Chapter 6: Casualties Mount

Within seconds, Harry was standing on the sidewalk near Saint Mungo's fully expecting to arrive in the middle of a Death Eater attack. He frantically looked up and down the street but it was quiet, with the exception of the sound of his team Aparating beside him.

All four of them surrounded him with their wands drawn, searching for any sign of trouble.

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary," Kevin said, but he continued to scan the surrounding area. "Why'd you think there would be a problem?"

"He said it was happening tonight… here…" Harry said, peering into every shadow.

"Do you think he lied?" Alicia asked glancing at Harry. "Just to get us to leave."

Harry growled, "I swear I really am going to kill him!"

"Kill him…?" Seamus asked with raised eyebrows. "Who?"

"Harry, what's going on?" Ben demanded, pocketing his wand.

Instead of answering, Harry started walking toward the coffee shop, scanning both sides of the street while Alicia gave the others a quick synopsis of what Dingo had told them.

When Harry was halfway between the coffee shop and where his team stood in rapt attention listening to Alicia's explanation, he saw the familiar form of Hermione come around the corner from the other side of the shop.

"Hermione!" he called to her. She stopped with her hand on the door of the shop and turned toward the sound of her name. Harry breathed a sigh of relief thinking Alicia must have been right; Dingo gave them false information which he knew Harry would not risk ignoring.

"Harry?" she called back in surprise when she recognized him.

She walked toward him with a smile of greeting on her face. Then she noticed Seamus and Alicia standing in the distance behind him and she called, "What are you doing—"

There was a flash of blinding light accompanied by a deafening explosion that slammed Harry backward onto the hard pavement. Stars exploded behind his eyes when something sharp and heavy struck the side of his head, and glass and rubble rained down upon him, pummeling his body. Gasping for breath, he shook off the darkness threatening to engulf him and struggled unsteadily to his feet, ignoring the pain from the glass that had penetrated his skin through his robes.

A heavy cloud of dust and smoke made it nearly impossible to breathe, but Harry desperately searched for the spot where he thought Hermione had been standing last. All he could see was billowing smoke that was glowing yellow and orange from the blazing fire burning within the destroyed building. Shards of glass, chunks of brick and splintered wood littered the ground all around him, but he saw no sign of Hermione.

The heat of the fire felt like it might sear his skin, even under his clothing, and his legs shook unsteadily under his weight. Something warm and sticky flowed down the side of his face and arm, but he pushed himself forward. He had to find Hermione; although a part of him was terrified of what he would see when he did.

He stumbled when his foot caught under a large chunk of splintered wood and Kevin was suddenly there beside him, gripping his arm, "Take it easy, Harry."

"Hermione…" Harry rasped, "We've got to find her!"

"Alicia and Seamus are looking for her," Ben answered.

"You'd better sit down," Kevin said, looking at the wound on his head worriedly, "you're bleeding pretty badly."

"No!" Harry said, wrenching his arm out of Kevin's grasp. "I have to—"

Harry staggered and Kevin steadied him. "Harry, they'll find her," he said. "Now sit down so we can see how badly you're hurt."

"But I have to know…" Harry couldn't finish. His mind didn't want to form the thought that Hermione had been taken from him, too.

Through a momentary thinning of the smoke, Harry saw Alicia and Seamus working hurriedly to lift chunks of debris off of someone lying on the ground. He rushed over and fell to his knees to help them uncover Hermione's body. Her features were barely recognizable under the blood, dust and dirt covering her face.

"Hermione! Please be alive!" Harry prayed, but when he placed his trembling fingers on her throat, he could not feel a pulse. He let out an agonized moan and covered his face with both of his shaking hands.

Seamus started to ask fearfully, "Harry, is she…" but he could not finish the thought.

Harry was too immersed in a world of misery to answer; the unhealed wound left on his heart and soul in the wake of Ginny's death had been brutally torn afresh. Images of Hermione and the explosion flashed before him; but then Hermione's form distorted and changed into Ginny's and again he saw the fear in her eyes just before she screamed and plunged over the cliff.

Muggles and Wizards alike arrived to battle the fire while others gathered to watch the excitement in morbid curiosity. Security Aurors and Healers from Saint Mungo's came rushing from the hospital and two of them ran over to their small group.

Harry was oblivious to everything that was happening around him. All he could see was Hermione's lifeless body lying in front of him and he knelt more closely over her.

