All of the characters contained herein are the property of Ms. Rowling.
Harry stood in the castle's entryway, impatiently awaiting the return of Professor Snape with the other three heads of house and Dumbledore with members of the Order who'd be acting as his guard. His thoughts whirled in his head as his mind tried to catch up with all that had occurred this evening. It seemed impossible that just a few short hours ago he and Ginny had been on their date, and now she, along with his two best friends, was in the room of requirement preparing to defend the castle against death eaters. He couldn't help but wonder if he would see them all alive again. He realized then, with startling clarity, that he was much better at charging into battle then waiting on the edge of it. To distract himself, he turned to speak with Remus and Tonks.
"So Tonks, how'd you wind up in the hospital wing this time?" he asked.
It had become sort of a running joke between them how many different ways the auror could land herself under Madame Pomfrey's care. Harry was suprised to see Tonks pale and the look of anger flash across Remus' face. Harry looked back in forth between them, his eyes narrowed.
"This wasn't one of your usual accidents, was it? What happened?" he demanded. Tonks opened her mouth to answer, but Remus beat her to it.
"Death eaters came to the Shrieking Shack," he said quietly. Tonks layed a comforting hand on his arm.
"I had gone to the kitchen for some chocolate. They were there waiting. One of them koshed me over the head with something. I'm not sure what happened then. I woke up to Poppy's fussing. Ginny and the others came in a little while later and told me that you were alone in the tunnels with Malfoy and Bellatrix and that Remus had gone after you. You know the rest, from my point of view anyway," Tonks said all in a rush, as if she did not wish to think about it.
"I heard the crash when 'Dora fell. I went to check on her. Two of them were holding her between them. I didn't know if she was dead or alive. Peter was with them," Remus said. His voice was harsher than Harry had ever heard it, and his eyes were a cold, flat amber.
"The rat?" Harry growled. Remus nodded.
"He thought he had me beaten. He thought that with the odds three to one in his favor, that he would finally finish what he started. He was wrong," Moony snarled. Tonks and Harry exchanged a worried glance.
"Remus, love, what happened?" she asked gently.
"He'd already taken so much from me. He was going to turn you over to the dark werewolves who follow Voldemort. There was no way that I would let that happen. No way that we would let that happen," Remus said. "He will not hurt anyone ever again."
"Oh, Remus," Tonks said, her eyes misty with tears. She pulled him into her arms, and he leaned into her absorbing her comfort.
"Merlin, 'Dora. I killed him. He was my friend once, and I killed him. I strangled him with my bare hands while he begged for mercy. I'm no better than he was," he choked. The amber was gone from his eyes now. They were, instead, a mournful gray.
"Remus, look at me," Tonks commanded. "You did not kill Peter. The Peter you knew has been dead longer than James and Lily. You killed the death eater who destroyed your friend Peter, who betrayed James and Lily, sentenced Sirius to twelve years of hell, and took away Harry's childhood. In a way, you saved Peter, freed him from what he had become."
"She's right Moony," Harry said quietly. Remus shook his head in denial, but further conversation was halted by the return of Professors Dumbledore and Snape, accompanied by the three other heads of house, Moody, Kingsley, Hagrid, and all of the Weasleys except for Ron, Ginny, and Molly.
"I believe we are ready to start," Dumbledore said solemnly. "Harry, how much do you know about the founding of Hogwarts?" Harry's mind frantically scrambled for every piece of information that Hermione had ever quoted from Hogwarts, A History.
"Well, I know about the founders, obviously, but not much beyond that," Harry admitted. Snape snorted and rolled his eyes.
"Paying attention in History of Magic is too much for you Potter? " he sneered. Remus glared at the potions master, while Dumbledore shot him a stern look and continued.
"What we are about to do is very ancient magic which was set up by the founders themselves. For the most part, the wards are self sustaining and unbreachable, however, the Founders knew that if enough magic were brought to bear, the wards would fall. To insure that this never happened, the founders chose a Protector. They each gave a blessing to the young man they had chosen, making him extremely powerful. His magic was then bound to that of the castle. Every generation, a new Protector arises, chosen by his predecessor. The Protector must be an extraordinary witch or wizard. They must be strong of heart and mind, and possess enough magic to sustain the castle's defenses in times of strife. Once the blessings are bestowed upon him, or her, they are bound to the castle until they pass their title on to another. As long as the Protector stands, Hogwarts will not fall."
