Chapter 27: The Ties that Bind
Ron held on for dear life, absolutely certain he was going to throw up and die, and maybe not in that order. Violent winds surrounded him and the noise was deafening as the metal death trap clattered and spewed toxic fumes.
"This is amazing!" his dad shouted in his ear. "I've always dreamed of flying in an aeroplane!"
Ron moaned and hung his head. Harry was mad. His father was mad. The whole bloody world was mad, and he was on the side of the madmen.
Harry's voice came over the headset Ron was wearing. "Actually, this is a helicopter; it's a rotary craft. It's not a fixed wing aircraft, so it's not really an aeroplane."
"Harry, helicopters are still aeroplanes. They still fly on wings, the wings are just the rotors instead of fixed like in a jet," Hermione lectured.
"Who bloody cares," Ron muttered, then vomited into the bag he'd been provided.
Before long the bloody monstrosity, whatever it was, landed at their destination. "Welcome to Catterick Garrison," the pilot called as the noise from the thing finally died away.
Ron just moaned and flopped off onto the ground. "Why couldn't we take a broom?"
"Why that was wonderful Ronald! I believe we may be the first wizards to ever ride on a helicopter! Simply astounding what these muggles can do, eh? I think we may have a fighting chance after all." Ron's father helped him to the ground, his bright smile highly irritating to his still ill son.
"Yeah Ron, that was pretty brilliant. I can't believe you're moaning about this. Don't you like flying on a broomstick? How could this be much different?" Ginny looked innocent when she asked the question, but Ron caught the mischievous gleam in her eye.
"Because a broom stick doesn't bloody well sway about like that or make that much noise or stink like a potions lab," Ron grumbled. He looked over at his mum, who looked faintly green as well. Percy was supporting her, looking annoyingly chipper.
"Alright, recruits, assemble over here," one of the uniformed soldiers, Ron thought it was probably Baker, called. The Weasley family made their way over, along with the Grangers, Longbottoms and McAlisters. Neville looked slightly ill as well, though Harry and his sister looked hale as ever.
"Right. This way." The group followed the soldier to a square building where several more soldiers, these with a great deal of badges and ribbons on their chests were waiting.
"Do we get our wands back now?" Augusta demanded of Tom as she came in the door. Tom made a shushing motion. He'd changed into his own uniform, and Harry was wearing some sort of uniform as well, one with crossed wands as the unit badge.
"Attention!" one of the guards shouted from the opposite door way. All the soldiers snapped to attention, raising their hands in salute. "Presenting Her majesty Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other realms and territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith!"
Ron immediately tried to stand up straight, glancing nervously at his mum who had paled then tried to curtsy as a woman Ron faintly recognized from muggle money stepped into the room, dressed in a splendid dress of red with a matching hat on her head. Ron made a hasty bow, not really certain what was expected of him. Was he a subject of the muggle queen? He wasn't really sure, but he did know that his mum would kill him if he made an arse out of himself.
"Rise," the Queen said, and Ron jerked his head up, flushing and shooting a quick glance at Hermione. She was as flushed as he was, and locked eyes with him for a moment. She mouthed "wow" to which Ron jerked a nod, then turned his attention back to the queen.
"It has come to Our attention that some of Our magical subjects wish to renew their allegiance to the crown. This is a momentous event, as since the creation of the Statute of Secrecy, the Crown as had little to no influence over Our magical subjects. While originally this may have been for the best, recent events have led Us to believe that the two worlds can no longer remain separate. Those who wish to serve Great Britain and all her people, you will have your wands restored to you." Ron unconsciously touched his own jeans, where his wand still rested in his pocket. He saw Neville doing the same, and gave him a curious look. Why had they been allowed to keep theirs when their families had not?
"Ronald Bilius Weasley, Neville Frank Longbottom, Harry James McAllister, Hermione Anne Granger, step forward."
Swallowing, Ron stepped forward along with his friends.
"Kneel, and present your wands," Harry's dad said softly.
Ron dropped to one shaking knee and held out his wand. He glanced at Hermione to see how she was doing it, then quickly held it out in two hands instead of pointing it at the queen and looked back down. He felt the queen's hand briefly brush his wand handle.
"Repeat after me," Major McAllister said. "I, your name, swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Her Heirs and Successors, and that I will, as in duty bound, honestly and faithfully defend Her Majesty, Her Heirs and Successors, in Person, Crown and Dignity against all enemies, and will observe and obey all orders of Her Majesty, Her Heirs and Successors, and of the generals and officers set over me."
