O'Bannon swallowed a breath as multi-colored spells shot toward him. He stood frozen as reds and blues and yellows overwhelmed his pupils.
The sizzling bolts exploded in mid-air mere feet from him. O'Bannon cringed as the dazzling fireworks display blotted out the street around him.
"Take cover!" Tonks gritted her teeth as she maintained her Shield Spell to block a second barrage from the Death Eaters.
Her shout broke through the shock and fear that encased O'Bannon. He blinked, the primal instincts of survival rushing to the surface. Wand up, he dashed toward the sidewalk. The witches and wizards who'd been hanging out on the stoop either rushed inside the dilapidated apartment or hid behind the small brick stairway.
O'Bannon dove behind a lamp post, laid on his stomach, and cast Stunning Spells at the Death Eaters. The shadowy figures easily deflected them.
From the corner of his eye he spotted Tonks and the others firing from the alley across the street. Dozens of bolts cut through the darkness. Several exploded against the wall near Tonks and his friends. They turned away to avoid the spray of debris.
O'Bannon got to one knee and cast Stunning Spells and Body-Bind Curses. Either Death Eaters blocked them, or he simply missed them completely.
"Dammit!" O'Bannon snarled as another spell got deflected by a Death Eater. Anger mounted inside him. Defense Against the Dark Arts had always been one of his best classes. Hell, he received Exceeds Expectations for the past three years.
Unfortunately, his good grades didn't mean jack here.
And my teachers were never trying to kill me.
A whip-like beam of light flashed O'Bannon's way. He ducked. The air around him crackled with electricity. All the hair on the back of his neck stood. Something creaked above him. He looked up.
The lamp post had been severed . . . and fell toward him.
He rolled across the sidewalk. The lamp post crashed to the ground where he'd been kneeling.
O'Bannon scrambled to a stoop. He crouched behind it and fired at the Death Eaters. One was already on the ground. O'Bannon had no idea who hit him.
He cast another stunner. His intended target blocked it . . . barely. O'Bannon was about to fire another when he glimpsed something out the corner of his eye.
The severed lamp post rose off the ground and turned, its tip pointing at him. He started to swing his wand arm around.
The lamp post hurtled toward him.
"Repulsus!"
The lamp post suddenly spun away, headed toward the Death Eaters. From across the street he saw Rosa guide the object with her wand.
Thank you, Rosa.
One of the Death Eaters blew the lamp post to bits. But the distraction was enough for Tonks to cast a spell that turned the street into waves of dirt. The Death Eaters flailed and fell to the ground.
Tonks and the others poured out of the alley. Jared nailed one Death Eater with a Stunning Spell before he could pick himself up.
"Yeah! I got him!" He pumped a fist in the air. "I got the son-of-a . . ."
Two other Death Eaters fired from their knees. Tonks and Rosa blocked their bolts with Shield Spells just in time.
O'Bannon got up and aimed his wand at the two Death Eaters.
That's when he noticed the remaining Death Eater running down the street . . . followed by Serinta Sejant.
His eyes flickered back and forth. They couldn't let Serinta escape and spread the Projection Potion.
But he couldn't run out on his friends.
What if she gets away?
What if I try to stop her and Rosa or Jared or Artimus or Tonks are killed because I wasn't around?
What if Serinta spreads this thing across the nation?
What about my friends?
Stop debating and do something.
He closed his eyes. Tonks and his three best friends . . . or the entire country?
Please, God. Don't make me regret my choice.
Sucking down a deep breath, he charged after Serinta and the Death Eater.
"Stupify!"
O'Bannon's stunner shot two feet over the running Death Eater's head. The hooded figure turned and fired. O'Bannon conjured a Shield Spell just in time.
He cast two more Stunning Spells. The Death Eater blocked them both. As they approached the corner Serinta and the Death Eater veered toward a run down two-story apartment building. O'Bannon quickly glanced at the roof and noticed the chimney.
Floo portal.
They were ten feet from the steps.
The Death Eater fired another curse at O'Bannon. He blocked it with a Shield Spell. The Death Eater cast another curse without aiming. This time O'Bannon simply ducked as it streaked overhead.
Now Serinta and the Death Eater were a few feet from the entrance.
Only one thing he could think to do.
"Freezium!"
A white beam surged from his wand. The spell he usually used to freeze ponds so he could skate on them now spread ice across the street, the sidewalks . . . and the stairs leading to the apartment.
