Operation Birdie
"Hello Headmaster!" Dumbledore chuckled at the still rather spotty boy who had bounded into his office. "Did you find a horcrux?" Harry asked eagerly, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Dopamine addict." She muttered darkly under her breath. Ron sniggered.
Dumbledore nodded, eyes twinkling. "I did. Are you, Miss Granger and Mr Weasley ready to go? I trust you are feeling better?" He studied Harry over his half-moon spectacles.
Hermione and Ron nodded hesitantly. Harry bobbed his head excitedly. "Oh yes, we're more than ready! Let me just go and get my cloak!"
Harry skipped from the office and hurried to the library, finding Daphne and Neville almost immediately.
"Operation Birdie is in action." He whispered, handing them a piece of parchment. The two nodded. "Tell the others. Love you, bye!"
Harry darted off, grabbed his cloak and meandered slowly back through the halls. Halfway to the office, he 'accidentally' bumped into Neville. Neville walked with him, taking the longer route to the office. They spotted Parkinson headed in their direction. She was alone.
"Yeah, Dumbledore said we'd be gone for hours." Harry said loudly. Parkinson slowed her pace. Neville smirked.
"Oh, really? Let's hope nothing happens whilst he's gone. The wards are weak enough as it is." Neville bit his lip in faux concern. Parkinson froze.
"Don't worry Nev, I'm sure it will all be fine." Harry winked and slipped him a small potions phial. "See you later, mate."
"Bye." Neville said glumly, snickering when he heard Parkinson take off at a run. Shaking his head, he walked back the way he had come. There were preparations to be made and students to be protected.
Harry burst into the office, cloak in his hand. Dumbledore stood up and approached the trio.
"We'll have to apparate." He explained. "Being the headmaster has its perks, such as apparating within the castle. I must ask you all to hold onto my arm."
Hermione, Harry, and Ron all gripped tight to Dumbledore's arm. With a crack, they landed on a small rock in the middle of the ocean.
"So nostalgic." Harry wiped a fake tear from his eye, remembering fondly the time his uncle almost killed his whole family just to run away from a letter. "I take it you want us to go in that cave?" Harry pointed at a large cavern a few feet ahead of them. Hermione shuddered.
"Yes, but you must swear to me, all of you, that you will do exactly as I tell you." Dumbledore looked at each of the trio in turn. All three nodded.
"Pinkie swear." They said in unison. But of course, no pinkies were linked. Oopsie! That meant they weren't legally binding. Didn't Dumbledore ever learn?
They followed him across the rocks, Hermione almost slipping at one point and Ron catching her just in time.
"Thank you." She whispered gratefully as the entrance finally loomed over them. Harry, far too happy about the circumstances, headed straight in and almost crashed into a solid rock wall.
"Oh." He said. "That doesn't bode well."
Dumbledore hummed thoughtfully and then came to the same realisation Hermione did.
"Blood." They said at the same time.
"I can do it for you, sir!" Hermione offered, brandishing her knife at the Headmaster. He chuckled nervously.
"That won't be necessary, Miss Granger, but thank you for the... generous offer." Dumbledore quickly pressed his wand to his arm and muttered a spell, wiping the small cut along the wall. It vanished, and they found themselves in front of a very old and very smelly lake.
"There's definitely dead bodies in here." Ron shifted nervously.
"How do we get across?" Hermione asked in a clipped tone.
"I'm not entirely certain." Dumbledore admitted, just as Harry giggled and grabbed onto something invisible, dangling from the floor slightly. As he pulled, a small boat arose from the murky water. Ron shrieked at the sight of a disembodied hand floating past it. Hermione whimpered.
"Well, who goes across? We won't all fit." Hermione pointed out, tearing her terrified eyes away from the hand. Harry immediately jumped in the air, waving his arm wildly.
"Me! Me!"
"I too shall cross." Dumbledore said, unnecessarily eerily. Like seriously Dumbledore, it's creepy enough as it is.
Ron and Hermione watched with bated breath as Harry and Dumbledore crossed the lake, careful not to touch the water. They watched in horror as Harry was forced to feed Dumbledore shell-full after shell-full of a horrid potion, that made him scream and beg and cry. Finally, Harry grabbed the necklace beneath and pocketed it, winking at Ron and Hermione. Dumbledore begged for water but Harry just shook his head and called for Kreacher. Kreacher recoiled at the sight of the lake, but quickly recovered and took the Headmaster back to Hogwarts. He popped back immediately afterwards; transferring Harry to edge of the lake where his friends were with ease. Then he left again, other tasks to complete. Harry didn't question the frying pan.
Ron took a step toward Harry but he slipped, the toe of his shoe making direct contact with the water. Before any of them could move, hundreds of inferi emerged from the lake, heading straight for them. Hermione screamed.
Harry and Ron quickly cast a fire-spell to repel them and the trio hurriedly backed out of the cave. Dobby was waiting for them on a rock outside. They hurried over to him, shaking and sweating but otherwise unharmed.
"Ready?" Harry asked when they reached Dobby. Hermione and Ron took a deep breath and nodded, each holding one of Harry's hands. He relished in it, wanting to enjoy the peaceful moment with his friends before- no, now was time for action, not thinking.
"Ready." They chorused.
Dumbledore thought the game was only just beginning. The truth was, it was already nearing its end.
~
Hogwarts Castle, After Dumbledore and the Trio's departure
Operation Birdie was in motion. A patronus had been sent to the Order and another to the twins, who were still being kept uninvolved by their mother. Neville and Draco had each gone to find their Head of House after drinking the Felix Felicis, to warn them of what Pansy was planning.
Students were quickly and quietly evacuated. Sixth and seventh years were allowed to choose to stay. Naturally Luna, Ginny and Astoria hid in the room of requirement so they could re-join later. Colin followed them.
