Power ▸ Ron Weasley [1]

XXXIV. NEFARIOUS

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR:

NEFARIOUS

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      Nova had never truly fainted before. Which might have been why she was only out for about fifteen seconds before she came to once more, her old professor still staring down at her in worry. "'M fine," she mumbled nearly unintelligibly, her voice sounding hollowed and muttered, like someone had shoved cotton between her cheeks. She struggled to sit up, but Lupin was quick to put his hand on her shoulder and hold her down.

      "Stay down. You were just hit with a Cruciatus Curse. You need medical attention," he ordered. She could hear the fight going on around her, hear people yelling spells and curses. She wanted to help. 

      "I don't need medical attention," she said, ignoring the push against her shoulder. She sat up, the blood rushing to her head almost immediately. "I've been hit with it before."

      Lupin's eyes were surprised for just a moment before they darkened considerably. "That matters not. We've got to get you to St. Mungo's."

      "Are you okay?" she heard from her right. She saw Harry, yelling over the sounds of spells being thrown as he tried to stealthily rush to her side. She nodded, grabbing her wand from where it lay inches away from her. Nova nodded, not bothering with a response as she accepted Harry's hand, lifting herself from the ground. Lupin was still giving his disapproving look, but she recognized the impressed look in his eyes. It was a look she'd never received before. It made her want to smile, but there was a battle going on around her. "And Ron?" Harry asked nervously.

      "Do you think I would have come in here if he wasn't okay?"

      Harry considered it for only a moment before a Death Eater was behind him, crushing his windpipe in his strong hold. Nova, still a little groggy and disoriented, could only stare in surprise before she felt the fury. But she knew there was a chance if she stunned him, she would accidentally hit Harry. She was going through plans in her head when suddenly Neville popped up and jammed Hermione's wand in the eyehole of the Death Eater's mask. The second the man's arms released Harry, Nova sent a Stunner his way and watched as he flew backwards with the weight of the spell.

      "Thanks!" Harry called to the two of his remaining friends. Nova immediately saw Bellatrix dueling with Professor Lupin, who had seemed to recover from helping Nova through the pain of the Cruciatus Curse. Nova immediately ran over to help him, knowing Harry could handle himself if necessary. "Protego!" Nova shouted when she saw Bellatrix shoot an unknown jinx towards Lupin. Bellatrix grinned and laughed maniacally.

      "Little Konstantinova knows how to fight! Defense class must be going swell, I assume?" Nova sent a jelly-legs jinx towards her godmother and watched Bellatrix fall to the ground when her legs collapsed underneath her. If there was one thing Nova could admire about her godmother, it was her resilience. She didn't even looked bothered that her feet had been knocked out from underneath her. Instead, she just smiled evilly. "I wonder if those things would have helped your mother."