"Ok but Hermoine the spell allowed me to ride a dragon during the battle of Hogwarts!" Charlie said frowning. "Dragons are susceptible to some magic and you know it."
"Charlie that Dragon almost killed you an hour later too!" Hermoine said as she faced her brother-in-law over her husband's bed.
"But Hermoine it will only take a few minutes to subdue them, cast the spell and take care of those on the other side of the wall." Charlie said frowning. "And the two Hungarian Horntails are our best bets against those on the other side of that wall because its harder to cast spells against them." He said.
"Right and just suppose Charlie Weasley that your Dragon eats you?" Hermoine said now clearly upset. "Who do you think your mother will blame for it?" She said. "The answer is flat out no in big bold lettering! Mother would never even speak to me again." Hermoine said.
"Well that's why they call you an unspeakable sis!" Charlie said flashing his best smile eliciting a chuckle from Ron whom Hermoine turned on at once.
"Don't you dare encourage him Ronald Weasley." Hermoine said. "You know as well as I do Charlie was laid up for a month after that spell wore off and that was only a Norwegian Ridgeback!" She said fuming at the both of them.
"Then do the bonding spell you found Hermoine." Charlie said. "If the Dragon bonds with me he is less likely to eat me you know." He said chuckling and Hermoine looked at the both of them.
"That bonding spell is ancient and we don't know if it actually worked." Hermoine said.
"Of course it worked Hermoine!" Ron said now giving her a funny look. "Merlin did that spell on an Ironbelly and that is what he rode into battle against the goblins!" He said.
Hermoine Weasley sighed and thought, and not for the first time, that she was sometimes too smart and curious for her own good. The Merlin manuscripts were in the Hall of Mysteries now and was one of the things she had been studying for three years. A small book of spells written in Merlin's handwriting had been found with his manuscripts and only one of the spells had been tried and to great success by Hermoine herself. The manuscripts had been among the possessions of Dumbledore. Before the battle of Hogwarts she had found both the manuscripts and the small spell book in among her things with a note from the old headmaster. Chancing a spell before the battle of Hogwarts she had cast a spell that would give Charlie control of the beast for a time but was unsure how much time, not unlike the sleeping spell that was now being used on the dragons out on the grounds now.
"That bonding spell, I haven't tested it Charlie and I am not going to teach you an untested spell to use against, of all things, a Dragon!" Hermoine said and turned walked out the medical wing doors leaving the two men along.
"Well that was a bust." Charlie said. "I would have thought she would be itching to try a spell like that out."
"Normally she would be but you know she wouldn't do anything that would hurt mum." Ron said. "Of course she did say she wouldn't give you an untested spell to try didn't she?" He said suddenly raising his eyebrows, sitting up quickly and swinging his legs over the side of the bed all in one smooth motion. "Help me get my pants on Charlie before it's too late to stop her!" He shouted and Charlie frowned helping his brother until his brain clicked as well and while Ron was grabbing his cane Charlie had sprinted out the door to try to catch up with his sister-in-law.
Hermoine had opened the front door and walked out seeing that what dragons weren't asleep were far out across the lawn. The nearest Dragon was the Ironbelly that had almost made a meal out of Hagrid. Walking up to it while it was still asleep was scary enough but what happened next made her want to scream. She laid her hand on the leg of the beast and did the bonding spell and the head of the dragon rose and turned to face her so close it could have swallowed her whole if it had wanted to. She stood stock still looking the dragon in its huge yellow eyes until it laid its head down on the ground near her and nudged her causing her to fall to the ground.
"Hermoine get back here." Charlie said from behind her.
"It's ok Charlie, I think it was trying in its way to be, well a pet." Hermoine said still scared but unsure of her next move.
"It also might be trying to think if you would taste better raw or charcoal!" Charlie said.
"Hermoine Weasley! Get back here!" Ron said looking at the great beast and his small wife beside it.
"Relax and hush both of you." Hermoine said frowning never taking her eyes off the dragon. Next she placed her hand on the beast and did a variation of the spell she had worked on the dragon that Charlie had ridden. The beast raised its head again and its long neck swooped down to where it was mere inches in front of her face. It blinked twice and looked toward the dragons behind it. Hermoine could almost feel what it was thinking and then the head swiveled around to look at her once again. She did one more elaborate spell and reins appeared on the dragon with the ends tied to either side of the beast's head onto horns that grew out the sides like the picture she had seen in the books in Professor Binns class.
Harry was sitting in his office talking to Ginny when he suddenly got a vision of Hermoine climbing up on the back of the Ukrainian Ironbelly while he was taking a drink of his tea and almost choked before he turned into a phoenix and vanished in front of his wife.