"I can't lose you, too…" he whispered as his tears, mingled with his blood, dripped onto her face. He gently brushed them away, leaving behind streaks of red mud.

"Easy, son," one Healer said to Harry as several other people from Saint Mungo's ran over with stretchers.

Ben, Kevin, Seamus and Alicia stood back with the growing crowd, watching helplessly as the Healer bent down beside Harry and Hermione.

"We'll take care of her from here," the Healer said gently. He reached to pull Harry back so he could examine Hermione.

"Don't touch me!" Harry hissed angrily, slapping the Healer's hand away.

"Harry, they're trying to help," Alicia said shakily, kneeling beside him. "You have to let the Healer take a look at her."

Harry appeared not to hear her and she placed one hand on his shoulder and the other under his chin to force his head up so he had to look at her.

"Harry!" Alicia said more forcefully, giving his shoulder a firm shake. "Let them help."

It took a moment for him to focus on her face before he said, "I was too late." Alicia saw the torment in his eyes, "I couldn't get to her in time to save her either…"

"I'm so sorry," she said gently, sniffing back tears of her own, "but there was nothing more you could have done."

Harry bowed his head in defeat and finally allowed Alicia to help him stand up. The Healer hurried to place Hermione onto one stretcher while the second Healer tried getting Harry to lie down on the other.

"I want to stay with her!" Harry insisted and he began to struggle.

Alicia and Seamus tried to hold him down so the other Healer could run his wand over Harry's body.

"You need to remain still, Mr. Potter," the Healer admonished gently. "You'll make your injuries worse."

"Let go of me!" Harry roared, shoving Alicia and Seamus away from him.

"You're leaving me no choice," the Healer said regretfully and quickly touched the tip of his wand to Harry's temple. Harry's eyes rolled backward and he collapsed, unconscious, onto the stretcher.

**********

Bright light was shining through Harry's eyelids and there was a dull throbbing in his head. He heard movement to his right, and when he opened his eyes, everything was out of focus. But even so, nothing about his surroundings seemed familiar. As his senses began coming back to him, he realized he was lying in a bed. A light blanket was pulled up to his waist and he was not wearing a shirt. He weakly moved to sit up but the throbbing in his head immediately gave way to an excruciating pounding that caused him to let out a hiss of pain.

The blurry form of someone in white came quickly over to him, "Take it easy, Mr. Potter. You've had a nasty blow to the head."

Harry relaxed back onto the bed and placed his hand on his aching head where he felt a soft cloth bandage. A second bandage was wrapped around his right arm, from his wrist to just below his shoulder.

"What happened?" Harry asked hoarsely as the Healer helped him to sit up slowly.

"There was an explosion," the Healer said, handing Harry his glasses. As he attached a sling around Harry's neck to secure his injured arm, he continued, "You were hit by the debris. You have a mild concussion and I just finished removing several sizable pieces of glass from your arm."

"An explosion?" Harry questioned in confusion, and then it came flooding back to him; he remembered calling to Hermione just before a horrendous explosion and then cradling her lifeless body in his arms.

"Hermione," Harry whispered miserably and tightly closed his eyes in the wave of loss and sorrow that flowed over him.

"Hermione," the Healer paused and repeated the name. "If I remember correctly, she's one of your friends who helped you during the war, isn't she?"

"Yeah," Harry answered quietly, bringing the hand of his uninjured arm up to pinch the bridge of his nose between his fingers. He wiped away the wetness of several stray tears he was unable to fight back.

"I'm sorry," the Healer said sympathetically. "But she is very fortunate she wasn't inside the building when it happened. So far, they have found three other people who weren't as lucky."

"She's fortunate?" Harry gaped at the Healer. "You mean— she's alive?"

"Yes, she's alive," the Healer replied.

"How badly was she hurt?" Harry asked urgently. "Is she going to be okay?"

The Healer replied, "I have been appraised on neither her condition, nor the extent of her injuries. However I do know she has several of our best Healers with her, and I'm confident if anyone can help her, they can."

Hermione had not been killed by the explosion! Harry's feeling of relief nearly made him dizzy. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the pounding throb the movement renewed in his head.

"Where do you think you're going?" The Healer asked, placing a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"I want to see her," Harry answered, "and her family needs to know what happened."

