Death, Fire and Respect.

Hermione stepped out of the Floo into Nicholas Sharpstar's office and looked around. Miranda had come through and was busy looking in every room for possible threats. Harry and Pansy were sitting at a desk, having moved enough books to spread out some papers.

They had looked up when Miranda and Hermione had come through the Floo, but were back to examining the paperwork again. Hermione looked at Harry. He was not happy about something, Hermione could tell. He had that slight little line between his eyes that meant something had annoyed him, a sight Hermione had seen many times over the years, usually in Professor Snape's classroom.

She went over and sat on a stool next to Harry. "Hello Harry, Pansy. What's all this?"

Harry looked at her and smiled briefly before returning his attention to the paper in his hands. Pansy handed her a sheaf of parchment. "This is an overview of the Black family holdings that Harry will be assuming control of when he becomes of age."

Hermione looked at the list she had in her hands and frowned. "Oh dear."

Harry snorted. "That's a bit of an understatement, Hermione. They own quite a bit of Knockturn Alley and Borgia's Row as well."

Hermione recognized a few of the names as shops she had been in seen when she was in Knockturn Alley earlier today. Borgia's Row was the French equivalent of Knockturn Alley, and Harry appeared to own nearly as much of it as he did Knockturn Alley. She looked at Harry, understanding the anger now. Harry had enough problems without anyone finding out that he controlled close to half of the Dark Arts trade in two countries.

She thought about it for a few minutes. Harry would not want to own these businesses, but he couldn't just sell them off to anyone that wanted them either. Anyone that wanted these businesses would probably be a follower or a supporter of Voldemort. Given the changes in the war's publicity that Harry wanted to start, this was not going to look good, if anyone found out, and these records would be public knowledge in a little under two months when Harry came of age.

She looked at the list again and frowned. "Harry, you do know that you don't actually own most of these businesses, don't you? You own the premises they are in, but you don't own the business itself."

Harry looked at her and she pointed to a small note at the bottom of the third page. "This note explains that any business on this list with a (p) behind it means that you own the premises, but not the business itself. Basically, you're the Dark Landlord."

Harry was reading the list when Hermione made that comment and he paused, looking at her. Hermione just shrugged. "I couldn't help it."

Pansy was snickering. "I can just see it now." She made a sneering face, very much like Snape's face, whenever Harry was in sight. "You're late with the rent. Crucio."

Harry just sighed as he pointedly ignored the two giggling girls. It was Miranda that defended Harry. "Mr. Potter would never 'Crucio' someone for being late with their rent." Harry smirked at the two girls until Miranda finished her comment. "He'd simply evict them, and when the dark things came out of the shop and then they'd get hurt."

Harry blinked, looking injured. "I don't hurt people that often," he protested.

"No sir, you don't," said Miranda calmly, "but I have noticed that a good many people that have been less than helpful to you have ended up in a bad way. Voldemort, disembodied for over a decade, Quirrell, dead. Barty Couch Jr., Kissed. You didn't actually do most of those things, but all of those people did things to you. The list goes on, but I think you get the point."

Harry frowned as he thought about what she'd said. "What about Bella and Wormtail?"

Miranda shrugged. "Bella is new to the list of people that have hurt you directly, and Wormtail suffers every day in two ways. Voldemort's tortures, and the burden of an unpaid Wizard's debt to you." She favored Harry with a lopsided grin. "I'm sure that if I give you another few months, you'll find a way to make their lives even more unbearable."

Harry grinned. "I don't think it will take a couple of months. In fact, I rather think anyone around Moldywart will not be happy starting Saturday." Harry smiled to himself, thinking about the rude shock in store for Moldywart this weekend. Pity he couldn't count on the snake faced Ridgil falling over of a heart attack.

He shook that off and looked at Hermione. "I believe you had something you wanted to do tonight?"

Hermione looked at the clock and nodded. "Ginny has already shown that she will find a way to be with you, even if she's told not to. We're going to try and talk Mrs. Weasley into letting her be around you in public places so that if she is seen with you, she has an alibi."

Harry smiled. "You are brilliant. I was wondering how to get into the papers without worrying about Ginny."

Miranda stepped up to the Floo. "What's the name of the Weasley home?"

Hermione sighed. "The Burrow."

Miranda nodded and stepped into the Floo. A flash of green fire, and she was gone. Hermione stepped up to the fireplace and looked back at Harry. "One of these days, Mr. Potter, we're going to talk about you saddling me with her. She's a wonderful person, and completely determined that for the next year, I won't suffer so much as a hangnail." She glared at Harry's smile. "It's not funny when she is dragging me out of an interesting book to get some exercise."

