Harry Potter and the Flying Squad

Walking back into the Great Hall, Harry found Cho eating. He grinned. "Has been a long time since supper, hasn't it?"

Between two bites, Cho just said, "Here's your chance, Harry - your first meal at the Ravenclaw table."

She was right, except that different people reacted differently in critical situations. At least he could have a drink, so he sat down and informed the girls about his settlement with Ron. Then he showed the firecrackers.

"Look what I have. One for each of us?"

Almyra shook her head. "I wouldn't know what to do, or how to carry it in my claws. Thanks anyway."

"You take it," said Cho.

Harry had a better idea. "Let's play Go. The winner takes it."

Cho grinned. "Wizard or Muggle?"

"Muggle - I'm not in the mood for the finer details of stone-jumping."

"Okay - when I'm done here, let's go to Ravenclaw Tower. The hall is too noisy."

Looking around, Harry saw groups of younger students, led by Prefects, walking to or from what was probably an exercise with the link ports. Then he saw Fleur. He jumped up. "Back in a second," he said, and hurried over.

"Fairy dust? Is this important, 'arry? Right now - "

"I'm not joking, Fleur."

"The earliest is tomorrow. Okay, I'll see what I can do - but what are you doing with fairy dust?"

He showed her the firecracker. "A dust bomb. When thrown from a broomstick, it puts a wizard to sleep, or more if they're close enough."

Fleur examined the small piece. "The 'ogwarts Air Force - mon Dieu. See you later." She went off.

Once more, Harry marched to Ron's public office and told his friend that he'd be found in Ravenclaw Tower, and that he'd appreciate a message runner when Sirius arrived - or Sirius himself.

Ron barely looked up. "Ravenclaw - Sirius - message ... Got it."

Cho was still eating, slowly but steadily. In mock wondering, Harry looked at her right side, then at her left side. "Incredible - where do you stuff it?"

"Where it belongs," was the calm answer.

He sat down. "I can't eat. It's enough trouble watching you."

Cho didn't take offense. "As a refugee," she explained, "you learn to eat when there's food, and there's time. That's how you survive. Afterwards, the habit sticks."

Some minutes later, she had finished. They reached Ravenclaw Tower where they found a corner with empty seats. Cho went out to fetch the game.

---

Harry looked at Almyra, remembering Cho's words in the storage room. He asked, "How do you feel?"

Almyra grimaced. "And you?"

"A bit worried ... I'll be calmer when Sirius has arrived. I know that he's taking risks, so I'll be glad when he's done with his turn in that chain Dumbledore spoke about."

Almyra stared at him. "And for yourself?"

"Well ..." Harry shrugged. "I'm together with all people I trust - except Sirius, and he should be here until midnight. That's a good feeling, not to be alone."

Almyra sighed. "I admire you, Harry."

He squirmed in his chair. What had Cho said? And now Almyra said something -

Her eyes were shining. "After our first interviews, I pitied the child you've been, Harry, and I thought ... I had a kind of wishful thinking, except for the past, not for the future. Then, during the days of waiting for Lupin, and especially after our meditation, it became even stronger ..." She blushed a bit.

Carefully, Harry asked, "In the past?"

Almyra looked embarrassed. "Yes ... In that picture, you were my brother - except I couldn't figure out if you had to be a younger brother or an older one. Maybe a twin, that might come closest."

He exhaled deeply. "Did you tell Cho?"

Almyra shook her head.

"You should tell her. She's sensed something, although she didn't get it ... er, she thought it was ..." Now it was Harry's turn to have difficulties with his words, and to blush.

Almyra looked at him. After a moment, her eyes widened, then she smiled. "I guess I know - It's true, except it's something else, there's no conflict with Cho, not at all. Just that foolish picture."

Not looking up, Harry said, "It's not foolish, and ... if it wasn't true in the past - "

Cho was crossing the room.

She deposited the board and the stones at the table, then looked from one to the other. "Did I miss something important?" No question, she was thinking exactly that.

Harry said, "We were talking about - er, imaginary brothers and sisters, and how it would have been ..."

Again, Cho looked from one to the other, then it dawned on her.

"So that's why ..." She turned to Almyra. "Well, I could live with that, better than with some other idea." Grinning, she added, "Except this would imply a detail which I'm not sure would be an improvement."

As neither Almyra nor Harry had understood, both of them were looking expectantly at Cho, who suddenly seemed to regret her remark. "Forget it," she said.

"No," protested Almyra. "Tell me, what do you mean?"

"Erm - in this fantasy, you and Harry were sister and brother, right?"

Almyra nodded.

"And I'm not mistaken it's your imagination, which means your parents are still in the game - in contrast to Harry's own, which are no longer available to agree or disagree ... See what I mean?"

Almyra had understood and laughed. "You wouldn't be frightened of a Voodoo priest, would you?"

