoenix who had been battling the giants in the streets were now almost completely gathered in the center of the park. A rumbling in the trees (as well as the falling over of several of them) at the far side of the park announced the arrival of the giants. Harry and the others gazed, open mouthed, as no less than two dozen of them brawled their way into the park, their fearsome roars and pounding feet causing the ground to shake even under the dome. They were accompanied by a good number of wizards and witches in black robes “ the Dark Recruits, as they had been called “ and Harry was quite sure he saw a number of Death Eaters among them. Many of these began disappearing into the trees along the border of the park, no doubt hoping to catch the other side by surprise. Harry made sure to watch the forest at the back of the barrier dome carefully.
The evil forces, led by the rampaging giants, rushed out into the middle of the park to meet the Ministry’s forces, who were now reinforced by the large group that had been waiting in the dome. All at once, the battle had begun.
It was unlike anything Harry had ever seen. His only perception of war being the neat, orderly conflicts he had caught glimpses of in Muggle movies, he was quite unprepared for the pandemonium that spread about before him. Fighters on both sides began apparating all over the battlefield like blurs of light, casting off spells and quickly disappearing. Trees burst into flame. Enormous torrents of water rose from the ground like mighty serpents, collapsing onto the battle participants and scattering them like leaves. Large clouds of multicolored smoke exploded at random places on the field and began roaming about like predators “ strange, sinister lights shining from within. In the few areas that weren’t being devastated by the rampaging giants, duels began breaking out between the Ministry and Voldemort’s forces. Rather than using spells like Stupefy or Expelliarmus, however, the fighters were going at one another with the express intent to injure and kill. An Auror was hit by a piercing, silvery bolt in his side, causing blood to gush out. A Ministy wizard sent one of the Dark Recruits hurtling through the air and into a tree at least ten yards away, where he collapsed to the ground and moved no more. The elves popped up here and there doing their best to distract the giants, who were hurling massive boulders and fully grown trees along the width of the battlefield, catching anyone in their path.
Any boyish notions Harry might have had about the glory and excitement of war vanished in that instant. War wasn’t fun “ it was seeing living creatures inflicting unimaginable pain on other living creatures in a very real, very horrid sense.
War was anything but glamorous.
The healers began to get busy at this point. His heart racing and a sick feeling in his stomach, Harry decided to head out into the trees at the back of the dome. From what he had seen, it was likely that a few of the Dark Recruits would try to hide in the trees surrounding the border of the park in order to get better shots at the Ministry’s forces in the middle. While his orders were to guard the dome, Harry planned to extend slightly beyond it’s borders to pick up any stragglers who ventured too far. He was sure Dumbledore wouldn’t mind.
Harry began the patrol of the woods, assisted by Dean, Seamus, Hannah Abbot, and three Ravenclaws from the D.A. who had volunteered for his group. They fanned out amongst the trees, using the large trunks for cover, and waited tensely for any signs of an intruder. Several minutes passed uneventfully. Then, all at once, Harry heard several shouts off to his left.
“Stupefy!
“Stupefy!
“Expelliarmus!
Sprinting over to the area, Harry saw an adult wizard in black robes sprawled senseless on the ground, his wand lying several yards away. Hannah and two of the Ravenclaws, a sixth-year boy named Richard Brenson and a seventh-year girl named Meredith Palmer, stood over the body, clutching their wands tightly.
“Sorry, Harry. I think we hit him a little harder than we needed to,” said Hannah, a tense, excited look on her face.
Harry chuckled slightly at the twisted, unflattering position the man had landed in.
“You guys did great.”
“Er, what do we do now?”
Harry hadn’t thought it that far through. After a brief deliberation they decided to take the man’s wand and secure him to a nearby tree with several applications of the Incarcerous spell. Hannah stood guard proudly over the Dark Recruit, as though he were a six-foot marlin she had caught fishing.
“Great. Hannah, we’ll bring any others we catch here for you to guard until we can get an Auror to take care of them. Richard and Meredith, let’s take cover before any others get here.”
Nothing else happened for a while. Feeling confident in his group’s ability to guard the dome without him, Harry decided to check up on the other groups. From what he could see they had picked up a couple of Dark Recruits on their own.
“Ron, are you all right?” Harry called out as he ran by.
“Yeah. One of these buggers almost apparated right into the barrier though. Justin caught him right in the face with a nice Body-Bind spell though,” Ron called back.
“Nott, you all right?”
“Yes. Nothing’s really happened up here,” he replied, almost sounding disappointed.
“Hermione, how are you?”
“Good, Harry. Professor Moody’s been helping us out.”
Harry looked over to see Mad-Eye Moody standing on the platform next to Dumbledore and a small horde of other wizards, apparently giving a report of some sort. Harry rushed onto the platform to watch the battle and hopefully get an update.
“I understand. I will assign that right away, Alastor,” he heard the headmaster say.
