post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post QUICKER
Expecting a huge explosion and for the wall to shatter, Harry was about to consider jumping off the wall when the orbs connected; nothing directly damaging happened. Instead, the orbs spread into one huge smear of light, straight vertical up.
Harry had a good idea of what these did, but Hagrid's voice confirmed it.
"Tractor spells! They're coming onto the wall!"
"Marathias, everyone! Now!" Harry shouted commandingly. Only half of the wall group had conjured their Arcane swords, but when the rest got theirs, it looked like the entire wall was tinted a rainbow color, so intense were the auras that emanated from their blades.
"Can these deflect the green beams that the gremlins are shooting?" Harry asked Snape.
"They should be able to." Snape replied, finally summoning his own cobalt-blue Marathia sword.
Harry dashed to the parapet and saw that the tractor spells were lifting the gremlins up at an alarming rate.
"Here they come, here they come!" Hermione screamed.
The first gremlin jumped over and came straight at Harry. His fear was miraculously pushed aside by all his training, and Harry felt himself moving, rather than doing it himself.
The gremlin swung the rod. With his reflexes, the product of Quidditch, Harry ducked it easily. He heard the air crackle with electricity where his neck had been less than a second earlier.
The momentum of the blow had carried the gremlin forward considerably, and Harry did not hesitate to drive his sword straight through its gut. It screamed, a bloodcurdling bubbly sound, but Harry ignored it.
His mind numbly registered that he had killed, that he had taken the life of what had no so long ago been a living, breathing thing. However, Harry swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth and moved on to assist his fellow fighters. He glimpsed Hermione's brown hair and watched her dodge a strike, then savagely kick out and send another gremlin toppling over the wall.
Suddenly what felt like a eletrical sledgehammer struck him on his back, and caused Harry to stagger two steps. His anger was up now. When the gremlin charged again, Harry neatly tripped it and stabbed it in the back.
A deafening banging sound tore at them.
"They're trying to bring down the front gate!" Ginny screamed.
Harry took action. "Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville! Come with me!"
They followed him as he tore toward the middle of the wall, pausing to kick another gremlin over the wall.
Another enormous tremor caused them to lose their footing, Neville teetering dangerously.
"Stay back from the edge!" Harry warned.
"What do you plan to do?" Ron asked. "They're giants! Even if you could break through their armor, their skin is still incredibly tough."
"We don't attack them directly." Harry said, a plan quickly forming to mind.
"Then how?" Hermione said, staggering. A green beam had struck her leg. It wasn't broken, but it was bruised and likely to be very painful. Ginny grabbed her arm and helped her along.
"Blind them." Harry said.
When they neared the wall, Harry bellowed. "Cover your eyes, everyone! Now!"
Hearing his commanding tone, everyone near covered their eyes or dropped in place.
"Flares! Aim straight for the cluster, and take cover!"
Five wands were raised, and five searing-white comets flew out. As soon as they were released, Harry and the others protected their eyes.
There was a enormous bang, followed by the screams and howls of all the giants. Harry chanced a peek over the parapet and saw the dozens of dark creatures that had been blinded by the flash.
"Knew it'd come in useful." Ron said. Ron had been the one who had suggested it in the first place. Harry had been reluctant, since he thought it might also affect the initial caster.
Now however, Harry was very grateful that he had learned it.
The gremlins atop the wall and in the beam were less affected though; Harry had to spring back to avoid a mighty blow from one of the rods. Ron finished it off with a jackhammer swing.
"How long before they recover?" Ginny wondered aloud.
"I'd say about two minutes," Hermione grunted. "We'd better make good use of that time."
She put a Silver Arrow in the leg of another gremlin; it howled in anguish and collapsed.
The walls were strewn with corpses; Harry thanked the fates that none of them were on his side.
"Huh, they haven't killed any of us yet."
"Thankfully." Neville added grimly.
"Take them out as fast as you can!"
They set to it at a will, summoning arcane fire from their wands to burn the hindered darkness. Before though, their opponents had recovered and were even angrier than ever before.
"What're they doing now?" Ron peered over and pointed.
"What?" Harry said.
He saw what seemed like a strange red fluid substance cradled in one of the giant's hands.
"Doesn't seem good." Harry replied. "Better try and put a stop to it."
The giant set the strange load down at the base of the front gate. Immediately, the fluid substance seemed to absorb into the gate, giving it an eerie crimson tinge.
As soon as the entire gate was glowing red, the gremlins started bunching up.
"If they're doing what I think they are..." Neville began.
"Then we're on a disadvantage." Ron finished.
"Get the giants." Harry said urgently. "Now."