94 hp Diagon Alley

All into their line of sight.His leg hit something hard behind him: he had retreated to the ledge where the arch stood, and he climbed onto it.

The Death Eaters stopped and stared at him.Several of them were panting as badly as he did.There was another Death Eater bleeding profusely; Dolohov, already free of the Body-Restraining Charm, was squinting at him, pointing his wand at his face.

"Potter, you're finished," Lucius Malfoy said slowly and pulled off his mask, "now hand me the Prophecy Ball like a good boy."

"Get - get them off and I'll give it to you!" said Harry desperately.

Several Death Eaters laughed.

"You're not in a position to haggle, Potter," said Lucius Malfoy, his pale face flushed with joy, "Look, there are ten of us, and you have only one...Dumbledore Didn't Lido teach you how to count?"

"He's (not) alone!" a voice yelled behind them, "He's (five) (me) back!"

Harry's heart sank as Neville was crawling down the stone bench toward them, Hermione's wand still firmly in his trembling hand.

"Neville, don't - go back to Ron -"

"Swoon!" Neville yelled again, aiming his wand at each Death Eater in turn. "Swoon! Swoon—"

One of the tallest, most burly Death Eaters grabbed Neville from behind, pressing his hands tightly to his sides, and Neville struggled to kick him; some of the Death Eaters laughed.

"He's Longbottom, isn't he?" Lucius Malfoy said sarcastically. "Well, your grandma is used to contributing family members to our cause...and it wouldn't surprise her if you died."

"Longbottom?" repeated Bellatrix, with a very wicked grin on her haggard face. "It's great that I've had the pleasure of meeting your parents, little one."

"I bit (mashed) your old black (nest)!" Neville roared.He struggled so hard that the Death Eater holding him yelled, "Shock him!"

"No, no, no," said Bellatrix.She glanced at Harry, then at Neville, looking excited. "No, let's see how long Longbottom can hold on before he collapses like his parents...unless Potter is willing to hand us the orb of prophecy."

"Can't give them each!" Neville roared.He kicked and kicked frantically, writhing violently as Bellatrix approached him and the Death Eater holding him, wand raised. "Can't give (them) each, Harry!"

Bellatrix raised her wand: "Cruciate!"

Neville screamed and curled his legs up to his chest, so that the Death Eater who was clutching him immediately turned into hanging and hugging him.The Death Eaters threw Neville to the ground, twitching and screaming in pain.

"It's just for you to taste!" Bellatrix said, raising her wand, and Neville stopped screaming and lay at her feet, sobbing.She turned and looked up at Harry. "Okay, Potter, either hand over the prophecy ball to us, or watch your little friend die in pain!"

Harry didn't have to think about it anymore, he had no choice.Still holding the prophecy ball in his hand, warm from the warmth of his body, he passed it over.Malfoy jumped forward to fetch it.

Immediately above them, two more doors slammed open, and six men rushed into the room suddenly and rapidly: Sirius, Lupine, Moody, Tonks, Cedric, and Kingsley.

Malfoy turned and raised his wand, but Tonks had already cast a Stunning Spell at him.Harry didn't bother to see if he had hit it, and jumped off the platform in a hurry to get out of the way.The presence of members of the Order of the Phoenix distracted the Death Eaters, who rained spells on them as they jumped down the steps.Through the rushing crowd and the flashes of light, Harry saw Neville crawling forward on the ground.He dodged another ray of red light and lunged at Neville.

"Are you all right?" he yelled, as another spell flew inches above their heads.

"It's fine," Neville said, trying to stand up.

"What about Ron?"

"He's all right - Gwen was awake when I left the card (open) and she blew that brain out with the Explosion (explosion) Curse - although Ron may have been bleeding a bit..."

A spell flew over and shattered the stone floor between them, leaving a crater where Neville's hand had been placed seconds before; the two scrambled away, and then a thick arm Something stretched out, grabbed Ha He by the neck, and picked him up, his toes almost lifted off the ground.

