A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

"Granger—oh, dear!" Professor McGonagall ran over from a distance, barely finishing her words when brooms swiftly flew just above her head. She stared at the departing group, her chest heaving.

"What's—what's going on with them?" she asked, visibly annoyed.

"Well, it's rather obvious, isn't it? They're off to help Harry—" Hermione tried to keep her tone light.

"Is Harry involved in this?"

"Hagrid's in danger—"

"I know, I've already sent Sirius and Snape there."

"And there's little Grawp—"

"Don't tell me you know that giant, Miss Granger, or you've just made up a name on the spot?" Professor McGonagall panted.

"I do know him," Hermione said firmly, now that the others weren't around; she felt responsible to explain, especially for Grawp, who had already been exposed. "He's Hagrid's brother. We listen to music and watch movies together when everything's okay. He quite likes 'A Pot of Warm Love'—"

She couldn't continue. McGonagall clutched her chest, struggling to breathe, seemingly about to faint.

"Professor? Can we help with anything?" Hermione asked cautiously.

The dozen or so students behind her nodded silently, though they seemed quite taken aback themselves. Giants were considered brutal creatures in wizarding records, so Hermione being friendly with Grawp, along with the absence of Harry and Ron, earned their respect.

If it weren't for the current urgency, they would surely have a million questions to ask.

McGonagall glared at Hermione, scanning the students behind her. "I heard Professor Black taught you several combat formations in class? Let me see what you've learned. Groups of three, take cover behind armors and statues, don't expose yourselves easily, only attack the undead creatures overlooked by the professors. Remember! Report any injuries immediately, even if it's just a scratch; the claws and teeth of the undead are poisonous."

The students nodded quietly, their excitement subdued.

"Luna, Ginny, you're with me," Hermione said softly, motioning for Luna to join them. Hermione extended her hand and, with a gesture, golden flames in ancient magical language poured from her fingertips, shaping into the form of a phoenix before hitting the ground. It spread its swan-like wings and swiftly flew off into the distance. Other students looked at her enviously.

As the phoenix flew over the castle, it illuminated a broad, open space halfway up the mountainside. There stood neatly arranged armors and statues of various sizes, even some animals. They were lined up, forming a solid wall, blocking the undead. Behind them stood a dozen adult wizards, some from the school's faculty and others from the Ministry of Magic.

However, compared to the vast number of undead, they seemed inadequate, only able to guard the main pathway.

These individuals had to stand dispersed, each responsible for a specific area. But they were powerless against the areas farther away. The undead had stopped near a pine tree, seemingly interested in something.

"We can only ensure clearing a path first; the rest will have to wait for daylight," McGonagall said. She re-entered the fight, waving her wand. Grass sprouted rapidly, tripping the approaching undead. Hermione controlled the phoenix, hurling bursts of flames, reducing them to ashes.

Two Dementors floated in the distance, resembling tattered cloth blown by the wind. They seemed somewhat fearful of the place. When Hermione looked up again, the Dementors had vanished.

Howls echoed from the Forbidden Forest, and she wasn't certain if they were werewolves.

"Let's hope no one dies. We've prepared in advance, but there are things beyond our control," McGonagall said, gazing at the green skull hanging in the sky.

Before she could finish speaking, the enormous Dark Mark suddenly became blindingly bright. With a colossal explosion, the jaw of the skull shattered, the snake writhing within disappeared, replaced by a colorful dragon frolicking cheerfully.

The skull's eyes were replaced by two rotating, sparking fireworks, making the entire scene comical. In the dazzling light, McGonagall saw several dots rushing out of the green clouds. She groaned softly, "It must be Fred and George. Even at a time like this…"

"They've done well this time," Ginny said, staring at the sky. She shook her wand violently, casting a spell.

"The Bat-Bogey Hex won't work on the undead, Ginny," Hermione said, "You need fire-based magic, try the Bright Flames—" She paused, staring at the unlucky undead.

"Wow, that's a huge bat," Luna exclaimed in amazement.

Finally, both the Dark Mark and the Weasley fireworks disappeared together, and the castle returned to dimness. Hermione, Ginny, and Luna now stood at the forefront. Luna controlled a white flame, turning to say, "We need a little light."

Someone had already thought of that. At the castle's entrance, Cedric held a bright, gleaming orb in his hands. It emitted a soft glow around, and students behind him extended their hands in unison. Soon, several orbs flew into the sky like lanterns or miniature moons, adorning the sky over Hogwarts.

Once everything was done, they jogged down the stone steps, joining McGonagall.

McGonagall seemed somewhat numb. "Thank you, children. Groups of three, don't get too close to the front—"

"Professor McGonagall, Mr. Kingsley said to inform you that the rear castle entrance is guarded. They don't need as many people there," Cedric said.

"Excellent," McGonagall said with satisfaction. "We need manpower here; there are too many places to defend... Since you're here, I can spare a few professors… The battlefield is not just one."

She was right. Apart from the Ministry of Magic in London and the nearby Hogsmeade village, the school had been divided into several battlefields—around Hagrid's hut, the front and rear castle entrances, and even the relatively calm Headmaster's office could be considered a 'battlefield.'

