Chapter 75: The Ministry of Magic
At the end, remember the stones. They can heal you.
Brogan awoke with a start, blinking into the half-light of the bedroom. Harry and Ginny stirred on either side of him and then settled again. He shook his head as he became more alert. He'd been having the strangest dream – it had been about Aine, he was sure. But before she was the Goddess; before she had even been anything at all. She had been so young… and he then remembered a cave, and the taste of apples, for some reason.
Brogan sighed as he shifted and tried to get out of bed without waking the other two. Ginny's hand reached out for him as she half-whimpered and then quieted once more. He bent down and placed a kiss near her ear, and she sighed, her grip loosening. Harry was facing the other direction, snoring slightly. Brogan smirked as he leaned over him, running his hands through the other man's hair. But he managed to stand up in one fluid movement without disturbing either of them.
He grabbed a dressing gown from the floor and slipped it over his shoulders, not sure if it were his or Harry's at this point. He pulled some clean clothes from the wardrobe and decided to take a shower. The Order meeting the night before had run very long indeed, and Brogan felt no wiser than he had before it. Aberforth was sure Voldemort would strike, possibly sometime today or by tomorrow, at the latest. Many of the flat's inhabitants had been sent out on missions and guard duty. The three of them, however, had been told to sit tight and wait to be summoned.
As far as Brogan knew, the only other people in the flat now were Ron and Hermione; Ron was a bit immobile because of the younger man's wound. Even Brogan's father had been sent out on Aberforth's orders, although what he was doing, Brogan had no idea. He realized with a frown that he hadn't had the chance to talk to his father the last few days and felt sad about that. It was a weird emotion to Brogan. He hadn't exactly missed the elder Caley, but…he realized he had sort of got used to seeing him and exchanging at least a few words over their shared cup of coffee in the morning.
He made his way down to the kitchen, hoping someone had left the kettle on, at least. The kitchen lights flared into life as he used his wand to get the coffee started. He also refilled the kettle. Brogan prided himself on his conscientiousness and knew the next person might appreciate it if they returned from a long night of doing Order business.
The door to his right opened, and he was surprised to see the person he'd just been thinking about. Solace blinked confusedly at him for a moment and then looked down at the coffee Brogan was about to pour.
"Aye, Merlin, preserve us. Brogan, please be a kind son and pour your old Da a strong cup of coffee. Stronger the better."
Brogan did as requested as his father practically threw himself down to the table, slumping over it in quite the non-dignified way. He hid his smirk as he placed the cup of black coffee in front of his father and sat on the other side (he'd been most dismayed to realize his father took his coffee the same way as he did and was thinking about trying milk in his just to be contrary).
The two men sat in silence for a bit, and Brogan couldn't decide if it was comfortable or not. Solace finally sighed as he put his cup down in satisfaction and looked at him.
"You're up a bit early, aren't you?"
"I had a strange dream," Brogan offered, looking into his cup. He brought his eyes back up to find his father studying him. "Did you just get in?"
Solace nodded. "Aye. That Aberforth sure likes to make sure you're not feeling idle or bored. He had me back and forth all night. And, I'm going back out after I eat something. Although, at this point, I might just opt for a kip instead and go out starving."
"Why don't you go and try to rest, and I'll fry up some eggs. You can pack a few sarnies to go?"
Solace looked surprised at the offer but didn't say anything for a moment.
"That…that would be brilliant. We should have a few people checking back in this morning if you want to make more than just for me."
Brogan nodded and finished his coffee. He stood up and started getting things out of the cold-pantry and noticed his father was still sitting there, looking thoughtful.
"Dad?"
Solace blinked at him. "I'm going, I'm going. Come and get me in about thirty minutes or so?"
Brogan nodded and watched as his father heaved himself up from his seat. Solace stopped and looked at him as though about to say something meaningful but didn't know how to. Brogan gave his father what he hoped was an encouraging smile. He suddenly got a sense of his father's emotions and felt touched.
"I know," he said quietly as he met Solace's gaze.
Solace nodded to himself. "Still. If I don't get to see you alone again later, Brogan…I…oh, bloody hell. I'm proud you're my son. There. I've said it, you can growl at me and roll your eyes, and now I can sleep."
Brogan chuckled, which stopped his father. The older man just stared at him, and then, he too, started to laugh.
"Reckon that was a bit out there and sudden," Solace said, his cheeks turning a bit pink. "Still, it's the truth. Your mother…God, I loved her, Brogan. When she took you away…Merlin, it was hard. To not see you? And to not watch you grow up? I think that's one of the reasons I never came around very much after she died. I didn't want to get attached and have you leave me, too. I was a coward. And now…now, we're just two strangers who happen to share blood."
"Not strangers," Brogan said softly, putting the eggs down on the counter. "Not exactly." He looked at his father, noting the bloodshot eyes and the slightly wild look to what was usually his nicely coifed hair, and for the first time, he saw the part of himself that was his father and felt his heart clench in response. After a moment's hesitation, he held out his hand to his father.
"As long as we're admitting things…I've enjoyed getting to know you, now, as an adult. And I don't…I don't hate you. Not anymore. If we both make it out of this battle, I will enjoy trying to have a better relationship with you."
Solace looked at his outstretched hand and then back at Brogan's face. His father seemed to wait for a beat as though making his mind up. Before Brogan could react, his father was pulling him close and hugging him. Brogan stiffened at first but then felt himself relax into his father's embrace. He felt a lump form in his throat. When they broke apart, Solace appeared embarrassed at his sudden burst of sentiment. Happy but embarrassed.
"You know, I can't think of the last time I hugged you," his father chuckled. "I really am a poor excuse for a father."
Brogan didn't say anything but pushed lightly on his father's arm. "Clearly, it's just because you're tired. Go. Go get some rest, and I'll have enough food down here to feed an army."
"Aye," Solace mumbled and then turned to leave the kitchen. Brogan felt the lump in his throat grow, and he swallowed roughly as his own emotions seemed to swell. He suddenly sensed Ginny's concern and realized she must be awake and had felt his agitation. He tried to reassure her emotionally and then turned to the hob to get the breakfast sandwiches started. He had the feeling it was going to be a tiring morning for a lot of their members.
O-o-o-o-O
"You know," Harry said as he finished his bacon sandwich. "I love having a life partner that can cook for me."
Brogan snorted into his (third) cup of coffee as he sat back against the wall of their bedroom. "Life partner? Really?"
