"Mmph," Parva moaned as she turned over on the bed in the tiny hotel room she was sharing with Pansy. This was their last week of the field trip, and Parva was looking forward to getting home. Hermione, Snape, Draco, and Ginny were going to be meeting up with them today and Parva knew she had to get up soon.
With great effort she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and got up. Oh, the floor's cold she thought to herself. She tiptoed over to the wardrobe and got out her favorite outfit. Short red plaid skirt, tight black tank top, and black fishnet tights. She added black combat boots and a few bits of jewelry. By this time, Professor Sprout had gotten up and was in the tiny bathroom taking a shower.
There was a knock on the door. "Parvati? Hey, Parvati, are you awake yet?" She hurried to the door and opened it to find Harry and Ron dressed and waiting for her.
"Let me just tell Professor Sprout I'm going," she said and called to Professor Sprout. The Professor said to go ahead and Parvati skipped out the door.
"How are you today babe?" Harry asked, and kissed Parvati on the cheek.
"Yes, how is our Princess?" Ron said, kissing Parvati on the other cheek. She laughed and punched them both in the arms. She had had so much fun with these two and had learned to love them both deeply.
"Where are we meeting Hermione and Company?" Parvati asked as they sat down in the Hotel Al Piave's restaurant for breakfast.
"Smarfaro," Ron answered with his mouth full. Her grinned and swallowed and tried again. "We're to meet them in St. Mark's Square about 9 am. It's around," he checked his watch, "8:05 now."
"Well," Harry said, twiddling his wand through his fingers under the table, "It's a 20 minute drive from here, so hurry up, both of you."
Parvati took a gulp of orange juice and then stuck her tongue out at Harry. He gave her a look that said, "Don't tempt me," and she dissolved into giggles.
Ron paced dramatically in front of Parvati and Harry, reducing them both to helpless laughter as he mimicked the flustered bellhop when Harry had asked for a taxicab.
"Taxi? Signore… I speak English no good. Taxi mean food?"
"No sir, I want transportation to St. Marks Square. Um, a car, a cab, a bus?'
"Signore, I help no. Um, um, um… directions to Santa Marchio Piazza."
Harry had thrown his hands up in exasperation. "Si, Signore. That'll work. How long of a walk?"
The poor man had told them that with his directions it was 20 minutes. Of course he had meant the drive, but the three of them had been so anxious to get going that they hadn't realized. It had taken them 40 minutes to finally find the square. Now they were sitting comfortably on a bench, waiting for Hermione, Ginny, Draco, and Severus to arrive.
"Si, Signore, speak English no-?" Ron was saying.
"Ow!" Harry cried suddenly, his hand going to his scar.
"Harry, what is it?" Parvati said, attempting to pull Harry's hand away from his forehead. Ron shook his head.
"Don't tell me… You-Know-Who?" He asked in a hushed whisper. Harry nodded.
"Harry! Ron! Parvati!" Ginny was running toward them, her long red hair flowing in the wind as she dashed along.
"Not a word to any of them, got it?" Harry said. Parvati and Ron barely nodded and then ran to greet their friends.
Ginny was talking a mile a minute to Ron, while Draco shook his hand. Hermione and Parvati were hugging and Harry was laughing at something Snape said when the first spell narrowly missed them. The flash of the spell startled the few muggles out by the fountain at this early hour; they screamed and ran. Soon, the friends were the only ones left. Every one of them had their wands drawn and ready as they had recognized the origin of the flash of light.
"Where did it come from?" Parvati asked Ginny. She shook her head in answer.
"Scatter!" Draco yelled suddenly as masked men began apparating all around them. They fanned out, attempting to surround the friends.
Parvati and Hermione grabbed hands and ran toward a building. Parvati's ring was throwing off sparks and she noticed Hermione also was wearing a ring with sparks shooting from it.
"Hermione," Parvati gasped out as they turned to face the first curses thrown their way with the wall at their back, "do you know any focusing spells?"
"Yes," Hermione said, countering a jelly-legs curse, "Advanced Charms teaches it."
"Good! Grab my hands and say the spell, Parrious Fucuscus."
"The shield spell? Got it!"
"Surround the rest of our friends with it. Once we have, say Hedfriousy Dexicar so they can shoot spells through the shield."
Ron was having his own troubles. One, very determined attacker had backed him into a corner. He had thrown every curse he knew at them, which was quite a few considering he helped Harry practice all the time, but the attacker had countered every one. Finally, in desperation, he had yelled out, "Accio wand!" Amazingly, it worked! The attacker's wand had shot through the air, narrowly missing Ron's eye, and shattered on the wall behind him.
"My wand!" the attacker screamed, "I'll get you for that Ron!"
"Ria? Oh, Gods, Ria?!"
"Damnit yes!" the witched yelled, throwing off her mask so Ron could see her face. "I was told to get close to you, learn where you were going. I did my job and I even got the reward of destroying you! The Dark Lord will not let me fail! I will kill you with my bare hands if I must!" She jumped at his face, manicured fingernails bared like claws.
"C-c- CONFINIO!" Ron had a hard time getting the spell past his lips, but his rage finally overcame his shock and shame. Ropes flew out of the tip of his wand and tied the screeching witch up. He jumped over her fallen body and raced back toward the sounds of battle, swiping tears from his eyes with the back of his hand.
Ginny, Draco, Harry, and Severus were standing back to back in the center of the Square. Suddenly, a glowing amethyst light blazed from where Harry had seen Parvati and Hermione run to, The two girls began walking toward the group, when suddenly, Ginny was hit by a stupefy spell. She crumpled to the ground.
"Ginny!" Draco yelled, instantly abandoning all thoughts for his safety as he dropped to the ground to check on his girlfriend. Ron raced up to join them, swinging himself over Ginny's body to block her and Draco from view just as Parvati and Hermione reached them.
Rising six feet into the air, a violet shield of light spread between Parvati and Hermione. The two girls ran around the group, closing the spell with the second incantation. The collapsed, exhausted by the effort of supporting the huge spell for so long. Their wand tips glowed red and their rings were hot to anyone who touched them except their owners.
Draco got up again, and Parvati dragged Ginny into the center of the circle with her and Hermione. It seemed like hours as they lay there, listening to the yelling of spells and the loud clanking noise as each enemy spell hit the shield. The spell's light was slowly fading as Parvati and Hermione were slowly losing conciousness from holding two horribly advanced spells for such a long time.
Suddenly, four things happened at once. The shield spell winked out as both Parvati and Hermione fainted. Harry's scare and Severus and Draco's Dark Marks flared with such pain and heat that they all passed out. Ron was hit with a stupefying spell. And Dumbledore, Lupin, Sirius, Professor Sprout, both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Mad-Eye Moody, and Professor McGonagoll apparated in the center of the attacker's group, throwing curses every which way.
It was all over in a short time, but the friends didn't see the end of it. They would all wake up two days later in Hogwart's Infirmiry. Each one of them had a splitting headache.
*The Daily Proffet Front Headline*
"In light to the recent murder attempt on six Hogwart students and one professor of the mentioned school by unknown attackers, all international wizarding travel will hearby be suspended until further notice. Apparating will be limited to the British Isles (Scotland, Ireland, and England). All British wizarding folk outside this limit is asked to re-enter the country immediately. All other travel must be cleared with the Ministry of International Wizarding Affairs. All violaters of this decree will spend 3 days in Azakaban NO QUESTIONS ASKED. Thank you for your understanding, Percy Herman Winnafred Weasley, Minister of Magic."