Hermoine had indeed climbed up on back of the beast with Ron and Charlie trying to get her to stop. Ron at one point went forward only to have the Dragon turn in his direction threatening fire that never came. Hermoine was nervous and scared but she remembered watching Charlie riding the Dragon that year and how wonderful it looked. She grabbed both reins in her hands having holstered her wand and instead of saying a word, she did like Charlie had said and thought just about the joy of flying and felt the great beast make it to its feet and crouch.
With a great lunge it was airborne and flying upwards and Hermoine was holding on for dear life and felt the wind in her face whipping her hair out behind her. As she climbed higher the dragon turned slowly to the left as she was pulling on that rein more and she remembered the riding lessons her parents had made her take when she was younger and thought how funny it was that those lessons were now going to come in handy.
She let the dragon have its head as it straightened out and an arrow flew by her and as she looked down over the beast's neck she knew she was going to be sick. She was past the walls of the castle and some of those down there had brooms and were on their way up. She steeled herself and shook her head, she was now a Weasley and she had been chosen for Griffindore for a reason she thought as she gritted her teeth.
Wrapping both reins around her hands and leaning forward she put the Dragon in a steep dive and as she swooped down on those coming up the beast blew out a thirty foot flame causing five of the twelve to dive for the ground and one was roasted to a crisp, another man was grabbed from his broom by the long claws of the beast as Hermoine pulled back on the reins at the last second leaving her only two foot off the ground.
The Dragon again blasted a thirty foot flame sweeping it across those on the other side of the wall and bulling into quite a few of the enemy there too that were trying to get out of the way and Hermoine could hear the crunching of the bones of those the dragon was mowing down and pulled back on the reins turning it to fly back over the walls of Hogwarts and near the front doors of the castle.
The dragon came down and landed heavily jarring her insides and almost throwing her from its back as it slid to a stop in front of the great double doors. Hermoine slowly patted the beast and slid down its side to the ground and with a noticeable look of dizziness to the way she was walking finally fell into her husbands arms who in turn almost tumbled to the ground with her.
"Hermoine!" Ron said worriedly and Harry helped him to lay her onto the ground as Ron cradled her head.
Charlie bent down face to face with his sister-in-law and smiled. "Hermoine Weasley you are the greatest sister-in-law of all time!" He said ruffling her hair and went to tell the others what he had just witnessed as Hermoine tried to raise her head and then only succeeded in getting sick all over Ron.
"Ron I'm so sorry." Hermoine said laying her head back down again and Harry chuckled and did the cleaning spell.
"It's ok Hermoine just lay back, Harry cleaned the mess up and even if he hadn't it was worth it to see the most beautiful witch I know riding a Dragon, you were magnificent!" Ron said smiling down at her and then frowned. "And don't you ever do that again!" He said.
"Hermoine what were you thinking?" Harry said frowning.
"Harry I couldn't let Charlie go out there and try an untested spell." Hermoine said miserably. "Mother Weasley would never talk to me again if anything happened." She said.
"It's ok Hermoine rest easy, just wait till she hears you did it yourself!" Ron said. "And she is bound to hear that." He said looking up at the stairways of Hogwarts at the children gathered there.
"Oh please Ron, don't tell her." Hermoine said.
"Something tells me I wont have too Hermoine." Ron said turning her head to see the stairways and her face sunk as a round of cheers went up in her name and she closed her eyes and turned her face away.
"You know Ron that Ironbelly works better than my lawnmower." Harry said winking at Ron and began chuckling.
"Oh Merlin, I think I'm going to be sick again." Hermoine said quietly as the two men hoisted her up on her feet and they took her to the medical wing and put her in Ron's bed while he took the chair and put his foot up.
Harry opened the door to his office and Ginny was at the window and turned as he stepped in. "Was that Hermoine?" She said in shock.
"Yes, that bonding spell with dragons, she didn't want your brother trying an untested spell." Harry said. "She was afraid if anything happened your mother would never forgive her."
"She has been worried about that since she met my family." Ginny said chuckling. "Merlin knows why she would think that." She said.
"Same reason I do I suppose, well maybe not, mine is about history." Harry said sitting down next to Ginny on the small sofa. "Hermoine's is different I suppose." He said.
"I suppose." Ginny said snuggling up to her husband.
Harry could feel the castle talking about Hermoine the great Dragon Rider and smiled. He could also feel everyone starting to settle in for the evening, dinner was in less than an hour then it would be time for everyone to turn in soon. Tomorrow would be a different plan now since Hermoine show outside the castle. Harry doubted the survivors of this day would be outside the gates in the morning after the crushing defeat earlier of just one Dragon.
After dinner was over Charlie and the rest of the Dragon keepers walked out the front doors with Hermoine and she showed them each several times how to do the spell. After Harry had did the spell to put them to sleep the rest walked to the beast of their choosing, Charlie of course picking the Hungarian Horntail, and did their spells. The dragons rose with the riders on them and keeping within the walls of the grounds circled the castle.
