MetaFic

Skitter-skitter-skitter-skitter.

Harry watched in amusement as Gabrielle chased Ginger around the mansion. Gabrielle was squealing with delight as she tried to catch the small calico cat. Periodically Ginny would reappear, and the two would go off looking for Ginger together. Ginny would always give Harry a wry little wink when this would happen.

Harry turned to look at the rest of household. The Weasley clan was engaged in a raucous round of carol singing. Raucous because anytime anyone would get off key, the songbooks would suddenly start flapping about in agitation, sometimes going so far as to buffet the singer about the head and shoulders. The fact that most of the Weasley's could hardly carry a tune, and that Fred and George were purposely messing up, was causing an alarming amount of action. The only person in the group who could sing well was Fleur, and she was too busy trying not to laugh at the family's antics. Hermione finally stopped after the third papercut, this one across her nose. Ron sat next her and gave her a kiss on her wound to "make it all better," then he settled back to watch Percy try and disentangle himself from a copy of 'O Holy Night,' which was currently attempting to remove his vocal cords. Ron leaned over and told Harry that the only one in the family who didn't "sing like a sick seal" was Ginny, and she's stopped caroling with her family at age seven after Fred's copy of 'Silent Night' attached itself to her arm and wouldn't let go for two months. Ron mused that the songbook must have been desperate for someone with talent to save it.

The morning of opening presents had gone well, Harry thought. The Weasley parents had been gifted with several domestic items to replace those lost in the destruction of the Burrow, including a full set of cast iron cookware for Mrs. Weasley and a multi-piece Muggle tool kit for Mr. Weasley, courtesy of Harry. Bill and Fleur had also been extravagant with gifts for the family, which made Harry wonder just how much money Gringotts was paying them. Harry gave Ron a new broom servicing kit, as his old one had been destroyed, and Hermione a gift card to Flourish and Blotts, thinking it would be safer to allow Hermione to pick her own books. Harry and Ginny had decided earlier between themselves to avoid the pressure of buying a present for you significant other by simply promising to go shopping together in either Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, that way the could each pick exactly want they wanted, and let the other buy it. The fact that Harry gave Ginny a silver necklace set with a small ruby, and that Ginny gave Harry a Wizarding watch to replace his old Muggle one, was lost on no one.

With a final rustling of pages and a dramatic slamming shut of their covers, the songbooks decided that the caroling was over. Molly and Arthur headed for the kitchen to make tea and bring out the simple lunch that would suffice until the dinner feast. Fleur and Bill settled on the loveseat, while Percy stretched out on the floor, rubbing his slightly bruised throat. Ginny came back into the room, Gabrielle in tow, and the two flopped at Harry's feet, panting and laughing. Charlie sat in a corner and looked into the fireplace.

Harry frowned. Charlie had been acting odd and distracted all morning long. Bill had told him earlier that morning that it was because of Norbert. Apparently they had not been able to get the Norwegian Ridgeback under control. A team of Dragon handlers were coming up from Romania in three days to take Norbert back to the preserve. After Bill had stopped speaking, Fleur had leaned over in a conspiratorial manner and whispered to Harry and Ginny that it was actually because Charlie was upset that Dumbledore wouldn't let him bring his girlfriend to Grimmauld Place. Apparently Charlie had met her in Romania, and she was visiting England over the holidays. Bill pointed out that he was the only one in the family to have met Charlie's girlfriend, and at that only for a few bare moments. Bill paused, then added that she had seemed a bit strange to him.

Mrs. Weasley passed around sandwiches to everyone, and then disappeared back into the kitchen to continue preparing Christmas dinner.

Harry leaned over to George, who had settled in the chair next to him. "Ron said you and Fred were there when Dumbledore and Lupin tossed out Narcissa Malfoy."

"Right, Lupin figured that since we'd already broken in once, we might be handy to have around," Fred said.

"No one ever did tell me how Dumbledore evicted her," Harry said wistfully. Ginny looked up curiously.

Fred, who had come up to stand behind his twin, chuckled. "It was rather simple really. Dumbledore rang the doorbell and this extremely ancient, hunchbacked wizard answered. Dumbledore asked to see the Lady of the House, and the old wizard tells him that she is not receiving visitors."