“Also, there’re a few Dark Recruits under the Camouflaging Charm and that scum MacNair’s lurking about in an invisibility cloak, hitting our Auror’s from behind. I’d like to take them out, unless you’ve got something crucial for me,” the old ex-Auror growled.
“Of course. Check in with me in about twenty-minutes,” Dumbledore replied. Moody nodded and rumbled off, disappearing under an invisibility cloak of his own. “Good shot, Longbottom,” Harry heard him growl as he passed Neville, who had just taken out a Dark Recruit with a well-placed Stunner.
Dumbledore continued rattling off orders to the various captains who were standing by:
“Thomas, have the house-elves camouflage themselves in that swell of bushes along the east flank in order to bring down that group of giants. They’ll have the best chance. Go.”
“Yes, Albus.”
“Wilkins, we need Dervish to use his group to provide cover for Batle “ they’ve taken heavy losses from the giants. Hurry!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Albus, Hagrid was right “ three of the giants have rebelled against the Gurg and joined us!” shouted a younger Auror excitedly.
“Excellent. Mark them with our color so we don’t take them out unknowingly. Hansen, help Kittle with that.”
“The Obliviators are here, sir. Where do you want them?”
“Add them to Doge’s group. He needs help immediately. Buckley, take your group and catch anyone going for the mirage. We can’t let them inform the rest of their forces that it’s a fake.”
“Yes sir!”
From what Harry could see, it looked like the Ministry’s army was holding its own. With the help of the elves they had repelled the first wave of attacks and had brought down several giants, despite the fact that they were outnumbered. For a brief moment it appeared they might even have a chance to win the battle.
Then the dementors arrived.
Harry felt them much sooner than he actually saw them. The temperature in Regent’s Park dropped considerably and a dank gloom filled the air. Then, all at once, a veritable wave of dementors began to pour onto the battlefield.
Dumbledore spun around to face Harry. Their eyes met. They were thinking the same thing.
“Go!”
Without a second thought Harry leaped off the platform and began gathering his division in order to repel the dementors.
“HERMIONE, NOTT “ DEMENTOR ATTACK!” he shouted across the dome. “Get your groups together and follow me! Ron, stay here and protect the barrier.”
“Got it!”
“We’re coming!”
They ran through the back of the barrier and into the trees, where Harry called out to his group.
“Dean, Seamus, Richard “ come with me! The rest of you stay put!”
The small group of Hogwarts students sprinted madly out of the cover of the trees and onto the battlefield. Loud bangs, sizzles, and screams could be heard and the sights of war opened up in front of them. Harry hurriedly looked up and over to the ridge of trees to his left. The dementors had just about entered the fray.
“Get your Patronuses ready!” he yelled out.
Conjuring a Patronus in a situation like this was much more difficult than doing it in a classroom. Harry knew most of his group had never performed under such pressure. Based on the looks on their faces, it was evident that very few, if any, would be able to get theirs off. They were too scared. If he could manage to conjure his “ a real, corporeal Patronus “ it would inspire them and increase their confidence enormously. But he had to do it on the first try…
With this thought in his mind, he did his best to clear his head of all the chaos around him and prepared for the moment when he would cast the spell. He waited until they were just about into range, then held his arms out to motion to the others to stop the charge. He thrust his wand out into the air at the oncoming dementors, noticing as he did so that they were flying around with their hoods removed, exposing their hideous, withered faces and the holes that served as mouths…
He thought of Ginny, that day at the lake, their kiss…
“EXPECTO PATRONUM!”
The silver stag burst out from the end of his wand, as bright and beautiful as the dementors were dark and horrifying. Instead of sending him straight at the dementors, however, Harry directed him to gallop in a wide circle in the air, just above the students.
The looks of fear and anxiety left their faces as they looked on the magnificent beast.
“Everyone…NOW!”
The students raised their wands and cried out the spell. Harry had been right “ the sight of one helped tremendously and nearly half the group were able to get theirs off. The others kept trying. Soon the silver stag was joined by an otter, a tiger, a boar, a turtle, a large hound, and an eagle, all of which went soaring through the sky towards the dementors.
Before he could see what happened next, two Dark Recruits apparated right in front of Harry, apparently having seen the small platoon of students enter the battlefield.
“Stupefy! Expelliarmus!” Harry shouted immediately. His aim was true and hit the wizards dead-on, immobilizing them both, but not before one of them had sent a strange, pulsating violet streak of light into the group of students, catching Seamus in the chest. He fell to the ground.
“Everyone watch out “ I’ve you’ve gotten your Patronus off, cover those who haven’t!” Harry ordered as he ran to Seamus’ side. The students nodded and grouped together in a large circle, half of them watching for any more intruders while the other half continued trying to conjure their Patronuses.
Seamus was in a bad way. He was still alive, but his eyes were clouded over and he was thrashing wildly about, kicking and tearing at himself.
The Nightmare Curse.
