.RON,.NO!..
Harry.did.not.know.what.would.happen.if.Ron.touched.the.tentacles.of.thought.now.flying.behind.the.brain,.but.he.was.sure.it.would.not.be.anything.good..He.darted.forwards.but.Ron.had.already.caught.the.brain.in.his.outstretched.hands..
The.moment.they.made.contact.with.his.skin,.the.tentacles.began.wrapping.themselves.around.Ron.s.arms.like.ropes..
.Harry,.look.what.s.happen—.No.‐.no.‐.I.don.t.like.it.‐.no,.stop.‐.stop.‐..
But.the.thin.ribbons.were.spinning.around.Ron.s.chest.now;.he.tugged.and.tore.at.them.as.the.brain.was.pulled.tight.against.him.like.an.octopus.s.body..
.Diffindo!..yelled.Harry,.trying.to.sever.the.feelers.wrapping.themselves.tightly.around.Ron.before.his.eyes,.but.they.would.not.break..Ron.fell.over,.still.thrashing.against.his.bonds..
.Harry,.it.ll.suffocate.him!..screamed.Ginny,.immobilised.by.her.broken.ankle.on.the.floor.‐.then.a.jet.of.red.light.flew.from.one.of.the.Death.Eater.s.wands.and.hit.her.squarely.in.the.face..She.keeled.over.sideways.and.lay.there.unconscious..
.STUBEFY!..shouted.Neville,.wheeling.around.and.waving.Hermione.s.wand.at.the.oncoming.Death.Eaters,..STUBEFY,.STUBEFY!..
But.nothing.happened..
One.of.the.Death.Eaters.shot.their.own.Stunning.Spell.at.Neville;.it.missed.him.by.inches..Harry.and.Neville.were.now.the.only.two.left.fighting.the.five.Death.Eaters,.two.of.whom.sent.off.streams.of.silver.light.like.arrows.which.missed.but.left.craters.in.the.wall.behind.them..Harry.ran.for.it.as.Bellatrix.Lestrange.raced.right.at.him:.holding.the.prophecy.high.above.his.head,.he.sprinted.back.up.the.room;.all.he.could.think.of.doing.was.to.draw.the.Death.Eaters.away.from.the.others..
It.seemed.to.have.worked;.they.streaked.after.him,.knocking.chairs.and.tables.flying.but.not.daring.to.bewitch.him.in.case.they.hurt.the.prophecy,.and.he.dashed.through.the.only.door.still.open,.the.one.through.which.the.Death.Eaters.themselves.had.come;.inwardly.praying.that.Neville.would.stay.with.Ron.and.find.some.way.of.releasing.him..He.ran.a.few.feet.into.the.new.room.and.felt.the.floor.vanish.‐.
He.was.falling.down.steep.stone.step.after.steep.stone.step,.bouncing.on.every.tier.until.at.last,.with.a.crash.that.knocked.all.the.breath.out.of.his.body,.he.landed.flat.on.his.back.in.the.sunken.pit.where.the.stone.archway.stood.on.its.dais..The.whole.room.was.ringing.with.the.Death.Eaters..laughter:.he.looked.up.and.saw.the.five.who.had.been.in.the.Brain.Room.descending.towards.him,
.while.as.many.more.emerged.through.other.doorways.and.began.leaping.from.bench.to.bench.towards.him..Harry.got.to.his.feet.though.his.legs.were.trembling.so.badly.they.barely.supported.him:.the.prophecy.was.still.miraculously.unbroken.in.his.left.hand,.his.wand.clutched.tightly.in.his.right..He.backed.away,.looking.around,.trying.to.keep.all.the.Death.Eaters.within.his.sight..The.back.of.his.legs.hit.something.solid:.he.had.reached.the.dais.where.the.archway.stood..He.climbed.backwards.onto.it..
The.Death.Eaters.all.halted,.gazing.at.him..Some.were.panting.as.hard.as.he.was.