Ron repeated the oath, not entirely certain what he was doing. When he finished, he gasped as he felt his magic react. A stream of golden sparks flew out of the four children's wands, enveloping them and the sovereign in a golden glow. Ron felt as though an enormous piece of twin bound itself over his wand arm to the hand of the queen. He grunted as the sparks suddenly vanished. The sensation of being bound to the queen faded, but remained a niggling sensation at the back of his mind.
"The Unbreakable oath," Ron heard his dad say into the silence that followed. "But the words...that was no spell. And forgive me, but I don't think her majesty is any sort of witch."
"There are older and deeper magics than we always remember, Arthur," Augusta declared, stepping forward. "Magics that are a part of the land, and of blood. And of the crown and she who wears it. I didn't imagine something like this would happen or I would have forbidden Neville to bind himself so to anyone. But what's done is done." Augusta looked the queen straight in the eye, drawing herself up. "Return my wand to me and I shall take the same oath, provided we get one in return."
"You cannot demand that her majesty-" one of the officers with a great many ribbons on his uniform began, but he halted when the Queen raised a silencing hand.
"Let her speak her mind. It is long since those of the magical world considered themselves subjects of the crown, and We would hear what Madam Longbottom has to say."
"Thank you, your Majesty. I would have you swear that you and your servants would treat and govern those magical and mundane equally in the eyes of the law and treatment, that one would not be favored over the other nor one compelled to serve the other as slaves."
Some of the officers bristled as such naked distrust of the Queen and her government, but her Majesty only nodded.
"We swear to govern all our subjects, magical and mundane, with an equal hand. We shall extend the Law and Justice with Mercy in equal measure to all our subjects, and shall never compel any to servitude without their own knowing consent, and for their service they shall receive a fair and just reward."
Augusta nodded. "Good enough for me. Where's my wand?"
In the end, all the Weasley's and Augusta also took the oath. Even Ginny, who mum claimed was far too young to try to be a hero.
"She's a part of this war whether we want her to be or not," dad had told her quietly. "And she wants to take it. You know she's been talking about wanting to help Rebecca and the other muggles for months now. And You-Know-Who and his followers are going to be after her. She's in it now, Mollywobbles, whether we want it or not."
Rebecca McAllister took an oath as well, though no golden sparks surrounded her when she did so. The Grangers declined military service themselves, though they did reaffirm their allegiance to Kingdom and its democratic values.
"We're actually Republicans," Mr. Granger confessed, blushing and looking very embarrassed. "I didn't think it was right to forbid Hermione to swear an oath, she's capable of making her own choices, but you seeā¦"
"That's quite alright." The Queen had actually smiled and winked at Mr. Granger. "I quite understand. I respect the right of all the citizens of the United Kingdom to their own personal beliefs and freedoms."
And then the queen was gone, along with most of the more pompous soldiers, leaving behind Harry's dad, who was rather flustered looking. He had a new four pointed star on his uniform, though Ron wasn't quite certain what that meant. "Right. We have to make a decision: Do the kids go back to Hogwarts? Personally, I have faith in Sergeant Prewitt, and even in Professor Snape, that they can keep the kids safe while at school. However, there is more than just their safety to consider: there is also their education, the safety of their peers, and of course the fate of the school itself."
"How can you even consider sending them back?" Ron's mum and Hermione's mum said at roughly the same time.
Gathering his courage, Ron turned to face his mother. "Mum, what about Daphne? She fought tooth and nail to help us, and she's in Slytherin. Her housemates came to murder her and Blaise, and they're my mates. I have to go back, to make sure that they're OK. I can't leave them."
"You are more important to me than-" Molly began, but Ron cut her off.
"And what about Daphne's parents? What about Blaise's? Or Hannah, or Padma and Parviti, or Susan or Ernie or Terry or Michael or Leanne? They're all my friends, they all have families, and they're all going to be in danger. We have to go back to help them."
"You are eleven! A child shouldn't be sent to fight a dangerous war!"
Percy stepped forward, putting a hand on Ron's shoulder. "Then what about me?"
"Or us," Fred and George chorused.
Molly looked around at her sons, her expression stricken. "But you're all my babies," she whispered.
"They're not going into combat, Mrs. Weasley," Alice said gently. "They're going to be protected by your cousin and by Snape, and probably the Headmaster and other professors too. They just want to look out for their friends."
"And build valuable political alliances while they are at it," Augusta said. She nodded at Neville approvingly. "The Greengrasses are an old and well respected family, deep in the Pureblood Party. If you can sway them to our side, that's a deep blow to the enemy. Making friends with their eldest daughter is a good way to do that. And Griselda Zabini is a mean political manipulator as well. Make an ally of her precious son and heir and you'll have her on your side in a moment, and her criminal empire."