Glancing at Harry's pinkish cheeks, Cho said, "Let's drop the issue - it's a bit delicate either way."

But it was Harry himself who didn't let it rest, only shifted it into another direction. "I just had to think of the dinner with Fleur's parents, and the look in the Baillard's faces when Ron spoke about his plans. And now, with him and Janine - they won't be happy about that."

Cho glanced at him. "True, although that might not be your most urgent problem, Harry."

He glanced back, trying to decipher her expression. "In contrast to what?"

"A few Death Eaters, for example."

If Cho had meant something else, she clearly wouldn't admit it, so he said, "Now, are we going to play or not?"

* * *

They did.

Harry's concentration wasn't the best, however, and either Cho had the same difficulties or she was determined to pass the third dust bomb to him. After having won by two points, he examined the board.

"You didn't play seriously."

"What do you mean?" Cho looked innocent. "I didn't tell any jokes."

It confirmed his suspicions. "Okay," he said, laughing, "what about another one? This time, you won't be restricted by - "

He stopped in mid-sentence because both girls were staring at the entrance. Turning around, he saw that there would be no other game, because two people were were crossing the room: one was a Ravenclaw girl, obviously one of the office runners at this moment, escorting the other person, which was Sirius.

Seeing how Harry's beaming face turned toward his godfather, the Ravenclaw girl found her task done and headed back.

Sirius reached them and first turned toward Cho and Almyra. "My ladies ..." Then he turned to his godchild.

"Harry, old Parselmouth, that's the right spirit - first raising hell and then hiding in this cosy place with a decent number of girls around."

Grinning, he sat down and glanced across the room. Some students who had been watching the scene quickly looked away. Sirius turned back to Harry.

"You and Dumbledore - two of a kind, eh?"

"What?"

"Yeah, he tickled Voldemort in the wrong spot, with that article in the Daily Prophet - enough so that the Dark Lord's mad enough to attack ... And then you go and upset the snake until she's spitting at you."

"I didn't go, actually."

"No, you were sitting the entire time." Sirius' smile faded. "You've won us a few hours, or maybe days - that's precious time, Harry, and it makes a difference. I couldn't have stood the thought of being somewhere else while all the fun's happening here."

Almyra said, "You make it sound as if this would be a piece of cake - as if you would be happy about it."

"No, Al, it's definitely not a piece of cake. It'll be a bloody fight, and there'll be casualties on both sides - no sense in pretending anything else."

Sirius shot a quick glance at Cho, then back at Almyra again.

"But sooner or later it was due to happen; and now isn't the best time for the others, they were forced to it - or perhaps it was because Voldemort got really mad about the story with Remus, so that's the good part ... Harry's found us some time, that's even better, and I'm really happy about being here in time to do my part. I owe Dumbledore, I owe Harry - I owe you, too, Al, because you helped rescue my old friend Remus. Of all situations I could have imagined, this one's among the best."

"You don't owe me," protested Almyra. "You were on the train, so we are even."

Sirius gave her a sad smile. "Maybe so ... maybe Dumbledore would say the same, and Harry too - it doesn't matter. There's an open issue that calls me when Voldemort is involved - or his creature, Wormtail."

Cho stared at him. "Do you think you'll be able to close that issue, Mr Black?" Her voice sounded not too friendly.

"Before I answer your question - do you think you could call me Sirius, Miss Chang - or Cho, in this case?"

"Yes, I could."

Sirius waited an instant, as though expecting to hear, 'But I won't.' It didn't come.

"No," he said, "that's most unlikely. The setup isn't ours, it's theirs - we didn't call them, it's their own decision." He looked at Cho as if he thought she would blame him for that. "I have my doubts about Voldemort being seen at the centre of action. I have more doubts about him taking personal risks, and I have the most doubts about Wormtail doing it. This is just defending against an attack, nothing else. And I'm fully aware that a good part of the defenders are students, not warriors - Cho."

Obviously noticing the message between the lines, Cho offered an apologetic smile. "Okay, er, Sirius - I guess I was confusing things a bit with my question."

Sirius nodded. "I know what a terrifying experience it is to realize that there's someone who really wants to kill you ... and you never get used to it." After a moment, he added, "But you learn how to handle it."

Harry asked, "Who will come to help us, Sirius?"

"The same wizards who fought Voldemort fifteen years ago - as far as they're still alive, and free to join us. The one I notified before coming here is Mundungus Fletcher. I was lucky to meet him at home, but he might have less luck when trying to pass the message further, and he might need more time to get here, so I don't know how many of them will make it over here."

* * *

Some minutes later, it was time for their patrols - Harry and Cho on broomsticks, and Almyra as an owl. Downstairs, Sirius said good night to them and headed for the guest suite they knew so well.

They had to wait for the returning patrol and did so in the Entrance Hall, which now served as an office. The triple team - from Hufflepuff - arrived shortly afterwards, looking tired. They didn't report anything unusual.

