The War of Shades

Chapter 51 - The Battle of the Forbidden Forest

With the giants scattered and vulnerable to the broom squadrons and dragons and the acromantula colony on the way, Harry was able to turn his attentions back to the south battlefield. He found the noose tightening around the dark forces. He continued to evacuate captives and the injured, occasionally now finding dead bodies for both sides. As he shuttled back and forth between the castle and the battlefield, he learned that the students' army had met on both sides with the goblin army, so that the dark forces had become completely encircled. This was confirmed to Harry as he more and more came across goblin casualties; these were evacuated to the castle where Melony's goblin clinic was fully equipped with the supplies needed to treat the particular needs of goblins. A number of goblin healers were also brought in from Gringotts as the workload increased. As the morning and then the afternoon wore on, the students and the goblins slowly and carefully confined the dark forces into a smaller and smaller area.

On a return trip to the castle, Harry found Ron sitting on the steps, being tended to by Hermione. He immediately ran over.

"Ron, are you okay?"

Ron nodded shakily, and then gave a huge shudder.

"The acromantulas arrived," explained Hermione, as sympathetically as she could while suppressing laughter. "He freaked out over them."

"I HATE SPIDERS!" growled Ron, suppressing his desire to scream it out.

"Ron, why did you develop a strategy that required you to call spiders in to the battle where you would be?"

"Because it was the best strategy, Harry. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices. The spiders would be slaughtered if they tried to attack the wizards, but they're tearing the giants apart - literally. The whole reason for the squadrons was to fight giants. We knew when we formed the squadrons that we'd be target practice if we tried to fight against wizards. Ernie isn't so good on a broom, so he had the army. They needed back-up from a magical force, so that's where the goblins were asked to help. I just had to stuff my fear and get on with the giants and deal with the spiders as long as I could take it. By Merlin's beard, I hate spiders! But I'm grateful for the help. When I spied Hagrid arriving at the head of the column, I could have kissed him, until I looked at the host behind him - then I nearly puked. "

"Is anybody in charge of the squadrons now?" asked Harry.

"Yeah, we had a fallback plan all along. I knew I would only be able to take so much. Ginny took over for me and my squadron. She's not too shabby on strategy herself, and we had already set the plans."

"Yeah, she's quite a soldier," grumbled Harry. "Anything to win."

"She said if I saw you to say thanks for the tornado and what an awesome job that was," said Ron, clearly not understanding Harry's tone.

Harry just nodded. "I've got to go evacuate some more people. I'll check on you in a bit."

"Do that, Harry," said Ron. "It's good to see you bearing up so well - and not thinking you have to take all the danger yourself."

"You people picked the fight. I'm just clean-up," said Harry with a smirk.

"Yeah, right, Harry," said Ron grinning, "like you wouldn't jump right in if you saw someone to fight."

"See you in a few minutes, Harry," said Hermione.

Harry made another ten evacuation round trips, then checked on Ron again. A potion to relieve his heebie-jeebies had been brought out, which had him back to his usual self.

"Feeling better, Ron?"

"Oh, there you are, Harry. Of course. Never better. Getting the best care possible," said Ron, affectionately patting Hermione's hand. "How about a lift?"

"Where to?" asked Harry.

"Fortescue's - I fancy an ice cream cone right now! The battlefield, you troll! I can't fight the giants, but I can make myself useful with Ernie's platoons."

"No need to get snippy," laughed Harry, "Ready?"

"One second," said Ron, who turned to give Hermione a lingering kiss and hug. Harry didn't begrudge them this, but it made him feel all the emptier that he didn't have anyone as he had thought.

"Ready, mate," said Ron, extending his hand.

Harry grabbed his wrist quite abruptly and disapparated to the hilltop rill from which Ernie was directing the tightening of the cordon.

"Hi, Ron, Coach" greeted Ernie grimly, then grinning, "I take it the spiders have arrived."

"Like the cavalry in a cowboy movie," replied Ron.

"You've been to muggle cinemas?" asked Harry.

"Sure, Harry, muggles are good storytellers. I love going into town to catch a flick when I can."

"Hey, Ernie," said Harry, "I always pictured Neville with the basilisk wand - why'd you have Dean carry it?"

