It had been a mistake for Gregory Goyle to take time to insult and threaten Hermione and it would be the last mistake he would ever make. Harry wasn't even thinking thoughts as he heard the beginning of the Killing Curse toward his wife; he only had visions of green light in his eyes and of Hermione being hit by Delahov's curse. His wand came up almost on its own as he yelled "DIFFINDO!" He had intended to hit the last Death Eater's wand arm, which he did, as well as a whole lot more. In Latin, 'Diffindo' means 'I divide'. In this case that was an accurate description of what happened to Goyle. Though Harry didn't know who was behind the mask, he could see the eyes widen in surprise during the last seconds of his life. The Death Eater watched his arm that held his wand separate at the elbow and fall to the ground while at the same time he felt movement and he knew in a moment of surprising clarity that he was already dead and his brain just hadn't figured it out yet. The cutting hex had also severed the man's body in a diagonal path that ran from the man's lower left hip area to the upper right torso, the two parts of the body slowly separated as the upper portion fell first hitting the sidewalk with a thud. Goyle was actually alive long enough to watch his lower torso fall upon him, his own crotch hitting him in the face.
Hermione had also heard the beginning of the killing curse. The experience she had garnered in the fights she'd been in the last year including the Final Battle took over. She dove to the ground, rolled and brought her own wand up with the first syllable of another bludgeoning hex started, but the word died on her lips as she watched in horror the last seconds of the Death Eater's life. The two body parts seemed to fall in slow motion as the adrenaline of the moment sped her senses to their maximum.
The danger was not over though and they had no time to consider what they had just seen. Harry and Hermione both turned to Yaxley who was still struggling against Padfoot, just as they had brought their wands up, the air was filled by the reverberation of multiple apparition cracks. Four blue cloaked Aurors materialized around them. All with their wands out. One of them, to Harry's relief, was Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"Drop your wands," A brown-haired Auror yelled at Harry and Hermione. This was someone Harry didn't recognize. He ignored the command as he walked the three steps to Hermione and helped her to her feet before pulling her into a hug. One he needed as much as she did.
"DROP YOUR WANDS!" The Auror repeated.
Harry and Hermione both turned to him with lowered wands, but they did not drop them. They both knew the Ministry was still rife with Voldemort supporters and they weren't letting their guard down.
"Kingsley, it's us," Harry said. "Sirius.."
"It's alright," The deep voice of Shacklebolt ranged out. "Stand down Williams," He said to the Auror, "it's Potter," He then turned his attention to the dog fighting the man on the ground. He couldn't tell who the man was, but he knew Sirius would be protecting Harry. "Stupefy," He said as the pointed his wand at the unknown man and Yaxley instantly ceased his struggles. "Padfoot, stay with Harry," He ordered. The large black dog immediately ran over and sat on his haunches next to Harry and Hermione. It was then Kingsley recognized the man. "What's going on here?" He asked, but then he looked around and shook his head at what he saw. Two garbed Death Eaters, one obviously dead in a gruesome manner, numerous muggles, some standing with their mouths open, others running away screaming, Arthur Weasley unconscious on the ground looking seriously injured and a senior Ministry person who had been fighting Sirius and who he himself had stunned. "Start containing the situation," He ordered the other Aurors. "Get the Obliviators down here," He then knelt beside Arthur and examined him. The red-headed man's breathing was ragged and his arm was badly damaged.
"He was hit before he knew anything was happening," Harry explained. "Yaxley there..."
"Wait.." Shacklebolt said. "Padfoot, go get Molly and have someone floo Dumbledore. I'll contact Headquarters and St. Mungos."
Sirius gave Kingsley a look and a growl that basically said 'you let anything happen to Harry and I'll rip your throat out' before he turned and ran back down the street as fast as his animagus form's four legs would travel.
"Is that other one alive?" Shacklebolt asked nodding to the Death Eater that was not in two (three if you counted the arm) pieces.
"I don't know," Harry replied. "And don't care."
"I know, but I have to check," Kingsley said. He walked over and saw the other one was breathing. He sent one of his Aurors to St. Mungos to bring medical help before turning back to Harry. "Okay, what happened?"
"Yaxley..." Hermione spoke for the first time. "We...we know he's a Death Eater."
"WHAT? A DEATH EATER?" Boomed Shacklebolt. He reached over to the unconscious man and yanked up his left sleeve. The Dark Mark blazed red against the man's skin. "Damn..." Shacklebolt said as he stared at the skull and snake design. "Damn, we never suspected...how...no never mind. Tell me the rest," He ordered.
"He came up and started talking to Arthur," Harry explained. "When Arthur told him we were headed for the Ministry..." He was interrupted when a dozen wizards that Harry realized must be Obliviators materialized all around. They quickly spread out and started immobilizing the muggles. Several of them started entering homes and businesses that looked out into the street.
"Anyway..." Harry again started, "as Hermione said we knew he was..." This time it was four healers apparating in. Two of them knelt over Arthur Weasley while the other two looked around and with a look of disgust made their way to the breathing Death Eater.
Harry had only opened his mouth to speak again when the next interruption came.
"HARRY!" Molly cried as she came rushing up the sidewalk. Sirius, as himself, not Padfoot was right behind her. "Are you alright?" She went to hug him but then saw her husband lying on the ground being worked on by two Healers. "Arthur! Is...is he?"
"He's going to be fine ma'am," One of the Healers said. "We'll take him to St. Mungos. Give us at least fifteen minutes before you come. We'll need to do some work on that arm."
"What happened?" A very anxious Molly Weasley asked anyone who might answer.
"Still trying to piece that together myself Molly," Kingsley replied. "Harry did you say you were going to the Ministry anyway?"
"Yes sir, actually to see Madam Bones."
"Do you mind if we just do the questioning there?" Shacklebolt asked. "I need to tell her about Yaxley anyway and it's obvious we're not going to get any privacy around here for a while."
Harry looked at Hermione who shrugged. "Fine."
"Who did that?" Shacklebolt asked nodding at the two halves of the Death Eater.
"I did," Harry admitted. "He was about to attack Hermione with the killing curse and...well I had to stop him."
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