Disclaimer: I only own the original characters. Everything else either belongs to Whedon or Rowling.

Ch 16

Battle of Hogsmeade

Chapter Score: 'Armor Piercing Bullets', Lethal Weapon 3 Score

---

Friday dawned to a flurry of activity and rumors in the castle. Classes were canceled and teachers were called to an emergency meeting in the Headmaster's office. While no reason was given for the cancellation, soon the school was buzzing about how You-Know-Who had managed to possess Ginny Weasley yet again and how they had nearly killed Harry Potter before the suits of armor had sprung to his defense.

Friday had also brought a massive influx of Weasleys, as the entire family returned to the castle to support their youngest member. They all took seats around the bed, sometimes holding the sleeping girl's hand, sometimes just staring forlornly at her and despairing in how much suffering she had been through in such a short life. Molly had expressed her gratitude for both Harry and, after Harry had explained what had happened, Miriam, who took her praise with a humble grace before retreating to her mother's bed to join her father in their own vigil.

Not long after the Weasley's arrived, Harry made his way over to Ann's bed. "How is she?" he asked.

"Nerve damage, possible brain damage," Kirk replied tonelessly. "But the baby is fine, thank god. Poppy seems to think she'll make a near-full recovery."

"I'm glad to hear that," Harry replied earnestly, then turned to Miriam. "Listen, Miriam…"

Miriam looked up and smiled. "Its okay, Harry. All is forgiven. And I apologize as well - I didn't help matters much, did I?"

"I wasn't giving you any reasons to." He stared at her for a moment. "You know, you're taking all of this awfully well."

Miriam cocked her head slightly. "I'm sure Dawn told you a bit about me?"

"A little."

"Did she mention my lineage?"

Harry scratched his head. "Just that you came from an old and often misunderstood family line and that your ancestors had passed down…" he looked up sharply. "They passed down more than knowledge magically, didn't they?" Miriam nodded. "So you're not Miriam, are you?"

"Dana DeWinters," she replied, bowing slightly from her neck.

"You possessed her?"

"Not so much possession as a symbiosis. I provide her with my whole life's history, all my knowledge, all my powers. In return, on occasion, I can experience life once more. Though I tend not to, unless I'm invited. Or Miriam is experiencing a great deal of stress, as she was last night."

"So you actually-" Harry started, but Dana cut him off.

"No. Miriam completed the ritual. I took over afterwards." Dana smiled grimly. "She was quite insistent about that."

Over the course of the day, several people came in to check on both patients. Dawn found herself especially torn, as Ann had helped her recover in the aftermath of the summer and spent most of her time shuffling between the two beds. Faith came in late in the day and stood near the head of the bed, staring down worriedly at the girl who had become one of her favorites in the brief time she had known her. She was followed by Dumbledore and McGonagall, who talked in hushed tones with Poppy before moving over to the bed.

"Albus, do you have any idea how this happened?" Molly asked, fresh tear stains running down her cheeks. "Was it another diary or…"

"No, not a diary. It was simply a poison - a very powerful potion, long thought lost - that was used on your daughter. We believe it was slipped into her food over the past two months, but a search of the kitchens came up empty."

"Headmaster," Severus began, "only a very gifted potions master could have brewed the potion; but seeing as how Miss Weasley only sits with her own housemates, who are all dismal at potions, may I add; I cannot determine how she was given the potion in the first place, let alone who brewed it."

"Could someone have brought it with them?" Minerva asked.

"No," Dana interrupted. "Liquid Imperious has a notoriously short shelf life. A new supply would have to be created weekly. I could brew it, as could Severus. Dawn has the ability, but not the experience. Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Terry Boot and Hermione Granger could all possibly brew it - however, I seriously doubt Hermione would do it and I know Draco wouldn't."

"Why not? His whole family has had it in for ours for years," Fred asked harshly.

"Not to mention the fact that his dear old dad gave her the diary in her first year," George added.

"Draco's going through some things right now. I doubt he would do this," Dana reiterated. "Nott, I don't know. So I would put my money on Zabini or Boot."

"Even if they brewed it, who gave it to Ginny?" Charlie asked, looking at Miriam with narrowed eyes. "You're the only person who doesn't regularly sit at her house table."

"Accuse my daughter and I'll end you." Kirk growled, rising from his wife's side for the first time since she was brought in. "In case you forgot, she just saved her life."

"I'm not forgetting, simply stating facts," Charlie replied heatedly. Before the two could really start to fight, Faith stepped in.

"Whoa, cool done the testosterone, yo? Look, I'LL vouch for Miriam - she's done more to help Dawn and fight Moldywarts than anybody else here."

"Dumbledore…" Charlie started.

"Let her learn how to wave a stick," Faith interrupted. "Miriam stood by Dawn and helped her through recovering from being mind raped." The slayer sighed. "Look, there's a way we might be able to find out who's responsible for all of this. But it's a bit of a long shot."

"How long?" Kirk asked. Faith sighed again.

"About six thousand miles long…"

---

"I don't have to go if you don't want me to."

