Chapter 139 - – Malfoy Betrothal Ⅳ

Reginald nimbly dodges the multiple masked figures engaging them as though an elegant dancer as he casts spells between each step. Spells rebound back onto the attacker's thanks to the Backfiring jinx, while others are simultaneously attacked thanks to a cascading spell. From behind, Reginald senses a spell being directed at him and rolls to his side firing a stinging jinx at the caster who falls down with a painful groan.

Rushing forward, Reginald casts a gaze about to spot his sister battling two other masked figures. Knowing she would be fine against two, Reginald rushes forward blasting anything in his path to reach the concentrated area of the attacks, Abraxas Malfoy. Suddenly finding someone at his back, Reginald whirls around with his wand raised high and spell mid-chant to only see the surprised figure of a younger Black family member.

"Alphard Black," Reginald briskly nodded at the younger gaunt-faced wizard, who said, "Prince." The two of them whirled away and dived back into the battle as Reginald pushed forward to spot Abraxas Malfoy being further pushed back by a rather abled dueler.

"Switch!" Reginald shouted as he rushed forward knowing full well, Abraxas would react to the words instilled into them from their time in the dueling club while at Hogwarts.

Abraxas threw away his dignity and fled as Reginald stepped in to take his place. "Bombarda!" Reginald shouted the charm to counter the shards of glass flying towards them. The shards of glass burst into a spray of dust gently fell down.

The attacker didn't even hesitate as he cast an entrail-expelling curse. Reginald barely moved to the side trying to keep himself from being cursed. Not one to play nicely anymore, Reginald casts back the disintegration curse that disintegrates anything it touches. The attacker rolls to his side to avoid the blast of sparks as pieces of the floor and his cloak simply vanish.

But despite rolling to his side, the attacker had cast a scorching charm producing flames to give him time to get back to his feet. Reginald leaped back to avoid the flames and casts the strongest of the stunning spell, Stupefy Duo! The attacker cringes in pain at the spell, but the spell that should have frozen him but did not thanks to the magical charm on his person.

"Deprimo!" The attacker shouted blasting a hole in the floor where Reginald was previously at.

"The Auror's are coming!" Screamed a hooded figure as the figures began to apparate away with their wounded leaving the still and dead behind. The attacker curses but apparated away instantly as Reginald casts a hex too late in his direction as he vanishes.

Breathing heavily Reginald reaches up to wipe his sweat to only found blood trickling from down the side of his head. Staring at the wetness on his palm, Reginald snorts and says, "Not bad at all, kid." Even he could admire that his opponent was a talented dueler.

Pointing his wand tip at his head, Reginald mutters a healing spell as the wound begins to knit itself. Having been a talented dueler, he'd quickly picked up a few healing spells to heal himself. Casting a cleaning spell on his person, Reginald nods in satisfaction as he strides over to Abraxas Malfoy in the distance.

Weeping can be heard for those guests foolish enough not to defend themselves nor apparate away in time. The remaining guests that stayed to fight mostly members of the ministry are wounded in various stages, while others are indeed dead. Taking care to walk across the broken ballroom floor, Reginald reaches for his wand at hearing the popping sounds behind him. Slowly lowering his wand, he sees the Auror's being led by senior Auror, an older witch with a salt-peppered witch with owl-like eyes.

"The healers are on the way to take the worst to St. Mungo's," Auror Sara Vinovich loudly instructed as the other Auror's trained in basic healing rushed forward to treat the wounded.

Reginald warily lowered his wand and nodded at the Auror, before he made his way over to Abraxas Malfoy, who was now reunited with his son and betrothed. With a breath that he hadn't known he'd been holding in; Reginald spotted his younger sister hiking up her torn ruined skirt and making her way in his direction.

Clearing his dry throat as he approaches Reginald says, "May I suggest that you tighten your wards, Malfoy. Clearly, the wards are far too easily broken into."

Abraxas Malfoy slowly nods his dust streaked face. "I was careless," Abraxas coldly admitted as he glanced over his all too pale son and frightened bride to be.

"Did you recognize any of the attackers?" Reginald curiously as Abraxas shook his head.

"No, I did not," Abraxas replied as Reginald carefully eyed him.

Unable to tell if Abraxas was lying or not, Reginald turned away to leave. "Thank you," Abraxas stiffly called out to his retreating back.

Reginald paused to glance back and nod his head. "Your welcome," Reginald drily said, before heading over to his sister.

Reunited once more in a rather uncharacteristic display of affection, Reginald reached over and gently hugged her in his arms. For once, Georgine did not fling his arms off in a huff and returned the warm gesture as if reassuring herself that he was fine as well.

"What a night," Georgine croaked as she glanced about at the various corpses strewn across the floor.

"Yes," Reginald said knowing full well that Christmas that following morning would be full of tears and despair for more than one family.

"I wonder how many are dead," Georgine murmured.

"Far too many," Reginald sadly concluded at recognizing the corpse of a younger Dwight family member.

"Prince!" The sharp voice caused them both to flinch and reach for their wands as they turned to face the source.

Standing before them stood Auror Vinovich as she stared at the duo. "I heard that the two of you were the first to let out the warning," Sara coldly asked.

"Yes," Reginald acknowledged. "We were on our way to say our goodbyes for the night as we were due home by eleven. But it looks like that is out of the question now."

Not quite believing him, Sara further inquired. "But even if you were leaving how did you sense the wards were broken? As far as I am aware the Prince's are not related to the Malfoy's whatsoever."

"My sister and I are sensitive to ward magic, but Georgine is better than I," Reginald honestly admitted. "I only sensed something amiss, Georgine, on the other hand, sensed the wards fully being broken into."

Sara narrowed her owl-like eyes. It wasn't uncommon for wizards and witches alike to be more sensitive to some magic types over others. "And what of your dueling?" Sara Vinovich snorted.

Both, Georgine and Reginald's lips twitched into smiles. "We are Prince's," they said in unison as if that answered everything.

"Well, we'll be interviewing all the guests," Auror Sara Vinovich said. 'Stay put, we'd like more of a word." Whirling around Sara marched away to corral another guest.

"Well, at least we have a good excuse as to why we're late," Georgine offered as they searched for a seat in the war-torn ballroom.

"Yes, well, I somehow get the feeling that Sirsa won't see it that way," Reginald drily remarked as they found a perch on a broken slab of the marble floor.

"Mm, well you're the one that married her," Georgine teased.

Rolling his eyes, Reginald said, "Rather the question is why haven't you?"

The mirth disappears from Georgine's eyes as she slowly says, "We both know why."

Feeling a bit of remorse, Reginald merely pats her on the back as the two waited in silence for their turn to come. It was certainly a Christmas Eve for them to remember.