Chapter 11: The Enemy

Renesme POV

My heart stopped beating as I saw where Jacob was lying – in the shadows by the lake, with half his body in the water. He was still breathing, I noticed with a sigh of relief. I could hear his heart-beat as well as Ginny's – they were very weak.

Then I realized something – Aro and Karkoroff were, unknowingly, walking straight towards where Jacob and Ginny were lying.

I screamed on the inside, and knew I stood no chance against Aro and Karkoroff.

Then it happened – Aro picked up Jacob's scent. He suddenly started walking briskly towards the place they were laying. He eyed them for a while, then spoke.

"Karkoroff," he said. "Now would be a good time to show me that killing curse you spoke of."

That was it. We had been told about the three unforgivable curses in Defense Against the Dark Arts. I could not see my Jacob dying at the hands of a wand.

"NO!!!!" I yelled at the top of my voice, jumping out of the tree and throwing myself at Karkoroff. Aro didn't look surprised at all. He just pulled me off Karkoroff and threw me to the ground, without even breaking a sweat.

"Renesme?" he asked. "What a pity…………now I have to……..Karkoroff, shall you?"

With an evil smirk Karkoroff raised his wand and pointed it at me. I prepared myself for the green flash.

"Avada Keda-"

"Expelliarmus!!!"

I watched with wide eyes as the counter-curse hit the stream of green light that was heading for me.

The beams fought each other and the red one won.

"Avada Kedavra!" Karkoroff yelled again, this time in the direction of the trees. For the first time I saw Harry and Hermione standing there, wands held high.

Harry dodged the curse and shot a stream of jinxes at Karkoroff – they started a duel.

Aro turned back to me. He beamed, showing his teeth, and jumped at me. He ripped my cloak, and I could hear my arm snap. I was lying on the ground – helpless. I cried out in pain as I saw him lean in and bite me, then Karkoroff came flying through the air knocking Aro aside. Hermione was there in a second, a created a force field around Aro and Karkoroff.

"Karkoroff!" Aro yelled. "Get us out of here!"

Karkoroff, limping, held onto Aro and raised his wand. They both disappeared; he must have disapparated.

Harry and Hermione immediately came over to me. "Can you walk?" Harry asked. "Yeah, I think so," I said.

"Just……t…..take………j…...Jake…..Ginny……" I could feel myself fading away.