"I'd prefer that you stay here and rest. I'd like to keep an eye on you for a few hours before you leave," the Healer admonished. "Her husband and family have already been notified."

"I'm not staying in bed!" Harry shook the Healer's hand away and replied stubbornly, "And I'm going to go see her whether I have your permission or not!"

The Healer read the determination in Harry's eyes and decided it was useless to argue.

"Very well," he said reluctantly. "But afterward, you are to go home and rest. And I don't want you going back to work next week, until I've had the chance to examine you again."

Harry nodded his agreement and the Healer helped him into a hospital robe, "Your friends are waiting for you in the hall. They can escort you to her room."

The Healer opened the door for him and the four members of his team quickly leapt from their chairs and rushed over to him.

"Harry!" Seamus spoke first, although the look in his eyes was wary. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," he replied quietly.

"You don't look fine," Ben replied. "Actually you look like you've been through hell—"

Alicia jabbed Ben with her elbow and Seamus tossed him an irritated look, but Harry ignored the comment. He was actually starting to feel embarrassed for the way he reacted after the explosion.

He noticed they were all watching him carefully. "Look, I'm er… sorry for earlier… I thought…"

"Don't worry about it, Harry," Kevin assured him. "We all understand."

"Thanks," he said gratefully. "I want to go see how Hermione's doing."

"I checked on her a few minutes ago," Alicia said. "They let Ron and her parents in to her room just before I came back down here."

"And?" Harry pressed.

"She was injured pretty badly," Alicia answered. "But they were able to stabilize her, and she's going to be okay."

Feeling extremely relieved, Harry walked down the hall with them toward Hermione's room. "Have you been able to determine what caused the explosion?"

Ben answered, "It was a Muggle bomb."

"A Muggle bomb?" Harry stopped and stared at him in surprise. "The lunatic has Muggles working for him, too?"

"A Wizard can construct a bomb just as easily as a Muggle," Ben replied. "Although I don't see why anyone would. They're crude weapons."

Kevin said, "After the Healers took care of you and Hermione, we stayed to help search for victims and to see if we could find any clues as to who was behind it."

"There's no doubt Wizards were involved, though," Seamus added. "Even with the strength of the blast, we were able to detect magical energy at the site."

Harry asked, "How many casualties were there?"

Ben answered, "We found two people hurt nearby, but alive. Three people were in the building when it happened."

"Whoever is behind it doesn't care how many people he hurts or kills," Alicia said angrily. "It's a good thing you called Hermione when you did. If she hadn't been walking toward us…"

Harry shuddered, thinking about how close it had been. If they had arrived a moment later or if Hermione had been in the coffee shop at her regular time, she would have been the fourth person to die in the blast.

Harry said, almost to himself, "Hermione was late."

"What?" Kevin asked and they all looked at Harry in confusion.

"When Dingo told us something was going to happen tonight, I looked at my watch," Harry explained. "It was 10:25."

"So?" Ben questioned.

"Hermione is punctual," Harry answered. "She likes routine and she's nearly always on time. Her volunteer shift at the hospital ends at ten o'clock. Then she heads right over to the coffee shop and she gets there by 10:10. Harvey always joked he could set his watch by her."

Harry's anger gave way to sadness when he thought about Harvey, the portly middle-aged Muggle owner of the coffee shop. He had emigrated from America after he married his British wife and he must have been one of the people killed in the explosion. Harvey was a happy-go-lucky man who always met his customers with a smile. Harry and Ginny were in the coffee shop with Hermione and Ron only a week before the Death Eater attack at Bill's. Harvey had told them his daughter was expecting his first grandchild and he was looking forward to teaching him or her how to play an American Muggle game called baseball.

Harry finally continued, "Hermione always orders some kind of snack as well as something for Ron for breakfast the next morning. She'd chat with Harvey and she'd always head home between 10:25 and 10:30."

Harry looked at Alicia, "The pictures Dingo said he took…"

Alicia nodded, picking up on his train of thought, "He said whoever hired him wanted to know if there were places you frequently went with anyone."

"Then he must have figured out Hermione's schedule because of the times Ginny and I went with her." Harry thought for a moment and asked Seamus, "Aren't Muggle bombs usually on some kind of timer?" Seamus' father was a Muggle so, other than Harry, he was the only member of the team who had grown up with knowledge of the non-magical world.