It was Saturday, the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year and Harry and Dawn, along with Hermione and Ron, were standing around Ginny's bed in the infirmary. She had woken up late in the afternoon the day previous and, though her eyes had taken on a permanently haunted look, she was awake and fully aware for the first time in a month. She had explained to everyone - from her parents down to her friends surrounding her - how she had been slipping further and further away the past two months, from occasional headaches to Voldemort's voice commanding her every movement. She had explained that he had first tried to take complete control at the Quidditch match, which caused her accident. With that, she had given Dawn permission to use her broom when she tried out for the team. "Might as well get some use out of it this year," she had quipped.

Ginny smiled up at her friends, new and old alike. It was a tired smile, slightly pained, but it was genuine and all Ginny. "No, I want you guys to go. Bring me back some sugar quills or something from Zonkos."

"Fred and George wouldn't be happy about that," Ron warned and Ginny's grin turned slightly wicked.

"Who do you think I'll be using it on?"

Ron chuckled and he and Hermione said their goodbyes and headed towards the door. Ginny looked at Dawn and smiled. "Good luck! Tell me everything!"

Dawn smiled hesitantly in return. "You know, I could easily cancel and just stay here…"

"No, you'll go," Ginny replied firmly, briefly glancing over at Miriam, who was sitting by her mother's bed. The young witch nodded and sureptiously rose and slipped out of the infirmary. "And I want a lot of juicy details when you come back."

Dawn sighed in resignation and then squeezed Ginny's hand before heading towards the exit. Ginny looked up at Harry, who looked like he was trying to say something.

"Ginny…" he started hesitantly, then grasped for his Gryffindor courage and pushed forward. "Ginny, I know this is probably the most horrible time and place to ask, but would you like to go with me to the Halloween Ball?"

Ginny blinked. Of everything she expected him to say, that wasn't even on the list. "Are you serious?"

Harry's eyes twinkled slightly. "No, I'm Harry. Sirius was my Godfather." He laughed at her groan at his terrible pun and smiled inwardly at the thought of what Sirius would have thought of that. "In all honesty, I would like to go with you." A horrible thought occurred to him. "Unless, you and Dean…"

Ginny blushed. "Dean and I have fallen by the wayside, I'm afraid, due to all of this. And I do plan on talking to him. But if we do decide to call it quits, I'd love to go with you."

Harry's smile lit up the whole room.

Much to Harry, Ron and Hermione's chagrin, Dawn met Draco at the front entrance hall promptly at noon. Draco, trying to be on his best behavior, did his best to ignore the scowls of the other three Gryffindors as he took Dawn's hand.

"Are you ready?" he asked, a light smile playing over his lips. Dawn noted that he looked quite nice when he wasn't scowling - or rolling on the floor in pain.

Dawn chuckled nervously and surreptiously liked her lips. "Yeah, I guess I am. My sister wanted to come down and threaten you, but I held her off. Figured you had enough pressure as it was."

Draco looked back to the three Gryffindors. "Will Saint Potter and the Weasellets be accompanying us?" he drawled, before wincing at her scowl. "Sorry, old habits die hard."

"We'll be going alone," she replied, emphasizing 'alone'. "So let's go."

Draco shrugged. "Women," he said plainly as he let himself be dragged out of the entrance hall and headed out towards the town.

Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way down to the small town, chatting amongst themselves about inconsequential things the whole way, trying to stay off the topic of Ginny and what had happened.

"I heard Madame Rosmerta sold the Three Broomsticks and left," Hermione was saying. "Dawn told me that a friend of Professor Wyndham-Pryce's bought it and completely changed it around. Turned it into a karaoke bar."

"What's a karaoke bar?" Ron asked.

"It's a Muggle thing. People get up on stage and sing songs, while the song's music plays in the background. It's very popular in Japan."

Harry tuned his two friends out and absently rubbed his scar. It had started prickling as they left the school and the pain had been growing steadily as they entered the town. A sharp pain caused him to gasp and sway unsteadily on his feet, and Ron reached out to steady him.

"Harry? Are you okay?"

"Fine. Headache," he replied. Ron guided him over to a nearby bench and set him down. "Why don't you two head to the Three Broomsticks and I'll rest here for a minute?"

"You sure?" Hermione asked.

"We can stay here, it's not bother…" Ron added. Harry shook his head and instantly regretted it as the pain seemed to increase exponentially.

"It's all right. Go ahead, I'll catch up." Reluctantly, the two left Harry and headed down High Street to the tavern. Harry sat there for a few minutes, the pain growing steadily worse until he had squeezed his eyes shut in pain. He leaned forward, gasping in pain. And then suddenly, the pain stopped.

"Hello, Harry."