"Sir, who is the Protector now?" Harry asked, sure that he knew the answer.
"I am," Dumbledore smiled. "Tonight, that title shall pass to you."
"But, wouldn't it make more sense for you to keep the title? You know what you're doing. I don't," Harry argued. Dumbledore shook his head.
"Voldemort knows that I am the Protector, Harry. He will not expect me to pass the power on to you. It is not something he can comprehend. He would never surrender power for the greater good," the headmaster answered. Harry nodded.
"I see," he said turning it over in his mind. He couldn't help but feel that he was missing something important, but knew that time was running short. "What do you need me to do?"
"As I said earlier, the heads and I shall be doing most of the work. You just need to open yourself to accept it. I warn you, the castle can be a bit overwhelming at first. You'll be unable to do much but allow her use of your magic for a time. We will be here to defend you until your magic and mind have adjusted," Dumbledore said, indicating the Order members surrounding them. Harry saw them giving him supportive smiles and nods of encouragement.
"All right," he said, somewhat nervously.
Dumbledore led Harry to the very center of the room. He and the heads of each house formed a circle around the green-eyed young man. The Order members formed a larger protective circle around them. Harry could feel their silent support.
"Harry James Potter, child of James Harold and Lily Rose Potter, ward of Remus John Lupin, member of the house of Gryffindor, do you freely accept the burden that we are about to place upon you?" Dumbledore asked in strangely formal tones.
"I do," Harry answered gravely.
"Very well then. Let the gifts be given," the headmaster intoned. Professor Sprout stepped forward then, placing her hand lightly upon Harry's head.
"The blessings of Helga Hufflepuff I gladly give to you. Loyalty, friendship, sacrifice, and a heart forever true," the plump witch intoned. Her hand on Harry's head glowed a bright yellow for a moment before she stepped back. Harry was aware of a caring warmth surrounding him, rather like one of Mrs. Weasley's hugs, except that this seemed to eminate from the castle itself. Professor Flitwick stepped forward then, levitating himself and placing a small hand upon Harry's head.
"The blessing of Rowena Ravenclaw upon you I do bestow. Curiosity, intelligence, wisdom, and the thirst to always know" Flitwick said. His normally excited, squeaky voice was solemn. His hand flashed bright blue upon Harry's head. Harry felt his mind open, felt connections and knowledge being accessed which had lain dormant. Professor Flitwick stepped back, and Professor Snape stepped forward placing his hand upon Harry's head.
"The blessings of Salazaar Slytherin I give to you this day. Cunning, stealth, ambition, and the will to find the way," he said. His voice was strong and sure and completely lacking it's usual venom. His hand flared green upon Harry's head. He felt the bond of the castle grow within him. He could clearly see in his mind every hidden passage, every secret door. It was like having the Marauders Map inside his head. Snape stepped back, and McGonnagall stepped forward, placing her hand upon his head.
"The blessings of Godric Gryffindor flow to you from my hand. Courage, strength, honor, and the power to save the land," McGonnagall said quietly, her stern voice gentle. A bright red light poured forth from her fingers, making Harry look briefly like a Weasley. He felt a surge of power and strength arise within himself, accompanied by an almost unbearable tension. He felt as if he were coming apart at the seams from the amount of magic which had been bestowed upon him. McGonnagall stepped back, and Dumbledore stepped forward, placing both of his hands upon Harry's head.
"Fair Hogwarts and her people, I charge you to protect, with courage, cunning, loyalty, and with intellect. Tis now your solemn duty, to do what's in your power, to serve her both in good times, and in her darkest hour. The mantle of Protector, to you I freely give. I surrender what was mine that Hogwarts may yet live," Dumbledore said.
A column of bright golden light rose from the headmaster's hands where they lay upon Harry's head. Harry felt the shift of power for an instant, before it seemed to explode out of him. Dumbledore's golden light changed to a column of Harry's green fire, as the headmaster stumbled back, dropping to his knees. Harry felt the castle pulling him, connecting him to her and to all of the people within. He was adrift as sensation after sensation pelted his mind and body. He lost all control of himself and his magic as he was, literally lifted off the floor. He was dimly aware of the concerned murmurs of those around him. He would have reassured them if he could have. He was completely incapable of doing so at the moment, however.