Harry, Cho, and Almyra went outside and greeted the three Giants who were sitting on the ground, silent, motionless except for their arms when they returned the greeting.

Almyra disappeared around the corner. Harry and Cho took their Steel Wings and flew up.

This patrol felt different. It was colder, darker, longer, but most of all, it was incredibly real. Using the lights from the castle as their beacon, Harry and Cho crossed around and around, wide circles alternating with straight moves to the other side, at low speed, except for a high-speed round of the regular course once per hour.

Every sound counted as a possible attacker, each darker shadow was a place that had to be inspected - first with drumming heartbeats, then, after a while, with some kind of routine, although not casualness.

Twice, a large owl crossed their path, the wings a black shade against the dark sky, passing them, dipping the wings, disappearing into the night. It was surprising how much these short encounters improved the spirit - to be not alone in the dark, knowing that someone else was flying another pattern of patrol, was a relief.

Harry wondered if Almyra felt the same ... probably she did, especially as she was alone in her patrol. He and Cho kept close, separating only when one of them had to examine darker spots more closely.

Twice per hour, they passed the entrance to the castle low over ground, signaling the Giants that everything was okay. They were careful in doing so, knowing full well that the Giants would raise alarm if they were late by more than five minutes.

Passing the entrance was also the moment when they changed positions. It had taken them little time to find out that the tail position, the one up in the air while the one flying head was examining the ground, suffered significantly more - until the partner came up again.

Four hours - they grew longer and longer; time slowed down. During the second half, Harry regretted bitterly not having eaten something together with Cho. Only the thought of the hall, offering food around the clock, held his mind at ease while his stomach protested vigorously at this draining of energy at such an unlawful time.

After a small eternity, their shift was over, really over. They touched down, nodded to the Giants, and stumbled inside, finding another team that had been waiting sleepily for their arrival.

Ron wasn't there, only McGonagall sat at the desk, with her stand-by students slumped down in the corners, mostly asleep.

The witch asked, "Are you already enlisted for your next turn?"

Next turn - that meant four hours from now. Only four hours? It seemed impossible, a cruel joke, but McGonagall wasn't joking.

Cho asked, "Is there a stand-by left?"

"No - only dragons and giants."

There were only two rules: the previous round patrol was entitled to something else, and the new round patrol had to come from a previous stand-by team. Either one of those three would volunteer, or Ron - alternatively McGonagall - would order one of them.

"Giants, then," said Cho, looking questioningly at Harry, who nodded, not caring about anything other than going inside for some food.

It was a short meal for him and Cho, who seemed too tired for remarks like, 'I told you so.' With little more than three hours left for sleep, Harry went into his dormitory.

* * *

He woke to a cold touch on his face, and a ghostly voice that was shouting, "UP TO THE ARMS, ALL MEN, THE ENEMY IS CLOSE!!"

Opening his eyes, he saw Nearly Headless Nick floating in the air. Next moment, the ghost's arm washed through Harry's face and head, again causing the cold sensation.

Harry jumped out of his bed, got into some clothes, and raced downstairs and through the Great Hall. About to pass into the Entrance Hall, he was stopped by an arm, a living one - Viktor's.

"Stop, Harry - it's a test alarm. Sit down here, out of sight."

For a split second, Harry pondered the thought of his fist in Viktor's face. Then he slumped down on the next free seat, feeling sick from too much adrenaline in combination with a lack of sleep. Of course, Viktor was right - it had to be done, but damned if he'd appreciate it.

Cho came through the entrance and found a seat across, not caring to share anyone's company. She looked very much as Harry felt.

Other Squad members arrived, then the free shift was complete.

"Okay," said Viktor, "six minutes thirty - way too long, not to mention your appearance. Some of you would freeze to death when trying to fly a Steel Wing in those flimsy garments."

There were several pairs of pyjamas visible under cloaks, though nobody felt like grinning.

"Before you fall asleep, your clothes must be ready. One minute to wake up, one to dress, one to come down - next time I want to see you here in four minutes total. And remember - next time it's not a test. That's it, school's out."

What time was it? Half past seven - so Viktor had actually been quite merciful with his choice of time. Harry would be able to shower, provided he could muster the energy for undressing and dressing again. Then he realized that all showers would be busy if he thought about it a moment longer.

He raced upstairs.

Fifteen minutes later, he sat at the Gryffindor table, still feeling wasted, though at least human again, and properly dressed. He filled his dish, not hungry but remembering the night shift's lesson well enough not to skip the opportunity again.

Cho fell onto the opposite seat, grunted something, and started to reload her own batteries. A shared silence, which was the best Harry could think of here and now - short of some more sleep, that was.

When the other team arrived, they were ready. The flight to the Giants' camp was short, done at almost full speed.

Lleyrin's hut looked empty. A moment later, however, the Giant chief came into view from somewhere behind and reached them with a few steps.

