บท 49: Close Safe
Once they'd finished, Alex turned to the others.
"Alright, here's the plan: Lily, your Shield Charm is the strongest, so you focus on defense. Alice and Augusta, you'll handle offensive spells. I'll assist with cover and distractions as needed."
The group took their positions, with Lily and Alice in the center, while Alex and Augusta, holding Harry and Neville respectively, stayed toward the back. They agreed to crouch behind the barricade if spells came through that they couldn't block in time.
Alex examined the glowing defensive wards on the door, noting the pattern of the attacks. "They're concentrating on one spot. Looks like they're planning to break through there. If the door blasts open, I'll try to block their view momentarily. You all attack immediately."
The others nodded, ready. Despite Alex being the youngest, they followed his instructions without question. His achievement against the Death Eater had earned him respect, and his confident voice gave the impression he knew what he was doing.
Before long, the protective magic on the door flickered, revealing a growing, irregular gap. With a final explosion, the door flew off its hinges, hurtling into the room.
"Do it," Alex whispered, his voice steady. With a quick flick of his wand, he skillfully redirected the door that had been blown off its hinges, sending it flying back toward the Death Eaters outside. The attackers were just beginning to laugh, thinking they had breached the room, when they saw the door flying back at them. Caught off guard, they frantically cast spells to deflect it.
As soon as they shattered the door, a volley of spells from Lily, Alice, and Augusta struck. One Death Eater was hit by multiple spells, flying backward and slamming into the ground, unconscious. The other Death Eater reacted quickly, dodging sideways to avoid the magical blasts that grazed past him.
Just then, a third Death Eater appeared, filling the gap and immediately attacking the room. Lily calmly deflected his curse with a Shield Charm, and Alice and Augusta fired back, forcing the Death Eaters to stay on the defensive.
The spells from both sides filled the room with flashes of color, and the two Death Eaters struggled under the relentless barrage. Forced to retreat slightly, they had no chance to counterattack effectively, while Lily held her ground with ease.
Then, a fourth figure emerged, casting a powerful Shield Charm that blocked the spells coming from within the room. The three Death Eaters now surged forward, pushing into the room.
Meanwhile, Alex was calmly preparing his own spell. He focused, gathering energy for the Extraction Charm he had planned. Just as the first two Death Eaters stepped over the threshold, the ground beneath them gave way, swallowing them up to their knees.
Alex had used his Extraction Charm to silently remove the soil from beneath the floor, creating an unstable patch that would throw off anyone's balance. He had prepared it carefully, knowing it would give them a vital advantage. Caught by surprise, the Death Eaters struggled to free themselves.
Lily, Augusta, and Alice seized the opportunity. They aimed a series of spells at the trapped Death Eaters, and despite the third Death Eater's attempts to shield them, the barrier was pierced. The trapped Death Eaters slumped, knocked out cold by the combined force of their spells.
The remaining Death Eater, realizing he was outmatched, quickly pulled out a small vial of potion. Maintaining a defensive charm with one hand, he downed the potion, his eyes turning a bloodshot red as the effects took hold.
With renewed strength, he let out a wild scream, firing spells at a rapid pace. A green flash—the Killing Curse—shot forward, but Lily deftly used a levitated piece of furniture to block it, the curse shattering it to pieces. The Death Eater's spells were frenzied, and Lily, Alice, and Augusta had to focus on deflecting them to stay safe.
But then, as the crazed Death Eater prepared to charge, his breathing suddenly grew strained. His movements became slow, his face contorting as he clutched at his throat, unable to breathe. In moments, he couldn't even utter a spell.
"Now! Attack while he's down!" Alex shouted, struggling to keep his wand steady as he maintained his spell.
Realizing what Alex had done, Lily, Alice, and Augusta quickly fired off a series of spells that overwhelmed the Death Eater, sending him sprawling to the ground, defeated.
With the room finally quiet, Alex let out a long breath, lowering his wand. The Extraction Charm he'd used to create an airless bubble around the Death Eater had worked flawlessly. While he couldn't cast directly on a living, resisting target, he'd discovered that he could manipulate the air around them. By extracting the air in a focused area, he could cause a temporary suffocation effect—a tactic he had been experimenting with to disrupt opponents without direct physical harm.
This was Alex's first time using the spell in real combat, and he was pleased with the results. The strategy required precise magical control, but it could be incredibly effective in the right situation.
Lily, Alice, and Augusta finally lowered their wands, letting out sighs of relief as the adrenaline began to fade. The high-stakes battle had left everyone exhausted, yet victorious.
Just as they caught their breath, another figure appeared at the doorway. Everyone instinctively raised their wands, firing off defensive spells. The intruder barely had time to react, casting a powerful Shield Charm to deflect the incoming attacks.
"Hold fire!" a gruff voice yelled. "It's me! Take a good look, would you?"
Peering through the dim light, they recognized the figure—Mad-Eye Moody, his magical eye spinning as he scanned the room.
"Thank Merlin, you finally made it," Augusta sighed, relaxing her grip on her wand.
Moody surveyed the room, his eyes falling on the unconscious Death Eaters scattered across the floor.
"Blimey, what happened here? You lot took down this whole group?"
Augusta huffed, a hint of pride in her voice. "Did you think we'd sit here and let them win? They should've known better than to come after us."
Moody shook his head, still looking impressed.
"Well, well. Dumbledore and I had a few Aurors stationed nearby, ready to jump in. We were backing you up outside, but it seems you had things handled in here."
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