"Gah!" Tracey yelped. "Daphne's waking up!"
"Stupefy—"
Oleandra whirled around and swiftly caught Astoria's wrist and diverted her aim. The crimson ray flew past Daphne's ear, leaving a blackened scorch mark in the wall behind her.
"It's okay!" Oleandra shouted. "Daphne's back to normal!"
Tracey and Astoria looked at her with an air of disbelief, but Oleandra's gaze remained firm and unyielding. As much as they wanted to believe her, they had only seen her walk over to Daphne's side and rest a hand upon her shoulder. Daphne had been responsible for countless tragedies at Hogwarts, and Tracey herself had been on the receiving end of her tortures once or twice…
"We should hurry back, I daresay," Daphne said coolly, drawing back her sleeve to reveal a Dark Mark. "Voldemort is calling for me. He has gathered his forces, and he's about to attack the castle again."
Oleandra pulled the Invisibility Cloak from her pocket and tossed it to Daphne.
"You'll be crucified if anyone sees you," she said. "Better best not to confuse everyone at this juncture."
Oleandra briefly considered returning the Elder Wand to Daphne and having her punch her, just enough to win back its allegiance, but in the end she decided against it. Perhaps it would be for the best if it remained with her, even though she could no longer use it. Its bloodsoaked history would end with her, just as Dumbledore had wished it would end with him.
"What's going on?" Tracey asked, looking at the twins in turn. "What happened between you two?"
"Later," Daphne said dryly. "Just know I'm not being controlled any more."
Tracey and Astoria could only imagine that she had been placed under an Imperius Curse, but although they were sceptical, they could only trust that Oleandra had succeeded in freeing her from her bondage to Voldemort.
…
"The Bell Tower Wing's Entrance Hall," Astoria said as they ran up the stairs to the ground floor. "That's where they're attacking. They've got Giants and Trolls and loads of those Gold-Capes gathered out on the grounds."
"Daphne, Tracey," Oleandra called as she flew by their side. "Do you think you'd be able to manage the Insigil of Lindorm with only the two of you?"
"If I have Tracey sharing the burden, then it shouldn't be an issue," Daphne replied. "We'll split up and head for the Greenhouses. From there, we should be able to circle around and flank Voldemort's army… wouldn't want to have the Lindworm rampage out of control and attack our own side, would we?"
"Why just the two of us?" Tracey gasped breathlessly. "It would be easier with your help, wouldn't it?"
As much as Oleandra would have loved to help, she was physically unable to. There was no longer even a single droplet of magic running through her veins. She could still fly with Suit the Lethifold's help, and she could still swing her sword, but she would be of little use in summoning the Lindworm.
Though her magic had naturally grown over the past seven years, her magic circuits were all bound to the twenty-four runes once engraved upon her soul, acting as a replacement for her sealed Sekhem. It was the part of the soul that Muggles lacked, which allowed Wizards to draw upon the world's magic. When she lost the runes, all her accumulated potential was stripped away with them.
"I'm sorry, but I can't," Oleandra replied tersely. "But I know you can do this, just follow Daphne's lead."
Oleandra, Daphne, Astoria and Tracey ran across a few students fleeing in the opposite direction they were heading towards, but on the whole, they found that the castle was mostly deserted. Those who couldn't or wouldn't fight had gathered in the Great Hall, while those that could had gathered in the Bell Tower.
When they reached the Central Hall, Daphne and Tracey veered off and ran towards the Greenhouses, whilst Oleandra and Astoria continued in a straight line into the Bell Tower, where the students and teachers had organised their final stand.
"It's Oleandra!"
"She's really here!"
The crowd parted before them, revealing a path leading to Harry and his friends.
"Professor Slughorn told us everything," Professor McGonagall said hesitantly, breaking off from the throng. "We felt the tremors from your duel all the way here… is it… done?"
Oleandra nodded, brushing past her.
"The cup," Harry called as she stood before him, noting that it wasn't hanging at her hip any more. "You destroyed it, yeah?"
"The enchantment is broken," Oleandra replied. "Voldemort and Ginny are the only ones left."
Oleandra cast her gaze across the Entrance Hall. Apart from the teachers and students, she could also recognise several members of the Order of the Phoenix and the Order of the Round Table, and some of the Muggle-Born she had saved from the Ministry. There were also House-Elves armed with pots and pans and sharp knives, funnily enough.
"Your time is up," Voldemort's magically enhanced voice boomed across the school. "Surrender those I have named and stand aside, or die."
"We choose neither!" Professor Lockhart shouted, pointing his wand at his throat to enhance his voice. "If you want them, come and get them yourself!"
Voldemort's next words chilled all those present to the bone. "Then so be it."
A trumpet-like sound echoed across the grounds, and the Giants lumbered into action, holding their thick clubs before them like shields as multicoloured beams of magic filled the air, streaking towards them from the Entrance Hall and the classroom windows that faced the grounds.
"Impedimenta!" yelled Shacklebolt. "Scatter, it's no good…!"
There was a great crash as the Giants stomped through the animated statues and gargoyles guarding the entrance, then hurled themselves at the Bell Tower, smashing into it with their great clubs. The west wall crumbled almost at once as tree trunks and enormous limbs sank deep within it, sending the upper floors crashing down, while the Bell Tower's bell tumbled down in a series of resounding gongs, braining one of the unluckier Giants.
"Attack!" came Bellatrix's screeching voice, and the rest of Voldemort's army came swarming in through the gaps in the walls.