"Well, I can't call you my soul-husband, that's just…." Harry shuddered. Ginny smirked at them from across the room as she finished getting ready. She was wearing her hair up today, and Brogan found his eyes lingering on the graceful curve of her neck. He finally turned back to Harry.
"Yeah, it doesn't exactly flow off the tongue, does it? I suppose there really isn't a good word that's not filled with some sort of odd connotation," Brogan mused.
"How about for me?" Ginny said as she joined them, stealing a piece of bacon from one of Harry's remaining sandwiches. "Imagine me introducing our little threesome to people. This is my fiancé Harry, and this is our life partner, Brogan. We've all been joined, you see, but not by the traditional ways. Mostly some hokey snake jewelry said we're stuck with each other, so, we're doing our best with the situation. Fantastic sex, though, so it's all right."
Harry laughed and then batted her hand away from pilfering more of his bacon, which only made her try harder. Brogan watched them, feeling amused. A part of him wanted to savor this moment for later – watching them be playful with one another was one of his favorite things. But soon, a touch of his earlier melancholy seemed to return, and he spoke without thinking.
"You could just leave me out of it and introduce yourselves as Mr and Mrs Potter. Well, after you're legally joined, that is. I'll be the silent body in the back; no one needs to bother with me. No one will notice anyway."
Harry and Ginny stopped what they were doing and looked at him. He realized his attempt at being light-hearted about the situation had failed. He held up his hand as though to ward them off, but Harry grabbed it and linked their fingers together.
"Stop that. We're not ashamed of you."
Brogan sighed and then extracted his hand from Harry's. "I know you're not. I can feel you, remember?" He tapped the side of his head. "But our situation is not…that is…after this is over and you start to move on, I'll just…."
"You don't think you'll be here anyway," Ginny said, eyes narrowed as she studied him. Brogan turned away from her knowing gaze and then nodded his head.
"There's that, and…."
"No," blurted Harry, reaching for him again. "Whatever decision you've made… you can just get stuffed, Brogan. I command you to…well, I don't know what. But you're not going anywhere."
No one said anything, and Brogan looked away again. He couldn't make them understand – he knew he wasn't necessary. What mattered was the two of them staying together.
"Besides," Ginny said, moving so that she was sitting in his lap. She gently touched his face and turned it back towards them. There was a playful look on her face, but her brown eyes seemed earnest. "Harry is Headmaster of Hogwarts, and he's technically your boss, you know, Brogan. There's no going against that."
"I only signed a one-year contract," Brogan said. "So his power over me as an employee is sort of limited. Besides, the Defence Against the Dark Arts position is cursed, don't you two know that? I'll be dead by nightfall, no doubt."
Harry didn't look amused, and Ginny only shook her head at him and rolled her eyes. Feeling far too raw suddenly, Brogan decided to change the subject.
"There must be something in the air this morning. I willingly hugged my father earlier. Surprised the earth didn't open up and swallow us whole."
Harry and Ginny exchanged looks as she scooted off his lap. She settled in between them.
"Approaching battles to the death have a way of making people do that, I reckon," Harry said after a moment. "How do you feel…about him?"
Brogan shrugged as he started using his wand to clear their empty plates. "I'm glad we got some time to know one another, of course. But…to be honest, I don't know. He told me he's proud I'm his son. Reckon there's nowhere to go but down after that."
Ginny snorted. "Honestly, Brogan, what are we going to do with you?"
"Shag me senseless? No, wait, you've already done that."
Harry made a strangled sort of noise at the back of his throat as he sat up and got off the bed. He leaned down and placed a finger under Brogan's chin, lifting his head up slightly.
"Stop deflecting and feeling all noble and misunderstood. Don't forget, I'm a Gryffindor. We practically created those feelings, thank you very much. You can't out brood me, you know. Let's enjoy what we have and not worry about labels or the distant future, yeah?"
Harry placed his lips on Brogan's, and soon they were snogging rather heatedly. Brogan forced himself to pull away, not wanting to get lost in the physical. He cupped Harry's face tenderly.
"Romantic sod," he murmured. Harry grinned at him and then turned to look at Ginny, who was resting her head against Brogan's shoulder.
"See, he thinks I'm romantic, Gin," Harry said as he pulled away.
Ginny smirked and then nodded at Brogan, her brown eyes earnest. "Lose this mood, Brogan. It's not…healthy. We're probably marching into certain doom later, and I need you to be unflappably unflappable. It's a special talent that only you possess. Well, out of the three of us." She grinned widely.
"Okay, I'm sorry," Brogan said as he kissed her forehead. "Still, let's find a better label than life partner or soul-husband, all right? You can just refer to me as your Amazingly Fit Lover. That'll get the right message across."
The other two laughed, and Brogan smiled to let them know he felt better. He took his feelings – the ones Ginny wanted him to lose and pushed them down into that place inside himself, where he hid most of his insecurities and doubts and other dark things. There'd be time for him to delve into everything later, he was sure. Aine had seemed most intent on that part in his dream. Soon, he'd have all the time in the world. Harry was right about one thing, he should enjoy what he had now and not worry about it.
What would be, would be. And what was…well, that would come to its end. Of that, Brogan was sure.
O-o-o-o-O
"It's almost time, Potter. Get yourselves ready."
Aberforth's disembodied voice rang out through the wispy, vaguely goat-shaped Patronus that seemed to disappear almost as soon as it had appeared, startling them all. They were in the "War Room" Aberforth had created, and Harry felt himself jump, half in shock and half in surprise. When they'd come downstairs to see what was happening, he hadn't expected to get word so soon…but. He looked at Ginny next to him – she looked ready and, quite fierce…as fierce as he had ever seen her. Brogan was next to her, looking stoic and prepared as well. Harry was glad the other man seemed to have shaken his strange mood from before – it would not do to head into this thing if any of them still had issues to work through. Harry nodded at them, and they all slipped on their bracelets, the connection springing into life. Brogan slipped his set of glasses on as Harry slipped his off, his vision coming into sharper focus. He could feel the strength of the other two flowing through him and felt himself hum in response.
Ron glanced up from the table where he was tracking various Order members. Hermione was beside him, tapping instructions into the master coin they'd made so that they could send quick, short messages to all of the Order, both as a group and as individuals. Lupin had twisted the charm a bit on the coins to cover the more private messages, and then Professor McGonagall had helped Hermione extend the spell so they could send longer reports if needed. So far, it was apparently working like a charm. Harry smiled to himself at his own play on words. Brogan smirked and shook his head at him as he joined Ron at the table, looking over the redhead's shoulder at the giant map Aberforth had created.
