Death Eaters in Daigon Alley - 7

Harry watched as a Death Eater dropped, immobilized, onto the rooftop they now occupied.

"Take one more step and you'll get the same thing, only I promise you, it'll be while you're still in the air," Ginny snarled at the other Death Eater, who was preparing to jump.

The man's determination wavered. He hesitated a moment before backing away from the ledge.

"Wise decision," Ginny mumbled, turning back towards Harry. "Are you all right?"

Harry wiped a trickle of blood from his lip. He'd bitten through it when he'd hurt his shoulder. "Yeah," he gasped, clenching his teeth. "We need to help the others."

Ginny nodded, helping him to stand. They moved quickly towards the opposite ledge where they had a clear view of Gringotts. The steps were littered with fallen Death Eaters, while many Aurors lay prone in the street. Fires burned uncontrolled in several of the buildings and thick smoke filled the air.

Harry could see two Death Eaters on the top steps of Gringotts, issuing orders to the others. The door to the bank must have sealed against the attack, for no one even bothered trying to open them.

Harry had to grasp his wand in his left hand because his right was dangling uselessly at his side. Focusing all his energy on the two huddled Death Eaters creating all this destruction, he aimed his wand and shouted, "Expecto Patronum."

Prongs sprang from his wand and floated gracefully through the air and landed on the steps of Gringotts. Lowering its head, the stag charged the Death Eaters. Startled, they jumped out of the way, leaving their cover and giving Harry a clear aim. With his wand in the wrong hand, he felt some uncertainty about the success of the spells, but he aimed and concentrated anyway.

"Stupefy! Stupefy!"

The two Death Eaters stopped, their bodies jerking violently before collapsing on the steps. Ginny aimed at several of the masked attackers on the street.

As if realized their numbers were dwindling, the remaining Death Eaters began Disapparating, leaving only the Order and a group of unorganized Aurors on the street below.

Before he had time to speak, a great rumbling shook the building where Harry and Ginny were standing. The tremble forced each of them to their knees, causing Harry to cry out as his shoulder jerked in a painful spasm. Their eyes widened as the building next to them – the one from which they'd jumped – suddenly collapsed in a swirling cloud of dust and smoke. Clenching his eyes shut, Harry threw his body over Ginny's and tried to shield her from the debris flying through the air.

Ginny gasped, struggling to catch her breath with Harry's weight pinning her to the ground. The roar from the destruction of the building was so loud that she wanted to clasp her hands over her ears to block it out. Her body was covered with cuts and bruises from the falling debris, and she felt sore and abused.

"Harry," she said, shifting beneath him. "Are you all right?"

He groaned, but rolled off of her and lay panting on the rooftop. She pushed herself to her knees to take a good look at him. He'd shielded her from most of the blast, and he bore the marks to prove it. He was bleeding from several spots, although nothing appeared life-threatening. The worst wound still appeared to be his shoulder. Ginny could see the ball joint sticking out grotesquely while his arm dangled limply at his side. He'd obviously dislocated it when he caught her.