MetaFic

"Now, the hard part will be making contact. Without Hedwig, Harry and Ginny are virtually cut off from the magical world."

All the Weasleys looked at Bill, who was trying to calmly lay out the situation facing them. All of the Weasleys, even Percy, had come to the family meeting, as well as Fleur and Hermione. There had been a few moments of tension between Percy and the twins, and Percy admitted that he had been - as Bill had pointed out during a particularly enlightening recent brother to brother talk - an insufferable git. He fully expected to be the twins’ favorite test subject for the foreseeable future. But what had sealed Percy's inclusion was the pack of papers in his hand.

The documents contained sufficient evidence to send Dolores Umbridge to Azkaban. Percy had managed to work out her timeline, including officially logged visits to various dodgy places, and galleons spent. He could prove that she had purchased a Blood Quill in Knockturn Alley, and he could build a solid case that she had set the Dementors on Harry. But most important, he had caught her using official Ministry funds to defray her personal living expenses.

Arthur Weasley had looked at his son. The two had nodded and smiled tightly, and then Molly Weasley had cried and welcomed him home. Percy was now the Weasley spy within the Ministry.

"Assuming we make contact," Charlie said, "how do we plan on convincing them to come home?"

Arthur Weasley cleared his throat and reached into his robes. He withdrew the paperwork from the day before. "This might help."

"What is it, Dad?" Ron asked.

Arthur passed the papers to his youngest son, who unrolled them and read them carefully. Over his shoulder Hermione gave a small squeal. Ron handed the papers to Fred, after which they made their way around the table.

"Okay," George said, "so now Harry's officially a Weasley; we still have to get him to come home.”

"And Dumbledore will probably try to invalidate that order," Percy said, passing it to Charlie.

"You let me worry about Dumbledore," Mr. Weasley said.

Hermione was chewing her lower lip. "But — but we do think there's a reason that Harry's supposed to stay at Privet Drive."

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "There's a perfectly good reason, but it doesn't matter anymore because Harry refuses to stay there, and unless Dumbledore plans to personally watch him round the clock, he will slip away. And since he cannot call Privet Drive home anymore, the protection won't hold anyway.”

"I do not believe 'Arry and Ginny will allow themselves to be separated now," Fleur added. "I am sure that after so long together, the bond must have awoken in 'Arry."

Ron snorted. "Don’t count on it. Harry's pretty thick when it comes to girls."

Fred and George grinned at Ron.

"Pot–"

"Calls–"

"Kettle–"

"Black–"

Ron shook his head. "Hey, I woke up." He smiled at Hermione, who blushed lightly.

"Then we can hope Harry has, too," Charlie said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if our little sister hasn't forced the issue by now," Bill smirked.

All the Weasleys chuckled, even Percy, except for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who both looked a bit uncomfortable.

"Yes, about that," Mr. Weasley began.

All the eyes turned to the Weasley parents, who were giving each other slightly frightened looks.

"What?" Ron finally asked.

Mrs. Weasley licked her lips. "Well, even if Dumbledore somehow manages to counter your father's adoption of Harry, there is one other avenue open to us."

The Weasley boys and Hermione looked confused. Fleur settled back in her chair and nodded.

Mr. Weasley cleared his throat. "All we have to do is help them not get caught until after Ginny's birthday."

"What does Ginny's birthday–?"

"Have to do with anything?" the twins asked.

"Because if Ginny's not fifteen, then it isn't legal," Mrs. Weasley sighed.

"What isn't legal?" Charlie asked.

"Bride by capture," Bill whispered. "I'd forgotten about that old law."

"It's still on the books," Mr. Weasley said.

"Are you trying to tell me that some wizard can just kidnap a witch and she has to marry him?" Hermione shrieked, indignation radiating off her body.

"No, not exactly," said Fleur. "Both parties involved must agree to the compact, and both parties must be over fifteen. They must avoid capture for twenty-one days. After that, it is assumed that they have consummated the relationship. The family of the girl would never be able to make her a different match, as she would be considered soiled goods."