Harry watched as little yellow lights moved across the greater London area. It had been a clever idea of Aberforth's to track each member. Most of their numbers were at or around the Ministry, but here and there through the city were other small groupings lighting up. If anyone came across Death Eaters or something not right, the lights would change from yellow to red, sending up an alarm. Hermione and Kath had been instrumental in the spell work with making that happen.
Kath, George, Brogan's father Solace, and their healer Avery were just outside the perimeter of the Ministry, near one of the access points to the building. They had been placed there to set up a triage area for anyone who may be wounded. Harry had wanted Neville and Luna to join them as well. But Neville had requested he be utilized inside the building, and Luna, well, Harry was unsure what Luna had wanted to do, but she'd said she would be with Neville until it happened. She had not explained to anyone what she meant by "it", of course. But in the end, Harry decided to put his trust in them to do the best they could to look after one another.
Neville had contacted various DA members, and more than a few of them had shown up. Harry had been pleased to hear that, and he felt secure in knowing that everyone would fight well. He knew, in his heart, that he had taught them the best he could and that they would do him proud. He had no doubt on that score.
"I think the weakest point is here," Ron said, talking with Brogan. The other man nodded in agreement.
"Is there anyone else we can send to spruce up the numbers? I hate to think of someone coming in behind them and turning it into an ambush," Brogan said, nodding at the small group of lights that looked to be covering Diagon Alley.
"Well, they're short-handed because that was to be where Hermione and I were going to go, but…." Ron shrugged, his ears turning pink. Harry moved to the other side of his friend and put a hand on his shoulder.
"You calling the shots is an excellent use of your talents, Ron. You're the best at strategy, and you know it."
Ron reluctantly seemed to agree. "Reckon. But if things start looking dire, not even this one," Ron jerked his head at his girlfriend. "Will be able to keep me away from the fight. I promise you that, Harry."
Harry glanced at Hermione, who was biting her lip. She gazed up at Harry and shrugged. Harry sat down next to Ron.
"I appreciate that, mate, and I understand, but…."
"No buts," Ron growled, glaring at Harry. "Don't you try to talk me out of it. You're my best mate, and if you think for one minute that I'm going to let some bloody injury keep me away from helping you-"
"Ron, we understand," Ginny said, joining them. She placed her hand over her brother's. "And you have the heart of a lion inside you. None of us doubt that. But I want you to appreciate how it feels to be left behind. This is what I used to feel all the time. You lot always left me out, you know. Maybe now you can understand why it used to make me so surly."
"And a bit disreputable," Harry murmured. Ginny's eyes flashed at his, but then she gave him a small smile.
"Yes, and that too," Ginny said begrudgingly.
"Yes, well, let's hope things go efficiently and smoothly, and we don't need to rush out," Hermione said. She glanced sideways at Harry. "If you could take care of Voldemort sooner rather than later, that really would be for the best, Harry."
Harry snorted and stared at his best friend until he noticed her mouth twitching. "Hilarious, Hermione."
Suddenly Aberforth's Patronus made another appearance and trotted around the room. It didn't say anything, but they all knew that was the signal. Voldemort had been spotted either close to, or in the Ministry. Harry released a long breath and looked around the table.
"Well, guess it's now or never."
"Really thought you'd have more encouraging words than that, Chosen One," Ron said, giving him a raised brow.
"It's the just the four people I love best in this room. All of you should already know not to expect a speech." Harry stood and then looked at Brogan and Ginny. They both joined him and nodded that they were ready. Hermione also got up and rushed to Harry, throwing her arms around him.
"Be strong, Harry. You're a brilliant wizard. And Ginny," Hermione disentangled herself from Harry and gave the other girl a fierce hug. "You take care of him for me, all right? And take care of yourself!"
Ginny nodded. "Of course, Hermione."
"And Brogan, I-" Hermione stopped, as though unsure if he would accept a hug or not. She held back at the last minute and just nodded her head at him. "You take care of the both of them! The three of you are strong!"
"Hermione," Ron said gently from the table, looking up at all of them. "Let them be. They'll be fine. Harry, kick his arse. Ginny, protect their arses. And Brogan…well, you do whatever you need to do to guarantee that the both of them are safe and somewhat healthy. And that they keep most of their limbs."
Brogan nodded. "You two have my word that nothing will happen to Harry or Ginny, not as long as there is a breath left in my body."
"Come on," Harry grumbled, tugging on Ginny's hand. "Let's go before Aberforth pops his cogs, and we all turn melodramatic. Or something."
Hermione sniffed loudly, but she sat back down next to Ron, who was already rubbing her back. Harry took one last look at the map and saw the area around the Ministry starting to light up more as new people arrived. He felt his stomach tighten, but calmness flowed through him a moment later, and he knew the bracelets were working. He gave Brogan an appreciative nod.
As they made their way to the Apparation point Aberforth had distinguished in the flat's foyer, he turned to Brogan and Ginny. They joined hands, and Harry tugged on each of them.
"It should probably go without saying, but I love you two," he said softly. "No matter what."
"We might sort of feel the same way," Ginny said, smirking suddenly. She leaned forward and placed a small kiss on his cheek. "You're going to do brilliantly, love."
Brogan grinned at them. "Let's go take down a dark wizard, yeah? And, ironically, that is not the strangest sentence I've ever uttered."
Harry made sure they were all linked, and then they were off – his destiny was calling him.
O-o-o-o-O
"We've just found out that Riddle has been here for a while. He's in the Department of Mysteries," Aberforth said grimly, eyeing Harry as they joined him. Remus and Professor McGonagall were flanking the older man. Remus nodded his head at them; Harry realized he had no idea where Tonks had been sent and hoped she remained safe during the battle for Remus's sake.
"We don't know why yet," McGonagall said, taking over as Aberforth sent off a Patronus, clearly trying to communicate with someone. "But he's locked down the entire floor and completely destroyed the lifts. Right now, we have no way of getting anyone down there."
"Where's my father?" Ginny asked. "He'd know a way. He's worked here for ages, and I seem to remember him telling me about a time when the maintenance crew were on strike. They'd made all the lifts stop working, or stop at the wrong floor or something, just to hack off the Minister. I think I remember him mentioning some old, raggedy stairs being the only way that people could get around for a week while they had contract negotiations. One bloke even fell and broke his leg."
Aberforth heard Ginny's story and nodded his head in approval. "Good idea, Weasley. Remus? Arthur is with Dora's group, right?"