"Sometimes," Seamus replied. "But they can also be triggered by a remote."

"A what?" Alicia asked.

"A remote," Seamus answered. "It's a device Muggles use to control something from a distance since they can't use magic."

Harry said, "But if this guy wanted to kill Hermione, why did it go off after she walked away or not sometime between 10:10 and 10:25 when she would normally be inside?"

Alicia said, "So it doesn't make sense a timer was used."

Seamus continued, "Nor does it make sense it was set off remotely because if someone was watching and waiting to trigger it, they would have known she didn't go inside."

"Exactly," Harry replied. "I'd bet almost anything the magic you detected was used to set it off when Hermione arrived."

"I don't know," Ben said doubtfully, "targeting a specific individual would require some pretty difficult magic."

"But it can be done by someone who knows what they were doing," Kevin added.

Harry replied, "So we're in the same place with what happened tonight as we are with the attack. Creating new or complicated spells is not something a lot of Wizards can easily do. If we can figure out who developed the charms or curses used to trigger the explosion and that enable unconscious Death Eaters to Disapparate, it may provide us with a clue about the golden-masked Death Eater's identity. Or at least help us to find his accomplices."

They were nearing the end of the hallway and Harry saw that Molly and Arthur Weasley were just coming out of Hermione's room.

Kevin said, "Then that's where we'll start first thing in the morning."

"Speaking of which," Harry said, "you guys should go on home. There's nothing more you can do tonight."

They said their goodbyes, admonishing him to go home soon so he could rest as Molly and Arthur came up to him.

"Oh, Harry!" Molly cried, hugging him tightly, but carefully, to avoid hurting his injured arm. "Thank the stars you weren't both killed!"

When she stepped back, she scrutinized his bandaged head, and Harry could see the haunted look in her red, swollen eyes. Molly was still having a difficult time dealing with her daughter's death and he knew the attack on her daughter-in-law had to have shaken her as much as it had him.

She gave him a tenuous smile and said, "We were about to go to see you. How are you feeling?"

"I've got a bit of a headache," Harry answered. "How's Hermione doing?"

Arthur replied tiredly, "She's out of danger now, but we won't know how much of a recovery she'll need until after she wakes up."

"And Ron…?" Harry asked tentatively.

Arthur answered, "He's upset and worried, of course; as are we all."

"Why don't you go on in," Molly said, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. "Ron will be relieved to see that you are alright. Hermione's parents are still in there but I think he can use your support as well."

Harry didn't move. He was the reason Ron's sister was dead and his wife was deliberately targeted and nearly killed. Harry was starting to wonder whether Ron was going to want him to stay away from him and his family from now on; not that Harry would blame him.

Without looking at Molly, Harry answered, "Maybe it would be better for me to wait until later."

"That's ridiculous!" Molly admonished, "He'll want to see you."

"But the attack—"

"Was not your fault," Arthur interrupted giving Harry a stern look. "Neither attack was your fault."

"Go on in," Molly insisted. "Tell Ron that Arthur and I will be back in a bit."

She gave him a gentle push toward the door and Harry reluctantly went in.

Ron was sitting with his back to the door, but Harry could see he was holding Hermione's hand in both of his. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were sitting in chairs on the other side of her bed.

"Harry!" Mr. Granger stood up and came over to shake the hand of his uninjured arm. "We heard you had been injured, too. How are you doing?"

"I'm okay, thanks," Harry replied quietly.

Hermione's mother came over with tears in her eyes. She hugged him and he had to grit his teeth to keep from letting out a hiss of pain from the pressure it put on his bandaged arm.

"Thank you," she said tearfully and hugged him even tighter. "Thank you so very much!"

Harry looked at Mr. Granger over her shoulder who answered his questioning look, "Your friend, Alicia, told us what happened. If you and your team had not shown up when you did, our daughter would have been in that building tonight."

Mrs. Granger released him and Harry mumbled, "No thanks are necessary, Mrs. Granger, really."

Harry glanced toward Ron and frowned. He did not think it was a good sign that Ron had not turned around to greet him or at least acknowledge his presence.

Mrs. Granger noticed the look of concern that crossed Harry's face when he looked at her son-in-law. She wiped her eyes and said to her husband, "Now that we know Hermione is out of danger, I think I am finally feeling hungry. She's in good company here with Ron and Harry, so I think it will be okay if we step out for a few minutes."