Harry recalled reading about it in one of the many Dark Arts books he had researched during the school year. While the spell didn’t cause any direct physical harm to the victim, it put them into a hallucinogenic state where they saw and felt demons tearing their flesh from their bones. In an effort to defend themselves, the victims usually ended up ripping their flesh off themselves, dislocating joints and gouging their own eyes out in the process. It was merciless, vile Dark Magic.
While it would take a healer to dispel the magic completely, Harry knew how to at least postpone its effects until they could get to one.
“Somniculous.”
Seamus’ screaming stopped. His held lolled over to one side, unconscious.
“Is he ok? Will he be all right?” asked a very worried Dean.
“He’ll be fine,” Harry reassured him. “We just need to get him to the healers. Are the dementors””
Harry looked up to find that the first wave of Patronuses had reached the dementors. The swarm of blackness hesitated, then backed off. Emboldened by the sight of the students’ Patronuses, many of the Aurors were able to get theirs off, and soon the entire battlefield was surrounded by a number of prancing, galloping animals, as though there had been a mass-breakout at some heavenly zoo. While the dementors didn’t disperse completely, they were at least held at bay for the time being.
Just then Harry heard a sharp crack. Lupin appeared in front of them, accompanied by a small group of Aurors. His face caked with dirt and sweat.
“Harry, excellent work! Now pull back “ they’re sending a group of chimaeras this way!”
Harry nodded and gave the order to fall back while Lupin and the others gave them cover. With Nott’s help he lifted Seamus onto his shoulders and retreated.
Before he could feel any sense of satisfaction over what had just occurred, Harry once more felt Voldemort’s thoughts. He was happy, ecstatic “ apparently in a state of anticipation. Again the voice entered his mind.
Harry felt a surge of anger, but quickly checked himself.
You’re going to lose, he shot back determinedly.
Derisive laughter, followed by the chilling statement, “Ah, but Harry “ I have already won…”
This was followed by more laughter, which Harry quickly shut out. For some reason “ possibly due to the intensity of the battle, possibly because of their close proximity “ the connection between himself and Voldemort seemed to be more accessible than ever. Yet he hadn’t seen the Dark Lord on the battlefield, and even got the feeling that he was somewhere else entirely. Why would that be…?
Or maybe he’s just trying to trick you again… Harry thought to himself. He decided to keep the connection closed, no matter how much he wanted to open it.
“They’re not here…” said Nott suddenly, looking back over his shoulder at the battlefield.
“What?”
Nott looked at him, his brow furrowed. “The Death Eaters. There’re only a few here. Where are the rest…?”
Harry had to take his word for it “ Voldemort invading his mind and getting Seamus taken care of were much more pressing issues at the moment.
They reached the command barrier and turned Seamus over to the healers, who reassured Harry that Seamus would be ok and went to work. Mrs. Weasley shook her head sadly when she saw them.
“Good work, Potter,” growled a voice from behind. Mad-Eye Moody. A small crack of satisfaction etched across his mouth, telling Harry he had been successful in his last mission.
“Albus wants you and the others to go back to guarding the barrier. We’ve got a group of Aurors helping you now. He says to stick close and avoid danger as much as possible.”
Looking up at the platform, Harry noticed the headmaster was gone. He nodded at Moody and gave the order for the students to resume their positions around the barrier.
Things didn’t look so good. Despite having impeded the dementors, the Ministry’s forces had dwindled noticeably and it seemed that the giants had gained more ground. Bodies of humans, elves, and more than a few giants littered the battlefield. Harry wasn’t naïve enough to believe it was Stunners that had made this happen. What was worse, the chimaeras had joined the fray.
He had read about them in books, but that hadn’t prepared him for the real thing. Chimaeras were odd, grotesque creatures “ a beast straight out of a nightmare with the chest of a lion, the body of a goat, the hindquarters of a small dragon, and the heads of all three. What was more, it appeared that Voldemort had also managed to give them wings, as they were flying high above the park, carefully watching the creatures below.
They flew with all the grace of a thrown brick and landed on their victims just as heavily. Kingsley Shacklebolt and his group (which Dumbledore had momentarily joined, Harry saw) managed to bring one down by conjuring an enormous net out of the air, but lost two of their wizards in the process. Meanwhile nine other chimaeras were wreaking havoc elsewhere.
Regardless of the odds, Harry and the others fought on. Time ceased to have any meaning “ it could have been mere minutes since he had first apparated with Lupin onto that London street, or it could have been hours. The primal instincts of self-preservation and the preservation of others kicked in completely, leaving no room for anything else. He lost himself in a mindless blur of action, coming out only when he saw Charlie Weasley’s body bourn past him in a stretcher. He was still breathing, but his eyes were closed and there was a nasty wound on the left side of his body.
Harry left, preferring the chaos and carnage of the battlefield to Mrs. Weasley’s anguished cries.