Hermoine walked over to the Ukrainian Ironbelly and as it swung its head around she reached up and rubbed its snout. "Thank you for the ride yesterday and keeping me safe from those below great beast." She said quietly and the Dragon put its head down near her. Hermoine looked around at Irina and back to the Dragon near her and lowered her voice. "There is one here that I would like you to bond with more so than with me though, she helps to keep those of you alive and safe in Romania." Hermoine said and motioned for Irina to walk over. The beast raised its head in her direction and Hermoine walked over and took the young lady by the hand and walked her over. Laying Irina's hand on the beast's leg she recited the spell and saw the Dragon blink and then she did the second spell watching it blink twice.
Hermoine backed off a bit and the creature bent down and bonded with Irina and the young dragon keeper became the rider of the Ukrainian Ironbelly. The beast looked back at Hermoine one last time before it crouched and launched itself into the air and then it slowly circled the castle as Charlie came up to his sister-in-law and put an arm around her. "Thank you sis." Charlie said looking up into the darkness at the shape slowly making its way in for a landing. "I think this will change things a lot for the keepers." Charlie said. "One person could be in charge of one Dragon now and not have to worry about it eating him." He said looking at Hermoine.
"Or you could keep it like it is and let them continue to live in the wilds of Romania." Hermoine said sadly. "Don't make them beasts of burdens Charlie Weasley, it wouldn't be right for such majestic beasts to be used that way." She said watching the Ironbelly land and feeling the earth tremble beneath her.
"Your right Hermoine." Charlie said looking on in awe as his Hungarian lay down and curled up. "It would be wrong." He said. "I'll make sure this is only done in extreme emergencies." Charlie said. "I've never seen a Hungarian or an Ironbelly so docile before." He said.
There was great excitement among the handlers that evening but in the morning the front gates of Hogwarts was full again. Harry looked from the window in his office although he could have just sat and closed his eyes and seen the same sight. Hogwarts was growing within him; he could feel the connection growing stronger each day. He was surprised at the gathering before the gates as the show the previous day should have scared them but then he saw a small framed figure dressed in black robes on the other side of the gates. Vanessa had arrived and by sheer will was keeping those with her from leaving. He sighed because he didn't want it to end like the prophecy said it would, there should be a chance for her to get better but when Tom marked her soul he had twisted it.
Vanessa looked up as she stood before the gates of Hogwarts. She had lost the dark wizard she had here to lead the battle onto the grounds and she knew who disposed of him as well, she could feel Harry looking down on her from one of the windows above and could feel the power he radiated. She looked behind her at the four hundred criminals, assassins and followers that she had coaxed into returning. She should have had real followers; Merlin and the promises of her ancestors had tainted the blood oath that was taken many years ago.
"Come in Valeria." Harry said as he stared out the window and before the young lady could knock.
"She is here Harry." Valeria said as she came toward the window to stand beside him.
"Yes it will be today." Harry said. "We'll have to face her today along with the aurors that came last night and the Dragon riders we now have, we are going to be seriously outnumbered here." He said. "All we have are our aurors, the reinforcements haven't shown up yet." Harry said.
"I am scared Harry, what if I screw up?" Valeria asked. "What if I freeze?" She asked.
"You will know what to do when the time comes young lady." Harry said. "Let us call a meeting quickly." He said and through the magic of Hogwarts professors were alerted, as were the aurors and Charlie and the rest of the handlers to assemble in the great hall. Students were told to seal the entry to their common rooms and only four students were able to slip out unnoticed.
Gwain, Evy, Jonas were at the entrance to the Chamber under a cloak while Josephine had slipped out before that and was near the medical wing in an empty classroom with the door closed for now.
Gwain, Evy and Jonas along with Josephine had been attending dueling classes since the start of school and while Josephine was a powerful duelist the other three had surprised the fifth years in their talents and the advanced spells they had learned from Sirius, Severus and Remus and not to mention even a few from Hess himself.
"You two are going to get us into so much trouble." Evy said.
"Hey dads the headmaster, he wouldn't expel us you know." Gwain said.
"No but uncle Harry could make it so we have detention everyday we are here attending school until we graduate." Jonas said frowning.
"Nah they'll be glad we helped you'll see." Gwain said. "We'll be the first line of defense if someone makes it into the castle." He said.
"Gwain you seen what's out there, we are outnumbered four to one." Jonas said. "They'll get in and by the time we get back to the common room the floo will be closed."
"Two to one Evy, here then you two take the cloak and go back, I'll stay." Gwain said pulling the cloak off him and standing up straight. "Go ahead I'll see you two later." He said.