"Soiled goods?" Hermione cried, her righteous anger flaring to the surface.

"Fifteen?" Percy sputtered. "That's still a child."

"People married much younger back in those days," Arthur said evenly. "Especially girls."

"Harry and Ginny have already met the time requirement," Bill said, keeping his voice neutral.

"And if what Fleur says is right, and Harry's woken up to the bond, then they'll probably be okay with it," Ron added.

"And you're all just ready to write Ginny off as soiled goods?" Hermione demanded.

Ron turned and looked at her. "Hermione, love, I'd rather not think about what Harry and Ginny have been getting up to out there all alone, but I told you already; Weasleys are a rather passionate lot."

"Randy buggers, actually," George whispered to Charlie, who tried not to laugh out loud.

Hermione blinked. "Harry–"

"Is as human as the rest of us," Fleur said softly. "And if Ginny is half as passionate and persistent as William..."

Mrs. Weasley hushed the ensuing wolf whistles from the twins and Ron. "Hermione, dear, we're not condoning Harry and Ginny being intimate so young, but we are being realistic about the situation."

"So, you're willing to use an archaic law to marry your only daughter off so that Harry can emancipate?" Hermione said coolly.

Arthur Weasley looked the brown-haired girl straight in the eye. "If that's what my daughter wants, if that's what Harry wants, then yes."

Hermione nodded and smiled. "Good, as long as it’s Harry and Ginny's decision. We should start looking for any legal loophole that Dumbledore might try to exploit. We can't let him get ahead of us on this one."

"So what's the long range plan?" Charlie asked.

Molly Weasley leaned onto the table and gave her children and almost-children a serious look.

"Your father and I will continue working with the Order just like always. Hermione, I want you to start researching the laws. Make sure Dumbledore can't out-maneuver us. The Blacks have an extensive law library at Grimmauld Place, and Bill or Fleur can get you anything else you need. Percy, I want you to stick close to Minister Fudge. Keep us apprised of his moves, and look for anything we can use to lever him out of his position. Bill, Fleur, Charlie, you should carry on with the Order, but try to deflect attention away from Harry and Ginny. Fred and George, if it looks like the Order is about to corner the kids, do whatever you can to stop it until after Ginny's birthday. Ron, I want you to contact everyone in the defense club you trust and get them out looking for your sister and Harry. And above all else, everyone keep an ear open for any clue as to their whereabouts. We can't help and protect them unless we know where they are. Now, who would like a little bedtime snack?"

Nine flabbergasted heads nodded yes.

Everyone had just started eating when the floo roared to life and Remus Lupin appeared.

"Harry's done magic at the Shrieking Shack. The Ministry sent a retrieval team, and they've run into a group of Death Eaters. Voldemort's with them. Dumbledore is already there, and Aurors are pouring in. We have to go look for Harry and Ginny."

The Weasleys in the Order stood and rushed out the door to their apparation point, followed closely by Lupin.

Ron, Hermione, and Percy looked at each other, and then Percy stood.

"I should go see what's going on at the Ministry. Will you two be all right?"

Ron nodded. "We'll take the floo back to headquarters."

A minute later the Burrow was empty except for the ghoul in the attic.

***
"Albus, are the children here?" Molly Weasley asked anxiously. Her hat was missing, she was covered in dirt and grime, and her face was grim.

"No, Molly. Neither Ginny nor Harry were here at the time of the battle," Dumbledore told her. He looked tired, and his usually handsome robes were torn and stained. "However, they were at the castle today."

Molly Weasley narrowed her eyes. "They were at the castle and you allowed them to escape?"

Dumbledore sighed tiredly. He had dueled with Tom Riddle again, and once again Riddle had, after Mad-Eye Moody and Professor Flitwick joined the battle, fled the field. A dozen Death Eaters had been killed or captured in the fight, leaving Voldemort stripped of the bulk of his supporters.

"Molly, once this is all cleared up, I shall come to Headquarters and explain everything that transpired today at Hogwarts. I should warn you that Harry, and possibly Ginny, engaged in some very irresponsible behavior today, but now I must go and speak with Minister Fudge."

