The Intelligent Potter

*** At the same time, Black Manor

Seeing the Dark Lord was finally free to participate in the battle, the seven remaining peacekeepers cut their losses and apparated out of the location, back to Black Manor in order to regroup along with the rest of The Resistance.

At Black Manor, The Resistance was being coordinated by none other than Sirius Black.

In the years since his release from Azkaban, the heir to the Black family had filled out a lot, and had lost the pale and gaunt look which the years at the most dreaded prison in the Wizarding World had given him. He had not quite managed to get back to the handsomeness which he had bad before his while in prison, as his eyes could never lose to ever so slightly haunted look, but all in all, he was in very good shape, for a man out of Azkaban.

However, he was still nervous giving orders to The Resistance. He was in charge because Arcturus was heading the defence against several other attacks by Death Eaters, around the country, and had left Sirius in charge, as he was busy.

Only now, Sirius realised that the other attacks were probably ruses to prevent Arcturus from being involved in this fight.

Even though he felt out of his league, Sirius continued to bark orders at the various members of the Resistance.

"Emmanuel," Sirius said to the head of the Delacour family, over a mirror which allowed him to communicate with the French delegate to the ICW, "Go to the home of Nicolas Flamel, and tell him that he is needed here. Hogwarts is under attack by Voldemort himself, and we need as many of our heavy-hitters as we can get together."

The French wizard nodded his understanding and disconnected the call. Sirius liked that about the Frenchman, he did not waste any time.

Sirius counted seven peacekeepers.

'Ten casualties,' his brain calculated for him.

"Peacekeepers," he instructed the scared lot, "You all are with me, okay? We're all going to return to Hogwarts, to defend the castle… at all costs."

They nodded. Despite having lost the majority of their number, the remaining peacekeepers did not back out, and continued to believe in what was right. Sirius could feel his respect for the wizards in white grow.

"Kingsley," he instructed the man who should have been the rightful head of the DMLE, "You bring your men with me too, okay?"

Shacklebolt nodded. His 'men' were the few loyal Aurors, who Dumbledore had been able to save from the Ministry and Voldemort's liberal use of the Imperius curse.

*** Hogwarts

Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus

The Hogwarts motto which he knew only all too well.

Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon.

With a cold dread building in his stomach, Voldemort looked up to see one of the most terrifying sights he had ever laid his eyes upon.

A massive dragon, the likes, or size, of which he had never seen before hovered over the castle protectively, made entirely out of the translucent blue energy which the dome had been made out of.

With an ear-shattering roar, the Dragon of Hogwarts made itself known.

Voldemort rose to the level of the hovering dragon on a sea of Darkness, which held him up. Despite the huge platform upon which he was standing, the Dark Lord looked insignificantly tiny in comparison to the massive animal constructed out of magic.

The Dragon flapped its wings

and the gust of wind blew the Dark Lord away.

The Dark Lord raised his hand once more, and tendrils shot at the great magical beast, tearing right through its wing with a massive ripping sound.

The Dark Lord and the dragon sent at each other with extreme ferocity. Tendrils of Darkness which were several times larger than the trunks of trees brutally smashed the dragon, which replied with massive waves of air, as well as breath of fire.

The Dark Lord laughed.

The full might of Lord Voldemort, combined with The Darkness was held at bay by the magic of a school of all things.

It wasn't the Ministry, or any ancient pureblood family Manor.

It was the gods damned school.

BAM!

He was whacked off his wave of Darkness once more, his neck being snapped, then repaired by Darkness, which caught him and sent him rocketing at the dragon again.

The fight continued, and the Death Eaters on the ground scattered to avoid being hit by all of the debris from the walls of the school, which were falling apart at the attacks by the Dark Lord, and even by some slightly careless gusts of wind and fire which were produced in defence of the castle by the dragon.

Seeing an opportunity, as the walls began to fall apart and leave gaps through which the Death Eaters could enter, Lucius Malfoy, leading the Death Eaters in his master's stead, ordered the Dark Lord's men to storm the castle while its dragon was busy being dealt with by Voldemort.

They entered the castle, but were surprised when they were met not with helpless students and a handful of competent teachers, but with several dozen fighters.

A motley group, made up of some Aurors, some peacekeepers, as well as assorted followers of Dumbledore who were determined to help out, and fight, stood in the way of the Death Eaters.

Leading the charge from the front were two men.

Sirius Black, and Albus Dumbledore.

Both were dressed in full battle regalia, and both had their wands drawn. Before the Death Eaters could do anything, hundreds of spells were being cast at them. Before they could even respond to the barrage of magic, a huge phoenix constructed out of fire appeared and rushed them as well, burning dozens of the Death Eaters, before they managed to put out the elemental magic using an excessive amount of aguamentis.

"Two can play at that game, Dumbledore," Lucius Malfoy snapped, sending walls of air to knock over members of The Resistance, but it was clear that his elemental magic could not compare to the sheer scale of the kind of magic which was being used by the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

"Strong you may be, Lucius," Dumbledore said calmly, but with steel in his voice, "But you are no match for me."

And with that, he blew Lucius into one of the remaining portions of the walls of Hogwarts, with a gust of wind so powerful that the Lord Malfoy was helpless to stop it.

He hit the wall at a bad angle, and fell.

He did not get up.

The morale of the light side, however, fell almost as quickly as it had risen.

With a massive ear-splitting wail, the Dragon of Hogwarts was finally entirely torn apart by the Dark Lord. Panting, and looking like, all hell, Voldemort lowered himself on the tendrils of Darkness which held him inside of the boundaries of the castle.

"Tom," Dumbledore said, coldly, "I see you have lowered yourself to attacking my school."

Voldemort replied by throwing himself at the Headmaster of Hogwarts, without a word.

Dumbledore raised his wand, easily falling into a battle stance.

The two wizards clashed.

*** End of Chapter