Disclaimer: I am not Timothy Zahn or J.K. Rowling.
As he, Dean and Goldstein watch the Hit Wizards and their prisoners, Percy receives Hedwig's message.
Percy. Oh, my. General Thomas, I have . . .
Dean. Quiet, Percy. [to Goldstein] Did you see what happened, Goldstein?
Goldstein. [shakes his head] Looked like Potter and his droid both fell over. I couldn't tell for sure, too many Hit Wizards in the way.
Percy. General Thomas . . .
Dean. Quiet, Percy. [to Goldstein] Looks like they're okay.
Goldstein. Yeah. Here we go. Let's hope everyone's ready.
Dean. And that Borgin and the others aren't still carrying their rifles.
Goldstein. They aren't. Don't worry. Hit Wizards are always confiscating other people's weapons.
Dean and Goldstein draw their rifles.
Percy. General Thomas. I must speak to you. I have a message from Master Harry.
Dean. [surprised] From Harry? What is it?
Percy. Master Harry wants you to hold off the attack. He says you're to wait until the Hit Wizards are at the arch before firing.
Goldstein. [turns] What? That's mad. They outnumber us three to one. We give them any chance at all at cover, and they'll cut us to pieces.
Dean. They're awfully spread out out there. Cover or no cover, they're going to be hard to take out, especially with those brooms on their perimeter.
Dean and Goldstein turn their rifles on one another.
Goldstein. It's mad. I'm not going to risk my people that way.
Dean. Harry knows what he's doing. He's an Auror.
Goldstein. [snorts] He's not an Auror now. Didn't Aberforth explain about the hinkypunks?
Dean. Whether he has Auror powers or not, he's still an Auror. Anyway, his life is more on the line here than any of yours. You can always abort and pull back.
Goldstein. [sarcastic] Oh, sure. Except that if we leave any of them alive, they'll seal off the city. And what about that assault broom up there?
Dean. What about it? I still haven't heard how you're planning to take it out.
Goldstein. Well, we sure as hell don't want it on the ground. And that's what will happen if we let the Hit Wizards get to the arch. The assault broom will put down right across the front of it, right between us and them. That, plus the arch itself, will give them all the cover they need to sit back and take us out at their leisure. Anyway, it's too late to clue in the others to any plan changes.
Dean. You don't have to clue them in. No one's supposed to do anything until you trigger the booby-trapped weapons.
Goldstein. [shakes his head] It's too risky.
Dean rests his rifle against Goldstein's neck.
Dean. We wait.
Goldstein. [cold] I won't forget this, Thomas.
Dean. I wouldn't want you to. [aside] Oh, Harry. I hope you know what you're doing.
Despite his reservations, Goldstein does not signal his people to attack until the Hit Wizards (and their prisoners) are within cover of the archway. As they reach the arch, four of the Hit Wizards explode; the force of the explosion nearly knocks Harry over.
As the Hit Wizards move into battle, the assault broom swivels around to face unseen attackers. As they fight, the Ministry forces dump their prisoners beyond the archway. Hedwig, moving through the gunfire, joins them.
Ron. I think we're in trouble, not to mention Dean and the others.
Harry. It's not over yet. Just stick close. How are you at causing distractions?
Ron. Terrific.
Ron reveals that he is no longer cuffed.
Trick cuffs.
Ron begins to pick the lock on Harry's cuffs.
I hope this thing . . .
Ron frees Harry.
Ah. You ready for your distraction?
Harry. Hang on a minute.
Harry looks up, watching as the brooms perch near the archway and the assault broom moves downward.
Ginny digs her fingernails into Harry's arm.
Ginny. Whatever you're going to do, do it. If the assault broom gets down, you'll never get them out from cover.
Harry. I know. I'm counting on it.
The assault broom lands.
Back at Aberforth's headquarters, Goldstein curses and rounds on Dean.
Goldstein. Well, there's your Auror for you. You got any other great ideas, Thomas?
Dean. We've just got to give him . . .
Goldstein draws his rifle and fires at Dean, knocking him backward. As Dean winces with pain, Goldstein leans over him.
He'll come through. He will. [aside] He's not going to listen. And deep down, I can't blame him. I, Dean Thomas, the professional gambler, have gambled one last time. And I've lost. And now the debt of that gamble has come due.
But back in the battle, all is not yet lost. Harry turns to Ron.
Harry. All right, Ron. Go.
Ron nods, rises, and knocks two Hit Wizards out. The other two Hit Wizards round on him.
Harry turns to Hedwig, the latter still making his way toward the former.
Hedwig. Now.
Hedwig's compartment opens, and Harry retrieves his lightwand. Activating the weapon, Harry slashes at the Hit Wizards, saving Ron.
[to Ron and Ginny] Get behind me.
Noticing Harry, some of the Hit Wizards make their way toward Harry. Stripped of the Magic, Harry is unable to fight off the Hit Wizards with his lightwand, but that is not a problem, as the Hit Wizards are not who he is aiming for.
Harry turns and slices one of the stone pillars of the archway in half. Then he does the same to the other pillar. As the archway comes crashing down, Ron and Ginny scramble behind Harry. Harry himself just barely manages to leap out of the way as the stone pillars come crashing down on top of the Ministry Hit Wizards.
Even without the Magic, Harry manages to save himself, Ron, Ginny, Hedwig, and the others from the Hit Wizards.
Exit all.
