"Stand aside, Minister...stand aside, now."
"You shall not proceed further Adams."
"This is my last warning."
"No Adams, you shall pass over my dead body."
"I will regret killing you Shaklebolt, stand aside and let us pass." He raised his wand.
Kingsley looked over his shoulder, "Percy, send an owl to Harry and the others, we will hold him off." Adams smiled, "Hold me off Shaklebolt, with these handful of aurors?" he said, his eyebrows raised. "I do not wish to kill you Kingsley, let me pass," his tone made it clear that this was indeed the last warning.
"My Lord shall we-", began a woman but Adams silenced her, "do not interrupt Marietta," he said quietly. Kingsley looked towards her, "Oh, is that you Marietta?" he asked, surprised, "Tell me, do you still have 'sneak' written across your face?" She raised her wand but Adams held up his hand.
"For your information Kingsley," he said, "I removed the jinx long ago and with very little effort, I might add. You leave me no choice. Avada Kedav-" he began, but before he could finish the spell, "Expelliarmas!" and his wand went flying across the room. There was a flash of silver light, a bang like a gunshot and the floor trembled. Adams let out a howl of fury
"Your wand, Marietta, give me your wand"
More flashes of green and red, a brighter flash of silver and part of the ceiling fell down raising great clouds of dust. When the dust cleared Adams saw that various members of the order had joined the fighting including Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. Looking sideways he saw that Marietta had picked up his wand and was engaged in a duel with Kingsley.
"What do you want now Sam," said bored a voice behind him. He turned around
"Granger," he breathed.
"No Weasley," she said, "I have married Ron, didn't you know?" she said smiling.
He raised Marietta's wand.
Harry had been taking a nap when the owl came. Working late for weeks had taken its toll and he had collapsed as soon as he got home. Awakened by the screeching, he took one look at the letter and knew that the inevitable had happened. Moments later he was coming out of one of the fireplaces, in time to see Adams bringing down half the ceiling.
Two killing curses missed him by inches and he turned around "Petrificous Totalus" he yelled and McCain fell to the floor. And then he turned towards Luscious Malfoy.
"I've got you now Malfoy!" he said, every syllable filled with hate and anger; "You aren't going to Azkaban. You don't deserve to live. Avada Kedavra!"
Malfoy just managed to dodge the spell and ran for his life. "Don't you turn your back on me Luscious Malfoy!" yelled Harry as he ran after him, "I want you to look at me when I kill you" Harry was catching up but stopped suddenly when he saw the fight between Hermione and Adams. "Hermione" he called, as he started toward her, but his way was blocked by Zachrias Smith who shot a stunning spell at him, "Protego." The force of the shield charm was such that Smith was blasted off his feet landing in a heap on the floor. Harry raised his wand again, but before he could do anything a streak of very bright silver flashed across the hall, followed almost instantly by a jagged jet of white light. Turning around Harry saw that Hermione had sunk to her knees; Adams had raised his wand. "I have nothing more to say to you, Granger," he said quietly. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
"NO!" Bellowed Ron who had broken away from the fighting, "No!" He threw himself in front of Hermione, the jet of green light hit him square in the chest, he was lifted off his feet, seemed to hang there for a moment, suspended in mid-air and then fell to the floor with a dull thud.
"Avada Kedavra!" roared Harry as he ran towards Adams who turned and was gone reappearing barely ten feet from Hermione who was now barely conscious, his wand raised. But he did not cast the curse. Looking straight at Harry he seemed to decide against it, turned on the spot and was gone. His followers followed his lead and the shock of Ron's death was such that no one made any effort to stop them.
"You all right Harry?" asked Kingsley approaching him. "Yeah I'm ok, I guess," he said "what 'bout you?
"Oh I'm all right, gave her a good punching ad a bloody nose to go with it." he said, "And she had his wand"
"Adams'?"
"Yeah, you see Hermione disarmed him and he took Edgecombe's wand when the fighting started. So she picked up his" he looked toward Ron's body, "Terrible" he said quietly, "And a great loss. That all I can say."
Harry could not think clearly. His head was spinning, his thoughts jumbled up. "I'm going to inform the others," said Kingsley. "Neville and Luna have just taken Hermione to St. Mungos. Those were spells of incredible power."
The others had gathered around Ron's body. It still only registered dimly in the back of Harry's mind that his best mate was really gone; he who had gone through so much with Harry had indeed left this world. Holding back the tears that had sprung to his eyes, he headed for home: Ginny would have to be told of the tragedy.
Sure enough, the moment he entered Ginny came running up to him, "What happened Harry?" she asked, clearly concerned. She looked as though she had been crying. "Was it him?"
"Yeah it was him," he replied "Ginny, I've got to tell you someth-" he began, but Ginny interrupted her, "What was he after, the Department of Mysteries?"
"Most probably" he said, "Ginny I have to tell you something. I don't know where to begin, but…" again she interrupted, "What's happened Harry?" she said quietly and Harry realized that the look on his face must have revealed to her that something had indeed happened.
"Ginny, Ron's…Ron's dead" he blurted out.
He looked as realization dawned on her face and then they held each other as they cried.
Within moments, Adams was back inside Malfoy Manor.
"My wand, Marietta," he said as she entered the room. "Here, my Lord," she said pulling it out of her cloak pocket.
"May I ask you a question, My Lord?" she said, a little frightened.
"Yes."
"My Lord, why didn't you kill Granger in the Ministry… I mean, she was totally defenseless?" she finished, clearly relieved.
"I dared not," he replied shortly.
"Dared not? She asked, sounding (and looking) quite shocked, "but My Lord, there can surely be no question-"
He held up his hand, silencing her, "You are, Marietta" he said "like Lord Voldemort, woefully ignorant. It is highly unlikely, but it could have happened. Weasley had just given his life for her. There was a chance in a million, but it could have happened. I shall undoubtedly kill her at the latest chance." And with this he swept from the room, leaving behind a bewildered and shocked Marietta.