The Veil of Memories

Chapter 19

Traitors and False Trails

Ron watched in horror as the goblins moved forward into the clearing. He hexed one or two but more came stomping methodically behind them, each raising a fireball to strike. He watched as one raised his explosive to land another blow to the nearest tent which was already engulfed in flames. Ron sprinted forward to get a clear shot at him but his arm was restrained by Nevins.

"Look!" he said.

The flaps of all three tents were slowly opening now and their occupants were rushing out. Most were coughing, their eyes smarting from the smoke all around them, but one or two were not so fortunate. Ron felt his heart stop as he heard Parvati's familiar shriek and saw that the back of her cloak was engulfed in flames. McGonagall's long hat and velvet cloak then came into view: both were on fire. She tried to roll on the ground to snuff out the flames but they were spreading too fast.

Before Ron could react, Nevins jumped out into the clearing and aimed his wand at Parvati.

"Consistum Inflammare!" he cried.

A sharp white jet of smoke erupted from the end of his wand and struck Parvati, immediately extinguishing the fire. Nevins neatly parried another goblin strike and aimed the same spell at McGonagall. The fire went out around her as well but the deputy headmistress slumped to the ground and continued to lay there unconscious. Nevins tried to hoist her up but was forced to jump back as another of the fireballs exploded inches away from them.

Ron watched as Nevins cast his anti-fire charms into the raging blazes around him, desperately trying to beat the flames back before they erupted anew. He had managed to douse the flames on one tent but a new explosion erupted just in front of him.

Ron didn't notice much more. He was too busy himself continuing to launch hexes at the goblins throwing the blue balls. He sensed someone helping him and was grateful to see Parvati at his side, her face covered in soot, but otherwise apparently unharmed. More shots rang out around them and Ron spotted Harmon crouching with Neville and Luna behind another tree. They ducked and Luna screamed, however, as a fireball landed just in front of them. Ron was still watching when he felt Parvati yank him to the ground as a fireball skimmed his head and landed in some bushes behind them.

Finally, they began to get the better of the goblins, but the fires continued to rage all around them. It seemed Nevins was the only one who knew the dousing charm and try as he might, he couldn't keep up with all the fires. Ron raised his head in time to see that Neville, Luna, and Harmon had fled to the other side of the clearing. It seemed they had avoided the fireball but they were now too far away to be effective in shooting down the remaining goblins. Ron felt a hot wall of flame as the ball that had exploded behind him began to work its way through the surrounding bushes and trees. Parvati tugged anxiously at his arm but Ron refused to budge. He had not saved his friends from one towering furnace that night in the Gryffindor common room only to have them succumb to another. He stepped further forward into the clearing and took aim at the nearest goblin with the hardest hex he could conjure. The goblin went flying but his on-rushing comrade quickly snatched up his fireball and rushed toward Nevins and McGonagall like a Chaser to the hoop.

"No!" cried Ron.

He threw a hex toward the goblin but it was too late. The fireball was heading quickly toward Nevins' head. Ron desperately took aim at the on-rushing bomb, trying to remember Nevins' dousing charm but then he heard Parvati scream and felt himself wrestled to the ground again. Another goblin had emerged to their immediate right and lobbed a fireball right on top of where he had been standing only moments before. The ball managed to miss but Ron felt his wand fly out of his hand and heard it land somewhere in the knarled, burning undergrowth. With Parvati still on top of him, all he could do was turn his head and watch as the three remaining goblins ambled right up to Nevins and McGonagall. Nevins hexed one but the other two raised their fireballs over their heads and swung down hard. Ron didn't want to watch but his eyes seemed unable to move. Finally, with the fireballs less than inches away from exploding on top of Nevins, he let out a hoarse cry which Ron couldn't catch. A split-second later, a bright orange light engulfed both he and McGonagall and the two fireballs bounced away from them and back at their attackers. The goblins had no time to duck as their own weapons struck them hard and exploded.

Nevins quickly got to his feet and waved his wand in the sky. The first thing he did was try to extinguish the fires that had immolated his two attackers but it was quickly obvious they were beyond all hope. He then walked around the camp, casting shielding charms to contain the fire and smoke and then extinguishing the remaining flames. Parvati finally moved away from where she had been laying on top of Ron and he slowly and painfully got to his feet. He felt immensely relieved when McGonagall poked her head up from the ground and rose slowly into a sitting position. Nevins rushed over to her side and then slumped to the ground himself in exhaustion.

Ron tried to walk over to where they were sitting but his own legs didn't feel so steady. His right hip hurt from where Parvati had pulled him down but, under the circumstances, things could have been worse. Parvati herself seemed only able to sit and, from what Ron could see in the dark, she looked a complete mess: her normally long hair was almost completely singed off and there were several nasty looking scars on her face, but at least she was still conscious. Ron turned his head slowly and watched as Harmon, Neville, and Luna came running into the clearing.

"Is everyone all right?" cried Harmon. "Wherever did those things come from?"

He helped Nevins to his feet. McGonagall continued to lie on the ground for a moment but then awkwardly stood up.

"They're scattered throughout the forests, I expect," replied Nevins. "They must have been watching us and waiting for the opportunity."

"Is everyone here?" croaked McGonagall.

"Hall!" said Ron suddenly.

As if on cue, Hall and Ernie emerged from behind a set of bushes just beyond the tents. Both looked a bit singed and blackened, but not as bad off as McGonagall and Parvati.

"Thank heavens for that," said Harmon.

"We seem to have all been very lucky," said Ron, looking directly at Hall, "under the circumstances."

"Very lucky, Weasley," said Hall, his eyes meeting the challenge.

"All the same," said Nevins quickly, either not noticing or not willing to address the pregnant looks Ron and Hall were giving one another, "we'd better treat our injuries quickly and move along under cover of darkness. There are probably more about and they would have been alerted by the fire."

A sudden groan issued from somewhere behind the trees. Nevins' eyes widened and he drew out his wand again. Harmon and Ron quickly followed, and McGonagall made an effort to bring up the rear.

They quickly found the source of the groan. The goblin Nevins had originally stunned still lay in a heap under the trees. He opened his eyes groggily to find three wands pointed at him.

"Who ordered you to do this?" asked Nevins. "Was it You-Know-Who? Has he formed an alliance with you?"

The goblin looked groggily up at Nevins for a moment, then broke into a strange sort of smile.

