Chills part III: When we all sing Amen. by Henna Hypsch
Summary: Entry for the Winter Fic Fest as part of the series "Chills". It is time for the final battle!
Categories: Teacher Snape > Professor Snape Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Draco
Snape Flavour: Snape Comforts
Genres: Action/Adventure
Media Type: None
Tags: None
Takes Place: 7th Year
Warnings: None
Prompts: When We All Sing Amen, One Shot Season
Challenges: When We All Sing Amen, One Shot Season
Series: Chills
Chapters: 5 Completed: Yes Word count: 5722 Read: 10674 Published: 02 Feb 2015 Updated: 02 Feb 2015
Chapter 4 by Henna Hypsch

Afterwards, Harry could not explain exactly how everything had organised itself during the battle, but suddenly the entire Order was there. It took surprisingly little time to convince them of Snape’s true loyalty. Harry said a few determined words to Remus Lupin, and that was enough. Minerva McGonagall had probably already convinced the others. Ron and Hermione turned up by Portkey from their hiding place and the major part of the seventeen year old students had decided to stay and fight. The former members of Dumbledore’s Army closed up around Harry, and even the Aurors in the Order formed around Snape, ready to place themselves under his command. 

 

Harry and Snape communicated with monosyllables but understood each other perfectly and led their respective groups to hide at the border of the forest. In that way, when the Death Eaters finally broke through the protective wards and ran towards the castle, which was now empty and sealed, the Order ambushed them. Several Death Eaters were out before the fight had even started, but Voldemort was not yet with them. 

 

The Order fought organised to begin with, cursing in concert with each other, creating walls of magic that forced the dark side down to the lake. Neither Harry, nor Snape, ordered to kill, but they disarmed, incapacitated and imprisoned an increasing number of Death Eaters.

 

All of a sudden, however, dark clouds shifted in the sky before the sinking sun and everyone’s ears were filled with shrieking cries that pierced the marrow. Thousands of Dementors were approaching from above. They dove over the lake and approached the combatants on the shore with wide open mouths. The Death Eaters put on their masks which seemed to convey immunity to the soul-sucking effect of the dreadful creatures. 

 

Among those fighting for the Order, the Dementor attack caused a panicky and disorganised retreat with a few Patronuses in the air. At the border of the forest, Snape and Harry managed to halt and reassemble their people. First, the strong Patronuses of Snape and Harry - a stag and a doe side by side - managed to arrest the advance of the Dementors and when joined by others, they created a stable wall of silvery mist, hard for the Dementors to penetrate. The question was - how long could they hold it? 

 

Harry and Snape stood back to back. Harry was petrified with cold and the warmth from Snape’s body was the only thing that prevented him from collapsing. A Patronus was usually enough to shield him from the Dementors, but this time they were making these horrible noises that Harry had never heard before.

 

”Harry, let go of your Patronus. The others will hold. We need something more. Visualise the black coats tearing apart. Visualise their disintegration,” cried Snape. 

 

Harry understood precisely what Snape meant. This was not a spell they’d learned, this was magical improvisation, but it worked to great effect. The shrieking sounds of the Dementors turned plaintive almost at once, when Snape and Harry started their joint visualisation. The frightening sounds subsided to short, shrill yelps, like the warning cries of predatory birds, and suddenly the Dementors were gone.

 

The Order had barely time to recover before the air crackled with wave after wave of magic, emanating from a point by the lake where they had left the Death Eaters. 

 

”Voldemort,” panted Harry. 

 

”His powers are intact,” said Snape between clenched teeth. 

 

”He is mortal now,” Harry pointed out. Determination and a streak of madness passed over Snape’s face.

 

”It is now or never!” he roared. ”Let’s finish him! Attack! Now!” 

 

The Aurors were with him at once and so was Harry. The others followed after only a slight hesitation. 

 

The subsequent fight was more disorganised than before, everyone choosing their opponent and duelling - duelling for life or death. Voldemort had summoned every evil creature out of the Forbidden Forest to join him and the dark side had augmented in number. More Death Eaters had joined. Harry spotted Draco at his parents’ side. Draco’s friends, Crabbe and Goyle tried to incite Draco to move into the heat of the battle, but Draco held back. It seemed to Harry that the Malfoy family tried to keep in the periphery of the battle, engaging in as little as possible.

 

If half of the creatures in the Forest obeyed Voldemort, the other half was on Hagrid’s side. The fight turned fouler and fouler. Creatures were ripping each other by the throats, splashing the fighting wizards at their sides with blood, having them slip in disemboweled viscera on the ground. Snape fought like a dragon. His curses were strong, with sometimes an edge of Dark art to them. He was sure at aim and took out more Death Eaters than the aurors, fighting his way determinately toward Voldemort. 

 

Harry held a different approach. He kept by Snape’s side, but played defensive, looking out for his fellow combatants. His shields were solid and repelling, not only protecting but sometimes backfiring on the attacker. He too needed to get closer to Voldemort. 

 

Just for at short while, the fight stood out like a scene staged only for the purpose of showing off their skills, a dance of power and Harry was almost enjoying himself. Afterwards, it was this part that would play itself over and over in his mind, this jubilant feeling of success, of force. This was what he would feel most guilty about. Did he delay the advance towards Voldemort just because it felt good to fight? Could he have ended it sooner? 

 

It was true that at Snape’s side Harry felt invincible, and rejoiced in the feeling, if only for a short while, until he sensed someone fall to the ground right behind him and heard Molly Weasley’s cry of anguish as she threw herself at her son’s side. The curse that hit Fred Weasley had travelled from far, past Harry’s shields. When Harry lifted his gaze he distinguished a pair of red eyes fifty yards away. Voldemort. The curse had been meant for him. The realisation stabbed Harry like a sword in the chest. He reeled before he gripped his wand harder and advanced. 

 

The fight resumed with renewed violence. There was no more satisfaction in the strikes, only controlled desperation. Snape had started to aim curses at Voldemort who returned them with sneering disdain. But Harry threw shields in front of Snape that made Voldemort’s curses fall to the ground and Harry could see that it puzzled and infuriated the dark wizard.

 

As soon as Voldemort decided to start using Avada Kedavras they would be chance-less though.

 

”Do you want to know why that wand doesn’t work for you?” Harry launched defiantly at Voldemort.  

The End.


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