Something about the voice tugged at the back of Harry's brain and slowly he looked up. The first thing he noticed was the expensive, black leather shoes, the expensively cut black suit, loosely covered by fine, silk robes. And his face…

Cool gray eyes. Tamed black hair. Sharp cheekbones, the chiseled chin - it was a face he had seen once before, as Ginny Weasley lay dying in the Chamber of Secrets. The unmarred, handsome face of Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Lord Voldemort smirked. "I've been hoping to have another chat with you…"

---

Draco and Dawn walked through the two, occasionally stopping at various shops along the way. Draco spent most of the time talking about the town and its history. They were leaving Zonkos (Dawn had made sure to buy a few things for Ginny) when Draco finally turned to her.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked the question yet," he said plainly. Dawn looked at him with a guarded expression.

""What? The 'what's a pureblood fanatic like you doing with a mudblood like me?' question?"

"Don't call yourself that."

Dawn's face scrunched up in confusion. "Call myself what?"

"Mudblood," he answered. "You're the farthest thing from that…"

"I'm muggle-born," Dawn reasoned. "So, by your logic, I'm the closest thing to that." She sighed; this argument was getting them nowhere. "Why did you ask me, Draco?"

The young wizard sighed as he ran his hand through his long, blond hair. "Because you intrigue me. Everything you say, everything you do…how you carry yourself around the school like you own the place, even after everything my father put you through…"

"So you don't deny it," Dawn accused. Draco shook his head.

"I never did." He replied. "My father is evil; you know that. I know that. And I'm starting to see that I don't want to be like him…"

"And what do you want to be like?" Dawn asked, honestly curious. Steely gray eyes stared back into hers.

"My own man," he replied after a moment. The two began walking, with Dawn glancing over to Draco every few moments. "My father instilled a very strong sense of duty and honor to our family at a very young age. 'We're Malfoys', he'd say. 'We bow to no one.' And yet, there he is, scraping the floor and kissing the robes of the Dark Lord - someone who, asides from not being a pureblood, isn't even human anymore!" Draco scoffed. "Duty. Honor. Obligations. Everything I've been taught, everything I've believed in for fifteen years… rendered meaningless. Father always told me that purebloods were more powerful - yet you, who've known you were a witch for scant months, are already an animagus; your sister could take down ten Death Eaters without breaking a sweat and without a wand, to boot. Granger gets better grades than the entire school combined and she's a muh- muggle-born," he corrected quickly at Dawn's dark look, "Sorry. Old habits, you know. And Potter… how Saint Potter was able to defeat one of the most powerful Dark Lords in history at the age of one, nobody knows."

"Dumbledore probably knows," Dawn said. Draco chuckled.

"There's not a whole lot that man doesn't know," he admitted. "Anyway, when my father was arrested last year, I was angry. Angry enough that I wanted to go join the Dark Lord straightway." At her startled look, Draco shook his head. "I didn't. My mother managed to talk me out of it and showed me some of her memories…"

"She's telepathic?" Dawn asked, startled.

"No, we have a pensieve." Draco arched an eyebrow. "But she is an accomplished Legilimens." At her blank look, Draco explained. "A pensieve is something that you can store memories in, to view at a later date. Legilimens is a discipline of being able to penetrate someone else's mind. Anyway, mother showed me some of the dark revelries of the past, along with a few of the parties the Dark Lord had over the summer…"

"Yeah, I remember those," Dawn said weakly, shuddering at the memories. "Best not mention those around Professor Kirk. He's a bit touchy about those."

"He's a bit touchy about me," Draco said bitterly. Dawn looked at him sadly.

"That's because he's a bit touchy about the parties. Sins of the father and all of that." Draco paled. "If you mother showed you memories, you must have seen…"

"I know my father participated," He replied. "But mother didn't witness everything." He sighed. "It must have been monstrous."

"It was."

They walked in silence for a few moments. "After my mother showed me those memories, my desires shifted. I'm a bit of a coward, you see." He grinned slightly. "And I've never taken to the sight of blood or the screams of pain. I'm not a killer. I don't think I could ever kill anybody; it's not something I'd know how to live with." He looked to Dawn and noticed that she had paled considerably and was shaking. "Are you alright?"

"Three month ago, I killed a man," Dawn said after a moment's silence. "I was being controlled totally by Voldemort by then - drugged, brainwashed, manipulated like a puppet. It was an FBI agent - kind of like your Aurors. He was investigating the Council, thinking it was some kind of cult or terrorist organization and he ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Merlin," Draco breathed.

"I couldn't control myself, couldn't stop myself. I nearly killed Willow, I paralyzed my Slayer, my best friend. I almost killed my sister." Her eyes dropped to the ground. "Sometimes, I wish she had killed me." She took a breath. "You might be playing me, Draco. Or you might be telling the truth. For right now, I'm going to trust in the latter."

Draco stopped and turned to her. "May I ask why?" he inquired, honestly curious.

Dawn smiled. "Call it a gut feeling." She shrugged. "Besides, if you hurt me, do you realize how many people would line up to kill you?"