"Yeah, let me send her a message on her coin."
Aberforth grunted acknowledgment and then looked at Harry as though sizing him up. "Feel like getting this over with then, Potter?"
Harry nodded. "I'm ready."
"Good, because as soon as the fight starts, I'm going to use you. And your two consorts, here. I'm in charge, Potter. Remember that. If I want you to do something, it's because I have my reasons."
"And if I do something, I want you to know that it's because I have mine," Harry said plainly, eyeing the other man. A part of him resented at being used as a pawn and ordered around like one, and he let that emotion leak onto his face. Aberforth waited for a beat and then flashed a brief grin at him.
"I don't know why you and Severus don't get along better. You two act just the same. He normally doesn't listen to me either and bristles at being told to. Just use the bracelets and don't give Riddle the upper hand. And try not to die until after he does."
Aberforth turned away from him then as Remus returned, and Harry glanced at Brogan and Ginny.
"Brilliant send-off. I'm really motivated now. How about you two?"
"Don't mind him. He's just got twenty pots on the hob and only five burners. The more stressed he is, the gruffer he gets," Brogan said. "You should take it as a compliment; he's not coddling you, actually. It means he thinks you can do it."
Although Harry doubted Aberforth truly felt that, Brogan's words cheered him a bit.
"Why do you suppose Voldemort is in the Department of Mysteries?" Ginny asked.
Harry frowned. That had been odd news. Not that he'd expected Voldemort to be waiting for him while having a nice cuppa in the canteen or anything, but still. Brogan got a strange look on his face, but it was gone before Harry could name it. The other man lowered his voice so only they could hear him.
"The room with the stone dais is down there, right?"
Harry and Ginny both nodded.
"Then I reckon he's got some plans of his own," Brogan said. "We'll soon find out, no doubt."
Harry frowned, not understanding him. He wondered who else had plans involving the stone dais. Just then, the arrival of Tonks and Arthur Weasley stopped any further discussion. After hugging Ginny briefly and placing a hand on Harry's back, Arthur quickly told them about a somewhat hazardous set of stairs that had been around since before the invention of the lift. Or actual architecture, from what Harry could understand as Arthur described them.
"You go through the Auror Office and head all the way to the back, past the Wizengamot Administration Office, here. There's a blue door and a red door. Whatever you do, please take the red door." Arthur pointed to a tiny speck that Harry could barely see on the map Professor McGonagall had conjured for them. "From then on, it's straight down until you hit bottom. I believe there was a collapse a couple years back around level five or so, but I believe it was fixed. Well, they probably threw up a couple of support beams, hopefully."
"Arthur, Dora, get back to your posts," Aberforth suddenly growled at them. He had his hand cupped around his ear as though listening to something. It reminded Harry of something he'd seen in a Muggle film once. "Death Eaters have been spotted coming your way."
Mr Weasley hugged Ginny and gently kissed her forehead. He looked at Harry, and the two men shared a moment of understanding. Harry knew that Arthur understood that he would make sure that Ginny made it out of this fight alive. Mr Weasley also shook Brogan's hand and then gripped the other man's arm, telling him to take care. A flush of pink crept onto Brogan's face at the recognition, but he only nodded and smiled. Harry felt his heart fill – he loved the Weasleys. Every single one of them.
Remus and Tonks separated, and Harry watched as the couple communicated their goodbyes silently. Remus stared at the door as Arthur and Tonks left, and Harry felt that Lupin was desperately trying not to call her back. He could feel the other man's anxiety quite clearly and went over to his mentor. He placed a comforting hand on Remus's back.
"She's a fighter, Remus, and a hard-as-nails Auror. Trust in that."
"I know," the other man said softly. He gave Harry a sheepish look. "Doesn't mean I can't worry about her, though."
"Potter!" Aberforth barked. "Get going."
"Is it just me he's like this with, or has everyone else just worn down his edges?" Harry whispered to Remus.
"Good luck, Harry," Remus pulled him in for a brief hug. "James and Lily both would be so proud of you."
Harry felt a hard lump in his throat and merely nodded, unable to form words at the moment. Ginny and Brogan were waiting for him, and they soon left, making their way to a side entrance of the Ministry.
Unlike before, they did not use the red telephone box. Instead, they went into the now deserted pub down the street. Apparently, the Order had secured it for access months ago. While it did allow them a safe and private entrance, it was unfortunately at street level, which basically put them at around Level 2 within the actual Ministry. Which meant they had seven more floors to go.
"You think your father was joking about how rickety those stairs are?" Brogan asked Ginny.
"He might have been, but, well, it's unlike him to stretch the truth when it really matters. Sending me into a building where Voldemort is known to be would probably count as mattering."
Harry snorted as they traveled through the pub's back room; it was a long, dingy sort of hallway and not very well lit. But Remus had told them not to use magic until they were inside the Ministry, so they were going in without the Lumos spell to guide them.
Harry paused a moment as his bracelet seemed to warm around his wrist.
"What is it?" Ginny asked, immediately alert.
"Nothing, just…" Harry paused and looked at them. "How do your bracelets feel? All right?"
Brogan shrugged, the half-light reflecting off of his glasses. "Fine. Normal."
Ginny nodded. "Nothing different for me. But you felt something, didn't you?"
"Yeah, it's passed, though. All right, let's keep moving. I can already hear Aberforth swearing like a drunken sailor at how slow we're being."
"Not yet, but he's close," a snide voice said from in front of them, and they all jumped. Moving as quickly as they could, they reached the end of the hall and found the owner of the voice looking piously down at them from his place on the wall. Harry recognized the painting as the one from Grimmauld Place.
"Potter."
"Phineas."
"That's Headmaster Black to you."
"Well, if you insist on using titles, then that'll be Headmaster Potter for you as well."
The portrait looked down his nose at them and then seemed to sigh as though being terribly put upon. He nodded off to his right.
"It's that door, there."
"Do I even want to know why your portrait is hanging in a Muggle pub of all places?" Ginny asked, her mouth twitching slightly.
"I was placed here, girl. Now go, or I will tell Aberforth you dawdled."
Ginny rolled her eyes as Harry opened the door to reveal another hallway, this one darker and somewhat dodgier than the one they'd just gone through. He raised an eyebrow at the portrait.
"Go about four hundred feet, and you can use magic," the portrait said, somehow managing to sound both bored and pompous at the same time.
"Right, wands at the ready, then," Brogan said.