"Filth," he croaked. "Savages! Are you going to torture the truth out of me? Cowards! Running and hiding from your crimes."

The four of them recoiled as the goblin cleared his throat and delivered a wad of spittle at their feet.

"We're not going to torture you," said Nevins, his voice calm but firm. "We just want to know who asked you to do this."

The goblin snorted. "You may have won the battle today, wizard, but we will not stop until we have avenged our innocents. You would torture and kill our young ones and then ask why we attack you?"

The goblin's smile faded. He began to rub his hands together and murmur to himself. Nevins leaned in closer for a moment, then his eyes widened in horror.

"Look out!" he cried.

He pushed the others quickly away and Ron found himself shoved hard to the ground for the third time in less than ten minutes. An explosion rang out right in front of him. When he looked up, he saw a towering inferno where the goblin had sat under a tree only a moment before.

"Consistum Inflammare!" Nevins cried.

The fire vanished but it was already too late. Nothing was left of the goblin's body but a smoldering husk.

"Wh - what in Merlin's name?" started McGonagall, turning away from the immolated body in horror. "What could have made him do that? That's not in the character of a goblin at all. And what - what was he talking about 'avenge our innocents?'"

"Did You-Know-Who do this?" asked Harmon.

Nevins turned to them, a very grave expression on his face.

"Oh, yes, Counselo, You-Know-Who did this. We spent years worrying about You-Know-Who forming an alliance with the goblins. It seems that what we feared he might do through manipulation and Legilimency, he has accomplished rather more easily with a mass Memory Charm."

"You mean - " McGonagall gasped.

"Yes, Minerva," said Nevins gravely. "Voldemort can turn any creature against us simply by altering their memories. We've broken out of the memory fields but they haven't. We may never have tortured and killed their young but if that is what they remember, then Voldemort would need little persuasion to turn them to his service."

"What can we do?" asked Harmon.

"Leave here as quickly as possible and take extra precautions. From now on, we travel only by night. If we're attacked while we've put up camp, then at least we'll be able to see them."

And they us, thought Ron, but he agreed it was the best way.

Harmon and McGonagall seemed to agree also, and the four of them quickly returned to the others. Before they had reached the clearing, however, McGonagall stopped Nevins. Ron, who was just in front of them, stopped walking himself, and listened.

"Andrew, a word," she said somberly. "I don't have to tell you I owe you my life but I will not have anyone in this group taking any more unnecessary risks. Is that clear?"

There was a pause. Ron desperately wanted to turn around to see the look on Nevins' face but he decided against it.

"As you said, Minerva," Nevins finally replied. "I saved your life."

Ron heard Nevins start walking quickly again. After a few short strides, he had caught Ron up.

"Funny thing," Nevins muttered. "I never thought I had the nerve to rush into fire like that. But, you know, it was almost easy."

There was a strange, faraway smile on Nevins' face as he spoke. Ron decided right away that he didn't like it at all.

***

Ginny tensed herself again. This time, she felt certain she had heard something. She forced herself to make no noise for what seemed like several minutes. Only when her chest began to tighten did she realize she was holding her breath.

It had been nearly two weeks since she had left the elf village. By day she moved through thick dense forests, over unexpected marshes, and through the tall biting grass of the occasional meadow. She had no idea how much progress she had made, only that she continued to move in the direction her wand was pointing her, toward Malfoy's hideout. She didn't know what she expected to do if she reached it. She had a vague notion of running into Ron and his group but didn't know where they were in relation to her or when they would both arrive there. Many of her clothes were now damp from the rain and her drying charms never fully seemed to work. The days were sometimes warm but the nights still cool. Ginny had managed to conjure herself a modest tent, really only a covering to keep out the rain, but it didn't make it much warmer. And then there were all the strange sounds in the night and even sometimes during the day. Ginny was constantly battling the feeling she was being stalked, whether by Death Eaters or magical predators she did not know.

Hedwig had remained faithfully at her side. There were times when her companionship was the only thing that kept Ginny together and gave her the courage to keep moving on. But Ginny had to admit to herself that there were times when she'd been sorely tempted to use Hedwig to contact Dumbledore and Lupin and beg them to help her return to the elfin village. Yet whenever she came close to doing so, she would see the village in flames, hooded Death Eaters running amidst burning huts, and Siosia's sad eyes looking up at her, a flash of green light, and horrible sickening laughter. No, she'd decided many times. She couldn't and she wouldn't let it happen, whatever her misery. She was going to press on.

But she wished there was another way.

***

"Honestly, Hermione," said Lavender, sounding exasperated. "You're always very good with maths but you don't seem to know this at all. It's like you were never in class today or something."

"You know full well I was in class today with you, Lavender," replied Hermione, trying to sound indignant. "I was sitting right across from you. I - I suppose my mind might have been on something else, though."

"But your mind is never on anything else but schoolwork!" Lavender looked at her suspiciously.

"Well, maybe you could gather up the remaining little bits of your mind and try to understand it all yourself for once!"

"But, Hermione, you know I'm hopeless at maths! Besides, I'm different from you: I've got a boyfriend to think about. And I - "

Lavender was stopped in mid-sentence as the bedtime buzzer sounded and the lights went out.

"I suppose you'll have to work it out yourself, after all," said Hermione, grateful that the darkness had concealed her smile. "Good night, Lavender."

Lavender hit her fists against her bed once or twice. She also made some pouting noises which Hermione thought made her sound like a goldfish that hadn't been fed. She was reasonably docile, however, by the time Sister Owens came in to check on them and it wasn't long before she started up with her obnoxious snoring. Hermione was extremely tempted to try out one of the Silencing Charms Sirius had just finished teaching them but she knew this was neither the time nor the place to start re-teaching Lavender magic.

As usual, Hermione didn't sleep right away and not just because she was kept awake by her roommate's snoring. In truth, Hermione had spent very little of the day thinking about the content of her lessons. Of course, she had been with Sirius and Harry during math but even later that day when her body had been present at the remainder of the lessons, her mind had not strayed far from her magical class.

After many weeks perfecting smaller charms, Sirius had started teaching them hexing with earnest. Though she had never thought of herself as a violent person, Hermione had felt a giddy satisfaction the first time she'd successfully blown up the mock prison fence that Sirius had conjured. Harry had also seemed very satisfied after landing a series of Stunning Spells on one of Sirius's wooden dummies.