The Death Eater's foot came down on the second step. He slipped and crashed down on his back. His head snapped up and down, cracking on the ice-covered ground. Serinta yelped as she also fell.
O'Bannon aimed his wand at his sneakers. "Nullus Lapsus!"
The charm allowed him to run across the ice without slipping. He eyed the Death Eater, who barely moved. He then looked to Serinta. The Slytherin grimaced as she got to her feet and spotted him.
"Stupify!"
Serinta blocked the spell. "Rictusempra!"
The silver bolt barely missed O'Bannon.
"Expelliarmus!"
Another Shield Spell by Serinta thwarted O'Bannon's attack. She then pointed her wand at the ground. "Constrictus!"
Vine-like tentacles burst through the icy ground. O'Bannon gasped as they wrapped around his legs and arms and lifted him off his feet.
Serinta carefully got to her feet, grinning evilly.
"One less Mudblood in the world." She whipped her wand around.
The tentacles pulled on O'Bannon's arms and legs. He cried out as fiery pain tore through his muscles.
Oh my God. Oh my God, no! The crazy bitch was going to rip him apart!
Terror sent his heart into overdrive. He tried to pull against the tentacles. Sharp blades of pain pierced deep into his bones. He howled again.
Serinta cackled. "This should earn me my mark. There's nothing better than removing the impure from our world. Especially when it's a Mudblood who embarrassed one of the most noble wizarding families in Britain!"
The pain turned into razor-sharp claws that slashed his joints. Tears streamed down O'Bannon's eyes. He was going to die. He was going to die with that damn Slytherin bitch taunting him until he took his final breath.
A spark cut through his pain. That spark quickly grew into a white hot flame of anger. Could he really die screaming in agony for this psycho's enjoyment?
I don't want to die period!
The tentacle around his right arm prevented him from aiming his wand at Serinta. So he did the only thing he could.
He rotated his wrist and pointed it at the ground.
"Reducto!"
A monstrous roar consumed the world. O'Bannon felt himself twist through the air. His brain registered a sharp pain in his right leg before a sudden jolt stopped his momentum. A dull buzz filled his head. He blinked. Slowly the world came back into focus. O'Bannon wheezed as he sucked in much need oxygen. Groaning, he pushed himself to a sitting position. His right leg throbbed. He looked down and gasped.
A shard of ice protruded from his calf.
He reached down and pulled it out. He bellowed as pain sliced through every inch of his leg.
Several pieces of limp, severed tentacles were still wrapped around his arms and legs. O'Bannon tore them away, breathing deeply and rapidly in a futile effort to fight off the pain.
It wasn't only his leg that hurt, but his right shoulder, and his head.
And that damn buzz wouldn't leave his ears.
He looked around. No sign of the Death Eater. He did find Serinta lying fifteen feet away, her head lolling from side-to-side.
O'Bannon tried to summon up the strength to move toward her. His brain rebelled. He just wanted to lay here, for a long, long time.
Move your worthless ass, O'Bannon. Don't let her get away.
He checked on the listless Serinta again.
She's not going anywhere.
Do you want to take that chance? Now cowboy up and make sure she stays put!
Grimacing, O'Bannon got to his feet. Every time he put down his right foot, pain crushed his leg, which was also sticky with blood. Still he hobbled over to the Slytherin girl. Her wand lay a couple feet from her. O'Bannon kicked it away with his good foot.
Serinta's eyes flickered open.
O'Bannon aimed his wand at her.
"You are so lucky you're a girl. Otherwise I'd knock your damn teeth out."
His own voice sounded muffled. Had she heard him? O'Bannon shook his head. The buzz remained in his ear.
Serinta's mouth moved. O'Bannon only made out a couple words, "Mudblood" being one of them.
Someone shoved him from behind. O'Bannon whirled around, wand up.
"Jimmy." Rosa held up her hands. "It's us." It looked like she was yelling, but to O'Bannon's buzzing ears it came through as a garbled whisper.
His eyes flickered away from Rosa. Tonks, Jared, Artimus and Cecilia all stood around him.
"You all right, man?" asked Jared. "That was insane what you did."
O'Bannon just nodded and turned back to Serinta. She still lay on the ground.
"Get up." Tonks gestured with her wand.
Serinta slowly rose, glaring at all of them.
