Once and for All

Chapter 27

Hi everyone, so sorry I left you on that cliffhanger for so long😫😬it took me awhile to get my act together, and school's been killing me but hey we're all survivin right?
     ALSO, thank you all for the 3K reads, you guys are awesome. Also if you want more of a specific character, just comment and let me know!
    Anyways, here's the chapter. Hope you like it, and feel free to vote/comment!
    

    A heartbeat after their entrance, chaos erupted.
     A Death Eater cast the first curse, which came straight for Luna, and who blocked it as Ron went after him. Soon the whole room was filled with curses flying and fists swinging. After missing a few curses, Ron lowered his wand and chose to punch a Death Eater instead, who immediately dropped to the ground.
   A tall one with long, greasy hair came running at Harry, who immediately shouted, "Expelliarmus!"
   Unfortunately he blocked it, and slashed his wand at Harry. He held back a yell of pain as an imaginary dagger sliced across his stomach, then arm. The Death Eater grinned in triumph right before Harry sent him flying across the room and slammed him into the opposite wall.
    "Behind you!" Ron suddenly shouted. Harry turned, assuming Ron was talking to him, but saw no one. When he turned back, he realized that Hermione was busy fighting a woman with short black hair, and hadn't even noticed the curse that was being shot towards her from behind. Ron was too far away to do anything about it.
    Harry didn't think, he just moved. "Protego!" He shouted, and the curse bounced off of the shield just in time. Right after he did so, someone tackled him from behind, and Harry fell to the floor wrestling with the wizard. A curse shot past his ear and burned the floor, and Harry grunted in effort to toss the man off of him. The man still held on, with his long brown hair in Harry's eyes and his hot breath in his face. Harry realized too late that there was was something particularly nasty in his breath as well, and only when the vampire opened its mouth did Harry see the fangs.
    "Petrificus Totalus," Ron yelled, and immediately the vampire froze, his yellow teeth frozen inches above Harry's neck. He was then shoved off, and Harry gratefully accepted Ron's hand. "Thanks."
    "Course, mate."
     Suddenly Hermione's scream pierced their eardrums. "Ginny!"
Startled, the boys turned to see her being dragged away by three Death Eaters. Hermione was pulling on her leg desperately, which Harry found odd as he raced over. Halfway there, he realized why as he drew his wand. Hermione couldn't hex the captors without hexing Ginny, who they were holding up front as a shield. White hot anger raced through Harry's chest as he ran over with Ron, tugging and pulling at Ginny, whose head was constantly being pulled back as one gripped her by the hair. She kicked desperately, but she was in no position to do any real harm.
For the millionth time that night, sheer panic settled in Harry as he tugged on her arm, and Ron on her leg. He already lost her once-he couldn't lose her again. Especially like this. He could feel Ron's anxiety growing as well. "Hang on, Ginny," he grunted, pulling back with all of his might. Ginny cried out in pain at the moment, and for a brief second Harry considered loosening his grip before she was snapped in half.
Before he could make that decision, all three Death Eaters holding Ginny suddenly jerked away, yelling in surprise. Ron used this moment to punch one in the face, and Harry shot a tickling curse at the other. Immediately the two dropped Ginny, and Harry grabbed her in relief, holding her tight. She held him back but then broke away quickly as Ron tackled her in a hug, surprising both Harry and Ginny, since both knew he wasn't the hugging type.