Hermione turned to the Floo and cast the Floo powder. "The Burrow." The fire flared up green and then turned red, spilling Hermione back onto the floor.

The three of them stared blankly at the Floo for a second and then Pansy swore. "Someone has blocked the Floo to the Burrow."

OoOoOoO Ron and Luna, Harry's Room. OoOoOoO

Ron shook his head as the rush wore off and he stopped having urges to jump around like a happy Dobby. He took a deep breath and looked at Luna, feeling better than he had since the argument with his mother. "Right. Explain what we're doing again, now that I can concentrate?"

Luna frowned. "I really have to work on that. It shouldn't hit you quite like that," she said. Luna looked at Ron. "Hermione wants to argue your mother into letting Ginny be seen with us this summer."

Ron blinked, several times. "Hermione the Bossy is going to take mum on over the safety of Ginny?" He turned toward the Floo. "I have got to see this."

Luna stood up and started toward the Floo. "I simply hope they don't say anything they can't take back. Harry doesn't need internal fights when he has to face He Who Should Not Be Respected."

Ron stopped, looking at Luna. "What did you call him?"

"He Who Should Not Be Respected." Ron just looked at her and she smiled that dreamy smile and held out the Floo powder. "He likes capital letters in his name, and that has more than just calling him You Know Who."

Ron shook his head. "Your potion must have done something to me, because that almost made sense."

Luna smiled again. "Or maybe, Ron, you're just learning to see the world from a larger perspective than you have before."

Ron looked at Luna, studying her for a minute. "One minute, you're acting as if you don't live in the same world with the rest of us, and then you say something like that, and it seems that you see things clearer than anyone. How do you do that?"

Luna held out the Floo powder, and her smile was all woman. "It's a gift."

Ron threw a bit of the powder she was offering in the fire and called out, "The Burrow." Luna jumped aside a second later as he flew back out, landing on his butt in the room as the fire flared red. Ron frowned at the Floo. "What the Hell?"

Luna stared at the Floo, and her eyes were dreamy, but her voice wasn't. "There's something very wrong at your home."

OoOoOoO Molly, Ginny and Miranda, The Burrow. OoOoOoO

The two woman looked at each other as the front and back door exploded within seconds of each other and the sounds of fire came from the roof. In that instant, with danger coming for both of them, they only knew fear for the other and they had a moment of perfect agreement.

These Death Wankers were about to find out why you didn't want to anger a Weasley woman.

Molly saw the first Death Eater come in the front door, his wand raised, and she was ready. Molly had known for some time that her home might become a target, and she'd set up a few defenses without making them obvious. "Accio Spoon," she called, and the spoon propped over the door sailed toward her. The Death Eater looked up at the motion, just in time to be struck in the face by the falling iron cauldron that the spoon had been supporting.

Ginny was watching the back door and didn't see the first enemy go down. A Death Eater stepped through the remains of the back and Ginny already had her wand pointed at the door. As the man stepped through the doorway, Ginny cast a very simple household spell. "Reparo."

She wasn't casting at the man, but at the pieces of the door. The door tried to fly back together and reform itself, but there was an obstruction and the Death Eater screamed as dozens of sharp wooden splinters dug their way into and through him.

Outside, Bella frowned as she heard that first scream. That had sounded almost like one of her men.

Molly saw the next person coming through the front door and banished the first Death Eater back out the door, knocking the second one over and giving herself the few seconds she needed to set up her next trap.

"Wingardium Leviosa," she chanted, and the bucket next to the door spilled soapy water and oil over the floor just inside the door. While she watched the door, she Accioed three of her larger knives from the kitchen. She kept them handy, hoping not to have to resort to such drastic measures, but afraid she would have to, to keep Ginny safe.

Both of the Weasley women looked up as someone on the other side started thinking and the sound of breaking glass came from at least two windows out of their sight. Very soon, they would have enemies coming from three or more places at once.

Molly looked at Ginny, seeing the fierce anger burning in the girl's eyes. "I don't suppose you'll leave, if I tell you to, will you?" she asked in a resigned tone.

Ginny looked at her mother. "After you, mum, but if you're still here, I will be as well."

Molly sighed as she cast the chilling charm to turn the soapy, oily mess on her floor to ice. "You're as stubborn as I am, Ginevra."

Ginny winced, but smiled at her mother before turning her attention back to the door. "Thank you, mum. I think that's the nicest thing you've ever told me."

The two women froze as an unearthly scream rose in the living room and Death exploded out of the room an instant later.

OoOoOoO Harry, Hermione and Pansy, Mr. Sharpstar's office. OoOoOoO

Harry stared at the Floo desperately. He knew what was happening at the Weasley's, he could see the Dark Mark floating above the house, as clearly as if he was there.