"Then Lupin," George picked up the narrative, "told the old guy that we weren't visitors, we were there to evict her from the premise at the behest of the new owner. So he asked who that supposed owner might be and Dumbledore smiled widely and said, "Harry Potter, you might have heard of him." The old guy slammed the door shut and we heard a clink."

"That was when George," Fred said, nodding to his twin, "reaches into a pocket and pulls out a Weasley Whizz Bang and then stuffs it into the lock. The whole door blew off its hinges. It was very remarkable."

"Thank you, Fred."

"Not at all."

Ginny laughed lightly. "What happened next?

Fred smiled, "The Ice Queen comes gliding up to the remains of the door, her nose in the air, and demands that we leave immediately."

"At which point Dumbledore produces the paper work assigning our boy Harry ownership of Grimmauld Place."

Fred nodded, "Then Dumbledore takes out his wand and taps the papers, and says to her, ‘Narcissa Malfoy, you are banished from this house, return to Malfoy Manor.’ Then he taps the paperwork with his wand again. She didn't even get a chance to screech before she vanished."

"Lupin rounded up all her servants and kicked them out on the street. Then he went around with his wand and banished all of her possession onto the sidewalk. Dumbledore repaired the door, then muttered a few words, and the whole place went back under Fidelius again," George finished.

"And young Harry became the owner of a most Ancient and Moldy House," Fred added.

"Well, I won't be owner for much longer," Harry told them.

The twins eyebrows rose, and Ginny looked away from watching Gabrielle flip butterbeer corks at Crookshanks. Harry smiled at them.

"I've decided to make Grimmauld a Christmas present to a certain werewolf and his Metamorphmagus girlfriend," Harry told them.

"Where are Moony and Nymphadora anyway?" George asked.

Ginny quirked an eyebrow. "Nymphadora? You are really are mad aren't you?"

Bill, who had been eavesdropping without trying to look like it, leaned into the conversation. "They're at Diagon Alley, helping coordinate the Order's part in keeping tonight's celebration secure."

"Celebration?" Harry asked.

"Minister Bones has decided to have a large party and tree lighting in the main square of Diagon Alley to give people something positive after Halloween," Bill told them.

"It seems like the type of thing Voldemort would be very tempted to attack," George said.

"Minister Bones and father don't think he will. He lost a lot of followers down in Wales, and they don't think he has the strength for a full attack," Bill said.

Harry nodded. It was pretty much what Dumbledore had told him before they left Hogwarts. Dumbledore felt that Voldemort was going to lay low for the rest of winter and try to consolidate his strength. He did warn Harry that Voldemort might try a quick raid to capture Harry.

"So we'll be going then," Harry said. It was not a question.

The twins looked at each other, then at Bill. Bill looked around the room for his father, who had returned to the room and was talking to Charlie. Catching Arthur's eye, Bill waved him over.

"Wonderful morning, don't you think kids?" Arthur Weasley said.

"The best, Mr. Weasley," Harry said.

"Dad, Harry wants to know if we're going to the celebration," Bill told his father.

Harry smiled. "Actually, what I said is that we're going. This is too important to miss."

Arthur nodded his head. "I planned to tell everyone after dinner tonight, but yes, the Weasley family will be attending."

"Because you're head of Magical Law Enforcement, so you have to be in attendance," Harry pointed out.

"And you, Harry, are a public figure the people can rally around," Arthur countered.

"And if there's trouble, the Weasley family is its own little strike force," Ginny noted.

Arthur nodded at his daughter. "We don't expect it to come to that, but yes, you're right. You'll each be given an assignment to follow should there be trouble."

The Weasley family spent the day engaged in various merriments, simply enjoying being together again, with no one apparently fighting. Molly Weasley outdid herself for dinner, producing both a huge goose and a standing roast with all the trimmings. They were joined by Professor Dumbledore at dinner, and when Ginny went a bit stiff with the Headmaster, Harry explained that Dumbledore had no immediate family of his own, except for his brother Aberforth, who had wandered off to the continent again. Ginny softened a bit after that, but Harry knew she was still upset with him over the Animagus debacle. The only mishap was with the pudding, which exploded when Arthur Weasley tapped it with his wand to set it on fire. Once the mess was cleared up, Molly, who seemed to have anticipated this outcome, produced a second pudding, which went mercifully unexploded.

