Oleandra dropped into the midst of the Dwarven host, scattering them with a mere sweep of her hand. The intricate sixfold sigil she had conjured drifted after her, spiralling down through the air before settling into place behind her head like a flaming aureole.
"Expulso!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
Oleandra advanced without flinching as a barrage of spells battered the shimmering bubble encasing her, causing it to shudder and flicker with every strike. Blue or green, the beams either glanced off or scattered harmlessly against her shifting defences.
"Ingwaz!" Oleandra commanded.
Instantly, two Death Eaters and an entire squad of Dwarfs found themselves pinned to the cool stone floor of Hogwarts castle, nailed down by an immense force pressing down on their backs. In response, the remaining Death Eaters pressed on with their attacks.
"Reducto!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Bombarda!"
Even though the Reductor Curse was devised to obliterate obstacles— magical or otherwise—the combined force of six Lokk proved insurmountable. Not even the Killing Curse, with its all-consuming properties known to pierce wards imbued with far more magic than itself, could breach the Full Armour of Ægishjálmur.
And yet…
There was no such thing as an unbeatable spell. Feeling the book's cover growing hot against her palm, Oleandra was forced to snap it shut before it burst into flames.
What allowed the protective bubble to move with Oleandra was the azure tome hovering a few inches above her outstretched left hand— the runes drifting behind her were following it, not her. The Book of the Stars was bound in special-grade talisman paper from the Orient, durable though it was, yet even such paper could only absorb so much magic compared to stone or cold steel.
"Her Shield Charm's down!" yelled a rather hairy Wizard. "Let's jump her!"
Oleandra's eyes narrowed— this one she recognised.
"Greyback," Oleandra hissed, brandishing her sword. "You threatened my family. Burned down our greenhouses. I'll get you for that."
Oleandra caught a Killing Curse on the flat of her blade, sending it whipping back towards its owner— a mousy little man with a receding hairline and expensive‑looking black robes. He flung himself to the ground, avoiding his own spell by scarcely more than a hair's breadth.
"It's her, Amycus!" cried an ugly, red-headed woman, grabbing the man's hand and helping him to his feet. "I thought she was dead!?"
"The reports of my death must have been greatly exaggerated," said Oleandra dismissively, effortlessly slicing through the wooden handle of a Dwarf's pike, before kicking his shield into his face, knocking out his teeth. "Isaz!"
The Dwarfs encircling her suddenly stiffened and froze, forming a kind of living fence that gave Oleandra a moment to catch her breath. Had they been human, they might have toppled over— but their squat frames, weighed down by armour and heavy weaponry, kept them upright.
"Useless bunch!" shouted Amycus Carrow. "Fenrir, take care of her while we reinforce the barricade!"
Fenrir's hackles rose, and though he plainly loathed being ordered about by his so‑called betters, he still turned his wolfish gaze towards Oleandra, licking his chops as the Carrow siblings turned tail and bolted up the stairs at the far end of the corridor.
"What's going on up there?" asked Oleandra, tightening her grip on her sword. "There's nothing at the top of the tower but the Astronomy classroom."
Fenrir grinned wolfishly in response.
"Fine, keep your secrets… or don't," said Oleandra. "Legilimens!"
Greyback ducked to avoid having his mind read through his eyes and charged, sending every Dwarf in his path tumbling like skittles as he barrelled towards her with strength far beyond that of ordinary men. But although Oleandra had lost most of her supernatural physical strength, she had retained enough speed and grace to meet him head‑on!
Eyes glued to her sword, Greyback lunged with arms outstretched, eager to seize her and sink his canines into soft flesh— only for Oleandra to twist aside, extend a foot to trip him, and snatch at the faint thread of Fairy Magic trailing from his back as he passed.
She'd never actually meant to read his filthy mind or take a swing at him with her sword for his first charge— she'd only meant to distract him— but he'd responded to the misdirection all the same, creating an invisible thread of Fairy Magic.
With her free hand, Oleandra reached into her pouch, her fingers closing around the miniaturised bedpan in which she'd sealed Sirius Black's missing twenty years, and she pressed the thread of magic she had just grabbed against it. It was time to give those years back!
Furious that his prey had not dared to take him head-on, Greyback whirled, snarling.
Oleandra could already see his dirty hair greying from the tips, his weathered skin cracking, mottled now with wrinkles and liver spots. Yet again, unaware he was growing more enfeebled by the second, he lunged at her with arms outstretched.
The Sword of the Lake sang as it sliced through the air, trailing an arc of crimson.
"You bitch!" swore Greyback as he fell back, cradling a bloody, maimed stump where his hand had once been. "I'll tear out your pretty little neck for thaff…!?"
Oleandra threw back her head and laughed. Greyback's sharp fangs were falling out of his mouth! He was getting so old that he was soon going to need dentures!
"Brush your teeth, lately?" Oleandra taunted him.
"Wha' 'ave 'oo dun 'oo me!?" Greyback groaned, spitting out bloody, yellowed teeth. "My teeff!"
It wasn't just his teeth— the rest of him was also growing more decrepit by the second. Greyback had already been pushing fifty when Oleandra had passed on Sirius's missing twenty years to him, so his physical age was now in the early seventies!
"I'd like to see you bite anyone now," Oleandra said fiercely. "Now, good night!"
Oleandra raised her sword and slammed its pommel down on Greyback's temple, knocking him out. As tempting as it would have been to simply slice open his throat there and then, she was certain he would suffer far more in his weakened state. There was no magic in the Wizarding World that could restore lost youth— not even the Elixir of Immortality, which only stretched out one's life like too little butter spread over a large piece of toast.
With Greyback out of the way, Oleandra froze the remainder of the Dwarfs with an ice rune, sealed the entrance to the Room of Requirement with a Locking Charm and began her final ascension through the Astronomy Tower, flying up the spiral staircase with Suit's help.
"Avada—"
"Thursaz!"
The Carrow twins lay in ambush, but Oleandra easily neutralised them before they could finish intoning their spells. And now, a barricade of wooden chairs and desks lay before her, blocking the way to the top of the tower.
"Reducto!" said Oleandra simply, raising her wand.
The obstacles turned to dust, and she marched up the final steps.