Harry looked ahead to see who their savior was, and was hardly surprised to see Hermione standing behind the three crumpled Death Eaters. "Stinging Hex," she explained hastily as she embraced Ginny, who quickly reassured, "I'm fine-thanks."
"Nice hex," Ron complimented, looking immensely relieved.
"Nice punch," she returned, and Ron smiled proudly, not used to being the one to receive compliments.
"A little help here!" Seamus called over, annoyed. Startled, Harry turned to see him being pinned by a Death Eater.
Right before he could help, Hermione cast a spell behind her back, her eyes still on Ginny, and the man flipped over, crying out in pain. She turned around, raised an eyebrow at the two on the ground, then turned back, muttering, "Boys."
"Where's Whiffler?" asked Luna suddenly, and Harry whipped around, searching the room. To his dismay, he saw Neville holding Dean. When Neville noticed their stares, he explained apologetically, "He got knocked out-sorry I couldn't save him in time. I dunno where the other bloke went."
Harry felt a stab of guilt as he realized that Neville was the only one who had attempted to help Dean in the battle, and was the only one apologizing.
Hermione must have been thinking something similar, because she quickly reassured him, "It not your fault. Where could he have gone?"
"Did anyone see him?" Harry demanded, searching each one's face. One by one, they all shook their heads.
"Last I saw, Dean had a good grip on him," Ron admitted. "I dunno how he could've-"
Suddenly he was cut mid sentence as a wand, appearing to be suspended in midair, was pressed against his throat. As they all quickly aimed their own wands, they saw a figure form, evidently camouflaged before, into a bloody-faced Whiffler. "Let's drop the wands, now," he said in an unnervingly calm voice. "Before you lose your friend here." He thrusted the wand harder against Ron's throat, who winced and muttered, "Geroff, you old-" before silenced, his mouth moving with no sound coming out. It unnerved Harry more than anything else to see Ron, who usually wouldn't shut up, be struck silent.
"What do you want?" Neville asked through gritted teeth. "If you want Ginny, you're not getting her."
"Not exactly," he replied evenly, eyeing her. "I want what's inside of her."
That didn't sound any better to Harry. "She doesn't know where it is, okay? Pretty sure we've covered that."
"She knows now," he replied, and Harry desperately stole a glance at Ginny. She did have a different look on her face-dread, perhaps? Or guilt?
"Ginny..."
"I found out a half hour ago," she whispered before looking up at Whiffler. "But you're not getting it."
Whiffler shrugged, gripping his wand harder. "Fine, but Potter's next-"
"Stop," she insisted before he said another word. "I'll give it to you. Just let me talk to Hermione first-"
"To make a plan? I don't think so. Whatever you say in front of her is also in front of me."
Ginny's eyes hardened, and Harry realized why. She hated being restrained. "Fine. But I have some conditions."
"Name them," he replied, unfazed.
"When this...thing comes out, don't use it against anyone in this room."
"It's inside you?" Harry realized aloud in horror, but she ignored him and kept on talking. "And you have to let Ron go before you take it."
"Deal."
She nodded, then turned to Hermione with blazing eyes. "Be ready."
When no further words came, Harry shot her a confused look, but a Hermione nodded as if she understood. Ginny then turned to face Whiffler. "Get behind her and Harry," she instructed them all. "Ron too."
Slowly, Whiffler released Ron, and suddenly the door to the room slammed and locked. As Ron walked reluctantly to Hermione, he gripped Ginny's arm. "You don't have to do this."
"Yeah, I do," she said firmly, and he reluctantly withdrew.
Harry slowly approached her on his way to Hermione. "Ginny..."
She shook her head gently, and Harry squeezed her shoulder in response, a thousand thoughts racing through his head. If this thing was inside of her, how would she not get sucked out when it was summoned? And how did she not get sucked up in the first place, or realize it was even there for two years?
"On my mark, summon a patronus," Hermione whispered, barely audible into his ear. When he gave her a confused look, she added hastily, "The others are going to do it too, but yours is the strongest. And if it gets to Ginny, yours is the best bet to protecting her."
He nodded, still not quite understanding, and stood in front of his friends. A lump grew in his throat as he saw Ginny stand there alone, in front of a maniac with a grin on his face, like it was Christmas.
"Come to me," he muttered, and pointed his wand at Ginny. Immediately her back arched forward, her arms splayed out, and a dark mist started seeping from her towards Whiffler, who was excitedly summoning it, occasionally muttering, "yes, yes."
Still, Harry barely noticed this and instead stared in horror at Ginny, who was now shaking and convulsing. She also began to lift up from the floor, and Harry had a horrible flashback of Katie Bell.
"YOU'RE KILLING HER," he screamed hysterically, but Whiffler appeared to be deaf to his screams. Hermione frantically nudged him, and he used his bottled-up fear to shout, "Expecto Patronum!"
The blue stag appeared, but it did not give he usual comfort to Harry. The black mist was slightly enlarging now, but much of it was still reluctant to leave Ginny's body.
Harry noticed Hermione muttering, and he turned to see her discreetly waving her wand at Whiffler. It was then that Harry saw a faint white glow he hadn't noticed before start to flicker around Whiffler-like a body shield charm that was faltering. He turned back to Hermione, finally realizing her warning and why Ginny looked like she did. Ginny was holding this thing back as much as she could, to give Hermione time. But what for?
A minute later, Harry's question was answered as a black cloud exploded from Ginny. The dark aura of the thing nearly knocked Harry over with memories: the flash of green light, Cedric, Sirius, Lupin...
"Hold on, Harry!" Ron shouted, and Harry realized his patronus was flickering and pushed harder. He risked a glance behind him, and noticed that only he and Luna had managed true patronuses. The rest were blue, muddled forms.
"COME ON," Harry roared, and the forms strengthened. He turned desperately to Ginny right as Hermione shouted, "Accio," and Ginny zoomed over behind their shield with the black cloud completely ejected from her.
He glanced at Whiffler, sure that he would be furious, but to his surprise Whiffler seemed terrified. "NO!" He shouted desperately as the cloud neared him. As he glanced at Hermione, whose wand was pointed at him, his face twisted in anger. "You."
"Goodbye, Whiffler," she replied in a voice full of loathing. A second later the cloud enveloped him, and Whiffler's angry scream echoed throughout the room. A second later, only the cloud remained, and every trace of the horrible man disappeared into thin air.

  Whew! That was a long one-hoped you guys like it, I haven't written and action scene in awhile ;) ANYWAYS, whatdja think? Hopefully they remember to get rid of the black thing...