~*Chapter Seven*~ - The Death Eaters
"We can't just let this happen, Hermione! I mean, your parents are Muggles! And it's terrible!" Ron cried softly, forcing himself not to flail his arms and pull the cloak down. Hermione shushed him quickly with a hand over his mouth and put a thoughtful expression on her face, one of hard scrutiny.
"We have to wait until we have some of the Death Eaters in view; they might see us jump out against no one and have the upper hand; the element of surprise."
Ron nodded in understanding, but still looked impatient. "So we just going to sit here and watch these poor Muggles die? It seems like a raw deal, Herm…"
But at that exact moment, she tugged at the collar of Ron's robes and pointed as a long parade of black-cloaked figures rushed down the street, tossing fire and other spells of devastation from the tips of their desecrated wands. The night air filled with malicious laughter, and Hermione nodded.
"Let's go, Ron!"
She didn't even have to tell him, for as soon as she opened her mouth, Ron burst from the bushes, the Invisibility Cloak still on his shoulders but fallen from his face, giving the impression that he was merely a floating head.
"Ron, wait! You foolish git! What do you think you're doing?!" Hermione called, jumping out after him.
"MULTIM INFIRMO!!" Ron shouted fiercely, pointing his wand at the nearest gathering of Death Eaters. A long red jet of light emitted from his wand as it streaked through the night air. As it fired into the small gathering, the first four of five dropped to the ground, alive, but greatly weakened and unable to fight.
Hermione would've taken the time to commend Ron for his excellent spell casting, but she suddenly found her own target. A large swath of Death Eaters was coming towards her, and they were hurling different curses and spells towards her. Flashes of green light accompanied shouts of "Avada Kedavra!", but Hermione was smarter than that to stay in one place. She jumped to the side and went into a roll, kicking up dust about herself. When she came to stand again, she coughed a bit and screamed at Ron to go to the other side of the village where the screams had erupted anew. She cast the same spell Ron had just before, and many more Death Eaters dropped. She knew it wouldn't be a lasting effect, so as Ron ran off, she called out to him, "Use the Sleeping Death spell!! It only puts them into a death like trance!"
"Okay!" she heard Ron's far away reply, and she turned back to her own problem. She raised her wand and pointed straight at them, took a breath, and let loose.
"Domino Lectum!" she cried viciously as an invisible stream of magic swept over the entire group, almost instantaneously dropping them into a death-like sleep. Only one remained standing, a tall, cloaked figure whose identity was hidden from view. He chuckled maliciously and lowered his own wand.
"So…his friends have indeed come."
And he vanished. Hermione knew she recognized that voice, but she couldn't quite place it. She would have to worry about it later. Ron needed help, as did the small village. She ran past many smoldering and smoking houses, their owners running through the streets with terror in their faces. As she passed, she managed to extinguish a few flaming homes. She was following the new screams now, those probably caused not only by Death Eaters but by a certain Weasley's disembodied head, floating through that air as it cast spells from an equally disembodied arm. As she turned a corner, her guesses were confirmed when she saw Ron, or rather, his head and arm, bobbing down the street, his feet also visible from his running. He was flinging the Sleeping Death like never before, and had to laugh inwardly at his comical appearance. But now was not time for humor. She had to get rid of some of these guys that were swooping in behind Ron.
"DOMINO LECTUM!" she screamed, letting loose a barrage of the spell, watching as her opponents fell before her. Then, it was all over. As suddenly as it had happened. The remaining Death Eaters laughed as Ron reached them and raised his wand, and apparated, laughing maliciously. The night was silent again, save for the crackling of fires and the sobs of men, women, and children.
Ron, looking troubled, walked up to Hermione, not realizing he still looked like a floating head. He glanced back to where the Death Eaters had previously been standing. "That's so weird…this was no random attack, Hermione."
"I know, but right now the best thing to do is repair the damage that was done here. We can't have a word of this going back to the Muggle newspapers or the Daily Prophet. But you need to send Percy an owl and tell him what's happened. If he was worried about Death Eaters then he should know all about this. You go take care of that while I put Memory Charms on these poor people, and while you're at it, try and repair any damage you see."
Ron nodded, and as he was walking off to find Pigwidgeon, Hermione called back to him.
"And take off that damn cloak! You wonder why some people are still screaming?"
~*Chapter Eight Coming Soon!!*~