---

"And now for something completely different," Ron muttered as he led Hermione into the newly renovated Three Broomsticks. What was once a model of an old fashioned Wizarding tavern had been transformed - at least on the inside - into a swank nightclub that wouldn't have looked out of place in Los Angeles, but was very out of place in the small town of Hogsmeade. Many of the pureblood students stared around in open disgust at the muggle decoration, the karaoke stage with its strange, electric lighting, the booths covered in red leather upholstery and the gleaming metal bar; the muggle borne and half-bloods, meanwhile, took to the place like - well, eager children.

"What do we do now?" Ron asked as he looked around bewilderedly. Hermione's lips twitched as she fought down a smile.

"Well, you could sing on stage…"

"Not in this bloody lifetime. You'll never catch a Weasley singing in front of a crowd, mark my words."

"Let's go grab a table," Hermione suggested, pulling Ron towards the nearest table. She placed her coat on the back of one of the chairs to save it for Harry and then sat down in the next one, next to Ron. "You know, once you get over the shock, it isn't so bad."

Ron picked up the menu and stared in confusion at the unknown foods listed on it. "I miss Rosmerta," he groused.

"You miss Rosmerta's cleavage," Hermione replied archly. Ron sighed happily.

"Can't argue with that," he teased. Hermione scoffed and slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

"Prat."

---

"You want me to what?"

Wes and Kirk leaned over the bar towards the glamored Lorne, talking in low tones. Lorne glanced around and then leaned in even closer. "You do remember I wanted OUT, right Wes, old buddy, old pal?"

"Lorne, someone in the school slipped Ginny Weasley a very powerful, very illegal potion that nearly caused her death and the death of a student. This person is definitely working for Voldemort. Now, we need to know who it is so we can protect the rest of the students and the best way to do that is to have you read them."

"And play it off as what, auditions for a permanent act here?" Lorne scoffed. "People can hide their intentions for me, especially if they know I'm coming. And the only thing this plan would do is to make me a target!"

"So, read everybody at once!" Kirk hissed. "We get everybody in the Great Hall one night to sing the school song. You stay hidden in a back room; your involvement wouldn't even be known! Would that work?"

Lorne considered that for a moment. "Well, it wouldn't be as accurate. And I might end up being wrong for some of the cases. But in general, that plan could work. But you got to promise to keep my involvement out of this!"

Kirk looked at Lorne with cold, hard eyes. "Look, whoever is responsible for Ginny more than likely had a hand in what happened to my wife. So even if they did find out about you, they wouldn't have a chance to tell anyone."

"Well that's reassuring. I thought you were all about protecting kids," Lorne said scathingly.

"They stopped being kids," Kirk replied with a trembling voice, "the minute they put my family in the crossfire. From then on, they were the enemy. Death Eaters. And the only good death eater is a dead Death Eater."

---

"So, Harry… how's the family? Still dead?" Voldemort chuckled as he sat down next to the stunned Harry. The boy immediately went for his wand, but stopped as he felt the tip of Voldemort's digging into his side. "Ah ah, Harry. Believe it or not, I'm not here to fight you. I just wanted to sit down and have a civilized little chat. So do forget for a moment what house you are in, would you?"

"What the hell do you want?" Harry asked through gritted teeth, his eyes darting around furtively. Down the street he spied Neville and Luna passing by Gladrags and Dawn and Draco were deep in conversation by Zonko's. Ron and Hermione, he knew, were waiting fro him at the Three Broomsticks.

At least they're safe, he thought.

"Now Harry, really. How safe do you think they are?" Voldemort said. Harry's eyes widened. "I may not be risking possessing you anymore, boy, but that doesn't mean your mind is not an open book to Lord Voldemort. Take a closer look around and tell me what you see."

Reluctantly, Harry did as he was told. Along with the kids and few teachers that had come, several other adults were aimlessly milling abo-

Harry's breath hitched as he recognized the face of Antonin Dolohov. Looking around, he noticed several other Death Eaters, including a brief glimpse of platinum blond hair that could only have come from Lucius Malfoy and the gleaming silver hand of Peter Pettigrew.

"He wanted to walk his dog today, but alas, it died," Voldemort joked cruelly. "Now, as I was saying, I wanted to have a chat with you, Harry. This prophecy business has been blown totally out of proportion. 'Neither can live while the other survives' and such. Utter rot, I say! Why can't we both survive?"

"Didn't you try to kill me when I was a baby?" Harry asked scathingly. "Didn't you kill my parents to get to me? And NOW you're having second thoughts?"

"No," he relied simply. "Not so much second thoughts as revisions of my plans. You see, when I tried to kill you all those years ago-"

"You failed miserably?" Harry finished sarcastically, wincing as the wand dug deeper into his side.

"Now, now. Be nice Harry," Voldemort shot back reproachfully. "What I was trying to say was that, when I tried to kill you, I was working without complete information. An oversight on my part - I was too quick, too eager to fulfill a prophecy that I didn't fully know. And, as everyone knows, it backfired on me. Rather spectacularly, I might add. Though a small portion of me was proud that all of the effort I went through making myself nearly immortal paid off.

"But now, I know the prophecy. And now that I know it, I confess myself curious. You are said to have a power that I know not. But Lord Voldemort knows all about magic."