"Do you think she'll help convince people You-Know-Who is really back?" Rosa turned to Tonks. "I mean, if she was helping out the Malfoys . . ."
"We'll find out everything she knows once I get her back to Britain." Tonks kept her eyes on Serinta.
O'Bannon gazed past his friends and scanned the street beyond. "What happened to the other Death Eaters?"
"We started kicking their asses and they apparated the hell outta here," Jared explained. "And you shoulda saw Artimus here." He slapped the taller boy's shoulder. "He nailed one of those peckerheads with a sweet curse. Made his legs flail all over -"
"Avada Kedavra!"
The universe stopped. Horror engulfed O'Bannon. A green light sped toward him.
The faces of so many people passed through his mind. Mom and Dad. Rosa. Jared. Artimus. Rana. Mireet. The Weasleys. How could his life end now? He wasn't even eighteen.
The Killing Curse shot past him. A green flash illuminated Serinta Sejant. She soared backwards and slammed onto the street hard.
She didn't move.
"No!" Tonks whipped around. O'Bannon followed her gaze.
The last Death Eater vaulted over the stoop and threw himself into the apartment building.
What the hell? Had he been blown back there when O'Bannon unleashed his Redactor Curse? Had he been hiding behind the stoop the whole time, waiting for . . .
I should have . . . I wanted to get Serinta so bad I forgot . . . dammit!
Tonks and the others rushed toward the apartment. O'Bannon limped after them as Tonks reached the door.
A flash of white blinded him. The British auror was hurled back, crashing into Rosa, Jared, Artimus and Cecilia. All of them fell in a heap.
"You guys all right?" O'Bannon called out.
Tonks looked dazed. Rosa shook her head and stared at the door. "Security charms."
She took out her wand and let loose a stream of spells. O'Bannon joined in, as did Jared and Artimus.
For three minutes they bombarded the door. The security charms did not falter.
"Forget it." Tonks got to her feet, rubbing her head. "That Death Eater probably Floo away from here already."
They all lowered their wands, scowling. O'Bannon noticed Cecilia walking away . . . toward Serinta's still form.
He followed her over, as did the others. Artimus put an arm around Cecilia as they gazed down at Serinta's body.
O'Bannon shivered as he focused on the girl's lifeless eyes. He stepped back in time and found himself looking at the corpse of Cedric Diggory from the stands of the Quidditch pitch. How could it happen? Alive one minute, then dead just like that? Murdered. How many Muggles ever saw two murder victims by the time they were his age?
I didn't even see Cedric get killed. Serinta happened right in front of me. I don't think that Death Eater even hesitated.
He shook his head. This crazy bitch tried to kill him. Why did he even feel the slightest bit bad she bought it? He should friggin' rejoice.
Instead O'Bannon felt numb.
"Why?" Artimus asked in a hushed voice.
"To keep her from talking," Tonks simply stated.
Several seconds passed without anyone saying a word. Finally Tonks said, "We'd best alert your Headmistress."
She sent a Patronus to Salem with a message to Headmistress Esmeralda. Minutes later the old witch arrived, along with Gretchen Gillwick.
"Merlin's beard." The school nurse went pale as she stared at O'Bannon. "Mister O'Bannon, what are you even doing on your feet? I'm taking you to the infirmary. All of you. After what happened here I want to give all of you thorough examinations."
"But what about . . . Serinta?" Rosa swallowed and nodded to the dead Slytherin. "What about the Death Eaters, and this apartment?"
"We'll handle things from here, Rosa," said Headmistress Esmeralda. "All of you get back to Salem."
"Come on." Nurse Gillwick herded them away. "We'll apparate outside the school, then I'll get a stretcher for you, Mister O'Bannon."
Gillwick took hold of his right side, Rosa his left. O'Bannon took all his weight off his bloody right leg. A dizzy spell swept through his head. He suddenly felt so tired. How much blood had he lost?
He looked over his shoulder, taking one last look at Serinta Sejant. His stomach turned into a solid, ice cold ball.
O'Bannon feared this wouldn't be the last dead person he'd see before this war was over.
NEXT: THE CONCLUSION
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Now that FFN has added the image manager to allow us to have "covers" for our stories, I'd like to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, I have no artistic ability whatsoever. If anyone feels inspired to create a cover for this story, or any of my other stories, please PM me about it.