Shattered Alliances
For a fleeting moment, an eerie silence enveloped us. I scanned the faces around me, deciphering the emotions in each expression. My grip on the pocket knife instinctively tightened, and my gaze shifted to Hermione. Her knuckles were white as bone, firmly clutching her knife with determination and apprehension.
Our enemies surrounded us—five of them, each with their weapon. Justin with his knife, Michael with a rusty pipe, Blaise with brass knuckles, Pansy with a small axe, and Draco... Draco with a broken bottle, its jagged edges catching the dim light.
Justin and Michael began walking aggressively toward Hermione, their faces twisted into sly smiles. Without thinking, I launched myself at Justin, tackling him to the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of me, but adrenaline kept me moving. I heard a cry behind me—Michael was distracted enough by my sudden attack that Hermione managed to stab him in the leg.
Screams erupted all around us. The sound of bodies hitting the ground, metal scraping against metal, and desperate gasps for air created a chaotic symphony of violence.
From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Blaise, Pansy, and Draco embroiled in a fierce brawl. Blaise and Pansy had unexpectedly united against Draco, a betrayal that shattered my assumptions about their allegiance. Draco moved with lightning speed and surgical precision. He launched a brutal punch at Blaise, sending her crashing to the ground with a sickening thud. As Pansy swung her axe in a deadly arc, Draco ducked with astonishing agility, sweeping her legs out from under her. She plummeted to the ground, and Draco unleashed another devastating punch, relentless in his assault.
Both girls were sprawled on the ground, writhing in their attempts to regain control of their limbs. I barely had a moment to register this unexpected betrayal when Justin hurled himself at me with ferocious speed, pinning me beneath him. His knife glinted menacingly as it inched closer to my throat. My hand shot out, clamping onto his wrist, but he was deceptively powerful, his strength greater than it appeared. The blade hovered perilously, quivering between us, inching nearer with ever second I failed to push him off me.
Suddenly, Draco stormed into our confrontation like a tempest, his presence electrifying the atmosphere. His appearance was shockingly transformed—his face was contorted with a violent rage, his eyes burning with seething fury. He violently hurled Justin and Hermione aside, his voice exploding into a thunderous scream,
"They're mine!"
I tried to get up, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. Blood flowed from my nose and mouth, metallic and warm. Every breath is a struggle. Hermione isn't faring much better; she's coughing up blood and can barely stand.
Draco seizes me by the collar with a vice-like grip, hoisting me off the ground with a force that leaves my feet dangling helplessly. His face looms mere inches from mine, his breath a scorching against my bloodied face.
"You've made a big mistake betraying me, Potter," he spits out.
"All for someone like her."
I hacked violently, spraying a crimson mist across his once immaculate shirt. Each word he hurls feels like gasoline dousing the small fire inside me, but my body fails me, drained of the power to retaliate. My vision tunnels, darkness creeping in as I battle to cling to consciousness.
Without warning, Draco released me, letting me fall heavily to the ground. His attention snapped to Hermione like a predator sighting prey. In an instant, he lunged at her, seizing a fistful of her hair. He wrenched her head back with brutal force, and her cry of pain sliced through me.
"Time to say goodbye to your little girlfriend," Draco said, his voice eerily calm now. "Actions have consequences, my friend."
I tried to move, to scream, to do anything, but my body felt like it was made of lead. All I could do was watch as Draco dragged Hermione away, her body leaving a trail of blood on the cold floor.