Boom!
The ground shook, and the thousand-year-old castle trembled with it. Stone chips rained down like a shower, and the young wizards in the Great Hall cried out in alarm.
It was not until Severus saw Harry and the others charging down the stairs that his iron-gray face eased slightly.
He slashed his wand down sharply. A glittering cold light flashed above the Great Hall, and the foul-smelling liquid that sprayed down filled the hall with a nauseating stench.
"Where are the others?!"
As he cleared a path for Harry and the others to come downstairs, Severus noticed that Minerva and the others were missing from the crowd. Even the usually taciturn Severus changed expression and barked out the question.
"They went to Ravenclaw and Gryffindor Tower to rescue the students who couldn't get down!"
Professor Slughorn shouted breathlessly. He fired off Charms in a fluster while yelling,
"They told us to hold out for twenty minutes!"
Boom!
Amid another thunderous crash, the Bone Dragon crammed into the Entrance Hall swept its wings sideways. Hard stone burst apart like snow, and half the Entrance Hall collapsed.
"Hold the line!"
The barrier formed by the Aurors had developed horrifying cracks under the Erumpents' impacts. Several Aurors already had bright red blood seeping from the corners of their mouths!
"Push them back!!!"
Kingsley roared like a madman. The Aurors bellowed in unison, their eyes bloodshot as they glared at the charging beasts. Their wands erupted with even more dazzling light!
Whoosh!
Neville leaped from halfway down the staircase. His silver blade sliced through the air, and when he landed, it took the head of a Hippogriff that had been besieged by ghosts.
Hagrid was going to be heartbroken over this!
For some reason, that thought flashed through Harry's mind, followed at once