Once and for All

Chapter 26

       "Neville," Hermione hissed in exasperation as his elbow knocked over a vase, which miraculously did not shatter. Still, the loud Clang of it hitting the wood floor echoed through the hall.
      "Come on, mate," Ron complained gathering the pieces. "Stop swinging our arms when you walk-"
      "I don't swing my arms-" Neville argued defiantly when suddenly Harry heard the most wonderful voice in the world.
       "Harry?" Ginny. Ginny's voice.
       He turned and immediately crushed her into a hug. "Thank God," he muttered. "I thought you were-"
    "I thought you were too, when he started burning that room," Ginny interrupted, as if she was afraid of the very word. "How'd you get out without wands?"
     "Luna kept hers outside, and Draco left his on the desk," Hermione explained, looking and Ginny's hands. "You got them?"
     Harry glanced at them to see that Ginny had indeed retrieved all of their wands and was holding them all clumsily. "He still had them in his coat pocket," she explained as she handed them out.
     "What are you carrying all these for?" accused Ron indignantly. "You could've just put them in your pocket-"
    "Actually, no," Ginny cut off, and Harry saw her straighten in anger and was immediately reminded of Mrs. Weasley. "If you recall, Ronald, girl's pockets are basically nonexistent, which you would know if-"
     "Is Whiffler still alive?" Harry interrupted before the argument could escalate further.
     "Yeah, he's petrified. I left him in the room down there," she explained, jerking her thumb at him. "Should we take him with us or leave him behind for the aurors?"
     "Take him," Seamus immediately replied. "He's probably working on freeing himself right now."
    "Should've done the reducto curse," Ginny muttered angrily as they quickly headed to the room.
     "Is that even possible on a human?" Dean asked indignantly.
      "Only one way to find out."
       "We need him to face trial," Harry said determinedly. "Azkaban's way worse than any curse."
        No one tried to argue with that.
        As they reached the room, Harry swung the door open, his wand poised at Whiffler, who had somehow broken free of the curse and was now standing, frozen in amazement at the troop.
       "Going somewhere?" He asked right before yelling, "Expelliarmus!"
    His wand shot trough the air, and Harry barely had time to see where it went before he marched over and punched Whiffler full in the face. As he fell over, Harry had the ropes bind him again, and stared him straight in the eye. "Mess with her again and you die."
      Whiffler spat out blood, laughing. "You underestimate my methods."
      "And I overestimated your power," he corrected, and causing a glare from Whiffler. "Dean, care to drag him out?"
     "With pleasure." Dean replied, grabbing his leg and dragging him across the floor.
      Harry was still too full of anger at Whiffler to notice Hermione's warning glance in time, and didn't hear the footsteps until the Death Eaters appeared at the door, wands out as they grinned menacingly at the frozen group. "Leaving so soon?"