When two worlds collide.

Giants, Knights and Death Eaters.

McGonagall studies the trembling shield above.

Tonks reaches for Lupin's hand, but is unable to bridge the few inches that separate their fingers. Stricken, Fred and George and Dean stare at the night sky.

Flitwick turns, stares up at the castle, standing dark as ink against the sky.

And then Voldemort's arm drops and Flitwick's shield shatters.

. . .

Alex staggers against the wall as the pain loosens its grip; the scarlet in her eyes ebbs as the flames flickering in the sconces gutter. The scarlet fire blazing in Voldemort's eyes recedes.

. . .

The cup tumbles into the water, sizzling as it makes contact, sending a wraith of water spewing forth, tortured and writhing. It hangs, suspended tremulously in the air, horrifying... then explodes, raining over Harry, Ron and Hermione. They stand, utterly still, as the water runs off their bodies and pools at their feet. For a moment, they stay like this, unmoving, as if amazed to have survived, then their eyes shift, find each other. They do not blink, the moment fraught. Then Hermione, almost imperceptibly, nods. Finally, Ron and Hermione, closing the space between them, and kiss.

"Lovely.." Harry clears his throat.

. . .

Sizzling plumes strafe the night sky, raining down on the knights arrayed along the bridge and onto the castle itself.

The plumes ricochet madly, shattering the tracery as the Knights struggle to defend the castle. McGonagall looks up: more plumes light up the sky, begin to plummet.

"Everybody! Fall! Fall inside!" She exclaims.

Windows shatter, pierced by plumes, which materialise into death eaters. Instantly, students and staff engage the dark wizards, standing shoulder to shoulder as they defend the school against the onslaught. Fred and George fall in on either side of Arthur, wands blazing, while Lupin, Tonks and Shacklebolt battle only yards away, the fighting swift and lethal.

. . .

Neville's eyes rake the fiery nightscape before him, then shift to the more immediate vicinity. He goes still. Scabior. The Snatchers. Are rising. Moving forward. Towards, him.

"Not good.." Neville starts to back up slowly, then turns heel and pelts back up the bridge. Plumes rain down from the sky. Enemy spells skitter at Neville's feet. He looks back, sees Scabior and the others closing like a herd of wildebeests.

"Ready!?" Ginny yells.

"Are you bloody joking?!" Neville gasps.

She lifts her wand, ready to detonate the spells, when Seamus pops up beside her, a rather maniacal gleam in his eye.

"Oh God." Neville mutters to himself.

Neville sets off the charges. Instantly, one bridge section after another explodes, rolling up like a carpet. Snatchers fall from sight, plummeting into the darkness. Neville looks over his shoulder, sees Scabior closing on him, then looks back towards Ginny, who stands frozen, wand raised, never fired, looking at Seamus, his face blooming with fanatical ecstasy as he watches the charges detonate. As Seamus howls with pleasure, Neville,wheezes painfully at this point, be glances back and sees that Scabior has closed the distance, is coming fast when...Scabior is catapulted into the air. Neville looks momentarily relieved, then realizes, to his evident dismay, that the bridge is falling away with increasing speed. Alarmed, Ginny looks to Seamus.

"He's good.." Seamus reassures.

The remainders begin to discharge, tripping off like firecrackers, one section after another vanishing...including the section under Neville's feet... And he is gone. Ginny gasps, hands to her face.