Harry waited for his eyes to grow used to the darkness first, and then he led them through. About halfway down the hallway, he used his wandless magic to send three medium-sized balls of light ahead of them, finally lighting their way. The hallway appeared empty, thankfully.
As they drew closer and closer to the door, it seemed to grow larger and larger. He knew it couldn't just be an optical illusion. When they finally reached it, the door was at least three sizes bigger than a regular door. Ginny and Brogan looked as confused as he felt.
"Maybe this is their old entrance for Giants?" Brogan asked.
"Yeah, right," Harry said, unable to think of how long ago that could be. "Well, there's nothing else for it. Come on."
As they went through the door, it shrunk down to standard size, which left Harry feeling peculiar. But they had just entered the quite deserted Improper Use of Magic offices. The three of them all looked around, and Ginny shook her head.
"Well, that was easy enough, but we're on the opposite end of the floor. We'll have to go through the Auror office to get to the Wizengamot Admin."
"You know what's really weird about this," Harry said as they started following Ginny's lead. "Is usually, when I'm heading into certain death, my head is pounding, and I can feel him all around. But now, there's just…nothing."
"You almost sound like you miss it," Brogan said.
"No, don't get me wrong, this is by far the best way to be when Voldemort's in the vicinity. It's just…odd to have all my thoughts be my own."
As they reached the Auror office, a sense of movement made them all tense, but a moment later, they relaxed as Fred Weasley appeared, grinning at them from underneath an Invisibility Cloak.
"Harry, our chosen one! Sis, Brogan," Fred nodded. "I'm your escort."
"Where's George?" Ginny asked.
"Still with the fair Kath."
"Any injuries so far?" Brogan asked.
"Minor ones. Death Eaters are appearing here and there sporadically, but no major fighting yet. Whatever is going on with Voldemort, it appears they're all waiting for the word to openly go on the offensive."
"Aberforth just got word before we left that Death Eaters were seen near wherever Tonks and Dad are," Ginny said.
"Yeah, he told me," Fred stopped and tapped his ear. A moment later, and Harry realized he could see a small black earpiece. So that had been what Aberforth had been using!
"Your father helped him fit these out," Fred said, nodding at Brogan. "Purely Muggle contraptions, of course. They're apparently just small enough to work around our magic. It's a damn sight better than sending Patronuses every two seconds, I'll say that. They only had time to make a few, though. Your father does some jiggery-pokery to them to make sure they work."
"Old blighter never told me about them," Brogan said, shaking his head. "Typical."
They had made it through the Auror office in no time, and Fred nodded at the next set of doors. "Go straight along to the back, and you can't miss it. Remember, take the red door." Fred paused as though listening to something, and Harry realized he probably was. "Well, I'm needed elsewhere. Good luck, gents. Take care of them, Sis. If it comes down to Voldemort versus you and Harry, I know who I'd put my Galleon on, and it's not that slimy no-nosed git."
Fred briefly hugged Ginny and then slipped his cloak back over his body. They made their way to the infamous red door, and all looked at each other.
"Anyone else compelled to pick the blue one just for laughs?" Brogan asked after a moment as no one moved.
Ginny snorted. "It probably leads you to the Office of Intoxicating Substances or something. Fred told me they went there once, hoping to find all sorts of wicked things. Apparently, it's just a lot of bad batches of beauty potions and hair-growth tonic."
They opened the door, and wall sconces immediately flared to life, although it wasn't much of an improvement. The staircase was dark, old, and smelled rather damp, to Harry. He coughed as he took a deep breath and looked over the side of the rather shabby railing and winced. It was definitely a long way down. A sudden feeling of anxiety buzzed through him, and he glanced at Brogan.
"Don't worry, neither of us is going to let you fall."
"Yeah, Brogan," Ginny said, putting her arms around the other man. "Don't forget to use all of that Weasley bravado and Harry's love of heights. It's only fair since he's got your eyesight."
"Hah, bloody hah," Brogan mumbled, but Harry felt the intenseness of his anxiety level off a bit.
They made good time of it, at least, Harry thought. Ginny made small wisecracks the whole time to ease Brogan's nerves, especially around areas where the steps narrowed considerably. They reached the section where Mr Weasley had said there'd been a collapse and stopped to take a quick break. Ginny looked over the side and gave a low whistle.
"What I wouldn't give for a broom right about now," she said brightly. She joined Harry as he rested against the wall. Brogan, who was looking a bit faint, was sitting down on one of the steps. He groaned at her words.
"Let's not add to it, all right?" he said, glancing up at her. Ginny bent down and kissed the top of his head. She stood back up and moved in between Harry's legs, and his arms immediately went around her waist.
"All right?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah. Just…it's not anxiety, really, not compared to his over how high up we are," Harry said, nodding at Brogan. "But just…"
"Anticipation nerves?" Ginny asked shrewdly. Harry nodded. She placed her hand on his chest, and he reached up to hold it. They shared a quiet look, and Harry knew they understood each other without having to speak.
Brogan sighed as he stood up and turned to them. "Well, I reckon we should-"
He never got to finish that thought as suddenly a red flash of light filled the area. Ginny gasped and immediately turned in the direction the spell had come from. Harry's instinct was to do the same, but at the last second, he focused on Brogan instead – maybe to make sure he was all right – and saw their lover begin to fall back down the stairs.
There was a look of utter surprise on Brogan's face, and Harry swore as he moved in his direction. Two more spells filled the area, a green one hitting Brogan in the center of his chest. This one seemed to knock the other man unconscious. Harry was unaware of anything but a blazing sense of urgency, and without thinking about it, he thrust his arm out as if he could physically stop Brogan's backward motion as he tumbled down the stairs. Even though Harry knew he was nowhere near enough to actually do it. He felt the push of something go through him as he reached out, wanting only to protect the other man from getting hurt as he fell.
It was almost as though time stood still, Harry would later think. Ginny turned her head and said something as she fired off her own spells towards their attackers, but he heard nothing but white noise as he watched Brogan continue to fall down the stairs. He felt as though his heart was pumping too fast in his chest. It was as though all conscious thought had left Harry. He could not get his brain to think of a single thing to do to stop Brogan from getting hurt. If he wasn't that way already, Harry's mind was torturing him by replaying the image of the green spell hitting him over and over again.
A white, throbbing heat suddenly burned up Harry's arm, and he vaguely heard Ginny's distressing call as her shield shimmered around them, causing the latest barrage of spells being cast at them to bounce off ineffectually. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew she had linked her hand with his, and he also knew that this was the strongest type of shield she had ever cast before. Ginny met his eyes and nodded once, determination on her face. Harry used the bracelet power and sent the first spell he could think of towards Brogan and hoped it worked.