"Oh, we talked a long while about that. There are two things that turned it. Thomas is much better with his hands: more coordinated and ambidextrous, so he could handle the basilisk wand with one hand and still fight like a wizard with the other. He's gotten confused a few times and petrified some dark witches and wizards, but none of are too fussed about that. Also, Longbottom's not very tall, so when he holds it up, one of us could accidentally look into it. Thomas is nearly two meters tall, so with it angled upward, there's not a chance any of the rest of us would be looking down the wand, but the dementors are plenty tall to get petrified that way. I'm sure you've seen them around - he's been a busy fellow..."

"Yeah, they're lined up almost to the edge of the forest from here," said Harry, "first time I saw one of them, I conjured my patronus before realizing it was petrified. There must be hundreds of them."

"Yeah, we haven't seen any in over an hour now. We think we've got all that were here. I wonder if that's all of them."

"No," said Harry, "He's got a contingent guarding the island where he makes his headquarters."

"Wow, it's good to have you as a spy, Harry," said Ernie.

"I'll trade," said Harry.

"No, thanks, I've enough to deal with as it is."

Just then there was a massive boom and they saw an outbreak of extremely intense fighting to their far left. It appeared that the remaining dark forces had massed to punch a hole through the weakest spot they could find and try to regroup with the giants, either for a last stand or an escape.

"Harry," shouted Ernie, "Ron and I will take care of things here. Get back to the castle and mobilize the adults to meet them if they break through to open ground."

"Right. Be careful," said Harry as he disapparated.

Arriving at the castle steps, he found Moody, Dawkins and Snape discussing the battle thus far.

"They're trying to break through. There are only a few hundred left at most," shouted Harry to them, "but it's their best. They're headed northwest toward the castle, around the southwest shore of the lake, but Ernie thinks they're headed up to the giants!"

Moody reacted first, "We've already assembled forces out in the heath, Potter, and we can get some more forces to go out to meet them. You call Lupin and let him know. Then head back out to where they had been and gather some forces to comb for any stragglers - the goblins and centaurs will be excellent for that."

Snape and Dawkins had already run to raise additional fighters. Harry found a relatively quiet spot and called Remus and told him.

"Thanks for letting us know, Harry. If they get here they won't find many friends. The giants are nearly all mopped up. As soon as we're done here, we'll be there to help."

Harry apparated to Ernie's makeshift headquarters to report.

"Good. They'll meet plenty of fresh fighters there. I'm sure all the aurors want to get involved in the fighting to earn rank. Ron, you and Harry get with the goblins to start the mop-up of the forest. We don't want any surprises while our backs are turned. Let the centaurs know what's up if you meet with any of them - Moody's right, they'll be just as interested in clearing out the forest completely. They probably want to survey the damage to their home anyway."

With that Ernie took off to the northwest, where most of his platoons had already gone in pursuit of the remaining dark forces, picking them off from the rear.

"It's gone well, Harry," said Ron.

"I suppose, but there have been a lot of casualties."

"Are there many dead?"

"I've recovered at least three dozen students' bodies and about the same of goblin bodies; I've passed by ten times that number of enemy bodies, after making sure they were dead. I've found a couple of dead centaurs, as well. It's grisly business."

"Nobody said it was going to be pretty. But letting them pick us off slowly would have been ten times worse, and there'd be no end in sight."

"Oh, you're right, but is there any end in sight?" asked Harry.

"He's not coming, is he?"

"No, he doesn't really mind sacrificing pretty much anyone he had sent here. There's only one wizard that matters to him."

"It must be sorry to live like that," said Ron, "I can't imagine living without my family and you and Hermione and, you know, all our friends."

"Trust me, it is, and he doesn't even see how sorry it is. He thinks we're all idiots to care."

"Well, let's go find the goblin forces."

"I can feel their concentration of magical powers - I'll apparate us there."

"Leave a little distance, Harry, I don't want to surprise those guys - they're meaner than a teased hippogriff in battle. I'm betting we'll find hundreds of dead wizards on that side of the battlefield. They don't believe in taking prisoners."

"I know. They had a few issues with Voldemort. Let's go."

And with that Harry grabbed Ron and apparated a good distance behind the goblin battle lines. They called out from behind a tree and proved who they were. They were then greeted jubilantly. The goblins agreed on the importance of scouring the woods, and even said they would not execute wounded enemy fighters. This went against traditional goblin practice, but they had agreed the year before to work within the Ministry and its rules, and accepted the necessity. The goblins went about the operation as systematically as they pursued banking.

