Aurora and the Boy Who Lived

Chapter 19 The Battle

Everyone jumped to their feet as one. Professor Dumbledore held his hands high in the air. "Squadrons report to your stations. Wizard and Witch parents who wish to help fight come forward. Any Muggles should follow the Gray Lady to the designated safe haven. Hurry!"

People scrambled. I was pleased Ron's plans were working well so far. I ran with my friends to the Hogwarts entrance doors. Harry unfolded the Marauders' Map. Every squad had a similar one and an enchanted notepad to write urgent messages to the other squads.

"Deatheaters have surrounded the school," Harry reported.

"Battle stations," surmised Ron. "Plan A."

The Marauders looked at each other.

"Who are we?" Ron yelled.

"The Marauders!"

"And what do we want?"

"Justice! Justice for Cedric, the Potters, and Longbottoms!"

"Let's go, team."

We enlarged our brooms we'd kept in our pockets and ran to the Astronomy Tower. I'll never forget the sight that greeted my eyes as long as I live. Black hooded figures dotted the landscape in every direction. Trolls and goblins huddled menacingly not far from the Forest.

"Give me the Boy, Albus, and I will spare the Muggles and Mudbloods you hide!" The voice rang out, cruel and harsh. 'Voldemort!'

"You should know me better than that, Tom. When have I ever given in the Evil?"

"You're a greater fool than I'd realized. I will kill him in front of you old man and laugh when you follow."

"You may certainly try. But you cannot defeat us." The Headmaster turned to our group.

"It is time."

"Yes, sir!"

Ron wrote on his notepad, 'Phase 1 - Begin!'

Squadron 7's job, ours, would be to protect the front line combatants which would consist of Squads 8 and 9 and Aurors. We would stay on our brooms as long as possible as they gave us greater mobility.

"Squad 8 in position. Squads 9 and 4 in position. Squads 5, 2, 6, 3, and 10 ready," Ron read from the paper.

"They're moving, Albus," Professor McGonagall pointed.

"Mount up, Squad. Ready? Go!" Ron shouted.

We shot into the air. Our ground teams were already under attack. We swooped in a circle around the first skirmish.

Screams of Stupify, Confundo, Crucio, and others filled my ears. I sent several Bat-Bogey hexes and body binding curses to distracted Deatheaters and goblins. I heard Harry yell, "Silencio!" behind me.

The minor invasion was quickly stomped and all captured were transported by portkey to temporary quarters at Azkaban.

"That was too easy," Ron said warily.

"Look!" Sirius yelled, pointing. Fifty more of Voldemort's followers had charged towards us while our attention was turned. I looked up and saw Squad 1 casting protection spells around us. A boulder crashed suddenly into the Tower as I watched.

"No!" I heard someone scream.

"Kill them," a snake-like voice hissed.

'How dare he,' I thought. I summoned a hurricane. Wind whipping around us, we were safe in the eye for a moment.

"Ron?" Hermione said.

"Dancer, when I give the word, kick your powers into full gear. Take out as many as you can. The rest of us will protect the front line from harm."

"Got it." We flew into formation and waited.

"Phase 2! Now!"

I allowed the hurricane to die and sent tornadoes chasing after the Deatheaters. Thunder crashed and lightning struck.

"Get the Storm Tamer!"

Curses flew around me as I dodged and used wind to block them. "You'll have to do better than that, Moldie Wart," I taunted.

"Imperio!"

A fuzzy, happy mist enveloped my brain.

'Join us,' he whispered. 'I will make you leader of my most trusted. There will be power beyond your imagination at your fingertips.'

It sounded almost tempting.

'Give in to your instincts. You were born to reign by my side.'

I tried to scream as I started to fight the mind numbing fog.

'There is no use struggling, Aurora. Join me and together we will rule it all.'

"Never!" The connection broke so abruptly I almost let go of my Cleansweep. My vision blurred, I looked around desperate to find Harry and my friends.

"Shit!" The ground crews were surrounded. I threw off my robe, revealing the lime green tank top and torn jeans. Now I was pissed. I let the call of the wind overtake me completely as I gathered its energy to me. My eyes burned letting me know they'd changed to blue once more. Sparks flashed from my fingers. The very air crackled and tingled around me. I pushed as much inside as I could and with a cry released it.

Harry told me much later I took a little over half of the enemy out with the Fusion Ball I had created. I don't remember. I was concentrating too hard to see how many I'd hit.

"Ron, how are the others?" Hermione called.

"Fred's team have captured 14 Deatheaters included Lucius Malfoy; the Muggles, 5^th years and below are safe; Grawp and the Forest creatures are still fighting but they're winning. Several injured, no causalities on our side," he reported loudly consulting his notepad.

"Is it just me or is it getting cold?" Draco asked.

"Dementors!" Ginny yelled.