"Good morning, Cho Chang and Harry Potter. Are you hungry?"

Harry shook his head.

Cho had better manners, or was more awake. "No, Lleyrin, we just had breakfast."

"In this case, the best you can do is find yourself a place in my barn and sleep."

Seeing their expressions of disbelief, Lleyrin explained, "We are all busy preparing to move, and for small people that's a very bad time to walk around here." He smiled. "So if you - or one of you - wants to stay awake, make sure to stay above ground - and make sure that I know where to find you. On the other hand, the barn really would be the best place. You can't do anything other than be available, and I'll wake you if something happens or if you're still asleep at the end of your shift, depending on what comes first."

Lleyrin was serious. They looked at each other, feeling a reluctance that was somehow out of place. Then Cho nodded.

"You'll find us in the barn, Lleyrin - unless we tell you otherwise."

Without another word, the Giant turned and headed off.

They found the barn open - luckily, as it would have been a complicated manoeuver on the Steel Wing to open a door whose handle was mounted high above their own reach. Inside, they found a large pile of straw, another one of hay.

Harry looked at Cho. "Do you really think we can sleep?"

"What else?" Her face seemed pointedly expressionless.

Not looking at her, he said hesitantly, "It feels like cheating ... This is our shift ..."

But the hay looked so warm and inviting.

"The stand-by teams in the hall are sound asleep," said Cho. "They'll be wakened by Ron if something's up. And we'll be wakened by Lleyrin, and it's a barn, not a hall." She looked in Harry's face, a light sparkle in her eyes. "That'll be the only differences - sound asleep here, or up in the air outside. So what's your choice?"

Trying to sound casual, Harry said, "Here - I don't feel short of fresh air."

He'd taken a few steps toward the hay when Cho said, "Straw's better - after two hours, the hay under your body's as hard as a rock."

Cho with farming skill? Astonished, he asked, "How do you know?"

"You'll find out there is just one answer to that question." Cho's voice sounded slightly high-pitched. "Then you'll ask, 'When did you sleep in barns?' and I'll answer, 'While travelling from China to England'."

She flattened some straw, sat down, and fell back.

Suddenly remembering the other occasion at which Cho had been that rattled, even more, Harry searched for a good reply, simultaneously noticing how his own embarrassment was fading.

"You're very articulate," he said with as much admiration as he could fake, "that early in the morning." Then he found a place for himself, at her side, careful not to blow straw over her face.

Cho shifted up a bit and, resting on one elbow, looked at him. "You know very well that - that I talk that way when I'm nervous. Really, I didn't expect us sleeping tog- er, side by side in a barn." Her cheeks were a bit pinkish. "Give me a good-morning kiss, Harry, and try not to snore."

He kissed her. "I didn't have anything else in mind."

A moment later, he could hear Cho's regular breathing - just for a moment, before falling asleep himself.

* * *

Something was tickling his nose. Had to be a fly - non unexpected in a barn. Harry waved it off with his hand. A moment later, it was back. Opening his eyes, he saw a blade of straw dangling over his face. At the other end of the blade was Cho, lying on her side, looking very smitten.

The blade came down again and made him sneeze, which was enough to come fully awake. "Don't," he said.

She murmured, "I had to keep you at blade's length ... Better that way."

"What?"

"To wake you up ... It felt a bit risky touching you." Next second, Cho was up and heading to the outside.

Strangling on her own rules ... Harry stretched and yawned, feeling restored, ready to face the day. After going behind the barn, he went outside, where he found a trough full of water. He slapped some of it into his face, then drank some. The rural life - nice for a change, while otherwise, no thanks.

He checked the time: half past eleven. Good for two slow rounds through the camp, then back to Hogwarts.

Cho came into view, twenty feet above ground on her Steel Wing. She shouted, "Get moving!"

Gliding slowly across the camp, they saw Giants at work with garments, bags, honing Quarterstaffs, some of them at a fire, hardening the sharp ends of these efficient weapons.

They found Lleyrin sitting under a tree, cross-legged on the ground, with a larger pile of round items on his right and a smaller pile on his left. Lleyrin was working with a muddy piece of linen; he took an item from the bigger pile, polished it, and stored it on the smaller pile.

Coming closer, Harry saw that it wasn't polishing. Lleyrin was oiling the surface of those things - small balls, about two inches diameter, like miniature cannonballs, except that Giants had no cannons. It was a strange view, the Giant chief doing such work.

Not finding any other clue, Harry asked, "Lleyrin, what are these?"

"Our ammunition," came the answer. "Harry Potter, don't you recognize it?"

"No, Lleyrin."

"Then wait and see." The Giant seemed to take pleasure from his work.

"Where did you get them, Lleyrin?"

"We had a deal with mountain dwarfs, Harry Potter - food and some services for them, and in return iron balls for us."

"Services?"

It wasn't very polite to ask, however, Lleyrin didn't care.

