Miss Quinn

150 ~ The Veil

Dolohov grinned. With his free hand, he pointed from the prophecy still clutched in Harry's hand, to himself, then at Hermione. Though he could no longer speak, his meaning could not have been clearer. Give me the prophecy, or you get the same as her . . .

"Like you won't kill us all anyway, the moment I hand it over!" exclaimed Harry.

Emma could see the rage radiating from Venus. She was sure that only her presence was keeping the blonde from attacking Dolohov with everything she had. And Emma knew the girl wouldn't survive if she threw herself at him, no matter how skilled she'd become in the DA. But Emma had to get to Hermione, unconscious and maybe dying on the floor three yards away. And she had to do it without Dolohov noticing or letting go of Venus. An impossible task.

"Whaddever you do, Harry," said Neville fiercely from under the desk, lowering his hands to show a clearly broken nose and blood pouring down his mouth and chin, "don'd gib it to him!"

Then there was a crash outside the door and Dolohov looked over his shoulder -- the baby-headed Death Eater had appeared in the doorway, his head bawling, his great fists still flailing uncontrollably at everything around him. Harry seized his chance:

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"

At the same moment, Venus cried, "IMPEDIMENTA!"

The spells hit Dolohov before he could block either, and he toppled forwards across his comrade, both of them rigid as boards and unable to move an inch.

"Hermione," Harry said at once, shaking her as the baby-headed Death Eater blundered out of sight again. "Hermione, wake up . . ."

"Move, Harry!" Emma demanded, hurrying over and placing her hands on Hermione's head and chest. The injuries she felt beneath Hermione's skin almost made her puke. But she squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated on defeating the darkness and pain the curse had caused.

"Whaddid he do to her?" said Neville, crawling out from under the desk to kneel at her other side, blood streaming from his rapidly swelling nose.

"I dunno . . ."

Neville groped for Hermione's wrist.

"Dat's a pulse, Harry, I'b sure id is. Is id a pulse, Emma?"

"Yeah, it's a goddamn pulse," Emma choked out, fighting against the darkness. "But it's not gonna be that way for very long if I don't get rid of this shit inside her."

"She's alive?"

Emma heard the distinct sound of a body being kicked, and her eyes shot open. Venus was beating Dolohov's body with hands, feet, and elbows. She kicked him in the groin, then drove her elbow into his diaphragm, and punched him across the face. There were tears in her eyes.

Beneath her hands, Emma felt Hermione's pulse grow louder. The darkness inside was receding.

"Emma, we're not far from the exit," Harry whispered, "we're right next to that circular room . . . if we can just get everyone across it and find the right door before any more Death Eaters come, I'll bet you can get Hermione up the corridor and into the lift . . . then you could find someone . . . raise the alarm . . ."

"And whad are you going do do?" said Neville, mopping his bleeding nose with his sleeve and frowning at Harry.

"I've got to find the others," said Harry.

"Well, I'b going do find dem wid you," said Neville firmly.

"So are Venus and I," Emma affirmed, healing magic flowing through her hands.