It was obvious what this meant, of course: they were getting closer to mastering the magic they needed to break out of this school - and alone, if necessary. For while Sirius still planned to use his superior magical abilities to help in their escape, it was obvious that his own health was fading. Or something. Hermione didn't really understand what was wrong with him. He displayed no real symptoms of a sick person. It was like he was constantly under attack from some invisible force. Sometimes, he would wheeze and wince as though he'd been punched in the stomach; at others, he would go deathly pale. Once or twice, Hermione could swear he'd gone almost transparent. She knew that wasn't possible, of course, but then many impossible things had happened already.

The attacks on Sirius had become more and more frequent as the weeks had passed. Sirius told them there could be no doubt that their enemies - Umbridge and this Moldy-mort, whoever he was - would succeed in "expelling" him sooner or later. Harry was very worried about the attacks, of course, and so was she. But neither really understood what was happening to Sirius and they continued to be frustrated about the lack of clear answers.

To his credit, Sirius had told them much, just as he had promised. And it was the stuff of an incredible fairytale fantasy: she and Harry had been identified as children with magical abilities and chosen to attend a castle-like school deep in the Scottish Highlands where, instead of normal subjects like maths, English, or science, they learned about Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts (whatever that meant), Charms, and so on. Moldy-mort, some sort of monster that had killed Harry's parents, and had been killed several times himself but somehow never really died, was now channeling one of their old classmates. He had altered their memories and trapped them in this school - which wasn't a real school at all but a place from Harry's nightmares projected into a sort of other dimension.

Part of Hermione still wanted to stay as far away from Sirius as possible. Yet she also knew she simply couldn't dismiss it all as nonsense. For one thing, she couldn't deny the obvious fact that she and Harry remembered things the other students didn't, or that they alone remembered them differently. Either way someone was deluded and something terribly strange had happened.

But even if she did take Sirius at his word, there were still things he wasn't telling them. What exactly was this Moldy-mort doing to him? Why didn't it affect them or anyone else in the school? And where would he go if he was expelled? Back to this castle? Somehow Hermione didn't really think so, and Sirius obviously didn't want to say. But then why would he tell them everything else and not this?

Hermione was still churning over unanswered questions in her mind when she was finally overtaken by sleep.

***

"Ron! Ron, wake up!"

"Goblins... goblins... spiders... Death Eaters."

"Ron! No, not goblins and not spiders! Wake up!"

Ron suddenly snapped his eyes open, wide awake, as Neville shook his shoulder hard.

"Steady on, mate! What did you do that - "

Neville placed a finger to his lips.

"What?" asked Ron in a whisper.

"Did you hear that?" Neville whispered in an even lower voice.

"No - hear - "

Ron stopped himself. A low, quiet, but unmistakable sound of a hooting owl was coming from somewhere nearby. Ron stared back at Neville, then both boys quickly got out of their beds. They rushed from the tent and found themselves temporarily blinded by the late afternoon sun, the inside of the tent having been charmed into total darkness so they could sleep during the daytime.

As soon as their eyes had adjusted, they could see that all of the others had already left their tents and were gathered in a circle around the camp.

"Did you hear it?" Ron asked McGonagall.

"Quiet, Mr. Weasley!" she retorted sharply.

They all stood silently for several moments and then another low hooting sound emerged.

"There's something up in that tree!" cried Luna, pointing to a large oak just inside the forest.

The others had noticed it, too. The tree was nearest to Hall and he began to sprint toward it.

"No!" cried Nevins. "You'll scare it away!"

He quickly followed chase, Ron, Neville, Luna, Parvati, and Ernie close behind. But true to Nevins' word, whatever had been in the tree was quickly alerted. There was another sharp hooting sound and then the rapid flutter of large wings. Ron quickly looked up in the sky but he could see nothing. Nothing in the other trees either, except some small frightened sparrows.

On Nevins' suggestion, most of the group split up and searched through the nearby forest, but it was soon apparent that the trail had grown quickly cold. They retreated to the meadow where McGonagall and Harmon were waiting. While the deputy headmistress had long since recovered from her injuries in the goblin attack, she now looked as pale and worried as she had that night.

"I trust no one was visited by the owl," she said. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you how dangerous it would be if one of us was in communication with the outside world."

Ron could contain himself no longer. "So it didn't reach you this time," he said, staring at Hall. "I wonder how many other times we didn't hear it."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley," he responded. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"That owl was coming for you, wasn't it?" Ron shot back, "with a message! Or it expected you were going to send one out. Advertising our position so the goblins could attack again?"

"If it was coming for me, Weasel Head, it had a funny way of showing it. That tree isn't anywhere near my tent."

"Maybe it didn't have the chance yet," replied Parvati, adjusting her long re-grown hair. "We scared it off. If we hadn't, it still might have found you."

"It was you who went running after it," added Neville. "Maybe you wanted to make sure it wasn't found."

"Enough - all of you!" snapped McGonagall sharply, though Ron felt heartened she had let the conversation continue as long as it had. "I've warned you once and I'm warning you again: there will be no more ganging up on Mr. Hall. I cannot afford to assume that anyone in this group is lying. If none of you say you are using an owl, then I will assume that none of you are."

"But, Professor," said Ron, as calmly as he could, "it's been two weeks since we were attacked. If someone was communicating with the Death Eaters, then they wouldn't need to use the goblins anymore. They could wait until we were at our most vulnerable and prepare an ambush for us - using goblins, an army of Death Eaters, anything. That would explain why they've been waiting."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley," replied McGonagall, "and I understand your concern. But there are other possibilities. I have to hope that the added precautions Professor Nevins has put into place has thrown the goblins - and anyone else - off our trail."

"But Professor Nevins said the other day he was surprised we hadn't encountered more resistance this far into our journey!"

Ron's face turned red as he turned to Nevins. He wasn't sure he would have liked Ron to share that admission, but under the circumstances, Ron felt he had no other choice. If Hall was betraying them, they had to be fully prepared.

"It's true," said Nevins a little hesitantly as McGonagall looked over in his direction. "It does surprise me. It's possible, as Ron says, that we're being watched and the goblins or the Death Eaters are waiting for the right moment to capture or kill us. But that doesn't mean that any of us is a traitor. It's possible the owl was sent as a test to see if we'd respond to a message that would give away our position. I suggest we prepare better. Should it return again, we will trick it and capture it - quietly." He cast a sidelong glance at Hall.

