most go mad within weeks
For every spell that came at them, each Neo-Alliance follower attempted to counter with several more, or to simply overwhelm with brutality. As the moments passed, their ranks continued to thin out.
While the freezing charm (Jake) temporarily immobilised several of their number, others were sent every which way; four were sent sailing back off their feet from the force of an explosion (Elizabeth), one man was yanked into the air as though hooked by the ankle (Evan) yet continued attempting to throw out more curses, and, nearby, two more were sucked into the ground itself (Tomasz). Those that dodged the initial flames sent their way were caught by those that followed (Bella) and became more focused on putting themselves out, and a young man who thought fast enough to deflect one disarming charm (Slade) and a binding spell (Tomasz) nevertheless earned a gash on the hand from a severing charm (Slade), and accidentally sent his wand spinning away through the air as he recoiled in pain.
But still they attempted to fight, those who could. Even when those now free of the freezing charm were knocked down by a final cascading jinx (Tomasz), the Neo-Alliance followers attempted to get up and continue the battle, or to fight from the ground.
Until the patronus came, and delivered its message. Of course, it could have been a trick, a lie, a trap, or maybe it wasn't. Those followers who remained wavered for a moment, considering the situation - the ranks that surrounded them, their depleted numbers, and now the apparent loss of their leader. One threw down his wand. "Yield," he spat.
The others joined suit, some exhausted, others mutinous but silently surrendering all the same. The levicorpus'd wizard dropped his wand onto the ground below and dangled pathetically in mid-air. This group's fight was over.
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