"I thought she was a solicitor or barrister!" Hermione gasped.
Augusta shrugged. "She is that, but she's also the head of the Magical Mafia in Britain."
"Wow. That sounds like something out of a really bad movie," Becky commented. "But can we get a move on this. Hey, Weasleys, raise your hand if you'd sneak off to Hogwarts just to help your mates and fight the baddies again."
All the Weasley children raised their hand, including Ginny, who glared at their mother definitely.
"But-but-" Ron's mum sputtered. Dad put his hand on her shoulder.
"They're just like you, dear. Rushing off headfirst into danger to protect those they love. What was it you told Dumbledore when he said you had no business avenging your brothers?"
"To sod off and that I'd hang Grisella Notts head on a pike," Molly muttered.
"And did we hang Grisella Notts' head on a pike, dear?"
"Well no, it was rather crushed by her roof falling in, but Arthur-"
"You and mum killed Grisella Nott?" Percy demanded, looking flabberghasted. "She was a notorious Death Eater, she took on four aurors in a duel and won!"
"We didn't fight her, Percivale, we just collapsed her roof and set the house on fire," Molly said. "Really, fighting her toe to toe would have been very foolish. Just as foolish as straying back into the lion's den!"
"We are lions though," Ginny declared. When Fred and George snorted at that statement, Ginny stamped on their toes. "I will be in Gryffindor and you know it!"
"Ouch, alright Ginnykins, alright!"
"We're going back, mum," Ron declared. "I'm not standing by while I see more of my friends murdered!" He shuddered, thinking of the empty eyes of Dean and Seamus. "And it's not like we'll be alone. We're Weasleys, and we look out for one another."
"All for one and one for all!" Becky declared. "Right, so, dad, what's the training we're up to? Please tell me I get a grappling hook, I really want a grappling hook. Oh, and to fast rope off a heli!"
"Harry, your sister is mental," Ron muttered to his friend.
"And hot," George observed.
Harry and Ron both looked aghast at George. He just grinned and winked at them. "Give it a few years kiddos, you'll see what I mean."
"Not on your bloody life," Harry vowed. "She's my sister. That's just disgusting."
Ron and the rest of the Weasley brood were swept up in their mother's arms. Her face was wet with tears, but she smiled at them. "I'm so proud of you all. Terrified, but proud. You have to promise me you won't go looking for trouble, and that you'll get a teacher or cousin Charles at the first sign of trouble, you hear?"
"Yes mum," they all chorused.
Tom nodded at seeing everyone resolved to return to Hogwarts. "Very good. Let's get to training then."
Previously, Ron had thought that the training with Harry and the others every morning and again on Sunday's was fairly difficult and intensive. The next two weeks quickly disabused him of that notion. It wasn't just physical, though there was still a morning run and exercises every day, but mental. The lessons on small unit tactics for use if they were ambushed at school largely made sense to Ron. It was a bit like chess, having to think of the strength of each of your pieces and your opponents, where everyone was on the board, what your opponent's strategy was and how to counter it were just faster and more pressing. Taking the terrain into account as well as surprise added depth that Ron enjoyed. He quickly understood how having the higher ground could be a force multiplier, and the wisdom of using suppressing fire to hold your opponent down while you're faster pieces moved in to strike from safety. He was by no means a master of small unit tactics by the end of the course, but he could help formulate or foil simple ambushes.
There was also the crash course in codes. They all had to learn morse, as few if any wizards had any familiarity with the muggle code. Hermione and Percy picked it up easily, but Ron struggled to make sense of the dots and dashes. Harry was very helpful as he had already learned morse ages ago, but Ron was quite certain he was going to have nightmares about dots and dashes for months before he ever really got the hang of it.
The most interesting part though came the last weekend before the Holiday was over.
"This is an Enfield .22 caliber training rifle," Lt. Col. McAlister said, holding the weapon in his hands. "It is bolt action and magazine fed. Some would tell you that this an under powered peashooter. They would be wrong. This is a weapon, with only one purpose: to kill. It can be used to kill small animals, or men. Do not treat this weapon as a toy, for it is not. Remember that this weapon is always loaded, even if you believe it to be safe. You have experience with wands, so you understand that a tool can wield great power. Do not mistake this for a wand: it cannot be used for anything but violence. As such, you should never, ever, under any circumstances, point this or any other weapon at an opponent unless you are willing to kill them."
