I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.
Battle of the Department of Mysteries
"Company," Alex warned, everyone spinning.
"Very good, Potter," a drawling voice spoke as its owner leveled their wand with Alex, who had his own trained on his face. "Now be a good boy and give that to me."
Lucius Malfoy sneered arrogantly at them. Then, black shapes were emerging out of thin air all around them, blocking their way left and right. Eyes glinted through slits in hoods, a dozen lit wand tips were pointing directly at their hearts. Ginny gave a gasp of horror.
"To me, Potter," Lucius repeated as he held out his hand, palm up.
Harry's insides plummeted sickeningly. They were trapped, and outnumbered two to one.
"To me," Lucius said yet again.
"Where's Sirius?" Harry said.
Several of the Death Eaters laughed. A harsh female voice from the midst of the shadowy figures to Harry's left said triumphantly, "The Dark Lord always knows!"
"Always," Lucius echoed softly. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."
"Prophecy?" Alex frowned, eyes flicking to the shelves before his gut dropped.
This was the weapon Voldemort wanted.
"I want to know where Sirius is!" Harry snapped.
"I want to know where Sirius is!" the woman to his left mimicked. She and her fellow Death Eaters had closed in so that they were mere feet away from Harry and the others, the light from their wands dazzling Alex's eyes.
"You've got him," Harry said, glaring at Lucius. "He's here. I know he is."
"The little baby woke up fwightened and thought what it dweamed was twoo," the woman mocked him in a horrible, baby voice.
Alex felt Ron stir beside him.
"Don't do anything," Harry muttered. 'Not yet."
The woman who had mimicked him let out a raucous scream of laughter. "You hear him? You hear him? Giving instructions to the other children as though he thinks of fighting us!"
"Oh, you don't know Potter as I do, Bellatrix," Lucius said softly. "He has a great weakness for heroics. The Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the prophecy, Potter."
"I know Sirius is here," Harry said, though he was now pale and breathing fast. "I know you've got him!"
More of the Death Eaters laughed, though the woman laughed loudest of all.
"No, he's not," Alex said. "It was a trap."
"Very good, Pruitt," Lucius said. "It's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter. Now give me the prophecy, or we start using wands."
"Go on, then," Harry challenged, raising his own wand to chest height.
As he did so, the five wands of Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and Luna rose on either side of him. The knot in Alex's stomach tightened as his chest constricted horribly and breathing became nearly impossibly. But the Death Eaters did not strike.
"They can't," Alex realized. "They can't risk smashing the prophecy."
"Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt," Lucius said coolly.
It was Harry's turn to laugh. "Yeah, right! I give you this...prophecy, is it? And you'll just let us skip off home, will you?"
The words were hardly out of his mouth when the female Death Eater shrieked, "Accio proph-"
Harry was just ready for her. He shouted "Protego" before she had finished her spell, and though the glass sphere slipped to the tips of his fingers, he managed to cling on to it.
"Oh, he knows how to play, little bitty baby Potter," she said, her mad eyes staring through the slits in her hood. "Very well, then-"
"I TOLD YOU, NO!" Lucius roared at the woman. "If you smash it-"
The woman stepped forward, away from her fellows, and pulled off her hood. Azkaban had hollowed Bellatrix Lestrange's face, making it gaunt and skull-like, but it was alive with a feverish, fanatical glow.
"You need more persuasion?" she asked, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Very well. Take the smallest one! Let him watch while we torture the little girl. I'll do it." Her face glowed with a wicked, gleeful, excitement.
Harry instantly placed himself between Bellatrix and Ginny, everyone else closing around her, Alex remaining facing Lucius.
"You'll have to smash this if you want to attack any of us," Harry told Bellatrix, clutching the prophecy to his chest. "I don't think your boss will be too pleased if you come back without it, will he?"
She did not move. She merely stared at him, the tip of her tongue moistening her thin mouth.
"So," Harry began, "what kind of prophecy are we talking about, anyway?"
Alex knew Harry was stalling for time. He could feel Neville's arm pressed against his from where he was between he and Harry. Neville was shaking. He could hear one of the others' quickened breathing behind him. His chest was so tight that he wasn't sure if he himself even was breathing.
"What kind of prophecy?" Bellatrix repeated, the grin fading from her face. "You jest, Harry Potter."
"Nope, not jesting," Harry said, his eyes flicking from Death Eater to Death Eater, looking for a weak link, a space through which they could escape, as was Alex. "How come Voldemort wants it?"
