The clearing beyond the gate posed as an unlikely a scene on a sultry summer afternoon in the middle of London, as could have been imagined. Nearest the gate Charlie dueled with two Death Eaters. The work he had done with dragons obviously put him at an advantage, as he appeared to anticipate each of the Death Eater's moves.
To the side of the house near a blossoming flower garden, Henderson, the Ministry Official, was battling a tall intimidating Wizard. Jets of red light flew from their wands but surprisingly both of their aims seemed to be missing their marks. Nearby on the ground lay Hawthorn, the Ministry computer expert. His wand expertise had evidently failed him.
Closest to the house on the terrace itself Remus Lupin was engaged in a war of words as well as wands.
"I'd know you anywhere, Greyback," Lupin said through gritted teeth as he dodged a stunning spell.
"As if a weakling half-breed like yourself is in any position to oppose us or the Dark Lord. You won't even acknowledge the real power at your disposal. Fool!" the dark figure spat contemptuously.
"Silencio!" Lupin's curse hit its mark and Fenrir Greyback was left mouthing his next hex which Lupin again neatly dodged.
Ron and Hermione edged through the gate, sideways and back- to- back. With cautious crab-like movement they moved forward, ready to take their attack stance at a moment's notice. They had practiced this maneuver many times with Harry and Remus Lupin. If an attacker approached, one would remain standing tall, the other would crouch low; one would deflect or protect, while the other threw hexes and curses towards their common enemy. It worked in theory and had worked in their practice sessions. Now they would discover if it worked in the heated reality of battle.
Ron squeezed Hermione's hand – once. Hold till ready. Hermione concentrated as she adjusted her balance slightly to prepare for a crouching stance.
Charlie yelled,"Protego!" and deflected yet another curse. With a backward leap towards Ron and Hermione, he aimed his wand high towards the nearest Death Eater.
"Stupefy! " Immediately his adversary froze in position.
A second Death Eater raised his wand, "Stupendo!" The red light shot towards Ron and Hermione.Two squeezes. Attack now!
Hermione ducked and shouted," Protego!" In synchronized action, Ron dodged the light and loudly declaimed, "Expelliarmus!"
The Death Eater's wand flew high in the air and then dropped ten feet landing in a prickly rose briar. With his partner still frozen in his last position, the now wandless Wizard dove into the briar to retrieve his wand. His non-magical cursing added a peculiar humour to a deadly situation.
"Coward," muttered Charlie disgustedly. "They're mostly cowards - these Death Eaters, need the great ' Dark Lord' to hide behind. Then with some urgency, he turned to Ron and Hermione.
"Look, you two. Thanks and all that, but it's crucial you get back to the house sooner than later. That wandless wonder in the thorns let slip that it's the two of you they were sent to kidnap. Merlin knows what kind of ransom they were planning to exact.
"But," Ron started.
"No buts," Charlie returned. "I don't suppose you are going to give Voldemort the pleasure of your company– or Hermione's?"
Ron's brain snapped back into place. " Keep Hermione safe, Keep Hermione safe," a voice in his head chanted. Charlie observed the effects of his last words on his youngest brother and sought to reinforce them.
"Don't play the hero-just go. There's a side door on the other side of the parlour. Right, Hermione?"
Hermione nodded, looking grimly determined.
"Right, aim for there. Protect yourselves but don't take on other's battles. That's what they want – a way to get to you. Now much as I've enjoyed this little chat, my mark is coming around and you need to go – now."
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Unnoticed by any of the combatants, the tabby cat crept low to the ground hugging the perimeter of the garden. Her emerald eyes observed the progress of the two youngest participants. They looked out of place in their Muggle clothing against a backdrop of Death Eaters' black robes and the deep royal blue of the Ministry Aurors.
Overhead the nightingale flitted across the garden and landed on a branch. Beneath its perch, Henderson and the commanding figure of a Death Eater still engaged in their slow-motion duel.
Minerva McGonagall felt the fur on the ruff of her feline neck stand on end. Something was very wrong. This dueling resembled a practice session or worse thought, a type of controlled spell where one wizard was not in control of his actions and another wizard did not wish anyone to know of it.
The tabby increased her speed, still hidden in the undergrowth bordering the adjacent flower garden.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Hermione and Ron skirted the garden in the opposite direction to the Professor. In a bid to keep out of view as much as possible, they were using the Granger vegetable garden as protective cover. Screened by a pair of trellises covered with scarlet runner beans, Hermione paused.
"What my mother will say about her garden, I can't think," she whispered ruefully.
Ron took her hand and reassured her. "Your Mum will be so glad you're safe that it won't matter." He peered between the narrow opening separating the trellises and took stock.
"Alright, all we need to do is get past Professor Lupin and his mark. The door is just to the side of that yellow flowering shrub, right?"
"Witch hazel," Hermione muttered incomprehensibly.