"I'm sorry I ran," said Hall, after a moment's pause. "But I'm not sending messages to anyone. I'm not your traitor. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's a little stifling out here."

He turned angrily on his heel to march back to his tent.

"One moment, Mr. Hall," said McGonagall sharply. "I have not finished. You are part of this group and you are going to hear what I have to say."

Hall stopped walking but he did not turn around to face the others.

"As Mr. Weasley has just noted, we haven't very much of our journey left. I will not pretend I imagine all of the dangers that await us but, whatever happens, we're going to face them united. Now I suggest we all return to our tents and try to get back to sleep. We've a long night's journey ahead of us."

***

"Concentrate, Harry! See yourself completing the hex in your mind and say clearly: Dissectum!"

"Dissectum!" Harry shouted. A small burst of blue light flew out of the end of his wand and seared a hole in the makeshift fence, but it wasn't enough for a person to fit through.

"And again!" shouted Sirius.

"Dissectum!" Harry cried, a bit louder this time.

He was almost blown backwards by the force of the hex that emitted from his wand. The makeshift fence exploded into several pieces which went swinging around the classroom. Hermione screamed and ducked as one piece flew near her face. Another imbedded itself the blackboard at the front of the classroom with a loud crash.

"Oh, dear," said Sirius. "It seems I'll have a bit of covering up to do. Still," he clapped his hands together and grinned broadly. "Excellent, Harry. And you, too, Hermione."

Harry slumped back exhausted onto the seat nearest him. Hermione was already sitting down.

"You've made tremendous progress just in the last week," Sirius went on.

"I practiced visualizing just like you suggested," said Harry, panting a little.

"And it seems to have worked. Visualizing is the most difficult part of any spell casting, Harry. That and concentration. It's easy to shout some words and point your wand at something. Of course, doing them all at the same time is a bit of a trick, too, but you both seem to be managing it. All we have left to do is make sure it doesn't take so much out of you. It's no good to find yourself completely drained in the middle of - "

Sirius gave a sharp intake of breath and slumped quickly to his knees. Harry and Hermione both knew what this meant by now: they had become used to the "attacks." Nonetheless, both of them got to their feet and rushed over to his side. And they did not expect what happened next: they were within inches of Sirius when he became enveloped in a bright, white light. Both Harry and Hermione found themselves shoved back to the floor as though pushed by a pair of invisible hands.

Harry winced in pain as his head connected hard with the side of one of the desks but he forced himself to look up again immediately. A bright snowy white haze was surrounding Sirius. He seemed to grow almost smaller, as though he was receding away from them. And there was something else that was happening, too; Harry had seen him do this once before but he'd told himself he'd just been imagining things. Now it was unmistakable: Sirius was fading away. He grew more and more transparent until finally Harry could see straight through his body to the dented blackboard on the other side of the room. All this time his godfather looked back at him, his teeth clenched in determination and his hands pressed down on either side of the floor as though he could keep himself in this world by simply hanging on.

"Fight it, Sirius!" cried Harry.

"You've got to hold on!" said Hermione.

Harry tried to move nearer to Sirius but he found himself pushed back again as though repelled by an invisible aura surrounding his godfather. He pushed hard against it again but the harder he pressed the more forcefully he was pushed back.

"Don't, Harry!" cried Hermione. "It'll only hurt you!"

"Sirius!" Harry cried out again. "Just hold on!"

Harry locked eyes with his godfather. He could see he had every will in the world to remain exactly where he was but still he was fading. Then suddenly, the blackboard behind him began to disappear again. Harry was afraid he was indulging in false hope but then Hermione said:

"He's coming back!"

Sirius was definitely becoming more and more solid. Finally, Harry couldn't see the blackboard through him at all. The white light began to fade and finally vanished completely. With an almighty roar, Sirius's hands found the ground and he barreled forward. The force of his upward momentum carried him out toward Harry. He cannoned into his godson and both fell to the floor in a heap.

"Are you all right?" asked Hermione, rushing over.

Sirius quickly pulled himself away from Harry, got to his feet, then collapsed onto the floor again.

"Sirius!" cried Harry and Hermione.

Sirius's eyes opened and closed groggily. "Hello," he said. "Has our class expanded? I can see at least six of you now."

"Get him over to the chair!" said Hermione.

Harry and Hermione awkwardly moved Sirius over to one of the desk chairs. His eyes closed for a moment but then opened wide again. He began to cough loudly.

"Let's get you some water," suggested Hermione.

"No, no, I'll be fine," croaked Sirius. "Really fine. Besides, I don't drink water."

"What happened?" said Harry. "They tried to take you again?"

"And they very nearly succeeded," said Sirius. "It's like being flushed down a drain. They almost had me this time."

"You look very pale," said Hermione.

"I shouldn't wonder. Still, I'll be all right in a minute. But I don't think I can hold this out for too much longer."

Harry felt himself go very pale. "Wh - what do you mean?"

"They're sure to try again, Harry; they've been getting stronger with each attack. It's like trying to pull a splinter out from your finger. You feel a bit desperate at first but as you get a better hold of it, you keep trying to pull until finally the whole thing comes out. I expect that's very much what I am to them - a splinter, something that doesn't belong in their otherwise flawless world."

"But there must be something we can do to resist them!" Hermione protested. "After all, we're not just lifeless bits of wood; we're people!"

"Something of the sort, yes," agreed Sirius. "And there is something we can do - get you out of this school. Tonight."

"T - tonight," said Harry, his mouth wide in surprise. "B - but you said - "

"Yes, Harry," said Sirius, smiling weakly. "It would have been better to wait another week - at least. You still have to learn to keep your strength up after each hex, but, under the circumstances, we'll just have to hope the adrenalin will keep you going. But you both know what you did to that fence and my wooden guards today. It will more than make do on the real thing. I don't know how long it's going to be until they strike again - hours, maybe days, but not long enough to give you another lesson. Just remember: visualize the hexes you need to escape! Your success will depend on it. Midnight tonight. Wait for my signal."

Harry wasn't sure how to respond. He felt all manner of emotions colliding through his body like fronts in a thunderstorm: fear, anger, loss, but mostly uncertainty. He still didn't feel as though he had any idea how he could control what was happening to them. He looked across at Hermione and saw confusion on her face as well. But she was the first to open her mouth and say:

"All right, Sirius. We'll be there."

And then all Harry could do was nod.

