Time is of the essence

Attacks

„The Ministry has fallen!"

As soon as the lynx had disappeared, chaos started in the Weasleys' garden. Arthur called out for his wife.

"Molly? MOLLY! Where are you?"

Suddenly he caught sight of flaming red hair and focused on it. But instead of Molly he sighted Ginny. She looked afraid but also strangely determined.

"Where is Harry, Dad?" she asked with panic in her voice.

Arthur knew that Ginny and Harry had been a couple last year and had, for some reason unknown to him, broken up again. Now it looked as though his little daughter was still in love with The Boy Who Lived. Apparently she wanted to defend him.

"I don't know, Gin", yelled Arthur over the din of the fighting. "You stay close to me. Have you seen your mother?"

Ginny wanted to answer something but was violently shoved out of the way by none other than her mother who was trying to fight off two death-eaters at once. Only for a split second she turned around and recognized her daughter instantly.

"Get behind me, Ginny!" shouted Molly, imperiously and, knowing her daughter the way she did, added another command, "NOW, GINNY!"

Arthur rushed forward to shield his daughter and help his wife fight off her attackers. Standing side by side the two fought as one. He guarded her left, weaker side. Suddenly he saw a new attacker rushing forward to engage his wife but Arthur moved quicker. He lunged over his wife's head and cursed the man straight in the chest, sending him flying until he crushed into the low wall surrounding the garden.

Molly noticed another death-eater creeping up on Arthur's side and wove under his out-stretched arm to curse the hooded figure. Ginny watched in awe how her parents moved completely in tune with each other. Then she saw Minerva McGonagall cornered by no less than six death-eaters. She ran to her transfiguration teacher and cast the Expeliarmus Curse while she ran.

"Ginny!"

From a distance she heard her mother's voice, terrified and panicky. Only for a second did she notice the scarred face of her Professor. She only perceived that someone needed help and that this someone was her respected Head of House. She would not leave her Professor to fend for herself.

Arthur watched in horror as his little girl rushed forward into a knot of death-eaters. She had only seen Minerva in danger and decided to help her without thinking twice. 'Damn that Gryffindor bravery!', thought Arthur furiously. And then he saw it. His heart stopped beating and all his blood turned to ice, stopping cold in his veins. Never before had he seen a more terrifying sight.

Fenrir Greyback and raised his wand and thrown it back over his shoulder. A most horrible sneer adorned his face as his predatory gaze fell on Ginny. His lips moved in the rhythm of speech without being heard over the racket of the battle.

Arthur flashed his own eyes between Greyback and his oblivious daughter. Beside him Molly screamed. Time seemed to slow almost to a complete halt as Arthur lurched forward. He saw the curse leave Greyback's wand. In excruciating slowness he dragged his legs to throw himself between whatever curse was fired at Ginny and its potential victim. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Minerva cast a charm hastily. Molly's voice reached his ears also.

"PROTEGO!" she shouted, pointing her wand at her daughter in the exact moment Arthur felt himself being wrapped up in the cocoon of a protective charm.

With a last burst of energy, Arthur managed to throw himself in front of Ginny with his back to the oncoming curse. One arm snaked around her waist and threw her to the ground then he spun around to face Greyback. The werewolf had aimed at Ginny's throat but now the curse hit his chest, the spot just below his heart. The barrier around him vibrated with the impact of curse. Then suddenly he felt a tear in the magic surrounding him and saw Minerva's eyes go wide. She felt it too, for it was her spell. And all of a sudden they both felt the barrier break into a million tiny pieces.

Molly watched in horror how Arthur threw their little girl to the ground. She felt Ginny hit the floor through her protective charm as though they were again connected by the umbilical cord. Glancing over at Minerva, she saw shock flitting over the war veteran's face.

Arthur saw a blinding shade of green shot soar towards him at an surprising speed after the slow motion of the last excruciating moments. After the barrier broke he threw his wand arm up to cast a counter curse of some sort even though it was known that no counter curse for the Avada Kedavra existed.

And then, with his arm still at half mast, he was hit in the chest. And his heart stopped beating again, but it didn't start up afterwards.