Several of the Death Eaters let out low hisses.
"You dare speak his name?" Bellatrix whispered.
"Yeah," Harry said, maintaining his tight grip on the glass ball. "Yeah, I've got no problem with saying Vol-"
"Shut your mouth!" Bellatrix shrieked. "You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-blood's tongue, you dare-"
"Did you know he's a half-blood too?" Harry asked recklessly.
Hermione gave a little moan in his ear.
"Voldemort?" Harry continued. "Yeah, his mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle. Or has he been telling you lot he's pure-blood?"
"STUPEF-"
"NO!"
A jet of red light had shot from the end of Bellatrix Lestrange's wand, but Lucius had deflected it. His spell caused hers to hit the shelf a foot to the left of Harry and several of the glass orbs there shattered. Two figures, pearly-white as ghosts, fluid as smoke, unfurled themselves from the fragments of broken glass upon the floor and each began to speak. Their voices vied with each other, so that only fragments of what they were saying could be heard over Lucius and Bellatrix's shouts.
"...at the solstice will come a new..." the figure of an old, bearded man said.
"DO NOT ATTACK! WE NEED THE PROPHECY!"
"He dared...he dares..." Bellatrix shrieked incoherently. "He stands there...filthy half-blood..."
"WAIT UN'I'LL WE'VE GOT THE PROPHECY!" Lucius bellowed.
"...and none will come after..." the figure of a young woman said.
The two figures that had burst from the shattered spheres had melted into thin air. Nothing remained of them or their erstwhile homes but fragments of glass upon the floor. They had, however, given Harry an idea. The problem was going to be conveying it to the others.
"You haven't told me what's so special about this prophecy I'm supposed to be handing over," he said, playing for time. He moved his foot slowly sideways, feeling around for someone else's.
"Do not play games with us, Potter," Lucius said.
"I'm not playing games," Harry said, just before Hermione sucked in a hiss of breath.
"What?" she whispered.
"Smash the shelves," Alex hissed, having a feeling he knew the plan.
"Dumbledore never told you the reason you bear that scar was hidden in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries?" Lucius sneered.
"I...what?" Harry asked, taken aback. "What about my scar?"
"Smash the prophecy, Harry," Alex said. "Find out for yourself."
The Death Eaters all went rigid, including Lucius.
"Now, let's not do anything hasty," Malfoy repeated. "Dumbledore never told you? Well, this explains why you didn't come earlier, Potter. The Dark Lord wondered why-"
"-when I say now-" Harry hissed.
"-you didn't come running when he showed you the place where it was hidden in your dreams. He thought natural curiosity would make you want to hear the exact wording."
"Did he?" Harry asked.
Behind him, Alex felt rather than heard Hermione passing his message to the others, and clearly so did Harry, since he kept talking to distract the Death Eaters. "So he wanted me to come and get it, did he? Why?"
"Why?" Lucius sounded incredulously delighted. "Because the only people who are permitted to retrieve a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, Potter, are those about whom it was made, as the Dark Lord discovered when he attempted to use others to steal it for him."
"And why did he want to steal a prophecy about me?" Harry asked.
"About both of you, Potter, about both of you. Haven't you ever wondered why the Dark Lord tried to kill you as a baby?"
Harry hesitated a moment. "Someone made a prophecy about Voldemort and me? And he's made me come and get it for him? Why couldn't he come and get it himself?"
"Get it himself?" Bellatrix shrieked, over a cackle of mad laughter. "The Dark Lord, walk into the Ministry of Magic, when they are so sweetly ignoring his return? The Dark Lord, reveal himself to the Aurors, when at the moment they are wasting their time on my dear cousin?"
"So, he's got you doing his dirty work for him, has he?" Harry asked. "Like he tried to get Sturgis to steal it, and Bode?"
"Very good, Potter, very good," Malfoy said slowly. "But the Dark Lord knows you are not unintell-"
"NOW!" Harry yelled.
As chaos erupted, somewhere in Alex's brain, he wondered if Harry had just disproven the cut-off statement. Then, six Reductor Curses blasted the shelves around them, smashing globes and sending more and more crashing down, along with wooden shelves that had been blasted apart. Instantly, Alex flicked his wand and his kinetic force spell exploded into Malfoy's chest, sending him hurtling backward into a shelf. Then, they were all sprinting that way. A Death Eater lunged for Harry, but Hermione stunned him. Alex glanced back as Luna and Ginny stunned a pair of Death Eaters chasing them. Then, everyone focused on running and protecting their heads from the falling shards of glass and pieces of wood. Alex swore as they reached the end of row ninety seven and Ron, Ginny, and Luna turned the wrong way ahead of them, but there wasn't enough time for them to turn around.
