CHAPTER 19: UNDER SIEGE
"What I don't get," Artimus said to O'Bannon as they flew over the darkened landscape of Ottery St. Catchpole, "is if You-Know-Who wants Harry so bad, why doesn't he just come after him himself? I mean, he's You-Know-Who. What do wards and aurors mean to him?"
"Headmaster Dumbledore told me once that You-Know-Who's plan is to operate behind-the-scenes more than last time, and not come out in the open until he has enough forces to take over England."
"Meantime, he just lets others do his dirty work for him," Jared piped up.
O'Bannon nodded. "Pretty much. Another thing, and Harry and Ron told me this a couple days ago. You-Know-Who's apparently scared of Dumbledore. Probably the only wizard on the planet he's scared of. He won't make any big moves so long as Dumbledore's around."
"Then let's pray for Headmaster Dumbledore's continued good health," said Jared. "May it last for a long, loooong time."
"Amen." O'Bannon nodded as the Burrow came into sight. He scanned the ground. No sign of any Chupacabra, as far as he could tell in the darkness. A shiver went up his spine. He prayed they hadn't gotten inside the Burrow. Images of the Diggorys' mutilated bodies assaulted his mind. He feared walking into the house and finding The Weasleys, Tonks, Harry and Lupin in a similar state.
They're fine. They're fine. They're –
"STOP WHERE YOU ARE!" A magically amplified voice rocked the air.
The three of them stopped in mid-air. O'Bannon looked down at two silhouettes standing just off the path leading to The Burrow. Both had their arms pointed up toward him and his friends. No doubt they were holding wands.
"DECLARE YOURSELVES!"
"Declare yourselves!" O'Bannon shouted back. "Who the hell are you?"
"Aurors Klim and Blivet! What business do you have at this residence?"
He opened his mouth to answer, then stopped. "How do I know you guys are aurors?"
"Don't get cheeky with me. Identify yourselves now or we'll stun you."
O'Bannon chewed on his lower lip. These guys probably were aurors. It would make sense for the Ministry to send a few of them to the Burrow to bolster security.
Then he thought of the fake Mad-Eye Moody, of the stories he heard about Peter Pettigrew. How could he be sure of anything?
Or anyone?
"Get one of the Weasleys, or Tonks or Mister Lupin. They can vouch for us."
"You don't give me orders. Now I'm giving you one last chance to tell us -"
"Ah! Bloody hell!"
One silhouette turned to the other. "What is it, Klim?"
"Damn garden gnome nearly ran into my leg. Stupid little bugger."
"Merlin's sake, forget about some stupid gnome." The silhouette turned back to O'Bannon and his friends. "Now you lot get down here, surrender your wands and brooms, and we'll -"
Suddenly another silhouette sprang up behind the two aurors, a larger and more monstrous one.
"Look out!" the three boys hollered at once.
The Chupacabra's hand lashed out. One of the auror's stiffened and collapsed. The remaining auror turned halfway around just as the monster buried its face into his neck. The man's screams quickly turned into sickening gurgles.
"C'mon!" O'Bannon yanked out his wand and dove at the Chupacabra. He aimed his wand, but had no clear shot.
"Dammit!" He scowled, watching the auror spasm as the creature tore into his throat.
O'Bannon leveled out and flew past the Chupacabra and the auror. He cast two Stunning Spells. One missed, the other clipped the creature's side. It turned around, still clutching the auror. O'Bannon circled around just as Jared and Artimus unleashed a barrage of stunners and Battering Spells at the Chupacabra. It stumbled back, releasing the auror. The man crumpled to the ground.
O'Bannon launched a rope from his wand. Jared conjured three spiked balls and flung them at the Chupacabra. It dove to the right. Fountains of dirt sprang up. The rope and the spiked balls soared over the newly created hole in the ground.
"Dammit!" Jared cursed.
"Guys!" Artimus shouted. "This one's still alive!"
Both O'Bannon and Jared flew back toward their friend, who was kneeling beside one of the aurors, a rather overweight wizard. O'Bannon winced when he saw half the man's face and throat missing, blood pouring onto the ground.
