fallen himself, because right in front of his face was a compact mass of earth mixed with wooden splinters. The mass trembled as it was jolted by the explosion.
‘I’ll shield you, don’t let go of the spell!’ Warren shouted, driving his hands into the undulating block of what had been solid ground.
Draco didn’t even realise when the goblin had appeared beside him, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Sheth throw himself into the fray, hurling golden bolts of lightning ahead of him. The cadet who’d been fighting Zane pushed him aside and leapt behind him.
‘Flar!’ Cedric’s voice rang out from the side.
Someone answered him, but in the general commotion the dragon couldn’t make out what was said. A moment later, there was another boom, followed by a whistling sound accompanied by an orange flash as the flare flew beneath the barrier and shot on towards the trees.
Everyone around froze, watching the projectile’s flight. Just as it seemed it would fly over the forest and explode there, some vines shot out from the crown of an oak tree and seized the flare. The smouldering tangle hid amongst the leaves of the spreading tree, and its branches began to close in like a mimosa. Another loud bang snapped everyone out of their stupor.
Draco turned away, feeling his arms drop of their own accord. The barrier above them had faded, and the barrier erected by the goblin had crumbled, leaving behind a shapeless mound of earth. The last defender stood over Liam, holding the smouldering casing of a flare. A smile was just fading from his face, replaced by a hint of disbelief.
Zane leapt towards the guard before he could even take his eyes off the twisted oak. The elf swung his arm, and at that moment the glinting gauntlet on his hand quivered and transformed into a short blade. The blow was precise and swift. The cadet simply froze and fell to the ground.
‘That’s all of them now,’ shouted Zane.
The attackers breathed a sigh of relief. They’d managed to