He joined a group of Aurors at the front of the barrier guarding the incoming elves and healers. He started to help when he saw a dark blur out of the corner of his eye. A chimaera was hurtling through the air towards them, the three hideous heads snarling and its razor sharp claws ready for the kill. The Aurors had noticed it too late.
He only had time to get one spell off…
But before he could do it, a wave of high-pitched shrieks came in from his left. A swarm of arrows buried themselves into the chimaera, dropping it to the ground where it lay still, looking like an overlarge pincushion.
The centaurs had arrived.
Wulfric Gryffindor was with them.
Harry and the others rushed back into the command barrier where there was a great tumult of astonishment. The ancient son of Godric Gryffindor had brought no less than fifty centaurs with him, all fighting males armed with bows, arrows, and numerous other weapons Harry hadn’t seen before. Dumbledore was standing back on the command platform, a grin of hope spreading across his face, while Fledgeby, Kingsley, the healers, and even a good part of the people lying injured on the cots looked on with open mouths.
Wulfric Gryffindor strode towards the platform, Magorian next to him. His red robe was still open at the breast, displaying the marks of Fidellius Paciscorium. His face wore the same look of anticipation as before and a long, familiar looking sword hung at his belt. It was Godric Gryffindor’s.
Confused whispers rippled through the gathered crowd, each person wondering who this brazen stranger was and how he had come to lead an entire troop of centaurs.
“My people are at your disposal, Albus Dumbledore,” said Magorian with a stiff bow as they reached the headmaster.
Dumbledore smiled and bowed back.
“We are overjoyed to see you, both of you,” he said, looking from one to the other. “Magorian, we are eternally grateful for your aid.”
“To be truthful, I had little choice in the matter,” the centaur replied, casting a resentful glance at Wulfric, who simply laughed. He then turned to Dumbledore.
“Steward, there is something you must see “ something centaur eyes alone were able to uncover.” He motioned towards the trees at the rear of the dome.
“I suggest you make haste.”
Dumbledore nodded and turned to the ancient looking wizard on the platform next to him.
“Alpheas, see to the disbursement of our friends here. Keep them in the trees as much as possible where they can provide cover. I will return shortly.”
The old wizard nodded and began to make assignments as the gathered crowd dispersed to their separate stations. There was a good deal of excited whispering.
Not waiting for permission, Harry quickly fell into step behind Fledgeby, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Wulfric Gryffindor, who were following Dumbledore into the woods behind the barrier. They soon met a small group of centaurs who were setting up what looked like a giant, circular mirror over a stone pedestal. When they arrived they saw that it wasn’t a mirror at all, but a shallow basin of crystal blue water.
“There is something you must see, Albus Dumbledore,” said an ancient looking centaur standing at the head of the basin who had just scattered a handful of what looked like dust and small seeds into the water. The ancient centaur muttered a chant and immediately the surface of the pool began to shimmer and ripple with a strange, molten-silver color. All at once an image came into view.
Harry couldn’t see very clearly from where he was standing, but it appeared to be another street in London. The image sharpened and Harry thought he saw the inside of a building where dark, shadowy figures were moving about. After that came one last image that Harry couldn’t quite make out. All at once Fledgeby gasped, Kingsley cursed, and Dumbledore jerked his head up sharply. His face was ashen white.
“A diversion?” he said incredulously, looking out over the battlefield.
“Of sorts. Your adversary means to defeat you on two fronts. While the bulk of your forces are occupied here, his design is to invade your capitol.”
Harry looked at Firenze, stunned. That would explain why they hadn’t seen many real Death Eaters “ they were gathered somewhere else in London, waiting to claim the Ministry building. With the Aurors and everyone else gone, it would be easy pickings. Then, even if the Ministry’s forces won the battle here, Voldemort could still claim victory. The government would be in total chaos…
“B…But the Ministry building is in complete lockdown. The Floo network is sealed “ no one can get in or out unless…” Fledgeby hesitated.
“Unless someone lets him in,” Kingsley finished for him.
“Orville, who is defending the Ministry building right now?”
“Just the normal security detail,” he replied sheepishly.
Kingsley shook his head. “They won’t last five minutes against the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who.”
The headmaster turned and looked out on the battlefield, his brow furrowed. It was clear what he was thinking “ they needed to protect the Ministry building, yet even with the centaur reinforcements it would be very hard to spare anyone at Regent’s Park.
“Go, steward,” came a clear, reassuring voice. Wulfric Gryffindor. “Take fifteen of your finest soldiers with you. I shall assume command in your stead.”
He said it in such a calm, nonchalant manner that Harry again wondered if he realized what they were really up against. The others seemed to be thinking the same thing. Dumbledore, however, nodded.
“I shall entrust the battle to you, Wulfric. Farewell. Kingsley, call in your captains.”
With that the headmaster ran back to the raised platform, Harry, Kingsley, and Fledgeby in his wake. Soon the various Ministry captains began apparating in, looking anxious and slightly confused at being pulled from the middle of battle. Dumbledore wasted no time in getting to the point.
