The Dark Gryffindor

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Thanks so much for reviewing, AlabasterPrincess. I liked the Romeo and Juliet reference. Sounds like you understand what this story is really about.


Chapter Fifty-one: Dark Duels


Death Eaters were swarming everywhere, and advancing. Collusion between the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix was certain to occur. Valerie took up the rear of Voldemort's troops, flying over the heads of Giants. About six giants were hot on the Death Eaters’ heels, their enormous feet pounding the ground. The rest of the Giants were congregated in other areas. Cracking splinters rent the air, as Giants upended trees. They tore up the balustrades of the school’s gates and even chipped Hogwart’s roofs, trying to make an incision to get in. In some strange way it created a grand effect of a massive scale.

Valerie was scared to let her feet hit the ground. She’d rather stay above, flying in the dark, starry sky. But then again she felt compelled to fight.

She landed easily, amongst the three men commanding the grounds. Yet they were on the brink of losing the battle.

Kingsley Shacklebolt was on one end, treading backwards, almost tripping on his purple robes. Although a top-notch Auror, he could not compete against the onslaught of at least one hundred approaching Death Eaters.

Remus Lupin was closer to the courtyards, his eyes blazed with both fury and terror. And Arthur Weasley was on the other side, but Valerie did not see either of them, for she was with Kingsley.

Kingsley was infuriated at Hogwart’s imminent defeat. They were on the brink of losing the battle. He shouted to students, Order members, and the like, “Retreat! Retreat! Inside….Go!”

They ran for their lives, scrambling up the marble steps. But Valerie stayed with Kingsley.

There was a sudden melee of small explosions. In the grips of enchantments the whole castle shook. The atmosphere took on a sinister quality.

The Death Eaters’ spells were reaching them now, as a group of them came charging up the hills on the side embankment.

“Protego!” Valerie yelled, and she conjured herself a silvery shield. For now she would be on the defense, until she found a random Death Eater to pick a bone with.

Lupin came running over to Kingsley. “I found Thickness's people hiding in the courtyard…I killed a few. But they’re coming after me!”

Valerie watched a line of Ministry employees come running up in the night. They were disorderly and confused. Meanwhile, Death Eaters were filing past her from behind her. They went up the steps to enter the school. Their boots tramped loudly, resounding ominously. Miraculously, they did not see her. Valerie was eclipsed behind a gargoyle statue.

Kingsley, Arthur and Lupin sent curses flying towards the Ministry’s troops. Pathetically, many of them fell to the ground dead. They were like nothing more than toy soldiers.

Kingsley laughed, revealing a broad smile. “And THAT was almost too easy!”

They could see that the only man who escaped was the Imperiused Minister for Magic, Pius Thickness, protected by his bodyguard. He was far off in the distance where spells could not reach.

“Come on! The Death Eaters are in the castle,” screamed Kingsley. Instantly his fellow Order leaders followed.

Valerie was the unnoticed one who simpled tagged along.

A large black figure swooped down on her. Gloved hands enclosed her mouth to muffle Valerie’s cries. It was a Death Eater!

Her only possible protectors ran up the steps and disappeared into the school. Valerie was going to be murdered, and she stared up into her assailant’s hideous silver mask.

And then the mask fell away, to reveal Severus with his black hair framing his face, and the black eyes. “Severus! You’re here. Why?”

“The Dark Lord wanted me in the battle. Until he calls me back, I shall have to fight.”

Valerie and Severus clung to each for a moment. Snape picked Valerie up, twirling her, and snogged her with an almost mad passion. Then Snape grabbed her hand and they ran together into the school’s wide hallway.

Snape’s wand was of course in his other hand. He braced himself at seeing the cataclysmic scene inside. Meanwhile, some of the Giants were looking for a way in the building.

Awful screams and cries were coming down the hallway. Snatchers had students lined up, and were systematically stunning them. Immediately, afterwards they drew wands mechanically, remaining in tight formation.

The dozen stupefied students huddled almost defenseless, slumped against the wall.

“I don’t wanna die! I don’t wanna die!” beseeched a poor Hufflepuff girl, of eighteen.

All at once the Avada Kedavras shot from their wands and in one quick execution, they breathed no more.

Snape felt horrible that he could do nothing. Valerie was sickened by the cold dexterity with which they used Unforgiveables.

Several giant spiders having entered the premises currently distracted Death Eaters. Rubeus Hagrid had brought in the Acromantulas. They encased the Death Eaters using their eight long legs like crudely constructed cages. The Death Eaters were currently working furiously on freeing themselves. It gave the Order time to gain their bearings.

Snape watched Kingsley, Remus and Arthur come in and take command of the situation. “Fred – George,” said Arthur Weasley to his sons. “We’re commanding the front passages now. Understood?”

“Got it dad.” Said George resolutely. He gave his father a thumb’s-up. Valerie also noticed the twins’ friend, Lee Jordan nearby.

In a manner of seconds the three new commanders killed the Snatchers that murdered the students. But the Death Eaters were much too skilled and formidable to take on as a group.

And most of the Death Eaters had extricated themselves free of the hairy cages. Some of them ran screaming with wild, invidious excitement into the Great Hall. Others remained.

Valerie looked over her shoulder and saw one of the scariest images of all. Great, massive black-robed creatures glided into the castle. Hundreds of them.

The Dementors started to attack people’s souls. They had no qualms whether they were Death Eaters, students or Order members or whatever.

Valerie ran forward, her blue eyes shining fiercely. She thought of death being the beginning of an everlasting life. It was her own personal notion. It had always made her more content than any other thought. For it meant nothing was ever lost. “Expecto Patronum!” Valerie’s raven patronus flew to the rescue, it's great wings wrapping around the several being attacked. This salvaged them from the Kiss.