"They had trouble with a troll or two, and we could convince the trolls that life would be easier without bothering the dwarfs ... maybe longer too." Lleyrin was placidly oiling one ball after the other.

"And why do you have to oil them, Lleyrin?"

"To make sure they move smoothly, Harry Potter - exactly for the same reason you would oil other things, right?"

The message couldn't have been clearer: if Harry had no idea of his own what those balls were good for, Lleyrin wasn't going to tell him. Yes, and in the meantime, might he please stop asking stupid questions?

---

"When will you move, Lleyrin?"

The Giant's face changed from amusement to seriousness. "I agreed with Dumbledore to stay away until the alarm is raised, Harry Potter. He wants to have some troops at some distance - not all beans in the same pot, as he said. He has a point, although it's a bit too far. I guess we'll place ourselves in the middle between the school and the camp here, probably this afternoon."

A Giant crossed the distance from the camp to Hogwarts in about thirty minutes, or fifteen when marching as fast as possible. Halving the distance would mean, the Giants could come to help within ten minutes, still having enough breath left to fight - a reassuring thought.

Not seeing a chance to solve the oiling riddle, Harry said, "Okay, Lleyrin - see you then." He flew up, followed by Cho.

It was a wonderful day to fly a Steel Wing through the air; however, the thought of the food waiting in the hall had a speeding effect.

In the Entrance Hall, Ron greeted them. "If you can wait ten minutes, we could have lunch together."

Harry glanced around. "Where's Viktor? And where's Hermione?"

"You'll find one where the other is."

Ron's grin made room for a more businesslike expression. "They're preparing a command post on a tower platform, near the Owlery. Viktor said as soon as the dance starts, this here'll be the worst place to be."

The tables in the Great Hall were still by the same names as before, but the Squad members had broken the former barriers. Caught in a grip of four-hour shifts, the teams had no intention to separate only because they were mixed together from different houses.

Checking around, they found Almyra sitting at her own place. Naturally enough, Cho and Harry sat down there, followed by Ron.

"Charlie and his teammate are moving the dragons," said Ron. "It's a spectacle - you shouldn't miss it, Al, when flying around."

"When do you expect them?" asked Harry.

"Late in the afternoon, that's what Charlie said. They're pretty slow, those dragons."

"Slow?" Harry's memory of the Triwizard Tournament said something else.

Ron grinned. "They can be fast - if they want. But Charlie prefers the convincing method, and since basically dragons are lazybags, it takes time - especially because he has to convince them individually. After all, dragons are very individual lazybags."

Almyra said, "I think he's making that up a bit ... Anyway, I'll have a look. See you." She walked off.

After having chewed his last bite, Ron stood up and headed for his desk.

Harry, refreshed from a stand-by shift spent mostly in a barn, found himself wide awake but with nothing to do. Schoolwork was out of the question - mostly due to lack of concentration toward such mundane matters. In addition, the thought of his friends' remarks in years to come, about him doing schoolwork on a day when the Headmaster had cancelled classes, felt slightly beyond Harry's level of courage. He pondered the thought of increasing the number of stand-by teams outside, but Cho declined.

Left on his own, he climbed all the way to the command post on the tower, inspected the place, and found it a good choice. Viktor showed him a shortcut that saved another thirty seconds when passing from post to hall or vice versa.

Then he tried to find Fleur, without success. This struck him as nearly as good as an answer - if she had found fairy dust, she would have delivered earlier.

---

That done, he decided to hang around in the Entrance Hall, hoping to meet Sirius, waiting to watch the dragons' spectacle, and altogether ready for the unexpected.

Sirius let him wait. The dragons let him wait, too.

The first unexpected visitor was Hagrid, who entered the hall with a grumpy expression on his face.

Harry followed his oldest friend to a table, where he watched him filling a dish. "What are you doing here, now that the Giants are preparing to fight?"

"Ter sent me off - said I'd better join people here." Anger was bursting out of Hagrid. "I'm too small fer Giant fights ... either the quarterstaff's too long fer me, or it fits - an' then 'tis too short fer serious work."

Harry tried not to grin. "Too small - nobody'll say that here. You could join Charlie - he might need help with the dragons."

It wiped away Hagrid's disappointment. Harry explained what was going on, and where Hagrid would find the dragons on tour.

The half-giant looked happier. "Yer right, Harry - it's somethin' I can handle. 'Member Norbert?"

Back in the Entrance Hall, Harry spent some time doing nothing. Just when he felt forced to admit that sitting here had been a mistake, a group in the entrance made his eyes widen. The man in the lead was Bill, followed by - Harry counted quickly - a full dozen Goblins, dressed for battle, carrying weapons of which Harry could only identify some, like the bows, while others were unknown to him.

They looked around, examined the desk in the middle, then the students in the corners - and now they were staring at him, their faces unreadable.

Ron had started to grin when he recognized his brother. Seeing the Goblins a moment later, the grin gave room to open-mouthed astonishment.

