Harry sat alone at the kitchen table of the Burrow as the clock struck three and a heavy snow began to blanket the orchard in white. The Weasley home was deathly silent. Upstairs, his wife was still sleeping soundly, as was the rest of the family. In a few hours, that would change. All of the Weasleys, the Grangers and Andromeda and Teddy would be gathering for what had become a new tradition in the five years since the Battle of Hogwarts ended: Christmas at the Burrow.
The Potters and a recently-married Ron and Hermione decided to stay over on Christmas Eve for old times' sake, rather than flooing over on Christmas morning. It had been a while since the Quartet had been together like this, all under one familiar roof.
The day started well enough. That is, until an old friend dropped by with a package for Harry. Unlike the mountain of gifts under the tree in the sitting room, this one came wrapped in simple brown paper. But it wasn't the package that had kept Harry from sleeping; it still lay unopened on the table in front of him.
Harry stirred as he heard someone coming down the stairs. He really didn't want company right now.
Ron, eyes half opened and with a horrible case of bed-head asked sleepily, "What're you still doing up?"
"Couldn't sleep."
Ron cocked an eyebrow at his best mate, then he pulled out a chair and collapsed into it with a grunt. He didn't say anything at first. He could tell that Harry had slid into a first-class brood. Ron thought it was probably best to back into the subject. "Hermione's snoring woke me. Who'd have thought a witch so tiny could make so much noise."
Harry's face broke into a small smile, which was what Ron was hoping for.
"Want to talk about it?" the redhead asked.
Harry was about to say no, then thought better of it. "Hard to dig up the past."
Ron sighed. "Figured Wood's dropping by was for a bit more than to spread the holiday cheer. It was about Colin, wasn't it?"
Harry nodded grimly. For five long years, Oliver Wood had kept his silence, unwilling or unable to tell the tale of how the youngest member of Dumbledore's Army died on that fateful day. All through what was now called "the Month of Mourning," through the funerals and memorials, the tales of those who had passed had slowly, and often painfully, been brought out. But not Colin's. No one was ever sure why, but figured the story was simply too much for Wood to relay.
"He finally told me. And brought me this." Harry motioned to the unopened package.
Ron's head sank. "What happened?"
HpHpHpHp
Curse and hex fell thick around Oliver Wood. He was bloodied and tiring but the Death Eater onslaught kept coming.
"Shift to the left!" Wood cried over the explosions and carnage. The Death Eaters were moving to flank them. He was in charge of holding a thirty-yard run of stone wall and he only had a handful of Hogwarts students to do it with. The Death Eaters outnumbered his small band by more than three-to-one.
Right and left, Wood shot stunners at the oncoming Death Eaters, hoping, praying that his defenders would be able to hold. Then Trish Yarwood, a sixth year Ravenclaw fell, quickly followed by a Hufflepuff prefect whose name Wood hadn't caught during the all too brief introductions before death began to rain down on his position.
"Take them to Madame Pomfrey!" Wood shouted to another nameless seventh year Ravenclaw. But before anyone could move, a massive Reducto curse rent the air, exploding the wall and sending fragments of stone careening through his young defenders. The blast tossed Wood flat. He was dazed and half deaf as he struggled to his feet. Then he saw the swarm of Acromantulas descending on his stretch of wall.
It proved too much for them; his small band broke and ran. Why didn't McGonagall give me a team of Gryffindors! he cursed.
"Confringo!" A wall of flame spat from Wood's wand, holding the deadly spiders back. His attention on the eight-legged monsters, he didn't see the Expulso hex that Rowle hurled his way.
"Protego!"
The curse was blocked inches from Wood's face. His head snapped around to see who had joined the fight.
"Creevey? You're not supposed to be here!" Wood thundered as the battle raged around them.
"My family's been on the run for the whole year! You think it was easy getting here? I came to fight and that's what I plan to do. Just like Harry," Creevey spat as he cast stunners at the horde of Death Eaters closing on them.
"You're not Harry, you stupid kid!" Wood bellowed as he shielded for Colin. "You're gonna get yourself killed. Get back to the Room of Requirement or I'll…" Wood never finished the sentence as both he and Colin were tossed off their feet by a massive Reducto curse. Wood smacked into the wall, Colin landed behind a woodpile, out of view of the encircling dark wizards.
Try as he might, Wood couldn't stand. The next thing he knew he was being shaken violently by a huge Death Eater.
