Harry Potter: Another Chance

Chapter 412: The Burned Field

Disclaimer:

Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

-Author notes-

Chapter 412: The Burned Field

The members of the Order of the Phoenix shielded their faces, casting heat-resistant charms as the heatwave washed over them.

The blazing inferno lasted only ten seconds but felt like an eternity. When it subsided, everyone was left shaken.

"Merlin, that hurt!" Mundungus Fletcher groaned, poking his head out from behind a charred brick fence. His face was flushed red from the residual heat, his charms insufficient to fully protect him.

"A little warning would've been nice..." muttered Dedalus Diggle, still patting out small embers on his robes.

"Whoa..." Hagrid rubbed his wide eyes, staring at the scorched field in front of him.

The once-vibrant landscape had been reduced to a barren expanse of blackened earth. No vegetation remainend..it was as though life itself had been burned away.

"He got them all?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked, scanning the horizon for any signs of movement. "I thought he was only going for the giants."

"Not all of them," Moody growled, his magical eye swiveling. He pointed with his wand. "There are a few left crawling around. Over there."

Remus Lupin followed Moody's gaze and nodded grimly. "Let's finish them off. Don't waste this chance!."

But Aberforth Dumbledore's sharp voice interrupted him. "Where's my brother?"

Everyone stopped and looked up, expecting to see the Headmaster still hovering above the battlefield like they last saw him. But the skies were clear, with no sign of Dumbledore or his flying carpet.

"There's something over there!" Mundungus called out, pointing to a dark shape on the charred ground.

The specks of white in the dark bundle stood out against the ashen field.

Aberforth wasted no time, rushing toward the figure.

"Albus!" he called while running but got no answer.

Hagrid and Remus followed closely, while Moody barked orders at the remaining Order members to handle the crawling undead.

"Professor!" Hagrid shouted as they approached.

The shape was unmistakable now...it was indeed Dumbledore, curled into a fetal position. His robes were completely scorched, leaving his white hair and beard stark against the blackened ground.

"Albus, come on!" Remus said urgently, kneeling to perform a quick diagnostic spell. He wasn't a trained healer, but he knew enough to assess the damage.

Dumbledore groaned weakly, his body trembling.

"He's alive!" Hagrid exclaimed, relief evident in his booming voice.

"Oh… no…" Aberforth muttered as he helped Remus carefully turn his brother over. His stomach dropped at the sight.

The entire right side of Dumbledore's body was burned black, and half of his right arm was missing.

"This is awful...these burns…" Remus whispered, shaking his head. "They're too severe. We need to get him to St. Mungo's immediately." He also noted the unnatural angles of Dumbledore's legs...likely broken in the fall.

"No," Dumbledore rasped, his voice barely audible.

"Albus!" Remus protested. "You need proper care!"

"The hospital won't be safe," Aberforth interrupted. His tone was bitter, but his reasoning was sound. "That bastard has spies everywhere, remember?"

"What about Madam Pomfrey?" Hagrid suggested. "She can fix anything."

"She's a great healer," Aberforth conceded, "but I've got someone in Hogsmeade who's just as good. We'll take him there. No time to argue."

Remus finished applying emergency charms to stabilize Dumbledore, just enough to move him without worsening his state. "Let's move him quickly," he said, carefully levitating the injured Headmaster.

Dumbledore stirred weakly, trying to raise his left hand.

"Albus, don't," Remus urged. "Save your strength."

But Dumbledore's trembling hand pointed toward something on the battlefield.

"Fawkes," Hagrid was the only one who realized what the Headmaster was trying to point to. The firebird had also disappeared in the blast of fire. But Hagrid knew that even if Fawked had died during that spell, the bird should be able to reincarnate for as long as he found its remains.

He sprinted to the spot, trying to find a pile of ashes that stood out starkly against the scorched ground.

The remaining Order members approached, their tasks completed.

"You did it, Albus," Moody said, his gruff voice softer than usual. "You took most of them out yourself."

"Hogsmeade should be safe now," Kingsley added, though his eyes scanned the horizon warily.

"Let's hope none of those things come back," Mundungus muttered, shuddering.

As Aberforth and Remus carried Dumbledore toward the healer in Hogsmeade, the others lingered on the battlefield.

"We should stay on guard for a while," Moody warned. "Just in case more appear."

"More?" Mundungus looked horrified. "You think there's more out there?"

"With the one behind all this? Always possible," Dedalus said darkly.

Before anyone could respond, Hagrid's voice roared across the field.

"Found him! I found him!"

"What's he yelling about now?" Kingsley asked, watching as Hagrid sprinted to the center of the field.

"He was looking for something, I suppose" Dedalus replied with a shrug. Although he had no idea what the giant had been trying to find.

But the air suddenly grew tense as Moody silenced them with a raised hand. "Hold it. I heard something…"

The group froze, scanning the charred landscape. Expecting to find more of those horrid creatures.

For a long minute, all was silent. Then a deafening roar shattered the stillness.

"What was that?!" Mundungus shouted, covering his ears.

"A beast," Kingsley said, his voice grim. "That sounded like a beast roaring."

"It came from…" Dedalus turned toward the distant silhouette of Hogwarts Castle.

"GET OUT OF THERE!" Hagrid's frantic scream made their blood run cold.

Before anyone could react, a massive shadow passed over them, followed by a thunderous crash.

The ground shook violently, nearly toppling them, and the sound of the impact rang in their ears.

When they recovered, they turned to see an enormous object embedded in the ground just feet from where they'd stood.

"What in Merlin's name?" Mundungus stammered, staring at the massive shape. "Who threw a rock at us?!"

"That's no rock," Dedalus said, stepping closer. "It's…"

"Bones," Kingsley finished, circling to the other side. His voice dropped. "That's a dragon skull."

"A d-dragon skull?!" Mundungus exclaimed, his face pale.

"Whats going on in Hogwarts?" Remus said with concern.

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