"Mione, shield!" Ron yelled and she looked up and cast a protego without thinking about it, just doing what he told her to, like a good soldier. A hex hit her shield a split second later, and then Ron was running toward her as a tall Death Eater approached with his wand pointed at her from across the clearing. Hermione blinked; the effort it took to hold the protego was draining her, and another spell hit it and it fluttered and failed.