Harry Potter 06 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

it had not happened … it could not have happened …
    ‘Out of here, quickly,’ said Snape.
    He seized Malfoy by the scruff of the neck and forced him through the door ahead of the rest; Greyback and the squat brother and sister followed, the latter both panting excitedly. As they vanished through the door Harry realised he could move again; what was now holding him paralysed against the wall was not magic, but horror and shock. He threw the Invisibility Cloak aside as the brutal-faced Death Eater, last to leave the Tower top, was disappearing through the door.
    ‘Petrificus Totalus!’
    The Death Eater buckled as though hit in the back with something solid, and fell to the ground, rigid as a waxwork, but he had barely hit the floor when Harry was clambering over him and running down the darkened staircase.
    Terror tore at Harry’s heart … he had to get to Dumbledore and he had to catch Snape … somehow the two things were linked … he could reverse what had happened if he had them both together … Dumbledore could not have died …
    He leapt the last ten steps of the spiral staircase and stopped where he landed, his wand raised: the dimly lit corridor was full of dust; half the ceiling seemed to have fallen in and a battle was raging before him, but even as he attempted to make out who was fighting whom, he heard the hated voice shout, ‘It’s over, time to go!’ and saw Snape disappearing round the corner at the far end of the corridor; he and Malfoy seemed to have forced their way through the fight unscathed. As Harry plunged after them, one of the fighters detached themself from the fray and flew at him: it was the werewolf, Greyback. He was on top of Harry before Harry could raise his wand: Harry fell backwards, with filthy matted hair in his face, the stench of sweat and blood filling his nose and mouth, hot greedy breath at his throat –
    ‘Petrificus Totalus!’
    Harry felt Greyback collapse against him; with a stupendous effort he pushed the werewolf off and on to the floor as a jet of green light came flying towards him; he ducked and ran, headfirst, into the fight. His feet met something squashy and slippery on the floor and he stumbled: there were two bodies lying there, lying face down in a pool of blood, but there was no time to investigate: Harry now saw red hair flying like flames in front of him: Ginny was locked in combat with the lumpy Death Eater, Amycus, who was throwing hex after hex at her while she dodged them: Amycus was giggling, enjoying the sport: ‘Crucio – Crucio – you can’t dance for ever, pretty –’
    ‘Impedimenta!’ yelled Harry.
    His jinx hit Amycus in the chest: he gave a piglike squeal of pain, was lifted off his feet and slammed into the opposite wall, slid down it and fell out of sight behind Ron, Professor McGonagall and Lupin, each of whom was battling a separate Death Eater: beyond them, Harry saw Tonks fighting an enormous blond wizard who was sending curses flying in all directions, so that they ricocheted off the walls around them, cracking stone, shattering the nearest window –
    ‘Harry, where did you come from?’ Ginny cried, but there was no time to answer her. He put his head down and sprinted forwards, narrowly avoiding a blast that erupted over his head, showering them all in bits of wall: Snape must not escape, he must catch up with Snape –
    ‘Take that !’ shouted Professor McGonagall, and Harry glimpsed the female Death Eater, Alecto, sprinting away down the corridor with her arms over her head, her brother right behind her. Harry launched himself after them, but his foot caught on something and next moment he was lying across someone’s legs: looking around, he saw Neville’s pale, round face flat against the floor.
    ‘Neville, are you –?’
    ‘’M’all right,’ muttered Neville, who was clutching his stomach, ‘Harry … Snape ’n’ Malfoy … ran past …’
    ‘I know, I’m on it!’ said Harry, aiming a hex from the floor at the enormous blond Death Eater who was causing most of the chaos: the man gave a howl of pain as the spell hit him in the face; he wheeled round, staggered and then pounded away after the brother and sister.
    Harry scrambled up from the floor and began to sprint along the corridor, ignoring the bangs issuing from behind him, the yells of the others to come back, and the mute call of the figures on the ground, whose fate he did not yet know …
    He skidded round the corner, his trainers