Chapter 12

Harry winced as he came into the kitchen, it had been two days since he and Ginny had got back together and he was healing well. Slipping into a chair at the table, he pulled out a newspaper and began reading. The door opened and Jake walked in,

"Alright mate?"

"Yeah thanks," he smiled at him,

"Ready for tonight then?" tonight was the night when they would ambush the Crabbe's. They had been watching the house every day for any sign of activity. They hadn't noticed anything.

"Yeah, but…" he started

"She's awake!" Xa burst in, a grin spreading across his face "She's fine!" Harry pushed himself up and clapped Xa on the shoulder.

"Well enough for me to see her?"

"Yeah, yeah!" he said pushing Harry forward "she's with Luna and Ginny!" He practically ran up the stairs two steps at a time.

They burst into the room; the room had light blue curtains that were pushed wide open and also light blue chairs and bed sheets to match. It was a small cosy room that seemed comfortable. The young girl who reminded Harry so much of Xa sat propped up on a pile of pillows talking to Luna and Ginny.

"Hey" she croaked smiling, Xa sat by her side and took her hand carefully, and he smiled warmly at her.

"Hi," said Harry "I'm Harry and this is Jake" she smiled and nodded at Jake then turned her attention back to Harry.

"Thank you, for everything…"

"That's fine, it wasn't me really; it was everyone!" he smiled warmly at her "Anyway, how are you Marilyn?"

"Feeling better thanks, it's nice to be with my family again" she smiled and squeezed Xa's hand.

"Good, you're going to be staying here with Xa for now, but later we may have to move you. If you and Xa want to stay together you can go to the same place. We'll find some space!" Harry came up behind Ginny and slipped his arms around her waist. He kissed her head and breathed in her sweet scent. She turned round and kissed him passionately Xa, Marilyn and Jake turned their eyes away but Luna smiled happily staring at the space above their heads with a dreamy, faraway look hanging in her shining blue eyes.

"You should be careful; the Wrackspurts will get to you!" Ginny smiled at her friend and Harry grinned too. He kissed Ginny again.

"I don't really wanna see that mate…" said George,

"Yeah, remember that is our little sister!" Fred added, raising an eyebrow. Ginny glared at them and Harry grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry…" he mumbled, and stood by Ginny taking her hand instead. She pulled him towards the door,

"Can we go in the garden?" she asked quietly, Harry nodded and left the others talking about later.

The garden for Grimmaud Place was small and surrounded by a large brick wall, they had planted many colourful flowers though and also three pear trees at the back along the wall. They sat on a bench beneath the pear trees, the weak sun just shining through the clouds to give them a little warmth. Harry pulled Ginny closer to him and she snuggled into him.

"Harry…" she started,

"What'd you want?" he asked instantly. She looked at him and then quickly glanced back to the house.

"I was wandering if…I could…perhaps…come tonight?" she blurted out the later "I wouldn't be any trouble I'll even stay with you, or George and Fred but I just want to come! I'll wear a disguise, I'll have polyjuice potion! Please!"

"Well…I guess you could…but on my conditions! I mean that Gin, no sneaking off or anything like that!"

Later in the evening, just before they were leaving, a short blonde woman of forty stood by Harry. Ginny had taken polyjuice potion and turned into a muggle Shacklebolt had seen in the street.

"Ginny, you have to top up regularly, as one doze only last an hour. Got it?"
"Got it!" she said firmly, pushing her now blonde hair behind her ears. Harry handed her a hip flask that she secured tightly to her belt.

There must have been twenty or twenty five of them all together; all crammed in the hall.

"Shift!" said Harry loudly, over the noise. In a few seconds twenty-five men and women had turned into fifteen various animals and ten men and women. They all apparated into a large forest, they knew this to be large the Crabbe estate. They gazed out over it, Ginny stood by Luna's side. Luna was also in disguise all of the men and women were. She had short brown hair, cut into a neat bob. Her normally blue eyes were a deep shade of hazel but somehow she still had her spark though, it still shone through. They looked over the giant mansion; it was six storeys high and would have been lovely if it hadn't been painted a dark, murky grey. They moved on in silence.

Travelling fast, they got closer and closer to the house. The trees soon began to thin and the sky became darker. Ginny gazed off at the house. What if he's there? She thought What if he catches me? What if he does it again? What if someone else does? What if Harry finds out? These thoughts were flying through her mind. They had been forever, she was getting a headache from all this thinking. Harry padded along beside Ginny, in his ragged dog form, rubbing his nose into her hand; she looked down at him. Suddenly, he was in his own form, walking beside her.

"What is it Ginny?" he asked pulling her to the back of the group. His hood was pulled up hiding his face from view.
"What do you mean?" she asked nervously.

"You know what I mean," he said stopping her "it's not like you to run off you're…you're not usually…so…"

"So what?" she snapped when he stopped "Immature? Weak?"

"Sensitive," he said "You don't normally take what people say so seriously. What happened to you?" his eyes burrowed into her, so she turned away quickly "What did they do? You've survived torture before, you are stronger than them!"

