The view from the window was dire. The marquee, fields and if she squinted enough she could see the gnomes they'd diligently cleared only hours before already sneaking along the grass to return to their flower pots and bushes.
Feet propped up carelessly on the table before her, the teen shifted slightly in her seat. She was turning the time-turner in her hands round and round, anxiety building with each spiral of the sands within, being careful to never actually turn it with any purpose lest she actually travel anywhere. She didn't want to have to leave, not in a time of so much trouble. Her place was with her friends, with her brother Harry, or at least doing something useful. Not running for the hills in fear. But it seemed the decision was being made with or without her consent and arguing it was apparently futile. Alex Johnson, her mother in all respects but the biological ones, was putting her foot down. When that happened, it was time to listen. She bore enough marks from stinging hexes in retaliation to her not paying attention through her youth. Alex never had much patience. It was most likely something to do with never having really wanted kids, but raising a daughter out of duty.
So, Holly Potter was in short, about to disappear off the face of the planet from the next month or so, until she was safely restored to the walls of Hogwarts. Alex had secured a time-turner for the trip in case she was spotted so she could change her location and warn whoever would be guarding her, although, in her reckoning, she highly doubted there was much safe about the castle either with Dumbledore dead. Which was why she'd been working on her own plan to go underground and help out the Order of the Phoenix, but somehow, she doubted Alex would run with it.
Sighing once, she lowered her feet to the ground and sat upright, watching the events going on outside. Bill and Fleur's wedding. It was the perfect cover for her to disappear. There were so many people; one teen wouldn't be missed from the crowd. Kneading her knuckles against her forehead, she could feel a tension headache rising. It was too much to deal with. She had Alex, Remus and the Order members urging her to keep quiet, head down, and not say anything about Harry. She knew of course, that he wasn't going back to school. She was his twin; and despite the ravine of differences between them, he at least knew she had to be kept up to date on his intentions too. So he had, the second she'd alighted at the burrow. But he was asking her to keep him informed of every little happening. Which meant dirtying her nose in affairs that she'd much rather keep herself out of.
She had her own enemies, especially those that had uncovered the train wreck of a relationship she'd had with Malfoy the previous year. She didn't love the git, she supposed she never had, but there was something maternal in her mind about him. Ever since she'd stumbled across him in that bathroom - a pretty sight with rumpled hair and tear stained cheeks – she hadn't been able to stay away. Until of course, he'd set the ball in motion for Dumbledore's death. The guilt for the part she'd played, no matter how small, was going to haunt her for life. Albus Dumbledore was dead, and she had been too busy playing mother hen to notice the warning signs.
Her lips disappeared into a thin line, one which rivalled even McGonagall's, and she sullenly shook off the thoughts. She needed to focus on the tasks at hand. All her necessary worldly possessions were packed into her trunk, right down to her favourite hooded sweater, and shrunken down to fit in her backpack. It was heavy, but a number of charms had been placed on it to somewhat lessen the load, and her wand was strapped to her hip, just under the skirt she was wearing. She'd changed from the gown that she'd sported for the wedding almost immediately after everyone had eaten, and was now just waiting to say her goodbyes. A knock on the door made her raise her head slightly, and she eyed the redhead standing there apprehensively.
"Barney?" She hated aliases, purely due to the fact that she had trouble enough keeping track of her own name half the time. It'd taken nearly a year before she'd been able to introduce herself as Holly Potter, in lieu of Holly Johnson. She still slipped up from time to time as it happened. The boy was hovering indecisively, confused by his own name for a moment, until he decided that was what it was and nodded.
"How long do I have left?"
"About an hour, Remus and Tonks are trying to say their goodbyes but Molly keeps shovelling more cake into them." Barney/Harry's smile was sheepish, but Holly grinned. Typical Molly, she didn't even know the plan but she was doing her best to help. Even if that help just so happened to be a hindrance. Remus and Tonks were to usher her from the party, under the pretence that Nymphadora was tired. No one would think anything of Holly going with them, she'd been ferried between Remus and Alex most years since they'd made up after Sirius's discovery. From there, Alex was going to take her to the next spot whereupon she'd be passed onto Shacklebolt. He alone would know her location, and would keep her safe should the closer members of her family and friends be asked questions.
All the hiding was needless in her opinion, Voldemort had Harry's blood. He was immune to the pain caused by their touch. He could manipulate her brother's dreams and thoughts. What use was she to the Death Eaters? She wasn't even that close to the Trio. She was a friend yes, but she didn't share the bonds they had. She had spent more time with Fred, George and Lee than her own brother the past six years. She hadn't even spent her summers with Harry at Dumbledore's behest. In addition to the fact that Alex's two bed flat barely was big enough for the two of them, Holly hadn't really had all that much by way of bonding time with her brother.