Hermione and Pansy jumped as Harry's magic exploded, sending tendrils of magic crawling over everything in the room and making the glass in the window vibrate.

Hermione looked around and grabbed a parchment. "Pansy, keep him calm for a minute. I need a minute to create a Portkey." Hermione set to work, setting her mind on the drive down to the Burrow. Since you couldn't use a Portkey to get directly to the Burrow, the closest she would be able to get was the driveway. She shivered as Harry's magic touched her, crawling over her in an oddly intimate way. She kept on with her task, even as her mind cataloged the feeling for later examination.

"It's warm, and feels reassuring somehow, even though I can feel the power behind it. It's as if I know that this power will never hurt me." Hermione continued to think about that in the back of her head as she finished the Portkey. "Portus."

Pansy crossed to Harry, steeling herself to touch him. She reached out and touched his arm, flinching at the raw anger in his face as he whirled. "Harry," she said desperately, knowing that she was about to die.

Harry glared at her for a second, and she felt those bits of magic touch her, roaming over her body and raising all the little hairs at the back of neck and along her arms. It was hot, a fiery blast of power that made her want to fall to her knees and beg for mercy.

"Harry, you have to calm down," she forced out, "Hermione's making a Portkey, and you're not helping us get to Ginny." At Ginny's name, the magic flared higher for a second, and then Harry closed his eyes and his face stilled, as if something had simply wiped the emotion from him.

A few seconds later he was looking at the still terrified Pansy. He reached out, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand and ignoring the flinching. Pansy looked at him and Harry spoke quietly, so that only she heard him. "As long as you are true to me, I will never hurt you deliberately."

Pansy stared at Harry, and knew in that instant that Harry was everything Hermione and Ginny had said he was. This man was so good that he didn't understand just how rare he was, nor that other people could only hope to emulate him.

In that instant, Pansy realized that Harry saw everyone that wasn't trying to hurt him or his friends the same way she saw her family, and he would do anything to save them, just as she would for her family. Harry's family was just a bit larger.

Harry and Pansy stared at each other for a minute, Harry willing her to trust him, to know that he'd never hurt her, and Pansy having that moment of insight into Harry. "I've got it," Hermione said, and Pansy watched as Harry changed, becoming the fighter he needed to be to protect his family.

Harry looked at the two girls. "I don't suppose you two will stay here?" he questioned.

Hermione had an instant of humour. "Sorry, Harry, but I must have messed the Portkey up. It will only work for three people."

Pansy looked at Hermione for a second and shrugged. She blurred and Hermione yelped as she turned into a snake. "Pick me up, Harry, and next week, you're going to teach me to fight like the DA does. Right now, I'm better off in this shape."

Harry picked her up, looping her around his neck. He looked at Hermione and gestured at the parchment she held. "Stories later," he commanded, "Let's go."

A few seconds later, Mr. Sharpstar rose from his stool, rubbing his arms where Harry's magic had touched him. Harry's power had touched him, examined him and then left him alone, as if knowing he was not a threat. He crossed to the Floo and called the Auror's office. Getting the attention of the night duty Auror, he told him that the Burrow was under Death Eater attack and pulled his head out of the fire.

He sat back down on his stool and considered the scene he'd just seen. Brains, bravery and enough power to level Diagon Alley. That group had everything, and some hidden talents as well.

Nicholas Sharpstar smiled at the picture of his wife, killed in the first Voldemort war. "I think our vengeance has arrived, Mary love. I think we may finally see the end of That Rat Bastard, and I'll be able to fulfill my promise to you."

He went to work on Harry's affairs with a smile.

OoOoOoO Miranda, The Burrow. OoOoOoO

Miranda stepped out of the Floo and her training kicked her into action before her mind caught up. She tossed a red powder into the Floo even as her wand came up. "Reducto" she cast, watching as the arm reaching through the window exploded at the elbow, leaving the forearm to drop on the floor.

She took a second to swallow a potion from her pocket and then a Death Eater's face appeared in another window. Miranda charged, feeling the potion kick in, making her reflexes jump, boosting her already impressive physical skills to levels unmatchable by anyone not on this potion.

Somewhere in the back of her head, her logical mind was screaming as her heart rate rose, racing to supply the blood flow needed by the increased activity of her body. That thought had barely crossed her mind though when she reached the Death Eater and and stuck her wand three inches deep in his eye.

She gave the man a second to scream his pain and then ended his suffering forever. "Reducto."

