WHO: Angelina Johnson & Grace Jordan WHAT: Match of the Living Dead WHEN: October 1, evening WHERE: Montrose WARNINGS: Inferi
The stands were awash with inferi and already most of the players from both teams had flown in to use their perches on their brooms to their advantage. Angelina was going to, too, but one of the inferi had given her a jolt, its bright red hair giving her pause and making her (stupidly) search the stands for her boyfriend. It wasnât him. There was no way it could be. She shook herself and, drawing her wand, flew in as close as she could get.
Right away, she spotted Grace swinging her bat at inferi and Angelina felt a rush of pride until she spotted an inferius sneaking up behind her, ragged hands reaching for the arm that held her bat. Angelina swooped in to stop it. âImmobulus!â she shouted over the din, pointing her wand at the inferius.
Grace hadnât thought when sheâd initially flown in, bat braced in both hands, aiming for corpses instead of bludgers. It had been an automatic, foolish instinct, but when the cries of the crowd had turned from supportive to terrified, it seemed a forgone thing.
Grace hadnât even thought to use her wand.
âShit,â she cursed, nearly pitching forward into the stands, bat colliding with an inferiâs skull with a sickening crunch. It kept coming, like it hadnât felt a thing, so Grace raised her bat again. The two young boys it had nearly taken a bite out of stumbled away.
Grace felt the sharp puncture of nails in her forearm, tugging, tearing, and choked on a scream. âAngelina,â she gasped as she spun around, the grasping hands no more. âThanks.â
âOf course!â Angelina called over her shoulder at Grace, her voice tense. She was trying to keep her seat and her wits about her, but inferi were something Harry had never gone over at their DA meetings. Still, she was trying to do what she could to help.
Out of the corner of her eye, Angelina caught sight of an inferius bearing down on a cluster of fans in lurid orange. She pointed her wand at one of the benches and with a tearing groan of metal on metal, the wood ripped away from its findings and wrapped around the inferius, pinning its grappling arms to its sides. To the the fans, she said, âGo!,â gesturing at the exit.
As she wheeled around to see how her other teammates were, Angelina wasnât paying attention to the stand directly below her. Teeth sank into her calf and then cold dead fingers wrapped around her leg, pulling her so hard she felt a white-hot tearing and had to struggle to hold onto her broom. She yelped in surprise.
Graceâs bat came down on the inferiâs protruding wrist with enough force and momentum that it pushed the corpse forward and over the side of the stands.
Lunging forward, she steadied Angelina with her good arm lest her teammate follow the inferi down. âAlright?â she panted, eyes on the mass of relentless corpses spilling down the stands. Fuck.
âYeah, of course,â Angelina answered, breathing hard, the smile she forced grim. âCheers.â She didnât look down at her leg, not yet, but it didnât feel like something sheâd be able to walk off. But the stands they were hovering were already starting to look empty as the inferius moved to the next section. âWe should head over there.â She gestured with her wand arm and then followed her own instructions with an âImmobulus!â that sounded winded and tight.
Grace adjusted her grip on her bat, fingers slick with the blood pouring down her arm. âLetâs go,â she nodded, mouth tight, and ignored the shaky, panicked feeling of fear. She followed Angelinaâs lead and reached for her wand.