"Not all about it," Harry shot back. "Dumbledore knows more than you!"

"Dumbledore is a fool," Voldemort spat back. "A brilliant, powerful fool to be sure, but a fool nonetheless. But I certainly like to think I know more than a skinny little seventeen-year-old."

"I can't argue with that," Harry said reluctantly. Whatever this special power was, he still had no idea what it was or how to tap into it.

"And so, here today, I confess my one great weakness to you, Potter. Curiosity. Curiosity, Harry! I'm curious as to what this mysterious power of your could be! And so, I come to you today with a very simple offer." He turned his intense gray eyes on Harry's. "Join me, Harry Potter."

Harry blinked. "Join you?" he asked incredously. "Are you daft? Can we go back to the part where you KILLED MY PARENTS? You and your Death Eaters have killed hundreds of people! Tortured thousands more! It's because of you that Sirius is dead!"

Voldemort stared back impassively. "No Harry, YOU are the reason Sirius Black is dead. Worthless blood traitor that he was, he might still be alive if you hadn't been so impetuous, so reckless. If you didn't have a – how did Miss Granger put it? A 'saving people thing'? There are many deaths that you can lay at my feet, Harry Potter, but that one belongs to you."

"And there will be more. Yes, many more, if you refuse me. But if you take this deal, Harry, I will guarantee the safety of your friends and would-be family. Your station would be above all other of my servants! Say yes and who knows - perhaps we can take control of our world without further bloodshed! Just say yes, Harry, and you will be the hero that everyone expects you to huck!"

Voldemort was cut off by the blade suddenly pressing into the side of his neck, just under his jaw. He turned his head slightly; he and Harry stared in shock As Miriam stood there, a cocky expression on her face and her sword pressed on Voldemort's neck.

"Personally," Miriam started casually, "I've never had much use for heroes."

---

"So, what are you doing for Christmas break?"

Luna and Neville were walking sedately down High Street, hand-in-hand, barely glancing at their surroundings as they went. Instead they both continued to look at each other. "I thought perhaps you could come to my house…"

"I'd love to, but father and I are going on a trip to Sweden," Luna said sadly. "He has a lead on a nest of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. I'd invite you but," she sighed, "you really don't want to come."

"I'd love to come, as long as you were there."

Luna smiled. "That's sweet, Neville. But this is going to be a bit of father-daughter time, I'm afraid. But we can still do things together until then, though, sadly, our day is about to be cut a bit short."

"Why do you say that?" Neville asked, confused.

"Because of the Death Eaters in town."

Neville stopped suddenly and turned to his girlfriend. "What?"

"Oh, yes!" Luna exclaimed quite calmly. "They're all over town." She started ticking people off on her fingers. "Lucius Malfoy and Peter Pettigrew will be in the Three Broomsticks with some others, Antonin Dolohov will be heading into Honeydukes and I believe Bellatrix Lestrange was sulking about somewhere as well."

Neville paled. That was the who's who of the Death Eater crop and despite his nearly overwhelming desire to face Bellatrix, after what had happened last year, he doubted he would be able to beat her in combat. Especially if he had to defend the younger students…

"Don't worry, Neville," Luna said calmly, placing a hand on his clenched fist, "I'm sure we'll be fine. It's Harry I'm worried about, actually. His odds don't seem too good at the moment."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because Voldemort is sitting right next to him, of course!" Any remaining blood drained from his face as looked around frantically for his friend. Soon he spotted him, sitting next to a handsome young man who had one hand under his robes.

"THAT'S Voldemort?" he asked in disbelief. Luna chuckled fondly.

"It's a glamour, silly. He couldn't walk around town and not cause a fuss if he wasn't disguised, now could he? Oh! Harry's odds are improving."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because Miriam's arrived and she's not to pleased with her father."

Neville looked back, but still only saw Harry and Voldemort alone. "What…" he trailed off as Miriam shimmered into view and extended her sword. Neville looked at Luna in disbelief. "No…"

"Well, at least I'm not crazy, like Professor Trelawney," she replied matter-of-factly. "Now, shall we prepare to defend the town?"

---

"Hey, pops. Mind if I borrow the car tonight? Promise I'll fill the tank up…"

Voldemort scowled, flinching as the blade cut in a little deeper. "What nonsense are you blathering about, girl?"

Miriam sighed and looked at Harry. "See, this is why I don't like Purebloods. They just don't get that Muggle humor."

"I don't know if you are aware, but you won't be able to kill me," Voldemort said plainly. "It's not prophesized."

"Doesn't mean I couldn't slit your throat and let Harry finish the job," Miriam sighed. "Loopholes. Look into them!"

Harry!

Harry started slightly as Miriam's voice sounded in his head. He glanced up at her to see her still bantering with Voldemort. Hesitantly, he thought What?

Listen, while I'm distracting him, get your wand!

But I couldn't get a clear shot…

"Shoot the ground. Explosive hex, right at your feet. It'll hurt like a bitch, but it should separate you two long enough for you to get a bead on him. Besides, worst case scenario - you both die together.