***

Neville never slept very well in the daytime. The windows and the ceiling of the magically enlarged space in which they slept were charmed to show the opposite of the sun's journey through the daytime sky outside. When his eyes snapped open to see the full moon above them, he still knew somewhere in his biological clock that it was really noon.

Which was just as well, he decided. Rest he needed but sound sleep was deadly. He wouldn't forget that goblin attack in a hurry. Waking with the sound of an explosion that had seemed to begin in the middle of his head. Seeing the flames dance around him. Coughing, unable to breathe, struggling to reach Luna's tent, grabbing her into his own cloak to smother the flames that had already begun to catch on the curls of her long blonde hair. Their scars - all of their scars had been magically healed just after the attack had finished that night. But Neville knew that the scars in his mind would take much longer to heal. Until they did, he would spend every moment, waking or sleeping, on edge.

There had been no mistaking the sharp hooting sound that had awoken him this time. The batting of wings back and forth had been even louder. This time the owl was right outside their tent and Neville was going to catch it. Without bothering to stop and wake up his roommate this time, Neville sprinted from his bed and out through the flap of their tent.

It was cloudy and raining when Neville stepped outside but the daytime was still bright compared to the darkness inside. He flinched for a moment but then pressed on. The first thing he saw was a line of elm trees whose branches just touched the top of their tent. Neville was sure the sound had come from there. He looked up into the trees panting, fearing for a moment that he'd frightened his quarry, just as Hall had the previous week when the mysterious owl had first appeared in their camp. But then there came another sharp flapping of wings. Neville looked up in the tree nearest him to see something large and white furiously fly away. His eyes darted around, trying to track their spy, but then he became aware of another sound.

It was just inside the forest. A figure. A human figure with a dark cloak pulled up over its head and a letter clutched in its right hand.

Neville looked at the figure in shock for a moment, then pulled out his wand.

"Stop!" he cried. "Stop!"

The figure started to run.

"Stupefy!" Neville cried.

A red beam shot out of his wand. The figure ducked as it flew past his head and hit a tree, causing a nest full of bluebirds to scatter.

"I said stop!" cried Neville, and then he started running. He sprinted at first but the figure was lither and faster than he was. The forest soon grew dark, the tall trees nearly blotting out the daylight completely. Neville stumbled twice and his pursuer gained ground. Neville threw two more stunning spells which both missed their mark wildly. He pushed himself forward to recover the ground. A stitch began to form in his side but he continued to run through the pain. Soon other footsteps joined the chase behind him, raising Neville's spirits. He could hear a pair of large, rangy feet coming fast up behind him and could tell they belonged to Ron. The sound of another hex from Nevins' distinctive voice resounded through the forest and whizzed over Neville's head. Their quarry ducked to avoid the hex but went flying over a stump in the ground and fell down hard. Still at the head of the pack, Neville forced to himself to run faster. The figure tried to get up but Neville closed in behind him.

"Don't move!" he cried out, panting. "I'm right on top of you!"

The figure seemed to consider moving forward, but his ankle was obviously twisted. He limped weakly forward but then collapsed again to his knees and raised his hands in surrender.

"I've caught you, Hall," said Neville. "We've all caught you. Hand the letter over."

But the next thing Neville heard was the sound of a snort from the pair of rangy footsteps behind him.

"I'm standing right behind your fat arse, Longbottom."

The figure slowly turned around and lifted up his hood. It was not Hall at all.

It was Ron.

***

It was the longest hour of Hermione's life - that she could remember. She wasn't at all sure whether she wanted it to end soon or keep going forever.

The buzzer had sounded and the lights had gone out promptly at 11 p.m. Sirius had told them to wait for the sign at midnight.

Hermione was sitting up in her bed, eyes wide open. She only hoped Lavender wasn't doing the same. Hermione couldn't really tell how much time had passed: they didn't have a clock in their room and she couldn't see the time on her wristwatch in the dark. It seemed like an eternity but she knew that was probably subjective. What if her roommate witnessed her escape? And what was Sirius planning to do at midnight anyway? Hermione tensed herself as she expected him to materialize suddenly into their room again, knock Lavender unconscious, and whisk her away. She had spent enough time around Sirius to know that his idea of a signal was unlikely to be anything subtle.

Hermione tried to relax herself but her thoughts and her stomach were both still tied up in knots. She was still mulling over the potential obstacles to their escape when she heard a sharp click and sat up sharply in her bed. She looked over to see if the sound had awoken Lavender but her roommate made no sound. Already fully clothed when she took away her blanket, Hermione slipped noiselessly into her trainers, moved toward the door, and gently pushed on it.

It was ajar.

Hermione's heart began to beat much faster. She took her wand out of her pocket and held it in front of her, then pushed the door open and walked out into the hallway. She tried to keep her footsteps light but she knew that her movements would not go completely unnoticed. She had prepared for this moment in her mock battles with Harry and Sirius for weeks. Now she would find out whether or not she was really ready.

Hermione turned the corner and found herself face to face with Sister Jones who, less than an hour before, had come into their room and satisfied herself that Hermione and Lavender were both tucked away in a bedroom/cell that was locked from the outside.

Sister Jones let out a quick gasp. "M - Miss Granger, b - but how did you - how could you - "

Hermione raised her wand. "Stupefy!" she said firmly.

The hex hit Sister Jones just below her shoulder. She flew back against the corridor wall, a horrified look of surprise on her face, and then fell to the ground unconscious.

The escape had begun.

***

Ron sat up slowly. He could not quite bring himself to his feet. He didn't want to look at any of them - especially not Nevins.

No one spoke for an agonizing moment. Then there came the sharp sound of snapping twigs as McGonagall caught up to the rest of the group, panting and gasping for breath.

"Did you find - " She stopped as she looked at Ron, the letter still in his hand. "M - M - Mr. Weasley?" she said incredulously.

"Oh, this is rich, isn't it?" declared Hall. "Let's cast the other stone, why don't we?"

"It's not really him!" protested Neville, his eyes wide and his wand still aimed at Ron. "It's a disguise. Polyjuice Potion o - or something."

"Bowtruckles," said Luna. "I suspected it the moment Shakespeare went to chase them out of the tree the day we left Hogwarts. He always has an eye for anything out of place. Do you know a whole gang of them together can actually camouflage themselves into human form? I suspect Voldemort's modified their memories, too. Father thinks - "

"Put the wand down, Neville," said Ron in a tired voice. "It's me."