"Albus! Are you all right?" Professor McGonnagall asked, her concern plainly written upon her face as she and Snape helped him to his feet.
"I'm fine, Minerva, just give me a moment please," Dumbledore answered.
"Is that supposed to happen?" Fred Weasley asked staring in wonder at Harry, who was floating several inches off the floor his arms open wide and his head thrown back. Harry's emerald eyes were moving rapidly back and forth beneath his closed lids.
"Yes, Mr. Weasley. The castle is adapting Harry to its magic. Until it is done, he is completely helpless, which is why we are here," Dumbledore said tiredly.
"I'm not sure I understand about that exactly. If Harry's keeping the wards up, why are we worried about Voldemort?" George Weasley asked. Snape rolled his eyes.
"Use your head, Weasley. The Dark Lord will come through the tunnels to bring down the wards so that his army can come through. Do you think it mere happenstance that death eaters have been in both tunnels this evening?" Snape sneered.
As if in answer, a group of aurors burst through the castle's front doors. The leader went immediately to Kingsley, saluting smartly.
"Sir, a group of death eaters has been spotted coming up through the willow. We also have reports of an extremely large group of them coming this way from Hogsmede. They have dementors with them. They..." the auror broke off and his eyes widened as he spotted Harry. "Merlin is that..."
"Thank you, Jenkins," Kingsley said, cutting him off. "That will be all."
"Yes, sir," Jenkins said, returning back to the school grounds with one last look at Harry. All of the assembled Order members had tensed at the auror's announcement.
"What now?" Arthur Weasley asked, voicing what they were all thinking.
"Now," Dumbledore said, "we wait."
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Ron nervously paced in front of the assembled D.A. members, clearing his throat. This was the point where Harry would give an inspiring speech about how it was their duty to defend the school, about the choices between right and wrong. Harry was off doing something to increases the castle's defenses, however, and he, Ronald Billius Weasley, life long second banana, had been left in charge. Dumbledore believed in him. Harry believed in him. They had both obviously cracked under the pressure and gone completely mental. He glanced over to where Neville, Luna, Ginny, and Hermione stood. The all had looks of confidence on their face and kept giving him encouraging nods and smiles. They apparently believed he could do this as well. He added their names to the list of people who needed to be rooming with Lockhart.
Strategy was something Ron understood. He could look at something, see the big picture, and know what needed to be done. He was not the sort to inspire others to follow him. He was not the hero. Harry was. He was the hero's best friend, but right now, the hero was battling to save the castle and all of those in it. Right now Ron's best friend, the hero, needed his help, and he, despite all of his self doubt, was going to do his damndest to give it to him. He took a deep breath and looked out over the sea of faces.
"I know there are probably a thousand rumors flying around right now about why we're here in the middle of the night," Ron began. A chorus of questions arose from those gathered in the room.
"Are they true?" Lavender Brown hollered.
"Is He -Who-Must-Not-Be-Named coming?" a fifth year Hufflepuff whose name Ron couldn't remember asked.
"Where the bloody hell is Potter?" one of the few Slytherins in the room demanded. Ron ignored them all and continued.
"I know you are probably scared and wondering where Harry is. I'd like to be able to tell you that all of the rumors are false, that we're assembled for a giant end of term party, and that Harry is just off fetching some firewhiskey from Madame Rosemerta. Unfortunately, that's just not the case. Most of the rumors are true, Voldemort is coming, and Harry is out putting his arse on the line to save ours just like he always does," Ron paused to give this time to sink in.
"I know you're scared," he repeated. "We all are. Let's face it, we're just a bunch of kids. We should all be sleeping right now, dreaming of what we'd like to be doing this summer, but we're not. Our world is at war. Our friends and family are in danger. We're in danger. We have a chance to do something about it, though. Here, tonight, we can help to shape the future of our world. If Hogwarts falls tonight, Voldemort takes a giant step towards gaining control. I'm not willing to see that happen. I will fight and die, if necessary, to stop it. I cannot and will not make that decision for everyone though. We'll be facing death-eaters and, in some cases, fellow students who have joined Voldemort. We may be killed and we may be forced to kill. If anyone feels that they cannot deal with that, you are free to go. You can return to your common rooms and help the professors to calm the younger students. No one will think any less of you."