Harry glared. I don't want to die.

And I don't want you to die. But brace yourself, just in case.

Slowly Harry managed to withdraw his wand. He held it loosely in his left hand, despairing in the fact that he couldn't get a proper aim on his enemy. Steeling his nerves, he pointed the wand down at the ground, roughly at the spot between the two. With a last thought of Hermione and Ron, and a fleeting glimpse in his mind of Ginny, Harry shouted "BOMBARDA!"

And the ground exploded.

---

Ron and Hermione looked around in confusion at the sound of the massive explosion coming from outside.

"What the de-" Hermione started, but squealed in surprise as Ron's foot suddenly lashed out and kicked her chair back several feet from the table. She was about to yell at him when she heard the shout of "AVADA KEDAVRA" and saw the green light of the killing curse fly right through where she had been moments before. The bar erupted into panic as suddenly nearly a dozen Death Eaters either apparated in or quickly revealed their masks from under their hoods and began throwing curses around. Hermione quickly scrambled out of her chair and ducked behind a fallen table for cover and briefly glimpsed Professor Kirk tackling one Death Eater through the front window, even as Wesley drew a pistol and his wand and dived behind the bar for cover to fire back.

Then she saw Ron.

After he had kicked her chair back he had exploded into action. His own chair had been forced into a Death eater standing close behind him and the impact knocked him off balance. Ron quickly threw an elbow into the man's jaw and then spun around off his chair and beside the man where he landed a devastating blow to the back of his head. As the man fell, he grabbed his chair and tossed it as hard as he could, taking out another Death Eater he immediately recognized as Peter Pettigrew, reaching down onto the table and grasped a dinner knife. In one motion he let it fly and didn't even watch it sink into one Death Eater's throat as he slid across the table feet first into yet another dark wizard, knocking the breath out of his as the both tumbled to the ground. Ron leapt on the man's back, wrapped his hands around his head and twisted violently, breaking his neck. Breathing heavily he let the body drop to the floor and climbed unsteadily to his feet eyes seemed to clear as he took a fearful look around.

"Wha…what's going on?" he asked as Hermione gingerly made her way towards him. Wesley came around the bar, putting one into the Death Eater Ron had thrown the knife into. "We're under attack. Nice to see you paid attention in Buffy's class, though I didn't think she'd covered such…advanced…topics yet."

"Maybe Ron is just a natural?" Hermione suggested, doing her best to avoid looking at the man Ron had killed.

"Yeah, I'm just full of surprises," he said darkly, staring at the body at his feet. Did I do that? He thought. He had no memory of the last few moments, just a blank spot…

A tug on his hand brought him out of his reverie. "Ron! Come on, we need to get Dumbledore! We need to find Harry!"

"Yeah, right…" Ron replied, thoroughly distracted as Hermione pulled him out of the new-wrecked tavern, leaving a mourning Lorne and contemplative Wesley behind.

---

Kirk's eyes had narrowed as two people entered the bar, both with hoods pulled up tightly over their heads. He looked them over casually and immediately noticed two things. One of them had either a silver glove or a silver hand.

The other had long, platinum blond hair.

The moment curses starting flying, Kirk didn't think. He took a flying leap at the blond, knocking aside mister silver hand and driving Lucius through the window and out onto the street. They landed hard and Kirk rolled with the momentum, pulling his wand out of its cane holder and bringing it to bear on his enemy. Lucius, to his credit, managed to roll out of the line of fire first and draw his wand, landing a cutting curse on Kirk's shoulder. The former cop grunted with pain, then fired off several curses in quick succession. Lucius managed to block most of them, but was clipped by a small cutting hex himself. Distracted by the pain, Lucius could do nothing as Kirk threw down his wand and charged, barreling into the Death Eater and slamming him back against the side of the building. Kirk slammed the hated man in three quick successions and then slugged him in the face - a mistake, as the metallic skeletal mask took all of the damage. Kirk reapplied his efforts and slugged him in the gut twice, before landing an uppercut under the mask and sending him sprawling.

"Lucius Malfoy," Kirk intoned, stalking towards the man as he crawled rapidly backwards. "Your angel of death awaits."

---

Dawn and Draco were having a perfectly pleasant time until the street exploded. Draco quickly forced Dawn to the ground behind a stack of crates, throwing his body over hers to protect her. After a moment Dawn pushed Draco off of her and was about to comment on his very Gryffindor heroics when she caught a sight of two of her worst nightmares.

Death Eaters, lots of them.

And staggering to his feet in the middle of the street, his fine robs torn and glamour fading, was Lord Voldemort, his red eyes blazing in anger.

"No…..nonononononononono…." Dawn muttered to herself, instinctively drawing into herself even as she pulled her knees to her chest and tightened into a ball to hide. Draco looked at the girl helplessly, then around to the Death Eaters that were swarming the street. He thought of turning her over to save his own neck, but that thought was gone as quickly as it arrived. With grim determination, he pulled his wand and took position over Dawn, ready to defend her if necessary.

