Harry Potter and the Sword of Gryffindor - 17. Chapter 17

VICTORY?
In a shocking news conference earlier this morning Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, and Hogwarts student and Wizarding Champion Harry Potter announced two victorious battles in the war against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The information they provided was extensive and in the interests of serving our Readers, the Daily Prophet is printing this special edition free of charge!

The news given by the Ministry and Hogwarts duo tells of a two-day battle raging from the very confines of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to an isolated manor in the Welsh countryside. The story is complete with tales of epic heroism, treachery, and tragedy. Indeed, our reporters covering the story have expressed their awe, disbelief, and complete astonishment at the impressive deeds that have been performed over the last few days.

As our faithful readers are quite aware, following the tragic attacks of the winter holidays Hogwarts Headmaster gained permission from the Ministry to prepare his school and students for the possibility of an attack by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Two days ago, those preparations paid off when a force of almost one hundred Dementors and dozens of Death Eaters attacked in the early hours of the morning. Highly placed sources informed our reporters in confidence that the school was tipped off to the impending attacks by parents within the ranks of the Death Eaters themselves.

This warning from a surprising source enabled Headmaster Dumbledore to place his well-crafted emergency plans into place. As the attack began, all of the students except for those who had joined Champion Harry Potter as a last line of defense were escorted to a place of safety. Throughout the attack, the only students who faced any danger were those that had chosen to join Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore in defending their fellow students. Specially chosen, they had been preparing for this duty with months of advanced lessons from top-notch Ministry-approved Aurors.

While the specific stories of these gallant students will be told in greater detail by other reporters, the attack itself was fierce. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named split his forces into three groups. While a traitor within Hogwarts took down key wards, the main forces of Dementors and Death Eaters were met by the Professors and Aurors stationed around the school. It is said that Dumbledore himself faced the Dark Lord in a wizard's duel during the battle and within an hour sent He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named scurrying away with his attacking forces shattered. Smaller groups of Death Eaters and their Dementor allies attacked the castle from two fronts. A group riding brooms assaulted Gryffindor and Ravenclaw towers, but was beaten by student Defenders. A third group attempted to infiltrate the keep through secret tunnels but was also beaten back.

However, enough Death Eaters and Dementors did penetrate the keep to force a pitched battle at the foot of the great staircases. During that battle students Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Mikaela Rosmartins, and Arianna Marshouse valiantly fought off over twice their number of Death Eaters and Dementors. The aforementioned Traitor, however, managed to trick and disable Harry Potter. The remaining student defenders were likewise overpowered as the forces of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named took the unconscious Harry Potter and managed to leave by portkey, with Draco Malfoy and several Professors hot on their trail.

However, the battle did not end there. Using various magics and careful planning, they were able to find the location of the Welsh manor where Harry Potter was being held. Using contacts gained in the months since Harry Potter became engaged to Draco Malfoy, they were able to prepare a brilliant plan to rescue Harry Potter. After resting from the night's extensive battles, the plan was put into action.

Accompanied by students Fred Weasley, George Weasley, and Neville Longbottom from Gryffindor House, as well as Professor Severus Snape and students Blaise Zabini, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle of Slytherin House, Draco Malfoy led a daring infiltration raid of the Death Eaters Headquarters. They were accompanied by the Death Eater parents of the three Slytherin students who pledged their assistance to help free Harry Potter.

As any who have attended Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry are quite aware, there has been a longstanding rivalry between the Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses. For the past five years, this rivalry has been epitomized by the personal rivalries of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Their personal rivalry ended last summer when they became friends, and they are now engaged to be married. Still, we must wonder at the bravery of the three Gryffindor students for trusting not only their long-time rivals, but three Death Eaters in order to enter a manor filled with hundreds of Death Eaters and Dementors.

While this small group prepared to infiltrate the Headquarters of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Headmaster Dumbledore summoned reinforcements from the ranks of Aurors and other Ministry Departments. Minister Fudge, upon hearing of the purpose of this request provided all available forces to Headmaster Dumbledore and even offered to join the group himself. Appreciative of the Minister's bravery, Headmaster Dumbledore urged the Minister to reconsider, worried that if disaster struck the wizarding world would lose all of its leadership at once. Minister Fudge reluctantly agreed, and stayed behind to prepare emergency medical services for those who might be injured.

As He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named prepared to perform a dark ritual and murder Harry Potter, Headmaster Dumbledore arrived and began a diversionary attack on the manor. Most of the Death Eaters rushed to strengthen the wards and defend themselves against the attacking Aurors. It was at this point that the infiltrators revealed themselves and freed Harry Potter. Mr. Potter immediately prepared to duel the Dark Lord, but was thwarted when he fled in fear of such a confrontation.

Led by known Death Eater and Azkaban escapee Lucius Malfoy, Harry Potter and his rescue group fought their way free of the manor and escaped through a side gate. Not without tragedy however, as Hogwarts student and Gryffindor Neville Longbottom saved the life of Draco Malfoy by jumping between him and a killing curse cast by Bellatrix Lestrange. Lestrange, another Azkaban escapee, is rumored to be the Death Eater responsible for the death of Harry Potter's godfather in last year's Ministry attack as well as for torturing Neville Longbottom's parents, who were Aurors until they went insane due to Lestrange's dark magic. Lestrange herself was felled by Draco Malfoy using a legal curse taught by Aurors. Lucius Malfoy, as well as the three Death Eaters who assisted in the rescue of Harry Potter were subsequently arrested and are being held with respect until the Ministry has decided how to balance their good deeds with the wrongs that they have performed.