Ron stopped and looked around. He was both pleased and proud to see not one D.A. member heading towards the door. They all wore expressions of mingled determination and fear, but they stood their ground. He allowed himself to relax a little. The tough part was over. The rest was just strategy. That was something Ron knew he could do.
"All right then," he said. "We'll be breaking up into four groups, just as Harry practiced with us. Luna and Neville will lead the first one. You will be defending the area near the dungeons. Susan and Justin, you'll take your group and guard the hospital wing. If they aren't injured, they don't get in. Hermione, Ginny, and I will have the next group. We'll be guarding the area near the Great Hall. The last group will be divided between the four common rooms and will be under the supervision of the heads of house. You'll be the last line of defense and protection for the younger students. If things start to go bad, get as many out as you can. Any questions?" Silence was his only response. He nodded.
"In that case, go and good luck," Ron said. As people began to file out of the room, a beaming Hermione and Ginny rushed over to Ron. Hermione threw her arms around him, blinding him in a sea of bushy hair.
"That was brilliant, Ron. Absolutely perfect," she said.
"You've outshone them all, you know. Not one of our brothers could have done that better, Ron," Ginny said quietly, pride showing in her face.
Ron felt himself blush and knew that the tips of his ears were probably bright scarlett. He couldn't help the small smile that briefly crossed his face. Maybe, just maybe, Harry and Dumbledore weren't completely mental after all.
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Severus Snape made his way cautiously through the corridors leading to his dungeons and the Slytherin common room, staying to the shadows. He'd refused to put a disillusionment charm on himself as McGonnagall suggested or to borrow Moody's invisibility cloak. The day he, Severus Snape, the head of Slytherin and long time spy for the Order, hid from his own students was the day he suddenly started dressing in bright colors and allowed that idiot metamorphmagus to dye his hair flourescent orange. It was ridiculous, despite what he'd heard the Parkinson brats discussing. A slight scuffling of feet ahead of him in the corridor had him pausing to peer, eyes narrowed, into the gloom. He inched his way closer to the sound. Whoever thought that they would be able to spring a trap on him was in for a rude awakening. After silently moving down the corridor a little further, encountering nothing, and deciding that he'd most likely imagined whatever it was, he found himself surrounded by a ring of dark robed figures.
"Hello Professor," drawled a voice from the darkness. "We thought perhaps you'd make your way down here. Sorry I haven't been to class all year. I was unavoidably detained elsewhere." Snape tensed. He recognized the voice of his former and favorite student, Draco Malfoy. He decided to brazen through.
"Draco, what are you doing here? Our master would be much better served by you helping him rid this world of that old fool Dumbledore then by standing down here exchanging pleasantries with me," Snape hissed.
"Our master, Professor?" Draco murmured before laughing coldly. "I hardly think that my master needs help to destroy Dumbledore, whereas he would be delighted for me to bring him the head of the traitor in our ranks."
"Traitor? I thought we had laid that issue to rest long ago," Snape said.
"Awwww... Sevvy.... are you feeling unloved?" said one of the other figures, cackling madly.
"Hello Bella. Can't you reign the boy in?" Snape asked. "Dumbledore nearly had the entire Ministry in those tunnels looking for Potter and his little friends . Where would our Master's plan have been then?"
"Sticking it out until the bitter end are we?" Bellatrix asked. "We know you're the spy Snape. Our little birdie told us." Snape rolled his eyes, pretending frustration he wasn't feeling.
"That would be because no one bothered to tell me the Patil girl was the spy. Of course I allowed her to think that I was working with the Order. It would be pretty hard for me to spy on Dumbledore if I walked around in my robes and mask declaring my true allegiance to everyone now wouldn't it?" he snapped at her.
"You know, Severus. I almost believe you. Unfortunately for you, however, my master prefers to know where his servants' loyalties lay. Yours are just too uncertain. Avada...." Belltrix started to form the words of the death curse.
"Expelliarmus!"someone shouted, sending the unprepared LeStrange careening into a nearby statue.
Snape turned stunned eyes to see Neville Longbottom, of all people, leading a large group of students towards the assembled death eaters. Spells whistled around the shocked professor felling about half of the robed figures before they could react. The rest began to fire back at the students, who, much to Severus' amazement, were doing exceptionally well.