Mrs. Weasley turned to see Fudge, flanked by three Auror guards, picking his way distastefully through the battlefield toward Dumbledore.

"Dumbledore!" Fudge called. "Did you capture him?"

"I am afraid, Cornelius, that Lord Voldemort has escaped us again," said Dumbledore.

"No, no, I meant Potter, and that Weatherby girl," Fudge huffed.

"Neither Mr. Potter nor Miss Weasley were at the battle," Dumbledore said patiently.

"But the Ministry sensors detected his wand casting a spell at this spot," Fudge protested.

"Then perhaps, Cornelius, you should look to your own Ministry for leaks, because Mr. Potter was not seen here, yet moments after his wand performed magic in the area, Lord Voldemort and his followers arrived on the scene."

"They were here when my people arrived. Obviously they walked into a trap set by that Potter boy at the behest of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Fudge said, turning slightly purple.

"Minister–" Dumbledore began.

"Don’t you 'Minister' me, Dumbledore. That boy is a common criminal, nothing more. He and that girl will be captured, and when they are, they will be sent to Azkaban straight away."

Molly Weasley carefully watched the Minister for Magic bluster and threaten and Albus Dumbledore try to calm the man. She would have to talk to Arthur and Percy; something had to be done about Minister Fudge before he led the entire magical community over the brink. Molly gathered up Fred and George and returned to Headquarters, troubled by the day's events.

***
Ron exited the floo at Grimmauld Place and turned to steady Hermione, who emerged immediately after him.

"Come on," Ron said. "Let's go find whoever's on guard duty."

"That would be me," the voice of Severus Snape drawled. "Ah, Weasley and Granger, two thirds of the terrible trio."

"Professor, we heard they might have found Harry," said Hermione.

Snape's lip curled into a sneer. "I'm sure it's just another distraction, another ploy to get attention." Snape drew his wand before Ron and Hermione could react. "I have questions for the two of you, questions you will answer."

"I'm not telling you anything," Ron growled, keeping his eyes on Snape's.

"But you already have, Weasley. Your thoughts betray you," Snape growled. "Your entire family is behind Potter's little plot."

"Professor–" Hermione said softly.

"You probably all think that if you ride Potter's coattails, your lots in life will improve." Snape's breaths were coming hard and fast. "I suppose you think if you throw your useless little bit of a sister at him, you'll have a chance to share in the Potter family fortune."

"Professor Snape," Ron said very softly, never breaking eye contact with the Potions Master. "I'd thank you not to speak of my sister in such a way."

Snape laughed, high and cold. "Why, Weasley? Does the thought of Potter climbing on top of your sister–"

"Stupefy!" Hermione yelled, striking Snape from behind with a stunner. She immediately put her hands to her mouth. "That's the second time I've used magic out of school. I'll be expelled!" she wailed.

"Probably," Ron said calmly.

Hermione turned watering eyes on him. "What am I going to do?"

Ron shrugged. "I wouldn't worry. I'm sure Mum and Dad can find you someone to apprentice with. They might even apprentice you themselves."

"But the N.E.W.T.S., how will I take them?" she cried.

"At the Ministry, after you've finished your apprenticeship. Not everyone learns magic at Hogwarts, you know." Ron looked down at Snape. "I guess I'm going to need to find a master to apprentice to also." He pointed his wand at Snape. "Obliviate!"

"Ronald!" Hermione cried.

"He knew what we were doing. He would have told Dumbledore."

"What are we going to do?"

Ron looked at her. "I'll write a note to George, and then I guess it's time for the emergency plan."

Hermione nodded. There was nothing for it. Everyone would know they had attacked Snape, and everyone would want to know why. Dumbledore would simply pick the answers out of their minds given the chance. "Right. I'll go grab our bags while you write George. We'll meet down here in ten minutes."

Ten minutes latter, they walked out of Grimmauld Place. Ron sent Pig to Fred and George's shop with a letter. Then they walked off into muggle London, determined to hide in the muggle world until both Harry and Ginny were found or one of the Weasley family told them it was safe to come home.