After dinner the family and Dumbledore traveled to the Leaky Cauldron, which was full of patrons. Percy managed to find Penelope, who would be joining them for the celebration. Charlie told his family he was waiting for his girlfriend, whose name, Harry found out, was Irena. The family entered Diagon Alley.

The entire Alley was decorated in bright colors and festive decorations, with several shops open for the evening. The softly falling snow gave the little Wizarding district an even more magical feel than normal, and Harry smiled happily as he took Ginny by the hand and followed the rest of the family.

There were food and drink in the main square in front of Gringotts, as well as a giant tree with tiny Faerie creatures flittering around its branches. A raised dais near the tree gave away where the Minister and other officials would be giving small speeches.

Harry and Ginny stayed close to Bill, Fleur, and Gabrielle. Arthur Weasley had told them that everyone had a responsibility should there be trouble, and Harry and Ginny were assigned to see to Gabrielle's safety. Should a fight break out, their mission was to whisk the younger Delacour to Fred and George's shop. From there, a member of the Order would send her on to Hogwarts. After Gabrielle was safe, Harry and Ginny were assigned to help calm the crowd and evacuate as many civilians as possible.

Several speeches were made, including one by Dumbledore, about keeping the light of hope shining in dark times and the need to join against a common enemy. Then the tree was lit by Madam Bones with a flick of her wand. Refreshments were consumed, and people talked merrily to each other. Harry noted that Dumbledore seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. Bill and Fleur told Harry and Ginny that they planned to take Gabrielle back to Headquarters, as the small girl was growing weary from the excitement of the day. Harry and Ginny followed them to Weasley Wizards Wheezes, where Bill and the Delacours took a portkey back to Grimmauld Place. Harry and Ginny turned back to the celebration.

"Well, now that we don't have to shadow Gabbie anymore, what shall we do?" Ginny asked brightly.

Harry smiled down at her. "Do you want to find Ron and Hermione? We've kind of been ignoring them all holiday."

Ginny laughed. "I don't think they want us to find them right now."

Harry quirked an eyebrow at her. "Oh?"

"I saw them dive into Flourish and Blotts a bit ago. Ron had a terrible case of Hermione attached to his face," Ginny giggled.

"You know how a good book can get Hermione all worked up," Harry snickered.

"If Ron was to give her the latest edition of Hogwarts: A History, I'd probably need to start worrying about being an auntie."

Harry started to laugh, then cut himself short. "You don't think Ron and Hermione have–"

"No!" Ginny laughed aloud. "Believe me, if they had I'd know. Hermione can't keep a secret from me. Especially not one like that."

They paused as a group of children Harry recognized as Hogwarts first years rushed by them, intent on reaching the candy store, which was handing out free chocolate frogs.

They walked along holding hands, enjoying the sights. Finally Harry let go of Ginny's hand and took out the watch she had given him. He studied the six twirling hands, nine spinning planets, and one large rotating compass rose all moving around under the glass. By his reckoning, they either had another hour before they needed to leave Diagon Alley, or they were three years late in buying a new home. He figured it was probably the former.

Harry looked up to find Ginny standing with her hands behind her back, smiling like she'd just done something wicked, and shifting around like she might explode if she didn't get to tell Harry whatever it was that she wanted to say.

"What?"

Ginny pursed her lips together in a fit of mirth, then giggled, "I do know of a young couple who has."

Harry, being much less thick than at the beginning of the summer, did not bother asking, "Has what?" but instead asked, "Who?"

Ginny bounced slightly. "Luna talks in her sleep," she said in a little sing-song voice.

Harry's eyebrows hit the top of his hairline. "When did this happen?"

Ginny took his hand and they started walking again as she explained. "Just before break. We were studying in the library, you know, getting ready for OWLs, and she dozed off on the table next to me. She started, well, muttering in a very graphic way, so I woke her up."

"And?"

"Apparently on the night of her sixteenth birthday she cornered Neville in the Room of Doom and told him that now was the right time," Ginny giggled.

"Wait, when was Luna's birthday?" Harry asked. "No one told me Luna was having a birthday."

"It was the tenth of this month, and she doesn't usually bother celebrating her birthday. You know Luna, every day's a ‘special day’ with her."

