1085 Clash of the Titans Ⅱ
The ground still shakes despite the abrupt ceasefire by the giants. The roars and cries of giants in battle can be heard drifting loudly from the Forbidden Forest toward those residing in Hogsmeade. There are bursts of hope that it is the Auror Corps and their allies. However, as the seconds trickle by there are no signs of aid from the Aurors and their allies. Either the Auror Corps had not arrived, or they are entangled in battle unable to provide aid to Hogsmeade.
The school Prefect's immediately sent groups of younger students with fleeing older students back to Hogwarts. Rowan the instant the giant attack had started had sought cover before sending her patronous to Hogwarts seeking help from the Professors. Though the Aurors needed to be alerted, though likely already had been regardless the staff from Hogwarts could provide aid that much sooner than the Aurors.
The ground continues to shake violently causing some of the ruins to wobble in hazardous threat of an imminent collapse. Shouts of fear and pain from a nearby student can be heard as Rowan climbs through the rubble toward the source. A pretty, curved lass with dark hair and soft eyes sobs quietly in pain as her foot is trapped under a fallen house beam. The child in question is a third-year Hufflepuff, Myriad Summers, (a relation of the yet unborn Mr. Summers in Potter's time).
Rowan doesn't even make an effort to search for any inhabitants in the ruined cottage. The house had been utterly crushed by the giants. There could be no survivors.
The caramel-skin touched skin of Myriad Summers is covered in a layer of dust with a clear streak of tears making a trail down her face. "Summers, I need you to look at me," Rowan said as she kneeled closer to the younger girl. "I am going to lift the beam off your leg, but I need you to pull your leg out despite the pain you might feel. Can you do this?"
"Yes," Myriad wetly sniffed.
"Wingardium Leviosa," Rowan chanted the first-year charm spell.
With a loud groan, the wooden beam slowly lifts into the air. With a loud cry of pain, Myriad Summers drags her crushed foot from underneath the beam. The foot of Myriad Summers is ghastly in the daylight. The bone has been broken through the skin in one place and the flesh appears to be mishappened.
Rowan hastily sets the beam down and reaches into her pocket for the emergency roll of bandages she carried around. One would be amazed at the number of injuries a Prefect came across. Avoiding looking directly at the wound, Rowan uses the bandages to tie a tourniquet just below the knee.
"You are losing blood, Summers," Rowan calmly explained as she carefully and rather tightly bound the 3rd year Hufflepuff's leg.
Myriad moans in agony as tears whelm up in her eyes. "This is a severe wound which I am not capable of healing," Rowan sternly said, "I am sorry, I can't be gentler, because if we don't put pressure on your extremity to stop the flow of blood, you will bleed out before receiving medical attention."
Myriad Summers shudders and out a frightened gasp as Rowan soothes the younger girl. "I need you to stay calm Summers, focus on my voice. Breathe in and out slowly." Myriad Summers does her best to obey despite the fierce ache in her leg and the sickly, swirling fear in the pit of her belly.
Momentarily, Rowan closes her eyes and opens her mind mapscape. She quickly scans the map and does not find anyone nearby except for a group of students a street away. Just as she is she closes her mapscape, she catches the glimpse of dozens upon dozens of names clashing in the direction of the train platform.
Rowan's eyes flick open, and she hurriedly casts a levitation charm on Myriad Summers. Scampering across the rubble with Myriad Summers in tow behind her, Rowan hurries forward clearing the rubble after two meters before arriving at a passable cobblestoned street.
Running down the road as quickly as possible with her patient in tow, Rowan encounters a sixth-year Ravenclaw surrounded by dozens of terrified first, second, and third-year students. Asha Patil long silky hair is disarrayed, and her golden sun-kissed skin appears ashen-colored, (the sister to Zaid Patil father of the Patil twins). Yet her wand is pointed firmly at Rowan, before unconsciously lowering it in relief.
