Halloween At Hogwarts!

Chapter 28 - The Final Battle!

Harry felt every muscle in his body stiffen as the manic laughter rang out across the hall, cutting through the shrill shrieks of frightened teenagers and frantic adults. cutting through the sound of loud bolts of thunder that sliced and crashed through the air. He could feel the contents of his stomach churn. This was it, there would be no going back now, and they'd have to do what needed to be done. There was no time for doubts and questions. There hadn't been a plan B and they couldn't afford death on their hands. If they failed, they would all die, they could not fail, not now, not at all. The sound of rumbling and thunder continued overhead. Harry whipped out his wand and looked around the room, trying to locate the sound of laughter. Bodies began to push him from side to side, making it harder to focus on anything as he was being jostled. Harry tried to push back and stay on his feet, he saw people falling, and being crushed under the soles of people's shoes, as people tried to escape.

"Hey everyone stop, you're hurting each other! It's what he wants, someone will die! Stop!" He cried out, but his voice would not carry through the din. Harry almost fell back when suddenly a loud voice called out, making everything still.

"HALLOWEEN, STOP THIS INSTANT! YOU ARE SURROUNDED, SURRENDER NOW!!" McGonagall's voice called out loud and clear. Shouts and screams cut short abruptly, as everyone waited with baited breath. The only sound penetrating the silence was the spirit's laughter and the rumbling and crashing of the thunder.

"Aaahhh yes, surrounded indeed. You stand corrected Professor, indeed I am surrounded, by frightened little children. Half of which are fallen. Do you think they can stop me? Look how they run in terror. See how they hurt Professor. I did nothing to hurt them. They will do the kill themselves without me having to do anything. Ahahahahaha!!" He laughed, and Harry saw him near the window as the lightening flooded the room.

There was something frightening and ghastly about the way the spirit's burnt flesh hung loose on his face and hands, blood and bone covering him top to bottom. His black, stringy hair fell lank around his face. Black sockets looked out at students burning with fire embers within them. His ragged clothes hanging off his skeletal frame.

Harry tried not to focus on the horror he saw before him, if he could face Voldemort, he could face anything, whatever this thing was. He needed a distraction, a means to get Halloween to forget the others in the hall, to have his attention turned to Harry instead. 'Where was Dumbledore in all this?' Harry thought, surely he would have been able to deal with the spirit. Hadn't he been afraid of Dumbledore? Wasn't that why he'd attack discretely, or when adults were scarce? Harry couldn't understand. Either way he had to do something, but what?

"No pupils have died yet Halloween. Give up your fight now!" McGonagall called out to the monster before them, as students began to pick themselves up.

'No but they will be." Halloween cackled as he aimed a spell towards the center of the hall, targeting the large crowd. Harry whipped out his wand, and called out

"Protego!' just as several other spells were shouted into the air, with bright lights from wands flowing from every direction towards Halloween. There was a loud bang and a blinding light filled the room, as the spells collided missing the spirit, who had dissaparated only to appear somewhere else. Harry located the laughing spirit as did the rest of the room now floating above them on the ceiling, almost reminding him of Peeves, only he was evil and cruel.

"You won't win!" Harry called out across the hall, as screams died down.

"Won't I?" The spirit mocked with laughter, "Ah Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry, you think I will be defeated. Do you think you will destroy me?"