Second Wizarding War

The Second Wizarding War refers to the ensuing conflicts stemming from the Dark Wizard Lord Voldemort's second rise to power. Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters, waged chaos across both the wizard and Muggle communities. Harry Potter, prophesied as the "Chosen One" capable of bringing and end to Voldemort's power, took an active role in this war, alongside his peers in Dumbledore's Army and the members of the Order of the Phoenix. The Second War officially began in June of 1995 and ended on 2 May 1998, at the death of the Dark Lord.

=Background= The First Wizarding War was fought for eleven years, from 1970 to 1981. It included Voldemort's rise to power, the induction of the Death Eaters, and the mass chaos that resulted in his reign of terror.

Several great wizards were murdered in this time - Gideon Prewett and his brother Fabian Prewett, and Harry Potter's parents, James and Lily Potter. Others, such as Frank and Alice Longbottom, were permanently injured, to the extent that they could no longer perform magic.

On October 31, 1981, Voldemort attacked the home of James and Lily Potter in hopes of preventing the prophecy regarding his downfall from ever coming to fruition. However, his Killing Curse on Harry backfired, and Voldemort, having lost his physical body and magical powers, fled to a forest in Albania as a whisp of a shattered soul. Many Death Eaters were arrested by the Ministry of Magic; others claimed they had been enslaved by the Imperius Curse. Peace was temporarily restored to the Wizarding World.

There was much speculation afterwards on Voldemort's survival. Only Albus Dumbledore had any confirmation he was in Albania. However some, including Rubeus Hagrid, believed he was still alive, as he "wasn't human enough to die." Because Dumbledore strongly suspected the worst was not over, Harry Potter was taken into the care of his Muggle relatives, the Dursleys. Dumbledore placed a protective charm on their home which had an expiration date of Harry's 17th birthday.

The Philosopher's Stone
Lord Voldemort waited patiently for ten years in Albania for one of his servants to come to his aid. He inhabited the bodies of snakes to keep himself mobile, but it wasn't until 1991, when Hogwarts professor Quirinus Quirrell visited Albania and was taken in by Voldemort's charisma. Voldemort posessed Quirrell and lived on the back of his head like a parasite, forcing Quirrell to feed off unicorn blood to give him strength. Voldemort attempted to steal the Philosopher's Stone from Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and later Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but was thwarted by the wit and courage of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Voldemort's soul then fled back to Albania.

During that year, Firenze the centaur predicted through Astrology that since the planet Mars was shining directly above Scotland, war would come soon.

The Chamber of Secrets
Before his first downfall, Voldemort had created numerous fragments of his soul which he imbedded into Horcruxes. He did this out of his terror and paranoia of death. One such Horcrux was Tom Riddle's diary, which Voldemort, through his servant Lucius Malfoy, tried to use to regain a physical form in 1992. This time his unsuspecting victim was Ginny Weasley, who unwittingly allowed the diary to siphon life from her to the preserved memory of Tom Marvolo Riddle. However once again this plot was foiled by Harry Potter and his friends.

The Prisoner of Azkaban
During the 1994 Hogwarts school year, Peter Pettigrew, longtime Death Eater and servant of Lord Voldemort, was outed from his hiding place in the Animagus form of a rat. His disguise was discovered by the part-kneazle Crookshanks and Sirius Black, who had escaped from Azkaban in the Animagus form of a black dog named Padfoot. Though not from lack of trying, Harry Potter failed to successfully turn Pettigrew over to the Ministry, and he escaped to return to service to Voldemort.

Battle of the Graveyard in Little Hangleton
There were casualties which went unnoticed by most. Bertha Jorkins, a Ministry of Magic official at the Department of Magical Games and Sports was captured by Peter Pettigrew during her vacation to Albania in summer of 1994. She was interrogated for information on the Triwizard Tournament and then murdered with the Killing Curse. Frank Bryce, Muggle caretaker of the Riddle family mansion, was murdered by Lord Voldemort with the Killing Curse on August 20, 1994, after overhearing Voldemort's plans to murder Harry Potter.

Bartemius Crouch, head of the Department of Magical Cooperation at the Ministry, was murdered by his son Barty Crouch, Jr in June of 1995. Barty had been previously incarcerated in Azkaban for the crime of torturing the aforementioned Longbottoms with the Cruciatus Curse. Later, his father smuggled him out of prison in an attempt to end the guilt he felt for sending his son to a life term in prison. However, Barty broke free of his father's Imperius Curse, murdered him, and took up the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, with an elaborate scheme to take on the identity of Alastor Moody. When his scheme fell apart in the eleventh hour, his soul was destroyed with a Dementor's Kiss.

At that same time, Cedric Diggory was murdered by Peter Pettigrew, who used the Killing Curse on Voldemort's orders. Through a spell and potion, Voldemort regained physical form and attempted to duel Harry Potter. He failed, as the "echoes" of his previous victims, including James and Lily Potter, Cedric Diggory, Bertha Jorkins and Frank Bryce came to the scene at the accidental summoning of Priori Incantatem. They held back Voldemort's spell power, allowing Harry to escape using the Triwizard Cup as a portkey back to Hogwarts.

