In the Castle courtyard, it had long since turned into a purgatory of blood and fire.
Scarlet light flickered in the eyes of the stone armored guards, fully activated by a spell from Professor McGonagall.
Wielding greatswords and battle-axes with earth-shaking steps, they stood like an insurmountable line of steel, hacking the waves of Death Eaters attempting to approach the walls into pieces.
The glass of the greenhouses had long since shattered.
The devils snare and Venomous Tentacula meticulously cultivated by Professor Sprout had now transformed into the most terrifying of hunters.
Like deep-sea krakens with a mind of their own, they reached out frantically from the dark windows.
Dragging enemies one by one silently into the abyss, leaving behind only screams that were swiftly cut short.
Harry and Ron stood back-to-back, with the Weasley Twins behind them unleashing their full firepower.
The crossfire net formed by the four of them almost sealed off an entire area, the light of their spells as dense as a rainstorm.
Not far away, the giant black hound that was Sirius and the Werewolf Lupin, who had completely unleashed his bestial nature, flanked the enemy like two bolts of black lightning tearing through the dark night, charging boldly into the densest part of the enemy ranks.
The black hound used its indestructible claws and fangs to tear through the enemies' spells and defenses, while the Werewolf followed up with swift and lethal strikes.
The unspoken understanding between these two old friends over the decades sublimated into a highly efficient killing machine on the battlefield; wherever they went, Death Eaters fled in terror, their formations falling into chaos.
With every minute and every second of the battle, lives were fading away.
There were enemies, but also the brave defenders of Hogwarts.
Blood stained the verdant grass a dark red, and the light of spells mingled with the fire of explosions, casting flickering shadows across the faces of everyone still fighting.
But in the Girls Dormitory of Gryffindor Tower, it was as quiet as another world.
Lia, draped in one of Hermione's coats, sat cross-legged calmly on the soft bed.
Hermione sat right beside her, one hand resting gently on her knee, feeling the warm, delicate skin beneath her palm and drawing a sense of peace and strength that belonged only to her.
She closed her eyes, and through that invisible soul bond, the entire Hogwarts battlefield transformed into a three-dimensional soul map composed of countless points of light, lines, and blocks of color, appearing with absolute clarity in her mind.
The strength of every life, represented by bright or dim points of light.
Every flow of magic, shown as lines of different colors.
Even every intense emotion.
Harry's determination, burning like a golden flame.
Sirius's dark red rage, mingled with hatred.
Professor McGonagall's sense of responsibility, as heavy as a monolith, was all laid bare.
"Lia," Hermione's voice was calm and clear, carrying the absolute rationality of a chess player overlooking the board.
"School gate, three o'clock direction, breach in the wall—two Trolls. Ginny's magic point is flickering rapidly; she's being suppressed and needs a 0.5-second window. Interfere with them."
She paused, then added another instruction.
"Don't kill them directly; save your strength. The rotten main course hasn't been served yet. A direct blast might interfere with the Castle's Ancient Runes protection—it's not worth the risk.
Just help out a bit and clear the obstacles for our friends."
Lia let out a soft purr of acknowledgment and then raised a slender, snow-white finger, tapping lightly in the air.
In an instant, on the distant battlefield, a ripple of pure spiritual energy—almost undetectable to anyone—passed precisely through hundreds of meters and the chaotic flow of spells.
That force skillfully struck the enemies' lower limbs, causing a Troll about to swing its spiked club to slip suddenly, its massive body losing balance.
The other seemed to be slapped on the back of the head by an invisible hand, inexplicably letting out an earth-shattering sneeze that sent thick snot flying onto its companion's face.
This fleeting, comical blunder created a perfect opportunity for a counterattack for Ginny, who had been suppressed almost to the point of suffocation.
A fierce glint flashed in her eyes, and several curses tempered with extreme rage instantly pierced through their bodies.
The corners of Hermione's mouth curled up slightly as she sent a commendatory thought of "well done" through the soul bond.
Lia, in her arms, immediately squinted her eyes comfortably, her head nuzzling affectionately against Hermione's warm neck again like a satisfied kitten after being praised by its owner.
Suddenly, on her "map," Hermione saw an exceptionally powerful and venomously malicious dark magic bypassing the main battlefield like a viper, shooting toward their tower window at an extremely tricky angle!
However, before she could even speak, the hand resting on her knee moved slightly.
An invisible barrier formed instantly outside the window, and the spell—powerful enough to pierce granite—slammed into it.
Like a red-hot iron falling into the deep sea, it dissolved silently without causing even a ripple.
Lia didn't even open her eyes, acting simply on the instinct of an apex predator to protect their love nest.
Hermione doted on her by pinching her cat ears and continued to calmly analyze the entire battle situation.
Lia became her most precise finger, constantly creating small but lethal advantages for their allies.
Miraculously reducing many unnecessary casualties among the Hogwarts students.
Suddenly, Lia's body stiffened, and her fur seemed to stand on end.
Her sky-blue eyes snapped open, filled with visceral disgust and alertness.
An extreme loathing originating from the deepest part of her soul for "rotting food of the same kind" made her instinctively let out a low, threatening growl from deep within her throat.
"Hermione..." Her voice was no longer lazy, but carried genuine gravity and killing intent.
"It's that most disgusting scent... He's coming from the Forbidden Forest... Harry and the others can't beat him..."
Meanwhile, on the battlefield.
After paying a heavy price, the Hogwarts defenders had miraculously repelled the most intense wave of the Death Eaters' offensive.
A brief moment of respite arrived, but before they could cheer, a chill that seeped into their very bones instantly enveloped the entire battlefield.
All the clamor, roars, and explosions came to a sudden halt at this moment.
The heavy oak doors of the Hogwarts Great Hall were blown into a million splinters by an invisible and majestic force.
Lord Voldemort walked in slowly, not followed by a single Death Eater.
Just like that, alone, quietly and elegantly, he stepped into this Castle that he both knew so well and hated so much.
Sirius, who had been locked in combat with a Death Eater, cursed as he forced the opponent back with a Stupefy spell, then shifted back to human form and quickly retreated to Harry's side, his expression more solemn than ever before.
"Harry, don't be impulsive!"
But it was too late.
Harry gripped his wand tightly and, ignoring everyone's gasps, stepped out one pace at a time to face Lord Voldemort's crimson, inhuman vertical pupils.
His parents' smiling faces flashed through his mind, along with Dumbledore's trust and every friend fighting behind him.
The entire Great Hall instantly became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
Everyone held their breath, watching as this fated duel was about to begin.
"Harry Potter."
Lord Voldemort's voice was as smooth as silk, yet it carried a coldness and mockery that could freeze the soul.
"The Boy Who Lived. Look at you, how pathetic, hiding behind a group of the old, weak, sick, and disabled, barely clinging to life."
"Today, right here," his voice suddenly rose, filled with unquestionable majesty and tyrannical killing intent, "your ridiculous, lucky life shall end!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
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