Before he knew what was happening, Longbottom had grabbed him and pulled him into a sheltering alcove. That's when it hit him... his life had just been saved, by Neville Longbottom. The boy whom he had ridiculed and tormented from his first day at the school was defending him. The moon faced young man was looking at him in concern.
"Are you all right sir?" he asked with none of his usual stammer.
"When the hell did that happen?"Snape couldn't help but think to himself. Stuttering, stammering Longbottom had grown up. He was no longer intimadated by him. He had, in fact, saved his life. Some days it just didn't pay to get out of bed.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor, Longbottom for manhandling a professor," Snape snapped, striding back towards the battle with his wand drawn. Neville shook his head.
"I'll take that as a Yes, Neville. I'm brilliantly healthy. Thanks for saving my life," Neville muttered before he joined his potions master in attempting to subdue the remaining death-eaters, who were now being assisted by a large cluster of older Slytherin students.
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Remus Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder with Tonks, the Weasleys, and the other Order members. In the distance he could hear the shouts and sound of battle and smell the stench of blood. It was taking every ounce of strength he possessed to reign in his other half. The wolf knew there was a battle and wanted to join it. It was always like this for him in these situations, perhaps even more so today. Absolutely everyone he loved and cared for was involved in this fight. They could all face death... his mate, his pack, his students, and those he considered family.
His eyes flicked to where Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and their forces stood, guarding the hallways off of the entryway and the Great Hall. Dumbledore should have known that he'd be unable to keep those four away from Harry if they thought he needed them. Remus tensed as silence descended outside the castle doors.
"Albus..." he warned, as with a sharp boom the doors were blasted inward showering them with bits of wood and debris.
Dark robed figures seemed almost to pour through the castle entrance shooting spells as they went. Remus returned their fire, grinning as he saw one of the Weasley twins tossing a dark bomb into the oncoming black swarm. Several of them crumpled to the ground, stunned. He allowed the wolf free reign as one death eater, bolder than most, made a run at Harry. Grabbing the man by the neck, he flung him against the wall and heard a distinct crunch.
"Small group," Tonks snorted as she disarmed the closest opponent. "If this is a small group how big is a large one?" He grinned at her, taking down two more.
"Bigger than this apparently," he murmured, as he saw Ginny Weasley stun a death eater who was sneaking up behind her father.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Dumbledore as he strode purposefully through the battling forces. He stopped in front of the gaping door as a menacing snakelike figure stepped through.
"Dumbledore, come to welcome me back to my old alma mater? " Voldemort hissed.
"Hardly, Tom. I believe that I have made it clear before that you are not welcome here for as long as you walk the path you currently take," Dumbledore said calmly.
"Still trying to bring me back to the road of the good and righteous? Poor Tom Riddle...so very lost," Voldemort laughed coldy. "Why don't you just surrender this pile of rocks? We'll let the purebloods live. You could save so many of your precious students."
"My students are more than capable of saving themselves, Tom, as you can see," Dumbledore said, smiling merrily at the Dark Lord. Indeed, a large number of the death eaters who had burst into the castle seemed to be down or wandless, though whether they had fallen to the D.A. or the Order was uncertain.
"Are they really, Dumbledore?" Voldemort laughed flicking his hand, sending several of the students who were battling nearby flying into the doors of the Great Hall with a sickening thud. "Are you quite sure they are all capable of saving themselves?"
A second flick of his hand and Remus felt himself lifted up and away from Harry and thrown across the room. He noticed he was not the only one of Harry's guardians to be so treated. Remus struggled frantically to rise, but he couldn't so much as twitch his big toe as Voldemort advanced on the boy he loved as if he were his own son.
"I must say I am suprised. I would never have thought that you'd be willing to use the boy this way, draining his power to support the castle. You've left him so delightfully helpless," the Dark Lord smirked. "I could snuff him out like a candle right now. Do you honestly believe that you can use his magic to defeat me and keep the wards up to save your precious students from my dementors?"
In answer, Dumbledore sent a shower of golden light streaming at Voldemort which was hastily blocked. Spells flew back in forth between the two wizards at an amazing pace. Even Moody and Remus, both veterans of many battles during the first war, watched in amazement as they dueled. So caught up in the battle taking place were they, that no one noticed as Harry's eyes snapped open and his fingers gave the slightest of twitches.