“We have just received intelligence that Voldemort intends to raid the Ministry building…”
As though to confirm this statement, Harry felt a sudden thrill of anticipation in the corner of his mind where the connection with Voldemort lurked. If he was reading it correctly, he would guess that the raid was already underway.
“We must stop this at all costs. Alastor and Dorbins, you will come with me. Kingsley, select three of your best men and join us. Remus…”
The headmaster’s eyes flitted towards Harry and back. Remus nodded to show he understood. Dumbledore continued.
“The rest of you must stay here and fight””
“But, Albus! You cannot possibly””
“The decision is final!” he said in a tone of finality that no one dared argue with. “We cannot afford to lose this battle either, yet we don’t have a soul to spare. This is the only way. The man in the scarlet robe,” he motioned towards Wulfric, who was busy conferring with the centaurs, “will be giving the orders from now on. See that you obey him.”
With that the headmaster and his brave band apparated away. The gathered captains looked around at each other, stunned.
“There’s no way…” said a young, female Auror.
“It’s a suicide mission,” said another, shaking his head.
Not able to do anything but hope, however, they resumed the battle. Wulfric Gryffindor took over command, giving orders that seemed to put the Ministry’s forces strictly on the defensive, as though they were waiting for something. The centaurs proved to be a huge help: in addition to revealing the assault on the Ministry building, they were also able to provide cover for the forces on the battlefield as well. They kept mostly to the trees, picking off any enemy who came within range. Harry soon realized that if it wasn’t for the help of the elves and centaurs, the battle probably would have ended by now. As it was, the two sides were about even.
Soon Harry felt a slight change in Voldemort’s mood. Something had surprised him, something unexpected. He seemed slightly worried, but also slightly amused. It wasn’t hard to guess what the cause was: Dumbledore and the others should have arrived at the Ministry building by now. Every moment that passed was another moment Dumbledore and his band had to fight them off alone…
The battle continued with both sides taking losses. Still protecting the barrier, Harry could do nothing but watch as Grawp went down, followed by Madame Maxine. Each side fought tooth and nail to gain the upper hand, which was up in the air.
And then Harry saw the dragons.
His heart sunk down into the pit of his stomach.
This was it. It was over.
Four enormous, fearsome dragons “ two Common Welsh Greens, a Chinese Fireball, and a gargantuan Ukrainian Ironbelly “ had just come rocketing over the trees and onto the battlefield like harbingers of doom. How on earth were they supposed to battle four dragons on top of dementors, giants, Dark Wizards and chimaeras?
But as he saw the Ironbelly snap at a passing chimaera, tear it in two pieces, and send it hurtling back to the ground, a startling realization hit him.
The dragons were fighting on their side.
“Ah, our goblin friends have arrived,” said the Half-Blood Prince cheerfully.
A startled cheer of triumph rose from the Ministry’s forces. Harry recalled hearing the goblins employed dragons in defending some of their vaults, but he hadn’t expected this. He watched in disbelief as one of the Welsh Greens went crashing into a group of Dark Recruits at the far end of the battlefield, sending them flying like toy soldiers. The Chinese Fireball hovered in the air, spewing a mushroom-shaped stream of fire at anything in a black cloak. Just as he didn’t think he could be any more amazed, the Ironbelly swooped out of the air like a hawk, sunk his enormous talons into the fleshy back of a giant, lifted off the ground and dropped him from at least a hundred feet up into a nearby group of trees where his impact caused a small earthquake. He didn’t move after that.
“I believe that is our cue,” said Wulfric in eager anticipation. “Healers, continue your work. Mr. Potter, call out your forces and join me “ the rest of you as well. We finish this battle now.”
With that the Half-Blood Prince drew his father’s sword, jumped off the platform, and charged onto the battlefield, a look of relish on his face. Harry organized his group and joined him.
The tide of the battle turned quickly after that. The ferocity of the dragons inspired the remainder of the Aurors and elves to fight with renewed effort. The centaurs continued raining their arrows down on Voldemort’s forces, forcing the Dark Recruits and the few giants left to huddle for cover in the middle of the field, where they were easy pickings for the dragons. Harry led his stalwart group into the thick of the fray, where they met Fred and George Weasley, Amos Diggory, who had lost his son to Voldemort in Harry’s fourth year and was fighting like a madman, and a number of others Harry recognized.
After shooting off a few Stunners, he fought his way towards Fred and George.
“Hey, Charlie’s gonna be all right,” he yelled over his shoulder as they fought off an oncoming pack of dementors. “Perked right up when he heard dragons were here…”
The twins nodded, looking greatly relieved.
“Good.”
“I bet mum just about had kittens.”
Just then the Chinese Fireball soared overhead and let loose a jet of flame, enveloping the dementors in a curtain of fire. Having had the perception that dementors were somehow impervious to physical pain, Harry was surprised to hear them shriek and rush off, like giant, living torches.
