A/N: Forgive me. I'm not quite punctual with updates, am I? Sorry! Just been very, very, veeeeeery busy. I hope you guys like this chapter and thank you so much for all your reviews! 3
"Tonks, there's been an attack."
Before anyone knew, the perky little Head of Aurors Office had apparated, but not before she managed to spill her tea over the couch. A few minutes passed of tense silence, where Harry and Ron miserably tried to focus on their chess match. Giving up, Harry sat back next to Ginny, playing with her fingers to distract himself from the gnawing worry. This time, everyone noticed the silver wolf that came and, in Tonks' demanding voice, delivered its message to Harry and Ron.
"All Aurors report to Diagion Alley, in front of Gringott's. Death Eater attack, NOW. We're outnumbered!"
Three loud pops were heard around the room as Harry, Ron and Hermione apparated before the wolf even finished the message.
Jets of green, red, blue, purple were whizzing past, bodies were collapsing, children were screaming as families were separated by the oncoming cult of masked killers. The Aurors had been split into two groups; The Soldiers and the Security.
The Soldiers started throwing their own spells back at the Death Eaters, hoping to bring down as many as possible. The Security, on the other hand, was trying to usher as many innocent bystanders as they could to the wall separating Muggle London. Other witches and wizards of age began apparating away from the scene. The Aurors had given everyone two minutes before an anti-apparation ward was set in place over Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley and people rushed to leave the area before they were engulfed in its murders.
Harry, Ron and Neville led three of the six different groups from the Soldiers to opposite directions; forcing the Death Eaters to split up, making it easier for the Aurors to bring them down. Harry couldn't see where his group or any of the other Aurors were or who they were fighting but before he could even form a coherent thought to go and search with them to re-strategise, he found himself face-to-face with Mulciber.
"Hello, Potter" he sneered. "Surprising how we always meet under such…exciting circumstances."
"A real joy, Mulciber" Harry rolled his eyes.
The two encircled each other, neither making the first move, both waiting to see what the other did.
"Stupefy!" Harry turned to see who had cast the spell that had Mulciber crumpled to the floor and found a half-annoyed, half-amused Ginny shrug her shoulders, "you were taking too long."
"Ginny, what the hell are you doing here?!"
"The whole Order came, Harry! We couldn't possibly sit back while you were all fighting Death Eaters," Ginny was perplexed that Harry would even consider such an idiotic, cowardly scenario. "Even your mum and dad came."
"They…they're here? Why? Not everyone knows they're alive though!" He shouted, the anger flaring inside him as he shot a few Death Eaters approaching him.
"Now is neither the time nor the place, Harry. We'll talk later," and before Harry could say another word, Ginny had retreated away from him and landed herself in a duel with two masked killers.
Hermione led a group of three witches and wizards towards the once-standing Gringotts Bank. Four years ago, when Harry, Ron and her had escaped from the Bank on the back of a dragon, it had taken the goblins only a month to fix the burning rubble. But this, this was dark magic. This would take a lot more than just a month.
The once majestic, white marble building was now nothing but a crumpled heap of cement, brick and dead bodies. Goblins, witches and wizards alike could be found buried under the ruins; some with just a body part left.
Lily had joined Hermione, and was bent down, trying to lift a particularly large lump of rock off an almost dead goblin. The usual grouchy, small creature now looked helpless as the tears slid down its wrinkled face and past its mangled nose, "Save…me," he choked back, looking at the two women in front of him.
"On three, Mrs. Potter," Hermione muttered. "One..two…"
"Wingardium Leviosa," both voices echoed, lifting the rock off the goblin.
Hermione went back to looking for anymore possible survivors of the blast, helping Luna bring them back to Lily who was healing them as best as she could with the limited resources she had.
Her hand kept shaking as she attempted to pour some dittany on a wizard who was missing a chunk of flesh from his leg. Hermione gently took it off her, applied the dittany and laid the man away from the rubble and the fight. She walked back to Lily, pulling her into a tight hug.
"My son and my husband…they're out there," Lily cried into Hermione's shoulder, feeling strangely comforted in the arms of a young girl. "Voldemort's gone. Why is this still going on?"
"Because Mrs. Potter, their leader has died but he did not kill their ambitions with him. Harry will be fine, so will Mr. Potter. Harry's done this so many times before and from what we've heard, Mr. Potter's no coward himself. They'll be fine," it felt awkward and out of place for Hermione to be attempting to comfort a woman she had never met before but yet was still close to her.
"Thank you, dear. I'm just…being silly, really," Lily laughed, a sob barely hidden in her voice. She took in the frizzy brown hair and gentle chocolate eyes of the girl in front her; genuine love filled her for this young girl she had just met. "I'm glad Harry had friends like you, Hermione. It makes me feel less guilty for not being there for him."
They got back to work till all they heard from beyond the broken wall was complete silence.
Pops were heard all over Grimmauld Place as the Order regrouped back at their old Headquarters. There was no more Order of the Phoenix as such anymore but the cause was still there, and for as long as the cause remained, the fighters would too.
Remus and Sirius rushed back into the living room to find Lily tending to Luna's slight cuts and bruises and George's knee which was sticking out at an awkward and quite unnatural angle.
"Always knew it'd be useful to have a Healer in our midst, Lils" Sirius smiled warmly at her, observing how her fingers gingerly worked over her patients; with the utmost care and concern.
"I had a lot of practice with you Marauders, didn't I?" She laughed back – but it was a hollow laugh. She had been hoping that James would be with Sirius but everyone had come back into the living room and there was still no sign of James, Harry or Ron. She wasn't too concerned for them, though. She was told the Aurors would have to go back and report to the Ministry and the Auror Office but that still didn't explain James' absence.
Though Neville had returned, he hadn't been able to tell them much besides that six Aurors had been killed in the fight, with three Death Eaters captured. The civilian casualties, on the other hand, had been monstrous with over 40 dead and almost 90 injured.
They waited in silence for their return, hoping for some more news on the captures of the Death Eaters. About an hour passed and Lily, Ginny and Hermione were getting agitated, pacing about or biting their nails and glancing over and over again at the seconds that ticked by with no news of their men.
Finally, after what seemed like two hours, a loud crack was heard in the kitchen. Not a few seconds later, a dishevelled, bruised and teary-eyed Ron entered the room.
"Oh, thank Merlin!" Hermione shrieked before racing over to wrap her arms around her boyfriend.
He didn't pay her much attention though, as his eyes landed on Ginny and Lily looking expectantly at him. How was he supposed to break the news to them? He took a deep breath, searching for the strength needed to deliver the dreaded news. His eyes scanned the room, looking at the growing worry etched on every face as the worst scenario played in each of their heads. Guilt stabbed Ron as he realised their worst scenarios, that they were hoping Ron would be able to slate clean, were all true. With a deep breath and in a voice much too firm to reflect upon his true shattering, "Harry and James," he began but stopped shortly at the audible gasps that echoed from the two redheads as the truth dawned on them. "They're missing."
A/N: So what do you think has happened?! Are they dead, brutally injured, run off, or idk, whaddya think? I know, it's quite a short chapter but i just wanted to get an update up before I was killed in my sleep. Forgive me, my minions! Till next time! Please review! :)