Almost to the bottom of the stairs by now, Brogan's downward plummet was suddenly halted as Harry's Wingardium Leviosa seemed to arrest his trajectory. He hovered right above the last few stairs, his unconscious head laying at an angle that Harry didn't really want to think about. He cast a shield to protect Brogan from more spells and then turned to face their attackers, who seemed to be shouting angrily at them. Ginny must have cast a silencing or muffling spell because Harry could only hear faint, indistinct sounds.
Ginny and he worked together seamlessly. All of their previous practice with dueling and their natural knowledge of each other's strengths and physicality shone through their movements. There was no need to communicate with words as they both found their footing on the previous set of stairs and started their return attack. Had anyone been watching, they would have been in awe of how Harry and Ginny worked as one unit. As it was, their combined effort was quickly too much for their would-be-assailants, and in only a few moments, Harry and Ginny had knocked two of them unconscious. The third one opened the door they were nearest to and took off without looking back. Ginny fired a locking spell at the door and nodded her head as though saying "good riddance" to it in her head.
Still, Harry realized they were both breathing heavily when they stopped, and Ginny's hair had come undone, giving her a slightly frazzled appearance. He glanced back at where Brogan was still floating. "Go. See if he's okay. I'll secure the two we knocked out."
She nodded and slipped quickly away, concern already on her face. Harry climbed up the stairs and came to the first knocked-out man and reached down to pull his mask off. It was Dolohov. Harry had a horrible, sickening feeling in his stomach and hoped to God that the spell someone had hit Brogan with, had not been what he thought it was. But no, Harry thought, as he issued ropes from his wand to tie Dolohov up, the bracelets would have told him if Brogan had been hit with the killing curse. He just…knew it.
Moving quickly up to the next Death Eater, Harry didn't even care who this one was and left their mask on, tying them up efficiently. He soon turned back around to make his way to Ginny and Brogan.
Brogan was sitting up as Harry hurried down the stairs, and Harry released a long breath at the sight. He crouched down next to Ginny.
"He's okay, I think," Ginny said as she ran her wand over the other man. "Avery taught me a few basic spells to check for internal…stuff. It's weird, though, he was definitely hit with something bad, but there's no sign of it in his system. It's like he tripped or something equally benign. No sign of spell damage at all."
"How do you feel?" Harry asked Brogan, scarcely believing what Ginny had said.
"Well, my head hurts like someone stomped on it, but other than that…okay, I reckon."
Harry remembered the rush of magic he'd felt as he now looked down at his bracelet. He wondered if he'd done something magically without realizing it. Whatever had happened, Harry was more than relieved.
"I think they came across us by accident, but I think we should lock each new door we pass," Ginny said grimly. "It might not keep them out, especially since now they know we're here, but anything that slows them down is a good thing."
"I say we put alarms on them too," Brogan suggested as he rubbed his head. "That way, we'll hear something when they break through it and be more prepared."
"Fantastic idea," Harry said. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against Brogan's temple. "Knew there was a reason we fancied you."
Brogan smirked and then exhaled painfully as he touched his head again. Ginny ran her wand over his head once more and frowned.
"You're going to have a headache for a while, I think. I can't tell anything more than that, though," Ginny said and then lightly rested her head against Brogan. She let a small sigh escape as she gripped his shoulder. "What is it with you and head injuries, anyway?"
Harry stood up and looked up at the part of the stairs they'd already come down. He looked at Ginny and Brogan and made up his mind. "You two stay here. I'm going to go back up as fast as I can and lock the doors we've already passed."
"Harry, that'll take you forever. Let me help you," Ginny said, standing up as well.
"No, watch him. You know how head injuries can be. I'm going to try something with the bracelets and see if they'll let me do it faster than normal."
"How about the Order members that might want to get through later?" Brogan asked as he struggled to stand. Ginny tsked at him as she helped him up.
"I'll send a Patronus off to Aberforth and…you know what? I'll password-protect the doors. I…" Harry paused,, smiling. "I know how to do that, suddenly. How weird is that? I think…I think it has something to do with being the temporary Headmaster of Hogwarts."
"That shouldn't work at the Ministry, though," Ginny said, frowning.
Harry shrugged. For some reason, he just had the feeling it would work. He headed back up to the top of the stairs and then stopped, using his wand to break one of the long steps off. It took a bit of prying with his hands as well. Brogan and Ginny just watched him as though confused. Soon Harry had an even piece of wood that was big enough to stand on.
Brogan's face cleared as he realized what Harry was doing and slowly made his way up to him. "Not so fast," Brogan said, shaking his head. He tapped his wand on the piece of wood, and it stretched and became longer and wider. Harry gave him an appreciative smile.
"What would I do without you, Mr Transfiguration?"
"Fall on your arse a lot more, most likely. And I like it too much to inflict it to that kind of damage."
"What are you two on about?" Ginny said, joining them.
"This," Harry said, and he closed his eyes as he stepped onto the wood. He concentrated his hand over it and then smiled as it floated him off the landing. "I'll be right back."
Harry made a practice move and then shot upwards, not resisting the thrill of excitement as he was airborne for the first time in what felt like forever. It was definitely different, flying like this, but Harry decided he quite liked it.
He quickly made it to each door they'd passed on their first trip and then floated back down to where Ginny and Brogan were waiting. Ginny shook her head at him as he landed again.
"Cheeky, Harry, very cheeky," she said as he stepped off the floating stair. He looked at Brogan, who appeared less peaky than before. Harry merely grinned and then sent a Patronus off to Aberforth to explain the password/locked door situation and give him their status. He also used his coin to let Hermione and Ron know, as well.
"Head all right?" Harry asked Brogan.
"Reckon."
"Good. Can you make this bigger, and we'll use it to go the rest of the way?"
Brogan paused and then looked stricken. "Please tell me you're kidding."
Ginny just grinned and had already moved forward, looking excited to try it.
Harry tilted his head at Brogan. "You can stand in between us. Didn't I just prove to you that I'm not going to let you fall?"
"Bloody…" Brogan sighed and did as Harry requested. Soon the three of them were zooming down the rest of the way – Harry made sure not to go too fast, for Brogan's sake, although Ginny wanted them to go faster, he could tell. She was just as exhilarated at trying a new way of flying as much as he had been. They stopped at each door and locked them, just as a precaution. They had soon reached the lowest level the stairs had, and they stepped off the floating stair in front of the door that said Level 9 – Department of Mysteries in old-fashioned lettering, as though written a very long time ago.
