LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 252: Lapse
Albus came quickly holding the exhausted Auror steady as Pomfrey flanked him casting a small spell to relieve fatigue.
"Tell us more," Albus said quickly more Professors approached from behind they were still close to the schools gates
"They destroyed the floo systems and erected an Anti Aparation ward, the only way to enter or exist Hogsmeade is by foot." The Auror said his face plastered in fear
Morpheus moved to his left, "What was the situation when you left?" he asked calmly
The Auror shook his head, "Terrible there were far more death eaters than we ever expected or seen before. They have gear too, I saw some with dragon hide. When I left we were pushing back to secure the eastern quarter."
"And Voldemort, has he appeared?" Professor Yowie asked
The Auror shook his head, "No, no reports of him arriving yet have been sent. Unless of course he arrived after I left."
Albus nodded gravely, "I see, go rest we will handle it from here I will fetch you when we depart."
Pomfrey left taking the Auror with her toward the healing war leaving the small group of professors by themselves.
"We can use the floos in the castle but, I'm afraid of the chance we could be invaded that way." Minerva pointed out immediately
"I agree," Albus began, "From what we know there are death eaters planted amongst the Aurors, allowing them access to our floos could be dangerous."
Albus then turned to Morpheus with a look of contemplation on his face, "What do you suggest?" he asked carefully feeling the pact they signed with their very souls
"Yowie, Albus, and I will go to Hogsmeade. Albus use the floo in your office to contact your allies use Fawkes if needed. Minerva you need to take control of the students, same with you Abara. Filius I have the perfect location for you." he finished with a grin
Albus didn't reply immediately finally he asked a single question not caring that others were present, "What is your final goal at the end of this?" he asked
Morpheus didn't hesitate, "Voldemort will be no more at the end of the war at Hogsmeade. Albus, you must be true to yourself in this battle, remember that."
"I'm missing something here and I would love to be in the loop bit it's obvious we have bigger problems." Abara voiced his irritation Yowie and Minerva nodded along while Filius narrowed his eyes at the divination professor
****
The air above the village was heavy with smoke and tension, as if the very sky held its breath. Both sides had settled into uneasy rhythms, tending to the wounded, fortifying defenses, and preparing for what everyone knew was inevitable. The eastern quarter of Hogsmeade, where the Aurors had managed to hold, was now a makeshift war camp. The wounded lay on hastily conjured cots, healers rushing between them with potions and spells.
Small skirmishes erupted along the invisible line that divided the village, bursts of spellfire marking each clash. Death Eaters probed for weaknesses, their tactics calculated but wild hitting where they knew it would hurt. The Aurors responded in kind, pushing them back with precision and controlled aggression. Both sides seemed to be waiting, bracing for something larger.
Near the heart of the Auror defenses, Rufus Scrimgeour barked orders, his voice hoarse but unwavering. Supplies were distributed, shields reinforced, and scouts sent to monitor Death Eater movements.
"They're testing us," he growled to a young Auror who brought him a fresh report. "They're waiting for the right moment to strike. Stay vigilant."
On the Death Eater side, similar preparations were underway. A death eater prowled through their camp like a restless predator, her wild eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Patience, my friends," she purred to a group of masked followers. "The Dark Lord will join us soon, and when he does, this village will be ours."
Her words were met with murmurs of agreement, the tension among the Death Eaters palpable. They sharpened their wands like weapons, their dark laughter mingling with the crackle of conjured flames.
***
The attack came with terrifying precision. Just as the sun reached its zenith, a loud crack echoed through the village square. A vanishing cabinet, cleverly concealed within the wreckage of a ruined shop, flared with dark energy. One by one, cloaked figures began stepping through, their presence suffocating and ominous.
Voldemort emerged last, his tall, skeletal figure draped in flowing black robes. His red eyes gleamed with malice as he surveyed the battlefield.
"Begin," he hissed, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.
The Death Eaters roared in unison, their wands raised high. Their spells tore through the sky, striking the Auror defenses with brutal force. The skirmishes that had dotted the morning hours were replaced by an all-out assault.
The eastern quarter of Hogsmeade became a warzone. Buildings crumbled under the weight of Blasting Curses, their fiery remains sending plumes of smoke into the sky. Aurors and Death Eaters clashed in the streets, their spells creating a deadly kaleidoscope of light and destruction.
Rufus Scrimgeour fought at the front lines, his wand moving with deadly efficiency. "Hold the eastern quarter!" he shouted, his voice rising above the chaos. "Do not let them take another inch!"
Above the battlefield, the lone Auror on a broomstick moved like a shadow, weaving between the smoke and chaos with practiced agility. His cloak billowed behind him as he reached into a satchel strapped to his side, retrieving a handful of enchanted smoke bombs. He flung them with precision, their spherical forms bursting mid-air and releasing thick, black plumes that coiled through the narrow streets below.