"Let's levitate him back to . . ." His voice tailed off when he saw the auror's eyes glaze over. His head sagged to the right.
"Aw man," Artimus whispered, staring at the dead wizard. "Aw man."
O'Bannon closed his eyes and looked away for a second. Dammit! Two more people dead. He should have been able to do something.
The Chupacabra's still out there! His brain screamed.
"We can't do anything for him. Get to the house, now!"
Artimus got back on his broom. The three flew toward the Burrow, just a few feet off the ground.
A deep thump echoed behind them. O'Bannon whipped his head around. The Chupacabra shot out of the ground and lunged for them. It just missed Artimus' broom by inches. He turned back around.
Two more Chupacabra approached from the left.
Jared cast one spell after another, trying to hold them off. O'Bannon pressed his wand against his throat.
"LET US IN! LET US IN!"
A second later the front door flew open. O'Bannon streaked inside, followed by Jared and Artimus.
"If you're really Jimmy O'Bannon . . ."
He ignored the rest of Lupin's words. "Close it! Close the damn door!"
Mrs. Weasley slashed her wand across her chest. The door slammed closed. Lupin then cast a Reinforcement Spell on it.
The door shook under two harsh thumps, but it held.
That's when O'Bannon noticed something skittering along the floor.
"What in Merlin's name?" Mrs. Weasley's brow furrowed. "Garden gnomes? In here?"
"Maybe the Chupacabra scared them," Tonks wondered aloud. "Figured this was the closest shelter they could find."
O'Bannon dismounted his broom. He stared at the three garden gnomes hurrying across the carpet. He remembered from his Care of Magical Creatures classes that garden gnomes rarely, if ever, entered a dwelling. Even if the Chupacabra did frighten them, they should have some hole nearby they could dive into.
Hinkey hairs went up on the back of his neck. He thought back to the attack at the Lovegoods', and just now with the two aurors. In both cases they'd spotted garden gnomes, then seconds later a Chupacabra appeared.
And back at the Lovegoods', that Chupacabra had vanished, then reappeared seconds after he and Jared saw the garden gnome.
He gazed at the three little creatures running around the living room.
No way. No friggin' way!
"Kill 'em!"
"What?" asked Lupin, his eyes and wand trained on the door.
"The gnomes! Kill 'em before -"
The gnomes shimmered. Huge dark forms rose before them.
Where had stood three garden gnomes now stood three Chupacabra.
Mrs. Weasley gasped.
Tonks' eyes widened.
The three monsters roared and charged the group.
Shield Charms sprang from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's wands. Two Chupacabra slammed against the shields. The third leaped over a couch and right at O'Bannon and Jared. They dove to opposite sides. O'Bannon rolled on his back and sat up, wand raised. He cast a stunner. It struck the wall as the Chupacabra went for Jared. His friend scrambled on all fours, then dropped to his side and lifted his wand.
The Chupacabra's foot slammed down on Jared's side. He howled as the creature pinned him to the floor.
O'Bannon cast two Battering Charms. Both hit the Chupacabra's head. It stumbled, releasing Jared. Clutching his side, he pulled himself across the floor.
Tonks and Lupin dodged the swipes of one Chupacabra. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley held off the other with Shield Charms while Artimus hit it with Body-Bind Curses. It only slowed the Chupacabra, not paralyze it.
The third one charged O'Bannon. He cast a Shield Charm. The monster slammed into it, roared, then pounded the shield with its fists.
Jared got to his feet and moved behind the Chupacabra.
"Protego!"
Another Shield Charm sprang from his wand and struck the Chupacabra's back, sandwiching it between the two shields. It roared and flailed.
"Jimmy! Drop your shield when I drop mine! Then we'll nail him again!"
He nodded. They both switched off their shields at almost the same time. The newly-freed Chupacabra nearly lost its balance. Grunting, it began to straighten up.
"Protego!" he and Jared yelled.
Their shields slammed against the Chupacabra. It hacked and stiffened.