In just over two days time, the war against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has taken a dramatic turn. For the cost of one dead student, three dead Aurors, six injured students, and fourteen injured Aurors, the Dark Lord failed to kill Harry Potter, his main goal, and lost an estimated ninety Dementors as well as seventy-eight Death Eaters (thirty-two dead and forty-six arrested). The captured Death Eaters are being interrogated in order to ascertain who their compatriots are and who their victims have been. Trials are being prepared for them as well, and it is likely most will be sent to Azkaban which is now being guarded by dragons under the authority of Charley Weasley.

The fate of the four Death Eaters who helped rescue Harry Potter was revealed in a private press conference exclusively to the Daily Prophet. All four will be spending the next few weeks under Ministry guard while they inform Aurors of all their past activities and of every safe house and supporter of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named that they know. Their wands will be broken and they will be allowed home after paying restitution to all of their victims and their families. Until the defeat of Voldemort, they will be monitored by Ministry officials and will not be allowed to leave their residence without prior approval from the Ministry.

Of course the guards who will be monitoring them will also be safeguarding them from reprisals by their former compatriots. They have all agreed to assist Harry Potter and the Ministry in tracking down the whereabouts of the escaped He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and to assist in his eventual downfall. All of them have attributed their decision to rejoin the forces of Light to Harry Potter, who has been making efforts to convince his fellow students, especially those in Slytherin House, not to follow He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. It cannot be argued that the efforts of Harry Potter were not in vain, as the list of those who have switched sides due to his words include some of the richest, and formerly most ardent supporters of the Dark Lord.

Once again, Harry Potter has proven why he is our Champion not only through his actions, but through his words. Be sure to read the special articles we have included for more detailed information!

The Defenders of Hogwarts Page 2 - Read how the elite student organization was formed, who they are, and how they were prepared to defend their school and their fellow students!

Treachery and Love - Page 3 - Read how Hogwarts Head Girl Cho Chang, now a prisoner, was seduced by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, how she brought down the wards of Hogwarts, and how she tricked Harry Potter, leading to his capture. Also hear her own words in a letter sent to the Prophet before her capture explaining her misguided beliefs on how Harry Potter was seduced from her by Draco Malfoy. It shows how sick and demented her thinking was, and provides fascinating glimpses of the romance between the two heroes at their school!

The Death of a Hero - Page 4 - Another Prophet exclusive! Read about the heroics of Neville Longbottom and his parents. How they were driven insane by an Unforgivable curse, how he faithfully visited them in St. Mungo's and how he gave his life. The tale of a true Gryffindor that will be told for ages to come! This is the story of a shy, clumsy boy who transformed into one of the biggest heroes of the second war against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Fred & George Weasley - Heroes and Businessmen - Page 5 - Read the story of the infamous Weasley twins, proprietors of Weasley Wizard Wheezes and how their choice to return to Hogwarts to complete their seventh year helped to save The-Boy-Who-Lived!

Hermione Granger on Losing a Loved One - Page 6 - Hermione Granger, accounted to be the most brilliant Hogwarts students of her generation, tells of the Neville Longbottom only she knew as his girlfriend. Learn her impressions on the Hero and on how she is dealing with his loss!

The Order of Merlin First Class, Second Class, and Third Class - Page 7 - A brief history of these awards and who has been granted them in the past thirty years. Harry Potter, already a recipient of the Third Class medal, will be receiving the Second Class medal along with Draco Malfoy for his role in these recent battles. The other student Defenders, some of whom participated in the rescue of Harry Potter, will be receiving the Third Class award for their bravery. Neville Longbottom will be receiving the Order of Merlin First Class award posthumously. Find out what benefits come with these awards, the cash awards associated with them, and how the title will accompany them for the rest of their days!

The Battle of Hogwarts - Page 8 - Check out this fully animated depiction of the Battle of Hogwarts from the confrontation between Headmaster Dumbledore and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named below the Quidditch Pitch, to the gallant defense of Gryffindor Tower and the lower tunnels, to the betrayal of Harry Potter at the foot of the grand staircases!

The Battle of Hearly Manor - Page 9 - You won't want to miss this fully animated recreation of the victorious battle of Hearly Manor where Harry Potter faced He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and where Hero Neville Longbottom gave his life for his fellow student!

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Harry flipped through the articles, pleased with how things were written. The letter from Cho Chang had not been expected. She must have sent it before the battle just in case, and he shuddered at some of the things she had written. She really had been following Draco and him, and knew far more than he had expected. Still, the Prophet had done a good job of ridiculing the more embarrassing, and potentially damaging stuff in her letter. The animations were fairly accurate, but they played up the heroism of Neville and of the former Death Eaters including Lucius Malfoy mainly because he'd described it to them that way. The only reference to Ron made it appear that he'd been under the Imperius the entire time and left his name fairly unsullied. They hadn't spoken much since that day, but Harry hoped that they would be able to mend their friendship soon.

The bed shifted slightly, and he smiled while looking at the last animation again as Draco snuggled up to him. Draco's soft fingers moved down Harry's naked thigh, and he felt his skin tingle in the most wonderful way. He shivered in excitement when Draco's breath tickled his neck, and he almost groaned when the blond nipped his earlobe.

"You done reading the paper yet, Golden Boy?" Draco's whisper was soft and silky. "Or would you like to thank me again for rescuing you?"

"Oh, I think thanking you is a much better option." Harry said, throwing the paper aside and turning to lock his lips onto Draco's. For a while, all thoughts of Voldemort, Death Eaters, school, or anything else were banished from his brain. His only thoughts were now of making Draco happy. And himself of course.