Technopaienne: Thank you veryfor your comments! I hope that you enjoy this chapter!
Icy blue eyes widened and the white eyebrows that framed them, lowered into a sharp frown that transformed Fleur's face into a somewhat comical portrait as the French witch stared, in absolute confusion, at Tonks.
"What?", Fleur asked in a high tone, as she lowered her neck and stared up at the Auror in an impersonation of the typical jaw-dropping scene, "what is this you're saying?"
Tonks bit her lips from the inside and blinked at Fleur's tone before she turned towards the French voice; surprisingly, she was able to make out the blonde girl's features with little struggle, for the white mist had faded into a light breeze that played with their eyes.
Taking in Fleur's eyes and the small frown, Tonks smirked and let out a small chuckle that ended with a long sigh. "What?", Fleur demanded the same question and stepped closer to the Auror, raising her face up to the same level as Tonks's, she was obviously annoyed at the other girl's cocky grin.
"Nothing", muttered Tonks and attempted a feeble smile, "it's just that you look…nice, when you're confused". That said, the Auror raised a shaky hand and tugged at her pink strands with a nervous grin before adapting a business-like tone and fashion when she spoke again. Fleur rolled her eyes and shook her head with a small smile, her blonde hair flowing with every move as she took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh similar to that of the Auror.
Nice? Oh reelly? Like she's about to say anytheeng more zhan just "nice"
"Ok then, I suppose you haven't forgotten when the ground shook?", Tonks addressed the crowd with a crooked grin, "well, rest assured…it's not giants"
The pack of teenage wizards and witches sighed in content as they smiled with this bit of information. Unfortunately, their pitiful celebration was just about to end, when Tonks shifted uncomfortably and crossed her arms in front of her chest as serious tone rose to her voice.
"Inferi", the Auror muttered and paused, savoring the distaste at the sound of the word in her voice, "is what's outside…I know you're familiar with these creatures, but I doubt you've ever faced one"
Hermione gasped in terror, her brown eyes narrowed in recognition of the horrors she had only met in books, gruesome illustrations portraying the outcome of battling Inferi having their way with a wizard invaded her thoughts.
Fleur shook her head, but this time, her eyes were closed with despair and no trace of a smile could be found in her worried face as she thought desperately of a way to survive this attack. Her thoughts soared over spells and enchantments that could to the trick, but she was only thinking of herself, what about the others? Would she save her Veela skin and leave the young wizards to die? Leave Tonks to face Inferi alone?
Another shake of her blonde head and Fleur knew that she would never do such a thing, opening her eyes and blinking a few times, the French witch glanced at the multitude of students in their Hogwarts robes. No, she couldn't leave them.
"I think that the Full Body Bind might work"
"But, what if it doesn't?"
"How about Disarming?"
"We just have to make sure the Inferi don't touch us, I've read somewhere that their very touch can kill"
"So Disarming Spells are in order, right?"
"I believe so…but we must try anything else to avoid contact.Oh, yes, and fire is most effective too"
Tonks listened at their horror-stricken voices with her arms tightly crossed, but after a few seconds, she cleared her throat, demanding attention from the youths.
"You know what we have to do", she began with a soft voice, and continued with a shake of her pink hair "it's not just a choice anymore. Live or die, we're all fighting for one thing: peace. And there is little we have to do, comparing it with what…Harry has to do", Tonks glanced at Hermione and Ron with a sad smile.
"I'm just glad that we're not facing Voldemort", Tonks added and chuckled with another tug at her hair. "This is a bit stupid, I know…but just keep in mind that this is just another battle and…don't stare at the Inferi, you'll get queasy" she said with another smirk.
The teens stared at Tonks in complete disbelief, but even so, a few managed to crack small smiles at the Auror's air-headed speech.
"Alright", Tonks declared with a grin, "wands out…"
"So, no good-byes?", Fleur's clear voice rose from behind Tonks's form.
Tonks narrowed her eyes and turned to face a smiling Fleur, "I wasn't finished, yet, Fleur" she said with a frown and looked back at the youths "anyway, we don't have much time to lose, so make it quick"
But, unfortunately for those who were aching for a well-deserved goodbye, a loud growl pierced their muttering voices, a cry so human and yet so animalistic in nature that many interpreted the wail as that belonging to some wild animal that roamed the Forbidden Forest.
Tonks spun on her heel and faced the now visible doorway with a grimace as she braced herself, waiting for anything to come inside. Motioning with her head, she led the way to the frame and placed a bruised hand on the cold stones beside the door leaning forward to get a better look at what had caused the growl.
As if on cue, the ghastly face of a yellow corpse appeared in front of Tonks, the sunken eyes were white and the wrinkled lips were open in a strange moan of angst as the Auror cried out and let out a series of slashes with her wand.