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He was floating, blissfully adrift. He could feel the castle and all of its inhabitants. He watched over them as scene after scene played out in his mind like a muggle television show. With the merest flicker of thought, the castle would show him whatever he most needed to see. He watched, nearly bursting with pride, as Ron stood in his place and lead the frightened but determined D.A . He saw the terror in the faces of the younger students as they were herded to safety by their heads of house. He watched as Molly Weasley helped Madame Pomfrey prepare for the injured which were sure to come streaming in. He heard as a sobbing Parvarti Patil was comforted by her parents and eventually sedated. He gazed in wonder at Neville and Snape, standing side by side as the dungeons were cleared. He smiled in satisfaction as Ginny and Hermione easily took down Pansy and Marcus Parkinson. He saw Remus, Tonks and the Order fighting to defend him.
At the same time, he could feel the barriers the school and his magic had erected being tested. He could feel the cold anger of the dementors as they were denied their prey. He heard their screams of pain as they collided with the green flames with which he protected Hogwarts and those within. He sensed the impatience of the death-eaters who were forced to remain outside the school until the wards were dropped. Then he felt him.
The enemy was inside his school. Tom Riddle had once belonged to Hogwarts, been a part of it. He wasn't any longer. He felt the castle's magic shift as Dumbledore stepped out to meet Voldemort. It was then that Harry realized what he had been missing. Voldemort believed that Dumbledore was still Hogwarts' Protector. The Dark Lord believed that the only way to destroy Hogwarts was to destroy Dumbledore. The headmaster was offering himself up as a sacrifice to save the castle... to save Harry. He began to struggle. He would not, could not let the headmaster do this.
"Harry, stop. I have chosen this path. With my death, my magic shall become one with the school and you shall be able to use it to expell Voldemort," Dumbledore's voice sounded in his head even as Harry saw him exchanging spells with the Dark Lord.
" No! I will not lose anyone else that I love," Harry countered.
"Harry, I will always be here with you, even when my body is dead. I am old. My time has come and gone. I pass the torch onto you. Protect them and help them to deal with my passing. I love you," the headmaster's voice echoed in his head and was gone. Harry's heart broke and bled. He felt the warmth of tears running down his face and he allowed himself to mourn as he watched what he knew were his mentor's final moments.
Dumbledore sidestepped a curse Voldemort had aimed his way, whirling and placing himself in front of Harry as a jet of green raced towards him. Harry heard the gasps as the light struck the headmaster directly in the chest, and he was briefly illuminated before crumpling, lifeless to the ground.
Harry saw the gleem of triumph on the evil snakelike face as his cold laughter chilled the room. The Dark Lord's triumph was short lived, however, as a golden light burst forth from Dumbledore's body. It seemed to fill the room with warmth and the scent of lemon drops before it poured into the column of green fire which surrounded Harry. Those assmebled watched in amazement as both Harry and the flames surrounding him began to glow with the golden light which gradually grew brighter and brighter until even Voldemort was forced to look away and take an involuntary step back. When the light died down, they saw Harry crouched, almost catlike in the center of the room.
He rose then, drawing himself to his full height. He seemed to have grown over the course of the night. He stood nearly as tall as Voldemort and he could feel the chained strength in his muscles that he knew he had not possessed before. Harry forced his mind away from the inexplicable changes in his body, from his aching loss, and from the quiet sobs coming from his friends and family in the room. He concentrated instead on his enemy.
"I believe that you were told to leave. You are not welcome here Tom Riddle," Harry said, his voice deadly quiet. Voldemort laughed chillingly.
"Your protector is gone, Potter. I have killed the great Albus Dumbledore. He has been driven from this school by me. The wards will fall and your friends will lose their lives and their souls to me and mine. You might as well surrender now," he hissed. Harry shook his head.
"I've told you before, Albus Dumbledore will never be gone from this school, Tom. He is a part of it, as am I. Hogwarts will not fall this day, and I shall never surrender to you. Now, get your miserable snakey arse out of my school," Harry growled, sending a wave of golden fire at the Dark Lord pushing him out the gaping door and onto the school grounds. Harry followed him, the air around him crackling with his magic.