"I'll go with them!" Alex shouted. "Meet you outside!"
Harry nodded and Alex skidded left, rapidly bearing down on the others. A Death Eater leapt out in front of him, but he flicked his wand, blasting him in the chest with a Stunner and sending him flying backward into a shelf, which buckled instantly. Then, Alex skidded through a door just behind the other three and spun, jabbing his wand at the door.
"Colloportus!" Alex said, the door swinging closed and sealing with an odd squelch.
Then, they turned, looking around. They were in a room that looked completely dark with a replica of the Solar System floating in it.
"Let's go!" Alex said.
They all began to run for a door opposite them, only to suddenly float into the air on their third step. Ron yelped in surprise, spinning and flipping on a diagonal axis so his left shoulder was being chased by his right leg, while Alex flipped backward, seeing the door burst open and four Death Eaters rush in. Alex flicked his wand, sending a Kinetic Force Spell into one of them, only for it to send him flipping rapidly the other way. Then, gravity returned like a switch was flipped. Alex crashed down on his back, the wind being knocked out of him. Then, just as the remaining three Death Eaters brandished their wands, their gravity shut off, sending their spells off-course. Alex shoved himself to his feet, chasing after the other three. He saw their gravity switch off, and just before reaching that spot, leapt into a spin. As he sailed through the air, he brandished his own wand, sending a Knockback Jinx into one of the others' chests just as Ron stunned the first one Alex hit, who was getting to his feet.
Alex landed on his feet this time, catching up with the others as they passed under Uranus. Just as they were, however, a jet of white light slammed into Ron's back. He fell flat on his face, but as Alex lifted him to his feet, he began to giggle, pointing up at Uranus.
"It's Uranus," he giggled. "Get it? Uranus!"
Alex groaned, slinging him over his shoulder before they continued to run. As they lost their gravity again, Alex threw Ron toward the next door, sending himself directly upward. As they were passing Pluto, however, the first of the Death Eaters caught up, catching Ginny's ankle. Alex raised his wand, only to swing it to his side, blocking a curse from the other two conscious Death Eaters. Then, Pluto exploded, hurling him backward, toward the Death Eaters, just as Ginny shrieked in agony.
"Hit the half-breed!" one of the Death Eaters roared.
"Confringo!" Alex shouted, blasting the floor below them.
The explosion hurled the two Death Eaters after him sailed away from it, crashing into the walls of the room and being knocked unconscious. Then, Alex reached the ceiling, grunting in effort and flipping himself before leaping off of it after the others. The Death Eater caught in Pluto's explosion was unconscious as well, and after a moment, Alex caught up with the others in time to dive through the door into the round room again before it slammed closed and the wall began to spin.
"I fucking hate that room," Alex groaned.
"Ron!" Harry croaked, dashing towards them. "Ginny, are you all-"
"Harry," said Ron, giggling weakly, lurching forwards, seizing the front of Harry's robes and gazing at him with unfocused eyes. "There you are you look funny, Harry. You're all messed up."
Ron's face was very white and something dark was trickling from the corner of his mouth. As soon as he spoke, however, his knees gave way, but he still clutched the front of Harry's robes, so that Harry was pulled into a kind of bow.
"Ginny?" Harry said fearfully. "What happened?"
But Ginny shook her head and slid down the wall into a sitting position, panting and holding her ankle.
"I think her ankle's broken, I heard something crack," Luna whispered, kneeling beside her with Alex. "Four of them chased us into a dark room full of planets. It was a very odd place, some of the time we were just floating in the dark-"
"Harry, we saw Uranus up close!" Ron said, still giggling feebly. "Get it, Harry? We saw Uranus."
A bubble of blood grew at the corner of Ron's mouth and burst.
"-anyway," Luna continued, "one of them grabbed Ginny's foot while Alex was dealing with the other three. I used the Reductor Curse and blew up Pluto in his face, but..."
Luna gestured hopelessly at Ginny, who was breathing in a very shallow way, her eyes still closed.
"And what about Ron?" Harry asked fearfully, as Ron continued to giggle, still hanging off the front of Harry's robes.
