Chapter 340 - Watching (1/2)
Ginny was about to rush outside with her wand held high but Colin's calm voice stopped her.
”Don't come thundering out here,” Colin said with an awful calm voice. ”If you do then they will throw killing curses even before trying to know who they are killing. Don't risk it, Ginny.”
Ginny felt frustrated as she gripped her wand more tightly but she knew Colin was right. They had the elements of surprise and they could easily win if they knew how to use it.
”How many of them are here? What are they doing?” Ginny asked.
”Four. They are holding Luna and questioning her,” Colin replied. ”I am above them, hiding on the tree right outside of our tent. They haven't seen me yet. They are roughly interrogating Luna. We have to do something quickly. The Polyjuice Potion will wear off of her in a bit.”
”Alright,” Ginny squared her shoulders remembering how Chris was the coming up with plans and final decisions, so Ginny needed to have a cool brain . . . well, as cool as much Ginny Weasley could manage. ”I am attacking them in my tiger form. Use the distraction to attack them from your position. Do not show yourself unless it's necessary.”
”But Ginny --”
Before Colin could protest, Ginny changed into her tiger form and peeked outside the tent. Sure enough, four black-cloaked men were holding Luna, who was disguised as a young woman, and Colin was nowhere in sight. Ginny was glad that the Animagus form came with its perks. The tigers were stealthy and dangerous animal and by now she exactly knew how to use those skills of her tiger form. With steps light as feathers, Ginny came out and then suddenly lunged at the death eater close to her.
”Argghhhhh!”
Totally shocked the men screamed and scattered. The other three men tried to point their wands at the tiger but Colin knocked one of them, while the other dodged and threw a few curses up at the tree. The third blond one let go of Luna and cast a bunch of spells on Ginny. Using her body flexibility Ginny rolled the man she was holding and the spells hit him in the back and his body went limp. Before the blond man could use any other spell, Ginny jerked away from the man's body she was holding as a shield, then jumped at the blond one. The force knocked the wand out of his hand and his head made contact with a heavy stone and a sickening crunch, while Colin jumped down, and his and Luna's combined spells hit the other remaining man and he dropped on the ground.
After a moment of stunned silence, Colin hurried and hugged Luna, who's body was returning to her normal appearance, and Ginny changed back into her human form.
”I am so sorry,” Luna said. ”I really checked everything before I undid the protecting spells. I don't know how . . .”
”It's okay. It's fine,” Colin said pulling back from her, then he turned to Ginny and froze. ”Ginny, you okay? Your hands. . .”
Ginny's hands were covered in blood and she was staring at them with an odd expression. Colin and Luna reached Ginny and she shook her head looking at the black-cloaked men.
”It's not my blood. Let's check how are these minions doing?” She said and reached for the blond whose head just contacted with the stone. Ginny realised where the blood in her hands came from. The back of the man's head was bleeding and it was all over the stone and the ground, his blond hair was soaked in blood. Hesitantly Ginny held her finger near the man's nose. Not breathing. She touched his wrist. No response. Taking a deep breath Ginny turned over the man's hand and there was a death mark on his forearm. Ginny looked up and saw Colin and Luna checking the other three-man. ”A Death-Eater and . . . dead.”
Luna and Colin both stopped short for a moment. Then Colin sighed heavily.
”And he is hit by the killing curse,” Colin pointed at the man whom Ginny used as a shield.
Another short pause.
”This man is alive,” Luna said checking the man they knocked out at last. ”And no death mark, so I think he is one of Malgino's minions.”
”This one, too,” Colin said checking the other one.
”Let's restraint them quickly,” Ginny said getting up.