"Gwain we aren't going any place get back under the cloak." Evy said and Gwain lifted the cloak enough to see them both.
"No I want you two to go back, really, I can handle this alone I don't want either of you getting hurt. This is my fight, my family." Gwain said.
"Like hell it is." Jonas said throwing off the cloak. "My family is in this too Gwain." He said. "My aunt Molly and uncle Arthur are here today and my cousins as well so I'm staying with you." Jonas said growing slightly red in the face.
"Fine we're all three staying now shut up you two and get back under the cloak!" Evy said. "I'm not leaving my aunt Minerva either." She said.
They all returned to their spots in the corner of the bathroom where the opening to the chamber of secrets was located and heard footsteps pass the bathroom as professors and aurors and others passed on their way down to the meeting.
Josephine heard footsteps pass the classroom she was in and chanced a peek out and saw retreating aurors headed down toward the great hall. She closed the door and took a seat by the wall in case someone peeked inside and suddenly the door opened and someone slipped inside and turned to look around out the door, as Tonks shut the door she looked around and saw Josephine looking back at her. "What in the blazes are you doing here, your supposed to be in your common room!" Tonks said.
"Yes and your pregnant and should be here risking your life either." Josephine said and Tonks made a face at the young girl and smiled wickedly.
"You've been hanging out with your uncle Harry too much kiddo." Tonks said turning to look out the door again and then motioned for Josephine to follow and they walked up to toward the medical wing and posted themselves before the last corridor. "Here I'll make a stand while you alert Madam Pomfrey to get those in the medical wing out." Tonks said.
Out of the floo in Snapes office stepped two people that Snape didn't think he would see. Liching and Lijuan bowed to him. "Were lazy boy who become big shot at school now?" Lijuan asked smiling.
"Harry is down in the great hall Lijuan, you must be Liching." Severus said turning and bowing to the man. "We have heard much about you from your wife." Severus said smiling.
"Wife cant help talk about wonderful husband." Liching said smiling.
Through the floo came Cho and Colin as the three stood there and Colin shook his head at Snape.
"We don't think they are coming Severus." Colin said. "We waited as long as we could." He said.
"That's ok Mr. Creevey, you and Miss Chang take the corridor in front of the medical wing." Snape said. "If they get that far seal the doors and get everyone out through the floo there, it will take you too the shrieking shack and you can take the other floo from there." He said and the two nodded and left. "Lijuan and Liching if you will follow me I'll take you to Harry." Severus said.
"So remember we probably wont have that help from the other ministries so don't count on it." Harry said. "Aurors do your best to stick together like you've been taught." He said. "You that are mounted on Dragons, make sure you fly in pairs if you can, one of you will attack while the other keeps the enemy off their tail." Harry said. "We have a flanking team here." He said gesturing to the ones who had been on the other side not so long ago and Sirius and Remus were with them as were Daphne Greengrass and Percy Weasley. "You will be taking your orders from Sirius Black and Remus Lupin." He said. "The other flanking team will be taking their orders from Andrea Hess and Arturius Dumbledore." He said gesturing to the other side at those who had come as they had three years ago to defend Hogwarts from Tom Riddle.
"Harry do you think this will really work?" Daphne asked.
Harry looked at her and nodded. "I think so, they think because we're outnumbered they can win this day, but we've been through this before people." Harry said. "Once they are on Hogwarts grounds the flanking team under Remus and Sirius will be ready to take them from the rear flank and throw up the wards as will the group under Andrea and Arturius." He said.
Hermoine looked at Ron and squeezed his hand. "Here we go again husband." She said sighing. "Harry is going to be upset when he finds out we put out the call you know." Hermoine said looking nervous.
"Hermoine you weren't this nervous during the battle of Hogwarts." Ron said smiling.
"I know but this battle scares me." Hermoine said honestly. "With Tom Riddle I just knew we would win but this battle, well it scares me." She said.
Lijuan and Liching came through the doors with Severus Snape and Harry looked up in surprise. "We all know our jobs today people and what we have to lose, one more thing I want to say is that there are assassins out there in that group, people are going to die on both sides today." Harry said sighing. "I want you to understand something that took me a while to know, is there are worse things than death." He said. "There is a time when your freedom is threatened and your very lives and those of your loved ones are on the line, that day is today." Harry said. "That woman is not the rightful heir of the Khan dynasty, Valeria is, what Vanessa Khan wants to do is rule the wizarding world and in time just like Voldemort she will start killing on a whim." He said and then nodded to Kingsley and Moody, the later taking off for the astronomy tower with McGonagall behind him and Kingsley getting up and he turned to those in the great hall.
"First and second groups form a line you know your jobs." Kingsley said. "Third and fourth group form your lines and make those spells look real." He said.
