Before the Dawn | George Weasley

72

Ginny deflected the green blast. I pushed the younger girl away, back towards the stairs. "Ginny, get away from here."

She stood stubbornly in place, but I deflected another curse from Bellatrix and shoved her away once more, and she took off down the stairs.

Bellatrix approached me with a snarl across her face, bombarding me with a relentless series of spells that I was just able to deflect. I felt my back press against the wall, then, and my fighting grew desperate, sensing that the end was growing closer with every step Bellatrix took in my direction.

"BOMBARDA!"

Bellatrix screeched and threw herself out of the way of the blast. Miles stepped between us, his wand pointed at Bellatrix.

"JUST WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?" Bellatrix screeched.

Miles shot another spell at her, and she backed away a few steps. I followed up with my own string of hexes, and with a rabid growl of irritation, Bellatrix retreated.

"Yeah, Miles," I said breathlessly as he turned to me, dark eyes wide. "Whose side are you on?"

"Not sure. Whichever one you're on, I reckon." He looked a bit confused. "Although I thought I just saw you downstairs. Did you apparate up here?"

"No, you can't apparate on school grounds," I reminded him. "Must've been someone else you saw."

"Dunno, it really looked like you," he said. "And I think I saw Montague?"

"Yeah, he, Peregrine, and Marcus are all here," I grinned. "The whole gang's back together."

"Well, almost." He grimaced. "Bole's still fighting with them. And Malfoy, I think."

Shouting broke out from the next floor up, and I glanced up to see a swarm of students descending the stairs, followed by three Death Eaters firing spells in every direction. Miles took my hand and yanked me down the stairs, narrowly avoiding getting trampled, and together he and I raised our wands and blew a gap in the staircase, sending the Death Eaters tumbling to the ground below, where they lay still.

"Nice one," I breathed, then raised my wand again. "Arania exumai!"

The massive spider—an acromantula—that had broken through the wall was blasted away, and Miles met my eyes gratefully. He shot a hex over my shoulder, then, and I turned, seeing a Death Eater dragging Katie Bell by her hair. Katie let out a wail, clutching at her scalp.

"Relashio!" I cried, and the Death Eater dropped Katie, who scrambled away, reaching for her wand. "Confringo!"

The Death Eater exploded, the impact of the explosion causing me and Miles to stumble backward. Katie shot me a relieved glance, and I moved to help her to her feet.

"You alright?" I asked breathlessly.

She glanced at the spot where the Death Eater stood moments ago. "Better now."

"Good thing I'm fighting with you," muttered Miles. "Wouldn't last a minute against you."

I ducked under a curse from a Gryffindor student, and Miles fired back a jinx, hitting the student and knocking her against the wall.

"Don't hurt the students!" I gasped, relieved when the student struggled to their feet.

"She was trying to hurt you," Miles snapped. 

"She didn't know better! Look at us, Miles!"

He held my stare for a moment, then glanced down at his own black robes, the two of us still in full Death Eater apparel. "Bollocks."