Harry jumped up with the certain feeling that a welcome from him would be more polite, especially as McGonagall wasn't there. After all, these were the people to which he was bound by a Request. He quickly walked over.

"Bill - great to see you here." Looking at the Goblins, Harry bowed. "We are honoured with your presence and your intention to fight with us."

The Goblin in front of the group, for Harry's untrained eyes not looking any different from the others, made a gesture with his right arm that seemed to be a military salute. "Our joined forces will defeat the enemy."

Bill had followed the exchange with appreciation on his face. Now he said, "Dumbledore's probably waiting for us - see you later," and guided the group forward through the hall.

Harry suppressed an impulse of following them. Feeling excited, he looked at Ron. "Goblin warriors ... did you see their weapons?"

Ron's gaze had followed the group. He turned. "That was a surprise. Glad you were quick to react, Harry."

They discussed this new aspect, speculating about the unknown weapons as well as about the magical power of Goblins. For the first time, and quite unexpectedly so, they felt regret at not having listened with more attention to Binns' droning about the Goblin wars. Anyway, Bill would know more ... Yes, sure, Hermione too, but Hermione wasn't around, and besides, Bill would just answer their questions without side comments nobody really needed.

They had to stop because other students demanded Ron's attention. Harry went back to his corner, to wait again.

Cho appeared in the hall, to tell him that Almyra had returned through the Owlery. They were interrupted by excited shouts from outside which announced the arrival of the first dragon.

They hurried through the entrance to watch, joined by other students.

It was a spectacular view. The tiny figure of Charlie moved in front of the Hungarian Horntail, turning every few steps, talking with the beast, beckoning it forward, baiting it with some herbs. The dragon followed at its own sweet pace, stopped at the sight of the appearing students, smoke curling up its nostrils.

Charlie waved, gesturing that they should go inside again - obviously, any sudden movement made his task more complicated, maybe even more dangerous. It was like steering a cat along a path, only Charlie had no leash, and the cat was fifty feet high.

Hanging out the windows, they watched Charlie guiding the dragon to a place under a tree, close to the lake and a safe distance from the entrance. Then the next dragon appeared - the Swedish Short-Snout, following Hagrid, who looked delighted. It was amazing to watch the obvious affinity between the two creatures - Hagrid seemed to have less trouble than Charlie, who'd spent months with those gigantic animals.

It took almost two hours before the four dragons were placed in a semi-circle around the building, equidistant from each other and the entrance.

Harry had told Cho about the Goblins. Now they were sitting quietly, waiting for their shift to pass. Outside, dusk was falling.

There was a noise outside, like from a Squad member touching down. Then someone came running through the entrance and shouted, "Something's coming - like a dark cloud!"

Harry sprinted outside.

Far behind the lake, up in the air, a black wall was filling the sky, coming closer, extinguishing what was left of the daylight.

* * *

The black thing could have been a cloud. Its border was an irregular shape and seemed to pulse, except that a cloud would have ended somewhere. The black wall didn't end; it kept growing and growing.

Harry pushed his way past the other stand-by students who were standing there, staring up to the blackening sky. He felt satisfied when seeing Ron still at his desk, anxious to hear Harry's description.

"It's black, and it fills the sky. Raise the alarm - we're going up to the tower."

"ALARM!! STAND-BY! ATTENTION!"

The students rushed in and were immediately sent to Dumbledore, the four houses, and the teachers. A moment later, the entrance was empty.

Harry rushed out and found Cho waiting before the storage room, already mounted on her Steel Wing. Just as he'd done moments earlier, she'd realized that the quickest path up to the tower would be through the air.

He grabbed his broomstick, mounted it, and flew up. Seconds later, they reached the tower platform.

The spot looked pretty crowded. Viktor stood there with Hermione at his side; other Squad teams were watching the sky while the limited space rapidly filled with more teams who were coming through the door.

Viktor shouted, "Stay in the air!"

It wasn't the most convenient method. After a moment, they found an improvement: with one hand holding to the flagstaff that was protruding from the platform, it was much easier to hold position.

Watching the black wall, Harry saw two dots, quickly growing to the shapes of two broomstick flyers - the rest of the roundtrip team, approaching the tower post at full speed.

They braked and came to a stop in mid-air.

"BATS!"

A black wall of bats? Then it had to be millions - or so it looked. With the front line coming closer, they could see movement, then individual shapes. A single bat was a harmless animal, a swarm of them an interesting spectacle. But a million ... The uneasiness on faces grew and started condensing to fright.

Below them, on the platform, was another movement. Students stepped back, making room for a huge, slim wizard - Dumbledore.

The Headmaster examined the approaching wall of bats, seemingly unaware that he himself was simultaneously watched by the teams. Finally he turned.

"Those bats - they have no other purpose than a cloud of black smoke would have: to blind us, to fill our view, and to cover something else. We have to clear our view as quickly as possible."