Neville gripped his wand more tightly and continued to aim it at Ron.

"Do as he says, Neville," said Nevins.

Not taking his eyes away from Ron, Neville slowly lowered his wand.

There was another long moment of silence. Ron didn't need to be told that everyone was waiting for him to talk but he didn't have the slightest idea how to begin. Instead, he held up the letter in his hand to McGonagall.

"Go on, read it," he said.

"What - out loud?" asked McGonagall.

"Everyone deserves to know the truth."

Hall made a scoffing noise, but said nothing more as Harmon put a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Very well," said McGonagall. She adjusted her half-moon glasses and began to read the note. "Dear Keeper, I started passing the lakes yesterday. They're very beautiful this time of year. I'm up on a high place now but I can't see you yet. I think you might be nearby though since our friend is ever so quick. Send this back right away and tell me all about the lovely place you're staying. Yours, Seeker."

McGonagall paused and put the letter down.

"I'm afraid I'm none the wiser."

"If I'm not mistaken, it sounds like someone giving away our position in code," said Hall.

"Yes," admitted Ron. "But not to the Death Eaters. The letter is from my sister."

"Your sister?" said McGonagall incredulously. "B - but that's not - she's in the house-elf village with Professor Dumbledore. I'm sure he would never let - "

But Ron was shaking his head. "No, she's not. She left."

"She - " started McGonagall. "And what damn fool reason did she have to do that?"

"I don't know!" said Ron defensively. "She writes as little as possible. I'm not saying it wasn't a completely daft thing for her to have done but what was I supposed to do?"

"Perhaps you should explain what happened from the beginning," Nevins suggested.

"I never sent letters to Death Eaters, I swear!" said Ron, getting to his feet and resting gingerly on his good ankle. "Or to anyone - at first. And when I accused Hall of sending our position to the goblins, I meant it," he said, casting a challenging glance at the Slytherin. "That day when we first heard the owl, I was as anxious as anyone to find it. And I didn't know anything about it - until I returned to my tent. While we were all looking through the trees, it must have flown back around us and found its way in through the open flap. When I got back in the bed, I found the first letter from Ginny under my pillow. She said that she didn't want to contact us. She knew it was dangerous but she had no other choice. She said she couldn't go back to the village but she wasn't safe on her own. She wanted to rendezvous with us. We've owled back and forth a few times since then, explaining where we were and calculating how near we were to each other from the time it took the messages to reach us. This one came back very fast and the landscape she's describing as the same as what we're going through. I doubt she can be more than a few valleys away from us."

"And did it ever occur to you," said McGonagall hotly, "that it might not really be Ginny sending these messages?"

"They came from Hedwig - Harry's bird. She's been with Ginny off and on ever since he went away. I know it must be her."

"All the same, Mr. Weasley. Did you not ever consider that someone else might intercept your owls and use the messages to discover our location?"

"Of course, I considered it! That's why we wrote in code. And Hedwig's very good at looking after herself. She's done it many times before. She got past all of us that day, didn't she? Look, I know it wasn't foolproof, but what was I supposed to do? She's my sister! I can't just abandon her!"

McGonagall sighed heavily.

"Why didn't you tell us, Ron?" asked Nevins.

Ron lowered his head. "I - I didn't think you'd let me send them. No owl communications, no exceptions, right? One person would have to be sacrificed for the greater good and all that, especially with how important our mission is. B - but I - I couldn't - I couldn't just leave my sister alone and helpless. That's the truth. The whole truth. I swear it."

There was another pause. Ron scanned the still stunned expressions on the faces of Neville, Luna, Parvati, and Ernie. He wondered how he would ever speak to his old classmates again. Then Nevins walked over, put his hand to his shoulder, and his finger underneath Ron's chin.

"Look at me, Ron," he said. "Look me in the eye."

Ron did as he was told.

"Tell me you were not sending messages to the Death Eaters?"

Ron's face creased up. "I wasn't! I swear it!"

Nevins continued to look at him searchingly. Ron prayed he possessed some training in Legilimency for Ron knew he was telling the truth. Another moment passed, then Nevins nodded slowly and walked back to the others.

"I believe him," he said, almost as an afterthought.

"What a bloody flipping farce!" declared Hall.

"We trusted you, Mr. Hall when we found you writing that note," said Harmon. "Now it's your turn."

"That's bloody not the same thing!" cried Hall. "He admitted to sending the owls!"

"Mr. Hall!" cried McGonagall, scarlet in the face. "That will be all! However," she said, turning to Ron, with no less ferocity. "It is very difficult for me to say how disappointed I am in you, Mr. Weasley. You have deliberately deceived your closest friends and put everyone in this group in danger. What is worse, you have betrayed my trust in you. We will not, as you suppose, abandon your sister, but we will proceed from this point forward with far greater caution than your limited magical abilities and questionable judgment have led you to act to this point. You will add to your letter and explain that you've been delayed. Professor Nevins will tend to your ankle and put a Disillusionment Charm on your owl and, together, we will track the message. Is that clear?"

Ron still didn't want to look up, but he nodded all the same.

***

Ginny walked anxiously through the forest, every now and then catching glimpses of bright sunlight from a meadow opposite. She very much wanted to walk there instead. Walking out in the open felt so much freer - and safer - than in the dark, claustrophobic forest day after day. But Ginny also knew that it really wasn't safer. Out in the open she could be seen more easily.

Ginny paused as she heard another twig snap. She looked around cautiously but she could see nothing. An animal, she told herself. Another animal. She tightened her grip on her wand which she held almost constantly out in front of her, feeling the familiar sheen of her own sweat against the handle. Not now, she told herself. Please don't panic now. You've made it this far. You're this close. Soon you'll be with Ron and the others and then all this madness will be over.

Another twig snapped, much nearer and much larger. Ginny turned around.

***

With Nevins' help, they eradicated their camp and made it to the top of a small hill not far away. Nevins and Harmon cautiously incinerated a few trees at the top so that they could see down into the clearing below, quickly extinguishing the embers as soon as they had finished so as to attract as little attention to their position as possible.

If it were not for the very dark spot that had grown like a tumor on Ron's soul, he might have appreciated the view before them. He could see that the forests only stretched so far before changing to rolling meadows and lakes. Several Muggle farms now dotted the landscape in the distance. They obviously weren't far from Voldemort's hideout now. It seemed difficult to imagine that such an idyllic place concealed something so evil.

