The Battle For Hogwarts

A Declaration Of Reclamation

Chapter 9: A Declaration Of Reclamation

Voldemort dips down into the clouds and you follow after.

"Hey Harry!" you shout over the thunder, trying to strike a conversation.

"What?" he shouts back.

"What's it like being the youngest seeker?"

"It's the best! I was a natural! Look out!"

You dodge a spell from Voldemort and he dips below the clouds. Following him, you and Harry get more drenched in rain than you were before. Newt's probably wet as well, but him and Grindelwald are nowhere to be found.

"Where do you think we'll be going, Harry?"

"Back to the school, perhaps?"

"Do you think Newt is already there?"

"I think Voldemort's trying to look for Grindelwald. He probably knows where he is and he's following their trail."

"I remember who he is, Harry. Grindelwald..."

"Who is he? What did he do?"

"He's... I'd rather not talk about it. Besides, it's a blur and I can barely remember."

"At least you remember."

"Harry! Watch out!"

He blocks the spell.

"Voldemort must be really pissed."

"Stupefy!" you try to attack him.

He blocks it and continues on, entering a tunnel.

"Watch the cars, ok? We don't want any muggles knowing about the wizarding world."

"Hey Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"What are mudbloods? And what's their difference with half-bloods?"

"Oh, that's a randomly sensitive topic. How about you ask Hermione about that?"

"Wait, wouldn't she be offended by the question?"

"Why so?"

"Well, she's a mudb-"

You split as a bus passes by.

"Ok, I get what you mean now. How'd you know that? " Harry replies.

"I heard Draco calling her that. So... What is a mudblood?"

"A mudblood is when you're muggle-born but you can use magic."

"Hermione is muggle-born?"

"Yes. Don't ever call her a mudblood."

"And here you just told me to ask her about it."

"She's a walking dictionary, ok? Plus, I meant it as a joke."

"Avada Kedavra!"

You block the spell as the three of you exit the tunnel and, surprisingly, Newt and Grindelwald appear beside you.

"Stupefy!"

"Confringo!"

Grindelwald blocks one and dodges the other, catching up beside Voldemort.

"Any luck, Newt?"

"If only I had a vial of Felix Felicis then yes, I would have had luck."

"Oh, liquid luck is the best! I tricked Ron with it once. Acted like I put it in his drink. Never did. He felt great the whole day. Told him nothing was in the drink."

"Ron must be prone to placebos. And pranks."

"Alarte Ascendare!"

Grindelwald's spell hits your broom and immediately you fly up into the storm brewing above, leaving Harry and Newt. You turn the broom downwards and it takes a hard turn back down, almost throwing you off the broom.

"Arresto Momentum!"

"You ok?"

"Yeh. I know a spell to get them."

"What is it?"

"You guys know seize and pull?"

Harry looks at Newt and hey nod their heads.

"Carpe Retractum!" you shout in unison.

Bright red ropes emit from the tip of your wands and follow after Voldemort and Grindelwald. The ropes seem to be unable to catch up so Newt stops casting and uses a different spell.

"Immobulus!"

The duo get out of the blast zones and instead, the spell freezes the ropes which stop in place and you are now hurling towards it. You and Harry stop casting and they disappear just as it reaches your face. Close call.

"Imperio!"

"Finite Incantatum!"

"Impedimenta!"

"Inscendio!"

"Bombarda Maxima!"

Spells hit trees and lightpoles causing damage everywhere. What will the muggles think about this? You worry about it but you make sure to focus and keep on their tails.

"Harry! Newt! We're damaging muggle property!"

"Let's lead Voldemort and Grindelwald out of here!" Newt says.

"Voldemort!" Harry shouts.

The Dark Lord turns around.

"You want me? Come get me!"

Your trio swerves and Voldemort follows, beckoning Grindelwald to follow behind. Now that they're behind, they relentlessly send furious flurries of attacks on you. The spells miss and break lots of structures as you head back on your way to the school.

"We need a flatter area to minimize the damage! A plain maybe?"

"The train tracks! Follow platform nine and three-quarters' train tracks! It's just forest and plains there!"

"Sounds all good!"

"Kings Cross Station?"

*SNAP*

A thunderbolt strikes a tree beside you as the three of you head for Kings Cross Station.

"What's faster, apparition or broom travel?"

"Apparition is faster, child!" a voice says beside you.

"Impedimenta!"

Voldemort dodges the spell and uses a counter. You swerve out of the way of the Killing Spell and you arrive at Kings Cross after a few moments.

"We're reclaiming Hogwarts, Potter!"

"Never!"

You head straight into the wall and you pass through the other side and continue on the tracks.

"The Dark Lord demands ownership of the school! Nobody will or can deny!" Grindelwald says.

You see Hogwarts in the distance.

Just a few more miles. We'll be there soon enough. You think.

"Albus and everything he owns will be mine!"

"Enough, Voldemort! Expelliarmus!"

"Newt! Any beasts you have up your sleeves?"

"Do you still have the token?"

"The opaleye? The coin's gone!"

To be continued