Clear the view? How to get rid of a million ...

"The bats are conjured up," shouted Dumbledore. "You can make them disappear with a simple spell. What you have to call is 'Vespertilabi!' In a moment, the first bats will be here, then I'll show you."

At these words, relief spread on many faces.

---

They didn't have to wait long until the front line appeared close enough. Hundreds, thousands of dark wings were flapping, carrying the tiny bodies toward them.

Dumbledore's wand was up. He aimed toward the first wave.

"VESPERTILABI!"

A hole appeared in the front. By Harry's guess, the Headmaster's spell had wiped off more than hundred bats.

Viktor shouted, "Squad! Up with you! Stay on top and clear from above!"

Harry's look met Cho's. She nodded.

A push brought him forward. Almost touching the front line of the bats, he swerved upward, looked down, feeling better at the sight - a thick layer of bats kept rushing through the air. So at least they didn't fill the entire sky.

Gliding yards above the black waves, they held their wands, pointing and shouting, "Vespertilabi! ... Vespertilabi! ... Vespertilabi!"

Each spell dug a large hole, but seconds later, the target spot was filled again.

In the first seconds after cursing a new hole, they had a view at the buildings under them. Every tower, every window was filled with figures, wands pointing up, all of them shouting "Vespertilabi," as though intoning an archaic ritual.

The work was really monotonous. Point - shout - the bats disappeared, point - shout - another hole.

On both sides of Harry, the Squad members were lying flatly on their Steel Wings, their wands aimed at the black waves under their feet, intonating one spell after the other. They looked like a group of swimmers or divers, resting on the surface of a lake and catching fish, except that their goal was just the opposite.

* * *

Shouting his spells, Harry had time to think about the purpose of this endless bat wave. Covering ... What were the bats supposed to hide? All he could think of were -

A scream rose to his left and faded in a choking sound.

His head jerked up. Glancing along the line of Squad members, it took him a second to recognize the source of the pained cry. Then he saw it: a Squad member was hanging at his belt, one hand still at the broomstick, something on his back, protruding like a very thick arrow -

"ATTENTION! AIR ATTACKS!"

A hissing sound made Harry turn. At the periphery of his vision, something blurry came racing through the air, aimed straight toward his body, and would hit him the next instant.

Reflexively, he fell sideways, rolling around his Steel Wing, for an instant seeing the broomstick above him, something long and thin buzzing through his view. Using his momentum, he rotated up again, scanning the air for movements much quicker than those of the bats.

"HARPIES!!"

Viktor had shouted. It didn't tell Harry anything - only that Viktor seemed to know these creatures.

Two more Squad members were hit. Harry saw their teammates busy escorting them to the platform, carefully watching the sky, equally careful to avoid direct contact with the other Steel Wings.

Suddenly, the Squad was on full alert.

Somehow, it was like in a Quidditch match, looking for the next Bludger attack. Only those were no Bludgers but bird-like creatures - like little rockets when attacking, seconds later slowly climbing upward through the air, gaining height and distance, probably preparing for another attack.

Hissing in the air signaled another wave. Quidditch experience and Squad training paid off; this time, nobody was hit.

As good as it looked, Harry became aware: if they didn't find a defense against these harpies quickly, the Squad was paralyzed. Guarding the sky and watching for their own security took their full attention and left no room for any other action.

Viktor stood at the tower balustrade. His wand aimed toward a harpy which had lost its speed, and was trying to fly up and out of reach. Viktor shouted something.

The harpy exploded like a firecracker.

Around Harry, the Squad members punched fists into the air, grinning in relief, shouting hoorays.

Watching as the remnants were tumbling to the ground, Harry saw that those rocket-like birds wore no feathers at all, only skin and bones - and the long, sharp beak they used like an arrow when attacking. Probably they were no birds at all, no more than the bats.

The Squad members closest to the tower platform were approaching Viktor, no doubt eager to learn the spell. Harry was about to follow when he heard the hissing of another wave. He turned.

The harpies were coming in pairs!

He scanned the air. None of those pairs were aimed toward his body - but Cho was one of their targets. He opened his mouth to shout, then closed it again when he saw that Cho's eyes were fixed on them.

The harpies raced through the sky, coming slightly from above, side by side, only feet apart.

At the very last moment, Cho's Steel Wing flew upward, gaining several yards in an instant. The harpies tried to follow but were too fast for such an abrupt manoeuver. They missed Cho barely - except for her left shoe, which flew through the air in a wide arc before it disappeared below the thinning layer of bats.

Harry approached her. "Are you hurt?"

"No."

"You need a new shoe."

"Tell me something new! Did you see where it fell?"

"No - anyway, it's too risky. Come on, back to the platform."

"Okay." She glared at him. "Don't move until I'm back!"

"All right - except one of those rockets is coming."