"Hols. You've got to be careful okay. Hermione, Ron and I, we're going to be trying to avoid most of the trouble. But we might step on a lot of toes without meaning to. I don't want you, or Gin or anyone else at school to bear the brunt of that."
As far as heartfelt speeches went, that was probably one of the most sincere to leave Harry's lips in a long long time. Her brother may've been the boy who lived, and had an uncanny knack for getting people out of tricky situations, however the fact regularly overlooked was that Harry placed people in those situations more often than not. She managed a lopsided smile nevertheless, brushing some straggling hair off of her shoulder and dropping the time-turner into her pocket.
"Don't you worry about me. You work on the mission you have, and figure out how to stop Voldemort okay? Leave the rest to Dumbledore's Army. We can handle ourselves." And they could. They'd stood their ground in the Department of Mysteries not so long ago, and against Umbridge too.
Harry, or Barney, had a scowl on his face that reflected his disbelief of their ability to protect themselves and she moved off of her seat to place a kiss on his cheek. "We'll be okay. Thinking about us will distract you. Go make Hermione take half those books out of her bag now, before she tears a hole in her shoulder alright? I'm pretty sure she doesn't need those novels by Lockhart there, and she's going to need someone to talk sense into her to take them out." She patted his arm awkwardly, trying not to let her own discomfort shadow what could be the last time she really spoke to him.
"Off you go, I have things under control. Promise" As he hesitated, she gave him a gentle shove towards the door. She hated saying goodbye, it was easier to pretend she'd see him soon. It was mostly how she'd coped losing Sirius. Realizing how much she wished she could have said goodbye to him, her shoulders stiffened and she shrugged off the ridiculous feelings of unease and hugged her brother.
"Be safe." It was as close to it as she could get, and somehow, Harry understood it. He returned the hug and sentiment in kind before slinking back out through the door and into the mass party goers.
Holly moved to the living room, running a hand through her hair once again. She was stressed to the nth degree, partially because she felt as if whatever they tried to do now, it was all but useless to bother. Voldemort was sodding winning. Nothing they could do would stop him. Moody was down, George had lost a damned ear – and Dumbledore was gone.
Sirius.
Cedric too.
Her legs buckled to the couch, hands burying themselves down to the roots of her hair. So much death. Pain. Loss. All because of that monster. Tom Riddle wasn't even human anymore. He was a nothing, surrounded by a skin of hatred and deceit and mindless ambition. She pulled out the small item from her pocket again, wondering if she could jimmy with the charm that relegated it for a few hours and go back to before Riddle was orphaned and either smack some sense into the boy or find him someone to love him. That would change all the crap that'd happened, she could have had a proper relationship with Harry, and they'd have had parents and grown up as a unit. She might still have Ric.
The bag was still resting on her back, weighing a little heavier when coupled with emotions and it was this way she was when a shout rang out from outside. More akin to a scream. Head rising, her body bristled with sudden fear.
What was that?
The sound of chaos pervaded her senses there and then, the teen almost tripping over the ground in her haste to get outside and see what was going on. Flinging open the Weasley's backdoor, ignoring every sense that was urging her back into the house; she was assaulted by utter hysteria. People ran in every direction, some spilling into the home and shoving her aside. Amid the panic, black clad figures were appearing. Ron, Hermione and Harry were gone. Her heart almost stopped then and there, and hazel eyes lifting she spotted a one particular masked individual heading towards Remus and Alex, both of whom trying to protect a group of kids who had huddled into the corner. Reaching forward, she drew breath not realizing the consequences of what she was about to do. One word was all it took to change everything. One shout to draw the attention…
"LOOK OU-…..!" She didn't even get to finish her sentence as the figures whirled; wands pointed at her defenceless self. She threw her hands in the air at the threat, blinking once, twice, as the beams of light flew her way. A blast of colour invaded her senses, and the time-turner in her fingers exploded in a myriad of light and her body felt like it was being torn asunder by steel and fire.
Blackness followed.
She was falling. It was the only way possible to describe the sensation. Her arms were rising and ebbing as a cool breeze blew her hair over her face. Lips opening in a silent scream she struggled to draw breath. She had to get down, go back and help Alex. Help Remus. Help Harry. The last name stayed with her, even as she collided with the ground, something red and sticky already on her face as her head slammed into earth. Light burst around the teen for a second, a rasping breath leaving her mouth. She needed to remember something. Someone. Her eyes flickered closed as every feeling of aching, pain and shock left her. Someone screamed. The name came into her mind like a lifeline and she grasped at it.
Harry…..
Har….
Who?...