Mr. Granger seemed surprised by his wife's change of topic but he followed her toward the door and said, "We'll be back soon."

When they left, Harry moved tentatively toward the bed. He stopped beside Ron to gaze down at Hermione. The grime and blood had been cleaned away and there were now several bandages on her too pale face.

Harry glanced at Ron who still had not moved. His throat suddenly went dry but he felt the need to say something.

"I'm sorry…" Harry said uncertainly. "I, er, don't know what else I can say..."

Ron remained silent, but Harry knew he had heard him because the redhead took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Harry stood in the uncomfortable silence a few moments longer, but then he slowly turned to leave.

"Harry."

Harry stopped and looked back. The emotion in the two syllables of his name leaving Ron's lips conveyed more pain and anger than a litany of words ever could.

Ron stood suddenly to face him and Harry thought he saw accusation in his best friend's eyes before Ron focused his gaze down at the floor.

"Hermione's mum is right," Ron said at last.

Ron looked back at him and whatever Harry thought he had seen in his eyes was gone. "If you hadn't found out what he planned to do, Hermione would have been in that building when it happened."

It was Harry's turn to look away uncomfortably, and he replied quietly, "He did it because of me. He killed Ginny and tonight he tried to kill Hermione to hurt me."

"I know," Ron said flatly.

Ron moved toward him, "Remember what Hermione kept telling you after Ginny…" The death of his sister was still incredibly painful for him to discuss, and he took a steadying breath before he could go on. "…after it happened? She told you that you can't blame yourself."

Harry shrugged replied skeptically to which Ron responded, "I don't."

"No?" Harry asked, not believing him.

"No," Ron stated evenly and continued, "The guy's a sick bastard! But we'll find him and stop him and he'll pay for what he's done."

"You're on his list, too, you know," Harry said. "So is the rest of your family, I recon."

Ron replied, "It's not like the Weasleys haven't dealt with something like this before. We're all more than willing to do it again if that's what has to be done."

Harry looked at him in confused disbelief and Ron explained, "As I recall, my entire blood-traitor family was on the Ministry's black list during the war. We were all in danger then because we befriended and supported Undesirable Number One."

"I suppose that's true," Harry conceded. Ron's nonchalance didn't make him feel any better. "But this isn't quite the same and you know it."

"It doesn't matter— to any of us," Ron stated. "I know for a fact that I speak for every member of my family; even Percy. None of us blames you for what happened to Ginny or for tonight. We've all considered you part of the family for a long time now, and we still do. We won't blame you for something that's not your fault. I just can't tell you enough how thankful I am that you showed up when you did tonight."

Ron held out his hand and when Harry took it, Ron pulled him into a brotherly hug and whispered shakily, "Thank you."

When they stepped back, Ron scrutinized Harry's tired face and said, "Why don't you go, mate. You look like hell."

"People keep telling me that," Harry griped.

"Well, it's true," Ron said. "You definitely look like you can use some sleep. Go on home. I'll let you know when Hermione wakes up."

"I probably should." Harry agreed. He felt the fatigue really starting to settle in now. "I guess I'll see you later then."

Harry took one last look at Hermione's peacefully sleeping form, gave a silent prayer of thanks of his own, and left for home.

***********

He donned the mask so there was no chance of anyone recognizing him but, still, he kept to the shadows as he made his way toward the flat. He wanted to be certain the imbecile did not run.

To say he was not in a good mood was an understatement. Things did not go according to plan earlier in the evening and the Mudblood was still alive. Although, as he stood amongst the many other onlookers, he was somewhat placated by Potter's reaction when he thought the bitch was dead. He had chosen his first targets well, for it seemed Potter was already nearing the edge; but there was more suffering ahead for the Boy-Who-Lived before he ended the life that the Dark Lord could not.

His anger momentarily gave way to great anticipation when he thought about how he would do it. He had already decided he would not use Magic. Instead, he was going to kill Potter with his own hands; and he would do it slowly, so he could savor every second of it. Everything was leading to the moment when he would finally watch the life in Potter's green eyes fade and die.

He entered the rundown building and the smell of mold and rotting rubbish assaulted his nostrils. He heard a noise up ahead and he paused until he realized it was only two rats fighting over a morsel of food they had discovered.