Vanessa was looking through the gates at the sleeping dragons; she knew that someone had ridden one the day before taking a host of her army out in the process. Over fifty of her followers were killed alone when the dragon strafed them out here where she was now standing.
Suddenly there was shouting and she could see the doors thrown open and people fighting at the entrance to Hogwarts. It was a fierce and intense battle and she smiled. Some of her followers managed to make it inside. Two large groups came toward the gates and one group turned to fire back at those that were flinging curses at them taking those in front of the doors to the ground. This would be easier than she imagined, she thought as she saw several aurors rush from the building as the gates were opened and her followers beyond the gates took them down.
"Good job my people, storm the castle now with us!" Vanessa said raising her staff sending those that were outside the gates toward the castle and following in and among them. "Hamid." She said turning as her cousin came up beside her. "This cousin is a surprise, I did not think we had anyone inside, when did you manage this?" She asked smiling.
"I didn't cousin." Hamid said suddenly frowning, the placid look gone now.
There was an avalanche of spells suddenly coming from behind them at the gates and there was an embankment those that had opened the gates had thrown themselves into as cover. Ahead there was another intense concentration of fire power and then Vanessa gave the order to throw up shields and to put up embankments yet the grounds of Hogwarts wouldn't move for them. Suddenly a shout went up in front of the large group and Vanessa watched as the dragons rose in the air and then banked and came back toward them. She twirled her staff and detonated the ground in front of her diving into the crater it made and others did the same with their wands.
She turned to bark orders at Hamid and saw him smiling down at her and then he and some of the assassins turned and vanished and she cried out furiously as she stood and twirling her staff shot a spell out at one of the dragons in the air and it folded and plunged toward the earth. The intensity of the spell took those at the doors of Hogwarts off guard as she then blasted the earthen mound in front of the doors.
Hermoine and Ron who were in charge of the doors along with the twins were giving it all they had when the spell hit and the embankment exploded. Two aurors were down and Ron and the twins dragged them back as Hermoine put up a shield that should have held but was blasted apart by the next bit of intense energy that was sent at those guarding the doors. Hermoine was blown back and covered in debris and when Ron with help from Draco and the twins pulled her from the dirt and dust he heard her coughing and cursing as she pulled away from them and sent spells back at the enemy that were filled with deadly accuracy at the craters on the grounds. The others joined in and soon their position was again fortified as Draco and Fred began building the dirt barrier back up.
Charlie Weasley and his girl Irina had just blasted a large part of the enemy with fire as Irina had mowed some down like Hermoine had don't the previous day and the Ukrainian Ironbelly blasted fire across those on the ground and Irina could see they were using fire shields and pulled up and let the dragon come down hard in the middle of the group of followers crushing those beneath her and letting the dragon do the rest until the curses flying at her were too much and she lifted off again circling the area and caught up with Charlie riding as his wingman.
Charlie looked over at the beautiful lady he had been dating for a while. "Irina." He called over his shoulder and she looked up at him grinning. "Marry me!" He shouted and she grinned and blushed and nodded and Charlie, grinning wickedly, put his Dragon in a steep dive and came in hard at those on the ground. His Hungarian Horntail ripping some of the followers out of their craters and eating them and then he pulled back and the Horntail crouched and lunged into the air as Irina following his lead did almost the same maneuver.
Grindelia was along side her husband her staff twirling while her husband defended those with them with an energy partition and she sent a steady barrage of spells into the midst of the enemy. Sirius and Remus along with Severus were sending everything they had into the assassins who tried to break and run. Drusilla was thrown to the ground by a spell that blew the ground up in front of her but Hess stepped in and took most of the blast and faster than the men could see Hess sent spells back that shook the very earth. Drusilla was pulled up by Sirius who was hit by a spell and blasted off his feet and into the wall and although hurt he scrambled back up, his left arm dangling but his right steadily firing curse after curse.
Percy Weasley saw the curse coming toward Daphne and dived taking her down and being hit with the curse himself going down hard. Daphne turned him over to see he was still alive but badly wounded. Another spell hit and blasted at them and Daphne stood and hit one of the old deatheaters that were targeting them taking him down at once. Fiercely she stood over Percy defending him while another blast sent her to the ground and she rolled with it and shot a few more before Percy managed to rise up and tackle her down behind the trench. "Daphne stay down." Percy said and they both heard the detonation of the wall behind them, the spell that would have destroyed Daphne if he hadn't tackled her to the ground.
"You saved me my love as you did my father." Daphne said.
"You two just have a knack for standing in the wrong place." Percy said smiling making the young woman smile back at him before he passed out.