“Wow. They really light up, don’t they?” said George, impressed. “Wouldn’t have suspected it.”
“Yeah, Dementor flambé,” said Fred, nodding his head.
The battle continued, the Ministry forces pressing their advantage as Voldemort’s army continued to dwindle. They seemed to have lost their will for battle and were now fighting strictly to stay alive. Part of Harry’s mind remained conscious of Voldemort’s moods even while he fought. Despite the fact that they were winning he remained worried and highly anxious.
Just then Wulfric Gryffindor emerged from out of the fray. Harry and the others gasped when they saw him. His robe hung loosely around his waist, revealing a strangely muscular torso. The mark of the centaur’s fist and the hand of the goblin glowed with the faint blue light and in his eyes was a look of hungry vindication. In his left hand he held his wand. In his right he held the sword of Godric Gryffindor, which, amazingly enough, was positively blazing with a fearsome, golden fire. In addition to this, the large rubies set in its hilt were pulsating with light, hinting at a hidden power within the sword Harry hadn’t known existed.
He cut a most impressive figure.
He turned to face the gathered Ministry forces. “The battle will soon be ours,” he called out. “Yet our assistance is sorely needed elsewhere. I need a battalion of men to travel with me to your Ministry building this very instant. Who will join me?”
Within moments an entire regiment of volunteers had formed. Nott and Harry leapt at the chance to join them, but Lupin, Ron, and Hermione pulled Harry back.
“Harry, no!”
“Not a good idea, mate.”
“I think it would be better if you stayed here, Harry. Think about it,” said Lupin with a somber look on his face. Harry’s first impulse was to argue. Then he remembered what had happened the last time he had stampeded off to the Ministry to stop Lord Voldemort. He had sworn he would never act so rash again.
Reluctantly at first, then finally acquiescing, Harry stepped away from the group. Nott’s eyes met his. Lupin nodded and gave a wan smile.
“Excellent, we are prepared then,” said Wulfric with a pleased nod at the group. “You, my bespectacled friend”!” he called out suddenly, pointing to Orville Fledgeby.
“M…me, sir?” the man said, surprised.
“Yes, you. The enemy is on the run, but we will still need to finish the task of thoroughly routing them. You are in command now.”
Fledgeby’s eyes grew wide, but he nodded. Seeing he might be in over his head, Lupin walked over to him. Without another word the Half-Blood Prince and his troop of volunteers left the battlefield to join the fight against Voldemort. Other members of the Ministry’s forces came running up after they had gone, wondering what had happened.
“Harry, who was that man?” asked Mr. Weasley breathlessly, gazing at where Wulfric Gryffindor had been standing just a moment before. Realizing how long and detailed the explanation would have to be, Harry made something up instead.
“Er…Remus’ uncle. From Scotland.”
“Really?” Mr. Weasley replied, surprised. “I didn’t know Remus had an uncle…”
Voldemort’s Army was in its final throes. It was now simply a matter of rounding up the last few pockets of resistance. With the help of the dragons, goblins, elves, and centaurs, the task wasn’t too difficult. Harry was immensely worried, however, as he had just felt a minor surge of triumph from the periphery of his mind where the connection with Voldemort lurked. Though he hated to even consider it, something told him Dumbledore was in trouble.
The connection seemed so close now, so…tangible. It was almost like the curled corner of a page in a book. All he had to do was reach out with his mind, pull it open, and he would be able to gaze on its contents…
He quickly shut out the thought and focused on the task before him. Wulfric and the others should be arriving at the Ministry any minute “ there was nothing else he could do but wait.
In addition to bringing the dragons (which Harry and the others soon learned not to get too close to), the goblins had also managed to engineer a large system of tunnels under the park where they had been ambushing the enemy ever since their arrival. At the north end of the park “ right where it met with the ruined city streets Harry had fought on earlier “ they had constructed an enormously deep pit, a ravine, really, where the remainder of the giants were being rounded up to prevent further attacks. Harry and the others made their way to the corner and marveled at its size.
“How’re we going to hide this once the battle is over?” he said in amazement. Whatever magic Dumbledore and the others had used to keep the Muggles away still seemed to be working, as there wasn’t one in sight, but he couldn’t see how they were going to hide something this big once the battle was over.
“No worries “ goblin tunneling,” said a nearby Auror, who was escorting away two Dark Recruits. “They can fill it back in just as fast as they dug it. The Muggles will never know it was here.”
Harry nodded his head, impressed, when he began to feel it.
A sickening, inexplicable anxiety in his stomach. He could feel it in his mind “ Voldemort was tense, nervous. Angry. Something intense was going on.
Harry opened the connection a little bit more.
“Harry, are you all right?” asked a concerned Hermione.
“Fine,” he replied automatically.
The Dark Lord was worried. His Death Eaters were failing him, causing his carefully laid plans to start to unravel. His sharp, penetrating mind was darting about anxiously, incredulously, seeking for explanations.
