He.dodged.another.jet.of.red.light.and.flung.himself.flat.on.the.ground.to.reach.Neville..
.Are.you.OK?..he.yelled,.as.another.spell.soared.inches.over.their.heads..
.Yes,..said.Neville,.trying.to.pull.himself.up..
.And.Ron?..
.I.dink.he.s.all.righd.‐.he.was.still.fighding.de.brain.when.I.lefd.‐..
The.stone.floor.between.them.exploded.as.a.spell.hit.it,.leaving.a.crater.right.where.Nevilles.hand.had.been.only.seconds.before;.both.scrambled.away.from.the.spot,.then.a.thick.arm.came.out.of.nowhere,.seized.Harry.around.the.neck.and.pulled.him.upright,.so.that.his.toes.were.barely.touching.the.floor..
.Give.it.to.me,..growled.a.voice.in.his.ear,..give.me.the.prophecy.‐..
The.man.was.pressing.so.tightly.on.Harry.s.windpipe.that.he.could.not.breathe.
.Through.watering.eyes.he.saw.Sirius.duelling.with.a.Death.Eater.some.ten.feet.away;.Kingsley.was.fighting.two.at.once;.Tonks,.still.halfway.up.the.tiered.seats,
.was.firing.spells.down.at.Bellatrix.‐.nobody.seemed.to.realise.that.Harry.was.dying..He.turned.his.wand.backwards.towards.the.man.s.side,.but.had.no.breath.to.utter.an.incantation,.and.the.man.s.free.hand.was.groping.towards.the.hand.in.which.Harry.was.grasping.the.prophecy.‐.
.AARGH!..
Neville.had.come.lunging.out.of.nowhere;.unable.to.articulate.a.spell,.he.had.jabbed.Hermione.s.wand.hard.into.the.eyehole.of.the.Death.Eaters.mask..The.man.relinquished.Harry.at.once.with.a.howl.of.pain..Harry.whirled.around.to.face.him.and.gasped:.
.STUPEFY!.
The.Death.Eater.keeled.over.backwards.and.his.mask.slipped.off:.it.was.Macnair,
.Buckbeak.s.would‐be.killer,.one.of.his.eyes.now.swollen.and.bloodshot..
Thanks!..Harry.said.to.Neville,.pulling.him.aside.as.Sirius.and.his.Death.Eater.lurched.past,.duelling.so.fiercely.that.their.wands.were.blurs;.then.Harry.s.foot.made.contact.with.something.round.and.hard.and.he.slipped..For.a.moment.he.
thought.he.had.dropped.the.prophecy,.but.then.he.saw.Moody.s.magical.eye.spinning.away.across.the.floor..
Its.owner.was.lying.on.his.side,.bleeding.from.the.head,.and.his.attacker.was.now.bearing.down.upon.Harry.and.Neville:.Dolohov,.his.long.pale.face.twisted.with.glee..
.Tarantallegra!..he.shouted,.his.wand.pointing.at.Neville,.whose.legs.went.immediately.into.a.kind.of.frenzied.tap‐dance,.unbalancing.him.and.causing.him.to.fall.to.the.floor.again...Now,.Potter.‐..
He.made.the.same.slashing.movement.with.his.wand.that.he.had.used.on.Hermione.just.as.Harry.yelled,..Protege/..
Harry.felt.something.streak.across.his.face.like.a.blunt.knife;.the.force.of.it.knocked.him.sideways.and.he.fell.over.Neville.s.jerking.legs,.but.the.Shield.Charm.had.stopped.the.worst.of.the.spell..
Dolohov.raised.his.wand.again...Accio.proph—..
Sirius.had.hurtled.out.of.nowhere,.rammed.Dolohov.with.his.shoulder.and.sent.him.flying.out.of.the.way..The.prophecy.had.again.flown.to.the.tips.of.Harry.s.fingers.but.he.had.managed.to.cling.on.to.it..Now.Sirius.and.Dolohov.were.duelling,.their.wands.flashing.like.swords,.sparks.flying.from.their.wand‐tips.‐.