She turned toward the only opening to the rest of the house and the hand not holding a wand swept under her robes and came out with an ugly Kris knife. Twenty-five centimeters of flame bladed steel, it was designed to tear and rip flesh, making wounds that were hard to heal. She started toward the doorway at speeds not obtainable by anything completely human, aware in the back of her mind that she was a terrible sight.

The potion she took boosted her strength, reflexes and speed, but at a high cost. Her heart rate was four times normal, and the blood was flowing through her system so fast that it elevated her blood pressure to levels that made some of the smaller veins in her extremities pop, making her face and hands appear blood red, and covering her eyes with a film of blood.

Add the absolute lack of any expression on her face, and she was a frightful sight, one that even gave some of the smarter giants pause.

She burst into the eating area of the kitchen and noted Molly and Ginny instantly. The two of them were staring at her as four Death Eaters entered the room, and before the Weasley women got over the shock of the bloody demon that had entered the kitchen, she had one Death Eater's head off completely and had rolled under another, banishing him through the ceiling and into the inferno that was the upper floor of the Burrow.

His screams did not last long.

Long before they ended though, Ginny had shook off the shock and turned back to her door. She hissed as she saw the being in the door, and saw the light glinting off of his hand. She had known him for a long time, but never met him as a man. "Hello Scabbers," she called and Peter Pettigrew looked at her, as she cast a new spell she'd made at him. This thing was the cause of most of Harry's pain, and Ginny was going to make him suffer. She cast a new variant of her favorite hex and swore as it missed.

Peter was already transforming as he took in the scene in the Burrow. A Defender was in there, and he was not going into tight quarters after her. A Defender could be killed, but it usually took a dozen wizards with lots of room to move.

The bottom floor of a burning house was not the place to fight her, and he wasn't sure what Ginny Weasley had cast at him, but given the spells she normally used, he was quite certain he wouldn't like whatever it did. That girl could be ruthless at times, and she had his vote for the Weasley most likely to become a Dark Lord.

He transformed again by Bella. "I think it's time to leave, and take this information to the Dark Lord," he told Bella.

Bella cocked her head and stared at him. "What information?" she asked.

"There's a Defender working with the Weasleys in there, and all of our people are dead, or about to be if they go in there."

Bella's eyes lit up. "A Defender? Truly?" She looked at the door and stepped in that direction, pulling her wand. "I've always wanted to try my hand..." she said, as Wormtail stared at her back. He'd known that she was insane, but this was bloody nutters even for Bella.

Wormtail shrugged and ran for the edge of the Anti-Apparation wards. If she had a death wish, then it was his duty to get away and tell the Dark Lord what had happened to the raiding party. He winced at the thought of the pain he would suffer, but at least pain meant you were alive to feel anything.

In the Burrow, Molly had gotten another Death Eater when he fell on the icy oily slick she'd created. As he fell, she activated the charm on the two broom handles that she'd removed the bristles from, and they started beating him in the head.

Ginny had no enemies in reach at the moment and had time to look at Molly's handiwork. The brooms were beating the Death Eater and singing mum's favorite Celestina Warbeck song. Ginny noted with a grin that the Broomsticks were keeping perfect time with the song.

She looked for Miranda, but she had already killed everything in her reach and had gone out the back door, where she was causing Death Eaters to regret their choice of hobbies by the sounds. Ginny looked at the bits of Death Eaters Miranda had left behind and shuddered.

Something fell out of the ceiling and Ginny's gorge rose as she realized it was the body of the Death Eater that Miranda had banished up into the ceiling. She looked up, becoming aware of the heat and flames and coming out of her niche. "Mum, I think it's time to go."

Molly looked at Ginny as a bit of the ceiling fell. She didn't bother replying but held Ginny's hand as they crossed to the back door, figuring that anything that Miranda left behind wouldn't bother them, unless they stepped in one of them.

They stopped just outside the house, stunned by the scene in the garden. Weirdly lit by the burning house, it was impossible to tell how many dead bodies were in the garden, but one thing was certain.

Not one of the bodies they could see was intact.

Molly looked at Ginny, and they were both pale. "This is why I didn't want you involved in this war," Molly said quietly. "It would kill me to receive you back like this."

Ginny looked at the destruction of her home, the only home she'd ever known, and the death scattered around the back of the house. "I understand." Molly looked at her, and saw that Ginny did understand.

Ginny sighed and stood up straighter, her face growing older as Molly watched her little girl look at the death around them. "Mum, I love you, and I would hate to cause you pain, but as a wise woman once said, You are my past." Ginny was about to say something else when she cocked her head. A smile lit her face, and she seemed to glow deep inside. "Harry!"