Umbridge had turned the Headmaster's office into a mess.

At first, she disguised herself as a curious student, claiming Dumbledore had given her permission to conduct an exclusive interview for 'The Quibbler.' She scrutinized every corner, touched and prodded, even stood on tiptoes to shake the Sorting Hat vigorously, but apart from getting dust in her eyes, she found nothing.

She rummaged through every accessible area; books were scattered on the shelves, drinks in the cabinet were pushed aside roughly, and the inset wooden panels bore several oily fingerprints, as if checking for secret compartments.

As time passed, the shouts and chaos from outside spread into the room like a plague, but Umbridge showed no signs of panic or surprise. She even attempted to barge into Dumbledore's private bedroom on the second floor, at which point, the portraits of past headmasters couldn't ignore her odd behavior anymore.

The portraits in the Headmaster's office yelled angrily at her—

"Never seen a student like you!"

"A troublemaker! Which house are you from?"

Umbridge tried a few times but found herself blocked by an invisible barrier; her magic was

useless here. She furrowed her brows, staring at the large mirror in the corner. It was the Mirror of Erised, but she was clueless about its abilities.

After trying various spells and methods to break the invisible barrier and investigate the mirror, she gave up, deciding to sit behind Dumbledore's desk and wait it out.

However, as time passed, she grew increasingly restless. The explosions outside made her even more frustrated; she could no longer pretend that nothing was happening. She couldn't sit there and do nothing.

But the barrier prevented her from leaving the room.

The door to the Headmaster's office opened suddenly, and Cedric, Ginny, and Luna entered with their wands raised.

Umbridge jumped up from the chair. "Who are you? What do you want?"

Ginny stepped forward. "You're not supposed to be here."

"I have permission—Dumbledore allowed me!" Umbridge's voice trembled.

Cedric raised an eyebrow. "But Dumbledore isn't here now, is he?"

Umbridge hesitated. She eyed the mirror and then the door. Her heart pounded heavily. She knew she had to get out of here. But how?

Ginny gestured with her wand, and the golden fire roared, taking the shape of a snake. Umbridge shrieked and dived behind the desk.

The snake slithered and coiled around the legs of the desk, eventually forming the shape of a cage, trapping Umbridge inside.

Luna looked at the snake and muttered, "That's a strange fire snake."

Ginny raised her wand again, conjuring fiery chains that latched onto the bars of the cage, locking Umbridge inside.

"What are you doing? Let me out! This is illegal! Dumbledore will hear about this!" Umbridge's screams echoed, but the chaos outside was louder.

"We have to go, we can't stay here," Cedric said to the others. They rushed back out of the room, leaving Umbridge screaming behind the fiery bars.

The door closed, and the barrier held Umbridge imprisoned within Dumbledore's office, amidst the ongoing chaos of the battle raging throughout Hogwarts.

Felix's mind buzzed abruptly. Damn those stupid paintings! I'll get rid of you if I get the chance! Despite her thoughts, her body reacted oppositely; she frantically reached for the doorknob and twisted it. She heard the angry cry of the phoenix and the beating of wings. With a forceful pull, the door opened just as her slender figure slipped through, much smaller than the outstretched wings of the phoenix. At the last moment before closing the door, Umbridge saw Fawkes' pointed beak pecking at the doorframe, causing a few sparks.

"Bang!"

The door shut, and Umbridge breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Thud!" Another sound startled her; she jumped and rushed to the moving staircase, barely avoiding rolling down. Gasping for breath, she rushed down, looking disheveled. But she didn't care; her face wasn't her concern anyway.

From the start, her plan was to make that girl the scapegoat.

Now, she needed to get to the abandoned classroom on the first floor and switch places with the real Mafalda. Umbridge's eyes glinted with a fierce determination as she ran.

To destroy the evidence, evade suspicion, having a body in the school would be the best choice.

The cry of the phoenix echoed through the castle corridors, sending shivers down Umbridge's spine, urging her to run faster.

But she needn't have worried too much; the phoenix's cry wasn't directed at her but at an ancient Runes professor who had been up to no good. Fawkes had barged in, only to be grabbed by the neck by a sudden hand from the air and shaken vigorously, a treatment Fawkes had never experienced before.

"Easy there," Felix chuckled, cradling Fawkes like holding a hen, his other hand soothingly stroking its beautiful feathers. "Calm down. You need to give her some time to escape, or this won't go as planned."

Fawkes raised its elegant neck, filled with fury.

Felix leisurely pulled out a silver pocket watch, flicking it open to check the time. "Chirp?" Valen's voice came from inside. "It's not over yet; you're safest in there," Felix reassured.

"Chirp!!!"

"Um, sorry, can't give you the snake yet. Embedding the Trace Displacement Charm has potential risks; you wouldn't want it to explode suddenly, would you?"

Felix closed the watch, cradling Fawkes as they descended the stairs from the headmaster's office, peering into the distance through a window on the eighth floor.

Outside was as bright as daylight, broomsticks flying over the castle. He saw some familiar faces, and—it seemed like a competition—light balls from Lumos spells flew out from various positions in the castle, merging into a soft white light, turning Hogwarts into a world of light.