"This is the one that burned D'Arque!" Rowle snapped as he backhanded the former Gryffindor Keeper. Wood fell to his knees. With a silent flick of his wand, Rowle sent Wood careening into the wall.
"This was him? This pup?" Greyback sneered as he closed on Oliver. "Not worth the effort of taking prisoner." He lowered his wand, preparing to deal the deathblow.
"Expelliarmus!" Colin shouted from behind the woodpile; caught unawares, Greyback's wand flew from his hand.
"Get him!" the werewolf ordered. Three Death Eater's leveled their wands on Creevey who darted off toward Wood, just as Rowle raised his wand to finish the job that Greyback started.
"Avada Kedavara!"
"Oliver!" Colin shouted as he sprang.
"NO!" Wood cried out in anguish.
But it was no use, Colin timed his leap too well. The green jet of killing magic meant for Wood caught Creevey right between the shoulders. He landed at Oliver's feet, his eyes wide.
"Pest!" Greyback hissed. Then he turned on Wood. "You're next."
Almost in slow motion, Oliver saw the wand point right between his eyes. He didn't flinch, he didn't falter. If this was to be his death, he'd face it defiantly, for Colin if for no other reason. He spat at Greyback's feet.
Before the blow could fall, the air was rent with explosions. Oliver's head snapped around to see Neville Longbottom leading a band of ten students, their wands aflame with curses.
Greyback's shield strained under the onslaught; the impacts blasted him backwards.
Rowle shouted, "Back! Fall back!"
"Hold your positions. Don't pursue!" Neville ordered as his team began to form up behind the wall, shoring up this part of the line. Then he turned to a visibly shaken Oliver Wood. He was cradling Creevey in his arms as the tears silently rolled down his cheeks.
Neville crouched next to his fellow Gryffindors, the fallen and the grieving. "Oliver? Is he…" Neville couldn't finish the question.
"N-nev…will…will you help me…help me…carry him?" Wood choked out.
HpHpHpHp
Ron sat silent, transfixed as Harry finished the tale. The raven-haired wizard managed to remain stoic up to this point, his voice never breaking as he relayed what Wood told him only hours before.
Last year, Harry confided in Ron how he'd never really been able to mourn the losses of their friends. How it was just too much to process, how he'd been too overwhelmed with relief at the prospect of being alive to really deal with the anguish and grief. But Ron could see that something about his best mate seemed different now. Something had changed.
"Mate?" Ron asked gently. "What about the package?"
Harry's watery gaze fell once more to the brown-wrapped parcel on the table. His hands fumbled a bit as he picked it up.
Ron watched him as Harry pondered it, almost as if he were deciding whether it would be better to throw it away without opening it. Then, slowly, Harry began to tear at the paper revealing a small box, which he deftly opened. Turning it on its side, an object wrapped in cloth slid out onto the table.
With a slightly shaking hand, Harry pulled the cloth away, revealing what he feared he'd find: Colin's camera.
"Wood…" Harry bit his lip as Ron rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "H-he said Colin would want me to have it."
Harry finally lost his battle with the tears.
Fin.
AN: This is the last of the Cursadiverse Tales that are completed. However, I've been chasing several plot bunnies, so I'm certain more are on the way soon. To all of you who have read through the series, I want to thank you for the great reviews and the kind words. And, remember, I always respond to reviews. Just polite, in my opinion.
Eldy
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Here's the updated Crusadiverse Timeline. (September 3, 2011)
1996 – Fall – "More Skill than Luck" (main story line) one shot - posted
1998 – July – "Hermione's Wand" – one shot - posted
1999- August – "Journey of a Thousand Miles" – one shot - posted
2000 – August – "The Battle of the Pitch" (main story line) – short story – posted
2000 – November – "The Adventures of Reckless Git and Danger Ponce" – short story – posted
2002 – Spring – "The Proposal" – short story, which now includes as its prologue "Best Laid Plans," formerly a one-shot – posted.
2002 – Early Summer – "The Tipping Point" – short story – posted.
2002 – Summer – "Children's Crusade"- novel – sequel to "Stop All The Clocks" – posted.
2003 - ? - "More Skill than Luck" (introductory story line) - one shot - posted
2003 – December – "The Gift"- one shot – posted
2004 – May – "The Battle of the Pitch" (introductory story line) – short story – posted