"It's a type of Confundus Charm, I think," Alex said. "He'd down for the count."
"Harry," Ron said, pulling Harry's ear down to his mouth and still giggling weakly. "You know who this girl is, Harry? She's Loony. Loony Lovegood."
Alex and Luna rolled their eyes.
"We've got to get out of here," said Harry firmly.
"I'll carry Ginny," Alex said, lifting her only his back.
Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck and her good leg around his waist, Alex's free hand holding her injured leg about mid-thigh to help her support her weight. Then, he leaned forward so she was laying on top of him, focused, and jabbed his wand at his own torso. thick, flat straps shot out of it, wrapping around bot of them tightly and binding her to his back, a couple of straps wrapping under her legs and backside to make it more comfortable for her. Then, Alex straightened up and Ginny nodded, readying her wand and taking several deep breaths to calm herself.
"Okay," Harry nodded. "Be very careful, Alex."
"I know," Alex said seriously. "I won't let her be hurt."
Harry nodded and stepped up beside them, giving Ginny a quick kiss. "Be careful."
"You, too," Ginny said.
"Focus on the task at hand, Romeo," Alex growled. "Which way?"
Harry heaved Ron's arm over his shoulder and headed for a door, just as one to their right burst open, Bellatrix and two other wizards bursting in.
"There they are!" Bellatrix shrieked.
"Petrificus Tempora!" Alex shouted, wand drawing a circle in front of him, then slashing through it from right to left.
All three Death Eaters froze, Bellatrix's crazed, gleeful smile still in place, theirs eyes staring straight ahead, unblinking, and unmoving. Bellatrix and one of the others even still had a foot raised ahead of them to continue running, only to remain impossibly balanced on their back foot.
"What did you do?" Harry asked.
"I froze their time," Alex said. "It's similar to the Impediment Jinx, but more absolute. It also only lasts a few seconds, so let's go!"
They all hurried through the door, Harry had chosen, Alex warning everyone not to touch the Death Eaters. As soon as they were through, Harry sealed the door.
"What was that spell?" Harry asked.
"Focus," Alex said, looking around the brain room. "There are more doors."
He, Harry, and Luna sprinted around the room, sealing the doors, Harry actually flipping over a table at one point in his haste to seal them all.
"The spell freezes time for the victim, which means they can no longer be affected by anything under time's effect!" Alex explained as they raced the clock. "Spells have no effect on them, if you walk into a finger extended by the victim you'll impale yourself on it like a raindrop through mist. It's risky to use, and it's most useful for escape."
Just then, he finished his doors and turned in time to see a door Luna was heading for burst open. One of the five Death Eaters slashed his wand at her, a whip-like tongue of purple flame appeared and striking at her, only for Alex's wand to send a Knockback Jinx into her of its own accord, getting her out of the curse's way, but breaking her arm and bouncing her off the wall, knocking her unconscious. However, as she would definitely live, he could apologize to her later.
He swung his wand over himself from his right to left, then shouted, "Impetus Maxima!" as he slashed back across his body from his left shoulder to his right hip. There was a sound like a cannon firing, and a barrage of blasts identical to, but stronger than, his kinetic force spell exploded from the end of his wand, blasting all five Death Eaters, this time shattering bones. Four of them were sent hurtling back through the door while the one that attacked Luna collided with the top of the doorway, his back snapping loudly before he flipped through it and crashed to the ground just on the other side of the door. Then, Alex flicked his wand, slamming and sealing the door.
"RON NO!" Harry suddenly shouted.
Alex spun just as one of the brains, which Ron had apparently summoned to himself, landed in his hands. Except, the moment it did, tentacles of what seemed to be thoughts surged out of it, wrapping around Ron's arms and up to his torso.
"Harry, look what's happen..." he stopped, eyes widening suddenly. "No...no...I don't like it! No, sto-stop!"
"Diffindo!" Harry yelled, trying to sever the feelers wrapping themselves tightly around Ron before his eyes, but they would not break.
Ron fell over, still thrashing against his bonds.
"Harry, it'll suffocate him!" Ginny screamed.
"Get away from him!" Alex snapped, everyone complying. "Petrificus Tempora!"
Ron froze instantly, the look of terror frozen on his face, only for the brain to drop suddenly. Except, as it fell onto him, anything that touched him liquefied before racing off of him as though gravity had spontaneously crushed it and shoved it to the ground, only for it to have to go around Ron first, leaving a puddle around him. A moment later, Ron resumed his thrashing, continuing for several seconds before realizing the danger had passed.
