MetaFic

Harry and Ginny tidied up the two rooms they had managed to make livable in the Shrieking Shack and waited for their expected company.

Remus and Tonks had met Harry and Ginny when they arrived at the abandoned house under cover of darkness. The adults had come early and managed get the loo just off the bedroom to function, as well as make two of the rooms mostly livable. Lupin and Harry stayed in the sitting room that night, discussing the possibility of some of Harry and Ginny's friends visiting, while Tonks and Ginny spoke privately in the bedroom. Periodically, shrieks of laughter would come from the women, which would cause the men to look at each other in amusement.

It was decided that Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna would be allowed to visit Harry and Ginny after the Halloween feast. Lupin explained that this was mostly Dumbledore's way of trying to convince them to return to Hogwarts. Harry countered that it was Mrs. Weasley who needed convincing. Lupin agreed to escort the four Hogwarts students past the Whomping Willow to the Shrieking Shack.

And so Harry and Ginny found themselves nervously waiting for their friends to appear. Harry fidgeted with his clothes, tuned his broom, and generally tried to stay calm. Ginny sat quietly writing a letter. When Harry had asked, she told him it was for her mother, and she planned to have Ron or Hermione send it for her.

Finally they heard whispered voices coming up the passageway. Ginny set her quill aside, and Harry packed away his broom servicing kit.

"I'm just saying, Snape was out of line with his treatment of those first years," Ron's voice came clearly.

"No, Ron, you said that someone should blast Snape's bumpy nose off the end of his face. There's quite a difference in those two statements," Hermione countered.

Harry and Ginny smiled as their visitors came into the room. Ron and Hermione smiled widely at their friends. Neville, sporting a patch over his right eye, looked about as if expecting some horror to leap from the shadows and devour him. Luna simply gazed around the room as if amused. Professor Lupin brought up the rear.

"Harry, Ginny, it's so good to see you both." Hermione rushed forward and hugged her friends. "We've been so worried. And Ginny, you're falling behind on your OWLs, but not to worry, I've brought my notes and Luna has the lessons you've missed, so–"

Ron chuckled. "Hermione, let them have some air."

Hermione turned on her boyfriend. "Just because you thought the OWL tests were a big joke doesn't mean that Ginny–"

Harry and Ginny laughed aloud.

"Come in and get comfortable, you lot," Harry said.

"So, where have you two been?" Ron asked, getting straight to the point.

"About," Ginny answered. "I'm sorry, Ron, I know I should have written you, but if I had, and mum found out..."

"Yeah," Ron said. "I wouldn't want to get that Howler." Ron looked down at the floor, and licked his lips. "I want to ask you two something, since you've spent so much time alone together. You can always just tell me it's none of my business–"

"No, Ron, we haven't," Harry supplied calmly. Ron breathed a sigh of relief, and even Hermione seemed to relax a bit. Neville looked back and forth between them, then realized what was being asked and turned a bit red.

Luna simply smiled a serene smile. "Of course they haven't, it's not time yet," the young blonde said before turning away to study an interestingly shaped crack in the wall.

The others looked at her for a moment, then shook their heads.

"Not that the idea hasn't occurred during all those long nights alone with each other, lying there in bed together," Ginny smirked. When Ron gave her a horrified look, she laughed at him. "Oh, come on, Ron, we're Weasleys, you know what a passionate lot we can be."

"Yes, that's why I'm asking," Ron said, the color returning to his face. "Just remember, we can also be a fertile lot as well."

"Um, can we talk about something else?" Hermione asked. Neville nodded agreement.

Harry nodded at Neville's eye patch, "What happened there?"

Neville shrugged. "It never did heal right. I'd get this cloudy vision going on, and sometime see things that weren't there."

"Of course they were there, the others just can't see them is all," Luna chimed in.

"Do you think you two can come back to classes in a week?" Ron asked.

Harry and Ginny both looked at him sharply.

"Ron, I didn't know you were so worried about Harry and Ginny's academic standing," Hermione beamed.

"Look, the first Quidditch match is in two weeks against Ravenclaw, and I don't have either my starting or reserve Seeker. And since my reserve Seeker is also a starting Chaser, well..." Ron shrugged. "I'd just like to keep that Cup."

Hermione's beaming face fell.

Ginny handed Ron the letter she had written to her mother. "Send this to mum for me. If she'll stop planning to have me Obliviated, I'll come back."

Ron took the note and nodded grimily.

"Perhaps, Harry, you should tell your friends about our last visit," Professor Lupin said.

