Spur of the Moment

Chapter 48

Harry let out a cry as the floor gave out and he fell to the library below where Severus happened to be searching. Harry and the chair crashed to the floor, debris and dust and dirt raining down on them. The Gryffindor let out a pain-filled groan as he rolled over onto his back. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up into the black eyes of Severus.

"Can you not be left alone for a minute?" Severus said with an eyebrow raised. Harry just groaned again accompanied with a cough, expelling dust from his throat. "Were you the one who caused that small explosion before?" Harry nodded. "Why?"

"Had to get into the wall," Harry said, coughing again.

Severus' eyebrow rose higher at the answer. "Why, dare I ask?"

"Ring," Harry said and his eyes snapped open. Apparently forgetting any pain he had been in previously, Harry sat up and started digging through the mess around him. "The ring, the ring, where's the ring?"

"Harry, calm down. What has you so frantic?" Severus said, grabbing the young man's shoulders.

"The ring. I...I had the ring, but I dropped it when I fell and now I have no idea where it is and—"

"Harry!" Severus said loudly and Harry stopped. "We'll find it. You have to calm down or else you'll be absolutely no help."

"We have to find the ring!"

"And we will. First you need to calm down," Severus said and Harry took deep breaths. "Good. Now we can begin looking."

Harry nodded and began moving splinters of wood, looking for the small ring. Harry was getting frustrated as he continued searching, but continued to find nothing.

After a while, Harry got to his feet and stretched. He had begun cramping from kneeling on the floor for so long. He slowly turned around, trying to catch sight of the ring when a black figure caught his eye out the window. He paused and turned his head sharply, but found nothing outside the window. He frowned. He was sure he had seen something.

He was turning away again when he saw movement out the window. He looked back out the window and his eyes widened. "Severus, we have to find the ring. Now."

"I'm looking."

"No. We have to find it and go right now."

"Harry, it's not an easy thing to find."

"We have to hurry up."

"What is the rush?"

"Death Eaters!"

Severus stopped and spun to face the window. He easily saw the five Death Eaters marching towards the manor and recognized each of them.

Lucius Malfoy.

Bellatrix Lestrange.

Alecto Carrow.

Amycus Carrow.

Antonin Dolohov.

He cursed.

"Keep looking. We'll deal with them when they get here," Severus said.

"What about your position?"

"I may lose it."

Harry bit his lip, trying to think. "Pretend you followed me here," he said abruptly.

"What?"

"Act like you caught me leaving school and you followed me."

"No, they might have me curse you to prove it."

"I don't care."

"Harry, I won't."

"Do it."

"I'm not going to curse you."