"What! The only witch here is you and unless you've changed your name in the last thirty seconds, it's not Hazel." Ron replied worriedly, wondering if Hermione had sustained an injury he didn't know about.
"No, the yellow flowering bush is witch hazel. It has healing properties." she explained impatiently.
"Right, well hopefully we won't need it. Let's go, Hermione, you heard what Charlie said." It never ceased to amaze him how she pulled information like this out of thin air. It was one of the many things he loved about her.
Edging out of the vegetable garden, Ron checked the position of Lupin and his opponent. Excellent. Remus faced them and his opponent had his back to them. Grasping Hermione's hand, Ron propelled them onto the flagstone terrace behind the large Death Eater and towards the side door.
"Ron," Hermione gasped and tugged on his hand. He stopped and turned putting her behind him somewhat forcefully. The scene in front of him had changed imperceptibly.
Remus still faced them, giving no sign of recognition. His opponent still had his back to them. No, what had changed the scene was at the periphery of his vision. Across the garden the big-boned Death Eater who had been dueling slow motion, lunged forward pointing his wand and crying, "Imperio!" at the unfortunate Henderson. Immediately Henderson collapsed to the ground and remained there with a glazed expression on his face.
The kaleidoscope shifted its pieces again. Now the Death Eater strode towards Remus Lupin.
" Greyback, behind you!" the Death Eater rumbled in a low accented voice.
As Fenrir Greyback turned to encounter Ron and Hermione, Lupin's wand emitted a stream of red light.
"Stupendo!" Lupin yelled.
Lupin's curse hit Greyback whobecame immediately immobile. The deep-voiced foreign Death Eater who now faced them threw off his hood. Ron readied himself in attack stance expecting Hermione to do the same. To his horror, he found Hermione shaking violently beside him and staring at the Death Eater opposite her as a rabbit stares at a snake.
"Ah, Miss Granger," Antonin Dolohov said, menace in every syllable, "we meet again."
Professor McGonagall secreted herself behind a tall clump of vivid pink peonies, ready to spring. She had been right. The Ministry official, who Moody had referred to as Henderson, was under the effects of an Imperius Curse. How this could have happened, she shuddered to imagine but the results were irrefutable.
Across the garden, Minerva McGonagall noted that Ron and Hermione had left the shelter of the vegetable garden while Remus Lupin was still engaged in battle with his Death Eater adversary. Could she make it round the side of the house and into Crook shanks cat flap in time to warn the others and summon reinforcements? Should she transfigure to human form and enter the battle? Then Henderson dropped to the ground and the Professor was left in no doubt as to her next move.
"Now don't resist, my dear Miss Granger," Dolohov sneered."You and Mr. Weasley are about to be honoured with a visit to our Dark Lord."
At this, Remus Lupin took aim at Dolohov and Ron leapt in front of Hermione, his wand at the ready.
"Very admirable, but quite futile. Henderson, get up and make yourself useful. " He gestured towards the house and said, " Before you do anything you might regret, Miss Granger might want to bid farewell to her parents."
The French doors opened and another Death Eater shoved Dr. and Mrs. Granger onto the terrace.
"NO!" Hermione cried out. She emerged from her vulnerable state, her eyes blazing with anger. Raising her wand, she aimed a spell directly at Dolohov's chest.
Dolohov easily deflected the curse. Meanwhile Henderson in a zombie like state had approached Remus Lupin. Lupin eyed him with pity and pulled his wand to his chest.
Ron seethed with rage. Where was the rest of the Ministry back up? Where was Tonks and where was Charlie? What about McGonagall? For the love of Merlin, he needed to do something and quickly! As if in answer to his invocation, a movement behind Dolohov caught his eye. A grey tabby made its way silently through the thick grass. Ron acted, chess strategy to the fore.
"He's right, Hermione. We'd best go peacefully," Ron said in a defeated voice. She turned to him furiously but he caught her hand and squeezed two times. She squeezed back twice to show she understood. Ron counted under his breath, " One, Two, Three."
The garden erupted from tense stillness to frenetic motion. The tabby sprang to life and landed square on Dolohov's back digging in sharp claws and hissing and spitting. Remus Lupin in a lightning move aimed his wand first at the slow-moving Henderson.
"Petrificas Totalus!"Lupin's spell hit its mark and Henderson became rigid. Lupin turned just in time to deflect a curse from the Grangers' guard. Lupin advanced up the terrace and uttered," Reducto!" The overhang of the roof shading the terrace doors crashed down on the Death Eater. Dr. Granger pulled his trembling wife to safety.
Dolohov screamed in agony as the tabby bit his arm as he tried to shake it off. With his other arm, he managed to use his wand and yelled,"Crucio!" A red beam shot forward directly towards Hermione, now squatting in defensive position. Ron knew she would not be able to utter a shielding spell before the curse hit. Instinctively he shoved her out of the way and cried," Stupefy!" before taking the full impact of Dolohov's curse.
Dimly her heard Hermione's cries of anguish; then all went black.