"True." Harry's face took on a slightly horrified look. "Neville and Luna. I wish I didn't have that image in my head."

Ginny laughed and started to retort, when Charlie and a rather stunning blonde woman appeared in front of them.

"Harry, Gin, I'd like you to meet Irena," Charlie said.

Ginny stepped forward and held out her hand. The woman hesitated, then took it. Harry noted that the smile on Irena's face didn't quite seem to reach her eyes.

"Pleased to finally meet you," Ginny said.

"And you, Ginny Weasley," Irena said in a smooth, low voice. "Charlie's told me so much about you."

"Harry," Charlie said, "I wondered if we could have a little word in private?" Charlie pointed toward a shadowy spot between the apothecary's shop and Eeylops Owl Emporium.

Harry looked at the spot dubiously. "I'm not sure this is the time or place, Charlie."

"It will only take a minute. Please, Harry, I need to do this and get it off my chest." Charlie seemed sincere, and even a bit apologetic.

Harry looked at Ginny, who had gone very quiet.

Irena smiled a cool, collected smile. "Ginny and I could step into the apothecary," she waved toward the store facing the street. "It would give us a chance to get to know each other while you two have your talk."

Harry and Ginny passed another look.

"Okay, if this won't take long," Harry said.

"Oh, not at all, I'm sure you two have things you want to do before we go home," Charlie said, walking with Harry toward the small alleyway.

Harry caught Ginny and Irena walking into the apothecary out of the corner of his eye. He saw Ginny draw her wand and flip it so it was hidden from sight as she asked Irena where she had met Charlie.

Harry walked into the small area with Charlie. He turned to face the second oldest Weasley, and wished he'd been as paranoid as Ginny. Charlie stood blocking the only exit form the small area. He held his wand on Harry. Harry let his hands fall to his side. His wand was in a sleeve holster Bill had given him. A flick of his wrist would put it in his hand.

"What's this about Charlie?" he said softly.

"I'm sorry, Harry, I have to do this, you see." Charlie was starting to sweat in the cold December air, steam coming off his body.

Harry took a step backward and tensed. "What do you have to do, Charlie?"

"It's--it's for the best. Yes. For the best." Charlie was starting to shake.

Harry decided to draw his wand.

Ginny screamed from inside the apothecary.

Charlie turned to look at the building, his eyes wide. Harry drew his wand, but the motion made Charlie turn back to him.

"Avada Kedavra!" Charlie shouted, a horrified look on his face.

***

"Where did you meet Charlie?" Ginny asked, trying to hide her wand behind her back.

"Oh, in Romania, I've had an interest in Dragons since my days at Durmstrang," Irena said.

"So you went to Durmstrang," Ginny said, making it almost an accusation.

"Yes, yes, I know that everyone thinks Durmstrang only produces dark wizards."

"No, just most of them. Hogwarts has had a few notable dark wizards go to school there." Ginny decided to push for a reaction. "Tom Riddle, for instance."

Irena turned on Ginny like a striking snake, her beautiful face twisted in a mad rage, "Never speak of the Dark Lord so! Crucio!"

Ginny had been ready for trouble, but the woman struck too swiftly for her. The full effects of the Cruciatus Curse hit Ginny squarely in the chest. She crumpled to the ground screaming.

***

Molly Weasley had started walking toward the twins' store. Arthur had returned to the Ministry with Dumbledore and Madam Bones to discuss the Ministry's next move in the war with He-Who-Must-not-Be-Named, and she was ready to go back to Grimmauld Place and rest.

She was about to turn and walk into the building when she heard her daughter scream in pain. Molly Weasley drew her wand and in a moment of panic, did something almost every magical mother had done at least once.

She Apparated to the sound of Ginny's voice without knowing where she was going.

Molly appeared in what she thought was the apothecary shop to find a blonde woman attacking her daughter with the Cruciatus Curse. Molly hit the woman with a bludgeoning spell that would have done Fred and George, who specialized in it, proud. The blonde woman spun away and crashed into a display of powdered frogs and snakes.

As the woman stood back up, her form changed, shimmering and shifting until Molly Weasley found herself facing Bellatrix LeStrange.