The passageway was dark and he made a small sweeping motion with his wand. Detecting no human presence between him and the flat above, he lit the wand and pressed onward. He soundlessly climbed the rickety stairway to the second floor and came to a stop in front of the door marked number twenty-seven. Several soft thumps issued from behind the portal, telling him the idiot was still awake; that would make the encounter all the more gratifying. He easily dispensed with the weak charm protecting the entrance and opened the door.

There was enough light shining through the window from the streetlamp for him to see Dingo on the other side of the room, grabbing items from a drawer and throwing them into a sack on the floor.

"Going somewhere?" he asked in a casual tone.

Dingo let out a startled yelp and spun around, pointing his wand toward the voice. The Death Eater casually flicked his wand and Dingo's wand flew toward him and he easily caught it.

"Oh, i-it's you," Dingo said nervously.

"Were you expecting someone else?" he asked, continuing to keep his tone friendly.

"N-no… of course not," Dingo answered unconvincingly.

"It's an odd time for packing," he said, indicating the opened sack with a motion of his hand. "You're not thinking of dissolving our partnership, I hope. I would find that disappointing."

Dingo replied, "I-I just got it in my head that I should be movin'… you know… f-find another place."

"I see," he said, "I'm relieved. I thought for a moment you were planning to run and hide."

"I have no reason to hide," Dingo insisted, but he fidgeted nervously and his eyes darted anxiously between the Death Eater and the door.

"I think you were expecting someone," he stated. "Harry Potter, perhaps?"

"Potter?" Dingo asked, his voice raising an octave. "W-why would I be expectin' him?"

"Please don't insult me with your lies!" he said, now letting impatience slip into his voice. He walked over to a small table, picked up an open flask and sniffed the top. He smelled the repugnant odor of cheap Muggle whiskey and he set it back down in distaste.

He said, "Tonight did not go as I wanted."

Dingo watched the Death Eater cautiously as he nonchalantly picked up a magazine from the table and looked at it briefly before tossing it back to its place.

"B-but I heard that it blew up!" Dingo replied in surprise.

"It did," he responded. "Unfortunately, she was only injured because Potter showed up in time to call her away. Now, my question is, was Potter's and his team's appearance just a coincidence, or did he know?"

The Death Eater placed his wand in the pocket of his robe and began to roll Dingo's wand between his fingers.

He continued, "How could Potter have known when and where it was going to happen?"

"I… I d-don't know," Dingo said. He licked his lips nervously and his eyes darted toward the door again.

"I have already told you not to lie to me!" The Death Eater hissed dangerously. "You may be skilled at following Potter without his knowledge, but you don't know how to keep your mouth shut! There are at least a half dozen people who heard you bragging that I hired you to follow him."

Dingo protested, "Then one of them must have run to Potter and—"

The masked Death Eater interrupted him and said angrily, "So you are admitting to telling others about my plan to kill Potter's friend tonight?"

"I knew not to tell anyone about tonight—" Dingo answered unconvincingly.

"I think Potter did find out was going to happen tonight from you," the Death Eater said. He advanced slowly on Dingo who began to cower in front of him. "What else did you tell him? Did you inform him about what I asked you to do for me and why?"

"I didn't want to!" Dingo whined. "He f-found me in Knockturn Alley… you should have seen him— he's a nutter, that one! He broke my nose! See!" He pointed to his swollen nose. "Then he said he was going to do somethin' terrible to me!"

"So now he's been warned about who my next targets may be. That is going to make my plans more difficult to carry out," the masked Death Eater said scrutinizing the trembling man before him. "And now you're frightened because you know Potter will be coming after you. And why wouldn't he? Your bragging has provided him with his only link to me, not to mention he'll probably be looking to take out some of his vengeance on you for what happened to his fiancée and friend. I'd hand you to him myself if I didn't know you'd tell him everything else to try to save your worthless hide."

Dingo dropped to the floor to bow before the Death Eater, "P-please! I'll go somewhere that he can't find me and I won't say anythin' to him or anyone else again! I promise! You have to believe I won't!"

The Death Eater gazed down at him and said sympathetically, "I believe you, Dingo."

Dingo looked up, relief showing on his face until he saw the tip of his own wand pointing at him.

"Avada Kedavra!"

Dingo was dead in a flash of green light before he could even move. The golden-masked Death Eater dropped the wand beside Dingo's body and he quickly left as silently as he came.