Ron held Hedwig in his hands and tied the letter to her leg. She let out an indignant hoot as Nevins touched his wand to her head and murmured the Disillusionment Charm. Ron watched as she seemed to disappear in his hands but he could still feel her weight. He walked to the edge of the clearing, held out his hand, and felt and heard Hedwig fly away into the clearing below.

"How will we see her?" Ernie asked.

Nevins responded by drawing a small rectangular shape with his wand in the air. A purplish screen formed in front of them and through it, they could make out Hedwig flying into the valley below. For the first time since he'd been discovered with the letter, Ron felt a surge of relief and hope: he watched as Hedwig circled low over a small patch of forest on the edge of a meadow and then swooped straight down into the trees.

"She's there!" he exclaimed. "She's not far away at all!"

Nevins followed Hedwig's flight closely with his wand and muttered another charm. He then took his hand away again and Ron could see a reddish, glowing light on the end.

"This will fix us to the spot," he said. "Come on, we'd better get to her as quickly as we can."

***

A wave of relief rushed over Harry as Hermione appeared around the corner and trotted quietly but quickly toward him.

"What took you so long?" he whispered.

"I ran into quite a few nuns," she explained.

"Are you all right?"

Hermione held up her wand. "All taken care of," she declared, matter-of-factly. "Where's Sirius?"

"Right here."

Sirius suddenly appeared right in front of them. Harry and Hermione both jumped but managed to avoid crying out.

"Come on," he said quickly.

No one spoke as Sirius led them down the same corridor where, in the guise of Sister Barnes, he had partially returned their memories to them several weeks before. This time, they did not stop at the cleaning closet. They continued to the end of the corridor and the door that led out to the perimeter wall outside.

Sirius pointed his wand at the lock on the door. "Alohomora," he said.

The door quickly opened and Harry, Hermione, and Sirius stepped outside without another sound.

They quickly found themselves face to face with two guards. Both had raised their guns and one had a whistle, but Sirius stunned them with frightening speed.

"Let's move quickly," he said, guiding Harry and Hermione to their right. "They're likely to be missed very soon."

They flattened themselves to the side of the prison wall, staying clear of the searchlights working their way around the perimeter. It wasn't long before they reached the part of the fence that Sirius planned to cut through. He'd explained to them that it was mostly hidden from the searchlights and that there was a path on the other side that would lead them through the forest and up the hill that led away from the prison.

"Keep still," whispered Sirius. He placed his wand to the side of the fence. A narrow, cutting beam emitted silently from the end and began to seer through the steel latticework. Harry stared nervously at him and then at the swinging searchlights which were now moving inexorably around to shine on the door through which they had just come.

"Sirius," whispered Harry anxiously, touching his godfather's shoulder. "I think they're about to find those guards you just - "

It all happened very suddenly. Harry heard Hermione gasp and swung around. He didn't know where she had come from or how she had found them, but standing right on the other side of the three of them was Sister Owens. If the expression on her face was anything to judge by, she seemed as surprised to see them as they were to see her. Harry felt a pang of regret that the one nun who had been decent to them all the time they'd been in this school was the one who'd been wandering the grounds on watch that night. He knew that if it had been up to Sirius, he wouldn't have hesitated one second longer, but Sirius was tied up cutting the fence. Harry still knew what he had to do but he hesitated for one split-second.

And that one split-second proved much too slow.

"M - Miss Granger?" Sister Owens stuttered incredulously. "M - Mr. Potter a - and who - who is - "

The nun's eyes grew even larger. She moved a whistle to her mouth.

"No, Sister!" cried Hermione.

"Stupefy!" shouted Harry.

Sister Owens fell to the ground in a heap but before the hex had reached her, the whistle in her mouth had blown. Harry and Hermione shielded their eyes as the searchlights swung quickly in their direction. Then the alarms sounded.

***

No one spoke as they journeyed on. Ron walked in front, his wand raised in caution. Nevins was close behind him, occasionally navigating him this way and that, but saying nothing more, for which Ron was grateful. The others hung a little further back. Ron doubted he and Nevins would ever share a campfire the same way again but he needed to put that behind him now. He could allow himself the luxury of guilt when Ginny was back with them safely.

Their journey had seemed much shorter from the top of the hill than it did when they'd actually had to walk the distance. They seemed to remain in the forest for ages, but finally it cleared into a meadow. They walked along the edge of a meadow for a while, then Nevins directed Ron back into the forest. Ron said nothing but his heart began to quicken: this was the meadow they had seen from the hill. He knew that the forest where Hedwig had delivered her message was very close to the edge of that meadow. It wouldn't be much further now provided that Ginny hadn't moved herself and they'd told her in the message not to.

It wasn't long before they reached a small ridge within the forest that led down about fifty meters into a very small clearing where, from the looks of things, a large tree had fallen down in the forest. Ron didn't need Nevins to navigate him anymore for standing against the tree at the far edge of the clearing was Ginny. Unable to restrain himself any longer, Ron ran quickly through the twigs and leaves to his sister, abandoning all caution and stealth.

"Ron, not so fast!" cautioned Nevins. "Be careful!"

But Ron did not heed his warning. All he could feel was relief now, relief he could taste and drink down like large gulps of water to a very parched mouth. He leapt over the fallen tree and ran into the clearing.

"Ginny!" he cried.

But then Ron stopped. He now stood only ten meters away from his sister but she still made no move toward him. She continued to stand against the tree oddly expressionless. Ron suddenly felt his relief evaporate like a mirage. Something wasn't right. A creepy, icy feeling began to descend all over his body. It was exactly the way he had felt that night he had stood in front of the portrait hole outside Gryffindor Tower just before -

Ron pointed his wand at Ginny. "Finite Incantatem!" he cried.

Ginny snapped to life instantly. "Ron, get out of here!" she cried. "It's a trap! It's a - "

But before Ginny could finish her sentence, the clearing came alive with noise. Ron realized only too late how perfect a place it was for an ambush. Figures swung down from the trees, emerged from bushes, and perched on top of the ridges around them. Not goblins this time, but fully grown, masked Death Eaters. A dozen or more.

Ginny tried to run toward Ron but two Death Eaters dropped down from the tree in front of which she was standing. They grabbed her arms and one pointed a wand at her neck. Ginny yelped in pain and then her head slumped unconscious to the side. Ron aimed his wand at them but before he could let off a shot, the other Death Eater touched something to Ginny's shoulder and all three of them disappeared.