“What is it?” asked Ron forcefully.
“I…I think Wulfric Gryffindor’s arrived at the Ministry. Voldemort seems angry, worried.” Harry smiled as the realization hit him.
“He’s losing.”
Ron and Hermione looked anxious. Hopeful.
“Is Voldemort there too?”
“I don’t know. But he’s at least watching.”
Harry couldn’t resist. He opened the connection enough to send Voldemort a message of his own.
What’s the matter? Something gone wrong? he said mockingly, savoring the feel of it. He felt a sudden burst of anger from the Dark Lord and was quickly cast out of his thoughts, just as Harry had done so many times to him. In that brief moment, however, Harry had seen that an intense battle was going on at the Ministry, one that Voldemort was trying desperately to win.
“Come on, lets go help the others,” he said to Ron and Hermione, slightly scared at having been so close to Voldemort’s psyche.
They hadn’t rejoined the effort to round up the rest of Voldemort’s army for five minutes when it happened. Harry’s head absolutely erupted in a fit of anger. It was intense it knocked him onto his back, yelling in pain.
The Dark Lord’s plans had been foiled. He had lost.
Rage like nothing Harry had ever known swept through his body. Voldemort was furious, absolutely livid at having come so close to his goal only to be thwarted at the last minute. Harry felt the connection open wider than ever, but neither one of them moved to shut it.
No, NO! Voldemort’s mind screamed. How did this happen? Dumbledore was finished”! Victory was mine”! That man…
Silence. Then, all at once, the voice erupted.
WHERE ARE YOU, POTTER? WHERE ARE YOU HIDING? I AM GOING TO DESTROY YOU AND CLAIM AT LEAST ONE VICTORY TODAY!”
Before he could do anything to stop it, Harry felt Voldemort force open the connection even wider. For a split second he felt like he was sharing his eyesight. He was able to force his mind closed, but not before feeling a flash of recognition in a consciousness that wasn’t his own. All at once the connection closed.
“What is it Harry? What’s happened?” Hermione asked frantically.
“He’s coming,” said Harry breathlessly. “He’s coming here!”
Ron and Hermione immediately ran for help. Harry sprung up from the grass, ran out of the park and into one of the Muggle streets. He tried frantically to find the best thing to do, but his mind hadn’t yet recovered from the effects of the rage and he wasn’t thinking clearly. His only thought was to lure Voldemort out of the park and away from his friends.
He ran along the broken street, turned, and made his way down another, one that hadn’t been ravaged by giants. He concentrated on the images around him “ office buildings, abandoned cars, Muggle restaurants “ hoping Voldemort would see them and skip the park entirely. He ran further and further. He had just come to a narrow street flanked by walls of stone buildings and inhabited by groups of Muggle emergency vehicles when the street suddenly erupted in a pillar of flame.
Voldemort had found him.
Snarling and with a look of utmost anger and intensity on his face, the Dark Lord thrust his wand at Harry. He had only a split second to dive out of the way as an orange bolt screamed over him and hit into an occupied ambulance, causing it to explode in violent red flames.
Thinking he had better guide Voldemort away from the Muggles, Harry leapt up and into a nearby office building, hoping it had been evacuated. Fortunately it was and he flew up the stairs, through two rooms, and into an open office plaza with the speed only adrenaline could supply.
He stopped in the middle of the plaza and turned to face the open doorway. He could hear the sounds of Voldemort racing after him, smashing whatever got in his way. Harry pulled out his wand and steeled himself.
This was it “ the time had come. Any moment now Voldemort would come through that doorway. Whether he was ready or not, he had to face him. Alone. He had been preparing for this ever since hearing the prophecy, had played it through a million times in his mind.
And he still had no idea how he could ever defeat him.
Voldemort swept through the doorway, smoke following him. His already unpleasant face was twisted into a hideous sneer.
“No one to save you this time, Potter! Not Dumbledore, no sons of dead-men “ no one! Avada Kedavra!” without warning he sent the deadly green light rocketing towards Harry, who dove behind a large stone planter for cover. He could see there would be no toying around this time, no games like the duel at the end of his fourth-year. Voldemort’s soul purpose was to destroy Harry and to do it quickly.
“Stupefy! Expelliarmus!” shouted Harry firing one spell off immediately after the other. Voldemort simply held his other hand up and somehow sent the spells rifling back at him. They both hit the planter, shattering it into pieces. Voldemort then waved his hand, causing the solid floor underneath Harry to rise in a large, smooth lump as though it were made of water, sending him crashing into an office workspace where his head smashed into a computer. Knowing Voldemort would be upon him in a flash, Harry immediately cast the Shield Charm despite being dazed and not knowing where he would pop up. His foresight paid off as Voldemort’s next spell glanced off his shield and forced him to dodge out of the way, giving Harry a chance to escape from the corner he was trapped in. The spell hit into the ceiling just to his right and exploded, causing a heavy oak desk from the floor above to come crashing down.
