Hope's End
Chapter Twenty-Three
Battle for Argentan
President Chirac shook hands with Albus Dumbledore, leader of the Order of the Phoenix, and Supreme Commander James Aniston, the man in charge of the United Coalition of Wizarding Armies. After a lengthy debate, the Magical World decided to reveal themselves to the Muggles after receiving intelligence reports that Voldemort was planning a full-scale invasion of France. Due to the fact that the Muggle world has had much experience with bloody and lethal wars, they were very accepting of the Wizards, and soon, pretty much the entire world held a special hatred for Voldemort. France agreed to co-operate with the Wizards for the defence of their country, and other countries soon began mobilizing to defend France. The English, once learning that their entire country was being held hostage by a wizard terrorist, declared war. Unfortunately, Voldemort proceeded to annihilate very single major city in England with the Atomic Curse, and the British quickly cowed. This provoked the entirety of Muggle Europe to declare war on Voldemort. But Voldemort didn't care, and quickly went ahead with his plans for a full-scale invasion of France.
Explosions raged across the city of Argentan as Death Eaters and Dementors assaulted it. The Dark Forces held the west side of the city while the Order of the Phoenix, and the United Coalition held the east side, and in the center of the city, the forces of Light and Dark were engaged in a violent struggle. Curses flashed overhead, with wizards duelling fiercely, and Muggles ran screaming in all directions, more than a little bit confused and panicked.
"Fire!" cried a Coalition Sergeant. Killing Curses exploded over the heads of the Death Eaters as they scattered and took cover. Up ahead, death rained down from the sky as Broomwizards and Death Eaters engaged each other. As the sounds of battle, death, and anguish were heard, a new sound roared up everything, drowning them all. The wizards ignored it, knowing this day would come. Overhead, fifteen Muggle warplanes, dive bombers to be exact, came screaming down from the sky and strafed the Death Eaters. Black-robed wizards screamed in pain, while their comrades dodged it and fired anti-aircraft spells, recently developed, at the planes. Three planes exploded, with one trailing fire, as it plunged into a nearby building, destroying it completely.
From the north, came the sounds of marching soldiers. Dark and Light side members as one looked north, and the Dark cheered, as five regiments of Death Eaters forewent marching and began an all-out assault on the weary Light side.
"AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA! EXPLODRA! DEVASTORUS! INCENDIO!" cried the Death Eaters.
"Form ranks! FORM RANKS!" shouted Lieutenant Potter of the Second Army. Coalition troops lined up, side by side. "RAISE WANDS!" he shouted again. The troops obediently raised their wands. "PICK YOUR TARGETS AND FIRE AT WILL!" screamed Harry, as he began to unload the Ancient Arts unto the Death Eaters. With a furious battlecry, so did the Coalition. Nearby, three buildings flashed with fire as it collapsed, and the battle for the city of Argentan roared on.
Overhead, ten French strategic bombers unloaded five hundred kilograms of death onto the Death Eaters, and the Coalition pressed their attack, deeper and deeper into Argentan. With a loud crack, Lord Voldemort Apparated into the thick of the fighting, and once again squared off against Potter.
"Potter," acknowledged Voldemort. "Jack-ass," acknowledged Harry. They stood silent for a moment, before Voldemort's rage took over and he screamed, pointing his wand at Harry, "CAERIMONIA!" A bright orange beam of magic lanced out of his wand, intent on boiling Potter's blood. Potter waved his wand in a complex fashion, and promptly Disapparated out of there. Overhead, three French dive-bombers recognized the target painted across Voldemort's head and screamed down below, thousands of bullets roaring toward Voldemort. He cursed, and Disapparated, just as the first few hundred bullets peppered the ground.
They both Apparated west of the center city fighting, and right into a pack of French armed forces facing off against a pack of Death Eaters. Voldemort instantly cast an Exploding Curse right into the French which decimated them, while Harry fired ten spears of black fire into the Death Eater group, destroying three quarters of them and burning the rest. Voldemort raised his wand and cried out:"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Harry ducked the Killing Curse and responded, "Auganj Asaph Virixian!" A large, bright beam of gold soared out of Harry's wand, preparing to vanuquish Voldemort, but he Disapparated and fired off another Killing Curse at Harry, who dodged, and Disapparated back to England. Harry took a quick breather, before Apparating to another spot of fighting.
All across Argentan, Death Eaters were quickly reinforced, and began blowing the planes out of the sky, and the Coalition forces and soldiers into Hell. Just when it looked bleak for the French and the Coalition, agents of the Dark Order Apparated in and engaged the Death Eaters. This gave a major boost to the Coalition, and Main Battle Tanks quickly arrived, also boosting the French soldier's morale, as the Battle for Argentan roared on. Overhead, seven hundred Death Eaters on broomsticks began to intercept the various bombers. Someone got the word out, and very quickly came French fighters, and a full-blown aerial war exploded.
"Avada Kedavra!" cried out a Death Eater on a broom, pointing his wand at a fighter plane coming straight at him. Unfortunately, a hundred bullets ripped through him at the same time as the plane's right wing erupted into green flame, sending the plane careening down below. Fortunately, the brave French pilot managed to steer his kamikaze plane into a large group of defending Death Eaters, and wiped them all out in the crash and resulting explosion of metal, fire, and fuel. Down below, tanks were blasting the crap out of anything that had a black robe on it. And the only things that had a black robe on it were Death Eaters. Order of the Phoenix members wore red robes, Coalition wizards wore blue robes, and French soldiers were not wearing robes, period. Behind the tanks, French assault infantry fired bursts of bullets into the Death Eaters, and Coalition wizards and witches fired off Killing Curses and other spells, supporting the tanks. Soon, Death Eaters on all points were in a full retreat, with the Coalition and French pursuing. The first Battle for Argentan had been victorious for the French and Coalition, but how long would they last?