She dropped her mother's hand and ran around the side of the building, where Molly could barely hear shouting, and assumed that the battle still raged out in front of the Burrow. Molly sighed, thinking about how she'd felt around Arthur all those years ago, and still felt about him. She remembered the glow from Ginny when she heard Harry and sighed. "And he is your future."

OoOoOoO Ron and Luna, Harry's Room. OoOoOoO

Ron stared at Luna and felt fear grow in his heart. Luna took his hand. "Don't worry," she said, "help is already there, and more is on the way."

Ron stared at her as if she was even more nutters than normal for her. "Pardon me if I'd like to be there when my home is attacked," he said sarcastically.

Luna smiled again. "Your wish is my command." She looked around. "Dobby."

"Yes, Miss Luna?" Dobby asked, appearing in front of them.

Luna frowned, looking at him. "Are you and Winky strong enough to carry Ronald? His home is being attacked by Death Eaters, and he needs to be there now."

Dobby's eyes got wider than normal and he shook his head so hard that his ears flopped in his face. "No, no, Miss Luna. House Elfs can't do that. Only Wizards can Apparate with another being."

Luna sighed and looked at Ron. She stepped closer to Dobby and whispered something in his ear. Dobby stared at her. "Promise? Enough for Dobby and Winky?"

Luna nodded, and Dobby turned to Ron. "Please be sitting down, Mr. Wheezy," Dobby said even as Winky appeared and the two of them stepped closer to Ron.

"What are we going to do?" Ron asked, nervous for no reason that he could name.

Luna smiled, and it was her dreamy smile again. "Magic, Ronald, anyone should know that."

OoOoOoO Harry, Hermione and Pansy, The Burrow. OoOoOoO

The two teenagers and the snake appeared at the start of the drive to the Burrow and Harry started toward the fire engulfing the Burrow. "Ginny!"

Harry was shimmering again as he stared at the fiery ruin of the Burrow and his fear for Ginny grew. The magic was creating a nearly visible aura around Harry as he ran toward the Burrow, dropping Pansy in the grass at the side of the drive.

A Death Eater left on guard made the mistake of standing up and casting a curse in Harry's direction. It missed as Harry ran, but it flashed by close enough to get Harry's attention, and his wand rose. "Expelliarmus," he ground out, and the spell caught the unfortunate Death Eater in the wand hand.

Harry had always been good at this particular spell, and with his feelings running high, the Death Eater had no chance to hold on to his wand.

His wand, and the hand it was in tore themselves free at the wrist and flew off into the darkness, disappearing from sight before they even started to arc downward on their short flight.

The Death Eater was still staring numbly at his wrist when Hermione stunned him.

Harry ran on, fear growing in his heart as the top floor of the Burrow fell in, sending tongues of flame shooting high in the sky. Harry was looking at the Burrow and missed the rat that stared at him from the grass.

Unfortunately for Peter, Pansy was slithering along as fast as she could go, and came up directly behind him. She was going to ignore the rat until she saw the silver paw. Pansy realized what that meant and struck.

Peter started to turn and his rat instincts kicked in as he caught a scent that raised fear in the rat. He jumped high, trying to avoid the snake that was trying to bite him.

Neither of them was completely successful. Pansy got a bit of the rat, but didn't get any poison in him. Peter avoided the bite, but the snake was too close, and the next thing he knew, he was wrapped up by the snake, and it was staring at him, less than three centimeters from his snout.

He thought about transforming, but even as he started, the snake hissed at him. When he looked at it, it shook its head 'no' very distinctly. He stared at it, and realized he'd been caught not by a snake, but an Animagus.

Peter sighed and got as comfortable as he could when he was being squeezed tightly by an Animagus who was watching him closely and showing him fangs that literally dripped with poison. He began trying to think of some way to get out of this one.

Hermione stunned the Death Eater and took a second to use his robes to make a rough bandage around his arm. She wasn't all that worried about him dying, but from the screams and sounds coming from the burrow, he very well might be the only survivor, and they might want to ask him a few questions after Harry calmed down.

Even as she stood up and turned to the Burrow she saw what looked like a Quaffle sail into the woods. A second later she realized it had been a head, and she winced. Somebody up there was not playing anymore. Hermione started toward the Burrow, hoping to get at least one more alive, to double check the answers she got from the first one.

Bella had started toward the Burrow when she saw a woman shoot out of the back door and disembowel one Death Eater with one hand while casting a spell at another one that set him on fire, providing a hellish red light to illuminate the scene in the garden.

The Defender was moving so fast she blurred, darting, leaping and rolling like a possessed acrobat. This was a brutal performance though, as every time the bloody faced demon came near any Death Eater, blood flew. Worse yet, her right hand would point at someone, and curses flew continuously from it.

Bella stopped, considering the scene. She'd been watching the Dark Lord torment people for years, and even he'd never shown such a variety of ways to cause pain. Bella was half in love with this Defender, until she got her first good look at her, when she came up next to one of the Death Eaters and stuck the knife and her wand in his belly.

Bella sighed as the Defender cast a spell to heat metal on her own knife and left it there to roast the man from the inside out. "If you were a man, I'd back you against the Dark Lord, and we could have such fun," Bella muttered. She backed up until she was outside the Anti-Apparation wards.

The Defender finished scanning the yard and found nothing still living. She looked at Bella and Bella looked at her. The two women stared at each other, evaluating the other woman.

Bella noted the slowing movements of the Defender and nodded. Those impossible speeds were a potion then. And most of those spells were simple ones, used creatively. Bella would have to put a few hours in looking over the spells she knew, looking at them for damage and pain potential. She looked at the woman then, seeking to look under the guise of the Defender. What sort of woman was she? Could she be turned, or used?

Miranda Riddle stared at Bella, wondering if she could stay on her feet long enough to take her. That potion allowed her to do things impossible for any normal human, but the cost was high. Until she got to her potions, she was going to be as tired as if she'd been working hard for four straight days without a break.

Defenders were bodyguards, and they normally faced one to six enemies, trying to kill or kidnap the person being guarded. Miranda had taken that potion a bit too early, following her training, and she was coming off of it with the most dangerous Death Eater in front of her.

Miranda stared at her, seeing the respect and the challenge. She understood that perfectly. Bellatrix Lestrange was a legend, unbeaten in years, and only backed down by two men alive. Voldemort and Harry Potter. Miranda wanted to test her skill against that legend so badly she could taste it. She looked in Bella's eyes and knew the stories were true. That woman was not even on the same plane with reality. She was a cunning and crafty enemy though, and that made her a challenge that any Defender would rise for.

Both women looked sideways as sounds came closer, recognizing that a duel could not happen now, and both of them relieved in a way.

Miranda looked at Bella and made a decision. "Four days from today, we should meet at the Wickerbasket. We can decide when and where then."

Bella sighed, smiling happily. "I will know you, but how will you know me?"

Miranda smiled, tapping her leathers. "Wearing this, and a scowl, how many people do you think approach me?"

Bella giggled. "Only those tired of living I would think. I will be there, unless the Dark Lord has other plans for me."

Miranda nodded. "Until then."

Bella raised her wand in a duelist's salute, admiring the nerve of her opponent. She didn't even flinch, as if she knew Bella wasn't going to do anything right now. "I don't suppose you'd join me, for some creative mayhem? No? Pity. Fino a che non veniamo a contatto di ancora, il mio amore," Bella Apparated away, having stayed just outside the wards when she saw the Defender.

Miranda blinked. That whole scene had been absolutely surreal. She'd challenged Bellatrix Lestrange to a duel, been accepted and then called My Love by her. Miranda sighed and swayed slightly, only to find strong arms holding her up on both sides. She swore to herself. She was crashing hard, if she didn't notice two people coming up behind her. It was bad enough that she hadn't realized Bella was moving in time to do anything, and only luck and Bella's twisted insanity had made it a salute and not an attack. Then Molly and Hermione had managed to come up behind her without her noticing. She looked at Hermione, making sure she was unhurt and saw two of her.

Hermione had heard the conversation between the two women, but didn't think Molly had and wasn't going to say anything until she could talk to Miranda privately. She looked at Miranda and sighed. She'd seen Harry looking like that too many times not to know what was going to happen next. "Good night, Miranda."

Miranda cocked her head to ask what Hermione meant and her head just kept going as Miranda passed out. Molly and Hermione looked at each other over the girl they were supporting. Hermione looked at the Burrow as it fell in. "Harry's place? He has room for everyone, and he's the only person I know that does."

Molly tried to levitate Miranda only to find her spell sliding off the leathers until she levitated a bench from the garden and laid Miranda on top of it. "What do you mean? Harry's living with those Muggles, isn't he?"

Hermione shrugged. "Sort of. Let me tell you about the last two days."

The two women went off with Miranda following Molly and Hermione telling Molly about the last forty-eight hours, leaving out very little.

OoOoOoO Ron, Luna, Dobby and Winky, Here and There. OoOoOoO

Dobby, Winky and Ron appeared in the kitchen of the Burrow, and Ron had barely realized that there were bodies everywhere and the house was on fire before they were back in Harry's room. He was about to scream at Dobby when Dobby spoke first. "We must go back, but not in house, it's going to fall in too soon. We appear outside this time."

