Battle of Hogwarts

"We did it! We bashed them, wee Potter's the one. And Voldy's gone moldy so now let's have fun!"

- Peeves

The Second Battle of Hogwarts was the final battle of Voldemort's second rise to power and took place in May 1998. It was the most devastating battle of the war and the many deaths included Lord Voldemort, Bellatrix Lestrange, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Severus Snape and Fred Weasley. It is also assumed to be the final battle the Elder Wand took part in.

Horcruxes
At the climax of the Battle of Hogwarts the previous year, Albus Dumbledore was murdered by then DADA professor Severus Snape (though, as revealed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, they had planned this months in advance.) Dumbledore, however, had left Harry Potter with a final task; to find, and destroy the remaining Horcruxes that Lord Voldemort had created several decades before. Over several months, two Horcruxes were destroyed; the locket, destroyed by Ron in December of 1997, and the cup, destroyed in late May, 1998. Two had also been destroyer earlier; the diary, had been destroyed by Harry in 1992, and the ring, destroyed by Dumbledore sometime between July 1 and July 26, 1996. 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
At the end of July to beginning of August 1997, the current Minister for Magic, Scrimegeour, was captured by Voldemort and interrogated for the whereabouts of Harry Potter, but, in one last brave act for Harry, had told them nothing, and was killed by Voldemort, thus gaining the Ministry of Magic for the Death Eaters. And thus, Hogwarts was now under the control of Voldemort, the heir of Slytherin. The Dark Lord then appointed Severus Snape as new headmaster (ironically, Snape had killed the previous headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, just a few months before.) Many subjects were revisioned in the will of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, (i.e. Defence Against the Dark Arts more or less began to teach the Dark Arts, Muggle studies had begun to tell that Muggles and Muggle-borns were animals, etc.). A band of students had begun to stand up, however very early on in the 1997-98 school year, led by Neville Longbottom, a seventh-year. They were pretty much a successor to Dumbledore's Army, founded by Harry Potter in his fifth year.

Arrival at Hogwarts
When Harry, Hermione and Ron wanted to search Hogwarts for Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem, they encountered Neville and Aberforth Dumbledore in the Hog's Head who told them that the only way in or out of Hogwarts was a secret passage between the Hog's Head, which Aberforth owned, and the Room of Requirement, which is where this band of rebels were hiding for the year. Their arrival triggered the arrival of many other former Hogwarts students, many original members of the covert organazation Dumbledore's Army.

Uprising
The trio split up on entering Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione go to the Chamber of Secrets to destroy Helga Hufflepuff's Cup and Harry goes to the Ravenclaw Common Room to find Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem. Luna lets him in. However, Alecto Carrow, the Muggle Studies teacher, appears, but Luna neutralises her. The diadem however is not there. Minerva McGonagall arrives and summons the other Heads of Houses after a group of them chase Severus Snape from the castle. The students and staff gather in the Great Hall as the Death Eaters arrive at the gates, accompanied by Lord Voldemort himself.

Ultimatum
Given the chance to hand over Harry, the school refused and Pansy Parkinson, who suggested Harry be sent out, was instructed to leave. Those not willing to fight or not of age are sent out of the school.

Room of Requirement
Harry remembered seeing the diadem in the Room of Requirement and together with Ron and Hermione, they found it but before they could remove it, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle arrived and Crabbe accidentally destroyed it with Fiendfyre. Meanwhile, Snape was killed by Nagini on Voldemort's orders. His dying act was to pass his memories on to Harry.

Sacrifice
After viewing the memories, Harry headed into the Forbidden Forest to sacrifice himself, but due to the fact that Voldemort had used Harry's blood in the fourth year in the graveyard of Little Hangleton he survived.

Fall of the Dark Lord
After Harry and Voldemort, who had both collapsed upon Voldemort's casting of the Avada Kedavra at Harry, came to, Harry feigned death while Voldemort sent Narcissa Malfoy to see if he was truly dead. Upon quietly learning of Draco's continued survival from Harry, Narcissa lied to the Dark Lord saying that Harry Potter was dead. After Hagrid carried Harry's body back to Hogwarts, guided by the Death Eaters walking in a victory march, Neville Longbottom openly defied Lord Voldemort. Voldemort placed a spell on Neville freezing him to the spot, set the Sorting Hat atop his head and set it aflame. The centaurs then attacked the Death Eaters, giving Harry time to disappear under his Invisibility Cloak in the confusion. Neville broke free of Voldemort's curse and pulled the sword of Godric Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat. In one stroke, Neville used the blade to behead Nagini, destroying the last of Voldemort's Horcruxes and rendering the Dark Lord mortal once more. He, alongside his now weakened army, forced his way into Hogwarts. Molly Weasley killed Bellatrix Lestrange with the killing curse. Voldemort then turned on Mrs. Weasley which enraged the famous Harry Potter who, at this point, was believed dead by all onlookers. He threw off his Invisibility Cloak and began a fierce argument with the Dark Lord, trying and failing to get him to feel remorse for his crimes. Both Potter and Voldemort claimed at the time that they were the true master of the Elder Wand. Both cast curses: Potter, Expelliarmus, Voldemort, Avada Kedavra. However, Potter was indeed the true master of the Elder Wand. Thus, the Dark Lord's curse rebounded upon himself and he fell, finally killing Tom Marvolo Riddle once and for all and ending the Second Wizarding War with Harry Potter as the victor.

Casualties
"Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Colin Creevey, and fifty others who had died fighting him"

- Description There are many causalities in this epic battle such as the elder twin brother of Ron Weasley, Fred who was killed in an explosion cause by an unknown spell. The first one to die was Vincent Crabbe who tried to use the Fiendfyre spell on Harry Potter which backfired and killed him. Severus Snape was killed by Nagini on Lord Voldemort's orders since he killed Dumbledore and according to Voldemort the Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. Neville Longbottom killed the great Nagini with Godric Gryffindor's sword and later on when the battle really erupts, more are killed on both sides. Bellatrix Lestrange dueling with Hermione, Ginny and Luna comes very close to killing Ginny with a killing curse which misses and sends Molly Weasley in a rage killing Bellatrix Lestrange and the final match saw Harry Potter battle with Lord Voldemort, Voldemort casts Avada Kedavra as Harry simultaneously conjures Expelliarmus. But Voldemort's killing curse backfires when the Elder Wand protects its master, while Harry's disarming charm wrenches it from Voldemort's hand to his. With all his Horcruxes destroyed, Voldemort dies instantly.. There were 54 lives lost on the Order of the Phoenix side of the battle that day as stated:

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows