"Harry!"
Just as the red light shot toward him, Hermione stepped in and intercepted the spell.
A layer of shimmering armor flared across her body, deflecting the curse and sending it crashing into a shelf of prophecy orbs.
The glass sphere shattered, releasing the ghostly image of a white-bearded old man murmuring something indistinct.
"Now!" Harry shouted.
Hermione snapped her wand up and fired back. "Reducto!"
"Reducto!" Four voices rang out at once.
But their blasts weren't aimed at the Death Eaters—they struck the towering shelves instead.
The racks splintered apart, sending dozens of glass orbs raining down in a cascade of shattering crystal.
Harry and the others seized the opening and bolted.
"Brilliant work!" Lucius snarled at Bellatrix.
She only laughed shrilly, weaving between the crashing orbs, delighted by the chaos.
As the Dumbledore's Army group ran, they became separated in the confusion. Harry spotted the same door they'd entered through now cracked open.
He grabbed Hermione's arm, dragged her through, and slammed it shut. Hermione flicked her wand, locking it tight with a spell.
But once the door was locked, they realized only the two of them were inside.
"They must have taken the wrong path!" Hermione said in horror.
"Damn it!" Harry cursed under his breath.
He wanted to rush back and find the others, but just then voices echoed from outside.
...
Luna and Ginny had been cornered.
Two Death Eaters blocked the passage at both ends. Ginny squeezed Luna's hand, guilt written all over her face. "It's my fault. I took the wrong turn."
"Grab them. Potter will hand it over once he sees them."
Lucius gave the order and then led the others away to hunt for Harry.
To him, two adult Death Eaters were more than enough to deal with a pair of young girls.
The masked figures advanced step by step. Ginny tightened her grip on her wand.
"We can fly out of here," Luna said calmly.
"What? We don't know how—" Ginny began to protest instinctively.
Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap firmly around her waist.
It was Luna's.
Then Luna tapped lightly against the floor.
Wings sprouted from her shoes, and before the Death Eaters could react, they fluttered rapidly.
Ginny felt her feet lift off the ground—they were actually flying.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
A Death Eater attacked, red light shooting toward them.
By her ear, Ginny heard that airy, sing-song voice: "We're going to fly now with speed."
Her vision blurred, but as a Seeker, she quickly regained focus.
Looking down, she saw Luna's shoes glowing faintly across the surface—gleaming, almost dazzling.
The tiny wings beat stubbornly and fast, whipping up gusts of wind that sent prophecies toppling from the shelves.
Chasing Death Eaters fired spell after spell while dodging the falling orbs.
"Why is this—" Ginny didn't even get the words out before a streak of red light shot upward. She couldn't react in time, but the curse ricocheted away.
It was a Shield Charm.
But neither of them had cast it.
She heard a faint clinking sound and glanced down at Luna's hands around her waist. Dangling there were several small wooden plug-like charms.
Between the plugs hung little wooden chips and fragments of seashells.
One of the shells had just shattered. Ginny asked, "What are those?"
Luna swerved in midair to dodge a curse, her airy voice carrying a hint of delight. "Charms John gave me."
As Arthur Weasley's daughter, Ginny knew that Auror gear sometimes included protective charms.
At first, they could rely on their aerial advantage and speed to evade attacks.
But as more and more Death Eaters were drawn to them, they became moving targets.
Charm after charm shattered, each break making Ginny's heart pound harder.
"Go lower—quick, Luna, drop lower!" Ginny shouted.
But Luna wasn't Ginny; she didn't have the same flying skill.
When she descended into the spaces between the tall shelves, at least the number of incoming attacks lessened.
Just as they passed one towering shelf, the side exploded with a blast.
The two of them were thrown down by the shockwave and debris, plummeting hard from the air.
They crashed to the ground, tumbling over several times before coming to a stop. The last wooden chip on Luna's bracelet shattered, leaving it bare.
A streak of red light shot toward them, and Ginny hastily raised her wand to block it.
Ginny was still knocked off her feet, rolling across the floor with shards cutting into her face.
Luna staggered upright and glanced at her shoes.
The two little wings on them twitched in tatters, then dissolved into motes of light and vanished.
Her ability to fly was clearly gone. She drew her wand and looked up—only to see a masked Death Eater looming before her.
"Luna!"
Ginny shouted, and not far away, another Death Eater was approaching.
"Expelliarmus!"
Ginny's wand flew from her hand. Luna barely had time to raise hers before the Death Eater batted it aside and sent her crashing to the ground.
Now the two of them truly seemed trapped.
Blood trickled from the corner of Luna's mouth. She lifted her head again—and saw the Death Eater frozen in place.
Something was gripping the back of his neck, forcing him to struggle.
His legs kicked wildly, his wand flailing backward—then there was a sharp crack.
The wand snapped in two.
The hand pressing down on his neck slammed him hard against the floor.
The Death Eater lay on the ground, life or death uncertain.
"Hello, Neville," Luna greeted the newcomer.
Neville rubbed his nose.
The same hand that had just crushed the Death Eater's neck hadn't been washed in who knew how long, and the smell of stale sweat clung to his palm.
The Death Eater facing Ginny noticed Neville and moved to strike.
"Levicorpus!"
The man's ankle yanked upward, sending him flipping into the air before crashing back down, bouncing off the floor three times.
Malfoy smoothed his hair and cast a glance at Ginny. "Are you alright?"
Ginny nodded blankly, as if she had never imagined being saved by Malfoy of all people.
Neville helped Luna to her feet and picked up her wand, handing it back to her.
"It's too dangerous here. You two should leave," Neville said.
Ginny retrieved her own wand and asked, "What are you doing here?"
She didn't believe coincidence could stretch all the way into the Ministry of Magic.
"That's none of your business," Malfoy said coldly.
From behind Neville, Luna peeked out, her gaze wandering as though she were hoping to catch sight of someone else.
"John is here too, isn't he?" Luna's question left Neville speechless.
Luna blinked, puzzled. "What's wrong?"
Another Death Eater was drawn to the scene. Spotting the unfamiliar figure, he raised his wand and attacked.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
The red light shot toward Neville—only for Luna's vision to flash white as Neville drew the sword from his hand.
With a single swing, the blade cleaved through the spell. He dropped low, lunging forward, wand in his other hand releasing a jet of red light at the Death Eater.
The man's cloak twisted, binding him up. Neville's sword arm slashed down, snapping the wand clean in two. Then, turning the blade flat, he knocked the Death Eater unconscious with a single strike.
The difference in strength was overwhelming.
Ginny gaped at the sight, stunned by Neville's power.
Among Gryffindors, no one had ever noticed that Neville possessed such terrifying ability.
The Death Eaters who had been pressing them so hard suddenly seemed fragile before him.
Wand in his left hand, sword in his right, Neville stood tall.
Without turning back, he said in a low voice to Luna, "From here on, this isn't something you can take part in."
"They're over he—" The Death Eater's words cut off as Malfoy struck him down.
Neville sheathed the silver sword, giving Luna and the others no chance to ask further questions, and the two of them quickly left.
Ginny murmured under her breath, "So this is the strength of the Constellation Society…"
...
Ron was running for his life, panic driving him forward. But the Death Eater behind him wasn't in any hurry. With a lazy flick of his wand, he sent prophecy orbs crashing down one after another.
Several struck Ron, making him cry out in pain.
He spun around to cast a spell, but his magic was deflected with ease.
The Death Eater quickened his pace, a trail of black smoke carrying him straight in front of Ron.
"Expelli—"
"Too slow."
The Death Eater's wand lifted, and a flash of red light struck Ron, curling his body up as a scream tore from his throat.
The Cruciatus Curse.
"Nott, don't kill him," Lucius said as he strolled over, giving Ron a cold glance. "He might be useful to trade for the prophecy."
Noticing the shock of red hair, Lucius frowned, his face twisting in disgust. "Filthy Weasley."
Ron tried to crawl forward, stretching for his wand.
Nott didn't even bother looking at him, just raised his wand.
"Crucio."
"Ahhh—!" Ron's body convulsed violently as another scream was ripped from his throat.
Nott pressed a boot against Ron's back, watching his pained expression with cruel delight.
"Haha, little baby Potter, where are you—" came the shrill, deranged voice of Bellatrix.
Lucius said coolly, "We'll split into pairs. Bring those brats back. Remember—until we have the prophecy, don't kill them."
As he turned to leave, Lucius cast Ron a look of pitying disdain. "A bunch of children playing house. You're not even close to our level."
"Lucius, hurry up!" Nott urged impatiently.
Lucius swept away.
Nott hauled Ron up, preparing to drag him off.
Dragged along helplessly, Ron's chest burned with frustration and humiliation.
As they passed a row of towering shelves, Nott suddenly stopped.
He turned his head. A pair of eyes was staring at them through the gaps in the racks.
Nott resumed walking. The eyes moved as well, matching his pace. Both grew faster and faster, until at the end of the row, the figure darted out of sight.
Raising his wand toward that direction, Nott hissed:
"Stupefy!"
The spell struck the shadowy figure—then pierced straight through.
Nott hadn't expected his Stunning Spell to have such power.
But that person was completely unharmed—and even raised a wand. Nott froze in shock.
"Stupefy!"
The spell hit him squarely, and Nott collapsed. Ron stared blankly as the shadowy figure vanished without a trace.
At the same time, Harry was running into trouble of his own.
________
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