Harry Potter and the Battle of Hogwarts

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A pregnant hush lay over the grounds of Hogwarts, the eerie quiet of early, dark morning when all good children and creatures should be fast asleep. But no one slept that night. Students, teachers, Order members, Death Eaters, house-elves and creatures of the forest alike moved with silent, purposeful tread, some in fear and some in anticipation

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-In the Forest

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He was lying facedown on the ground again. He knew he hadn't started out this way, hadn't fallen asleep for no reason on damp dirt thick with leaves, sticks and undergrowth, and it was only the shock of it that kept him from moving. The smell of forest filled his nostrils, different from the warm air of the jungle, heavy with moisture and the scent of flowers, decay and new life. This was cold, hard, old. Old magic. He could feel it in the air and coursing through his veins, filling up his bones like marrow and strengthening them in some incalculable way

[halfscarlet]

Billy found himself in many dangerous or awkward positions over the years, some of which, at first glance, appeared more dangerous than the one he was in at the moment.

Waking up face down in dirt in a cold, dark forest wasn't so frightening at first, but as Billy slowly got up, knees digging into the dirt, he got a good look around. He recognized Katniss, but not the other kid near them or the large mass that looked a bit darker than the night around them.

"What..." As he looked around, little things began to sink in. The group of people a little distance away, words filtering through his groggy haze, the general air of danger and what felt like magic.

"I want a light," he whispered, falling back on the first spells he'd learned. Very faint blue orbs of light appeared in the upturned palms of his hands for a few moments before disappearing again, and Billy breathed out a small laugh. "Oh my God."

[burnwithus]

There had been one other time that Katniss Everdeen had woken up with her face pressed against cold dirt. Back in the first Games, after the Tracker Jackers had stung her she'd crashed into the brush, trying to run away from the terror thrumming through her very veins. Peeta had showed up to save her, somehow. She'd collapsed and passed out with the distinct feeling that ants were burrowing into her eyes.

There had been no ants. This time, there was one. She could feel it skittering against her cheek and as Katniss woke up, she brushed it off and tried to rub the dirt out of her eyes. This was not her forest, or the forest on the island - even in the dim night, Katniss knew that.

The dark-haired boy was someone she recognized, though, even if she didn't remember his name. "Where are we?"

[halfscarlet]

Dark forest and creepy figures aside, it hadn't taken Billy long to figure out they were in serious trouble. At first nothing had made sense, but after testing his magic he'd taken a look around, and just a glimpse of Harry had been enough to make his heart start racing, the sound loud in his ears.

He stayed low to the ground and moved over to where Katniss was, gesturing at the other boy to join them and keep their voices low. "We're in a forest, I think - I think this is Harry Potter's home. There are some seriously bad people over there, so just...hang on. Stay quiet."

[a_real_viking]

Toothless woke up first, his eyes glowing in the pale light, and he wrapped a wing over Hiccup while his tail circled round to fan up protectively. The vibration of a low rumble, more cautious than angry, were what made Hiccup's eyes open. Caught up in the darkness and under Toothless' wing, his other senses registered the strangeness before he did. Hiccup wasn't in his bed and this place smelled earthy and damp, more like summertime Berk than the island.

"Where are we...?"

They seemed to have noticed him but not Toothless and Hiccup put a hand on the dragon's shoulder and gently pressed. He could barely make out Toothless' features in the dark, save for the annoyed narrowing of his eyes, but the dragon stepped back, ready to tail them at a short distance.

"Whose home?" he whispered, coming closer.

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"The famous Harry Potter, dead by my hand!" a thin, inhuman voice screeched from the gathering of dark-robed figures, effectively answering Hiccup's question. "The Boy Who Lived lives no longer!" it sneered, inspiring another round of cheers from his compatriots. "As though it could ever be any other way than this. As though he ever truly had the power to defy me."

Harry had expected what came next, but it didn't make it any easier to bear. He knew his body would not be allowed to remain unsullied upon the forest floor; it must be subjected to humiliation to prove Voldemort's victory.

"Crucio!" the voice cried, a thin pale hand holding a wand pointing at the body on the ground. Harry shut his eyes tight and bit the inside of his cheek to keep from screaming. His body erupted in overwhelming, searing pain as he was thrown into the air. It hurt so badly his mind blanked to white and he didn't have the presence of mind to keep his body lifeless. His limbs just twisted and flopped on their own and Harry couldn't fight it. He