It's not easy to explain, but . . .

Chapter 12

"Right, forgot that bit." George admitted, sheepishly.

"By the way . . . just out of curiosity, you understand," Fred started.

"How did you die?" Dan finished his question.

"Ah, basically, yeah.  Who killed me?" Fred asked.

"No one.  There's as explosion and you're killed by the falling debris - a chunk of Hogwarts.  Must have been a payback for all the noise and destruction you inflicted on the old rock pile all those years, huh?"  Dan grinned

"Hey! George did just as much as I did!"  Fred objected.

"Well, you were the one standing with Percy when it happened; wrong place, wrong time."

"Wait . . . Percy was there?" George asked, stunned.

"Yeah, he comes around and makes a point of being there to fight.  Whole family shows up, come to that, Bill and Charlie included."

"Blimey!!"  Fred looked at George, who nodded.

 * * * *

'Pop'

Luna turned around to find Neville and Dobby standing next to the stairs.

"Oh, hello!  Happy Christmas Neville, Happy Christmas Dobby!"

"Happy Christmas Luna!" replied Neville, giving her a hug.

"Happy Christmas, Missy Luna . . . we is coming to fetch you to see Master Harry and to meet his new friends, Missy Luna," replied Dobby.

"I'd love to meet them.  Will we be gone long?  I do have to make dinner for Father."

"You will be gone for no time at all, Missy Luna.  You will be right back," Dobby assured her, grasping Neville's hand and holding out his other hand to Luna.

"Alright then," Luna agreed, taking Dobby's hand. "Ready when you are, Sir."

Dobby looked up at Neville.  "Sir.  She called Dobby Sir.  I likes this one."

'Pop'

* * * *

"Kreacher, could you come here a minute, I have something I wish you to hear, about yourself."  Emma smiled at the ancient House Elf, who hesitated, then approached her, still reticent to be dealing one-on-one with a Muggle.

"Yes, Miss.  Kreacher is listening," he rasped, ducking his head to avoid looking at her.

"This is the part of the climax of the Battle of Hogwarts, almost the end of the seventh book."  Emma opened her copy of "Deathly Hallows" and started to read.   Everyone quieted down and listened eagerly.

 # # # #

The centaurs Bane, Ronan and Magorian burst into the hall with a great clatter of hooves, as behind Harry the door that led to the kitchens was blasted off its hinges.

The House-Elves of Hogwarts swarmed into the entrance hall, screaming and waving knives and cleavers, and at their head, the locket of Regulus Black bouncing on his chest, was Kreacher, his bullfrog's voice audible even above this din, "Fight! Fight! Fight for my Master, defender of House-Elves! Fight the Dark Lord in the name of brave Regulus! Fight!"

They were hacking and stabbing at the ankles and shins of Death Eaters, their tiny faces alive with malice, and everywhere Harry looked Death Eaters were folding under the sheer weight of numbers, overcome by spells, dragging arrows from wounds, stabbed in the leg by Elves or else simply attempting to escape, but swallowed  by the oncoming horde.