MetaFic

Ron Weasley grumbled all the way to the Leaky Cauldron. After the fiasco with Snape and Harry's owl, Mrs. Weasley had decided that what Ron needed was a does of solid, honest labor and to be kept away from the irate Potions Master. Ron had attempted to defend his action, with assistance from Hermione, but Molly Weasley was having none of it. As far as she was concerned there was no excuse for attacking Snape.

When Ron had looked ready to rebel, Bill had quietly taken Ron aside, congratulated him on defending Hedwig, and told him to accept whatever punishment their mother dished out. Bill promised Ron he would have a talk with their father later.

Molly Weasley had found Ron a summer job in the Apothecary shop cleaning out their cellar. The Order thought it unwise to travel by Floo from their secure location to a shop in Diagon Alley, and so it was that Ron found himself being escorted to Diagon Alley by Tonks. They had almost reached the door into the tavern when they were stopped by a smiling man in a bright orange suit.

"I'm sorry folks, but the pub's closed today," the man said.

Tonks smiled at him. "Problem?"

"Oh, just a little plumbing situation."

Tonks turned to Ron. "Ron, could you please wait over there by the telephone?"

Ron looked suspiciously from Tonks to the man in the suit, and then he nodded and stepped away. Once she felt he was sufficiently far enough away, Tonks turned back to the man.

"I'm Auror Tonks," she said, reaching into her jeans pocket and withdrawing her identification. "Is there a problem?"

The man smiled. "Officer Brody, MLE," the man replied. "Sorry, Auror Tonks, but we've got a wanted fugitive cornered inside."

Tonks' eyes widen innocently. "Really? Who?"

"Potter," Brody confided in her.

"Harry Potter?" Tonks asked, just to be sure.

"Yes, him and some little redheaded girl," Brody said.

Tonks nodded. "Well, thank you, Officer Brody." She withdrew her wand. "Stupefy!" Brody hit the ground. "Obliviate," she whispered. "Ron!"

Ron rushed up to her, his wand drawn, looking around for danger. "What is it?"

Tonks looked grim. "Harry and Ginny are inside and about to be captured by the Ministry."

Ron looked at her, wide-eyed. "We can't let them capture Harry."

Tonks shook her head. "It will be okay, Dumbledore will spring Harry from the Ministry, and they won't hold Ginny any longer than a day at most."

Ron narrowed his eyes and considered what he should do next. He wasn't sure he was up to taking on Tonks.

The explosion solved his problem.

***
"Please put the wand down and come quietly, Mr. Potter."

"Am I under arrest?" Harry asked softly, keeping his wand at the ready.

"No," the officer said, smiling and walking toward him cautiously. "But the Ministry has ordered us to take custody of you, for your own protection."

"I'm capable of taking care of myself, thank you," Harry said softly.

"Oh, for goodness sake, O'Neil," one the other officers said. "Just tie the boy up and let's get on to Headquarters."

Harry shifted his gaze toward the speaker. "That would be a bad idea."

The officer smirked, "You think it would be, do you?" The officer lifted his wand lazily. "Incarcerous!" he cried.

The incantation was half out of his mouth before Harry yelled, "Protego," followed closely by "Stupefy" twice. Two of the officers hit the ground, stunned.

The one called O'Neil and the fourth officer dived for cover just as Ginny Weasley cried out, "Reducto!"

There was a loud explosion and several muffled curses from behind Harry. He heard a woman cast a stunner, and Ginny nudged him with her body. This had the effect of making Harry's reductor smash into a shelf of bottles along one wall, knocking it to the floor in a clatter of breaking glass.

Another stunner flew in Harry's direction, but he blocked it with a well placed chair and then transfigured the chair into a hissing cat. He heard Ginny cry an incantation he'd never heard before and a man scream in agony. Harry chanced a peek over his shoulder and saw an MLE officer with giant flapping bogeys coming out his nose. Harry turned back to his opponents. He levitated and dropped a table on one of them just as the other fired off a body bind. Harry side stepped it and then heard a binding spell cast behind him. Ginny tossed a quick shield over him, and the spell deflected harmlessly. Harry, sensing Ginny's vulnerability after she saved him, spun on the spot and fired two stunners at a man taking aim at her. He crumpled, but their last opponent, O'Neil, shot a bludgeoning spell at Harry. Ginny managed to re-direct the spell energy at the last minute, and the spell hit the wall of the tavern.

Knocking a lit lantern into the broken bottles of alcohol.

There was a horrible whooshing sound, and Harry found himself being thrown into Ginny. They could hear more voices coming through the back, so they made a break for the front door. O'Neil dived for Harry, but Harry used his wand to flick a table in front of the man.

Harry and Ginny burst through the front door.

Right in front of Tonks and Ron.

Ginny cast a disarming hex at the same time Harry let off a stunner. Tonks never saw it coming and found herself blasted down the sidewalk. She skidded to a halt and lay very still.

Harry, Ginny, and Ron ran up to the fallen Auror.

"She's okay," Ron said, kneeling next to her. "Though she's going to be some kind of angry when she comes round."

"Ron, we'd love to stay and chat, but–" Ginny looked over her shoulder at the tavern.

Ron nodded. "I understand, though Mum's going to kill me when she finds out I had you right here and didn't bring you home."

Harry swallowed. "Maybe we should stun you to make it look good."

Ron smiled. "I always was good for target practice." He turned serious. "You probably should, actually."

Harry and Ginny gave Ron a quick hug, and then Harry raised his wand. There were shouting voices coming from the Leaky Cauldron, and smoke was pouring from the building. "Hey, Ron, do you know what happened to Hedwig?" Harry asked.

"Snape," Ron said. "He knocked her out of the sky. He was planning to do something to her to try and track you, but Hermione wouldn't let him get near Hedwig. Then I punched him."

"You punched Snape?" Ginny said, incredulous.

"Yup," Ron grinned.

Harry smiled at his best friend. "Thank you, Ron, for taking care of Hedwig. Stupefy!"

Before Ron hit the ground, Harry and Ginny had dashed off into the London afternoon.

***
BOY-WHO-LIVED GOES ROGUE!

Profiles of Harry Potter and Ginevra Weasley on page four.