"As I said before," Alex said. "Don't touch anyone I cast that spell on."
They all nodded in agreement, except for Ron, who was still staring at his empty hands. Alex sighed, walking over to Ron and pulling him to his feet. Ron shook his head before his knees gave out and he began to giggle again.
"That was wicked!" Ron said, then giggled some more. "I got attacked by a brain!" More giggling.
"Harry, we need to draw the Death Eaters away from the others," Alex said.
Harry nodded and Alex sat down, then used a Severing Charm to free Ginny from his back.
"Harry, no!" Ginny pleaded. "Don't!"
Harry knelt in front of her, kissing her as Alex gently lifted Luna, who stirred instantly.
"What happened?" Luna asked, grimacing and holding her unbroken arm to her head.
"My wand hit you with a Knockback Jinx to get you out of the way of a curse," Alex said. "It broke your arm and threw you into the wall."
Luna nodded. "At least I'm alive." She frowned as she saw the pained, conflicted look in his eyes. "Be careful."
Alex smiled, kissing her. "Help Neville get the others out of here. We'll be back as soon as we can."
Luna nodded, kissing him again. "Please be careful."
Alex nodded. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Luna smiled.
Alex stood, taking a steadying breath before walking to one of the doors Death Eaters hadn't come from and unsealing it once Harry joined him, both holding their wands ready, Alex in front. Alex pulled the door open and they started down the hallway together in silence while Neville and Luna hurriedly gathered the others and began to try and get them to the door back to the circular room. After a moment, Harry and Alex reached a four-way hallway and turned left, walking to the door at the end. Alex pushed it open and tensed, only to find the next room, the one with the Veil, empty. He and Harry walked into it and down the stone benches to the sunken pit, then climbed up onto the dais and looked around. Alex glanced at Harry, who nodded, then raised his wand. A cannon blast of sound erupted out of it, echoing painfully around the chamber, though sounding muted behind them, Alex suspected because of the Veil itself either absorbing the sound or the sound passing into it. Finally, several doors ahead of them opened, all of the non-crippled Death Eaters walking into it. However, the Death Eaters' ranks were now short four members, leaving eight of them to form up before them.
"So, Potter and Pruitt are the last two standing," Lucius drawled. "I'm not surprised. Alright, Potter. This is your last chance. Give me the prophecy, or we'll kill both of you and all of your friends."
"Let the others go and you can have it," Harry countered.
"You're in no position to be making demands," Lucius said coolly, his face flushed with enjoyment. "There are eight of us, and only two of you."
Alex raised his wand, the Death Eaters all tensing. "I can live with those odds."
"You should choose your words more carefully," Lucius warned, the Death Eaters all raising their wands as they began to descend the stone benches.
"Wait," Harry said. "Alright. you can have-"
A door behind the Death Eaters burst open and Luna charged through, blasting Malfoy in the back with Alex's kinetic force spell, then another. However, as she moved to cast another spell, Bellatrix a Death Eater grabbed her by the broken arm, making her scream in pain and drop her wand before he grabbed her around the throat. Alex prepared to cast a spell of his own, only for Neville to emerge from the doorway, leaping off the stairs and slamming into the whole lot of them. Luna tumbled down the stone benches away from the Death Eaters, but as Neville tried to follow, he was grabbed instead.
"What the fuck are you two doing here!?" Alex demanded, summoning Luna's wand to himself as he dropped off the dais and helped her to her feet.
"We can still fight," Luna said, wiping the tears from her face before accepting her wand back.
"I've run out of patience!" Lucius snarled, rounding on Neville. "Your name's Longbottom, isn't it? Here's how this will work. Either Harry's going to give us the prophecy, now, or Bellatrix is going to do to Neville what she did to his parents!"
"Crucio!" Bellatrix cried gleefully, holding the spell for several seconds as Neville writhed and screamed before ending it. "That was just a little taster!"
"Alright!" Harry said. "Alright! You can have it!"
Lucius raised his wand. "Acci-"
The door exploded open again and five more people emerged. Tonx sent a Stunning Spell at Lucius immediately, and Alex, Harry, and Luna all dove behind the Dais as Neville all but leapt down the benches and dove to the ground, spells flying over them. Alex pulled Luna into a kiss, then glared at her.
"The next time I tell you to run, you had better fucking do it!" Alex snarled.