Harry stepped out onto the school's grounds to a scene of chaos. The lawn was littered with the dead, both aurors and death-eaters. The sky above the castle roiled with darkness as clouds of dementors swarmed the perimeter of the shields. Smiling grimly, he concentrated on the wards and murmured the incantation for the patronus charm. Bright golden light flared around the school as the dementors screamed and sizzled. Those closest to the light withered away to an inky black fog. The remaineder broke away, fleeing the school and the painful light.
With the dementors gone, Hogwarts' defenders came out in full force. Charging from the Forbidden Forest with Grawp and a horde of acromantulas, came Hagrid who had been dispatched there by Dumbledore as soon as the spell had been cast upon Harry. After them came a herd of centaurs, who shot arrow after arrow into the death eaters' ranks, forcing the dark robed wizards to fall back towards Hogsmede. Smiling, a hauntingly familiar twinkle in his eyes, Harry turned to face Voldemort who was staring in disbelief at his crumbling forces.
"You seem to be losing allies rapidly Tom," Harry said calmly, wishing he could end it here, but knowing that the safety of the school and the maintenance of the wards had to be his first priority right now. "Perhaps it would be wise if you left."
"This is far from over, boy. I have defeated Dumbledore. I will defeat you and I will not rest until everyone you love is dead or under my control. Until our next battle Harry Potter," Voldemort hissed before stepping through the wards and disapperating. His troops seeing, their master's retreat, soon followed and quiet descended once more upon Hogwarts.
Harry turned watching the sun come up over the lake, tears falling gently down his face. The school and its people were safe for now, but at what price? He felt a small hand slip into his while another larger hand was placed comfortingly on his shoulder. He smiled sadly at Ron and Hermione. They would, he knew, always be there for him.
"You did it Prongs. The school is safe," Ron said. Harry shook his head.
"We all did it. The students, the professors, the Order and aurors, even the centaurs and spiders helped. That was quite the speech you gave by the way, King. I knew you could do it," he said as Ron looked thunderstruck.
"You couldn't possibly..." Ron said, his eyes wide. It was, naturally, Hermione who answered.
"It was the spell Dumbledore did wasn't it?" she said. Harry nodded.
"I could see everything happening in the castle all at once. I'm..." he paused searching for the right words and failing. "I'm not sure how to describe it. I can feel everyone. If I concentrate I know exactly where they are and what they are doing." They stood in silence for a while, not knowing what to say.
"I can't believe he's gone," Hermione said at last, choking on her emotions.
"He's not," Harry said. "I meant what I said to Voldemort. Dumbledore will never be gone form this school. He is a part of it now. They all are... all of the Protectors. When a Protector dies, their magic goes to enforce the castle, strengthening it... renewing it. That's how I was able to push Voldemort out. It wasn't just my power. It was all of theirs."
"How did you..." Hermione said. Harry shrugged.
"Dumbledore. I heard him speaking to me just before he died. He planned it. He knew exactly what giving me the title of Protector meant for him. He chose to die to save all of us. He told me he loved me," he said.
He ran a hands tiredly through his hair and realized that they were shaking. At the same time, he felt his legs begin to tremble as the events of the night caught up to him at last. He saw Ron and Hermione exchange a concerned look as the world started to get fuzzy. Dimly, he heard them calling for help and felt Remus lifting him once more. Knowing that both he and the school were safe for now, he closed his eyes, allowing himself to sink into a deep healing slumber as he was carried to the hospital wing in his guardian's strong arms.
There you go, the battle, the death, and Voldemort as promised. I hope you enjoyed this one. A few notes.... The spiders and centaurs entering the battle was completely my son William's idea. He's been asking for it for a while. Also....****SPOILER WARNING**** Some of you may be wondering whether or not the death in the story was effected by HBP. Oddly enough, this was the death I had intended almost from the beginning. I had briefly considered killing Remus, but as he and Harry's relationship developed, I just couldn't do it. **** END SPOILER****
Thanks go out as always to my moderator Danielle, my son and beta William, and all of my readers and reviewers who have stuck with this story for so long.
There will be one more chapter after this one just to kind of wrap things up. I'll post it ASAP.
Thanks again,
Cindy aka Weasley Mom