The smoke spread quickly, consuming entire alleys and squares in an impenetrable haze. The Death Eaters, caught off guard, hesitated as their line of sight vanished. Shouts of frustration rose from their ranks as their spells went wide, hitting nothing but empty air.
"Keep moving!" one of them yelled, their voice muffled by the swirling smoke. "He's above us—bring him down!"
A volley of spells shot into the air, the green and red streaks flashing like lightning against the gray skies. But the Auror was too fast. He twisted sharply to avoid a killing curse that came dangerously close, diving low to skim the rooftops.
"Good luck with that," he muttered under his breath, his gloved hands tightening on the broomstick.
On the rooftops, the sharpshooters took advantage of the disarray. Stationed at key vantage points, they moved with deadly precision, their cloaks enchanted to blend seamlessly with the surrounding brick and slate.
One Auror, a wiry woman with piercing gray eyes, knelt behind a chimney stack, her wand steady as she tracked a Death Eater barking orders in the street below. With a quick flick of her wrist, she sent a piercing Diffindo spell straight to her target. The Death Eater collapsed with a cry, clutching his side as his companions scrambled to regroup.
"Confirmed," she whispered into a communication charm clipped to her ear. "Next target, ten meters west."
To her left, another sharpshooter took aim, his wand glowing faintly as he murmured an incantation. A streak of blue light shot from his position, striking the ground just in front of a group of advancing Death Eaters. The explosion sent rubble flying, forcing the attackers to scatter.
"They're boxed in!" he called out, his voice low but triumphant.
The lone Auror on the broomstick swooped back into the fray, dropping another round of smoke bombs to further disorient the Death Eaters. This time, he added a twist to his strategy—enchanted flashbangs that erupted with brilliant bursts of light, temporarily blinding anyone caught in their radius.
"Eyes on the rooftops!" a Death Eater bellowed, his voice laced with anger and desperation. "Take them out!"
But the sharpshooters were already on the move, disappearing into the shadows and reappearing at new vantage points like ghosts. One by one, they picked off key figures among the enemy ranks, their spells hitting with surgical accuracy.
"Rooftops are clear," one Auror reported into the communication charm. "Maintaining suppression fire. Ground team, advance now!"
On the ground below, the smoke had created a shifting battlefield where visibility was scarce and danger lurked in every corner. The sharpshooters' efforts and the aerial Auror's interference were buying time, forcing the Death Eaters to fight blind while the Aurors regrouped.
From his perch atop a distant rooftop, one sharpshooter paused, his keen eyes scanning the battlefield below. He spotted a Death Eater attempting to conjure a wind spell to dissipate the smoke. With a quick adjustment of his aim, he sent a stunning spell hurtling toward the target, striking them square in the chest.
"Not today," he murmured, a grim smile tugging at his lips.
Above, the broomstick rider doubled back once more, his sharp eyes catching sight of a cluster of Death Eaters regrouping near an alley. He angled his broom downward, picking up speed, and hurled two flashbangs into their midst. The bursts of light were blinding, forcing the attackers to scatter once again.
"Ground team, move now!" he shouted, his voice carrying over the chaos.
The aerial and rooftop assault had not only bought precious time but also begun to shift the balance of power, turning what could have been a rout into a calculated counterattack. With their vision obscured and their leaders targeted, the Death Eaters found themselves faltering, their relentless advance slowed by the Aurors' coordinated efforts.
The lone Auror on the broomstick pulled up sharply, gaining altitude to survey the battlefield below. The smoke was still thick, but he could see enough to know their tactics were working. For now, at least, they held the line.
But Voldemort's forces were prepared. Their Anti-Apparition ward made reinforcements slow to arrive, and the destruction of the floo systems left the defenders increasingly isolated.
Voldemort lead a team that cut straight through the ground forces of the Aurors and Hit wizards. Causing the scales to tip once more, the dark lords magical power seemed to literally shift the balance.
"We're being overwhelmed!" an Auror shouted, his voice panicked.
"Then fight harder!" Scrimgeour barked back, his wand sending a fiery Confringo into a cluster of Death Eaters.
As the Death Eaters pushed deeper into the village, the line between Hogsmeade's defenders and the enemy grew razor-thin. By the time the sun began its descent, Hogsmeade was a village divided—Aurors holding the eastern quarter, the Death Eaters entrenched in the west, and the air thick with the promise of more bloodshed to come.
Yowie and Morpheus arrived on the scene just as the clash began. Yowie immediately broke from Morpheus to help the defenses while the plotting professor stayed back his lips formed into a grin.
***
A/N: full transparency, Voldemort 'war' isn't that long but leads into the actual war. Sadly we will see less of Hogwarts but, it is still very important and the things he taught and did there were equally so.