Hermione and Iris ran through the throngs of fleeing spectators.
They hadn't been out of their tent for more than half a minute, running toward the edge of the apparition wards before they'd gotten separated from the rest of their group in the chaos surrounding them.
Now, they were simply desperate to get away, all the while hoping that no one was hurt. Suddenly they heard a piercing and pained scream a little ways away from where they were; after exchanging a brief glance Iris and Hermione stopped without words and then turned and sprinted towards the source of the cry, heedless of the people going in the opposite direction.
They drew up short as they came upon the scene moments later, immediately backtracking a few steps behind a tent they had just passed. Luckily the death eaters hadn't seen them. From around the side of a tent they could see a group of more than 20 death eaters. The screams they had heard had come from a girl, and both Iris and Hermione could see as a young blonde woman, older than them but not out of her teens tried to keep her body between that of her younger sister and several laughing death eaters.
Iris had her wand out and was bracing herself, as she met Hermione's eyes. Hermione looked hesitant, but another scream from the girl, as one of the death eaters Crucio'd her was more than enough to get her to pull her wand and stiffen her back.
The two of them hadn't needed words, they knew this was reckless and dangerous, but they also knew they couldn't just leave someone else to that fate, stranger or not.
Iris held up her hand with her fingers spread wide and began to fold them down, counting down from five as they shifted so they had an angle on one of the death eater groups from the side, even if they didn't have a great angle on the rest of the group, they couldn't risk moving for a better position without being seen. However, as Iris got to 1 and they were about ready to cast at the group, their attention was caught by one of the death eater's in the group torturing the girl.
A large whitish blue spell came out of nowhere and hit the guy, and Iris and Hermione both had a perfect view as the guy literally exploded less than 40 yards from them.
For a second, Iris had thought that her father had shown up with a group of Aurors, maybe even with Moody in tow since he was one of the few who would use that sort of spell at an intro.
However, instead of a group of aurors, they saw one man striding up. The death eaters began casting at him, as soon as they had recovered from the shock of their friend exploding.
He was obviously a man from his build. A build which was partially hidden from view by the mottled grey hooded cloak that he wore.
His face was almost entirely obscured from view as he engaged the Death Eaters; casting spells at a rate that had Iris and Hermione both in shock, and glad that they were nowhere near the range of firing, lest a spell hit them.
He had strode into the clearing, forgoing all cover and then transfiguring a wall between the death eaters and the two girls they were torturing. He continued casting spells, all the while shielding the two young women behind him from the assault.
It was obvious that he was a seasoned fighter and a powerful one at that, judging by the shield charm that was holding despite the volley of spells leveled at it. The most astounding thing about him were his eyes, however. They were the only part of his face that they could see, and they were glowing an eerie shade of green, Killing Curse green, as Iris recalled with a slight shiver, and they were glowing with unrestrained power. It was almost like twin emerald flames burned in his face, burning under their own power as he cast.
It was a sight to behold as he held his ground under the onslaught of two dozen Death Eaters. He was standing, but favoring a leg as he moved, obviously injured, all the while hurling out powerful spells at his surrounding opponents as they exploded from his wand in a bright multitude of colors lighting up the darkness.
It was beautiful and deadly, chaotic and serene. The grunt of pain from one of the Death Eaters broke the girls from their spell as they sought cover from the flying curses and hexes. They didn't want to be hit by a spell that had ricocheted or been aimed poorly.
Iris and Hermione had both noticed that these weren't spells meant to disarm or stun, but to kill, maim, and injure. Bone shattering hexes, overpowered banishers, and a barrage of exploding curses flew from the hooded man with deadly grace, speed, and accuracy.
The Death Eaters were beginning to surround him and catch him in a cross fire when suddenly the ground and debris around the man erupted into a powerful, swirling vortex of destruction. As they lost sight of their target, the Death Eaters let loose another string of curses and hexes that were mostly intercepted by the debris. Several of them were hit when pieces of wood and rocks would occasionally be expelled from the vortex and strike them. There was so much debris in the air it nearly obscured everything within, though Iris and Hermione could still see flashes of those glowing emerald eyes. Neither had ever seen a display of magic like that before.
Then, all at once, the death eaters stopped and yelled out something indecipherable amidst the chaos before promptly vanishing with their gathered wounded into nothingness.
As the vortex dissipated, Hermione and Iris stood from their spot and gazed in awe at the scene before them. The area was decimated by the stray explosions and the vortex, giving it the appearance of a warzone. In the middle, looking staggered but alive was the figure in grey, eyes no longer glowing so his face was completely obscured.
They heard a shout coming from their left, by less than forty yards.
"Drop your wand and don't move!" cried someone, from the sound of the voice it appeared that Iris' father had arrived on the scene with a squad of Ministry Aurors.
"Drop the wand, or we'll stun you where you are." James threatened.
But, good ol' Padfoot wasn't so patient and quickly fired off a stunner at the man, who fell to the ground to avoid the stunner with a grunt of pain.
Iris darted forward shouting, "No wait! He didn't do this! He was stopping the death eaters!"
But even as she yelled and just as the Aurors approached, there was a brilliant flash of light; and just like that, the hooded man with the glowing green eyes vanished in a blazing pyre of red and gold flames.
After the aurors recovered from their shock, Iris and Hermione found themselves briefly at wandpoint by several Auror's as they turned to face them.
Her Dad quickly ordered them to stand down with a shout before running up to her.
"Iris! What in Merlin's name are you doing here? Your mother is going nuts! You are so grounded!"
Briefly Iris wondered if it might be prudent to ask for an auror escort when she had to face her likely irate Mother.