A Christmas Wish- Chapter 10
Hermione and George ran through the old warehouse, desperately seeking their other party members. Hermione stumbled every few steps, but George was always there to catch her before she fell.
Hermione thought to herself, Funny, up until recently, that was what Fred would-
Stop that, Hermione chastised herself. He wasn't what he said he was. He isn't worth your time anymore.
They ran past hundreds of unused rooms, and Hermione silently cursed the fact that Voldemort had chosen one of the largest warehouses ever constructed for his base. Her vision teetered on the cliff of blacking out, and her legs seemed to rebel every few steps despite what she wanted them to do. She knew she was dragging George down, but it was all she could do just to keep going.
"I think I hear them! Once we rejoin them, we'll get out of here!" George exclaimed.
Hermione slammed to a halt as she remembered. "George, they took my wand! We have to get it back!"
George stopped as well, his mind trying to make room in their plan for someone to go find Hermione's wand. Honestly, it could be anywhere, the factory was enormous.
"We'll tell the others when we meet them. I'm sure we can think of something, but first, we have to get you out of here!" George said, pulling her along.
Endless, identical rooms continued zooming by as they proceeded down the hallway. George took all sorts of turns, sometimes stopping to think about where they were. Hermione was thankful she was with someone who was directionally gifted.
"I think I hear them!" George stopped abruptly and Hermione stumbled to a less than graceful stop.
Sure enough, sounds of combat could be heard from their left. They both started in that direction, slightly more cautious now that they knew a war zone was nearby. They glanced toward the end of the hallway and saw wayward spells flying about in the room at the end. They knew that was their destination, and they knew that getting out together would be tougher than they initially planned.
Hermione and George glanced around the corner. The sight that greeted them was a spectacular array of combat spells flying in each and every direction. The brilliant lights reflected off of the massive oil tanks at the back of the room, thankfully none of them made it far enough to hit a tank. It was a miracle that their group managed to avoid most of the spells. They formed a rough battle line, and were taking on about five death eaters. Ever so slowly, the line began to move forward, trapping the death eaters in their own hideout. They were outnumbered and quite possibly outskilled, and as they realized this the panic began to set in. Their attacks became scattered and frantic, bouncing off of wayward windows or completely off target. No longer were they using their ingenuity to win the battle- they were simply panicking, which made them that easier to take down.
Despite Hermione's best attempts to stay awake and pay attention, she knew that she was losing strength fast. Her legs began to tremble under her own weight, her eyelids became heavier by the second. Somebody could have drugged her, so that she'd be unable to escape on her own. That was quite possible. She leaned on the wall for support, even her arms shaking from the effort it took.
Thankfully, their party soon disposed of the death eaters. Hermione and George emerged from their hiding place, George half helping, half carrying Hermione. Ginny rushed over as soon as she saw the pair, clear worry etched on her face.
"Hermione, what happened to your head?" She exclaimed.
"My… what?" Hermione sounded confused, very uncharacteristic for her. This fact made Ginny even more concerned. The head wound could be affecting her mental functions, which could mean it was fatal.
"George, we have to get her out of here first." Ginny ordered.
George immediately protested. "What happened to 'we leave together or not at all?' I thought that was our strategy!"
"That was before we realized that Hermione was fatally wounded! George, get her out of here!" Ginny ordered.
"She's right, mate." Charlie piped up. "Hermione needs help as soon as she can get it."
"But what about the rest of you?" George asked.
"We'll be fine. Just get her back home and get some help for Hermione. We'll be right behind you after we dispose of the place." Charlie promised.
George sighed, but he knew the wisdom of their words. Hermione seemed to be getting weaker by the moment. He knew that if they stayed instead of getting her help, the delay could very well mean the difference between life and death.
"Alright, fine. Take the portkey." He handed Charlie the watch that he had been carrying with him. "Hermione's wand is missing. Somebody needs to figure out a way to get it before you leave. They've probably charmed it against being called by a spell-"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just go! We dismantled the wards for this place several minutes ago, you should still be able to get out the same way we came in." Charlie said impatiently as he snatched the portkey out of George's hands. He gestured towards a giant, gaping hole in the wall of the factory that appeared as if it had been blasted apart by a curse of some sort.
George nodded his thanks and took Hermione in his arms, jogging towards the exit. He hated to leave his family behind to face unknown peril, but he knew he had no other choice.
Behind him, Charlie handed the portkey to Harry. Harry looked at him with a questioning stare. "Well, you're pretty much our leader, anyways. You should keep track of it." Charlie explained.
Moments after George left, the group was surrounded by death eaters. Dozens upon dozens of them poured from the hallways, unused rooms and even closets. Their black hoods seemed to stretch forever, endless masses of dark bodies completely filled the room. They advanced upon the companions, coming from all sides, cutting off all exits. The group instinctively formed a circle facing them all, wands outstretched, hoping that their formation would somehow provide them with adequate defense.
Suddenly Percy's eyes lit up as he fit all the scattered pieces together. Hermione being kidnapped, held hostage here, because they knew her friends would try to save her...
"This was a setup. This was all a set up, a trap!"