"Give it to me," a snarl sounded in his ear, "give me the orb of prophecy—"

The hand squeezed Harry's throat so tightly that he couldn't breathe.Harry, tearful, saw Sirius wrestling a Death Eater ten feet away; Kingsley was fighting two Death Eaters at the same time; Alex cast a spell - no one seemed to notice that Harry was dying.He turned his wand and pointed it at the man behind him, but he couldn't breathe, couldn't speak the spell, and the man's other hand was groping for Harry's hand holding the ball of prophecy—"Ah!"

Gwen rushed over from nowhere, her face was pale as if she had lost too much blood.Gwen realized that their DA classes were lacking in teaching offensive spells, and there was only one spell on her mind at the moment: "Fire!".Maybe she was too weak, only a small ball of flame flew towards the man's nose, the Death Eater let out a roar of pain, and immediately dropped Harry.Harry turned sharply, and panted at him, "Swoon!"

The Death Eater fell on his back, his visor slipping off: it was McNeil who had nearly killed Buckbeak, one eye swollen and bloodshot from a poke.

"Thanks!" said Harry to Gwen, dragging Neville aside as Sirius and his Death Eater counterpart staggered past them, fighting so violently that their wands waved into a blur. shadow.Harry's foot hit something round and hard and slipped.For a split second, he thought he had dropped the orb.But then he saw Moody's magical eye rolling across the floor in a rapid spin.

The owner of the Eye lay beside Harry, his head bleeding, and his attackers were now fully engaged on Harry and Neville: it was Dolohov, his long pale face contorted with joy.

"Tarantella!" he yelled at Neville with his wand, and Neville's legs tap-danced wildly, lost his balance, and fell to the ground again, "Now, Potter— "

He flicked his wand suddenly at Harry as he had done Hermione, and Harry yelled, "Armor for protection!"

Harry felt something like a blunt knife swipe across his face; its force knocked him aside, onto Neville's dancing legs, luckily the Iron Armor Charm blocked most of the spell's force.

Dolokhov raised his wand again. "The prophecy ball flies—"

Sirius rushed over from nowhere and knocked Dolohov away with his shoulder.The prophecy ball slid down Harry's fingertips again, but he managed to grab it.At this time, Sirius and Dolokhov were fighting fiercely. They waved their wands like dancing swords, and the tips of the wands shot sparks.

Dolohov drew back his wand, ready to swing it as he had done to Harry and Hermione.Harry jumped up and yelled, "Petrification!" Dolohov's arms and legs clung together again, and he fell on his back, hitting the ground with a thud.

"Nice job, James!" Sirius yelled as he pushed Harry's head down, dodging the two Stunning Spells that were flying towards them, and Harry was stunned for a moment. "Now I want you to leave—"

The two quickly bent down.A green light narrowly missed Sirius.Harry saw Tonks on the opposite side of the room fall from the middle of the stone steps, his limp body rolling down the steps. Bellatrix turned and ran triumphantly, rejoining the fight.

"Harry, get the Prophecy Ball, Gwen, take Neville and run!" shouted Sirius as he rushed towards Bellatrix.Harry didn't see what happened next: Kingsley flashed past him, fighting an unmasked, pockmarked Rookwood; Cedric helped Gwen repel a Malfoy curse .As Harry charged at Neville, another green light flew over his head - "Can you stand up?" he shouted in Neville's ear, whose legs were still throbbing involuntarily , twitching, "Put your arms around my neck—"

Neville did as he did - Harry straightened up - Neville's legs were still flailing around, unable to hold himself together.Suddenly, out of nowhere, a figure sprang at them: the two of them fell on their backs, Neville flailing his legs like a beetle on all fours, Harry's left hand held high in the air , lest the small glass ball be broken.

"Prophecy Ball, give me the Prophecy Ball, Potter!" Lucius Malfoy yelled in Harry's ear, and Harry felt his wand pressed against his ribs.

"No - let - go - I... Neville - catch!"

Harry rolled the prophecy ball across the floor, and Neville spun on his back against the ground,