Harry nodded and launched into an explanation about Sirius' Will. Ginny told them about moving around a lot and the difficulties of living on their own. She reassured Hermione that she was still revising for her OWLs as best as she could, but Hermione seemed dubious. Harry and Ginny were about to tell them about their discovery concerning Ginny's Animagus powers, when they heard footsteps running down the corridor from Hogwarts to the Shrieking Shack. Everyone drew their wands and stood. Tonks dashed into the room, then pulled up at the sight of seven wands pointed her way.

"Remus, there's trouble, serious trouble." She gasped, slightly out of breath.

"What's happened?" Lupin asked as the others gathered around.

"There's a full-on attack at Llyn Cyrfinydd. The LeStrange brothers are in command of a large group of Death Eaters, with a few giants and trolls. It's absolute chaos, and Amelia's ordered Arthur to send everything he can spare to relieve the village."

"What's Llyn Cyrfinydd?" Harry asked.

Ron gave him a grim look. "A magical village in Wales. It's actually part of Cardiff, kind of like Diagon Alley is part of London."

"When are you leaving?" Lupin asked Tonks.

"I'm not, Arthur left me a small detail of Aurors to guard the refugees. Dumbledore still thinks the real strike will be here, so he's called out the Order, a handful of professors from Hogwarts, and even the head boy and girl to help guard the village." She turned to Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna. "He wants you lot to get to the castle. He's got the prefects patrolling the grounds and the D.A. standing guard in case of an attack on the castle."

"What about Ginny and me?" Harry asked.

Remus Lupin looked at them both. "You two are coming with Tonks and me."

"Professor!" Hermione said, shocked.

Lupin smiled at his one time pupil. "They would just go wandering off into trouble anyway. I might was well get some use out of them." He looked at the teenagers. "No heroics. Hermione, can you immobilize the Whomping Willow?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Very well then, off with you."

Harry licked his lips and stepped forward while Ginny turned and started rummaging through their possessions, "Neville, I need you to take charge of the D.A. for me."

"Me?" Neville asked.

"I trust you not to do something stupid if there is fighting. Ron, Hermione, and Luna will have to patrol with the other prefects. You've got the most real world experience in fighting dark wizards of anyone else in the group. Get Ernie and Susan to help you, they're both steady sorts."

Neville nodded. "Okay, I'll do my best."

"Thanks, Neville."

The groups went separate directions, with Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna heading back to Hogwarts, while Lupin, Tonks, Harry, and Ginny started for Hogsmeade.

It took only a few minutes for Harry's party to reach the outskirts of Hogsmeade. It took only a few seconds to realize something was dreadfully wrong.

There was a large cluster of people around Honeydukes, including a handful of Aurors. Several extremely distraught adults stood to one side, being comforted by Madam Rosemerta and Molly Weasley. Lupin led the group to them.

"What's happened?" Lupin asked.

"Ginny! Harry! You're both okay!" the Weasley matriarch burst into tears and gripped them in a fierce hug.

"Molly, I need to know what's happened," Remus Lupin insisted in a fierce hiss.

Molly Weasley straightened up and looked at the two teenagers. She came to a quick decision. "It's very bad, Remus. When Arthur took the bulk of the Aurors and Hit Wizards to Llyn Cyrfinydd, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named attacked the Ministry and freed all the captives."

"Captives?" Ginny asked.

Molly looked at her daughter. "With all the Dementors gone from Azkaban, the captured Death Eaters were being held under guard in the Ministry dungeons. They have been set loose. Arthur's people are pinned down fighting in Wales, so Dumbledore, Emmeline, and a handful of others rushed to the Ministry to try and help. We haven't heard anything since then."

"And what's happening here?" Tonks asked.

A young man wearing an Auror's badge on his robes stepped forward. "Some of the children from the camp were being treated to a little Halloween party thrown by the owners of Honeydukes. Three of the Dark Lord's followers Apparated into the building. Some of the kids escaped, but not all."

"How many hostages?" Tonks whispered, going pale.

"At least six children and two adults that we know of," he said.

Tonks nodded. "Let's secure the area around the building, and we'll try to stall until we can come up with a plan."

"We could Apparate a strike team in," the young Auror said.

"It takes a few second to get oriented after Apparation," Lupin interjected. "They could kill all the hostages before the Aurors can pick their targets."

"I know, Remus," Tonks reassured him. "A frontal raid is the last resort." She turned to the Auror. "Have they made any demands yet?"

"Yeah, one of them wants us to hand over Harry Potter. The other one keeps yelling for us to bring him his son." The Auror said.

"I want Potter! Bring me Potter or we start killing hostages!" a voice called from the building.

"That's Igor Karkaroff," Tonks whispered. She stepped closer to the building and cast a Sonorous Charm on herself. "This is Nymphadora Tonks. I'm the senior Auror. Please, I'm asking you to release your hostages, and no one will have to be injured."

"Bring me Potter!" Karkaroff called.

"Why do you want Harry Potter?" Tonks asked, anything to keep them talking.

