Originally Posted by Bazinga

Originally Posted by ArianaBlack

Originally Posted by The Narrator

In all the chaos that ensues, a blast hits the wall that houses the Headmaster's office. The Headmaster himself has already gone to attend to the matter but the damage is done all the same. Shelves are blasted--as is the desk holding the mirrors of a certain few students.

With a loud shattering noise, the mirrors fall to the ground.

With the magic broken, the students are now free to witness what might be the end of the world as they know it.

Originally Posted by TakemetotheBurrow

Originally Posted by INFERI!

Unthinking and unfeeling, reinforcements for the Neo-Alliance fighters lumber through the castle grounds onto the wooden bridge. The hoard of inferi trample bushes and climb over bounders as if they were grass and pebbles. They make a beeline toward the fray, ready to cause whatever damage they can to the Order of the Phoenix and their allies.

There is no apparent uniformity to the group of animated corpses, the group including both the recently killed Ministry employees Nero Nykto and Milo Jordan and the older decayed corpses of previous victims of the Neo-Alliance. Their one uniting factor now is the Neo-Alliance witch who reanimated each and every one for this very purpose: to fight.

As they make their way onto the bridge, the Inferi reach toward those fighting on the side of the Order of the Phoenix, grabbing and pushing as they go.

Originally Posted by Lissy Longbottom

Originally Posted by Simone Krafft

The kid's fire was getting really hot and Simone was starting to get annoyed. Maybe she should have just taken them out first even if the boss said to keep the kid safe and that they were a good resource. She only worked with certain people and trusted less, but right now she had to keep from burning up and keep from a spell taking her out when she was being distracted by people on her side.

Sending another killing curse towards the group she didn't get to react in time to a stunning spell that came at her and unlucky for Simone just as the stunning spell hit her the rubble that the kid sent at her slammed into her head. A loud crushing sound could be heard before the impact sent the woman flying off the side and down to her death.

Originally Posted by Neo-Alliance Followers

And you thought you were saved.

Barking mad, and wands drawn, a large number of the followers of the Neo-Alliance soon found their way to the spare room. Determined as they were, the shield charm wouldn’t hold long as one after the other shot spells it’s way to take it down.

Laughing maniacally, one of them shouted, “come out, come out, children! Lets play!”

Originally Posted by Fireheart

Originally Posted by Neo-Alliance Followers

One wild-looking - and particularly... ripe - Neo-Alliance follower leapt forwards, cackling gleefully, and aimed a wand at woman at the Hogwarts professor (Cassie). "Avada Kedavra!"

For the Greater Good!

Originally Posted by Bazinga

Originally Posted by Ginevra

Originally Posted by Lissy Longbottom

Originally Posted by PhoenixRising

Originally Posted by INFERI!

It was difficult to tell whether their numbers were increasing or dwindling thanks to the growing flames. Struck by the Fire-Making Spells from the newcomer (Stella) and engulfed in the blaze, a couple of inferi crashed into one another and then toppled over the side of the railing and down down down into the ravine below. Some of the fire remained on the wood, devouring its old knots and spreading up towards the roof as the stench of decomposing flesh hung in the air.

The floor creaked beneath a group that descended upon the woman (Josephina) futilely jabbing at the rotting unfeeling bodies. Her wand poked right through and imbedded itself in eye socket of an inferius as it fell on top of her and was joined by another. Then another. And another. And another. And another still. Flames (Minerva) pushed the topmost off and into the dark abyss beyond the bridge, but were soon replaced by others on to the mound. The wood creak in warning as the inferi continued to pile on and the flames relentlessly tore at the integrity of the bridge. One final inferius was all it took for the pile of over a dozen inferi to break the side of the bridge and then fall. And then the pile fell like domino's over th edge and pulled the along woman already in their grasp (Josephina) to her demise as well.

Disoriented and ramming into everything, a trio of flaming inferi stumbled forwards towards the bickering duo (Anastasia & Nemesis) with there long boney fingers clawing at the air.