"This is not an action movie, where you can blast something out of your enemies hands or shoot only to injure or incapacitate. I have spent 37 years as a soldier, and am considered to be in the top percent of marksmen even now. Speaking from experience, once you are in a combat situation, such displays of skill and daring go out the window. You are fighting for your life, and the lives of your comrades. When you pull the trigger, you must be willing to live with the consequences."
"Today is just the first part of your training with a gun. No, you will not be issued your own firearm even when you go back to Hogwarts or return to your home. Not until you are fully qualified with firearms will we even consider giving you a weapon. You will notice that Harry and Rebecca have their own firearms with them. That is because they are both qualified to carry them, and understand the responsibilities associated with being under arms. Once you have each come to understand what that means, you may elect to be issued your own personal weapon. Or, you may elect not to. You have been inducted into Her Majesty's Royal Army, but yours is a unique position. Now, watch as Harry takes the rifle and will demonstrates its proper use and care."
Ron watched in fascination as Harry showed how to properly carry the rifle, how to safe and unsafe it, and how to load it. Then he showed how to fire from a sitting position from one of the training benches.
"Right, each of you to your own bench. Mind your instructors and follow all directives they give you."
Ron sat down at a bench with one of the instructors and was soon demonstrating the proper technique. It was a frustratingly long time before he was allowed to fire the gun, but once the range was declared hot Ron happily blasted away. It wasn't like firing a wand at all, the recoil and noise were completely different, and unlike a wand a rifle didn't know what your intended target was and attempt to aim itself properly. He didn't think he did too badly though; the wand practice had certainly helped.
"Eh, not bad for a kid," Corporal Reddy commented, squinting at the paper target Ron had been aiming for. "Still, you need practice. Come on then, show me how to safe your gun."
"I am so ready for this holiday to be over," Hermione groaned at dinner time. "I'm fine with being a hero and all, but I think my body is just one big sore now, combined with my ears ringing all the time."
"It's not so bad," Ginny said, digging into her Yorkshire pudding. "At least you get to go back to Hogwarts. I'll be stuck with mum and dad doing Merlin only knows what. Probably boring school stuff and helping mum keep house again."
"I think you'll probably end up with more than that on your plate Ginny. Your parents both know how serious this all is now, and I think they'll probably take the offer of more physical training for you with Becky," Harry said.
At first Ron had thought Ginny would continue her hero-worship of Harry that she'd displayed back when it had been bedtime stories about the original Boy-Who-Lived, but apparently spending time around Harry's sister had disabused her of the notion that Harry was anything but a regular mortal. Becky had told stories that involved things like Harry falling into a pond because a goose was chasing him or the time he'd gotten sick during a cricket match and spewed all over his coach, which Ginny had told Ron in gory detail. He'd made a mental note to never let Ginny tell Harry about the incident with the gnome and his underwear when he was eight.
"Don't worry Gin-Gin, you'll be at school with us before you know it. I'll even try and save a few baddies for you."
Ginny stuck her tongue out at Ron, but she seemed mollified.
"What do you think school will be like when we get back?" Ron asked Harry the night before they left. The boys were all sleeping in a barracks room together, and had pulled their bunk beds in a circle. Somehow, Fred and George had smuggled in a bag of marshmallows, and started a magical fire to roast them over. Percy hadn't even made any noise about telling the adults, instead conjuring a cone of darkness to hide the light and give the illusion they were all sleeping.
Harry shrugged, holding the pole he'd attached his marshmallow over the flames. "Dunno. I expect we'll all have detentions and such. The Headmaster might even try to shut down the Defense Club. We'll find a way to meet even if he does of course. And we'll stick by our friends, no matter what."
"I expect he'll disband the quidditch teams for the rest of term and cancel the cup," Percy remarked. The other boys, save Neville, looked at him in shock and horror.
"He wouldn't!" gasped George
"That would be a crime against nature!" cried Fred.
Neville shrugged. "All the quidditch teams were responsible for a lot of the fighting. They tend to have some of the strongest students physically and the most popular. The fact that the Slytherin team was following Malfoy's lead makes me suspicious though."
"Flint's probably trying to get in good with Malfoy's dad," Percy said. "The Flint family doesn't have that many connections, so Flint getting a sponsorship from Lucius Malfoy to get into the Ministry when he graduates would be a good career move on his part."
"They had best not cancel quidditch though," Ron said darkly. "We'd have a real revolt on our hands then."