Ron choked down his comments and had a new problem as Luna sat in his lap. "Can you carry us both, Dobby? I think Harry may need us all."

Dobby looked at Winky and nodded. Winky and Dobby grabbed Ron and Luna and disappeared again.

OoOoOoO Augusta and Neville Longbottom, The Longbottom Estate. OoOoOoO

Neville was puttering around in the greenhouse when his grandmother called him urgently from the house. He grabbed up his wand and ran for the house, looking around for trouble.

Neville's grandmother stood on the front walk, dressed to go out. "Come with me, Neville. The Aurors have a report of Death Eaters at the Weasley residence."

Neville nodded, and grinned at his grandmother as they prepared to Apparate to the Burrow. "I see you still haven't gotten around to telling the Ministry that the private Auror line is still active here."

The elderly woman shrugged. "I'll get around to it, one of these years."

They disappeared with a crack.

OoOoOoO Everyone, The Burrow. OoOoOoO

Ron, Luna, Dobby, Winky, Neville, his grandmother and the first wave of Aurors appeared nearly together at the drive to the Burrow, causing a great many raised wands and a couple of aborted curses as people expecting to find Death Eaters popped into sight.

Harry had come around the corner of the Burrow and been hit with a high velocity redhead, who had attached herself to Harry quite firmly. "He got away," she said mournfully. "I had Scabbers in my sight and he got away."

Harry shrugged. "Wormtail is good at running. One day, he'll run out of places to run. Right now, are you hurt?"

Ginny shook her head. "Mum and I are fine, mostly."

Harry nodded, looking around at the devastation. "You did all of this?" he questioned, pointing at three very dead Death Eaters, including one missing his head.

Ginny shook her head. "Mum and I got a few, but they were in the house. As far as I know, everything outside the house is Miranda's work."

Harry sighed in relief. "I owe that woman. If she hadn't decided to start guarding Hermione when she did, I'd have been too late here."

The two teens turned as the Burrow fell in, flames leaping high as they devoured the Weasley home.

Ginny held Harry tightly as she watched her home. She didn't bother wiping the tears away as she mourned the only home she'd ever known.

Molly and Hermione found them there, and Harry frowned as he took in the body floating behind Mrs. Weasley. "Is Miranda OK?" he asked worriedly.

"She's fine," said Hermione, "she just pushed herself a bit too far. She told me what to do in this case, and as soon as we get back to your place, I'll have her up and about again." Hermione looked at Harry. "Do you remember what I said, about us having a talk about Miranda?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, why?"

"Just forget it."

The four of them started around to the front of the building and Harry stopped. Looking around he frowned. "Hermione, have you seen Pansy?"

Hermione was about to say something when she remembered what Pansy had done in the Solicitor's office and she looked at Harry. He shook his head very slightly and Hermione nodded. "No, but she can Apparate. Maybe she went for help."

Harry started looking around, worried. "You three take Miranda away from the house, I'm going to check and make sure none of these are Pansy."

Hermione took Molly's hand and started toward the sounds of other people. "Let's go and see who else is here."

Ginny looked at Harry and held him tighter. "I think I'll go with you, Harry. You tend to get in trouble when you're on your own."

Hermione shrugged. "She can help you look for her, Harry, and it's not as if we're going to have that many secrets anyway."

Harry nodded and the two of them started back toward the Burrow. They hadn't gotten very far when Molly shrieked. Harry and Ginny whipped around, their wands coming up and seeking a target.

Molly was pointing at the side of the drive and Hermione was calming her. "Harry!" she called, "it's your spy."

Harry started toward them as Hermione calmed Molly, who didn't seem to like snakes much. The only thing that had kept her from hexing the snake at the side of the road in fact, was that she was still using her wand to levitate Miranda and the bench.

Harry came closer and saw Pansy in her Animagus form wrapped around something. It wasn't until he was bending over that he figured out what she had. "You stopped for dinner?" he asked her in Parseltongue.

"No, you bleeding idiot, I've got a rat with a silver paw here."

Harry looked again and smiled. "Beautiful work, Pansy, but stay in that form, Molly thinks you're a real snake, and there are a lot of people here."

The people in question were approaching in fact, the Aurors first, having gotten the cluster at the drive straightened out.

The first two Aurors had their wands out and were approaching carefully. "Identify yourselves." The Auror wasn't rude, but it was obvious that he wanted some answers, right now.

Hermione stepped forward, ignoring the wands that pointed at her as she moved. "We are the people who were attacked. Molly Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger-Black. The girl on the bench is my Defender."

The Aurors looked at each other. The first one shrugged and lowered his wand, while keeping an eye on the group. "Harry Potter?"