"No promises," Luna said flatly.
Just then, one of the Death Eaters rounded the dais, grinning, and raised his wand, only for all three DA members to blast him with a Stunning Spell, hurling him away. Alex and Luna stood and stepped back out of hiding, looking around at the proceedings. Tonx was struggling to duel Bellatrix, Sirius was dueling with a Death Eater about ten feet away, Kingsley was dueling furiously with two, and Lupin was off to the side dueling with one. Lucius was sprawled out on one of the benches, apparently having been hit by Tonx. Alex did some quick mental math, realizing one was unaccounted for. However, just as he realized that, a Knockback Jinx slammed into his side, hurling him into the dais before Luna and the last Death Eater began to duel. Alex grit his teeth, shoving himself to his feet. It was clearly a losing battle, but his legs buckled immediately. as the Death Eater began to bear down on Luna, Alex's mind instinctively seized onto a single spell.
"AVADA-"
"REPLICARE CORPORIS! ! !" Alex roared desperately.
There was an odd squelching sound and a feeling like he was passing backward through a wall of thick muck, and then a clone of himself was shoving Luna down and out of the way, just as the Death Eater roared, "KEDAVRA!" and a jet of green light slammed into the clone, hurling it backward lifelessly. Alex felt a wave of cold pass over him, but even as it did, he brandished his wand furiously.
"IMPETUS! ! !" Alex roared.
His kinetic force spell, now much stronger in accordance with him saying the incantation, now as strong as the individual blasts from his earlier casting of the spell's enhanced form, slammed into the Death Eater's face. His mask shattered, blood spraying out as a deafening crunching sound rang out before the Death Eater sailed backward, flipping end over end, then crashed down among the benches. Luna sprinted to Alex, kneeling in front of him.
"Are you alright?" Luna asked. "I thought you..."
Both looked to the clone just as it turned transparent, then faded inside of a second. Alex sighed in relief as warmth returned to his body, and he wrapped his free arm around Luna. He glanced to the side, seeing the Death Eater that had tried to kill Luna had been dueling Moody earlier, and had managed to hit him in the head with one spell or another, Moody now lying slumped on the floor, his magic eye lying on the floor a short distance from him. Just then, Sirius reached them all and wrapped one arm around both Alex and Luna as he shoved Harry down with the other, he himself also ducking. A split-second later, a jet of green light passed over them. They all looked around, seeing Tonx tumbling down the stone benches as Bellatrix sprinted to rejoin the fray.
"Take the prophecy and get out of here!" Sirius ordered.
"Right!" Alex nodded, jabbing his wand at Moody. "Rennervate!"
There was a flash of brilliant red light and Moody grunted, jerked, then looked around. He grabbed his eye and shoved it back into its socket, nodding once to Alex before snatching his wand off the ground and moving to help Kingsley. Alex and the others ran for the door, only for a jet of red light to hit Luna in the back. Alex wheeled around just in time to block another jet with a Shield Charm, then flicked his wand, only for Lucius to step out of the way of the Stinging Jinx he'd fired.
"Neville, catch!" Harry shouted, tossing him the prophecy before Alex and Harry both went on the attack.
Lucius's eyes widened in surprise before narrowing in irritation and concentration as he struggled to fend the two off. Alex blocked several spells from Lucius and Harry fired a Stunning Spell, only for Lucius to block it. Alex fired an Impetus, but Lucius stepped out of the way again, allowing it to crack the dais behind him. As he sent a Stunning Spell at Harry, however, Alex flicked his wand. Lucius yelped as his feet jerked forward and up, slamming the back of his head into the floor before both of them sent a Stunning Spell into his upside-down chest, sending him flying backward. As they turned, however, a jet of red light slammed into Neville, halfway up the stone benches, and he toppled backward. The globe he'd been trying to escape with sailed into the air and smashed off to one side. Alex and Harry stared in horror as the ghostly image of a figure with hugely-magnified eyes appeared, spoke in a voice that couldn't possibly reach them over the sounds of the chaos around them, and then faded.
"Rennervate!" Alex said, pointing his wand at Luna as Harry did the same for Neville.
Both stirred, then scrambled to their feet, Neville looking around in terror.
"Just go, Neville!" Harry snapped.
Neville jumped, then scrambled up the stairs toward the door the Order had arrived through, only to yelp and leap to the side as the door burst open. And there, framed in the doorway, stood Albus Dumbledore.
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