It's not easy to explain, but . . .

Chapter 64

                                   Chapter 64 : One helluva fight

All four courtyards of Hogwarts were full of Death Eaters and Defenders, dueling and maneuvering; the Death Eaters trying to push their way further into the school, their goal being the Great Hall, while the Defenders were keeping that progress at a maddeningly slow pace, seeming to retreat, only to attack and push the Death Eaters back.

Neville, Seamus and Dean had come down off of the battlements into the small courtyard in the classroom section of the school, to find Bill, Charlie and Percy Weasley, Justin, Ernie, Anthony & Terry trading spells and hexes thick and fast, the air almost electric with each flash.  They gleefully joined in, whooping and hollering, making the others grin, rally and charge at the Death Eaters, yet again.

Over in the Fountain courtyard, Tonks, Lisa, Morag, Megan and Romilda were keeping the Death Eaters in the center of the courtyard, while they used the covered walkway to circle and contain them.   Arthur, Remus and Sirius were  blocking the entrances to the  hallways  when Ginny, Susan, Luna and Hannah arrived.  After taking a look, the girls split up and joined their friends, ducking and weaving around the pillars. 

Fred, George, Alicia and Angelina had been swooping overhead, keeping an eye on the different battles, when they spotted Draco and Harry streaking toward them.

"OY! Draco!  Finished with target practice, are you?" Fred shouted in greeting.

"One got away, by turning and running, so I figured if he tells his friends back home about what happened, we won't have to worry about giants for quite a while!" was Draco's laughing reply.

"Harry!  Any word on Tom's whereabouts?"  George inquired, as Harry settled his broom next to the group.

"Myrtle reported his return from the Chamber of Secrets and he's headed for the Great Hall," Harry answered, as he watched the Death Eaters below firing spells in all directions.

"Oh, look!" cried Angelina, pointing at the roof of the nearby classroom wing.  "Professor Sprout and Peeves are about to get started."

"Better warn everyone, then," added Alicia, as she pulled a whistle from her pocket.  "Cover me!" 

Putting her broom into a steep dive, the former Quidditch player swooped down over the Courtyard, and blew a sharp warning blast as she skimmed past the fountain and back upward, Fred, George and Angelina right behind her, shooting spells at any of the Death Eaters who were quick enough to react to her sudden appearance.  The defenders pulled their earmuffs from their pockets and put them on for "auditory protection".

Suddenly, large flower pots began dropping from the sky, crashing and breaking apart on the stone pathways, releasing the Mandrakes, whose wails immediately pierced the air.  Death Eaters yelled in pain, clamping their hands over their ears to try and shut out the screeching sound . . . some weren't quick enough and passed out, sprawling onto the ground, tripping their fellow invaders as they staggered around in the dark.  Most of the Death Eaters chose to 'Apparate' out of the Courtyard to a different part of the castle, but the ones who remained were quickly subdued and bound.

 X X X

Hearing the distant sounds of the Mandrakes, some of the Death Eaters in the neighboring Courtyard turned and fought their way out of the west archway and headed for the greenhouses, where they were joined by the Death Eaters who were  'Apparating' away from the Mandrakes bombardment.  They began to circle around the outside of the castle, running between the greenhouses, in order to enter the school on the north side, by the viaduct.