"There is nothing wrong with me!" she snapped "I'm fine!" she walked quickly ahead when a eagle swooped down in front of her. Just before reaching the ground the eagle became a man, Jake stoof in its place.

"Harry, we can easily bring down the wards and send a group in at the same time, as long as we've got the first ward down it will be done easily!" He told him, "We should arrive at the house soon. Who are we sending in?"

"Ok…I'm going in, along with…Chris," he paused and looked around the crowd that had now gathered around him "Paul, Mica, Taylor, Henry and Kathy" they all shifted immediately into small animals. "Birds would be best," Harry said, he followed suit and changed into a small raven. They took of leaving the rest behind.

"Alright, here's what we do! We're surrounding the estate and all casting this one spell, Revelare Omnes, got it?" everyone nodded, in reply to Jake "Ok, let's go!"

They stood in the now pitch black night, as they waited for the signal (one red spark from jake and a second from Harry). Suddenly one spark rose into the air, shortly followed by another. Surrounding the estate the chant started. Ginny could hear it faintly in the distance as she joined in.

"Revelare Omnes, Revelare Omnes," silver light shone from her wand and began joining with a dozen others. Soon the whole estate was surrounded by silver light. Shouts could be heard from inside, they knew they were under attack. Suddenly, the silver light turned blazing red and erupted into the sky. The enchantments were broken. Without thinking Luna and Ginny charged into the estate, soon followed by the others. They ran straight to the front door and, with a wave of her wand, Ginny blasted it open. As they ran in Luna lead the way to the dungeons, everyone followed her. Down twisting stairways and pasted millions of doors. They blasted anyone, who got in the way, across the room.

Everything was going well, until they reached the dungeons. They were flooding with thirty or forty death eaters. All of whom were already in a bloody and gruesome battle. Harry was still in his dog form, leaping from door to door, looking in the dungeons. He skidded over to Ginny and quickly shifted back.

"Open all the doors down here!" he told Ginny and Luna. Ginny, thinking quickly, duplicated the key he had pressed in her hand and gave one to Luna. They dodged from door to door letting men, women and children flood out. Eventually Ginny reached a dark door, tucked away in the corner, she flung it open and stopped dead as she saw who were inside.

"Bill? Ron?" she whispered. They looked up.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Bill said, he seemed the stronger of the two. He was shaking badly though and had tears in his eyes. "What have you done with my wife and child?" he yelled lunging at her. Suddenly, George appeared, he caught Bill and pushed him back in.

"George?" Bill croaked.

"Shut up and listen, we're getting you out, now! Do you know where anyone is? And how long have you been here Bill?"
"I arrived yesterday" bill replied "But…but they took them both: Fleur and our baby!" she was only born a few days ago…" tears welled in his eyes.

"We'll find her, and this is Ginny!" George indicated to her, "She's in disguise, so don't go killing her!"

"Ginny?" it was Ron, his voice was hoarse and sounded almost as bad as he looked. He was skinny, bleeding and broken. Staggering to her, he caught her arms and pulled towards him, Ginny suddenly realised he was crying "They got her…they took my first best mate and now my second!" he sobbed.

"Ron, listen, that's not-" she started,

"RON!" Harry was pushing his way towards them, through the fight "I'm still here mate! I'm still here!" he sobbed out as he reached his best friend. Ron looked so confused, his mouth hang open as he stared at Harry. His eyes were wild, Ron was going mad.

"Harry, go!" Ginny pushed him away before Ron could lunge at him. Harry staggered back with tears in his eyes; he turned back into the battle and ran. "And don't you dare give him a hard time!" she snapped at her brothers. Chris and Wolf ran in, they looked at Ron and without a word went to support him.

"Listen to me," said Chris to Ron "We're going to get you out of here, ok?" Ron shook his head

"Not without Hermione I have to find her now!"

"Take him, now!" shouted Ginny as more death eaters flooded in. Wolf was out to go but Ron pushed away. He staggered into the fight.

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" he shouted, desperation leaking into his voice. Ginny gazed in horror as an all too familiar face turned to look at Ron.

"RON!" she screamed, but it was too late. A spell hit him in the chest and he fell back. Ginny blazed with anger as he hit the floor. She ran out into the fight, Chris and Wolf got to Ron before her and quickly apparated home. She spun round to look at the mayhem surrounding her. They seemed to be winning, all the prisons were opened and people were disappearing and then the soldiers were returning. Everything seemed ok. Until that thought came crashing round her with a simple sound: the smash of a bottle. She turned instantly to the sound; Luna stood in shock; her polyjuice potion leaking across the floor. With one glance at her watch Ginny saw it had nearly been the hour, in a few seconds their disguises would fail without any potion. Quickly, she took one gulp of hers and began making her way to Luna. That was the problem, it was Luna! She had returned to her normal appearance and Ginny wasn't the only one to notice. Draco Malfoy.

"Hello Luna!" he whispered into her ear, Ginny saw this from the other side of the room "Have you been hiding from us?" his hand had caught her wrists and she stood paralyzed. Before she could scream a hand clasped over her mouth and began dragging her back into the shadows. Ginny seemed to be the only one to notice. Everyone was too caught up in the fight, so she took charge and followed them into the shadows.