Snape wasn’t casting his patronus, although other Order members were. Yet it was proving impossible to fight them. Hundreds and hundreds of the creatures crowded the door, vying to get in.

Valerie watched Snape slip into the fold of Dementors. “Severus! Severus! No!” She felt she could die simply of panicky fear.

But this time she was not so foolish to run after him. She remembered suddenly that Snape could control the Dementors. The Dementors were dismissed thanks to Snape.

A little boy, lying on the ground distracted Valerie. He was like a child having a tantrum. He rolled on the hard flagstones like he was on fire.

Admidst the chaos, nobody had noticed the small boy curled in the corner. Valerie went to see if she could console him. She knelt in front of him, peering below, and tried to smile reassuringly.

Gradually the boy stopped spluttering indiscernible phrases between laborious sobs. Valerie was sorry he had not left the castle during the evacuation. “How old are you?”

“T-twelve,” he moaned, miserably.

“Why are you here if you’re only twelve?”

“I couldn’t find my older brother!” he wailed and he continued as if making a shocking confession, “I stole his razor. I need to make up with him. You see, we had a row. I only wanted to pretend to shave. I- need to find my brother. What if I never see him again?!”

“Well, lets see if we can find him. What were you doing screaming on the ground anyway?” said Valerie a bit indignantly.

“It wasn’t my fault….D-Death Eaters. One of them hurt me. A tall lady with dark hair. Real bad. It was like knives piercing my flesh.”

Valerie’s eyes widened in disgust at this tale. So he’d undoubtedly been tortured by means of the Cruciatus. She thought she had a hunch on which Death Eater this had been. There was only one female Death Eater to fit the description: the nefarious Bellatrix Lestrange.

The little boy screamed. Valerie sprung to action, spinning to see what it was, her wand held aloft.

Barely in the nick of time, she deflected the refracted light of a jinx. Next she tried, “Impedimenta.” But the Death Eater easily deflected her spell as well.

The little boy howled in terror and Valerie used maternal instinct. As if shielding him, she held his head against her bosom. Simultaneously she utilized her defensive skills, by streaming forth a great deal of anti-hexes, anti-jinxes, spells, etc.

The Death Eater went loping away to look for an easier target. Valerie kept the boy against her. Her blue-eyes stricken and horrified tears of denial welled-up. The floors were filling with more and more lifeless bodies. Worst of all, she did not see Snape. Her brow furrowed and she bit her lip. They were separated....and she was alone.

But suddenly she noticed a glimmer of companionship that would keep her from losing sanity. It was a nice, friendly edge of familiarity. “Ginny! Ginny!” Valerie waved wildly with her wand.

Ginny came barreling down the steps, two at a time. She saw the crying child and glanced at him piteously.

And the woman with bubble-gum pink hair was with her. Tonks saw what was going on at once. “Valerie…. It's alright. I’ll help him get to the quieter end. Come on, I’ll take you to the Room of Requirement.”

Tonks had a difficult time detaching the boy’s fingers from Valerie’s robes. Valerie was touched that the boy saw her as his protector.

Tonks barely succeeded in coaxing him up the main staircase, as he was nearly incapacitated. The little boy was also incoherent from being tortured. “Is my brother up there?”

“Yes!” lied Tonks enthusiastically. “We’ll take you to him.”

And the boy ran eagerly through the throes of battle with Tonks holding his arm tightly. She zigzagged around so that she could dodge the dangers.

“Val – Help us!”

Valerie saw Ginny was in a pickle. Three Death Eaters had ganged up on her and also on an elderly Witch with a vulture hat.

“Incarcerous!” Said Valerie. Caught by surprise the Death Eater fell back, temporarily sentient. Meanwhile Ginny and Mrs. Longbottom busied themselves on taking out the others.

Valerie hovered over the Death Eater she stupefied. She picked at his mask and removed it with her wand. Behind the mask was an almost sorrowful face. The Death Eater saw that Valerie had every intention of killing him.

"Did you kill Louisa Powers?"

"Wh-what?"

"Tell me! I want to know!"

The man shook his head unnerved. “I never even heard of her! Who is she? Please, have mercy. Don’t kill me….”

Valerie hesitated. She believed this wasn't the man who'd done it. She did not even know if her killer had been a Death Eater, only that he or she had been magic. The man suddenly looked human almost like he wasn’t on the bad side.

But the image of Louisa Powers dead on the ground burned in her head. She must avenge her mother’s untimely, defenseless death.

“Avada Kedavra,” she sneered, her blue eyes blazing with loathing. It was his mistake to join Voldemort and so, he did not deserve mercy for the many atrocities his organization had committed, of which he’d never wanted to stop and had chosen to join.

Within an instant the wizard was dead upon the floor. Tears came flooding down her nose and cheeks. But not for that man, but her mother. If only Valerie could know who’d killed her!

Valerie killed many more with the Avada Kedavra Curse. However, she didn’t tear her soul in the process. Awhile ago she would have but now she understood what it meant to have a heart, firmly on the good side, and because it was done with righteousness it would not tear. It was Snape who had taught her this about herself.


NOTE: This chapter, “Dark Duels” is not over. I figured I’d show this bit, but I don’t have time right now to finish it. At least I can swear to you that the story will be finished some time between now and August. I am very much looking forward to finishing, as I want to focus on other fanfics. But I cannot until this is done.

I also think it might be interesting to admit that I went over every detail and nuance of the Battle of Hogwarts in canon. For one thing, canon says Kingsley/Remus/Arthur really were commanding the grounds. Plus Fred/George did cover the front passages!