Chapter 36 : The final battle
[Author note : As you can see, we're reaching the climax of this arc... Another 2 chapters and it'll be over. That said, they are more to wrap things up. The action is basically over with this one. Hope you enjoyed and that you'll continue to do so !
On another note, if you're interested in supporting me or just want to read more of what I wrote, go to the Patréon website (e instead of é) and search for Cathbel.]
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Silence sent in as shock went through the crowd. The students of Hogwarts, as well as the staff were the most affected. Harry was a vibrant young man, passionate, full of life and fire. As they saw his unmoving form, some recalled their interactions with him in the past. For some, he was just another boy, though a celebrity. They saw him from afar, the subject of more than one of Hogwarts' rumors, they discussed him when he passed by… But they didn't truly know him.
Others had been his friends, his acquaintances. They had talked to him, some even on this very day… Like them, they saw him fight the death eaters, without showing any fear and with enough skill as to make an auror blush. So, the idea that the boy-who-lived tried to flee… It was ridiculous !
Whether to prove Harry was dead, or to desecrate his remains, the Dark Lord aimed his wand at Harry's unmoving form and cast the cruciatus curse twice… Harry didn't move or twitch. Voldemort faced the crowd once more and resumed speaking :
« I wish not for bloodshed. I wish not, especially, to shed the blood of the young and bright minds of the next generation of witches and wizards… Lay down your wands, children. And no harm shall befall you ! »
Neville, who was already losing sight of everything after seeing Harry and remembering what happened to his parents, couldn't take it anymore. With a loud and firm voice, the young man who used to be shy and stuttering yelled :
« You're a liar, Voldemort ! » To his credit, the boy didn't flinch when he said the name. « Harry wouldn't flee ! Plus, you say you won't harm us, but what about the muggleborns ? We all know how you'd treat them… » He raised his wand in defiance and just as he did, a burst of flame appeared from near the castle, along with the song of a beautiful fiery bird. Fawkes, the sorting hat in his talons flew over and dropped the hat on Neville's head…
It had been a long time since Ned last read the Harry Potter series, so there were some things he didn't remember. And during the last chapters of the stories, when the battle approached its climax, the emotions he'd felt about Harry's choices and his sacrifice ('cause that's what he was doing in his mind at the time) made it especially hard to focus on the details of the story. What was not a detail however, was how Neville, like his parents before him, stood up to the Dark Lord and how, like his parents, he was subjected to the cruciatus curse. So, deciding against letting this particular scene play out, since no children, or even adults should have to go through this, the Silver Lad made his appearance.
A hologram suddenly appeared in the air between the two groups… It played the scene of Harry going up there, suddenly appearing and getting attacked by Severus Snape and then, the spy's torture at his master's hands, before the same man, raised his wand to strike the young man with the killing curse… Only to end up collapsing to his knees.
As everyone watched this in relative silence, a sudden voice appeared from above the group.
« That doesn't look like someone who's trying to flee, now… Does it ? » Ned asked rhetorically. « If anything, I'd say that looks like someone trying to sacrifice himself for his friends… » His covered face turned down to the Dark Lord. «… But as always in your twisted and corrupted mind, you change how you see things, Tom Marvolo Riddle… Like how you portray yourself the champion of blood supremacy when your father was a no-maj… Or how you attribute the murder of Dumbledore to yourself when the man was already dying. »
As those last words were dropped, there was silence on the field once again. Well, except for the giants, who couldn't stay in place and were talking, or the giant spiders, hitching to feast on the all-you-can-eat buffet laid before their numerous eyes…
Even Harry, with his eyes closed, had his thoughts stop for a while as he processed what was said. He remembered how, in the last year, Dumbledore had appeared so weak, so frail, sometimes. He also recalled how his hand had looked : charred, infected… cursed. Was this what Ned was talking about ? But, then… Did Snape know ?
Voldemort seemed to come to the same question as he glanced at his lieutenant briefly… And then, a shot rang out !
An acromantula suddenly collapsed, a big hole in its abdomen and some of its content spilling out from the back. At first, everyone tensed up, but were otherwise frozen. Wizarding kind was not used to such things as firearms… However, chaos soon followed !
A frightening and powerful roar echoed from the forest, and soon, something flew up in a curving flight, or a very powerful jump. It landed on the face of a giant before punching it with two hammer fists. As the giant roared and fell back down, Winston jumped again, this time, landing in the mass of spiders… Swiftly unstrapping his Tesla canon from his shoulder, he unleashed the next second a deluge of electricity on the rearing giant spiders. The closest ones screeched and shrieked, trying to step back but finding difficult to control their limbs. As the ones in the back of the crowd and of Winston prepared to jump, another defeaning gunshot rang out, taking the boldest out, while a thud landed behind the gorilla.
« I'll cover your back, but… ahem ! » Ned declared and coughed awkwardly.
« Your reactor is not at maximum capacity… I know, Edgar. That is the consequence for trying to control everything… »
« Yeah, well… Didn't have much choice. »
As the two talked, or rather shouted over the noise they caused and around them, they continued to fight. To preserve his magic energies, Ned was currently going hand to hand. While the photon blade was somewhat costly, at this point, it was his most cost-effective option. Blasting bombarda spells left and right would not only exhaust his reserve faster, and could damage Winston or his armor. As for stunning spells… He doubted they go through the thick chitinous limbs of those monstrosity. He'd never understand how the half-giant resident of Hogwarts could find those things… cute. Interesting, perhaps. Deadly, definitely. Vicious… Probably ! But cute, beautiful or endearing ? Yeah… No !
