"The sword of Godric Gryffindor," he said. Hermione and Ron both stiffened. Harry looked around for a sign of the ruby-encrusted hilt, but Scrimgeour did not pull the sword from the leather pouch, which in any case looked much too small to contain it."So where is it?" Harry asked suspiciously."Unfortunately," said Scrimgeour, "that sword was not Dumbledore's to give away. The sword of Godric Gryffindor is an important historical artifact, and as such, belongs--""It belongs to Harry!" said Hermione hotly. "It chose him, he was the one who found it, it came to him out of the Sorting Hat--""According to reliable historical sources, the sword may present itself to any worthy Gryffindor," said Scrimgeour. "That does not make it the exclusive property of Mr. Potter, whatever Dumbledore may have decided." Scrimgeour scratched his badly shaven cheek, scrutinizing Harry. "Why do you think--?""--Dumbledore wanted to give me the sword?" said Harry, struggling to keep his temper. "Maybe he thought it would look nice on my wall."Dumbledore also bequeathed Godric Gryffindor's Sword to Harry, but the Ministry refused to turn it over to him, as it was not Dumbledore’s property. Scrimgeour speculated that Dumbledore left Harry the sword of Godric Gryffindor because it might be capable of defeating the Heir of Salazar Slytherin. Harry scoffed at this, and grew angry over the Ministry’s continuing suspicion of him and covering up of facts instead of actually working towards the defeat of Voldemort. Scrimgeour, highly insulted, leapt up, and the two exchanged heated words before being interrupted by Arthur and Molly Weasley. Scrimgeour soon departed. It is probable that Dumbledore put the sword in his will to clue Harry and his friends in to the sword’s importance to their quest to destroy Voldemort’s Horcruxes. As it was imbued with the venom of a basilisk, the sword is one of the few items capable of destroying one. It would later be used by Ron to destroy Salazar Slytherin's Locket and by Neville Longbottom to kill Nagini.
Still watching through his lashes, Harry saw Voldemort wave his wand. Seconds later, out of one of the castle's shattered windows, something that looked like a misshapen bird flew through the half light and landed in Voldemort's hand. He shook the mildewed object by its pointed end and it dangled, emtpy and ragged: the Sorting Hat."There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School," said Voldemort. "There will be no more Houses. The emblem, sheild and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slythering, will suffice everyone. Won't they, Neville Longbottom?"He pointed his wand at Neville, who grew rigid and still, then forced the hat onto Neville's head, so thta it slipped down below his eyes. There were movements from the watching crowd in front of the castle, and as one, the Death Eaters raised their wands, holding the fighters of Hogwarts at bay."Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me," said Voldemort, and with a flick of his wand, he caused the Sorting Hat to burst into flames.Screams split the dawn, and Neville was a flame, rooted to the spot, unable to move, and Harry could not bear it: He must act -And then many things happened at the same moment.They heard uproar from the distant boundary of the school as what sounded like hundreds of people came swarming over the out-of-sight walls and pelted toward the castle, uttering lowd war cries. At the same time, Grawp came lumbering around the side of the castel and yelled, "HAGGER!" His cry was answered by roars from Voldemort's giants: They ran at Grawp like bull elephants making the earth quake. Then came hooves and the twangs of bows, and arrows were suddenly falling amongst the Death Eaters, who broke ranks, shouting their surprise. Harry pulled the Invisibilty Cloak from inside his robes, swunt it over himself, and sprang to his feet, as Neville moved too. In one swift, fluid motin, Neville broke free of the Body-Bind Curse upon him; the flaming har fell off him and he drew from its depths something silver, with a glittering, rubied handle - The slash of the silver blade could not be heard over the roar of the oncoming crowd or the sounds of the clashing giants or of te stampending centaurs, and yet, it seemd to draw every eye. With a single stroke Neville sliced off the great snake's head, which spun high into the air, gleaming in the light flooding from the entrance hall, and Voldemort's mouth was open in a scream of fury that nobody could hear, and the snake's body thudded to the ground at his feet
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