Magic of the Night (Harry Potter/Twilight Crossover)

Chapter Sixteen:

CHAPTER SIXTEEN:

"We need to find an adult- a teacher, or a member of the Order of the Phoenix," Isobel says, finally. Luna's silver eyes seem to mist over slightly, before she blinks, dreamy look vanishing.

"The Great Hall." She says, and I nod.

"There should be a professor there somewhere." I agree, trusting Luna's word. Katie visibly steels herself.

"Let's go." She says grimly, and our short rest is over and we start running again.

Making our way through the halls, dust clogged the air and rubble littered the ground. We ran down a staircase and found ourselves in a corridor full of duelers.

The portraits on either side of the fighters were crammed with figures screaming advice and encouragement, while Death Eaters, both masked and unmasked, dueled students and teachers alike.

A seventh year Gryffindor, Dean Thomas, was face-to-face with Dolohov, while the twin of Padma Patil, our prefect last year, Parvati was trading spells with Travers.

I raised my wand, wanting to help in some way, but the duelers were weaving and darting so much that there was a strong likelihood of hurting one of our own side if I tried casting a spell.

A great "Wheeeeee!" had me jerking my head up, and I saw Peeves zooming over us, dropping Snargaluff pods down onto the Death Eaters, whose heads were suddenly engulfed in wriggling green tubers like fat worms.

"ARGH!"

I flinched in shock at the sudden yell, so close to me, spinning around to see a fistful of damp green roots suspended improbably in midair.

"Someone's invisible there!" shouted a masked Death Eater, pointing.

Dean Thomas made the most of the Death Eater's momentary distraction, knocking him out with a stunning Spell; Dolohov attempted to retaliate, and Parvati Patil shot a Body Bind Curse at him.

"LET'S GO!" I heard a voice that was undoubtedly Harry's yell.

"Come on!" Isobel urged, agreeing with the sentiment. Slipping occasionally in pools of Snargaluff juice, the four of us made our way towards the top of the marble staircase into the Entrance Hall.

It was chaos, a loud, horrible chaos of fire and shouting and screaming, of angry cries and furious roars. The windows were shattered and what remained of the tables were burning. There was blood on the floor. There were bodies on the floor.

Duellers were all over the stairs and in the hall. Death Eaters, everywhere I looked: Yaxley, close to the front doors, in combat with Flitwick, who I was equal parts relieved and delighted to see was still amongst the living, a masked Death Eater dueling Auror Shacklebolt, students running in every direction; some carrying or dragging injured friends. Neville Longbottom emerged from the ruckus, ducking a Stunning Spell, his arms filled with a Venomous Tentacula, which looped itself happily around the nearest Death Eater and began reeling him in.

We made it down the marble staircase, slipping and staggering as we did so, the hourglass that had recorded House points having been smashed, sending jewels spilling everywhere, all over the ground.

Two bodies fell from the balcony overhead and as we reached the ground a gray blur that I took for an animal sped four-legged across the hall to sink its teeth into one of the fallen.

"NO!" I heard someone female shriek, and a deafening blast threw Fenrir Greyback away from the feebly struggling body of the seventh year Gryffindor Lavender Brown. Greyback hit the marble banisters and struggled to return to his feet. Then, with a bright white flash and a crack, a crystal ball fell on top of his head, and he crumpled to the ground and did not move.