A herd of the soul-sucking creatures were gliding from the West driving the Hufflepuff Squadron back into the castle. Protoni from the Astronomy Tower emerged and chased the foul demons. Professor Dumbledore's was the shape of a phoenix. We watched as it grew larger and larger and swallowed the Dementors it flew after. It disappeared in a puff of smoke when it ate the last.

"Brilliant! He has got to show me how to do that," Harry smiled.

Looking down I noticed my bracelet had turned blue. "Neville!" He'd flown too low and been knocked off his broom with a well-placed hurling hex. A woman with long, unkempt black hair towered over him. She would have been gorgeous if not for the hateful twist on her elegant features.

Seeing Ron and Ginny fly to his rescue I sent a couple of hexes and protection spells to Padfoot and his team.

"Crucio!"

I watched as Harry gasped, then seized in pain. I raced to him trying to get to him before he fell, forgetting my wind powers. "Transform, Harry!"

He managed and flew to the ground, his broom drifting off.

"Do not interfere with the Master, Girl! Crucio!" The pain was excruciating. My entire body convulsed in agony. I hit the ground with a thump. I picked myself up and saw a face I hadn't seen for almost 2 years.

"Daughter, why do you continue this fight? It is inevitable the Dark Lord will win."

"Not as long as I'm alive." Harry stunned her from behind and had her transported in less than thirty seconds.

"Thanks."

"Anytime."

"Are we ready for the Final Phase yet?"

I followed Harry's gaze and watched as Red the panther jumped on the black haired witch. Hunter soared away clutching her wand. Red backed away and Freckles threw a marble at her, teleporting her to her new cell.

"Marauders to me!" Harry called.

When the seven were reassembled Ron nodded his head after checking the map. "Time for Phase 7. Everyone remember what to do?"

"Yes!"

"What do we want?"

"Justice! Justice for Cedric, the Potters, and Longbottoms!"

"Do you children think to defeat me?" Voldemort cackled. "Even seven teenagers are no challenge to the most powerful wizard ever born."

"That would be Albus Dumbledore, not you, Tom." Harry walked towards him as we circled, getting into position.

"How dare you compare me to that fool!"

"There is no comparison, Tom. He simply is."

"It is high time you learn to respect your superiors, Boy!"

"You're so far beneath me it's ridiculous."

"I challenge you, Harry James Potter! A wizard's duel, to the death!"

"You're on." Harry's eyes were blazing with righteous anger. His scar stood bright against the dust covering his handsome face. He was every hero from every fantasy I'd ever harbored in my heart of hearts in flesh and blood.

"Begin!"

Harry and Voldemort engaged. Harry deflected curse after curse. Ron nodded and one by one we started the chant Hermione and I had written just days before with help from the ancestral spell books. 'Merlin, I hope this works!'

He that has known parents' love

Only to lose it to the Great Evil

He that has know such despair,

Loneliness, and grief that no other feels,

Let our laughter, joy, and love

Our friendship and peace

Surround him with its aura.

Give to him our power, our very essence.

Wind! Earth! Fire! Water!

Mother! Father! Child!

Let the seven unite as one!

Help us conquer this Dark Lord!

The ground shuddered. When I opened my eyes I saw my body lying on the ground along with Ron, Hermione, Draco, Neville, and Ginny's. It worked! I was seeing through Harry's eyes!

"What trickery is this?!"

"No tricks. Only your death." Our voices rang from Harry. "You who know nothing of goodness could never fathom it." We raised Harry's wand as one. Voldemort pointed his. Streams of red and green violently clashed and streaked toward Voldemort in a burst of gold. The electric charge entered the wizard's head. He screamed and twisted, struggling to control and escape the pain. Slowly his body glowed red and grew brighter and brighter until he was torn to pieces. With a deafening explosion, the bits caught on fire and we were thrown back into our bodies. It was over.

"Harry?" I heard him laughing and turned towards the sound. There was such joy and happiness in it. "Harry?" I touched his shoulder.

"He's gone!"

"We know, mate." Ron smiled, hugging his best friend.

"We did it!"

"Yes, Fly Boy, we did," Ginny smiled.

"Harry!"

"Draco!" he mimicked, still laughing.

"Harry, your scar. It's gone," he whispered.

"Merlin, it is!" Hermione ran her fingertip over his smooth forehead.

"Is everyone alright?" Remus asked running up.

"What happened?" demanded Padfoot.

"We're okay. We beat him." Harry sat heavily on the scorched grass.

"What?!"

"The bastard's dead?"

"Yes, Padfoot and Moony. He most definitely is."

"How?"

Harry's grin grew wider as he told his two guardians the plan we'd come up with and its deadly execution.

"I didn't know it was possible to combine that many essences in one person," Sirius said scratching his chin.

