Chapter 444: Blocking the Door
Chapter 444: Blocking the Door (Request for Subscriptions, Favorites, and Votes)
In the Ministry of Magic's Death Chamber, a fierce battle erupted between the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix, centered around the archway. Liam and Hermione had just knocked out a Death Eater when they saw Dolohov firing a Killing Curse at them. They had to awkwardly dive to the side to dodge the spell.
Just as they were about to counterattack, a long snake made of flames rushed over and sent Dolohov flying at least five feet in the air.
"Professor Mcgonagall", Liam and Hermione turned their heads to see Mcgonagall, her hair neatly combed and lips pursed in a serious expression, staring intently at Dolohov as he got up from the ground, ready to retaliate.
"Professor Mcgonagall is truly formidable", Hermione said, casting a Stunning Spell at Dolohov while manipulating the shadows around the Death Eaters to disrupt their movements. Liam joined Hermione in attacking Dolohov, adding, "Wizards who can teach at Hogwarts are all very powerful, let alone our headmistress."
Under the combined assault, Dolohov was quickly knocked out. Professor Mcgonagall, seeing Dolohov fall, quickly ran to where Lupin was fighting and shouted at Liam and Hermione, "Stay away from the battlefield. It's not your turn to fight yet, my students."
At that moment, Liam saw a Death Eater lunging towards a fallen Wizard. He immediately cast an Obstacle Charm to hit the Death Eater, then he and Hermione covered each other as they rushed to the fallen Wizard's side.
The fallen Wizard was Mad-Eye Moody. His grizzled gray hair, matted with blood, stuck to his forehead, and his magical eye had fallen out of its socket, spinning on the ground.
Liam darted forward to fight the masked Death Eater, while Hermione bent over and grabbed the collar of Mad-Eye Moody's neck, using the shadows to drag him towards the obstacles. At that moment, Tonks, with her purple hair, ran over from the side and promptly stunned the Death Eater who was fully focused on battling Liam.
"Thanks", Liam shouted to Tonks, who simply nodded quickly before running to help Kingsley fight three Death Eaters.
"Hermione, how is Mad-Eye Moody?" Liam asked as he turned behind a large rock.
"It's some kind of Dark Magic that causes unconsciousness. I've used White Fresh Essence to treat his head wound. Now it's up to you", Hermione said, half-kneeling and holding her wand, vigilantly watching the surroundings. Liam walked over to Mad-Eye Moody and began using Nature Magic to try to wake him up.
"Ugh, I was just—", Mad-Eye Moody quickly opened his eyes, looking at Liam who was treating him and Hermione, who was on guard nearby. "Liam? You did a great job, but I suggest you stay here. Dumbledore will be here soon."
With that, Mad-Eye Moody inserted his fake eye back into its socket and stepped out from behind the rock. He dodged a green Killing Curse by crouching behind a row of stone platforms and then turned around to stun a Death Eater who was trying to ambush Tonks.
Since several people were telling them not to join the fight, Liam and Hermione decided to stay behind the rock, occasionally peeking out to observe the situation and using shadow magic to create obstacles for the Death Eaters. This tactic worked well, and several Death Eaters were forced to take hits because they couldn't dodge.
Taking advantage of this moment, Liam saw Harry and Ginny dodging Lucius Malfoy around the stone platform with the archway. Malfoy, fearing he would shatter the Orb of Prophecy, didn't dare attack Harry. Instead, he directed all his spells at Ginny, who was dodging left and right, looking very precarious.
"Don't—touch my—children", Mr. Weasley, his red hair seeming to catch fire, shouted as he rushed to the edge of the stone platform and engaged Malfoy in battle. As he dodged a spell, he yelled at Harry and the others, "Run, kids, run!"
But it was too late. Nearly a dozen more Death Eaters emerged from the upper door, gradually pushing the Order of the Phoenix and Liam's group towards the platform with the archway.
"You can't possibly think that the great Dark Lord would come here unprepared with just a handful of people, can you?" A raspy voice came from beneath one of the Death Eaters' masks as reinforcements arrived.
Liam thought this was likely due to the lessons learned after the last failed resurrection ritual of Voldemort. This time, he had prepared ample backup.
"Tonks, you're the youngest. Take the children and go first", Mad-Eye Moody said to Tonks, who was surrounded by the Order of the Phoenix members, including Harry.
"Alright." Tonks nodded, but Liam could sense that she was crying. She knew the others had made their decision and were prepared to cover their escape at any cost.
"Dad!" Ginny, her face marred by a wound, looked at Mr. Weasley, who was nervously pointing his wand at the Death Eaters outside. "Ginny, follow Tonks and the others when the time comes. I'll catch up with you soon."
"None of you will leave", Bellatrix suddenly appeared from a staircase, her wounds now staunched. She levitated on a wooden board conjured by magic. "Since you failed to complete the Dark Lord's task, you will all die!"
With that, she fired a Killing Curse that struck a pattern on the archway. The pattern began to glow green, and the glow spread to the entire archway.
"That madwoman", a Death Eater groaned, "I clearly warned them about the taboo here before the operation, and she went ahead and triggered it."
He fled toward the exit, his hood falling off as he ran. Liam recognized him as the former Unspeakable, Augustus Rookwood.
At that moment, Liam, protected behind the Order of the Phoenix members, was the closest to the archway. He immediately sensed that something terrible was happening behind him.
Liam turned around and felt a force of death about to surge from the archway. This force also affected the surroundings, making it impossible for Harry and the Order of the Phoenix members to move from the platform. Despite their best efforts, they couldn't budge an inch.
Liam looked down and saw that the Stone Platform beneath his feet was covered in green-glowing runes. These runes were rapidly spreading outward, and some of the slower Death Eaters who were caught in their path were also immobilized.
"It looks like we have to go all out—" Liam thought, raising his wand with his ringed hand. He poured magic power into the rings, activating the Flame of Eternity with the knowledge he had gained from his studies of the rules. Through the archway, he could see several gray, misty tentacles about to emerge from behind the curtain. If he looked closely, he could see that these tentacles were made of countless twisted human forms.
"You—will not—pass—" Liam shouted in Quenya. "I am the master of the Flame of Eternity. The forces of death from the world of the dead cannot defeat me."
After shouting, Liam thrust his wand forward, embedding most of its wooden length into the transparent barrier of the stone archway. A white, glowing mist emerged from the tip of the wand, forming a thin wall that sealed the entire archway.
"Move when you can, I can't hold this for long", Liam shouted to Harry and the others, who were staring at him in shock. The green runes on the ground stopped spreading and began to recede toward the archway. The tentacles, possibly absorbing the spreading force, thrashed against the mist wall, producing a thunderous sound. Liam soon felt a surge of pressure, and blood began to pour from his nose and mouth.
Before long, Liam felt he might not be able to hold on much longer, but the runes on the Stone Platform had not yet disappeared. Just as he was about to fail, Liam felt a hand grasp his wand-wielding hand. Another force of the Flame of Eternity flowed through that arm into Liam's body.
It was Hermione. The ring Liam had given her contained a bit of the Flame of Eternity. When Liam fully activated the Flame of Eternity in his own rings, the Flame of Eternity in Hermione's ring also reacted. Realizing this, she made a dangerous decision to help him.
With Hermione's assistance, the barrier held until the runes on the Stone Platform finally vanished. Mad-Eye Moody immediately led everyone to run for the exit.
(End of Chapter)
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