CHAPTER 21: BASIC INSTINCT
Spells streaked across the living room. Several hit the Chupacabra. They staggered, but didn't go down.
O'Bannon cast a couple Body-Bind Curses when someone screamed outside. He turned and looked through the open door.
One of the aurors was down, a Chupacabra straddling him. The other auror continued to fight off the charging horde, bolts flying non-stop from his wand. Four of the creatures dropped to the ground. Another spiraled through the air, then bounced across the ground like a ball.
The auror turned to his fallen partner, wand leveled at the Chupacabra attacking him.
A geyser of dirt erupted behind the auror. A Chupacabra shot out of the ground and tackled him. Both man and monster fell to the ground. The Chupacabra raised a clawed hand, then brought it down on the back of the auror's neck. The man spasmed, then lay still.
"Dammit," O'Bannon snarled, his eyes locked on the dead aurors.
"Look out!" Fred hollered.
He spun around just as a Chupacabra rushed them, arms extended. Both Fred and George erected Shield Charms, stopping its charge.
O'Bannon peered around the Chupacabra. Jared, Rosa and the rest held off the other three with a variety of spells. His eyes flickered to the fireplace, then to the Chupacabra. Panic swirled in his chest.
The damn things had cut them off from the Floo Network.
A thump broke through his reverie. He turned back to Fred and George's shields to see the Chupacabra hurl itself against it.
"Upstairs!" Mr. Weasley shouted as he hit one Chupacabra with a Battering Spell. "Everyone! Now!"
O'Bannon followed Fred and George toward the staircase. The twins maintained their shields, which the Chupacabra continued to futilely attack. Mr. Weasley and Lupin stood by the bottom of the staircase, casting spells and curses as O'Bannon and the twins ran past them. They pounded up the steps until they reached the third floor, where the others had gathered. His gaze fell on Artimus, held in a Levitation Spell by Bill. Worry swelled within him. His friend looked so pale, and moved listlessly.
"We made a barrier out of some of the furniture at the base of the stairs," Lupin announced as he and Mr. Weasley hurried up the steps. "But that's not going to hold them for long."
"This might." O'Bannon stepped forward, raising his wand. "Freezium!"
Within seconds a huge, thick ice wall formed, blocking off the third floor landing.
"Good job, Jimmy." Tonks nodded at him. "That should buy us some more time."
"For what, though?" asked Jared. "We're pretty much trapped up here."
"We could always climb out a window," Fred suggested. "Of course, we'd still have to get through all those Chupacabra outside, and look how those two aurors fared against them."
"What about summoning our brooms?" Ginny looked around at the group. "We could just fly out of here."
The corners of Lupin's mouth twisted. "I'm not so sure about that."
"Why not?" Ron's brow furrowed. "Those things can't fly."
"No, but Death Eaters can."
A quizzical look fell over George's face. "What do Death Eaters have to do with anything?"
"Think about everything that's happened tonight," Lupin answered. "The attacks all across the country to draw away aurors. Chupacabra infiltrating the Ministry of Magic, causing more confusion. Now we have well over a dozen Chupacabra attacking us. None of this can be coincidence. This is a well-coordinated operation by You-Know-Who's forces, and it's definitely aimed at getting Harry."
O'Bannon looked to The Boy Who Lived, whose face had twisted into a mask of anger and guilt.
Lupin continued, "I wouldn't be surprised if You-Know-Who has some Death Eaters watching this house right now, either waiting to confirm that we're all dead or to see if we try and make a break for it."
"So then they can try to pick us off," Rosa scowled.
"Then maybe we should just hole up here," said Ron. "I can't see the Chupacabra breaking through Jimmy's ice wall, so long as we maintain it. And the Order or the Aurors Office are bound to send more people here eventually."
"You're forgetting one thing, Ron." Rosa's face tightened in concern. "Artimus."
All eyes turned to the floating young man.
"We can't afford to wait," she insisted. "Not with the shape he's in. We have to get him to the hospital now."
"I'm with you, luv," George turned to her. "Unfortunately, the damn Chupacabra have us cut off from the fireplace."
Dull thuds came from the ice wall. Through the ice they saw the distorted shapes of three Chupacabra pounding against it.
O'Bannon closed his eyes, trying to think of some way to get everyone out of here, and get Artimus to St. Mungo's. Anger and worry collided in his mind. He tried to push them aside. Instead all he could envision was one of his best friends dying because they couldn't get out of this house.
"There's gotta be a way to get past those things." Frustration stabbed through Harry's voice.
"Too bad we don't have some cows or goats to chuck at them," Fred piped up. "They'd probably forget all about us and go for them."
"For Merlin's sake, Fred," Bill glared at him. "Now's not the time for your damn, stupid jokes!"
"No, Fred's right." Rosa straightened up, her face brightening.
"I am?" Fred cranked an eyebrow.
O'Bannon's brow furrowed. "What'd you mean?"
"Remember what Hagrid said about the Chupacabra? That no matter how much You-Know-Who alters them, he still won't be able to get rid of their basic instinct. And what is the basic instinct of a Chupacabra?"