"Who knew the ministry brat was so brilliant?" A figure stepped out of the mass of dark cloaks, just as identical as the rest of them.
"Jack." Percy's eyes narrowed.
"And impressive memory, too. That trial was several years ago. As much as I'd love to take the time to introduce myself to the rest of you… cretins… we do have a mission to accomplish here. Before we begin, however, we need to take care of your weapons. Wands, please."
Before the party could do anything, their wands were snatched from their hands by an invisible spell. They flew towards the back of the room and started zooming down the hallway that George and Hermione had come from. Their hearts were pounding, brains whirring and trying to come up with a plan with very few resources available to them. They were vastly outnumbered, and no matter how they combined their own individual abilities, it wasn't looking good. They couldn't take them all on without several casualties. Without their wands, they were helpless.
The death eaters raised their wands, all in unison, as if they were being controlled by only one person.
"Look, we surrender. We're clearly outnumbered and outskilled." Harry tried to reason with him.
Jack chuckled, the sound dark and haunting, like a wail from the shrieking shack. "Oh, you poor cretins, you misunderstand me. I blame you awful children for taking away my Hermione. My dear, precious Hermione… I will have her back. Punishment is most severe for those who interfere. You see, children… this is not a battle anymore. This is an extermination."
Harry instinctively reached for Ginny's hand. Their pulses hammered together, both were terrified, but neither would show it. In fact, all of the Weasleys stood tall and proud, staring fear directly in the face.
Well, all of them except for two.
The older siblings formed a group around the younger, Bill and Charlie and Percy on the outside of the ring. They could perform basic wandless magic, and could perhaps shield the younger kids long enough for them to escape. It was a long shot, but it was the only option they had.
"Now, my death eaters… kill them!" Jack ordered.
"Duck!" Harry grabbed the people closest to him and hit the floor, hoping that everyone else had managed to hear him and follow his orders quickly enough.
Spells flew over their heads, striking death eaters on the opposite end of the circle. The diversion gave Bill, Charlie, and Percy enough time to cast wandless shield spells on the younger kids, and then themselves. They could only do simple spells without their wands, but it was better than nothing.
Jack howled in anger and frustration. He would have them killed, he had to! His forces vastly outnumbered theirs. They were more intelligent than he had given them credit for, a mistake he would never make again.
Harry immediately picked up some black robes from fallen death eaters. He handed them to his friends, knowing that if they wanted to get out they'd have a better chance if they looked identical to everyone else. The others wasted no time in donning the dark attire and dispersing into the crowd, quickly becoming lost among the group.
All spell firing ceased as the death eaters became confused. The party did their best to fit the act as well, acting confused and disoriented while secretly devising a plan to get them out together. Harry's quick thinking with the cloaks would keep them from immediate death, but would their separation keep them from getting out safely?
"What are you doing?" Jack bellowed. "Find them! Search every death eater! Fire at will!"
Harry knew that his momentary diversion had only bought them a small amount of time, and that precious little time was running out. Spells started flailing through the building once again. Harry saw death eaters drop one after the other, and could only pray that none of them were his companions.
Suddenly, an enormous boom shook the entire factory. Harry's head snapped towards the direction of the sound, and his eyes saw one of the massive oil tanks split down the middle. Gasoline flooded the place, its awful stench spreading even faster than the slithering liquid. The death eaters seemed slightly confused by the foreign substance, but wasted no time in continuing their pursuit of the disguised prisoners.
Harry watched as the gasoline spread all over the floor, and finally, an idea struck him.
Before he could act on it, though, he saw a shock of red hair in the corner of his eyes. A cloaked figure was surreptitiously easing away from the pack, heading towards the back of the room where their wands had been taken. This death eater was smaller in stature than the others. When she had broken away from the pack, she started sprinting towards the hallway.
Harry immediately recognized what she was going to do, and sprinted after her to stop her. She was fast, but Harry was faster. He caught her arm and whirled her around, her eyes widening in fear before she realized that it was only Harry, not a death eater coming to search her.
"Where are you going?" He demanded. He kept holding her arm, unexplainably wanting her near.
"Somebody has to get our wands back. Even if we made it out, we'd be sitting ducks just waiting for them to ambush us. Face it, Harry, we're powerless without them." Ginny pointed out.
"I know that! But our focus right now is getting us all out of here safely!" Harry ordered.
"And MY focus is getting our means of attack back!" Ginny shot back.
"Listen, Ginny, I've got a plan and the entire place is going to blow very shortly. I can't do that knowing that you might still be inside." Harry said.
"The wards will be down for maybe another five minutes. Give me that long, I will have gotten our wands and apparated myself out. I can do this, Harry." Ginny argued.
Harry's eyes softened. He didn't want her to go- he'd always held a soft spot for her, perhaps because she was his best friend's little sister. He protected her like a brother, he always had. But he also knew that she was strong, and didn't necessarily need protection all the time. Sometimes, she needed to stand on her own.
"Take this with you." Harry gave her the watch that was their portkey. "If you sense that danger is coming, get out of there, no matter what, okay? And be careful. Please, please be careful…" Harry released her arm, and she sped off into the distance.