The Inferius was thrown back with another long howl as its body sailed over the carnage that covered the Great Hall's floor, to end at the feet of its cadaveric companions, who in turn lifted their rotten heads and aimed a searing glance at Tonks, who had just stepped forward.
"Oh, now they've seen us", Ron chimed in from behind Tonks's shoulder.
"Let's just get this over with", was the Auror's response as she strolled towards the Inferi, she raised her wand and a series of red jets of light were fired at the corpses.
A couple of Inferi were still standing after Tonks's attack, the others had fallen with a wet thudding sound, but now they were picking their mutilated bodies up from the floor as they moved towards the wizards with an unearthly crawl.
Spells came down on the Inferi with a furious force as the bodies continued to make their way forward, stopping once or twice when an arm or a leg was pushed out of place by a well-aimed spell but it didn't take them long to pop their joints back together with a sickening sound.
"This is so sick!"
"I can't look at them!"
A thin stream of fire erupted from behind Tonks, and circled around the body of an Inferius that came dangerously close to Charlie Weasley's slumped form.
Ron's face was filled with deep sorrow at the sight of his older brother and his wand erupted with another jet of fire aimed at the already torched Inferius.
"Aagh!", a loud shrill scream rose from above all, and Tonks glanced sideways at a young boy being shoved aside by a large Inferius that began to curl its bony fingers with greed as the boy shrieked at its naked feet.
Tonks aimed her wand at the battling couple when she felt a sharp pain at her side and her knees began to buckle, making the young Auror land on her hands and knees before uttering a sharp gasp of pain.
Her wand was still clenched in a tight grip but the pain was unbelievable, swimming down to her right leg and up her abdomen, Tonks raised her eyes and met a pair of robed legs.
"Silly girl", a cruel voice declared, "Inferi in Howgarts…as if the Dark Lord needed these wretched servants to do His work…can't Aurors even tell illusions from reality?"
So, the Inferi are just an enchantment to play with us
Tonks hung her head again and stared at the floor beneath her, realizing the trick that the Death Eaters had played on them; of course, it was so stupid to expect them to attack without a backup.
Another wave of pain made her shiver in a grimace as she tried her best to remain conscious. She was suddenly aware of a moist feeling that flooded her right arm, glancing down at her hand; she noticed a small river of blood had begun to form under her fingers, making the surface of the stone floor sticky with the blood that poured from her wound.
"You can't even move", the same voice whispered in a mocking fashion, "should've known that you could not last"
The young Auror swallowed hard and struggled to raise her head in order to meet the owner of such voice, her pink locks bounced with the motion and when Tonks finally managed to move, a strong hand cupped her chin and raised it.
A pair of dark eyes met Tonks's along with a wry smile, the bearer of these cold eyes was Bellatrix Lestrange herself, and she was crouching close to Tonks's prostrated form, staring at her niece with no mercy as she kept her hold on the Auror's face.
"I always knew that dirty mudbloods were an useless target for the Dark Lord", continued Bellatrix with a wide sneer, "but I will enjoy killing you"
Tonks stared back at her mother's sister and glanced sideways at the fighting teenagers; they were victims of to the illusion spell,and now, with a fresh batch of Death Eaters coming in behind Bellatrix, they wouldn't stand a chance.
A small grunt escaped Tonks's lips as she was pushed roughly backwards, landing with her back against the floor, she stared up at Bellatrix with defiance.
"Voldemort is going down", Tonks whispered as she blasted a surprised Bellatrix backwards with a flick of her wand, "Harry will make sure of that"
Her breaths came short and painful as Tonks tried her best to sit up with what little strength was left in her battered body, tears of pain began to form in her eyes as she sat up and her side ached with white-hot pinpricks.
"Leave the Inferi", Tonks called with a weak voice as she pushed her body up into a standing position, "it's just…a decoy…Death Eaters are coming"
Hermione looked up from the Inferius she had beenfighting for the past ten minutes and gazed at Tonks. "Of course, it's an illusion!", she gasped, "I just noticed that they have no scorch marks!"
Immediately, upon hearing the bushy haired genius, the other wizards ignored their Inferi and ran forwards towards the entrance; even the small boy that had been cowering under his large Inferius stood up and joined the others.
The Inferi vanished without trace, the spell was now useless but it had served well, for a group of Death Eaters had managed to climb up the stairs during the riot, heading for Harry and the other members of the Order, eager to please their Dark Master.
Fleur stood a few steps behind Tonks, her brow in a deep frown as she stared at the Auror's back with a surge of pain that invaded her chest. Joining Tonks at the front of the group, Fleur stared at the pink-haired girl andgrabbed her hand withelegant fingersthat began to curl around Tonks's."I'm not losing you", Fleur whispered without looking at the Auror, her golden hair fanning behind her beautiful face.