The lurking shadows, hiding behind bushes, trees, and rocks, jumped out like headless chickens, instinctively fleeing into the distance, only to be ignited by the white flames raining down from the broomsticks flying in the sky.

Dozens, maybe hundreds, of Lumos spells gathered, illuminating even the Forbidden Forest.

Finally releasing his grip, Fawkes wriggled free from Felix's embrace, angrily shooting a few golden sparks at him. Felix waved him off. "Off you go, off you go. Get Umbridge moving; don't stand idle. Voldemort shouldn't be kept waiting..."

Fawkes elegantly turned in mid-air, his two long feathers trailing on Felix's arm, heading without looking back towards the moving staircase in the main building.

...

Harry sighed as he looked at the empty breach in the walls, relieved. Once they reached here, he knew the enemies wouldn't succeed; their reinforcements kept coming—

At first, it was only Hagrid and Grawp, then Moody arrived, knocking down several Death Eaters in one go and dispersing the Dementors in the area. They later joined forces with Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks, and Dawlish. Ron arrived with Neville, Fred, George, and Ginny. They followed Moody's orders, forming a defensive formation, with little Grawp throwing stones from behind. The werewolves, vampires, and Death Eaters couldn't get up after taking a hit.

Sirius and Snape were also assigned by Professor McGonagall; Hagrid called the centaurs, and later, Professors Flitwick and Sprout arrived. With their reinforcements, the situation finally stabilized. The attackers were forced to retreat beyond the breached wall.

"Let's flank them!" Moody shouted, grabbing brooms from Ron, Fred, George, Neville, and immediately taking charge. The twins grumbled but followed along. Tonight, both Ron and Dawlish hadn't used the Pepperup Potion because they were guarding the school's walls, making Moody's magical eye rotate rapidly, intimidatingly.

Moody glanced at Harry but didn't ask for his crossbow arrows, which relieved Harry. He distributed brooms to Sirius, Dawlish, Snape, and kept one for himself. Staring at Harry, Moody said, without room for argument, "You stay here, no talking! Listen to me—” he roared, "Heard you're a rare Seeker; now's your time to shine. I'm not assigning you any specific task."

Moody, Sirius, Dawlish, and Snape flew outside the wall, catching the enemy off guard. There were cries and thuds from outside. "It's our turn, kids," Flitwick squeaked, "Stand behind me."

He and Professor Sprout stood together, like a sharp arrowhead, walking towards the gaping hole in the school wall. With ample light, they weren't worried about being ambushed. The four students followed closely, followed by Hagrid, Grawp, and Grawp's guards.

Harry, slightly bewildered, gripped his crossbow arrow and then, flipping over, climbed onto his broomstick, realizing his position.

The sky was his arena.

He dived down, his crossbow arrow seemingly part of him. Harry soared like a ghost past a Death Eater; he could even see his reflection in the man's pupils, a red flash, and the Death Eater collapsed.

"Watch out! It's Harry Potter, he's flying!"

"Good job, kid!" Moody exclaimed joyfully, instantly knocking down two Death Eaters, taking advantage of the opening Harry created. Others also had their victories.

Harry adeptly controlled the crossbow arrow, covered in a human-shaped Shield Charm. He flew low and fast, the piercing whistling sound from his body startling the Death Eaters. After a few rounds, the remaining enemies couldn't handle it.

They fled in confusion, causing severe splits among some due to extreme panic.

"Lost a few," Moody grumbled.

Harry descended slowly, Sirius rushed over, patting Harry's shoulder vigorously. Harry sat on the ground, the pebbles underneath uncomfortable. He couldn't help but grimace at his godfather.

Sirius chuckled, sitting nearby. "You did great, Harry."

"What about us?" Fred asked, a bit resentful, still bothered about the broomstick issue. George, Neville, and Ron also sat around; in just a short time, they were all exhausted

. They watched Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout discussing the massive gap in the school wall.

"A lot of repair work ahead..."

"Better than starting from scratch," Professor Sprout said, planting a few seeds in the gap, waving her wand, making sprouts emerge, swiftly growing and filling up most of the gap. "Just a moment, Pomona—" Moody's rough voice came from outside, him and Dawlish dragging in tightly-bound Death Eaters, "Done."

Professor Sprout waved her wand, vines immediately filling the last bit of gap.

"At least it'll hold till dawn," she said.

Grawp held a large stone, playing with it like a small pebble, seemingly targeting the vine wall. Hagrid quickly stopped him; six or seven centaurs looked cautiously at the giant sitting on the ground, but after experiencing the battle together, they hesitated to aim their bows at him.

"It's finally over. I'm exhausted," Ron said, having just witnessed an intense performance. He leaned against George, who leaned back, causing Ron to lie on his brother's lap. George leaned down, staring at his brother.

"Do you want me to fix your nose for you?"

"Cough, cough, cough!" Ron immediately sat up, saying seriously, "Don't know what the castle's situation is like now?"

It looks like I'll need more time to finish this section since it's a group scene with a lot to express.

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