The Wizard Hunt

Hermione looked upon a scene of horror in the street before her and whipped out her wand. She looked at the crumpled Malfoy, holding his wrist gingerly; it was obviously broken.

"Malfoy?" she said, shocked, just as the boys said, "Ginny?!"

She looked at the pile of ash that was even now beginning to blow along the street. She looked at the ruined Death Eater staring blankly up at the sky. Then she saw a crumpled form lying in the street and a man kneeling over it with the Dark Mark on his exposed arm.

He was the only one standing. He was the only one who could have killed the Death Eater.

"Get away from her, you bastard!" roared Ron.

Hermione's eyes wandered over Ginny. She was breathing and the man appeared to be handling her gingerly, even caringly.

The man was...nondescript was the best way to say it. He was not particularly muscular, though perhaps a bit larger than average. He was not particularly tall, though perhaps a bit taller than average. He was not particularly handsome or ugly. In fact, Hermione had the impression that if she had stared right at him in a crowd, she would not remember him five minutes later. He would simply disappear.

But his eyes...his eyes were different. His eyes were like black glass; hard and cold.

She felt his smoldering contempt as he appraised Ron. When he looked away, she felt that Ron had been dismissed as completely as if he did not exist.

She felt his eyes burn into hers and she saw indecision but no human compassion. The indecision was not born of a reluctance to hurt another human being. It was more like he was a machine caught between two gears. He would act remorselessly to fulfill his purpose, once he had decided which gear was best suited to attain his aims.

Suddenly she knew that this man would kill all three of them without remorse. She felt afraid and began to tremble slightly as she lowered her wand slightly.

Then the man looked at Harry and the contempt left his eyes. The man's gaze lingered on Harry for several seconds and Hermione saw the man shift his weight. She suddenly had the impression that he was a coiled spring. The man's right hand went to his back.

His wand must be tucked into his belt there. That was an odd place to put it.

"Put those things away," he said in a voice like winter's chill. He has an American accent.

"Get away from my sister, you fucking bastard!" roared Ron, his face enwrapped in rage.

"'Things?' Why would he call wands 'things?'" thought Hermione.

Then realization dawned on her.

"He's a muggle!" she said loudly in surprise.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Ron begin to wave his wand.

Then all hell broke loose.

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Red Hair is Sally's brother then. That is why he is so furious. He begins to wave his wand.

God forgive me and have mercy on their souls.

I leap and roll sideways, my pistol in my hand. I hear the incantation leave the mouth of Red Hair and turn into a question as I am no longer there to receive his spell. As I come up, I hear Sally's brother's spell hit the pavement where I had been kneeling, barely missing her.

I briefly notice that my roll on the rough pavement has torn my remaining sleeve, and suddenly the Relic is visible.

Glasses Boy first, then. I point my pistol to where he stood preparing to squeeze the trigger for the kill shot.

Make that, where he had stood.

My God he is fast!

The boy with glasses moved sideways as I moved, rolling as I rolled. He comes up with his wand slewing towards me.

I will not be able to get him first then, and I use my momentum to redirect my firearm sideways towards Red Hair, as I jump forwards with all of my might.

Glasses Boy's spell hits pavement like his friend's and I have Red Hair's surprised face dead in my sights.

I'm sorry, Sally. I didn't want to kill your brother. I know how that feels.

Dear God! I hesitate! For the second time tonight I hesitate! For the second time since I was twelve years old...I hesitate!

I see the Relic flash brightly as it reflects the light of the street lamps, and I hear the wild haired girl exclaim, "Oh my God!" My eyes move to her and she is staring at my pistol.

No, wait. She is staring at my arm.

Then she screams, "Expeliarmis!" in a frantic voice, just as Glasses Boy yells the same. If that double spell hits me full force, it will be the end of this fight.

The trick to a disarming spell is to no longer have the weapon in your hand when it hits you. If there is no weapon in your hand, you feel a slight puff of air and a bit of light, but nothing more. Not even many wizards know that trick.

As the pistol drops from my grip, I move forward into two breezes and jets of light. Glasses Boy is surprised as I rush out of the light towards him, a knife coming into each hand.

Red Hair yells, "Impedimenta!" but he is agitated and the slowing spell shoots over my head. The knife from my right hand is already whirring through the air towards Red Hair, but the wild haired girl waves her wand and only a tennis ball strikes Red Hair in the eye. He lets out a curse as he stumbles backwards.

Wild Haired Girl moves uncertainly towards me. "Wait a minute!" she shouts.

Glasses Boy waves his wand and my other knife turns into a turnip. That took too much time, though, and I am on him.

I only have one knife left, God help me.

I strike his wrist as I did with the blonde boy, but Glasses Boy is fast and supple, so his bone does not break. He does not yowl in pain, but merely grunts. Tough kid, but he did drop his wand.

I prepare to strike him in the throat for a killing blow.

"Harry!" yells the wild haired girl and I sense, more than see, that she moves closer. While I am so close to her friend she cannot get off a spell without possibly hitting him.

Suddenly I feel ... Harry's...good hand strike me in the side of the head and his throat is not where it is supposed to be. My killing blow simply whips through empty air.

He actually managed to hit me! It actually hurt! He is stronger than his slender frame indicates.

"Hermione, get out of the way. I can get him!" says Red Hair excitedly.

I move sideways in order to keep Harry between me and ... Hermione...and Red Hair. The movement gives Harry the fraction of a second that he needs.

Harry kicks me in the groin and pain explodes in my middle and he strikes me...twice... with his good hand.

He is unbelievably quick! I can tell that his reflexes are even faster than mine. He is obviously an athlete and not overly reliant on magic.