They reached the platform. Cho had trouble finding enough space to touch down and shouted something.

Several students jumped aside, telling Harry that she'd threatened to touch down on their bodies with a branded Steel Wing. An instant later, she disappeared through the door.

---

He positioned himself at the flagstaff again, alternately scanning the air and checking the scene under his feet. Viktor was trying to teach a group of Squad members how to shoot a harpy but seemed to have difficulties - maybe because the spell was considerably more complicated than the bat clean-up, or maybe owning to the lack of targets within reach. At any rate, the scene didn't strike Harry as something to watch closer.

Drilencu appeared on the platform - as another shooter, or teacher, or both.

The twins came through the door, clubs in their hands. They flew into the air, followed by Lee Jordan.

Another wave of harpies came buzzing. Harry saw the twins take position, their clubs ready. Next second, they pushed forward into the course of a pair that wasn't even aimed toward them.

The combined speed of harpies and Steel Wings seemed almost too much for the eye to follow. The clubs swung upward, downward, forward, both of them meeting their targets at the exact moment.

Fred's harpy exploded like the previous one. The blast ripped Fred off his seat. For seconds, he hung free, held only by his safety belt, then he was able to grab his Steel Wing again and right himself with a swing, presenting clothes that were smeared with the remnants of the blown harpy.

George's hit had been less precise by the fraction of a second. His harpy spiraled and rotated through the air, then its wings came out, and the creature tried to escape.

Seeing his brother unhurt, George pushed his Steel Wing, club ready. Passing the harpy from behind, he swung the club in an arc that went up and came down on the creature's body - exactly at the left wing's root.

The harpy lost course. With the left wing hanging limp, motionless, it trundled slowly toward the ground. Alive or not - this one wasn't going to ride another attack.

Viktor had shot another harpy, Drilencu also. Some Squad members had tried their luck with what they'd learned moments before - without success. Harry saw the Slytherin Beaters touch down and go inside, probably to fetch their own clubs. Even if they wouldn't follow the daring manoeuver of the twins - while the harpies were trying to find a way back to attack level, they presented easy targets.

A runner came through the door, grabbed Viktor by his shoulders, and said something. Harry couldn't understand clearly - for a moment, it had sounded like "Hogwarts Express."

The runner disappeared. Viktor said something to Hermione. Harry saw her nod with tension in her face.

Viktor looked around and opened his mouth. "ATTENTION!"

The Squad members signaled their listening with arms up and other gestures - Viktor had only their ears; the eyes weren't going to leave the sky for more than a short glance in Viktor's direction.

"The - " Viktor stopped, sonorous'd his voice, and started again.

"The Hogwarts Express has arrived. Probably full with Death Eaters, although nobody has come out so far. The people downstairs ask whether we can run a check. I'll do it by myself, so don't shoot me by accident!"

He was interrupted by the sounds of the next harpy wave.

This time, the scoring was on both sides. Three explosions in rapid succession gave proof of spells that had been aimed and called properly - Viktor, Drilencu, and, of course, Hermione! The twins, without trying the dangerous counter-attack again, had outflown a pair, to follow and to beat them crippled. Five harpies gone!

But one of the Hufflepuff Chasers was hit.

He came back to the platform, escorted by his teammates. Harry saw a deep wound on the right shoulder that was bleeding heavily, and a pale face that grimaced at the movements when touching down.

Just before the Chaser reached the door, Cho came out.

Viktor jumped. His body fell sideways and forward, then he was diving through the cloud of bats. Next moment, he was gone.

---

Cho arrived at Harry's side. "Ready again. What now?"

"Viktor's checking the Hogwarts Express. Let's dive down, so we can see whether he's doing okay."

Cho had heard the news inside. With two shouts of "Vespertilabi" they blasted a larger hole in the cloud and went through the layer.

Harry scanned the air. Here, below the bats, it was considerably darker than above; however there was enough light from the other side of the lake. Obviously, the bat armada concentrated mainly on the Hogwarts buildings.

Then he saw the movement.

Viktor was flying a wide arc. What he had in mind was obvious: to pass along the train at full speed, coming from behind, too fast to be hit by a successful curse - hopefully.

The small dot far away disappeared. A few seconds later, it came into view again, moving very fast, still accelerating. When it reached the point where Harry assumed the end of the train, the Steel Wing was definitely at full speed.

As close to the ground as Viktor was flying, he was almost invisible from Harry's position. In contrast, what could be seen easily was a chain of spells erupting from the train, racing from back to front, almost as fast as the Steel Wing, however missing their target without exception.

Viktor bolted upward, not changing course, elongating the line of the railroad track, keeping himself out of reach for all the Death Eaters in the train.

But not for someone else. From the point where Harry assumed the head of the train was, a red line flashed through the sky and hit Viktor.

Viktor's body on the Steel Wing fell forward. For several seconds, it seemed to lie flat on the broomstick, then it rolled to the side and fell down.