Ginny looked over the edge into what looked like a giant, dark abyss to Harry.
"There's no stairs to the next level, at least none that I can see. Interesting," she said.
"That's where the holding cells are," Brogan explained. "Reckon they didn't think anyone in them deserved to get out if anything happened."
Ginny and Harry exchanged a look, both thinking the same thing.
"You don't think he's still…."
"Probably, I mean, Mum didn't mention him being moved," Ginny said, suddenly looking worried.
"Do you two mean Percy?" Brogan asked as they nodded. "Shite. I'd forgotten. I mean, we should let him out, don't you think?"
"You two go," Harry said, suddenly knowing it was the right decision.
"No, we stay together," Ginny said, the stubborn note already in her voice.
"Gin, he's your brother."
"You're my lover as well as my future husband and father of my children," Ginny said, sticking her chin out. "I mean, as long as we're just stating obvious things."
Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her and opened up his mouth to argue his point when Brogan held up his hand to interrupt.
"Not to be a killjoy while you two have a row on our path to certain death here, but there are no stairs. How do we even get to where he is?"
Harry and Ginny both paused, and eventually, Ginny shrugged, throwing her hands up and walking away from the railing. It didn't seem right to Harry that there wouldn't be another way to access Level 10. He aimed his wand downward and tried Finite Incantatem on impulse. Suddenly, more wall sconces blazed into life beneath them, and they saw that there was indeed another set of stairs. And they were even more rickety than the ones they were currently on if that were possible. Harry briefly wondered which office of the Ministry was responsible for safety precautions in the building. He didn't think they'd been doing a very good job.
"And they say you're just a pretty face," Brogan said now as he stared over the railing, too, looking with trepidation.
Harry snorted. "No, they say that about you and Ginny, actually."
"I'm still not going to leave you on your own, Harry," Ginny said from behind them. Harry sighed and turned around.
"I can't explain it, Gin. It just feels…like the two of you getting Percy out is just…meant to be."
Ginny frowned as she stared back at him, her eyes boring into his, as though trying to figure out if he was having her on. She must have seen something she understood because he recognized her shoulders lowering and relaxing after a long moment.
"You think Percy deserves to be in this battle, don't you?"
"Well, yes, and…really, I just felt that this is something we have to do. Separate. For a bit." Harry frowned to himself as he realized the truth of his words. He shook his head to clear it and saw that Ginny was giving him a long-suffering look.
"I can go, and you can stay with Harry," Brogan offered, although he looked rather doubtful as he stared over the railing again.
"No, if Harry thinks we should separate then…." Ginny paused and moved forward, pulling Harry's head down to hers. She kissed him intensely and then broke away, giving him a rueful look. "Don't make me regret this, Harry. Be careful. And send for us the minute you need us."
Harry nodded and held up his bracelet hand. "Even if we separate, we're still together, thanks to these. It'll be all right, Gin. I just…feel it."
"Usually, I'm the one with extra confident knowledge, stop stealing my thunder," she said, shaking her head. She looked at Brogan as she got back onto the floating stair piece. "Come on, we may as well glide down in style. Hold onto my hand. Let's go break my brother out of magical jail. If we can."
"Hey," Harry said, stopping them before they left. "Take care of each other, yeah?"
"Of course," they both said. Brogan gave him a little wave and a wink as Ginny blew a kiss to him.
"Remember what I said, Harry. The minute you think you might need us, let us know through our link."
Harry nodded and watched until they disappeared beneath the stairs. He turned around to face the door again and settled himself. It was time to go pick a fight. He cast Disillusionment on himself and slowly opened the door; this one he did not lock behind him.
The hallway was dark, with only the half-light of a few flickering candles on the walls giving off that odd blue glow that he remembered from before. It was also completely empty. Feeling anti-climatic, Harry straightened himself, realizing he'd been half-slinking, and waited for his eyes to get used to the dark. He realized he was at the opposite end of the main entrance. He could see the charred, slightly still smoking area of where the lifts had been. It appeared Voldemort had made extensive destruction of them. Shuddering against his will, he moved forward slowly, making a note of the door to the left of the lifts, which he had forgotten about. Well, at least he had another way of reaching Brogan and Ginny and they him if they had to.
He entered the entrance room proper and had the strongest feeling of déjà vu or the old memory of entering the department this way before. The twelve doors sat as before, still and as quiet as the grave. The dark, marble floor still reminded Harry of water, and the odd blue light was brighter here, but not by much.
A noise directly across from him had Harry freezing in place; two black-robed figures came out of the room that Harry thought might be the brain room, he wasn't sure. They shut the door behind them, and the shorter one sighed as he flipped his mask up. Harry didn't recognize him enough to know his name, but something about him was familiar.
"How long do you think this is going to take?" The shorter man asked, sounding annoyed. "That spell is making me dizzy."
"As long as the Dark Lord thinks it should, Junior. You'd best not let him sense your frustration, boy, if you want to make it through this night. He's been in a tetchy mood since that bloody snake died, and it won't take much for him to take it out on one of us. You saw what happened to Corbin."
The shorter man shuddered and slipped his mask back down. "I just don't like all the waiting around," the younger man said, sounding sullen to Harry. "I want to fight. I haven't had a good tussle since the school and Weasley got taken."
Harry suddenly realized where he knew the shorter one from and was intrigued by the fact that he thought Percy had "been taken" and apparently not as traitor.
The taller man grunted. "You've been mooning about Weasley since we got here. Go down to the bloody cells and have a chat with him, why don't you? I'm heading up the stairs to do a sweep. We still haven't heard from Dolohov's group or McTierney's, and I don't like it."
The shorter man sighed but didn't say another word as he followed the taller man up the stairs. They passed right by Harry, and he held his breath, but neither Death Eater even flinched. Harry was glad he'd left the door to the stairway unlocked behind him. If they were going that way, it wouldn't be until they reached the next level up that they discovered their access had been cut off. He'd worry about that later.
He waited for a beat as the door closed behind them and then turned back to face the twelve doors. He realized that the room had not rotated itself as the last time he'd visited. He wondered if Voldemort had halted the failsafe of the entrance room to make it less confusing for his Death Eaters. He also wondered what Voldemort could be doing instead of already creating chaos and killing everything in sight. Harry couldn't decide if he wanted to know what could keep the dark wizard so occupied or not.