"To drink the blood of livestock," O'Bannon answered.
"Exactly."
"So how does that help us?" Ron shrugged. "We're a bit thin on livestock here."
Rosa turned to him. "Maybe. But we can always bring livestock here. Specifically, livestock that've already consumed Professor Snape's Pest Elimination Potion."
O'Bannon's eyes widened. "Glastonbury. That was one of the first places we dumped that potion. Every cow there oughta have it in their system by now."
"And how are we supposed to get those cows here?" Ginny flung her arms out to her sides.
"I can summon my broom and fly outside the wards. Then I'll just pop over to Glastonbury and side-along Apparate some cows back here."
"What about Death Eaters?" Concern flashed across George's face as he stared at Rosa. "What if, like Professor Lupin says, they're watching the house and attack you?"
"I think that's a chance we're gonna have to take," said O'Bannon. "Actually, that's a chance I'm going to take. I'll Apparate the cows here."
"Like hell." Rosa shot him a hard gaze. "This isn't a one-person job. You need someone covering your ass, and that someone is me."
He started to open his mouth to argue, but stopped. A determined look set in on Rosa's face, one that told him there would be no way in hell he could talk her out of this.
"Well it can't just be the two of you doing this," said Mr. Weasley. "You're going to need more help."
"No." O'Bannon raised a hand. "If these Chupacabra find a way around the ice wall while we're gone, you're gonna need every wand you've got to fight them."
"You should still have someone watching out for you here." Tonks folded her arms, looking as equally determined as Rosa. "I'll head up to the roof. If anyone, or anything attacks you, I can provide cover from there."
O'Bannon looked around at the group, waiting to see if anyone else had a suggestion or concern.
No one spoke up.
"All right, then. Let's do this."
He and Rosa started down the hall, followed by Tonks. A chorus of "good lucks" and "be carefuls" went up around them.
"Hey!" George reached out and grasped Rosa's wrist. She seemed to hold her breath as she stared at him.
George licked his lips. O'Bannon watched as an unfamiliar look came over his friend's face.
A look of dead seriousness.
George drew a deep breath, his eyes locked on Rosa. "You take care of yourself out there, hear? I want you back in one piece."
"I'll be fine. You take care of yourself, and everyone else."
Slowly, a smile crept across George's lips. He pulled Rosa to him and kissed her. She snaked a hand up his shoulder and cupped the back of his head.
When their lips pulled apart, Rosa laid her hand on George's cheek for a moment, then headed down the hallway.
"Oy, O'Bannon," George called out to him. "You look after her."
He nodded. "Count on it."
He turned and made his way down the hall. They soon reached the twins' room and went inside.
"Jimmy." Tonks halted by the door. She put a hand on his shoulder. O'Bannon felt a rush of heat surge through his body.
"Be careful. Both of you."
"We will." He covered the top of Tonks' hand with his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She smiled, withdrew her hand, and continued up to the roof.
He and Rosa opened the window, held out their wands and cast Summoning Spells for their brooms. A couple Chupacabra skulked around the yard. O'Bannon guessed the others were inside The Burrow.
Or underground, waiting to jump out and get us.
A distinct whistling of wind reached his ears. That had to be their brooms heading toward them.
"Rosa." He turned to her. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I treated you the way I did because of how you voted."
She snorted. "You picked a hell of a time for an apology."
"Look, if we don't get out of this . . ."
"We're going to get out of this." Rosa turned to him. Self-assuredness blazed on her face. "You can give me a proper apology after we've killed these bastards."
O'Bannon just stared at her for a few seconds, then nodded. That's when their brooms reached the window.
He flew out first, followed by Rosa. Both had one hand on their broom handles and the other wrapped around their wands.
O'Bannon scanned the darkness for the Chupacabra. Both of them looked up and must have spotted him as they ran in the direction he was flying.
Several multi-colored bolts streaked down from the roof. The Chupacabra scattered.
Thank you, Tonks.
O'Bannon and Rosa made it past the wards and landed just off the dirt path. He tensed as he dismounted his broom, expecting a Chupacabra to burst through the ground, or maybe a hidden Death Eater to zap him with a Killing Curse.
None of that happened.
"Let's go." He closed his eyes and pictured the pastures of Glastonbury in his mind. A sharp crack split the air. His body felt pulled in a thousand directions.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a darkened clearing. Several moos went up around him. He swung his head left to right. Five cows stared at him and Rosa. Two of them scampered off. The other three eyed him curiously for a few seconds, then went back to eating grass.
"Let's get to it." Rosa cautiously approached the first cow, talking to it in a gentle voice. "Hey. How are you doing? Don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt you."
O'Bannon started over to a brown and white cow munching on the grass, oblivious to his presence. A pang of guilt went through him as he looked at its face. It was so docile, so unaware of the life and death struggle many miles away at The Burrow. And he was going to dump this poor animal in the middle of it, to be killed.
It's either these cows or our friends. Besides, these animals were going to wind up someone's meal eventually.
