The Lion and the Eagle |Neville Longbottom|

18. Evading Capture

"Like hell it won't, because at least one of you is going to join your two buddies in Azkaban," Neville retorted.

"Neville," I whimpered. "I can think of a lot of things we should be doing to handle this, and provoking them isn't one of them!"

"The girl speaks sense," Luke said. "Now hand her over."

"Do you really think it's wise to challenge me?" Neville hissed.

"Do you think it's wise to try and be smart when you're outnumbered? Hand her over. This is your last chance."

The roaring rapids were the only thing I heard on top of my panicked heart.

"All right..." Neville muttered slowly. "If you want her, you have to come get her."

"Neville!" I hissed at him.

"Trust me," he whispered. "Expulso!"

A huge blast of ground shot up in the Death Eaters' faces, causing dirt to fly everywhere. Neville took this momentary distraction to grab my wrist and wheel us far away from them.

I heard one Death Eater—Luke I think it was—give a cry of frustration. What Neville did was sort of good, but it pissed the Death Eaters off even more. I didn't know what was going on in his head right now. That Auror sense needed to kick in soon.

I tried to shoot Stunning Spells over my shoulder, but it was hard since I was trying not to trip over my own feet or tree limbs, and I was trying to make sure Neville didn't let me go, or that I didn't run face first into a tree.

A shot ripped right between Neville and me. I ducked as another zoomed over my head.

"Get them apart!" Luke barked.

Spells were released, only they weren't simple Stunning Spells. I heard chains whip around the trees just behind us.

I put a little more sprint in my gait, now actually passing Neville and dragging him along, but not by much. Every five seconds it seemed a spell would shoot from his wand. Since I heard no cries of pain yet from behind, I assumed he kept missing. And I'm the rusty one?

"Diffindo!" Adam barked.

I yelped as the spell shot right overhead and hit the tree in front of us, cutting it in half. Neville and I skidded to a halt, eyes locked on the falling tree. Neville jerked my arm so hard that I accidentally, by instinct, ripped away from him. The tree plummeted right between us.

I would've ran back to Neville had we not switched sides. He was more towards the left, me the right. The spells shot right between us.

"Expulso!" I cried, shooting it behind me. I heard one loud cry.

Darkness was starting to become a factor; it was getting harder to see what was in front of me.

"Jenelle!" Neville shouted from my left.

"It's too late for her, boy," Luke snarled.

I stopped in my tracks to see Neville battling Luke, and he looked awfully close to the roaring rapids I had heard the moment we landed in this forest. The waters looked fierce, ready to swallow up anything that landed in its path.

"Once I'm through with you, she's ours."

I saw Adam and the other Death Eater loping towards me. Red light shot from their wands. I stood my ground; parried and shooting back spells of my own, all while stealing glances at the battle Neville was locked in with Luke.