"That would be pretty stupid for us to do, Ron." Before Ron could argue with Percy, the older boy held up a finger. "Think about it this way. It took one spell from a teacher to incapacitate the entire train full of students. It was probably the headmaster, who is easily the most powerful wizard in Britain, but still. The teachers could overcome all the students if they really had to, mostly because they would work together and we would not. We're still too divided between houses. The 'puffs will be on our side, sure, but don't be shocked if the 'claws cozy up to the Slys after that fight. It's the traditional old alliances: Gryffindor respects hard work and loyalty, the 'Puffs courage and a willingness to fight for your friends. The Slytherins admire brains and cleverness, the Ravenclaws ambition and cunning."
"And that doesn't get into the whole blood purity debate," Neville agreed. "Sure, Rowena Ravenclaw eventually argued against Salazar Slytherin's wizard born only policy, but it was a near thing. Traditionally Ravenclaw has been much more sympathetic to Blood Purist causes than Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. You've got the odd person who bucks their houses trend, but it's hard to ignore what seven years of living with that way of thinking does to how people think. Look at me, it's not even been a year, but I'm much braver now than I was when term started. You lot are rubbing off on me."
"But Padma, Anthony, Terry, and Michael are our friends," Harry protested. "Not to mention Blaise and Daphne. They wouldn't let their houses turn them against us."
"Maybe, maybe not," Fred said.
"They're just ickle firsties," George agreed.
"If their houses really put the screws on them, there is only so much the professors can do."
"Yeah, they can't be everywhere."
"We know that best."
"Still, I think we'd best make an announcement when term resumes."
"Too right. The Weasley's consider all of Ickle Ronnikins little friends as honorary Weasleys."
"Not a bad idea," Percy said. "I might have a few ideas for pranks you could try on those who cross the line."
Fred and George both flopped to the floor, their tongues lolling out as if in a dead faint to roars of laughter from Harry, Ron and Neville.
"Oh come on!" Percy half shouted, throwing his half burned marshmallow at them. "It's not that surprising!"
"Little Prefect Percy pulling pranks?" George said.
"The world truly has gone mad," Fred lamented.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\
"Hermione, will you promise to watch out for Harry. For me?"
Hermione rolled to the edge of her bunk and peered up at Becky. The other girl's face was obscured in the darkness, but her tone of voice told Hermione that the older girl was worried.
"He's an ugly, smelly git some of the time," Becky said, her voice trembling slightly, "But he is the only brother I have. He needs someone sensible like you to watch out for him."
"I will," Hermione promised. "I'll try to keep him out of too much trouble. And watch his back if he really gets in the thick of it."
"Keep an eye on my brothers too, OK?" Ginny said, her bed squeaking slightly. "Like Becky said they're all morons, but I do love them."
"They do out number me just a tad," Hermione said dryly. "But I'll do my best."
"Don't worry, I'll be there next year to help you," Ginny said confidently. "I've been practicing the bat bogey hex with my mum's wand when she isn't looking. I think I'm pretty good at it."
Hermione couldn't help but think that Ginny would contribute more to the reckless side of the equation than the sensible one, but she didn't say anything to hurt the younger girl's feelings. "I'll see if I can wrangle Daphne and Hannah to be a bit more proactive in preventing any more testosterone related mania with the boys."
"You two are so lucky," Becky said, her bunk groaning as she slipped onto the floor between the other girls beds. "It's hard not to be jealous that I haven't any magic and can't go to this amazing school with you."
"But you're really good at martial arts," Hermione protested. "You even beat Harry. And you're a better shot than he is too."
"For now," Becky grumbled. "You just watch. In a few years he'll get his growth spurt and then I'll be smaller than him and I won't be able to touch him on the matt. Plus, he has magic. That's practically cheating."
"There are ways to disable boys," Ginny said primly. "Mum's showed me a few of them. You don't even need a wand for the best one. Just hit them right in the bollocks."
Becky chuckled dryly. "I think I'd prefer that my brother stay out of the alto section of the choir."
"There's still loads you can do back here, Becky," Hermione encouraged. "Don't give up. You said you wanted to be batman, right? He's practically the best hero and he hasn't any powers."
"Yes, but I'm still working on the 'infinite money' superpower that he has."
"I wish I had that superpower," Ginny muttered.
Becky coughed, sounding slightly embarrassed. "Well, you know, we aren't doing this for free. You'll get paid now."
"Really?" Ginny's voice was brimming with excitement. "How much?"
"I get fifty pounds a week," Becky said. "I expect you'd get much the same."
"That's about 10 galleons," Hermione clarified for the other girl.
Ginny sniffed audibly. "I know that. Becky's been teaching me loads. I've even read half the books she likes now."
That got a conversation started on everyone's favorite literature, which lasted long into the night, until exhaustion finally claimed the three girls.