Under his breath, as his body and armor were fighting the battle for him, Ned muttered :
« I should conduct neurologic studies on how magic affects the brain… There seem to be a sizeable number of crazy people among wizardkind… Statistically speaking. »
« That is… true. » Winston commented even though Ned wasn't really talking to him. He continued : « It could prove a rather interesting subject. It would require people of all ages and magical mastery. We should take into account the impact on the mind arts on these studies, as well… »
« Hm… Yeah. Occlumency in particular might help people better protect them. Please make a note, Bastion ! »
« Pee-Poo-Pwiiiip ! »
As the battle suddenly started up again around him, Severus Snape tried to make some distance for Harry to get back on his feet. Even if the Boy-who-lived was… well, still alive, it didn't mean he was left unscathed after the killing curse. At least, the potions master didn't think so… However, just as he was about to retreat, a hulking figure of a man barreled his way over, sending a couple of death eaters standing in his way flying with powerful shoves.
« Traitor ! » The half-giant bellowed, raising a wand that was almost the size of a small cane. Still, giving his physique, perhaps it was considered small in Hagrid's hands. And that's when Harry decided the charade was over. He wasn't sure yet what to feel about Snape… But, if someone was to kill him or fight him, Harry wanted to be that person.
The half-giant abruptly stopped in his tracks as he gazed upon his friend. He could see the life in his eyes, so it wasn't some kind of inferi, thank magic ! But, then, The Dark Lord had cast, not only the killing curse, but he had also tried to torture Harry… How… ?
Harry retrieved the cape he had balled up in his pocket and disappeared underneath. The two Hogwarts professors exchanged a glance, not knowing what to do. Hagrid might be considered by a lot of people (especially purebloods) a fool, he wasn't stupid. Snape visibly knew Harry was alive and yet… He hadn't told the Dark Lord.
That's when he heard the voice of his little brother in the distance :
« Hagger ! I coming help ! » Grawp yelled in a thunderous, and yet rather childish voice.
Turning his head back to Snape for a fraction of a second, he realized that the man had left. So, he focused on making his way towards his 'little' brother.
In the meantime, Winston and Ned were still thinning out the herd of spiders when the giants came to take their revenge on the gorilla. For savages, they were surprisingly united in moments like this. Then again, him jumping on a giant and hitting him in the face was all part of a plan to distract Voldemort's monster forces from those of the castle. Ideally, they would be fighting the dementors but… Well, on the one hand, he didn't really know how to defeat them. And on the other, he was afraid of what they'll do, not only to him, but also to Winston when they approached. Tech-Spirits are more than AIs… They had their own souls. At least, that was Ned's hypothesis on his children.
« Winston, Widowmaker… Take down the giants. Alive, if possible. If not, do whatever it takes for you to survive. If your body's too damaged to continue to function, make at least sure that your memory centers are intact ! Okay… Let's do this ! »
While the sniper was taking down her enemies from afar, Winston stayed mobile with his Tesla cannon almost constantly pouring out the wrath of Zeus. And despite its magical origins, this electricity still seemed rather effective against the resistant-to-magic hide of giants ! Probably because skin is conductive and the inside of the body isn't nearly as protected as the outside… That was the way to take giants down, then… Going all Palpatine on their asses !
Thinking of the Sith, that was another 'one-trick poney' on the level of Voldemort. In the story, the thing he used most (if not the only thing he used) was force lightning… It had been a while since he'd seen the movies, but… That sounded about right. Too bad that episode 1-3 weren't out just yet. And beside talking Luke's ass off in order to turn him to his side, the Emperor doesn't do much in those. Well, at the end of episode 6, he tortures Luke with Force lightning, killing him slowly… Which also actually turns Luke's father against his lord and master, Palpatine.
Suddenly surprised by a sharp spider's appendage appearing in his field of vision and headed straight for his face, Ned ducked and cut the offending appendage off. At this point, the ground was littered with spiders body parts. A true nightmare for Harry's ginger friend, probably…
Since Ned was battling somewhat mindless beasts, or at least ravenous ones, he didn't notice the crowd of both Death Eaters and Hogwarts defenders stopping their respective battle. He also didn't see Harry suddenly reappearing after secretly protecting his friends and family under the guise of the invisibility cloak. Nor did he had the chance of witnessing the epic fight scene and final dialogue between the two mortal enemies. Then again… It probably would have been rather bland, since Harry didn't know or understand what actually happened in the forest. Unless he saw Dumbledore's ghost again… Even dead, the guy liked to hear himself talk and appear smart, didn't he ?
No, the only things on his mind at this moment were, his dwindling energy reserves and…
« Damn ! How many of those things are they ?! Almost makes me wonder what you guys have been doing while I was fighting Death Eaters… » But, of course, he knew… That this was after Winston and Mel had lowered their population for an entire afternoon. Thinking about this, it made him want to punch the half-giant in the face !