The Dragons had banked again and were coming in lower this time blasting fire out in front of them and knocking some of her followers down and causing others to duck into the craters they had made in the ground. Vanessa turned to send another bolt of energy at a dragon and was picked up from behind and was transported. She rolled as she landed and came up with her staff in hand to face off against Harry Potter as he transformed from, of all things, a phoenix back into himself.
"Harry, look we can still work this out so I don't have to kill you or those in the castle." Vanessa said fuming yet afraid too for some reason.
"I have an alternate deal Vanessa." Harry said smiling grimly. "Lay down your staff and wand and surrender to me now so no one else has to die." He said. "You are not the true heir to the Khan dynasty Vanessa, Valeria is." He said pointing behind her and she turned to see Valeria sitting there on a stump smiling at her.
"You have a lot of explaining to do little sister." Valeria said. "We know its not all your fault, Hamid let Voldemort mark your soul did you know that?" She said and Vanessa twirled her staff shooting a high intense beam of energy at Valeria who had already brought up her staff deftly and deflected the energy into the ground at Vanessa's feet causing the ground to explode and Vanessa to be thrown into the air but she righted herself and landed softly while the force of the energy knocked Valeria over the stump behind her.
"Not bad sister." Vanessa sneered as she again spun and shot energy from both ends of the staff hitting both Harry and Vanessa at once throwing both to the ground and both were up before she knew what was happening. She could feel an energy from them both, combined energy that scared her and she turned trying to aparate but nothing happened.
"Again Vanessa surrender today and save yourself and your followers." Valeria said. "That would be the mark of a good leader." She said and Vanessa again spun shooting that intense energy toward them both but this time they were ready and they both threw up a concave shield throwing the energy back at Vanessa who couldn't move fast enough to avoid it.
At the gates an older man in orange and yellow robes stood and watched the battle rage between those from the castle and those in the trenches.
"Shihong why come here?" Lijuan said from behind the man.
"Come to see pupil win battle, kill one who defeat Voldemort." Shihong said smugly. "You teach boy staff, pupil will be victorious soon." He said.
"Even if victorious you not be here to see." Liching said from behind him and the man turned lightening quick shooting the first spell and Liching deflected it. "You still same, no better, lose this fight too and lose life same time." Liching said smiling.
"Lose more than life, bring shame on family." Lijuan said and Shihong twirled his staff bringing it down and the ground seemed to explode under them all yet Lijuan and Liching floated to the ground instead of being thrown to the ground.
"Still Shihong try same tired spells." Lijuan said. "How many time Lijuan have tell Shihong he too stupid and clumsy to wield staff!" She said as she brought her staff around and hit the man with a curse that threw him into the wall.
Valeria had been hit twice with the intense energy that Vanessa was somehow coaxing out of the staff she was using but the third and fourth times she sent that energy toward her sister Harry blocked it sending it back toward her. When they had both blocked it with concave shields they thought the energy had killed Vanessa but she had rolled with it coming up with her eyes glowing a bright blue and using the spell Ginny taught him he increased the time and Harry's eyes changed to that electric green that had an unnerving effect on Vanessa.
"Harry surrender now so you don't have to die." Vanessa said.
"Still on about that eh?" Harry said chuckling as he again shot that energy back toward her hitting her in the chest with it but she seemed to absorb it.
"Shooting it back does no good its part of me Harry." Vanessa said smiling as she fought her way closer to Harry and sent him spinning into the ground and then following him came to stand over him where he kicked her feet out from under her and rose up twirling his staff and stuck it under her chin.
"Call it off now Vanessa." Harry said all trace of a smile gone.
"Or what? You'll slice my head off?" Vanessa said only it wasn't Vanessa's voice anymore. "Harry, Harry you still don't understand do you?" He heard the voice of Tom Riddle say. "I cannot die and here you would have to kill an innocent to kill me and you can't do that because you're as weak as that silly old fool Dumbledore." He said through Vanessa's lips causing even her eyes to go wide and then narrow at Harry and smile.
Vanessa rose off the ground knocking his staff away and bringing hers down with energy building up on it toward his head and was hit from behind solidly by Valeria. Vanessa spun to take her out and it wasn't Valeria really there it was her shade as Valeria hit her again from another angle taking her to the ground.
"He may not be able to kill you." Valeria said as Vanessa got up and again building up energy on the tip of the staff tried to hit her sister and again it went through a shade and this time Valeria hit her sister with enough energy that it sent the young woman fifteen feet into the air and she landed hard on the ground unmoving. "But I can Vanessa!" She finished.
Harry watched it like it was in slow motion and rolled to his feet and walked over and rolled Vanessa over. Her eyes suddenly flew wide and her mouth opened and from the pit of the young girls soul there was a howling and Valeria covered her ears as Harry held Vanessa until it stopped and she sagged dead to all. Harry counted to ten and started doing CPR on the young girl.