"If I bring Potter to the Dark Lord, all will be forgiven. Now give me the boy." Karkaroff's voice had a desperate edge.

"I want my son!" a second voice screamed out. "Give him to me! Give me my boy!" A man opened the door. He held a small child in front of him, a little dark haired girl of no more than six. His wand was pointed at her head. "Where's my son, where's Theodore? I want my boy!"

"That's Nott," Ginny hissed.

"Give me Potter and I'll set the hostages free!" Karkaroff yelled.

Tonks took the Sonorous Charm off herself and looked around, "This is getting out of control too quickly. We need to get someone inside."

"There's the tunnel from Hogwarts to the Honeydukes cellar," Lupin pointed out.

Tonks nodded, "Okay. Remus, I want you to take Higgens and Ashby. When you hear me yell out to Karkaroff that the Minister is here to talk to him, attack. You've got twenty minutes to get into position." She pointed at two very young looking Aurors and motioned them to follow Lupin. She looked back at the building. "What I need is to know where the hostages are," she mumbled.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other.

"We might be able to help there," Harry said.

Tonks narrowed her eyes at him. She trusted Harry and Ginny to stay calm under fire more than she did some of the young Aurors under her command. "Talk to me."

Ginny closed her eyes and shifted down to Ginger, then changed back to her human form.

"Oh, no! No, I absolutely forbid it!" Molly Weasley was trembling and trying not to scream at Tonks.

"I warned you! I told you to give me Potter!"

They looked up at Honeydukes. The third Death Eater, who Harry recognized as Marcus Flint, had pushed an elderly wizard out the door. Harry had seen the man behind the counter of the candy store before, though he didn't know his name. As the old wizard stood in the front of the building, Karkaroff's voice cried out the killing curse. A green jet of light flashed from behind the cover of the door, and the old wizard collapsed to the ground.

"You have three minutes to bring me Potter!"

Tonks looked at the two Aurors still with her. "You two, try and work your way as close to the door as possible. When Remus' team attacks, be ready to move in."

The young man and woman nodded, and disappeared into the darkness.

Tonks turned to Ginny. "Can you get inside?"

"Yes. I've got the remains of Harry's old invisibility cloak. I can turn into my cat form and sneak in underneath it."

"Do it. Try to get the children under cover once Remus attacks."

"No! Absolutely not! You can't send my daughter in there. She's not an adult, I forbid it!" Molly snapped through gritted teeth.

The young Auror turned on the older witch, eyes flashing. "Karkaroff's going to start killing children any second. I need every asset I have in order to stop him. Now, you either do as you're told, or I can stun you right here."

"Mum, we can't abandon those kids," Ginny Weasley said softly.

Molly Weasley took a shuddering breath. "You're only a child," she whispered.

"No, mum, Tom Riddle made sure I was never a child again. I'm an Animagus. I'm a Gryffindor. I'm a Weasley," Ginny said steadily. She looked at Tonks, "I'll need a few minutes to get into position."

Tonks nodded, "We'll try to keep him talking for as–"

"Time's up!" Karkaroff shouted.

Nott pushed the trembling little girl he had been holding into the yard and stood framed in the doorway. She stood in the front of the store, tears running down her face.

Tonks tightened her grip on her wand. "Aw, crap," she said, taking careful aim at Nott.

"I want my mommy," the girl whimpered through her tears.

"And I want my boy!" Nott screamed and raised his wand.

"Wait!" Harry yelled. He snatched the wand out of the hand of a startled Molly Weasley and stood up, his hands above his head. "Wait, don't hurt her. I give up." Harry started to slowly walk toward Honeydukes.

"Throw your wand down, Potter!" Karkaroff shouted.

Harry threw the wand in his hand away. "Now let the children go!" Harry shouted.

"Come here, Potter!"

"Not until the hostages are safe," Harry said, slowly moving closer to the little girl.

"Kill the girl, Nott," Karkaroff said.

"No!" Harry cried.

The girl closed her eyes and started to tremble and cry harder.

"Theodore? Theo, is that you boy?" Nott said, his eyes wide and unfocused.

Harry took a deep breath and inched closer. "Yes, father," he said softly.

"You're in a lot of trouble boy, a whole lot of trouble," Nott whispered.

"That's not your son, that's Potter!" Karkaroff's voice rang out.

Nott looked momentarily confused, then focused on Harry. "You, you killed my son!" Nott raised is wand again.

"Stop!" Karkaroff yelled. "The Dark Lord wants Potter alive."

Nott's sweaty face was torn in indecision. He desperately wanted to kill Potter, but he knew what would happen if he went against his Master's wishes. His eyes lit on the small girl.

"Leave her alone," Harry hissed. "You promised to release the hostages if I surrendered."