All around the square, Death Eaters were firing into buildings and at frightened people, sending them scattering. Adults ran or cowered in fear behind doors, buildings, anything that could hide them.

The kids were another matter.

One by one, the former members of the original Dumbledore's Army took the fight back to the Death Eaters, launching everything the learned at the terrorists. Stunners, redactor curses, even a few Patronus' leapt at the Death Eaters, knocking them back, distracting them, occasionally even injuring them. Neville managed to stun one, while Luna got the Levicorpus curse on another, dangling him high over the street before canceling the spell. The Death Eater crashed to the ground head first and was knocked unconscious.

Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan kept a pair of Death Eaters pinned with well-placed stunners; Terry Boot pulled an injured Susan Bones out of the street, tossing an Impediment curse and sending another Death Eater Flying back through Zonko's front window. Cho Chang let her Patronus loose, scattering several Death Eaters and knocking a few to the street.

Neville ran past an alley, stopping as he saw Bellatrix land the Cruciatus curse on Kirk. Ignoring the blonde death eater on the ground, Neville let loose with a powerful redactor curse - into the side of the building next to his most hated enemy. The wall exploded, sending shrapnel flying into Bellatrix's face and body. With a screech she apparated out.

"You okay?" he called to his teacher.

"I'll live," Kirk replied, groaning as he staggered to his feet. "Get the younger kids back to the school, Longbottom. MOVE!"

Ron and Hermione ran down the street, firing curses as they ran and taking down more than a couple of Death Eaters, until a lucky shot at their feet blasted them apart. Ron fell through a stack of crates, while Hermione landed awkwardly in the middle of the street. She cried out in pain as she felt her ankle snap, but tried to ignore it as she crawled towards Ron's fallen form.

"Kill the mudblood!" a voice shouted, and Hermione frantically increased her pace, trying separately to make it to cover…

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Accio Granger!"

The two spell lit off simultaneously, and Hermione swathe sickly green curse impact the ground where she had been moments before as she slid into the arms of the last person she would have expected to save her.

"Malfoy?"

Draco dropped her and immediately thrust his wand towards the Death Eater. "Sectumsempra!" The dark curse ripped open a gash on the man's chest, sending him bleeding and convulsing to the ground. Draco looked to Hermione with grim determination in his eyes. "Never mention this to anyone."

"Explusa!"

Draco whirled as a previously unseen Death Eater was dispatched, rather gruesomely, by Dawn's exploding organ curse. Draco looked at the girl with shock and not a little bit of awe.

"I'm getting tired," Dawn ground out as she forced herself to rise, "of these mother-fraking snakes in this mother-frakking town!"

---

Harry came to groggily, forcing his aching body up. Everything was blurred and it took a moment for Harry to realize his glasses had been knocked off. Quickly he scrambled for them, and cursed the fact that he hadn't thought to wear his contacts today. As he put the on, he looked around in shock.

All around him, people were fighting. Death Eaters were falling under the sheer masses of the Hogwarts kids. And in front of him, Voldemort stood, a wand in one hand, a conjured sword in the other, blocking Miriam's vicious attacks with frightening ease.

"Is that all you have?"Voldemort mocked. "I'd expect a daughter of mine to do better!"

"I'd tell you to blow me, but I know how you pureblood supremacist types feel about inbreeding," Miriam shot back, swinging her sword even as she let loose another curse. "You might take me literally!"

"You're a fool!" Voldemort snarled, blocking her blow and shielding himself form her cure with a lazy wave of his wand. The curse rebounded, forcing the girl to roll out of the way.

"Stupefy!" Harry cried, firing a stunner at Voldemort's back. He didn't even turn around, just waved his wand and a cart flew between them, taking the curse. "Not now, Harry. Can't you see I'm disciplining my daughter?"

"Why don't you just do what my mother did and DIE!" she fired off a blasting hex as she swung her sword; Voldemort parried the sword and rebounded the curse right back at Miriam, sending her flying back. In the same instant he whirled around and faced Harry.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

Once more, as it had happened two years ago in the grave yards, their wands connected. A bright golden cage erupted around the two, surrounding them in pure magic. Voldemort snarled and pushed with all of his might, forcing the connection back towards Harry's wand, even as Harry tried the same. They were so engrossed in their battle, they didn't notice the people - Death Eaters and regular folks alike, stopping what they were do to witness the spectacle. Nor did they notice Miriam, who pushed herself up enough to fire one more blasting hex. It exploded against the cage, overloading the magic and forcing both warriors to the ground. Harry's curse rebounded against him then, sending his wand sailing far away from him, past Voldemort. The Dark Lord, however, was in no position to take advantage of his opponent's situation as he was knocked to his back, his wand rolling out of his stunned hand. With a great gasp he drew air into his lungs and glanced over at Harry, who was struggling to his feet. With a snarl he rolled over and lunged for his wand, which was just out of reach…

Harry saw what he was doing and did the only thing he could think of. Filling his mind with images of Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the rest of his friends and surrogate family, he charged towards his fallen foe. Just as Voldemort grasped his wand Harry leapt, landing a kick in Voldemort's mouth and sending him sprawling once more. The impact threw him off balance, though and he stumbled upon landing, before finally falling to the ground and rolling to his wand. Without thinking he grasped it as he rolled and came up on one knee, aiming towards Voldemort, who had just risen and was aiming towards him…

With a great sound and burst of energy, Harry's wand fired. The curse, or whatever it was, sent the Dark Lord flying back through the partially closed doors of Zonko's that had thankfully been abandoned during the fighting.