Harry grabbed Wormtail by the scruff of his neck and told Pansy to let go of him. "Stay in this shape, and keep quiet and I won't give you to the Aurors," Harry hissed at Peter who remained limp and unresisting.

Harry picked up Pansy and slid her into his shirt. "Yes?"

The Auror came closer and looked at Harry's forehead. "Would you mind telling me what happened here? Since the Ministry debacle I am given to trust your word."

Harry stared at the Auror in disbelief. "You're in a minority."

"Yes, I know," he said, waving a hand at his partner. "But we spent two hours cataloging the damage to the Hall as well as the injuries gotten and spells used there. Your version of the events, or rather, your team's accounts fit the damage much better than the official story."

Harry sighed. "I finally meet a good Auror, and I can't tell him anything. I arrived after the event was over. After Hermione gets her Defender back on her feet, you'll have to talk to her." He pulled Ginny up. "The Defender, Ginny and Molly were the only ones here, during the attack."

The Auror blinked and looked at the floating form of Miranda. "One Defender and two women drove off Death Eaters? I am impressed."

Hermione looked up. "One of them was Bellatrix Lestrange. I saw her in the Ministry. But they only drove off Lestrange. The rest are around the house," Hermione appeared to be thinking of a tactful way to say this, "in various states of terminal disrepair."

The Aurors looked at each other again. The one that had been speaking to Harry grinned. "You know, Sir, between you and your friends and now this Defender, I think I'll take a vacation. You Know Who is dead, he just doesn't know it yet." He smiled, showing he was only kidding and then turned serious again. "Does anyone need St. Mungo's?"

At everyone's negative response, he nodded. "Mrs. Weasley, if you'll come with me, I need to ask you some questions. Miss,"

Hermione interrupted him. "It's Hermione Granger-Black, of the Black family."

He blinked. "I see. Which name would you prefer?"

Hermione shrugged. "I am in the Wizard world, I'll use my Wizard name."

The Auror nodded. "Well then, Miss, if you would kindly take my partner along to wherever you need to go to get your Defender back on her feet, she'll ask you the questions I'll be asking Mrs. Weasley, and we'll get this over with."

Harry was staring at the Auror in disbelief. "He's polite, believes me and wants to get all this out of the way so we can get on with our lives. No threats, no attempts to arrest me, nothing."

Hermione, who knew what Harry was talking about, laughed. "Would you like to ask Voldemort to schedule his attacks only when they're on duty?"

Harry nodded eagerly. "Yes. Oh. Um, make that a no. After he gets my gift, I don't think he'll be in any mood to be reasonable."

The male Auror stared at Harry. "You're sending the Dark Lord a gift?" he asked incredulously.

Harry grinned. "He'll get it Saturday." Harry looked around and motioned the two Aurors over to the small shed that Arthur Weasley kept his Muggle things in. Hidden from the rest of the group, Harry told them was his plan was.

The three of them came back around the building and Harry was smiling. The male Auror was frowning thoughtfully and his partner was grinning. "Mr. Potter, I would like one of those gifts, when you have a chance. I'll pay for it of course."

Harry shrugged. "No need to pay, Auror?"

She rolled her eyes. "My partner doesn't use names, so he always forgets to give them. I am Auror Amanda Wilkes and he's Senior Auror Theodore Roswell." She looked at Harry. "Yes, there is a need to pay. Aurors are forbidden to accept gifts from people they interact with in the course of their duties."

Harry thought about that and smiled slyly. "Well, they are Muggle made, so let me convert the price... oh, yes. It will cost you two Knuts."

Amanda looked at him suspiciously. "That seems quite low, Mr. Potter."

Harry grinned. "Well, if you find the shop I had them made at, and if you can get the Muggle who made them to say otherwise, and If you can prove I under charged you, I'll accept the difference."

Amanda looked at him as the rest of the people there watched them. "I hear a lot of ifs in that statement, Mr. Potter. Could I assume that you can get in contact with the shopkeeper quickly?" At Harry's smirk she sighed. "Then I'll just have to take your word for it."

Ron couldn't hold back anymore. "Would somebody tell me what happened here?" Ron was nearly shouting in his agitation.

Harry turned to him and saw Hermione off to one side, bending over a figure. "What have you got there, Hermione?"

Hermione looked up. "Harry," she said in a strange voice. "do you remember disarming a Death Eater on the way to the house?"

Harry thought back. He'd been worried about Ginny and the Weasleys, running down the drive. "Oh, yeah, I remember. Is he alive?"

She looked at him. "He's missing a hand, where your spell tore it off, but that's not important. Harry, it's Professor Snape."