The Beginning of the End

The Beginning of the End

A flash of green light! The unforgivable curse flashed past Dumbledore's face. Dumbledore drew out his wand and bellowed out his reply. "stupify!". Voldemort was already gone. A look of worry and anticipation materialized on the old but wise face of the noble Wizard. For he knew one way or the other it would be over soon.

The forbidden forest was unforgiving and cold in the winter, Hogwarts was cold all year round, most had given up hope now the great castle was under the control of Voldemort. The last hope for the free people of the wizarding world and the muggle world were the last of the Order of the Phoenix. Times were at there worst and the order knew it was time for the last struggle, an end to the tyranny of darkness. They had to stand up, for if they did not the lives of the innocent and the liberated were slowly fading.

Dumbledore had cleverley managed to lure Voldemort out of Hogwarts with the aid of Severus Snape. Snape had casted the Dark Mark high into the pitch-black fearless sky above the cold, unforgiving forbidden forest, which sent panic and disarray into the cold walls of the dark castle. Who if not one of their own had cast the fiery mark into the sky? Death eaters poured out of the castle and sprinted directly into the forest. The Order had the advantage. They were waiting. Waiting for what they knew would be the last encounter. Their last stand.

Dolohov foolishly ran straight into the path of McGonagall. "Expelliarmus!" she hollered. The

spell hit Dolohov directly in the stomach. He flew backwards into the trunk of a particularly large oak and crashed to the floor. McGonagall was about to deliver the finishing blow when suddenly the cry of Lucius Malfoy echoed through the crowded forest. "Crucio!" McGonagall fell hard. Then followed the unearthly cry from the professor.

A tall, dark figure appeared on the scene accompanied by a cold high pitched laugh.

"We have them on the run, it's Snape and Dumbledore. The boy is here. Find him, this must end now."

"Yes Master" The servants of the Dark Lord vanished in search of the boy who had the power to end the reign of terror, darkness and evil. McGonagall groaned, she had been realised from the curse as Voldemort had appeared. The Dark Lord hiked over to the wounded professor, he raised his wand and maliciously cried out the conclusion to all McGonagall had achieved in life. "Avada Kedavra!" The green bullet of light penetrated the experienced professor, but she had not experienced this before, a look of cold, chilling fear appeared in McGonagall's eyes. Voldemort stood over the crumpled figure of the forever grounded Professor and let out a cackling fit of laughter. McGonagall was dead. It had began.

Harry was on the floor, he had entered the forbidden forest many time in his troublesome exploits previously at the school, but still not know any better than the frequently astray creatures that lived in the forest, how to navigate the treacherous paths within.

"Harry! Harry, thought I lost you there for a minute." The long nose and the colourful hair of Ron Weasly appeared beside the frightened Wizard. "We can't keep going much longer, we'll never find our way out!" The troublesome duo had only ever entered the forest in such depth once.

"We must not be found Ron" Harry had grown in himself over the last couple of years in the absence of Dumbledore and the school. Harry opened his mouth in order to alleviate Ron's fears but was stopped by the snapping of a nearby branch. Harry leapt up, raised his wand and inspected the surround. Ron shortly followed. There was no follow-up to the noise that had suddenly raised the adrenaline and fear pumping through both of the young Wizards.

Ron raised his wand and began to murmur a spell to cast light out of his wand. "Lumo..."

"Ron! No!" Harry cried out to stop Ron casting the rashly thought of spell because of his mixture of fear and haste. Though it was too late, the half spoken spell had emitted a flash of light from Ron's wand and their position was revealed.

Dolohov flew out at them from behind a dense shrub. "Stupify!"

Ron hit the floor. Harry raised his wand. "Stupify". Dolohov got there first. Harry followed Ron to the floor. Dolohov raised his wand again and another spell was released from his wand. "Avada Kedavra!"

Ron was dead.

Dolohov strutted up to harry and in a proud, callous voice spoke to the limp body of the downed Wizard. "Not for you young one. The master has more important plans. You will accompany me. "Imper..."

Before the entrancing spell had left Dolohov's wand a red light streaked in-between the trunks of two thin trees and narrowly missed Dolohov. Dolohov turned and screamed his counter-attack. "Expeliarmus!" His spell connected with the large shadow behind the trees and a rather unusual pink umbrella soared in Dolohov's hands. "Hagrid, how nice of you to join us."

Dolohov was victorious. "Come Hagrid." The sound of pure confidence and ego coming from the mouth of Dolohov.

Hagrid walked closer and peered down upon the corpse of Ron. "You dirty thieving murderer, I'll have you for this!" But it was no good, even as these words left Hagrid's mouth he knew what was to come. Dolohov raised his wand, aimed at Hagrid and cried in pain, a stream of cold blood began to trickle out of his mouth. Hagrid looked up, the cold black pincer of Aragog had impaled the stomach of the now deceased Death Eater.

Hagrid spluttered in the disbelief of his own fortune. Aragog did not stop, he continued further into the depths of the forest back to his home, for only now he was at peace with himself. Hagrid had saved the life of Aragog at the expense of expulsion from Hogwarts and now Aragog had repaid Hagrid his due by saving his saviours life.

Hagrid quickly scrambled up, trembling heavily. He picked up his umbrella and returned Harry to his conscious self. "Enervate." Harry's dark green eyes opened and Hagrid needed to get him out of the area before he realised what had happened and the fate of Ron.

"Arry, come'n we need ter get you outa 'ere." Hagrid scooped Harry into his arms and ran as fast as he could for as long as he could deeper into the forest.

Dumbledore had entered the forest with the intention of weakening the Dark Lord before the only one with the power to finish it all off would deliver the final blow. He had been wondering the forest for some time now amidst the echoes and crying of the skirmishes all around. Suddenly a crunch of leaves and a snap of foliage forced Dumbledore turn on himself and raise his guard. Alastor Moody limped from behind a tree to the side of Dumbledore. There was no fear in the face of the now reinstated auorer. "This isn't going so well Dumbledore, Nymphadora's dead, Fudge got her!" Dumbledore replied crisply and quickly. "Fudge will pay for his crimes and allegiance to Voldemort and he will be soon expelled from the Ministry."

A new voice appeared behind Dumbledore. "Very brave words for a man who knows he has a wand pointed at his back, come-on Dumbledore, you didn't realise? Well must be the age."

"Fudge." Moody growled.

"The very own." Fudge had a tremble of fear in his voice and turned his wand towards Moody. The second the wand was turned from Dumbledore a elderly, yet powerful voice sounded. "Avada Kedavra!" Dumbledore may have been old, but his power remained and his mercilessly struck down the ex-minister before Fudge had even realised Dumbledore had raised his wand. Dumbledore looked down on the curled corpse of Fudge piteously.

"Better Wizards have been driven to such atrocities by Voldemort, though I had to kill, or it would have been bleak for you my friend."

Moody flashed a rare smile, it was times like these that the Order really knew and appreciated the power and awe of Dumbledore.

Dumbledore spoke as if nothing had happened, back to the cool normal voice that usually fitted his face. "Lupin should be returning soon, with or without Sirius, we must find Voldemort soon." With that Dumbledore and Moody split up and disappeared in opposite directions.