A fresh breeze hit me strongly as we stopped spinning and arrived in the wizarding village. Despit the fact I was resising the urge to puke, I glanced around, glad that the alarm hadn't gone off. Scabior was walking ahead, seemingly unfazed by our method of transport. Swallowing, I picked up my feet, running after him.
Once I reaced his side, all was silent. As we walked along the deserted, empty street, more and more snatchers appeared beside us, all from different group. I knew they were snatchers because they were all wearing a piece of red cloth around their upper arms, signfying what they were. By the time we had reached the school's gates, there had to be a hundred or more of us. The gates, flanked by stone winged boars, opened with a creaking sound, and we continued on our way.
Not that we got far. As soon as we were a good three feet into the grounds, Death Eaters surrounded us, leading us toward the Forbbidden Forest. I shivered violently. I'd never liked the black forest, it's tall trees forbidding, warding me away. But no one else showed any fear, so I held my head high, breathing deeply in an effort to calm myself.
The Dark Lord himelf was waiting for us. He quickly briefed us on what was going to happen, and sent us on our way. We were to go to one of the bridges, and swamp the school with our numbers before starting to duel.
Then we were running down the slope from the Forest, towards the wooden bridge with a stream running underneath it. Scabior, as the head snatcher, was in the lead, heading the battle cries. As we ran, two snatcher overtook him, and disintergrated with flashes of bright blue and white light. Scabior and another snatcher, Orion, stopped suddenly, their arm wide. It seemed the teachers of Hogwarts had turned against us.
And on the bridge was a lump of a boy. He stood at the edge, yelling at us, while Scabior raised his wand, a piece of fire drifted across. Orion's face turned to one of rage.
"Yeah! You and who's army?"
Scabior and lifted his right foot, slowly over the border line as the wards disintergated. When they made it safely, we rushed forwards, causing the boy to turn and flee along the bridge. We shot curses at hm, wanting to hit him and make him fall, leaving our path clear. He, of course, turned around and shot a spell at us.
It missed.
But the bridge was collasping. Now we no longer ran to kill, but ran to live. Our battle cries changed to cries of terror and the bridge caught up with us, and we plumetted downwards.
Somehow, we didn't hit the ground. No, we hit the stream. Spluttering, my head emerged from the fast flowing waters, and I struggled to breathe, spitting out river water. Others' heads were also emerging, and I looked around, fear welling up inside me as I thought of Scabior. That was when I spotted his lifeless form half in, half out of the water.
Swimming the best I could, I limped out and collasped by his side, only just seeing his sides moving. He opened those wonderful cool cobalt eyes and gazed at me while I thumbled for my wand, finally realising I must have lost it in the fall.
His hand moved towards me and cupped my cheek that was bleeding from a piece of splinted wood.
"You've been a wonderful snatcher, Nova..." He rasped, pulling me close. His lips met mine in a sizzling kiss that filled me with warmth, and died away when it ended. But I stayed beside him as his breathing stopped, and his life left forever, joining those who had already been lost.