***

Harry heard Charlie cast the killing curse. He dived, and the curse blasted a hole in the stone surface behind him.

Harry came up and leveled a stunner at Charlie, which struck him square in the chest. Charlie rocked, but didn't fall.

"I have to kill you, Harry," Charlie's eyes were wide. "If you're out of the picture, then everyone will stop fighting the Dark Lord, and no one has to die anymore."

"No, Charlie, you know better than that. I don't know what they've done to you, but you have to fight it."

For one anguished moment Charlie's face changed, looking horrified at what he had just done. "I can't," he gasped, then his face went blank. "Good-bye, Harry," he said, raising his wand again.

***

"So, the dotting mother's come to save her precious little baby girl, has she?" Bellatrix hissed.

Molly Weasley studied her opponent for a moment. Bellatrix LeStrange looked terrible. She was rail thin, and her once perfect hair was stringy, and starting to fall out. She had three nasty scars on her face, and her left eye was a pale, useless orb. Ginny's handiwork, Molly realized. Molly knew there was no way she could take Bellatrix in a head-to-head duel. She needed to stall until help showed up.

"No, Bella, I'm just here to make sure Ginny gets a level playing field."

Bellatrix LeStrange laughed, "You'd actually let your itty-bitty, tiny, baby girl try to fight me? I was taught the dark arts by Lord Voldemort himself, you fool woman. Neither you nor you pathetic offspring can hope to match me."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Bella," Molly whispered.

With a loud, angry, pain filled roar, Ginny Weasley sprang at Bellatrix LeStrange, changing as she moved.

***

Harry cast one of the simplest charms he knew at Charlie, reasoning that he might not be protected against the most minor of jinxes or hexes.

Charlie started to cast the killing curse again, then sneezed.

The miscast spell exploded out of Charlie's wand and sent him flying into the wall of the apothecary. He hit with a thud, then slid down the wall, unconscious. Harry made sure Charlie was alive, then taking Charlie's wand with him, he rushed into the apothecary.

***

Bellatrix LeStrange screamed in fear as Ginny Weasley, now a full lioness, pounced, and tore into her with a set of sharp claws. Blood gushed from LeStrange's right shoulder, and Ginny lunged for her throat.

Only her years of fighting with the Dark Lord's Death Eaters saved Bellatrix. She managed to gather herself in time to Apparate away as the sharp teeth filled her vision. Ginny's teeth snapped onto empty air, and she threw back her head and roared in frustration.

Harry walked into the wreckage of the apothecary shop to find Molly Weasley holding a wand and looking determined, while Ginny paced around in her large four-legged form, clearly agitated.

"Harry, are you all right dear?" Molly Weasley said.

"Yeah, but Charlie tried to kill me."

Molly gasped and Ginny trotted up to Harry and roared lightly.

"He's under some kind of Imperious curse or something. He almost shook it off, but it's on pretty strong."

Ginny shifted back to her human form. "It must have been Bellatrix who did it to him."

"Bellatrix?" Harry asked.

"Yes, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "She was just here."
"
She was Irena," Ginny explained.

Harry nodded. "Charlie's knocked out in the alleyway. We need to get him sorted out."

"We can take him to the Ministry," Mrs. Weasley said. "Dumbledore should be able to break the curse."

Harry nodded, and three of them went to retrieve Charlie, who was still lying on his side in the dirt. Molly Weasley conjured a stretcher, and they took Charlie to the Ministry.

It took Dumbledore and a team of curse breakers two solid hours to reverse everything that had been done to Charlie, after which he was transferred to St. Mungo's for further treatment.

They discovered that Charlie had been ambushed while out on a date with the real Irena Kolonovic. They had tortured Irena almost to death before putting Charlie under Imperious and giving him potions to sap his will. Then they had him end his date's life by cutting her throat.

That night Ginny and Hermione both sneaked into the boy's room after the rest of the household was asleep. None of them wanted to be alone after discovering the horrible ordeal Charlie had been put through. As Ginny lay sleeping in his arms, Harry made a silent vow to the heavens. There in the darkness, listening to the soft breathing of his girlfriend after allowing her to cry out her sorrow for her brother, Harry decided the next time he crossed paths with either Tom Riddle or Bellatrix LeStrange, they would pay for the terrible things they had done to his family.