Rowan carefully floats Myriad Summers to Asha Patil, who hastily casts a levitation charm in time to catch the injured third year. "Exit as far as you can from the train platform, Patil," Rowan carefully instructed. "Don't turn back no matter what you might hear, do you understand me? Your charges are for more important, do not stop for anyone or anything!"
Asha Patil is not an idiot as her eyes widen and narrow in understanding. She did not ask how Rowan Prince knew, but only that she knew. "Understood," Asha Patil grimly said, before motioning the children forward alongside her to flee to safety.
Rowan hurried away and rounded the corner before closing her eyes again. Her mind mapscape instantly appears there are dozens upon dozens nearby as the villagers gather in the open area to perform a head count and treat the wounded. The incoming names are clashing with those on the map as some names on the map simply vanish, no longer in existence.
Yet that is not what made Rowan sick to her stomach but rather two names that she spots among all of the names Severus Prince & Lord Voldemort. "No," she is unable to stop the horrified whisper from escaping her throat.
Abruptly new screams of terror cause Rowan to open her eyes only to see in broad daylight, a sickly glowing green skull with a serpent intertwined hovering high in the sky. "Severus," she ardently whispered, before teleporting to the edge of the platform.
Streams of magic can be seen as students flee and others are struck down. Rowan spots Barrett Boone tumble onto his knees in blazing agony. One of Barrett Boone's eyes had been struck by a curse and now is simply gone along with part of his ear, where the curse grazed him.
Without any hesitation, Rowan points her wand at his attacker and casts the Blasting Curse. The Death Eater in question is simply blasted to bits as Rowan rolls to her side to dodge a stray hex.
Rowan did not have to think or lament what she had just done. She had killed. Without hesitation.
Rushing forward, Rowan bends down to pull Barrett Boone up by the collar of his robes. "Let go!" Barrett Boone blindly fought wildly swinging his arm at his unknown assailant unable to see from the blood dripping down into his remaining good eye.
"Stop that, Barrett Boone! It's me!" Rowan snapped as a wild punch grazed the side of her face. She shook him once to get him to stop, before grabbing his fallen wand from the ground. She hastily shoved his wand into his dust-covered robes.
"Rowan?" Barrett Boone croaked in disbelief. He wanted to believe it was Rowan, but his world had suddenly darkened. And he doesn't know what is up or down anymore.
"Yes, yes, now move, Barrett!" Rowan shouted as she dragged the now half-blind 7th-year Ravenclaw behind her and off the platform towards the safety of a street.
Rowan had hauled Barrett Boone around the corner of the cobblestoned street when she came across Head Girl Matilda Madley and Head Boy Travers. The two of them were returning back to Barrett Boone after having gone in search of younger students in need of aid. They are followed by scores of terrified younger years many showing tear tracks on their dust-covered faces.
"Barrett!" The scholarly-looking boy rushed over in panic as Rowan all but shoved Barrett Boone at him, who blindly tumbled forward only to be caught in Darcy Traver's arms.
"MOVE!" Rowan roared, "The Death Eaters are here!"
Matilda Madley's big doe eyes are firm as she hurries forward to gently grabs Barret Boone's arm with one hand. "Darcy grabs onto Barrett's other arm," she quickly instructed Darcy Travers. "C'mon, we have to hurry, Darcy! We're all in danger if we stay here!"
Darcy Traver's startles awake at Matilda Madley's words. His face is ghastly pale, but he gathers the strength to do as instructed. "Follow closely everyone!" He shouted in a commanding Head Boy voice as Barrett Boones allows himself to be led. Yet despite their efforts, Barrett Boone stumbled across the cobblestones unable to miss or sidestep rubble and potholes.
The trio is closely followed by the terrified younger students. Nothing seemed safe anymore, but the younger years are much too afraid of being left behind to say anything; so, they blindly obey. And all the while desperately hoping they are not being led to their deaths.