The Battle of the Department of Mysteries (1996)
Broderick Bode, Unspeakable for the Ministry of Magic, was strangled by a snipping of Devil's Snare that had been sent to his bedside table at St. Mungo's. He had previously been forced by Lucius Malfoy's Imperius Curse to steal a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries. When he was unable to remove the prophecy from its shelf, the protection charm caused him injury to the extent that he was admitted to St. Mungo's. His health was improving, but he was killed to prevent him from revealing the plot to steal the prophecy. Lord Voldemort had been unaware that would happen, and punished Avery Jr. for assuring the Dark Lord the plan would have worked.

In June 1996, Harry Potter and fellow Dumbledore's Army members Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and Ginny Weasley, flew on thestrals to the Department of Mysteries within the Ministry of Magic building. After obtaining the "Dark Lord's prophecy", they were confonted by Death Eaters Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, Mr. Crabbe, Nott, Avery, Jr., Augustus Rookwood, Walden Macnair, Jugson, Antonin Dolohov, Mulciber, and the group leader Lucius Malfoy. The D.A. students quickly distracted the Death Eaters, scattering throughout the Department of Mysteries, and frequently encountering and dueling with the dark wizards. Hermione, Luna, and Ginny were all stunned as well as numerous Death Eaters, but there were no fatalities until five members from the Order of the Phoenix arrived (who were Sirius Black, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Tonks, Remus Lupin, and Alastor Moody). They battled the Death Eaters before Bellatrix Lestrange suddenly blasted Sirius Black with her wand, causing him to fall and disappear through a mysterious veiled arch, killing him instantly. Soon afterwards, Albus Dumbledore appeared and captured all the Death Eaters except Bellatrix, through the use of an anti-disapparition jinx. He then came across Lord Voldemort himself. The two engaged in a duel of epic proportions which left the fountain of magical brethren in ruins. When an army of more Aurors arrived, Voldemort hastily fled, thus ending the battle.

See: Duel in the Ministry Atrium

The Battle of the Lightning-Struck Tower
There were numerous casualties of war in 1996. When Minister Cornelius Fudge refused to surrender, Voldemort destroyed a section of a British bridge, drowning many Muggles. Messrs. Florean Fortescue and Ollivander both went missing. Ollivander's shop was emptied, but there was no sign of struggle. Florean Fortescue's icecream parlour showed evidence of a struggle or fight, but no sign of him was ever found. A Man named Octavius Pepper disappeared in the early spring. Igor Karkaroff was found dead under a Dark Mark after he deserted Voldemort. Hannah Abbott's mother, Order of the Phoenix member Emmeline Vance, and Head of Magical Law Enforcement Amelia Bones were murdered by unknown assailants. These events allowed Head Ministry Auror Rufus Scrimgeour to replace Fudge as the new Minister for Magic.

During this time, Voldemort also gathered the strengths of the Giants, Dementors, and Werewolves to his cause.

At the close of the Hogwarts school year in June 1997, Albus Dumbledore was slain by Severus Snape's Killing Curse in the Hogwarts Astronomy Tower. He had been previously sickened to the brink of exhaustion by an unknown poison. After convincing Draco Malfoy to forego his plans to murder him, Severus Snape and four other Death Eaters came to the scene. Snape took over the task of killing Dumbledore.

Among the Death Eaters present were siblings Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Yaxley,Fenrir Greyback, Thorfinn Rowle and Gibbon. On the side of Hogwarts were siblings Ginny, Ron, and Bill Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Minerva McGonagall, Neville Longbottom. Bill Weasley was attacked by werewolf Fenrir Greyback and received scars on his face. Because Greyback was not fully transformed at the time of the attack, Bill sustained minimal lycanthropic symptoms. On the Death Eaters' side, the only death was that of Gibbon, killed by a stray Killing Curse from a fellow Dark Wizard.

The Death Eaters were forced to retreat. Much of the luck of the Hogwarts' defenders can be atributed to Felix Felicis, the potion of good fortune, which was used by the students who were present.

Flight from Little Whinging (1997)
Also known as the Battle of Seven Potters, this battle occurred in an ambush while the Order attempted to remove Harry from the Dursley home at 4 Privet Drive. The "Seven Potters" included Hermione Granger, Fleur Delacour, Ron, Fred, and George Weasley, and Mundungus Fletcher, who took Polyjuice Potion to take on the disguise of Harry Potter. Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, Bill and Arthur Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and Rubeus Hagrid acted as escorts to varius "Potters" to confuse any Death Eaters who might try to prevent them from reaching their destination of The Burrow. Immediately after takeoff, they were ambushed by at least 30 Death Eaters, including Severus Snape and Lord Voldemort. Fletcher Disapparated as soon as he sensed danger. Hedwig and Moody were both slain by Killing Curses. All others safely arrived at the Burrow, with only George Weasley sustaining a great injury of the loss of his ear.

