SALEM ᵈ ᵐᵃˡᶠᵒʸ

xxi. Inferno

MY kinisis didn't deflect the curse away; no, instead it protected Harry by an inch and found it's way to the stone bust, which flicked the tiara through the air and out of sight.

On the other hand, it knocked Crabbe and Goyle from their feet and somehow spared Draco, who stood with his arms shielding himself.

"Run!" I screamed at no one in particular.

But before the three of us could even scatter, Crabbe and Goyle got back on their feet with energy I did not expect; it seemed that my power didn't do me justice this time.

A jet of spell zoomed in between Harry and I, aimed right at Crabbe's head. It missed him by a hair's width as he was shoved aside by Goyle.

"It's that Mudblood! Avada Kedavra!" he yelled.

Hermione dove out of the way as the spell soared to her. Harry shot a Stunning Spell at Crabbe in anger, which unfortunately missed him as well.

I growled in frustration and sent a blast of power aimed for one of the objects to fall on him; succeeding by seeing a small wooden box hit his bald head with a satisfying plonk.

He let out a roar and raised his wand.

"Don't kill them!" Draco screamed, still struggling against Crabbe's meaty arms. "DON'T KILL HER!"

It was that moment's hesitation in the two of them with Draco's warning that granted mine and Harry's bullseye.

"Expelliarmus!" he casted and disarmed Goyle's wand from his hand.

And as Hermione and Ron appeared on either side of the aisle and started to
shoot spells towards them with Harry, I used the time to cast an invisible shield around Draco and run to him, gripping his arm as I dragged him out from the battle zone.

"You need to get out now!" I yelled over the commotion as we took cover behind a tall dresser.

"I'm not going without you!" he said with a glare.

"Don't be stupid, Draco, I can't leave them alone. I have a role in this war as much as you do, no matter how much you push it away!"

He shook his head. "I'm not going without you," he repeated firmly.

I groaned and shot him a glare. "You are so stubborn—!"

He cut me off with a swift and full kiss on the mouth. "You like it, really," he muttered with annoyance.

My jaw dropped as I turned red (despite myself) and slapped his arm. "Now is not the time—!"

"HARRY, MARGO!" Hermione screamed.

I emerged from the dresser with Draco right behind me as I looked ahead, seeing Ron and Crabbe running towards us. But that wasn't the warning Hermione bellowed out; it was the humongous flames right behind their back, just an inch away from burning them into crisp.

"Holy shit," I whispered.

"Aguamenti!" Harry tried. But the jet of water evaporated just as quickly as it was summoned.

"RUN!"

Draco grabbed me and ran until the two of us were neck-to-neck with the trio, Crabbe and Goyle following in suit.

We had one common enemy now: the fury behind us, scorching and merciless as it formed various shapes of all those dangerous species we learned in Care of Magical Creatures; flaming serpents, Chimaeras, dragons — way too realistic for my liking. Whatever curse Crabbe had used to make that was definitely not supposed to be taught at all.