"Harry what are you doing?" Valeria said frowning.
"She was a Horocrux damn it, but it was destroyed when she died." Harry said still trying to do CPR until Valeria pulled him off her sister.
"Harry she's gone." Valeria said sadly. "I broke her neck Harry, CPR isn't going to work." She said and finally Harry sat back and sighed and Valeria fell into his arms and cried. She had done it after all, Lijuan was right the prophecy was fulfilled. And then the rush of power hit her all at once and Harry caught her before she hit the ground.
Lijuan and Liching were working on bringing the man down when he vanished and Lijuan picked up the signature leading into the forest and she and her husband turned as one and vanished.
As the three vanished from the roadway dozens and dozens of blue and gray robed figures with the coat of arms of Merlin on the back materialized into the road and made their way into the gates of Hogwarts. The members of Vanessa's faction saw the mob growing as more and more men and women materialized and stalked through the gates heading right for them.
Some broke and ran and were taken down by those on the dragons. Some ran toward the doors of the castle under intense fire yet never made it. Others threw down their wands and raised their hands wanting to be spared being killed. Yet there was one group from the middle that charged the doorway and nine of the group made it inside while the rest were taken down, Ron was on his feet in an instant and had taken one down, his wife took down another and two more went down under fire from the twins.
Gwain, Evy and Jonas had left the bathroom and went up the stairs during the battle. Gwain knew his mother was in the Medical wing looking after wounded that were brought in along with Madam Pomfrey and he was going to make sure they were ok. As they heard the front doors blasted open they ranged themselves in the corridor along the way with Gwain taking the lead and Evy and Jonas taking positions out of sight behind statues.
As Hamid ran up the stairs he had only one thought in mind. Kill the child, he would search the whole place until he found him. As he came out into the corridor leading to the medical wing there in front of him was the child and he pulled two darts from inside his robes and was hit with a spell from Evy who was behind Gwain that caused him to be blown back into the stairway railing. He looked up unable to understand what had happened when he saw Gwain throw two more curses at someone behind Hamid, the other assassins following him he supposed.
He looked in his hands and around him and saw one of the darts on the ground and picked it up and threw it at the boy who was hit by a curse that caused him to fall and the boy rolled over and stood again, the second dart also missed hitting the wall he was standing near and he hit Hamid with another curse and then bound him almost as quickly as any auror would have.
Two more people came around the corridor behind Gwain having heard the fighting, Tonks and Josephine took down two more of the assassins and one threw a silver knife at Josephine who had changed forms that was deftly caught by a hand that came from behind Josephine and returned to its owner blade first in the chest as Damali pushed between the two women to stand looking at the last assassin on the stairway. "Damali no!" They heard a mans voice from behind them. It was Ricky; Damali had woken up during the battle while the three were helping others who had been brought in either by magic or by hand. Ricky had looked up to see her headed unsteadily toward the sounds of battle outside the medical wing.
The little blond looked at the last assassin narrowly and smiled. "I am Damali an ancestor of the oldest house of assassins known you cheap imitation." She said. "I will let you have your try but you will die today cheap assassin and no one will mourn for your loss." Damali said.
The assassin's hand was a blur as she saw the blade coming toward her and she stepped aside catching it. "I learned to catch knives when I was thirteen cheap assassin." She said looking at the man in disgust and the assassin felt something hit him solidly in the chest and looked down to see a small dart sticking out there as Damali stood holding a small miniature crossbow. She smiled and threw the weapon down as the assassin hit the ground at the same time. "Cheap weapon indeed." She said under her breath as she stood there a moment.
Damali turned and faced Josephine and hugged her. "Now little werewolf how many times does Damali have to say this, silver is your undoing child." She said gently and then walked past her toward Ricky and fell into his arms. "I am done now, I can live again." She said quietly and wept in his arms as he held her.
Lijuan and Liching were both being driven back by Shihong's energy blasts deep in the forbidden forest and were taking a beating when suddenly Lijuan went low as Liching jumped up bringing Shihong's attention toward him as he started to shoot another energy blast but Shihong was hit from behind by Lijuan's staff. The man looked down to see the staff sticking out in front of him, blood ran down the shaft in front and he felt his knees giving out as a foot kicked him from behind and the staff was pulled from his body as he fell face first to the ground. Lijuan rolled him over and seen he was still alive.
"Silly clumsy man, pupil dead now, silly man die soon too, we wait." Lijuan said down at him and she walked over and sat next to her husband as the life ran out of the man on the ground.
"Shihong almost won wife, Liching and Lijuan getting old, husband older wear out quicker." Liching said breathing a sigh of relief. "One more blast of energy wife be gardener over husbands grave." He said.