Originally Posted by Neo-Alliance Followers

While half the group focused on the idiotic blonde professor who thought she could take them all on at once, the rest of the group had continued working on the protection spells keeping them out of the office. Their hard work was about to pay off...

The protection spells that had been keeping them out fell in a split second, allowing them entry into the small office. For those who want to fight - here's your chance! And for those who don't...I'm sure there's places to hide in here, right?

Just kidding YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM US!

The Alliance members let out a CHEER of victory as they started to trickle into the room, laughing maniacally and sending out stunning spells in excitement as they began their attack.

Originally Posted by Felixir

Originally Posted by BanaBatGirl

Originally Posted by The Narrator

With the long, high-pitched squeal of the former Headmistress, the wooden bridge began to splinter properly. Where it once had been merely falling in half, now it was all coming down.

Anyone who did not escape in time would also fall to their doom.

Only the slightest bits of each end of the bridge were left standing at the end of this epic, loud, splintery fall. In fact, a big BOOM could be heard quaking throughout the grounds when the bridge finally came down.

Thus ended former Headmistress Anastasia R. Truebridge, buried, ironically, by a structure of the same name.

Originally Posted by Chelliephone

Originally Posted by Waddles

Originally Posted by Bazinga

Originally Posted by Lucien Rosier

He was not surprised the hour had come.

Lucien had always known that the greatest visions must go through their own baptism by fire and had known that with what many would consider such a radical view, there would be a time when he and his followers would need to fight for what they believed in. That the time was now was of little consequence to him. Now, next week, a year from now, the man was ready to fight for a better world. That the others could not see his vision was...disappointing, but again he was not surprised.

The headmaster stormed across the courtyard, wand drawn and senses firing on overdrive. On his way down, he had seen several pockets of fighting. Even on the way down, he had had to dodge wayward spells being thrown out of the castle.

It was time to make the ultimate stand and he was ready.

This was the culmination of all his hard work and he was ready to see an end to this—the right end. It was the beginning of a new dawn for the wizarding world.

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

Originally Posted by Lucien Rosier

He didn't hear the spell coming his way, didn't see the minister raise his wand in his direction. It all came back to him in disturbing flashes. His parents. The failure of the wizarding system. The audacity of muggles....prancing about...

Lucien had no time to react before he was thrust backward with enough force to to crack just about every bone in his back as he crashed against a burning pillar on the edge of the courtyard. The wind entirely knocked out of him, the man's vision began to blur and his chest heaved with much effort to get in a breath in this smoke filled area of the school.

Blood came with each cough.

His vision, the better world he wanted for all, it was all fleeting. The dream was fast falling through his fingers like sand on the beach he would visit upon a time with his family in his young years.

It was almost laughable.

The man groaned, making every effort to rise to his feet. The cracking sound that came from behind was not heard until it was too late.

Originally Posted by The Narrator

The pillar, compromised by fire, could not withstand event he remnants of such a powerful knockback jinx. The last of its integrity crumbled when the cult leader's back shattered against it causing the entire structure to come toppling down atop the weakened man.

Dust rose with the smoke, rubble falling in every direction.

When it all settled, an eerie silence overtook the battered courtyard. The man would rise no more.

Originally Posted by INFERI!

The three inferi who had not yet caught fire were now also burning, thanks to the nonverbal Confringo from the witch Bryony. Now flames blazed on all six inferi, though some were decidedly more scorched than others, relative to how long they’d been on fire.

The freezing charm (Oakey) hit two of the inferi, who immediately stopped bumbling about. Frozen in their tracks, they continued burning, becoming more and more obviously charred as the corpses continued their cremation.

The additional spells from Vi Salander caused the remaining inferi to fall to the floor, where they continued to burn.

As the fires burned on the inferi, even those that hadn’t been immobilized stopped moving. The charred remains of the Neo-Alliance’s victims were no longer viable weapons for the Neo-Alliance’s resident necromancer. As the fires started to burn themselves out on the corpses, the last of the victims’ bodies were freed from the spell. The inferi were no more.

Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie

Originally Posted by The Narrator

Lumbering forward, leaping over rubble, darting around little patches of flame and inferi, and running through the legs of several people appeared a silvery wispy opossum. It scaled several obstacles before settling on a perch to present itself to the rowdy and hostile crowd. And then the voice of the Minister, strained but strong, erupted out of the spirit guardian’s open mouth.

“Citizens...supporters and members of the Neo-Alliance...and supporters and members of the Order of the Phoenix alike...please...I implore you, lay down your wands. Lucien Rosier, leader of the Neo-Alliance, has fallen. This battle of divergent ideals and ideologies must cease. The path forward for the Neo-Alliance is at its end … though not without hope for clemency upon negotiation. This war is over. Rise to a higher dignity...and lay down your wands … so that no more of our people must die...so that we may restore peace…”

It’s tail uncoiling from around its roost, the opossum began to climb down but dissipated into thin air before reaching the ground.

Originally Posted by Neo-Alliance Followers

The alliance were fewer and fewer with many being dropped by spells and some even deciding to run early, but the ones that were still fighting were fighting hard. Sending spells out left and right towards anyone, especially the man (Ronan) that was in their way. What caught a few of their attention was when the Inferi were no more and a few slowed up and looked towards each other then the unthinkable happened.

In a moment all their hope drained out of them, in just an instance it was obvious they were not going to win and that their leader was gone. A few witches threw themselves to the ground in sobs, while a few wizards tried to pull them to their feet to get the hell out of there before they were captured. Ones that were aware of what would happen laid down their wands and put their hands up in a surrender, but many took off to get away from the castle and to go into hiding.

Originally Posted by Healer Poppy

Poppy had come the moment the war was over. The VeRy MoMeNt she was told of the happenings and the state the school was in. That some children remained was nothing short of an aaaaabsolute miracle.

They needed her.

Unfortunately, up until now, Poppy was too busy behind the scenes. Taking Trent's personal care into her own hands, the woman was away at St. Mungo's more often than she was not. The man tried insisting he come to the final feast but the healer was having none of it. Goodness, no. Malachi Trent fancied himself a chivalrous Gryffindor. He still had the interest of the children at heart, despite the frantic way he flinched away every time she so much as showed him a mirror.

No no no, she would handle this for him and set things to right.

"Good eeeeevening, dearies!" She chimed, making her way down the centre tables. Behind her floated baskets of freshly baked melon and strawberry bread. They settled along each table, enough for the little dears. There was no need for them to STARVE while they waited on the speech. Her Hufflepuff heart wouldn't allow it.

"Good evening, good evening."

Approaching the dais, Poppy took the spot where the Headmaster usually sat....an...unusually wide grin in place. Her eyes shone with all the healing goodness she could offer.

Blue eyes caught the Healer pin on the blonde's (Gabi) just a seat over. It matched the one she now wore.

"Attention. Atteeeeention!" She waited for the students to settle...not that it took much. They all looked like someone had died!

Too soon?

"You're no doubt wondering WHO I am. I'm Healer Poppy and I've been assigned by the Hogwarts Board of Governors in these oh so trying times. I want you all to know that I'm here for you and will continue to be here for you--as long as you all need. I know things don't feel right but they will be, never you worry. Help yourself to some pre-feast snacks. You must be starving. I don't know why they wouldn't just feed you." She paused a moment to spare the Professors seated a glance, not a judging one per se but there was some tutting.

"The decorations no doubt make it clear, House Gryffindor has won the house cup, though I can't imagine that's important at a time like this! We'll be saying goodbye to our Seventh Years--those that chose to stay til the end but I'll be seeing the rest of you bright and early," in the evening, "come September. I don't want to hassle you with too much and know you've all just had the woooorst time. Could not be worse if you prayed for worse, oh Merlin. We've lost many. We have. I hope this will be a summer of healing and I'll be right here when the new term starts. Let's all eat."

With a clap of her hands, more food arrived and the feast was officially on. that settled, Poppy stretched her hand past the flying man to extend it to the school healer. "HI! Healer Poppy! I think we'll be seeing a lot of each other!"