Fall of the Ministry of Magic (1997)
This event took place on 1 August 1997. The purpose and outcome of this battle was the handing over of the Ministry to Voldemort. The coup was described as "swift and quiet," but as Minister Rufus Scrimgeour and possibly Head Auror Gawain Robards were killed, this is disputable. Many of the Ministry's top officials were under the influence of the Imperius Curse when this battle took place. Whether Death Eaters actually entered the Ministry and fought in person is not known. Regardless, some Death Eaters, such as Yaxley and Selwyn, became employees in the new regime.

Infiltration of the Ministry (1997)
In 1997, Harry, Ron and Hermione infiltrated the Death Eater-controlled Ministry under the disguise of the Polyjuice Potion. They disguised themselves as Albert Runcorn, Reginald Cattermole and Mafalda Hopkirk, respectively. They were looking for Salazar Slytherin's Locket, which they believed to be in the posession of Dolores Umbridge. Not only did they manage to reclaim the locket, but Harry Potter also liberated Alastor Moody's magic eye from the front of Umbridge's office door. In addition, they assisted several Muggle-born wizards to escape interrogation. There were no known deaths or permanent injuries.

Battle of Malfoy Manor (1998)
The small but bloody skirmish of Malfoy Manor occurred when Fenrir Greyback captured Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Griphook and Dean Thomas after Harry spoke the Taboo phrase of "Lord Voldemort." Greyback and five Snatchers descended on their location.

Opting to take Harry directly to Voldemort for the large reward, they Apparated to his headquarters of Malfoy Manor. Though Voldemort was elsewhere, the Malfoy family, Bellatrix Lestrange and Peter Pettigrew were present. Bellatrix Stunned the Snatchers for their "lack of respect" towards her, and ordered Draco Malfoy to take all the hostages to the basement, where they met with Luna Lovegood and Ollivander. Bellatrix kept Hermione back for a while, and tortured her with the Cruciatus Curse for information on how they were able to get Godric Gryffindor's sword. In spite of her great suffering, Hermione was able to concoct a bogus story on how they were able to obtain it without ever setting foot in the Lestrange vault at Gringotts: She claimed the sword was a fake.

Harry summoned Dobby the house-elf from Aberforth Dumbledore. Harry requested he evacuate Dean, Ollivander and Luna using the elf's special brand of Apparition magic. The Apparition noise was overheard in the house above, and Peter Pettigrew was sent to investigate. He was ambushed in the basement when Harry and Ron took his wand and briefly battled him hand-to-hand. However, when Pettigrew hesitated to kill Harry, his Voldemort-made silver hand to turn against him and strangled him to death, in spite of Harry and Ron's efforts to stop it. The two boys then stormed the room where Bellatrix was holding Hermione. When Dobby reappeared, the group - Harry, Ron, Hermione, Griphook and Dobby -Disapparated to the cottage of Bill and Fleur Weasley. It was only then that they discovered Bellatrix had thrown a blade and stabbed Dobby, who died soon afterwards. Dobby was buried in the garden of Shell Cottage with the epitaph of "A Free Elf."

The Battle of Hogwarts (1998)
After learning his Horcruxes were being systematically hunted and destroyed, Lord Voldemort ordered a massive attack on Hogwarts Castle, where his Horcrux was hidden as Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem. Hogwarts fortified herself for the attack. Voldemort demanded that Hogwarts to hand over Harry Potter, but despite the threats, they remained in support of Potter and refused. Eventually, having been convinced to hand himself over by Snape's memories, Harry surrendered himself to Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest convinced that his death would destroy Voldemort as well.

Voldemort's use of the Killing Curse on Harry merely knocked him unconscious. To maintain his safety, Potter feigned his death. Ordered by Voldemort to confirm Harry's demise, Narcissa Malfoy discovered that Potter was in fact alive, but kept it secret in exchange for information from Harry concerning the welfare of her child Draco. Rubeus Hagrid was forced to carry Harry back to the Castle, where the Hogwarts community believed he had been killed. In the ensuing commotion, Harry concealed himself with the Invisibility Cloak, and witnessed Neville beheading Nagini, Voldemort's last remaining Horcrux.

Morale renewed by Longbottom's bravery, the final battle included the house-elves, the residents of Hogsmeade; the friends and families of every remaining student, and a flock of Thestrals. Death Eaters were either cut down or forced to surrender. The last two remaining Death Eaters were Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange. After taunting Ginny Weasley, Bellatrix was finally killed by Molly Weasley. The crowd retreated and watched then as the two great enemies, Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter, bantered and circled each other. Harry dared Voldemort to feel remorse, to which Voldemort responded by shooting a Killing Curse from the Elder Wand. Harry simultaneously fired his own signature spell, the Expelliarmus charm, using Draco Malfoy's wand. However, because the Elder Wand rightfully belonged to Harry, the killing curse therefore rebounded at Voldemort and ended his life once and for all. The Second Wizarding War was over.