The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

Into the Fray

The roof crashed around James, Annalee, Sean, and his Grandmum, the protego maxima slowly closing tighter around them, the weight of the rubble coming down against the magic so that it became harder and harder to uphold.

James's face broke into a sweat, red from the strength being exerted, his legs bracing his body weight as he struggled to stay upright. The magic shield coverer them like a shimmery cloche, only just barely over James's head, so that Annalee was crouched and Sean had brought his Grandmum to kneeling on the floor, adding a second layer of protection over her with his own body. The whole house was down all around them, collapsed under the foot of the Gurg, and even as the giant walked on, the rubble itself was heavy and James was only able to lift the protego up slightly.

Annalee gasped looking up at James as he strained to keep the roof from coming down on them.

"Do - do either of - you - know - how - how to send - a message - with - a patronus?" James asked, the words broken by grunts, his face contorted.

"I can barely cast one," Annalee admitted.

Sean shook his head, keeping his hands 'round his grandmum who was sobbing, hiding her face from the house's ruins. He was shell-shocked - if they'd been even a few minutes later...

James glanced about as much as he could without losing his concentration, his heart thumping. If he let down the shield to cast the message, it would mean the roof collapsing in and crushing the lot of them. But honestly, he couldn't hold it much longer anyway, which also would mean it collapsing and crushing them.

"Okay. Okay um. Annalee, can you try to dig the way out? Just - just blast that stuff over there - that way - I reckon if you - aim for where the window was - and - you three go out that way -"

"What about you?" Sean asked.

"I'll get out after you lot are through."

Annalee crouched as low as she could to get the angle she needed to send her charm below the umbrella of James's shield. She drew her wand from her blazer, taking aim, and hissed, "Depulso!" White light jetted out from Annalee's wand, pushing the rubble back a bit. She blasted at angles, creating a triangular space beyond James's shield and she aimed directly at the center of it. "Reducto!" she cried and red sparks flew out, blasting the wall out. There was a quick sight of the grass and field beyond before it was quickly filled in with more rubble tumbling from the top of the shield charm. Annalee turned to look at James.

"More of the banishing charm," he directed.

"Depulso!" she yelled again, several times, pushing the bits of rafter and roof away so that it blew out across the grass. Again, a small glimpse of the outside showed, and she looked to Sean. "I think I'll have to banish the stuff and cast a second charm to hold more from falling down. Then you and your gran can crawl through there and you can move the stuff from the outside to unbury James and I."

"No," Sean said, "I'll cast the charm and you and me grandmum will go out and unbury me and James."

Annalee looked at James. 

James winced, his biceps felt like they were on fire, "I don't bloody care, just get the hell out of here however you can," he said, his voice trembling with the effort of what he was doing. He didn't have much left in him for it. 

Annalee said, "Sean, I --"

Sean let go of his grandmum, who covered her mouth with worry as he took his wand from his sleeve and before Annalee could argue further, he shouted, "REDUCTO! PROTEGO MAXIMA!" and the wall blasted out, a tunnel blowing through and held up by the shield. "Go grandmum - go," he said.