The Dark Lord's outburst instead exposed an opening, and Saklan Osgilia seized the opportunity to land a blow, drawing a shrill, furious howl from him.
That howl immediately rattled the nearby Death Eaters.
But there was nothing the other Death Eaters could do. They could barely protect themselves, much less look after their master. Only Rodolphus and Bellatrix broke away to help.
Their move, however, gave Sirius and Lupin an opening. The two had long wanted to act, but there were too few opponents and too many allies.
Unlike them, the Ministry of Magic personnel from other countries had made no special preparations for the Death Eaters, and their efforts had yet to produce much effect against their exceptionally powerful bodies. The Order of the Phoenix, however, had prepared a plan long ago.
Both Lupin and Sirius opened with spells prepared specifically for this.
Lupin's enhanced Stunning Spell broke the bones in Rodolphus's hand with a single hit, dealing the formidable Dark Wizard a heavy blow. Sirius's Sword Beam Charm likewise made Bellatrix suffer.
Unlike Rodolphus, Bellatrix did not simply tank every spell she saw. She relied more on her inexplicably heightened agility to dodge. But now, intent on rescuing her master, she charged recklessly.
Fortunately, she was fast enough to evade most of the magical attacks along the way.
But Sirius's mastery of the Sword Beam Charm was exceptionally deep. He had loved this spell since his school days and had practiced it extensively.
Harry had once heard Lupin say that Sirius loved this spell so much because he had always wanted to be a knight when he was little.
For a child of a Pure-blood wizard family to want to become a knight was utterly heretical.
That had also played a small part in Sirius running away from