Author's Note: Keyboard is acting up, so I can't type anything into the computer at the moment. Won't update the story until I get a new keyboard, so consider yourselves warned. Life without a spacebar is horrible.

Admissions: HP chars belong to J. K. Rowling, Leiko to me, and Ravindra to my soul-sister Rave.

Section 19: Pure Luck and Abduction

The trio of Gryffindors found the room with Leiko and Voldemort, and the Death Eaters. They managed to sneak in as two black-robed individuals dragged another into the hall. Ron kept his eyes open for Rave's signal as they took out their wands, ready to act. Voldemort seemed to have only a small number of followers with him, and Leiko seemed in good enough health, considering. There was no point in delaying their plan. Where was the red gryffin?

"I think I'll take you home with me. It's the nature of gryffins to hoard things."

Lucius regarded the woman with suspicion. Was she saying that she was a gryffin, then?

"You seem to lack the lion tail of a gryffin. As well as a few other features."

"You are an idiot. A pretty idiot, but still an idiot."

Rave reached for a coil of rope that she'd brought just in case it was needed. She quickly bound Lucius's hands and took his wand. It wouldn't do for the wizard to escape, not when she was in his clutches. She had plans for this kidnapper. Plans that would assure he did not dare interfere with the gryffins again.

Back in the hall, Ravindra crept towards the doors that lead to the meeting chamber. She could still hear Leiko's and Voldemort's voices. Good, they were exchanging verbal barbs. She concentrated and shifted back into her gryphonic self, then burst screaming through the door.

Ron, Harry, and Hermione heard Rave's distinctive shriek and cast stun charms at Voldemort. Two hit the dark wizard in the chest, but the third missed its mark and hit a Death Eater. Voldemort fell to the floor with a hiss, still conscious but too surprised to react in time to stop what happened next.

Leiko turned and ran for Rave, leaping onto her sister's back with ease. The red gryffin then shrieked once more, sending every person in the room onto their knees in anguish. The gryffin's scream kept the enemy forces from acting against her. The wizards had never heard a gryffin use an audio assault before, and had not expected such a thing. Especially as the 'gryffin' they were to guard was in human form.

Rave found the students and, with Leiko's help, got them onto her back. She then ran out the door, down the hall, snatched Lucius up by the back of his robe, and headed for the exit. The Death Eaters and their Dark Lord never had time to cast the first curse. The plan had gone perfectly.

"I told you it would work."

"Shut up, Ron. That screaming gave me a headache."

"Did you have to shriek like that, Ravindra?"

"Yes, Harry, I did. Very effective weapon when tooth and talon fail. Now hang on, we're in the courtyard. Time to get airborne."

The red gryffin just did manage to get into the air with her heavy burden. She was large, and powerful, but she did have limits. Rave transferred an unconscious Lucius from beak to talons for a better grip. She hoped Snape would be alright, for Leiko's sake. Rave would never truly understand what her sister saw in the ill-tempered human. Leiko was a nice enough gryffin that she could have had her choice of any number of eligible beasts, but no. The black one just had to pick a human. Typical.