"Again!" O'Bannon lowered his shield.
That's when another Chupacabra came at him from the side.
He turned. The monster lashed out with its arm. He ducked just in time, feeling a swish of air over his head as the Chupacabra's strike missed.
O'Bannon whirled around and cast a Stunning Spell. Jared tried an Impediment Jinx. The Chupacabra spasmed for a moment, then lunged at O'Bannon.
"Look out!" Tonks hollered. She whipped her wand around. A potted yellow and green plant flew off a nearby shelf and shattered against the Chupacabra. Dirt spilled down its back and gathered around its feet.
"Moltenus!"
The dirt on the Chupacabra glowed red and orange. It quickly took on a lumpy shape. Wisps of smoke rose from the creature's back. It jerked and wailed. The pile of dirt around its feet also became a glowing hot red and orange mass.
O'Bannon's eyes widened. Tonks had transfigured the dirt into molten lava!
The Chupacabra shrieked and crumpled to the floor. Its feet had been burned away, leaving scorched, blackened stumps. It went into spasms as the lava burned through its back and legs.
Glass shattered. O'Bannon looked to a window near the front door. A Chupacabra was trying to crawl through it.
He looked at the nearest piece of furniture, an old love seat with several patches. He cast a Levitation Spell. The seat hovered about four feet off the floor.
Clenching his teeth, O'Bannon slashed the air with his wand. The love seat hurtled across the living room and rammed into the Chupacabra just as it fit its shoulders through the window. The seat dropped to the floor with a thud. O'Bannon moved it aside with his wand. The Chupacabra was gone.
Friggin' A! He smiled.
That smile vanished when the Chupacabra appeared at the window again and started pushing itself through.
"Dammit!" he snarled, and looked back at the love seat. He switched his gaze to the Chupacabra covered in lava. The creature only twitched sporadically.
Well Tonks isn't the only one who can transfigure stuff.
"Jared! Think you can turn that love seat to solid rock?"
"Hell yeah!" he nodded.
O'Bannon levitated the love seat. The Chupacabra at the window had pulled itself halfway inside.
"All right. On my ma-"
His feet suddenly left the floor. The carpet rushed up to his face. Pain exploded through his head. Something wet and sticky spilled from his lips and covered his chin. Groaning, he turned on his back.
The Chupacabra he and Jared had attacked with their shields released his ankle and aimed its red eyes at him.
O'Bannon clenched his wand hand. His chest seized.
His wand was gone.
He glanced behind him. His wand lay about two feet away.
The Chupacabra lunged at him.
O'Bannon brought up his left arm. He jammed it against the side of the Chupacabra's throat. The monster snarled and pushed back. O'Bannon gritted his teeth, trying to keep those sharp teeth away from him. But the Chupacabra was stronger, pushing closer to his face.
Blue flashes sprang from the Chupacabra's back. The beast snapped its head around as Jared cast another Stunning Spell.
Then Body-Bind Curses from Artimus and Tonks pelted the Chupacabra. O'Bannon could feel the beast stiffen. It turned back toward him, its movements in slow motion.
With a loud grunt, he shoved the Chupacabra. It rolled off him and onto its back. Jared dropped to his knees next to the monster. He jammed his wand into the Chupacabra's mouth.
"Inflammo!"
The creature thrashed about. Jared shouted, "Inflammo!" again, and again. Thick black smoke rose from the Chupacabra's mouth.
O'Bannon blinked in shock. His friend was setting the Chupacabra's insides on fire!
He scrambled across the floor toward his wand. He reached out to grab it.
A shadow fell across him. He looked up.
A Chupacabra stood over him. It roared and reached for him.
"NO!"
Someone jumped on the Chupacabra. Someone tall with brown hair.
Artimus!
Both the Chupacabra and Artimus spun around. They tumbled over a hassock and crashed to the floor.
O'Bannon snatched his wand off the floor. The Chupacabra drew back its head, then brought it down.
A tortured cry exploded from Artimus.
TO BE CONTINUED