"I've heard rumors but no clear cut evidence. This is amazing," Remus said reverely.

"Sirius Black!"

Two Aurors grabbed Sirius before any of us could react. Amelia Bones, the Minister of Magic rushed over. "Let him go. Mr. Black, Albus has just informed me of Peter Petttigrew's capture. Professor Snape is about to administer the Veritaserum. Am I correct in assuming you, Harry, and Mr. Lupin would like to be present?"

"This day just keeps getting better and better! Bella is in Azkaban, Voldemort's dead, and Peter..." Sirius shouted. "What are we waiting for, dear lady? Lead the way."

The others and I headed for the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey and Shawna were scurrying back and forth between patients. The nurse would prescribe medication and which healing spells were needed while Shawna dispensed them.

"Anything we can do?"

"Rory! Everyone okay?"

"Peachy keen, jelly bean."

She smiled. "Is it over? We heard an explosion."

"That would have been Voldemort's death," Draco drawled.

*Crash*

"He's dead?" Madam Pomfry shouted her hands clutching nothing, as she'd let go of the Pepperup potion.

"Yes, ma'am."

"We kicked ass."

"We certainly did, Freckles," Hermione seconded.

"Who was hurt?" I asked.

"Misters Moody, Shacklebolt, Tonks, and your father, dear. But they've already been released. Unfortunately we had two casualities when the tower was attacked. Poor Thomas Delaney and Norman Beckley are no longer with us, I'm sorry to say." Madam Pomfrey answered.

"I'm so sorry. But Dad's okay isn't he?"

"Yes, Rory. It was just a rebounded stupefy curse. It barely nicked him."

"Where is he?"

"Downstairs in the Great Hall," the nurse informed me. "Now all of you out. That includes you, Miss Moreau. Thank you for your assistance."

"Thank you for letting me. I'm glad I could help."

The Hall was bursting at the seams with activity when we entered. I finally located Dad and spent the next hour telling him my adventure. When Ron's stomach growled we headed to the kitchens for a quick bite.

Dobby and the elves were excited to see us and asked about Harry. Apparently they already knew Voldemort had been defeated. Munching on chicken salad sandwiches Hermione told them Harry was fine and now a very happy young man.

The kitchen doors opened as Ron was polishing off his fourth sandwich.

"Mister Harry Potter, sir. Dobby is so glad to see you."

"Hi, Dobby. How did things go with the House-elves?"

"We helped protect students like sir requested. Wes captured a dark wizard," he squeaked.

"That's great."

"Does Harry Potter, Professor Lupin, and other Mister want some food?"

"This is Sirius Black, my godfather."

"The Mr. Black? It is an honor," Dobby said bowing. "Dobby has heard many stories about Misters Black, Lupin, and Potter."

"The pleasure is mine, Dobby. From what Harry has explained to me Remus and I owe you a great deal."

"Dobby is happy to do things for Harry Potter, sir."

Harry came over and gave me a soft kiss.

"Aww. Our little boy's growing up, Moony."

"Stuff it, Padfoot," Harry said back. Once he had sat down, Ginny and Ron bombarded the three latecomers with questions regarding the interrogation.

"You tell them, Moony," Sirius said with a sweep of his hand. He and Draco had a few things in common it seemed.

"First things first. It seems as if introductions are in order. I'm sorry for our rudeness," Remus said looking towards Shawna.

"I understand completely. You've other things on your mind," Shawna said.

"Sorry. Sirius, Remus, this is my best friend Shawna Moreau from back home. Shawna this is Sirius Black, Harry's godfather and Remus Lupin, a friend and our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

"Now that that's over with, get on with the story, Moony," Ron urged.

"Okay, okay. Wormtail was captured because of one of Ginny's traps. He was trying to sneak into the Headmaster's quarters in rat form to free the Deatheaters imprisoned there. When he crossed the threshold the Reverse Fog confused him and he changed back to human. Then the Bat-Bogey hex was tripped. He never was good at defending himself and he's terrified of bats. The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw 5^th year prefects found him huddled in a corner and stunned him.

"Then what happened?" Neville asked.

"They reported it to Professor Dumbledore on the notepad. Good idea by the way, Ron. He sent Snape down with the instructions to give him the Truth serum. By then the battle was over. Minister Bones found us. Wormtail confessed to betraying James and Lily and to following Voldemort since we were in school. Sirius has been cleared of all charges and Peter's in Azkaban. His cell is a tiny cage with every anti-transfiguration spell in existence on it."

"Justice at last," Hermione whispered.

The Marauders looked at each other, all of us smiling. "Justice! Justice for Cedric, the Potters, and Longbottoms."

"Justice indeed," Sirius said gruffly. "I saw you three take out dear cousin Bellatrix. Well done. Did it feel good, Neville?"

"Bloody wonderful."

"Your father would be proud."