Everyone else gathered in the Great Hall.
A surprising number of students in the two upper years remained, including a few sixth year Slytherins. Daphne took charge easily, bossing people about as if she was born into it, including the teachers. Neville and Draco came up with the strategy since they were the ones who drank the liquid luck, leaving just enough for Susan (who had a more important mission to take care of)
Dean showed up looking bleary-eyed and star-crossed.
"He ate some chocolate on Harry's bed." Seamus explained. "Love potion, I think."
"Where is she?" Dean asked, scanning the room. "You promised me Romilda would be here!" Snape rolled his eyes and administered the antidote. Dean, faintly embarrassed, turned to Daphne.
"We're doing this today, then?" He asked. Daphne nodded. "Okay. Fifth or Sixth Stratagem?"
"Fifth what?" Minerva asked. Daphne pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed exasperatedly. Draco snorted at the role-reversal.
"Start with fifth!" Neville called out helpfully.
"But- Okay, fine." Daphne waved at the Order members, the twins, Dudley and Shannon, who had just entered the Great Hall. How Dudley and Shannon were there was a mystery, but as said many times before, the wards were a mess. Justin looked shocked and worried at the sight of his very muggle sister preparing to fight in a magic war. She hugged him tightly.
"Listen up!" Daphne yelled, drawing everyone's attention immediately. "Right, we have two factions, Phoenixes and Hippogriffs."
"OH! Operation birdie! I get it now!" Neville exclaimed. Draco rolled his eyes.
"Phoenixes, no offence but half of what I'm about to say is probably going to go right over your head, so you just stick to what you know and capture at many death eaters as possible, alright?"
"Shouldn't Minerva be in charge, since she's acting Headmistress in the Headmaster's absence?" Remus pointed out.
Daphne put her hands on her hips. "We've been preparing for this day for three years. By all means, go ahead and take over, but most of you will die. Want to risk it?" Remus held his hands up in surrender. Daphne smirked. "That's what I thought. Phoenixes, you are the main offence to begin with. We'll be backing you up and helping defend where we can. When you hear a loud train whistle, we switch to Stratagem Six. Hippogriffs will take over the offence and you'll be given your next instructions."
The Order looked very uncomfortable at being told what to do, Moody especially. But none of them argued, Not when the two boys currently high on luck potion were agreeing emphatically with everything Daphne said. Just at that moment, Susan walked into the hall, Kreacher at her heels. He was wiping his frying pan with a clean rag and a sadistic smirk. Susan's expression wasn't dissimilar.
"The Headmaster's arrived." She smirked and downed the potion Draco handed her. "He's a bit... tied up at the moment, but should be joining us soon."
Severus turned to Minerva. "I have a feeling we won't be doing much."
"Firewhiskey in my office?" She asked quietly. Severus nodded, but Sinistra blocked the door.
"You aren't going anywhere."
"Killjoy."
Susan slipped back out of the room as soon as the Felix Felicis was in her system.
Hogwarts Castle, normal time
The school was empty when Harry, Ron and Hermione returned. Harry smiled - good. They headed straight for the Headmaster's office, where Susan was waiting for them, Kreacher stood next to her. Dumbledore was snoring loudly, a large lump forming on the top of his head and hands and feet bound up in ropes. He was sprawled across the floor.
"He asked for water, so I gave him some." Susan smiled innocently. "Apparently sherbet lemons make him fall asleep. Who knew?"
"No they don't." Hermione said with a nervous grin. "Only your special packet doused with dreamless sleep."
Susan winked at her before letting her smile turn into a concerned frown. "Are you all okay? What happened out there?"
"Only what we already knew." Harry said, tossing her the necklace. "Give that to Sirius for me?"
"Of course." Susan tucked it safely in her pocket as they left the office and headed down the stairs. Hermione looked at Harry in confusion.
"Why can't you give it to him?" She asked worriedly. Harry didn't answer, just smiled sadly at her and wrapped an arm each around Ron and Hermione.
"This is it, yeah?" He said breathlessly. "The final stand."
"Bye bye Moldy!" Peeves cackled, floating past. Harry blinked.
"I honestly forgot about him." Harry said. "Where has he been?"
"No idea mate." Ron shook his head. "It's starting, listen."
They paused. A heard a series of loud crashes followed by Bellatrix's cackle greeted them.
Harry took a deep breath. Susan squeezed his hand firmly then let go. She darted off in the direction of the Great Hall.
"Let's do this."
~
Voldemort smiled to himself as he lounged in his very fancy armchair in Malfoy Manor. Lucius may be in Azkaban and Narcissa a traitor, but no one was around to tell him to leave, so he didn't.
It had been an uneventful day. He'd had meetings, received reports and tortured Wormtail out of boredom. He'd resolutely ignored the silver ostrich following him around and quacking loudly.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, it finally happened.
"The castle is ready for infiltration." The parrot patronus vanished at the same time as the ostrich and Voldemort stood slowly, pressing his wand to his arm.
"Only three of you." He said, looking at the gathered death eaters. "Severus is there and ready, he and Parkinson will deal with Dumbledore. Bella, Amycus, Alecto; you will go through the cabinet into the castle. Do as much damage as you can, and make sure the job is done. Understood?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Good, now go!"
It was only an hour after he left that he received news.
"The wards have fallen." Alecto bowed, practically vibrating with excitement. "The Headmaster is dead. Potter has a pathetically small army waiting for your arrival."
"Well." Voldemort said, twirling his wand between his fingers. "With Albus Dumbledore gone, who will protect the boy now? Harry Potter, it is time to die." He sent a single message through the mark. All the Death Eaters would meet him at the castle, ready for ambush.
No one noticed Wormtail's dead body on the ground, silver arm wrapped tightly around his neck.