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Another crackling sound echoed outside as groups of Aurors emerged from various points, clashing with the Death Eaters in a chaotic frenzy.
Voldemort raised his wand, and a jet of pale green fire erupted from its tip, surging toward Ethan and Dumbledore.
Reacting instantly, Ethan conjured a protective Quinn Shield, its shimmering barrier barely holding back the searing flames.
The scorching heat hissed against the shield, producing a sharp chi-chi sound as it struggled under the onslaught.
Like a raging inferno, the green fire, thick as a tree trunk, crashed down upon them.
Dumbledore and Ethan fought back with everything they had, their spells colliding with Voldemort's dark magic in dazzling bursts of light.
A thunderous roar erupted from the courtyard.
It was Hagrid.
With ease, he lifted a Death Eater who had been aiming his wand at a student and slammed him into the ground.
The cloaked figure let out a strangled gasp, blood spilling from his lips as he lay motionless, his fate uncertain.
Dumbledore flicked his wand, and instantly, several stone statues rumbled to life, their heavy footsteps shaking the ground as they charged at Voldemort.
The Dark Lord vanished in an instant, avoiding their crushing blows, but the maneuver forced him to momentarily break his attack.
Seizing the opening, Dumbledore swept his wand again, summoning a flurry of fire serpents that coiled through the air, striking at Voldemort with blazing fangs.
At the same time, in a flash of golden light, Fawkes appeared above Voldemort, talons outstretched.
With a piercing cry, the phoenix swooped down, raking its sharp claws toward his face.
"Ethan, I'll handle Voldemort! Go protect Harry!" Dumbledore commanded.
Without hesitation, he reached into his robes and tossed a small, dark stone to Ethan.
"Take it he must never get his hands on the Three Hallows!"
Ethan nodded sharply, understanding the weight of the task, and sprinted away from the battle, heading toward the student gathering area.
The courtyard was in complete turmoil.
Younger students screamed and ran, their faces pale with terror.
Some had been knocked down in the chaos, but older students, determined to maintain order, quickly helped them to their feet.
No Death Eater could be allowed inside the castle.
The battle raged in the courtyard, where Hogwarts' professors and staff stood their ground, forming a thin but resolute defensive line at the entrance.
But the attack had been too sudden.
Unprepared, the professors struggled against the relentless onslaught, their defenses beginning to waver under the sheer force of the Death Eaters' assault.
Then, a deep, rhythmic thudding filled the air.
It was the sound of hooves.
A rain of arrows descended from the sky, striking down a wave of Death Eaters.
The centaurs had arrived.
Swift and precise, they moved through the battlefield with unmatched agility, their longbows raised, releasing arrow after arrow—each shot finding its mark.
Above, more sharp cracks echoed.
Aurors and Hit Wizards materialized in the courtyard, their wands raised, unleashing powerful spells as they joined the fray.
With the reinforcements, the tide of battle began to shift in Hogwarts' favor.
Then—another wave of sharp crackling explosions.
A new group of dark figures materialized across the battlefield.
They wore red hoods, their movements cold and precise.
Unlike the frenzied chaos of the Death Eaters, their attacks were methodical.
Moving in formation, they formed an encircling ring and unleashed synchronized magical barrages, striking down anyone within range.
Ethan barely spared them a glance.
Guided by the castle's enchanted portraits, he raced through the corridors, heart pounding, until he reached the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.
The Fat Lady was nowhere to be seen.
Ethan grabbed the portrait and wrenched it open, stepping into the Gryffindor common room.
His sudden entrance was met with startled screams.
Dozens of younger students had taken refuge inside, huddled together in fear. Several had their wands raised, trembling as they pointed them at him.
But the moment they recognized the intruder, their fear eased, and they let out collective sighs of relief.
"Professor Ethan!"
Hermione, Ron, and Harry rushed toward him, their faces filled with both relief and urgency.
Harry and Neville had been in the infirmary when the attack began, but their classmates had carried them back to the common room as soon as the first signs of battle erupted.
"What's happening out there?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"The Death Eaters are attacking Hogwarts," Ethan said grimly.
Turning to Harry, he asked, "Do you have your father's Invisibility Cloak with you?"
Harry blinked at him before nodding.
"Yeah—yeah, I do! Wait here!"
He dashed up the stairs and returned moments later, holding the shimmering cloak in his hands.
"Good. Give it to me—"
Ethan started, but then—
A scream.
Not from outside.
From inside the room.
Ethan spun around.
A woman stood near the entrance, clad in a tattered red cloak.
A jagged burn scar stretched across her cheek, and she was grinning.
"Everyone, back to your dorms!"
Ethan commanded, drawing the Sword of the Lady of the Lake in a swift motion.
The students obeyed instantly, bolting for their rooms. Hermione hesitated, wanting to stay, but Ron and Harry grabbed her arms, dragging her inside before slamming the door shut.
The woman chuckled darkly.
"I've been waiting for this moment," she sneered, her eyes gleaming with a twisted excitement.
She drew two transparent, glass-like daggers, their edges shimmering with an eerie glow.
"I've been looking forward to killing you, witcher."
She licked her lips, voice dripping with malice.
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
"I don't even know who you are."
"You will soon."
With terrifying speed, she lunged.
Her daggers struck like twin vipers.
Ethan twisted to the side, barely avoiding them.
He countered with a sweeping slash of his sword, but the woman moved like a shadow, dodging effortlessly, her movements as fluid as a cat's.
"Aard!"
Ethan traced a rune in the air.
A shockwave exploded outward like a runaway train.
The woman was blasted off her feet, flung backward toward the wall.
But before she could collide—
She vanished.
Like a drop of water sinking into a pond, her body melted into the stone.
Ethan's senses sharpened. He scanned the room, every muscle tense.
She could be anywhere.
A flicker of movement—behind him.
A vanity mirror, left abandoned on a sofa.
Her body surged out of the mirror like a wraith, daggers aimed at Ethan's back.
He twisted just in time.
The blades scraped against his armor, sending sparks flying, but they didn't pierce.
Without hesitation, Ethan drew his crossbow and fired.
The woman dodged with inhuman speed, but not fast enough—one bolt buried itself deep into her shoulder.
She hissed, staggering backward, but didn't cry out. Instead, she grabbed the arrow and yanked it free without so much as a wince.
Blood poured down her arm, but she ignored it.
Then, something changed.
Her eyes flickered with an idea.
She raised her wand.
The windows of the common room exploded.
Shards of glass rained down, catching the firelight as they hovered in midair, suspended by unseen magic.
Dozens. Hundreds.
All aimed at Ethan.
The woman smiled.
"Let's see you dodge this."