The black sun rises: Bleak dawn

Chapter: 21:
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The resounding clash of steel against steel rang throughout the tower as the two opponents separated. Both seemed thoroughly exhausted but neither had given or gained any ground.

The pair began to circle each other, waiting for the other to drop their guard.

“Tired, Guardian?”

“Like hell, Justice!”

The robed figure leapt forward again, bringing the sword he had revealed earlier in the battle over his head in a downward arc, Hermione swung her mace in a parry, the two auras around the weapons clashing in the constant battle between light and dark, yin and yang, good and evil, black and white.

The Guardian swung his staff and in a lucky flash managed to sweep Hermione off her feet, Her armour encrusted body smashing hard against the stone floor.

The robed figure chuckled as she slowly got to her feet before knocking her bac own again with a well placed jab.

“This…” he spat the word with venom “This is one of the ancient order that so easily slays my people” he slowly circled around her body his staff pointed constantly at her throat “I will take pleasure in killing you, dark one!”

A sudden pain in his leg caught him off guard, and as he stumbled back he saw a huge chunk had been ripped out of his leg by the girls mace. Cursing he readied himself for the confrontation.

And it came with a vengeance, he had no choice other than to attempt to parry the swift but deadly blows that followed, however his age seemed to be catching up with him and with every blow he blocked his strength seemed to fade even more. After one powerful blow managed to knock him to the ground he had known he had lost

“Enough!” he cried but it was too late as he watched the screaming black weapon flying towards his temple…

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“Captain Jericho” a gruff voice said “We will be in sight of the castle in the next few minutes.

Karl sighed before nodding to the man.
“Tell the men to ready their arms, we have no idea what’s attacking this place but whatever it s it can’t be good.”

The other man nodded before walking away towards the column of men that marched silently behind him. Karl sighed before carrying on up the hill. A few minutes later they had nearly reached the crest when Karl held out his hand as the signal to halt.

The man who had spoken to him before quickly approached him.

“What is It sir?”

Karl motioned for the man to be quiet before signalling two other men towards him.
When the two men drew level Karl finally spoke.

“Parkinson, you take you section round the right and through the woods, Johnson, you tell Shacklebolt and his lot to follow you and your men round the left, Lieutenant Maethor you’re with me.” The two other men nodded before returning to the rest of the unit. However Maethor remained by his side.

“Not meaning any disrespect sir, but why don’t you order Shacklebolt’s lot to come with us, I mean we don’t know for sure but my guess is that the enemy, whatever they may be, would have sent the bulk of his forces towards the main gate.”

Karl looked back towards his subordinate

“Maethor”

“Yes sir?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes sir! With my life!”

“Then trust my judgement.”

“Yes sir.”

The final was said with a bit of annoyance. For Karl knew Maethor hated it when his advise was dismissed but Karl had already planned his strategy back at the ministry using the old maps they had. Karl just hoped it would work.

Karl slowly approached the crest of the hill and finally the castle came into view. However Karl was puzzled by the fact their seemed to be no enemies in sight. Karl sighed before slowly creeping towards the rickety old house on the hilltop. Maybe he would find a better vantage point there.

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Harry looked at the remaining warrior before him. The battle had been going on for the last few minutes and he had already killed two of the three warriors. Now the last one lay against a pillar, his right arm now a bloody stump cradled with his left.

Harry sent forth another blast of black lightening. The man’s screams echoing through out the room. A sadistic grin crept across Harry’s face as he threw another blast at the man. The man tried to get to his feet but Harry pinned him there with an invisible force. He was growing tired of this so he stepped forward, drawing from beneath his robes a long sharp dagger. The man tried to lean away but he couldn’t get far enough to stop the blade piercing his pulsing jugular.

The man’s screams echoed through out the room as the man’s lifeblood was sucked away. And the more it drank, the more the dagger pulsed an eerie red light.

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Ron looked over the students gathered now in what remained of the great hall. As with the Gryfindors Ron had ordered the 1st through forth years out of the castle as well as the injured and the dead. On the way to the great hall they had met up with some of the Hogwarts elves and professors who had been fighting off several of the beasts. Now the group of around 60 students, teachers and house elves huddled together inside the great hall. Around them they could hear the low growling of the beasts that stalked through the halls.

Ron turned and saw the hallow face of their potions professor and deputy head. He had been found lone and unhurt in the dungeons and Ron was suspicious of why the beasts had left him alone. However they had more important things to think about. Suddenly the doors flew open, their magical defences breached. Through the dust Ron could see a large group of black figures. As they came closer Ron saw the gleaming swords in their hands and the sharp looking spikes that covered their armour. Suddenly a door to the side of the hall burst open and another group of figures entered, however these Ron recognized as the suits of armour that littered the Hogwarts corridors.

Many of the enchanted suits of armour were mission parts, be it an arm, a leg o a visor, however they still strode of, raising their weapons in defiance f the black armoured warriors. Ron had no time to contemplate the situation as a skittering of claws and that eerie chittering sound brought his attention to the horde of beast charging towards him.

Raising his sword and bellowing an oath, Ron leapt into the fray.

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Karl looked around the dimly lit room in astonishment. Gathered in this room was a group of children, many of them sporting several fearsome wounds, one child lay crying softly, her leg utterly pulverised. In the centre of the group were two bloodstained females. They looked no older than sixteen and both were holding their wands pointing towards him.

“What? Come to kill the rest of us!” one of the girls screeched, the wand in her hand shaking

Karl raised his hands in a gesture of peace
“I am from the ministry of magic, we are here to help!”

“We who’s we?” the other girl asked.

Karl then realised that the rest of his soldiers were still behind the hill.

“My men are behind the hill”

“You’re an Auror?”

Karl paused.

“No im not an Auror but I am one of the more elite soldiers, we detected the alarms about half an hour ago and we were immediately dispatched to aid in the defence of the school.”

Fire burned in the girl’s eyes

“Half an HOUR!!” she screamed “If you had came HALF AN HOUR ago all these children wouldn’t have been hurt!”

Karl sighed

“We couldn’t just apparate here! There are wards!” But this only served to anger the pair even more, by now some of the younger children were crying and Karl knew that he had to act soon.

Turning from the girls he yelled down to his men

“MEN GET UP HERE NOW! We have casualties on our hands!”

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The order of the phoenix headquarters was in pandemonium. About half an hour ago the alarms inside Grimmauld place began to ring signalling an attack. Remus Lupin cursed as another of the beast leapt forward. The battle had been raging ever since the alarms had rang and so far they had received no assistance from the absent members. Luckily Arthur Weasley as well as himself and Alastor Moody had been there at the time and they were doing quite well. However Remus knew that they would not be able to hold out much longer, the beasts would soon overwhelm them, the just hoped they would be able to take down as many as possible. As the beats leapt forward, Remus opened his mouth to curse the creature however the werewolf was too slow and with a cry his neck was ripped open.

As life left the dying werewolf, Remus could only think one thing.

“I’ve failed him!”

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A/n: SORRY! I know your going to hate me for killing him but…
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Harry watched as the dead mans body slide down the pillar. Slowly he turned away from the scene and looked into the corner where Ginny sat.

“You can come out now.”

He watched as she slowly walked towards him he eyes glanced around the room, taking in all of it before her eyes went up and met his

“Harry?” she whispered

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Ron looked around the devastation wrought by the beasts and the black armoured warriors. Many students had been injured in the last wave but luckily few had been killed. Slowly Ron searched to see if there was anymore beast, seeing none, a small smile touched his face before a resounding cry leapt from his lips

“VICTORY!”

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