Five minutes. Five long agonizing, deadly minutes was all that he could give her. Merlin, he'd never forgive himself if she didn't make it out of there alive. If she was still trapped inside when he destroyed the place, it would be just like he had killed her himself.
Harry shook his head and tried to shift his focus. She'd made her choice, and there was no going back now. Five minutes to find Charlie. He had to find Charlie, or the entire plan would be torn to shreds.
The seconds ticked painfully by as his pulse hammered through his system. His adrenaline powered him on, allowing him to dodge wayward spells and sneak by unsuspecting death eaters who were supposed to be searching for him. The oil on the floor was perilously slick, and he had seen more than a few death eaters fall.
He tried to look for Charlie's tall, broad frame, but it was so similar to the other figures that he couldn't ever be completely sure. Every time he was sure he had found Charlie, the hooded figure would turn and reveal his death eater mask. Finally, Harry's gaze was drawn to a figure that seemed agitated. They tried desperately to hide it, but they occasionally couldn't help but wring their hands or scratch their forearms. It was almost as if that person just couldn't calm down, and had to have a cigarette…
Finally, Harry had found him.
Harry approached the figure, attempting to be nonchalant. "Give me your lighter." He said as quietly as possible, hoping that no one else would hear him.
Harry inconspicuously walked behind Charlie, and Charlie slipped his lighter into his hidden hand. Perfect, Harry thought. Everything was going according to plan.
Except for Ginny. Had it been five minutes? It felt like forever. He couldn't wait any longer. This was it.
He ignited the small flame, and dropped it to the oil-soaked floor.
The scorching hot fire grew so tall it licked the ceiling, and spread faster than the most untamable wildfire. Most of the death eaters were too surprised to cast shield spells in time, and were swallowed in the hungry flames. Harry's companions escaped unscathed, thanks to the shield spells from the older Weasleys. They were able to find each other by simply looking for the cloaked figures who weren't panicking.
"Wow, good thing we had those shield spells, huh?" Ron observed.
"Yes, good thing, indeed." Jack's voice spoke from behind them. The party whirled around to see him holding a cloaked figure roughly around their waist, his wand aimed towards where their head would be.
Harry's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. The last Weasley, the only one who wasn't in their party, the one that he had so foolishly let go…
BOOOOM!
A vicious explosion tossed the steel fortress like it was a mere child's toy. Harry fell most un-hero-like on his bum, and as he glanced around he realized that most of his party didn't fare too well either.
Somehow, Jack had managed to stay standing. He didn't even seem shaken, still clutching his captive tightly. "I suppose your shield spells endured that first explosion, but the next will surely destroy them. The first shell only held a remnant of its oil capacity, but the second one is full, I assure you. I suppose that means your time is running out…"
"Harry, you have to get out of here!" Ginny yelled from inside her cloak.
Jack tore her hood from her face, revealing his prisoner to the group.
"We won't leave without you, Ginny!" Harry replied. He had no idea how he'd save her, but he knew that he couldn't just leave her with this creep.
"Why do you insist on stealing my women, Harry? Why, this one may even be more beautiful than Hermione. Just leave us be." Jack possessively pulled Ginny closer and nuzzled her neck, drinking in her brother's looks of rage with sheer pleasure.
"LET HER GO!" Harry unleashed a feral growl.
"Harry, just leave! There's nothing you can do, he's won! I'll be fine." Ginny argued.
Harry shook his head. "No! Not now, not ever!"
"Dear Harry, all we're asking for is some quiet time. I just want to… get to know her…" Jack sneered as his hand traveled across Ginny's waist, loosening his grip just a slight amount. Harry felt arms pulling him back before he even realized that he had moved.
Ginny took advantage of the moment. Jack's attempt at making her brothers and Harry angry forced him to loosen his grip just enough for her to wriggle free. She wouldn't have much time, but she'd have enough for one spell. She whipped out her wand and yelled a variation on the apparition spell that Harry had never heard of. A blue light enveloped the party and the last thing Harry saw was Jack's expression of sheer shock and anger, and Ginny's look of… he didn't know. Was it fear? Was it bravery? Was it even… love?
He felt the familiar tug of apparition, and, within moments, the group was piled in a rather unceremonious heap in the living room of the Burrow. Six bodies struggled with one another, each one trying to get their bearings and shouting incoherent phrases concerning the battle.
"I'LL KILL HIM! I'LL KILL HIM!"
"Ministry brat? Such a derogatory title…"
"…need a cigarette… need a cigarette…"
"BOOM! I love explosions!"
"That was really good thinking with the lighter, Harry! Great work!"
The party began to dismantle themselves from each other. He saw all the familiar faces, Bill, Charlie, Percy and Ron…
"Gotta find the traitors, gotta find the traitors, could be one of us, gotta find the traitors…"
Harry's heart caught in his throat. He did a quick count- there were six of them in the living room. They had started with eight people, but then Fred left, then they acquired Hermione, but then she and George both left, and Ginny had been taken prisoner, so that meant…
Five. There should only be five of them.
Harry's eyes turned slowly to the sixth member, the death eater mask staring back at him blankly.