There was a moment of pure silence, before a voice cried out "Morsmordre!" The Dark Mark flared to life over the town as the Death Eaters all apparated away.

Miriam dragged herself to her feet and stared at the demolished store in disbelief. "Mother puss-bucket…" she muttered as she limped towards Harry. "Hey, Rambo!" she called to him, "You okay?"

"Is he dead?" Harry asked quietly. Suddenly the air reverberated with the sounds of dozens of people apparating in. The Aurors had finally arrived.

"What's going on? What's happened here?" Dawlish asked, looking around at the devastation in confusion. Miriam stared back at the man blankly.

"We're having a block party," she deadpanned. "You guys bring the keg?"

"Nice of you guys to show up!" Kirk exclaimed as he limped up the street. He glanced at the remains of Zonko's and stopped cold. "Well, well. Someone had fun. You okay, Harry?"

"No. Are you?"

Kirk shook his head. "No. Miriam?"

"I'm fine," she said as she slid to the ground, her back against Honeydukes.

More sounds of apparition were heard and everyone turned towards the road to Hogwarts as a dozen teachers, led by a furious-looking Dumbledore and Buffy headed towards the growing crowd. Buffy immediately spied Draco next to a stunned-looking Dawn and snarled. She ran up and, grabbing him by the neck, lifted him one-handed and slammed him against the side of a building.

"What the hell did you do, you son of a-"

"Buffy! STOP!" Dawn had snapped out of her lethargy and pried Draco away from his sister. "He saved our lives! He's on our side!"

"It's true, he saved my life as well," Hermione put in.

Buffy looked back and forth between the two girls, sighing. "I'm sorry," she said at length in a tired voice. "Thank you for protecting her."

Draco straightened his robes and pushed his hair back. "It was my pleasure. But now I think we should get both of them to the infirmary."

"I'll get Hermione," Ron said, coming over. He hesitated a moment, then thrust out his had at Draco. The Slytherin stared at it for a moment, before clasping it and giving him a brief shake, though both dropped their hand rather quickly.

"Thanks," Ron said, sincerity in his voice.

"Don't mention it. EVER," Draco reiterated, as they both helped their women towards the school.

Buffy watched them go, before turning back towards the gaggle of teachers. "Any casualties?"

"Death Eaters, yes," Dumbledore replied, "students, no. Only mild injuries, thankfully. And I do believe our Mr. Potter has exhausted himself in his duel with Lord Voldemort."

There was a hushed silence among the Aurors and teachers before Kirk Finally spoke. "Is he dead?"

"I'm not sure. He was blown into Zonko's…" Kirk nodded and lit the tip of his wand, then pulled out his service pistol. He looked over to the Aurors and grinned. "Any of you pussies want to back me up?" Without looking back, Kirk reversed the grip on his wand and crossed his wand hand under his gun arm, walking slowly through the door.

He topped inside the door to clear the immediate area and whistled softly to himself. The place was a wreck, more than likely a total loss. The floor seemed to sag under his feet, even as the roof swayed above him. He played the light over the charred, wrecked room.

"Was anybody in here?" a deep, melodious voice asked as Kingsley Shacklebolt joined him.

"No, everyone skedaddled during the fight. Looks like everyone else skedaddled after the fight, too. Look," he shone the wand light onto a spot in the far corner. A dark pool was slowly spreading across the ruined floor. "I doubt the bastard's dead, but he sure won't be attacking anyone for a while."

Dumbledore had, thankfully, kept the Aurors away for the time being, with promises of a full statement after he had been checked out by Madame Pomfrey. He moved past Miriam, who was kneeling in the street and moved to his best friends. He looked Ron over with a critical eye.

"You don't look so good," he noted.

"You should see the other guy," Ron replied dryly. "You don't look so hot yourself."

"Yeah, but I feel good."

"Riddle's gone," Kirk announced, holstering his side arm as he extinguished the light from his wand. "But we got a big pool of blood."

"So he's not dead?" Harry asked with a sigh.

Kirk grinned wryly. "No, but at this point, I'd peg him as 'mostly dead'."

"Hey, Harry," Miriam walked over to the boy and held out her hand. Curiously, he held his out as well, and she deposited her prize into his hand - several teeth. "You didn't get him all the way, but at least you took a piece of him." A look of stunned disbelief played across everyone's face, including Harry's, as he lifted the teeth for inspection.

It was a look that would be memorialized in the Daily Prophet the next day.

TBC...