"Husband always say that, stop talk like crazy man!" Lijuan said and ran her hand through his arm and laid her head against him. "Lijuan getting too old for all this." She said quietly.
Finally Lijuan got up and walked over to the body of Shihong. She and her husband removed the shrubs from around him and using their staffs did a spell that lit his body on fire with an intense flame that seemed to grow even more intense as it burned. Both sat and watched their son's body turn to ashes in front of them.
"This real shame brought on family, only son turn to darkness." Lijuan said as tears flowed down her cheeks.
"Son never get over Lijuan not teaching to be assassin like mother." Liching said as he wrapped his arms around his wife. She felt small and frail at the moment and it broke his old heart to see her like this.
"Have one chance to redeem family from shame Lijuan." Liching said. "Teach staff to Gwain and others at Castle." He said.
She looked up at her husband fiercely and nodded. "Teach staff to Gwain so well wont have to worry about silly assassin who want to be dark wizard." She said and Liching smiled down at her.
As the last of the body burned off Lijuan ran her hand over the ashes and they vanished leaving a burned area that looked like the shape of a body.
Daphne Greengrass was near the gate with Percy resting his head in her lap. He was injured taking a curse meant for her but would be ok. She smiled down at him as Hess came over with Remus and they levitated the young man to take him to the medical wing.
Sirius and Drusilla were helping Moody oversee the binding of the prisoners, assassins and followers of Vanessa as the Dragons settled onto the grounds around them and those who had worn their support for Harry and Hogwarts were going through and binding each person in Vanessa's faction.
Cho and Colin who had been standing directly in front of the medical wing had missed most of the action but had followed both Damali and Ricky Alton to the final showdown with the assassins who had managed to get in. Hamid was bound on the ground struggling as best he could in the rope bonds that Gwain had thrown over him. Cho was impressed and ruffled the young mans hair as she and Colin bent down to grab the man and take him to the ministry and a jail cell but Draco stayed their hands as he came up the stairway. "Not this one Cho, this one goes to a special place." Draco said. "Dobby!" He shouted and the little elf appeared and Draco smiled. "I hope this is the last one I have to ask you to put in the veil Dobby." Draco said pointing to Hamid whose eyes went wide at what Draco said.
"Dobby will make sure evil wizard gets good seat in veil Mrs. Malfoy sirs." Dobby said smiling and snapped his fingers and Hamid disappeared, as did Dobby and the assassins on the stairs.
"Thorough little house elf isn't he?" Ricky said coming up to stand near Ron and Hermoine with Damali in his arms. He had picked her up and had yet to put her down and she hadn't asked as yet to be put down.
"Are you kidding?" Ron said. "You should see Harry's house! I don't know how he does it!" He said as his wife looked up at him in surprise.
"He has more than four house elves at Godric's Hollow alone Ron." Hermoine said frowning at her husband who knew all to well this was true.
Hamid looked around the place he was in and saw assassins and followers of Vanessa, some in various states of injury and helped them out as best he could. He was still first and foremost the one that would take over the world one day and he wanted his followers loyal and there because they wanted to be. He had an easy manner about him and won over all of them there in no time except one man in black robes who was standing alone at the edge of the tree line. His red eyes turned to Hamid as the assassin made his way over. "Your easy manner and pretty words don't work on me assassin." Cobalt said as he tried again to get his back up wand to light.
"You are in the veil Cobalt and there is only two kinds of magic that seems to cross over to this world." Hamid said as she sat down. "Those from the house of Merlin and Elvin magic."
"And that helps me how?" Cobalt said frowning at the man. Cobalt wished he had his powers back because he wanted the man's mouth shut permanently and he knew just the curse to hit him with.
"Eventually they will bring us out to be tried before the courts." Hamid said. "Then we will be sent to prison and it is only a matter of time before we can break out." He said.
"Obviously you've never been to the hotel at Devils Island to stay." Cobalt said smirking. "Most of the assassins you sent died because of the trolls that guard the place." He said.
"Ah but Cobalt my friend I have a plan and I am not like that silly girl up there that is now dead." Hamid said. "My plans reach even further than hers did and I need a lieutenant to learn from me and head part of my army in the future, a future were Harry Potter will be unable to save his children my friend." He said laying a hand on Cobalt's shoulder and the young man looked from the hand to the man it belonged too. "I have seen the plans to all the prisons and I can tell you now how to escape to Devil's Island." Hamid said smiling now. "If you will join with me." He added and Cobalt thought for a moment and nodded.
"I want that damn Harry dead." Cobalt said. "But more than that I want to see the man broken, to kill his wife or child would break him I know it." He said.
Hamid smiled again and nodded. "It is true it would and we will plan for that in time." He said. "Now for the escape from Devil's Island." Hamid said grabbing a small stick from the ground he started drawing in the sand before them.