Ron watched the space where his sister had stood in disbelief, but then quickly gathered his senses. He turned around and ran back to warn the others. He nearly cannoned into Nevins who was already exchanging hexes with the Death Eaters and shouted at him to get back. The old Auror seemed to pay no attention, however, and continued to move his wand back and forth, desperately trying to engage in multiple duels at once. All Ron could do was take out his own wand and try his best to fend off their attackers.

Ron hoped that the others had managed to escape but he quickly saw that this was not to be. A fresh batch of Death Eaters appeared at the top of the ridge and Ron could see they had been caught and cornered halfway back up. Several of the students let off fire at the Death Eaters and one or two fell, but the others kept attacking. Ron watched in apprehension as three of the Death Eaters, at corners surrounding the group, did not engage in the fire but raised their wands high in the air. A thin beam of orange light then connected two of the wands, and finally the third, until a triangle had formed around their friends. Ron and Nevins both tried to fire at the Death Eaters holding up the sides of the triangle but their other attackers stopped them from getting close enough for a decent shot. Ron watched in horror as McGonagall, Harmon, Ernie, Parvati, Luna, Neville, and Hall placed their hands to their heads and fell to the earth, screaming in pain. An instant later the triangle vanished. With it went everyone inside.

Ron felt shocked and numb but he forced himself to continue to engage his attackers. There were fewer of them now but still too many - at least ten as far as Ron could see. He knew he had managed a miracle that night in Gryffindor Tower, not to mention the duel with the goblins. Could they yet make it out again?

Ron had no sooner finished his anxious wish when Nevins let out a cry of pain. He swung quickly around to see that he had fallen to the ground and was clutching his side, his wand nowhere in sight. Ron desperately fought the remaining Death Eaters single-handedly but his efforts did not last long. In a panicked fear, he hexed two of them to the ground but then he heard a voice right next to him cry out:

"Expelliarmus!"

Ron fell to the ground from the force of the hex and felt his wand fly somewhere far away. He forced himself to his feet, ready to run or fight any way he could, but then a voice rang out:

"Stop! Put your wands down!"

The Death Eaters obeyed. Ron crouched down next to his old teacher.

"I'm all right," Nevins insisted.

They both looked up as one of the Death Eaters, the one whose voice they had just heard, walked slowly into the clearing. He stared at Ron for a moment, then reached back and removed his mask.

Ron felt like retching at the sight before him. His first reaction was that Voldemort himself had returned in his earlier grotesque form. The Death Eater who now stood in front of him was hairless, with blistered, scarred skin, an abnormally abbreviated nose, and a horrible slit for a mouth.

"Hello, Weasel Face," he said.

"Nott?" Ron croaked in disbelief.

"Yes, Weasel Face. I survived your attempt to torch down Gryffindor Tower but not without a price. I'm really quite angry with you, you know, Weasel Face, an anger I don't expect will ever go away. It was my idea to have the goblins attack you with the fireballs. Such a trouble it was, too. You've no idea how many goblins we had to prepare: they're very good at intelligence but we had to cover a very wide area. You see, we really had no idea where you were. Still, that's the beauty of mass Memory Charms: ignorance can be very persuasive. It wasn't long before we'd built our army. I thought that the fireballs were a fitting revenge but then you managed to get yourself out of it and disappear again. You can imagine my joy when your stupid sister tried to contact you and the goblins intercepted the message. They found you and then they easily found her. They were very anxious to exact their phantom revenge on you both but I persuaded them to wait until you had found each other and then we could tie things up quickly. And so we have. Your sister is now safely on her way to the Dark Lord. It only remains for me to deal with you."

"What have you done with the others?" demanded Nevins.

"Oh, they're not dead," replied Nott, "but perhaps they'd be better off if they were. The triangle has taken them to Azkaban which is, thanks again to the Memory Charms, very much under our control. I also prepared a new Memory Charm just for them: they will remember only that they are savage criminals who betrayed and murdered their friends. I expect their despair and self-hate will make up for the absence of the Dementors. A pity you couldn't join them, Professor, but you're easy enough to dispose of. You'll forgive me if I see to Weasel Face here first though. I've waited for this for a little too long. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

A green light shot out from Nott's wand toward Ron but it never reached its intended target. A fraction of a second before it could strike, Nevins leapt into its path. Ron watched in amazed horror as a bright orange blocking field emerged from Nevins' hand and enveloped him. It was just like the one Nevins had used to protect himself and McGonagall against the goblins' attack. But unlike the fireballs that had bounced off the shield to strike the goblins, Nott's killing curse seemed to remain absorbed inside it. A beam of green light still linked the blocking field to Nott's wand.

"What's happening?" cried Ron anxiously. "Why won't the curse rebound?"

"Impressive, isn't it?" Nevins flashed Ron a brave smile. "And wandless, too. I've been practicing this ever since the First War. Unfortunately, it never really held very long in the tests."

Ron looked at the nexus of the curse and the field. To his horror, he found that it was moving slowly closer to Nevins' chest.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" cried Nott again angrily.

A fresh wave of green light flew down the beam that connected Nott's wand to the blocking field. The field sizzled angrily and the green light from Nott's wand began to move faster.

"Tell me what to do!" cried Ron. "There must be something - "

"There isn't any more time, Ron," said Nevins, still smiling. "I want to thank you, Ron. I'm an old wizard. If not for you I would have died in my marshy cottage believing I was a coward. You proved to me that I wasn't. If you ever somehow get out of this, tell Harry - "

A loud explosion erupted from the center of the field, throwing Ron back hard against the grass. When he moved up again, he found Nevins lying on the ground, a smile still on his face, but no more life in his eyes.

Nott lowered his wand. His grotesque face twisted into a parody of a smile.

"How sad. And such a waste, too. You're going to die anyway, Weasel Face."

Ron wanted to go down fighting. He wanted to do whatever still remained in his power to stop Nott. But he was too numb to move: in one short battle, their long journey had finished, his sister had been captured, and his mentor had been killed. And it was all his fault.

Ron felt oddly detached as he looked up at Nott. He watched, strangely emotionless as the Death Eater summoned the fury in his face he needed to cast another killing blow.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

There was a loud pop that started in the middle of Nott's wand and seemed to echo like a cannon through the forest. An instant later, Ron felt like his brain had exploded from the inside. Then everything went black.