He makes a mistake, however, and does not press his advantage. He has no training. He hesitates for a fraction of a second before attempting to strike me again with his good hand. I bob backwards and his hand sweeps in front of my face harmlessly.

I am pretty quick, myself.

I strike like a snake and grasp the wrist of his striking left hand with my left hand. I twist and pull his arm to my left, as I pound my right hand up and sideways into his underarm. The leverage is too much for his ribcage and I hear an upper rib crack.

He surprises me again, however, and rolls with my strike, letting himself be knocked off balance and to the side, falling towards the pavement. His movement prevents the force of my punch from crushing his thorax or stopping his heart, but he will be out of this fight. The pain of a high rib break will be unbearable. He will lose consciousness. He may die because he will not be able to catch his breath.

But he knew what he was doing. His friends have a clear shot at me. He is tough and smart.

Red Hair looks recklessly triumphant, his hands shaking eagerly, but Hermione has let herself get too close.

"Just wait a sec..." she begins.

As Harry hits the ground, I spin to my right. I knock Hermione's half-raised wand from her hand and twirl her into an iron embrace.

Hermione squeaks as I put my knife to her throat. She is positioned between Red Hair and me.

I can see fear and dread in Red Hair's eyes, but otherwise he is suddenly dead calm. His wand hand, pointed at me, does not shake with fear or eagerness or anger. He is now in absolute control of himself. Perhaps he is as dangerous as Harry.

"If you hurt her," he says steadily, "you die. Badly."

Ahh...so he loves this girl. I do not doubt that he will kill me if I kill her.

"Put that thing down," I say.

"Ron, don't," says Hermione. I cannot tell if she is telling...Ron...not to kill me or if she is telling him not to put down his wand.

We stare at each other for a second. It is a Mexican standoff.

Then to my left I hear someone whisper breathlessly, as if in intense pain, "Accio Wand."

I curse myself for a fool and try to twist Hermione in front of the strike that I know is coming. My movement causes the knife to come away from her throat and she simply tries to sit down, dropping all her weight. It is impossible for me to move her fast enough.

I try to throw my knife at Harry, but I am in an awkward position, throwing across my body while still half-holding Hermione. My aim is poor and my throw does not have much force to it.

Just as my knife hits him in his leg, he whispers, "Stup...efy." I see him slump senselessly as his spell hits me.

Harry's spell hits me in my left side. I am knocked sideways and off balance, losing my grip on Hermione. My lungs are abruptly emptied of air and red lights dance in front of my eyes.

The Relic offers me some protection, and the spell is weak because of Harry's condition. Otherwise, this would already be over.

My mind is reeling from the impact of the magic. How did the boy stay conscious after his injuries?! What is wrong with me? Why did I turn my back on him before he was dead?

God help me and protect me!

I think I hear a female voice say the incantation for the disarming spell again and Ron's howl of protest.

Then I have not a moment more to think as a red-haired demon assails me in my weakened condition. He is also quick, agile and balanced; another athlete. And he is enraged.

He shouts curses and obscenities as he flails at me. I am hard pressed in my current state. His fists hit like hammers, and I see blackness at the corners of my vision. He hits me several times before I regain my senses enough to begin to fend him off. My ears ring with the combined impact of the spell and Ron's fury.

"Ron, stop!" shouts Hermione. "We need to question him! Look at the mark on his arm!"

Ron is not listening, however, and another right cross from him sends makes me see white light. I feel blood pour down my face from my broken nose.

He is a better fighter than Harry, even if not so quick. He is remarkably strong for his age. He is not trained, but he must have fought a bit in his young life, or he has some sort of natural talent. He plunges forward in unhesitating attack just as I would.

God save me from my own foolishness so that I may do His work.

My instincts take over at this point, and my training. He is swinging a left cross that looks like it could split a tree trunk. I am inside the radius of his swing instantaneously. I grab the front of his cloak, pulling him towards me with our combined momentum. My forehead crashes into the spot between his upper lip and nose with a dull crunch.

The impact dazes me further, however, and I see the world through a haze of red. I realize the red is spattered blood as I see Ron's ruined front teeth and his own broken nose. He slumps to the ground with a moan, his hands to his face.

I wobble on my feet. I will lose consciousness any minute.

Hermione is suddenly fierce. She faces me with her wand raised. She regained it at some point. She is no longer uncertain about using it. She must love the boy too.

"Stop where you are, or I will stop you," she says forcefully.

"Put that thing down, or I will kill you where you stand," I say.

It is a bluff. I have almost nothing left. She will launch a spell as soon as I begin to move. After the pummeling I took from the two boys and the spell, I know that I can't get to her before she can get to me.

But she uses unnatural powers, and I am supposed to die fighting her kind. It will be a blessing.

I can't reach her, but I might be able to reach her wand. If I can strike her wand and break it as she casts her spell, it may backfire. That could incapacitate her. It's my only chance.

Hermione's eyes suddenly shift to the side, and she smiles slightly.

In my stupefied condition, I wonder what on God's green earth she is smiling at. Dazedly, I realize that she is looking behind me.

From that direction, I hear a small female voice say, "Petrificus Totalus."

My arms snap to my side like a toy soldier at attention. I am suddenly unable to move even a particle of my body as I keel over backwards.

God help me! Lord Jesus, protect me! The full body bind curse! A part of my brain screams and screams in remembrance of that horrible night which was the last time this curse had touched me. It was the night my family was killed.

My higher brain functions decide to shut down after this night's emotional and physical punishment.

The last thing I see, as the world goes black, are two girls looking down at me. One has red hair.

Ah yes...I forgot about Sally.

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