the last verse ; harry potter [2]

three ; opalescence

This feeling growing in Diana's stomach, growing tighter and tighter, ate at her insides the higher they climbed. This was a feeling that was not foreign to her: she felt it the day Dumbledore came for her in the hospital, and she felt it the day Sirius Black was killed. She felt it the day Dumbledore died. This feeling, brought on so often now with the onset of the war, was something that always pained her because it only ever meant one thing: something bad is going to happen.

All at once, the feeling in her stomach heightened until she hunched over her broom, wand gripped tightly.

They were surrounded.

At least thirty hooded figures, their cloaks whipping in the chilly wind, most slightly unsteady on their brooms, obviously unaccustomed to that particular mode of transportation. They circled the group, and there was just a moment of stunned silence from both parties.

Then the screams started.

Green and red light flashed through the air, broken every once in awhile by a single flash of blue or purple. The Death Eaters yelled commands to each other, stalking closer and closer, causing the Order to tighten into a small circle. The circle of Death Eaters was broken by the hurtling motorbike which held Hagrid and Harry. The Order, seeing their opening, scattered.

Diana followed the motorbike as close as she could without making it look too obvious. The others had scattered, trailing Death Eaters behind them in all directions, multi-colored lights flashing through the sky like fireworks. There were a few Death Eaters ahead, pursuing the motorbike, and a handful were hurtling as fast as they could toward Diana.

Ahead, the Death Eaters sent multiple Killing spells toward the motorbike. It missed both Hagrid and Harry, but the latter began shouting fervently over the wind.

"Protego!" Diana yelled, and a transparent shield erupted between the bike and the Death Eaters. It was so strong, in fact, that though it shattered like glass, it was able to stop three jets of green light from hitting the bike.

A red light missed her face by mere inches, sent from behind by the three Death Eaters on her tail. At once, she turned her head and aimed her wand over her shoulder--

Without even muttering a word, a long rope burst from her wand, flying toward the Death Eaters behind her like a snake. It coiled itself around the three, trapping them in its hold, if only for a little while. Even if it didn't hold forever, at least she could gain some distance.

At the last second, Diana flew to her right until she was flying in a new path parallel to the motorbike, quickly approaching. A solid brick wall, as tall as Diana and twice as wide, erupted from the exhaust pipe. Three swerved and successfully avoided it, but the fourth hit the wall with shattering force and fell through the open air, his broomstick broken into pieces falling after him.

The sky, which only minutes before had been black, was just an explosion of colors and shouts. Green and red and blue and purple and every other color on the spectrum, dancing through the air like glow sticks, crossing and merging and flying blindly into the night. It was display of fireworks, and Diana had half a mind to admire the beauty, but this was not a beautiful light celebration; this was a war zone, with the explosion of bombs and the spark of guns being fired, the sound of dying shouts and bullet impact. That kind of war was a melody, too, but just like this one, it was not a beautiful one.

Diana was now right next to the bike. The three remaining Death Eaters were trying to stun Hagrid so they'd lose control of the bike. Both Harry and Diana sent Stunning spells in their direction, and they collided with the Death Eater's spells in a spectacular, sparkling explosion.

"Diana, try to keep up!" roared Hagrid over the noise, and he slammed his hand down on a small lever, and a gigantic, nylon net flew from the back of the bike, aimed right at the Death Eaters. They, though, were ready, and all three successfully dodged it and continued sending spells at them.