Harry and Ron set off through the woods toward the castle on foot. There was ample force available to meet the remaining enemy fighters. It was about 5 p.m. Enough light filtered through the trees that they only needed to keep the sun at about 10-11 o'clock to guide toward the Hogwarts' side of the forest. They were wary, but able to maintain something of a stroll. Then as they crested one hill, Harry caught sight of something that made him pull Ron down with him in a crouch.

"LeStrange!" he whispered.

"Bellatrix?" hissed Ron, and Harry nodded. "Why isn't she with the rest of the vipers?"

"I don't know, unless she's hunting me. I'm about the only quarry here that Voldemort really worries about."

"Well, let's just apparate away then," whispered Ron.

"Nope, I'm going to go try and get myself killed," said Harry.

"Oh, okay, then," said Ron.

"Aren't you going to argue with me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"In the seven years I've known you, how many times have you put yourself in a position to get killed?"

"I've lost count."

"And yet you've failed every time. It's the one thing you can't do. You couldn't get yourself killed if you were a hog animagus in an abattoir."

"Very funny," said Harry, "Well, do you want to know the plan?"

"Should I?"

"Yes," replied Harry.

"Okay, then - what's the plan?"

"I'm going to face her and force her to try to kill me. I'll ward off anything that won't kill. If she tries to kill me, Voldemort will have to arrive to stop it, because if she kills me, she destroys his power, too."

"Well, of course! And you were trying to make me think you were going to do something stupid - you're just challenging the deadliest dark wizard in history to a duel."

"Exactly."

"Are you ready for him?"

"Well, I know what's in his mind, so I can react before he even acts. I'm fast. My stamina is good. I haven't really tired myself out all day. And Dumbledore says I can do this. After all everyone else has done, I reckon it's time for me to step up to my destiny."

"You need me to do anything?'

"Yeah, if she actually succeeds in killing me, fight her; I'm pretty sure you can take her. If Voldemort shows up, same thing - you take her on so I don't have to fight both. No holding back - if he shows up, we'll be setting to immediately because we both know what each other are thinking. If I can't get her to try to kill me, I'll eventually just disable her."

"Okey-dokey."

Harry smiled inwardly. Only Ron could understand him well enough to be flippant about something as insanely dangerous as this. Taking a deep breath, Harry stepped over the crest of the hill.

"Hello, Bella!" Harry called.

She wheeled around and yelled "Stupefy," but Harry had disapparated before she had finished pronouncing the spell. With a crack, he appeared behind her and as she wheeled around, he kicked her feet out from under her.

"Potter!" she spat, as she jumped up, "How did you do that - I've been fighting this anti-apparation spell all day."

Harry smiled calmly. "Only the strongest sorcerers can overcome it - you just don't measure up, Bella."

"So you think you're better than me, little baby Potter?"

"Oh, I am," said Harry, disapparating again and appearing again behind her, knocking her off her feet again, this time stepping on her hair when she fell and kicking her hard in the head with the other foot. He wanted her to lose all sense of judgment. She screeched like a banshee, as she tried to get up. "Expelliarmus!" yelled Harry, and her wand flew to him as she was thrown against a tree with an audible thud.

"Hmm!" said Harry, "What a position we're in now, Bella. How shall I make you suffer before I kill you?"

"Hah, Potter, we both know you haven't the stomach for the Unforgiveables."

"I can live with that, Bella, but there are other ways to cause suffering as you so richly deserve. DEBRIDO!" Harry waved his wand at her left hand as he pronounced the spell and all of the skin was stripped from it, leaving raw exposed flesh and nerves. She gasped with the pain of the air hitting the exposed nerves. Then Harry waved his wand at the forest floor, causing dozens of rough sticks to attack her exposed flesh. She could no longer hold back the scream this time.

"So what do you want, Potter, to torture me for killing the animagus?"

"Not really - I want you to kill me."

"It would be my pleasure!"

"No doubt, but I know you're under orders not to."

"What makes you think that!?"

Harry laughed in a very annoyingly superior way. "Because I saw it happen, Bella! I can see anything your master sees and he can see what I see. Don't you understand? His failed killing curse when I was a baby linked us forever. Our minds are as one."

"I don't believe you!"

"You're lying, Bella, you know it's so," said Harry in the same tone Voldemort used when he caught someone in a lie. "You see, I have his powers, too. We share them, we both draw from them. He is a legilemens, so I am a legilemens; he is a parseltongue, so I am a parseltongue. He is watching you through my eyes right now. He sees you for the weak and pitiful failure you are. But there's something else you should know, something he never wanted any of his pets to know. If one of us dies, except at the hand of the other, the one left alive would lose all his powers. He'd be left at best a squib and probably dead if you killed me. And after today's battle, even as pitiful as you are, you would probably be the most powerful dark sorcerer in the world."

