Cassidy saw the man toss Karli to the ground as if she were a rag doll. Thinking quickly, she swerved on her brrom as a sort of distraction, leaving Andrew and Berii for the actual attack.
"Hang on, Karli, I'm coming!" she cried shrilly, hoping the strange man would hear. He did, and chased after her.
His glance caused a searing pain in her side, like someone had stabbed her with a knife. It almost knocked her off her broom, but she steadied herselv, wincing, and carried on.
Meanwhile, Andrew had made it over to Karli with Berii at his side. He hoisted Karli up on his broom, holding her tightly around the waist so she would not fall off.
"Cassidy will be alright for a few minutes on her own," Andrew told Karli and Berii, swinging his broom back towards the castle. "Let's go get Dumbledore, Berii."
With that, he flew towards the castle, and landed safely indoors. He set Karli down on the floor, looking at her carefully to see if she was alright.
"We've got to hurry!" he told them, leading them down the hallway to Dumbledore's office.
***
Cassidy was panting with the energy it took to keep the man at bay. His hissing, snake-like voice was in her head, taunting her, teasing her, telling her to be angry, to strike out at him. She changed her wand into a bo staff, and whipped around to silence him.
He only laughed. Infuriated, she swung at him, hitting the unexpecting man square in the temple, knocking him out.. Her anger rose, and she kept beating him with her bo, but after the second strike, became wide-eyed with fear, and withdrew her attack. She sat on her broom for a while, shocked, and unsure of his state. She dared not touch him.