Epithalamium (Harry Potter for grown-ups)

Epilogue

Damn Albus! Where is he?

The Order was holding its own, but just barely. William Weasley and Remus were both agile, but neither was a particularly strong duellist, and Minerva and Nymphadora were spending more time protecting the children than they were incapacitating Death Eaters.

Minerva felt the whoosh of a curse fly past her face and turned to see Melchior Yaxley advancing on her. She had time only to cast a hurried Protego, andhis powerful curse bounced off it, sending her staggering backward.

She and Yaxley duelled for what seemed like an eternity—he was by far the most skilled of the opponents she had faced this night—when he suddenly abandoned the fight, casting one last protective spell, and took off running toward the staircase.

Draco. Where's Draco?

He'd been with the small phalanx of Death Eaters near the stairs leading up to the Astronomy Tower—not fighting, just standing there looking pale and terrified, and she'd almost pitied him.

She shouted to Ronald to tell him to find out where Draco had gone, but he didn't seem to hear her. He was standing over a body, she realised, and he was wild-eyed and firing hexes without aiming, nearly hitting Remus.

Roaring in frustration, Minerva turned her wand on a Death Eater she didn't recognise, felling him with a stroke of her wand, when she was jerked back by the neck of her robes, her wand flying from her hand. She smelt blood and foetid breath and recognised the voice of Fenrir Greyback snarling in her ear.

"Such a pretty white throat, Professor," he said. "It'd be a shame to let it go to waste."

She brought the heel of her boot down hard on his foot, and when his grip loosened, she tore herself away from him, ripping her robe down the back. There was no time to Summon her wand—she could hear him just behind her—so she dropped into the Third Defensive Position, giving silent thanks for the late Greg McKinnon's long-ago tutelage. At the last moment, she crouched low in a ball, protecting her head from the onslaught as Greyback launched himself at her. His legs slammed into her back, thrusting her forward, her palms and forehead connecting with the stone floor at the same moment, and she saw stars.

Her head was spinning, but she looked up to see Greyback getting to his feet. She Summoned her wand, and when it berthed itself firmly in her palm, she pointed it at him, hoping her shaking wouldn't affect her aim. But before she could fire a hex, he turned and ran, preternaturally fast, disappearing up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower.

She had little time to contemplate this mystery, though, because a pair of Death Eaters was advancing on her, and it took all her concentration to deflect their curses and put them down.

When she saw Severus arrive at last, she nearly shouted with relief. Finally, another competent duellist!

But he disappeared up the staircase without stopping, and she had only a moment to wonder about it before she had to rescue Ronald from Alexander Crabbe.

"Remus!" she shouted. "Take Ronald and try to get up to the tower—something's happening up there! Go help Severus! Nymphadora and I will cover things here!"

To her relief, Remus grabbed Weasley's arm and pulled him toward the stairs. Minerva, Nymphadora, and surprisingly, Ginevra, managed to Stun or Petrify five more Death Eaters.

Just as the fifth one fell, Minerva felt an odd pulling sensation from deep with her—like a burst of cold air rushing through her magic. It was gone almost as quickly as it had come, and in any event, she had no time to think about it because at that moment, Severus came tearing down the stairs with Draco Malfoy in tow, followed by Amycus and Alecto Carrow, the latter stopping to fire a Bombarda at a row of statues that lined the north wall of the corridor, her doughy face contorted with laughter.