Harry let that sink in for a few seconds, and then went on with a knowing smile, "Ah, yes, I can see how that tempts you. After all, Dumbledore can't live forever, and he's too noble to take the steps that would allow him to. Once he's gone, who could stop you doing whatever you wanted? And after all, why would you want to go on serving that deformed half-blood for eternity."

"Liar!" she screamed.

"No, Bella, and I warn you not to talk to me that way again. I have been patient thus far. DEBRIDO!" said Harry, ripping the skin off her right hand. "Things can get much, much worse. I see what he knows - I know his origins. Not only was his father a muggle, but his father rejected him as unworthy of the family name. And he was and so he remains. And so you pass your time - house-elf for a half-blood! Where's your tea towel? No wonder he requires you to wear real clothes - your exposed body would make any man vomit. So here you go, servile little house elf: here's your wand! You can continue as a slave, or kill me and have unchallenged power."

He threw the wand to her and she caught it, wincing with the pain as it struck her exposed flesh. And the battle was on as she tried to disable him. Harry defended and defended to ward off her attacks, taunting her all the while. Finally he shot steam at her exposed, raw flesh. Then even as she screamed, she began to pronounce "Avada Kedavra!" As she did however, Voldemort appeared between her and Harry and the spell instead struck Nagini, which Voldemort had carried with him as the only sort of shield available to stop the killing curse.

Ron leapt out from behind the hill, yelling "Expelliarmus!" The spell threw LeStrange back, but she was able to hold onto her wand. She and Ron immediately set in to dueling.

"You wanted to call out Lord Voldemort, Potter?" said Voldemort, "Be careful what you wish for."

"Talk, talk, talk," taunted Harry to try to rankle him, "You are too much enamored of your own voice, Tom."

Harry apparated three times in succession, firing stunners in between each. Voldemort had dodged the first two before they had even been cast and tried to reflect the third back at Harry with a Protego before Harry could disapparate, but Harry already knew Voldemort's intentions, so he had disapparsted before the stunner could even be reflected.

Harry paused a few yards from Voldemort, both unfazed by the exchange. Harry knew as well as Voldemort had that it would take much more than that to catch Voldemort out. Voldemort teased Harry with the formal wizard duel salute. In reply, Harry wrote the name "Tom Riddle" in the air and sent them circling Voldemort. Voldemort disapparated and Harry, knowing where he was going, went right with him. The battle raged across the forest, hither and yon, both sets of opponents evenly matched and trading spell for spell, defense for defense. At some point, the anti-apparation spell was lifted, either because it had finally become unstable or because the decision had been made at the castle because the rest of the battle was over. Both pairs of fighters apparated about, neither pair ever too far from each other, trading spells at blinding speed. The ferocity of the exchange kept others from coming too close. The forest was lit with the glow of the fight as the day waned.

Eventually they reached the north end of the lake. Several members of the squadrons were trying to evacuate fallen comrades from the area, but upon the appearance of this foursome, all had apparated or flown away. This was not a safe place to be. All had left, that is, except for Ginny, who could not bear to leave and watched from behind a boulder. The battle was moving too fast for her to even get involved - she would be as likely to strike Harry or Ron as Voldemort or LeStrange if she tried to jump in.

Voldemort apparated in position that he could disable Ron and Harry could not block it. As the spell was cast, Harry levitated Bellatrix into the path of the spell. At the same time she was casting a cutting spell at Ron - the same one Harry had used on the polyjuice-Hermione - while Ron was distracted by Voldemort's spell. The cutter caught Ron squarely in the chest. LeStrange collapsed on the spot, barely alive. Ron's chest was cut open through the ribs and into the lower part of the lungs and he tumbled down a steep slope. Harry heard a sickening unmistakable hollow crack of skull against rock as Ron reached the bottom.

Filled with the overwhelming desire to attend to the friend he loved the very best, Harry started fighting twice as intensely as before. Voldemort was completely unable to return any spells, but could only fend off the attacks coming from both of Harry's wands like machine gun fire. At some point, it barely registered in Harry's mind the crack when Ginny apparated away. Overwhelmed, Voldemort apparated to LeStrange's side, grabbed her hand and disapparated away to escape to his headquarters.