Realizing Voldemort was too strong to hit directly with a spell, Harry decided to try and use the environment against him like they had with the giants. He leapt out of the corner and fired a diversionary stunner to Voldemort’s right, then performed a summoning charm at a heavy filing cabinet just behind him.
Surprisingly the tactic worked. As Voldemort moved to deflect the Stunner, the metal filing cabinet came hurtling at him. He noticed it to late and it smashed into his side, sending him staggering and papers flying everywhere.
His victory was short lived, however, as the Dark Lord almost immediately recovered and swept a long line of scorching flame from his wand at Harry. Harry ducked, but not before the flame had hit his back, starting his robes on fire. He quickly rolled on them to put them out, feeling the flesh on his back burn as he did so.
“Stunners, Harry? Summoning Charms? Is that all you have to defeat me?” Voldemort called out in derision. He began to laugh, his old swagger and arrogance reemerging. Harry realized the connection was still slightly open, almost like a crack in the corner of a stone wall that separated two rooms.
The epic fight continued, Harry only surviving by making frequent use of the Shielding Charm and taking advantage of the fact that their wands couldn’t directly fight each other. Whenever Voldemort went in for the kill with Avada Kedavra, Harry quickly shot a Stunner off, negating both spells by locking their wands together. This only worked as a stalling tactic, however, as Voldemort quickly broke the connection and found another way to attack Harry.
Their battle raged on through the abandoned building, demolishing entire suites and starting several fires. Harry fought valiantly, holding the Dark Lord off far longer than he thought he ever could have. But he soon realized the inevitable:
There was no way he could defeat Lord Voldemort.
He was much too powerful. He used magic Harry hadn’t ever seen before, hadn’t even known existed. Harry couldn’t hope to compete with him magically. Not yet.
Perhaps not ever.
As Harry ran around one final corner at the end of the building, Voldemort hit the ground beneath him with a shockwave that threw his legs out, sending him crashing to the ground. He tried to get up, but his legs were broken. He rolled over onto his back and let out a scream of frustration.
The connection in the periphery of his mind tingled. Voldemort had seen the hit and was delighted. As soon as he rounded that corner, he was going to kill him.
Desperate and knowing he had nothing left to lose, Harry turned to the only option he had left.
Concentrating his entire will, he tore down the connection between them, that small crack in the stone wall that kept them separate.
What followed was the oddest, most uncomfortable feeling Harry had ever experienced. Even worse than when Voldemort had done it to him the year before. He was in a very cold, very hollow place. There was someone else there, someone who was writhing and screaming in agony. Harry looked up and had the strange sensation of gazing at himself through someone else’s eyes.
He had entered Voldemort’s consciousness.
If Harry was in pain, however, it was nothing compared to what Voldemort was going through. Harry could feel his soul writhe and twist in agony. He had been completely taken off guard by Harry’s intrusion and was worried, scared even.
It was too horrible to describe. The closest thing Harry could relate it to was being in an immensely large, open, building “ a cathedral, perhaps “ where every light had been snuffed out and you were left alone in frigid, endless darkness. Yet even the cold, hard stone of a cathedral seemed too soft and inviting to serve as an adequate analogy for the feeling. It was a soul completely void of any shred human affection or fondness. There was no decency, no warmth.
In their place there was an odd, intoxicating sense of power; a relentless desire to dominate everything and everybody.
There were memories there, too. Harry caught a glimpse of one and was so horrified he almost cast himself back into his own body.
But as he looked over the inner wasteland that was Lord Voldemort, Harry felt the last emotion he had ever expected to feel for the Dark Lord.
Pity.
This appeared to be too much for Voldemort to handle. The pity Harry felt reverberated through the dark, hollow shell of his soul, casting light on its appalling condition. Enraged and terrified, he concentrated his entire being on forcing Harry out, his soul ripping and tearing at him in the process.
They both collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Harry woke up some time later. Voldemort was gone. Tonks, Remus, and Kingsley Shacklebolt were crouched around him, extremely worried looks on their faces.
“V…Voldemort,” Harry muttered.
Relief seemed to wash over them.
“He’s gone, Harry. He disappeared when we came,” said Lupin. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah,” Harry replied, slightly surprised. Other than being extremely tired, nothing had happened to him that Madame Pomphrey couldn’t patch up. He was even able to walk on his own power.
They helped him to the roof where Tonks sent out a signal. Almost immediately a large group of the Ministry’s forces apparated nearby, including Ron and Hermione who ran up to hug him. After the cheers subsided, they looked out over the devastation.
Three entire blocks of downtown London had been reduced to rubble. Regent’s Park was in flames.
“Merlin’s Beard,” said Mr. Weasley in awe.
“I’d hate to be on the Magic Reversal Squad today.”
Harry Potter and the Legacy of the Founders by VoldemortsPatronus
Chapter Notes: Just one more to go...