"I never promised what kind of release," Karkaroff said. "Kill the girl."

Nott raised his wand again. Harry reached for his own wand, concealed in his pants pocket, and rushed toward the child, but he knew he would never make it in time.

Nott spat the words Avada Kedavra and pointed his wand at the same moment as Ginny Weasley sprang from the shadows near Honeydukes' entrance toward the trembling child, changing from a cat to a lion to a human in a blink.

There were several high pitched screams as the Killing Curse and Ginny Weasley tried to reach the child before each other. There was a flash and more screaming. Harry saw Ginny, her eyes wide and frightened, roll over then sit up, the child in her arms.

Harry charged the building.

His first spell was supposed to disarm Nott. It took the older wizard squarely in the chest, and flung him backward into the building. Harry followed Nott into Honeydukes as he flew through the air. Nott came up against the store counter with a crunch, then slide to the floor, his body twisted at an impossible angle.

Harry turned on Igor Karkaroff, who was standing in shock, staring at the ruins of Nott lying on the floor. Harry aimed a Severing Charm at Karkaroff's wand, but missed.

Igor Karkaroff screamed in horror and pain as the Severing Charm struck him in the forearm. His right arm from the elbow down exploded in a cloud of blood and bone fragments, and he fell screaming, clutching what remained.

Harry spun and pointed his wand at Marcus Flint as Lupin and the two Aurors rushed up from the basement. Flint dropped to the ground, trembling in fear. Harry turned and ran outside toward Ginny, running past the Aurors who were rushing in.

"Ginny! Ginny, are you okay?!" Harry rushed up to his girlfriend.

Harry dropped his wand and fell to his knees at the sight that greeted him.

Ginny Weasley looked up through tear stained eyes at Harry. "I'm sorry, Harry. I tried to reach her in time. I tried." Ginny hugged the child tighter and started rocking back and forth. She looked down at the small form she cradled in her arms. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, closing her eyes.

The little girl lying so still in the arms of Ginny Weasley might have been simply sleeping, but Harry knew better. There was no sign of breathing or of any life at all coming from the little body. Harry Potter sat on his knees in the dirt, placed his head on his girlfriend's shoulder, and allowed the tears to fall.

How long they sat like that they didn't now. At some point Tonks came and gently took the little girl's body from Ginny. Ginny fell into Harry’s arms there on the street, and cried until she simply had no more tears.

Finally, the two teens felt themselves being engulfed in a pair of loving arms. Molly Weasley sat there with her daughter and the young man she thought of as a son and kept others away while they grieved. Ginny looked up as her mother finally spoke.

"Now, Ginny, do you understand why I want to protect you so badly?"

Ginny sniffed and grab on tighter to the woman who had given her life so many years ago. "I know. But you can't protect us by hiding us away. There's just nowhere to hide."

Harry carefully let go and quietly slipped away. He knew that Ginny and Molly needed to have this talk alone. And, Harry admitted to himself, he needed some quiet. He found a spot where he could watch the mother and daughter talking. Wordlessly, Remus Lupin came and sat by him.

Molly Weasley held her youngest child. "I couldn't bear it if something happen to you. I wanted a little girl so badly, and I just can't stand to send her off into danger."

Ginny rested her head on her mother's shoulder. "There's no place for me to hide, mum. You can wipe my memory, you can send me off to France. But they know who I am, they know I'm a Weasley. They'd just come looking for me. And they'd find me all alone, and when they killed me, I wouldn't even understand why."

"I've just lost so much already," Molly whispered.

"I know. I know they killed your brothers, mum," Ginny squeezed her mother. "I couldn't imagine what it would be like if Fred, or Bill, or Ron were killed. So we have to stop them. I have to help stop them before any more little girls have their lives taken away."

"I know," Molly Weasley whispered. "I've always known. I just hope someday, when you're a parent, you'll forgive me for what I wanted to do to you."

"Oh, mum," Ginny smiled through her tears and kissed her mother's cheek. "I want to go home. I miss my family."

Molly Weasley stood up slowly, then reached down a hand for her daughter. "Then let's go collect Harry and Remus and head up to the castle." They walked up to the men.

Harry and Lupin stood as they approached.

"Is everything okay, Molly?" Remus asked, a searching look in his eyes.

"Yes. Everything is as well as it can be," she answered, wiping her eyes clear. "We're going back up to the castle."

Remus Lupin nodded. "I need to help Tonks clean up, then I'll be up. Harry?" Lupin looked at the young man.

"I think I'll go with Ginny and Mrs. Weasley," Harry said.

Remus Lupin nodded, then watched as the two young people stood on either side of Molly Weasley. With her arms over one shoulder of each teenager, Molly Weasley walked with Harry and Ginny back to Hogwarts.