That bit of logic still couldn't rid him of these pangs of guilt.
He laid a hand on the cow. It didn't seem to acknowledge his touch.
Closing his eyes, O'Bannon Apparated with the cow.
A terrified "moo" pierced his ears. The cow bolted, knocking him on his ass. He scanned the outside of The Burrow in time to see another cow trotting away. The two Chupacabra gazed at the cows. One looked back at the house, then returned its eyes to the animals.
The creatures broke in to a run, each one targeting a cow.
"C'mon!" Rosa helped him to his feet. "There's a lot more Chupacabra to feed."
They returned to Glastonbury and Apparated two more cows back to The Burrow. He and Rosa cast stunning spells at the feet of the animals, driving them to the house and ultimately through the front door. They could hear snarls and growls from the Chupacabra within.
They made another trip to Glastonbury and Apparated back with two more cows. Again they drove them up to The Burrow. Three Chupacabra burst from the house and leaped on one cow. Clawed hands flashed up and down. Two of the monsters buried their faces into the cow's hide. O'Bannon cringed as he heard the agonized mooing. He turned away as the Chupacabra continued to ravage it.
That's when he saw the two Chupacabra who'd gone after the first cows he and Rosa brought here. The monsters staggered and emitted sickening hacks. One dropped to its knees, then fell face first into the dirt.
"It's working!" He turned to Rosa, smiling. "It's working!"
They Apparated back to Glastonbury. This time the remaining cows could sense something was wrong and started to bolt. He and Rosa had to stun them in order Apparate them back to The Burrow. Using Levitation Spells, they dumped these two by the back door. Two Chupacabra emerged and set upon the unconscious cows.
O'Bannon and Rosa flew around The Burrow. One Chupacabra that had attacked a cow by the front door lay on the ground unmoving. The other two swayed drunkenly and made sick, gurgling noises. Moments later they collapsed. He peered inside and found two other Chupacabra lying on the floor.
They hovered near the front door, O'Bannon perking up his ears, listening for any sign of Chupacabra.
All was silent.
He looked to Rosa, then nodded at The Burrow. She nodded back. The two slipped off their brooms. O'Bannon tried to keep his eyes off the mutilated cow lying at the doorstep as he stepped around it and the dead Chupacabra. He entered the living room, wand raised, Rosa right behind him. He swept his eyes and wand right to left, tensing, ready cast a spell.
The only Chupacabra he found were dead ones. Six to be precise.
He and Rosa moved to the kitchen. One Chupacabra lay by the table. They looked out the back door to find two others draped over a bloodied cow.
Stepping around the bodies, he walked a few feet into the yard and looked up to the roof.
"Tonks!" he called out with a magically amplified voice. "It looks we got 'em all!"
"Well done! I'll tell the others!"
He went back inside with Rosa. Exhaling, he leaned back against the kitchen table. All the knots in his muscles unraveled. Relief flooded through him. He was alive. They were alive.
"Well, looks like we did it." Rosa stood across from him. "Good job, Jimmy."
He looked up at her. "Me? You were the one who had the idea to bring these cows back to The Burrow."
"Well you were the one who first thought the attacks all over England were a ploy to keep the Ministry busy while You-Know-Who sent all these Chupacabra after Harry."
"Okay, okay." He grinned. "So we both get equal credit."
Rosa chuckled softly. She continued to smile at him. He couldn't remember the last time she had smiled at him.
O'Bannon pushed himself off the table and strode over to her. He wrapped her up in a hug, resting his cheek on her shoulder. She tightened her embrace around him.
"I'm sorry, Rosa. I shouldn't have treated you so . . . badly. I should have been more understanding. Please forgive me."
She gently patted his back. "We're friends, Jimmy. Hell, we're more than that. We're family. Family forgives one another, no matter how stupid they act."
He felt a hitch in his throat. Smiling, he gave Rosa a peck on the cheek, and held her even tighter. What had he done to deserve such a great friend like Rosa Infante?
"Oy! That's enough, O'Bannon. My turn."
He and Rosa pulled apart just as George appeared, the others behind him. O'Bannon looked over his friend's shoulder as green flames gushed out of the fireplace. Moments later Bill stepped into them, levitating Artimus. They both vanished.
"Artimus?" Rosa stared around George.
"Bill's taking him to St. Mungo's. He'll be all right. Now come here."
George took Rosa by the waist and covered her lips with his. She moaned softly and ran her hands up his back and through his hair. Behind them, O'Bannon noticed Mrs. Weasley look away, though he caught a grin on her face.
He also saw Tonks stare at the kissing couple with a warm smile. Then . . .
Did she just glance at Lupin?
No. He must be seeing things.
Jared walked around George and Rosa, who somehow still had enough oxygen to continue kissing. Shaking his head, and walked up next to O'Bannon.
"Man, do I have to stand here and watch my own cousin suck face with some guy?"
Rosa's lips parted from George's with a loud smack. She glared at Jared. "No. You can leave."
She smiled and went back to kissing George.
For the first time in many long days, O'Bannon laughed.
TO BE CONTINUED