Deciding to go in the way the two Death Eaters had come out, Harry made his way to the brain room. The room had not changed much as he slipped into it; the green, sickly light from the solution was still there, and, if possible, there were even more tanks than before. Harry swallowed roughly as his head started feeling peculiar and remembered Ron's experience with the brains. He quickly made his way to what he thought was the door to the room with the stone dais. Opening this one would be tricky, Harry assumed, for if Voldemort was in there, he would surely have people guarding it.
There was a large, empty tank right before the door, and Harry frowned as he passed it. He glanced around, half-expecting one of the brains to have jumped out of it, ready to pounce on him. But nothing seemed amiss. Harry reached out through the link to buy time or maybe just to reassure himself, but Brogan and Ginny felt fine. He steadied himself and tried to open the door the slowest that he could, hoping he could enter into the room unnoticed.
But Harry shouldn't have bothered being careful because there was no one there when he entered the room. With deep confusion, he looked around, feeling odd. And it was more than just his reaction to the room (Harry's eyes purposefully did not look at the last place he had ever seen Sirius alive). Something just felt…off.
He went halfway down the stairs and then finally brought his eyes up to the black curtain hanging in between the two pillars and felt his stomach drop. He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Yet, when he turned his head, there was nothing there. He suddenly realized he could hear many voices coming from behind the strange Veil – it was almost a cacophony – much louder than last time, and Harry winced, immediately wanting them to be silenced.
"You can quiet them, you know, and end this battle before it's begun, Harry Potter. Simply give up and walk through to the other side. Perhaps you will see your dead family. There are so many of them, after all."
Voldemort's voice came from behind him, and Harry twirled around, wand raised in instinct, and yet there was nothing behind him; he was still alone in the room.
"Nice trick, Tom," Harry said aloud. A sense of motion to the right of him made him turn, but again there was nothing.
Harry's statement was met with silence. Was it a disembodied recording? Harry wondered. Some sort of spell meant to react when Harry entered the room?
Harry felt a slight push of air around him, and it was only luck or natural instinct (he didn't know, and quite frankly, didn't care) that made him twist the opposite direction. One of the stone tiers next to him suddenly exploded, apparently hit by the spell that had been meant for him. Harry suddenly felt his anxiety spike and crouched down, half expecting Voldemort to appear before him.
But there was no one. Even the voices from the other side of the Veil seemed to have gone silent. Harry frowned as he stared at the stone dais again, wondering if his borrowed eyesight from Brogan was going faulty or if the bracelets weren't working correctly. Because every time he looked at the center of the room, he felt a growing sense of motion and dizziness. And yet, he knew there was nothing there. At least, nothing visible. Remembering what the shorter Death Eater had said, Harry cast a low-level stunning spell towards that direction of the room that confirmed his suspicions. There was a shield around the area, protecting it.
Harry made his way until he stood on the raised platform, a few feet away from the tattered, black cloth. It still fluttered slightly, as though it was caught in a breeze that no one could feel. He reached out with his hand and pulled it back quickly. It had felt as though his hand was being held under an excruciatingly hot flame. There was definitely some sort of protection spell going on. Harry tapped his wand against where he thought it began, and the whole section of the room lit up in the perfect form of a dome. For the briefest moment in time, Harry had thought he'd seen Voldemort standing still in the middle, his head thrown back and his arms outstretched, but when he looked again, there was nothing.
But the hair on the back of his neck was standing up, and he had the oddest sensation he was being watched. But Harry was stumped as to what to do. Suddenly, he felt a subtle press at his Occlumency shields and then a not-so-subtle push; it was a sensation he was familiar with. It was Snape.
Harry seemed to feel in his very bones a wariness, as he slowly lowered his mental protection. His mind was filled with an image of Snape talking to Voldemort.
"But, my Lord, this new snake…it is…it is not quite old enough, is it?"
"It will suit my needs until another, more mature vessel can be arranged. After the Potter problem is dealt with. Trust your Dark Lord, Severus."
Harry watched as Voldemort nodded at another Death Eater to bring a large, silver cage into the light. Inside it slept an elongated, coiled snake. Smaller than Nagini, but very similar in its colorings and markings. He felt a shiver and realized that Snape felt repulsed at what he saw for some reason. He watched as Voldemort hissed soothingly at the snake, putting his hand on the graceful neck of the creature as though petting it. The snake slowly raised its head, its tongue scenting the air as it hissed back at Voldemort.
Harry watched with a sick sort of fascination, this time not even needing Snape's revulsion to feel disgusted. Voldemort weaved back and forth in front of the snake, hissing tenderly in Parseltongue, sounding almost like he was singing to the creature.
"What shall we call you, my lovely?" Voldemort said now in English. "Severus? Would you like to do the honors? A good name is important, after all."
"Ashmedai, perhaps, my Lord?" Snape said head bowed. Voldemort seemed to consider it and then smiled at his servant.
"Yes, Severus, yes. It is a fitting name, indeed. Ashmedai. Ah, she likes it." Voldemort practically cackled as the snake coiled around his waist, moving higher and higher up the lithe body of the wizard. "She will be my avenging demon once we are fully joined. Make sure we are not disturbed by Potter until our transfusion is complete. I will be vulnerable until after the ceremony. See that the portal stays open until then, Severus."
"Yes, my Lord," Snape's voice faded away, and Harry was now seeing the man himself, a haughty half-sneer on his face as he seemed to look right at Harry. "It will take blood to break the protection circle, Potter. From one that you cherish and one that gives it freely. And no, I do not mean yourself. You need to do it now. Time is of the essence."
Harry shook himself as the image faded. He stared at the area in front of him for a moment and then turned away abruptly. Through the link, he called to Brogan and Ginny and realized they had Percy with them now. He raised his wand to his temple and concentrated on what to send to Aberforth. Harry felt that once the protection circle was broken around Voldemort, they would have to act fast. He wanted members of the Order nearby to help with the fighting. The three of them (now four, with Percy) couldn't do it all, no matter if they had the bracelets or not. They needed backup.
Harry wasn't exactly sure what Voldemort was doing with the new snake. He had a feeling that the evil wizard was trying to restore the connection he'd shared with Nagini – to regain his immortality status once again. To somehow re-create his Ouroboros and his bond to the other planes. Or something. Harry still wasn't clear on that bit. But he assumed that fighting Voldemort while he was vulnerable would be easier than any other way.
o-o-o-o-o