Disclaimer: I own nothing. I just enjoy playing with other people's toys. Thank you JKR for sharing.
Chapter 10: Introduction and Escape
Harry tried to push away the fears running through his brain as he approached the open door. Stepping over the stunned bodies of Crabbe and Goyle he entered with Wormtail floating eerily before him. The room was small, dim, and bare, save for the low cot, where Ginny sat holding a crying girl with red hair.
Lily's face was streaked where tears had etched paths down her grimy face. Her long hair, which her mother was now smoothing, was tangled and knotted. She wore pink footy pajamas, zipped up to her chin, which were dirty and damp from neglect to her diapering needs.
They looked up as Harry entered and deposited Wormtail unceremoniously in a corner. Lily burrowed further in her mother's arms in fear of the newcomer. Slightly hurt, but understanding of his daughter's reaction, Harry turned back to the door and began to levitate Crabbe and Goyle's bulky bodies to join Pettigrew's before shutting the door.
"Lily. Lily honey. It's all right. Mummy has you. Don't be afraid darling," Ginny told the girl in a soft voice, attempting to calm her daughter.
"Bad, bad man," Lily choked out between sobs.
"The bad men are gone Lily and I'm going to take you home," Ginny said placing a kiss on the top of Lily's head.
"No, bad man," she said pointing at Harry who had turned to face them both.
Harry tried to smile, but was at a loss as to what he should say. His daughter, his flesh and blood was obviously frightened by him. Ginny smiled wearily, tilting Lily's face to hers.
"Lily honey, he isn't a bad man. He came to help you just like Mummy."
"Nooooooooo!" Lily cried, now trying to hide behind her mother.
"Lily, listen to Mummy, this man is your Daddy. He wouldn't hurt you. Look Lily, look at his eyes, they are just like yours. Do you see that?" Ginny questioned her daughter.
Lily peaked out from behind her mother's back and looked warily at Harry. He saw her study his face as he watched, hope burgeoning in his chest. She was small and skinny and apart from her startling green eyes she seemed to have inherited his knobby knees and nose. Her hair was akin to her mothers and the smattering of freckles across her face and exposed arms told him she was certainly a Weasley. In an attempt to appear less threatening Harry pocketed his wand and tried to grin at her in a confident and winning way. However, it seemed, something of his nervousness still played about his eyes as Ginny shot him an encouraging glance, clearly telling him to speak.
"Li-Lily…umm…He- hello," Harry said the words catching in his throat.
What was he to say to this girl? What could he do to make her see that he wanted nothing but to help her, to love her, to take care of her? His mind was blank of any clever words that might assist him in charming her. Instead, he decided, that truthful words, however lame they may sound, were better than silence.
"Lily, hello…umm…I'm not going to hurt you," Harry attempted slowly moving towards the two on the bed.
Lily didn't protest, but didn't come out from behind her mother either.
"Lily, it is alright. Mummy and Daddy are going to take care of you. We are going to go home now sweetheart," Ginny said as she pulled Lily back into her lap.
"Lily, did your Mum ever tell you that my Mum's name was Lily too?" Harry asked, with sudden inspiration.
Lily shook her head at him.
"That's right. Your grandmother's name was Lily. She had green eyes like you and me too," Harry told her, inching forward cautiously.
Lily smiled a very small and timid smile, but to Harry, it was one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen. This was his daughter and she was smiling at him. The fear she had of him seemed to be ebbing away and Harry boldly kept inching towards her.
"Darling, Mummy and Daddy are going to take you home now. Is that alright?" He asked her gently.
He was very near her now. Kneeling down on the hard stone floor before her he held out his hand. Lily looked up at her mother for reassurance before tentatively taking the hand he offered.
"Home now," Lily said to him.
"That's right. We are going to go home. Daddy is never going to leave you or Mummy ever again," Harry said as tears began to sting his eyes.
Ginny surveyed the blossoming relationship between father and child with a smile. The two were staring at each other, Lily with wide eyes and Harry holding back tears and beaming. She hugged her little girl tightly before reaching out to join her hand with theirs.
"Lily, we are going to need you to be very very quiet. Can you do that darling?" Harry asked Lily.
Lily nodded and Ginny stood with the girl in her arms. Lily, instinctively it seemed, reached out to him. Looking surprised but gratified, Harry took his daughter into his arms for the first time. As Lily wrapped her thin arms around his neck as he held her to him, he was no longer able to hold back the tears and they began to course down his cheeks. Standing beside them Ginny smiled broadly as tears fell from her eyes as well. Harry shifted her slight weight to his left side, mopping his wet face before taking out his wand. Ginny held her own wand firmly composing herself.
"Where have those two gone?" came the haggard voice of Theodore Nott.
With a sudden realization, Harry turned towards the entrance, knowing that he had not locked the chamber's door.
"Crabbe, Goyle, where have you got to?" Nott called again, thrusting the door open before Harry could react.
Theodore Nott, pale faced, sweaty, and tired looking, had been expecting to see Lily alone or Lily with Crabbe or Goyle, but was greeted with the sight of Harry Potter holding the girl, with Ginny Weasley at his side.
"Help! HEL-," Nott began, before being silenced by the stunner Harry shot at him.
Nott had caused enough damage though. Outside in the corridor they could hear footsteps running towards them. Dashing through the chamber door and past the fallen Nott, they ran in the direction from where they had first come. They could hear the sound of spells hitting the walls around them as they turned the corner and were met by another Death Eater speeding at them.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" Ginny shouted.
The Death Eater's wand spun out of his hand and he stumbled mid stride trying to catch it.
"STUPEFY!" Harry yelled at the floundering man who sunk to the floor immediately.
Jumping over his body, they continued up the hall only to run directly into Brenda, Ron, and Hermione. They joined together, shooting spells and blocking others, as they all followed Harry towards the exit at the end of the passageway. He flung open the door, leveling the Death Eater who had been guarding it, and began to race across the courtyard with the others close on his heels. They ran past old brick buildings, with bars covering their windows, before diving behind a large mound of earth on the hillside just beyond the last building.
Harry held fast to the silent but trembling Lily hoping for a place to hide. There was nothing but an open grassy field before them. If they continued that way they were sure to be caught, as there was no cover. They could circle back around the north side of the building but they knew that was where Kingsley and his party were still fighting, if the loud bangs and screams coming from that direction were any indication. Behind them stood four large metal containers, resembling wheelbarrows, set on tracks. Hermione motioned for them to take refuge inside them. Ginny, Harry, and Lily clambered into one while Hermione, Brenda, and Ron climbed into another. All sat in silence praying that the Death Eaters would pass them by.
"Where did they go?" called a wheezy voice.
"They went this way," growled another.
They could hear the Death Eaters' feet slap against the hard dirt as they ran past. Harry poked his head over the rim of his barrow. Certain the coast was clear he helped Ginny out first and handed her Lily before joining them. Lily once more reached for her father who obliged and took her once again into his strong arms. Hermione, Ron, and Brenda joined them moments later, glancing around anxiously.
"We need to go that way," Hermione said gesturing back towards the buildings at a wall in the distance towards their predetermined rendezvous point.
"Not without us you don't," said Fred who emerged from the third container to find everyone's wands pointing menacingly at him and George.
"Hold on. It's just us," George whispered to them quickly.
"Bloody hell," Ron cursed under his breath lowering his wand.
"Ron," hissed Hermione reprovingly.
The group turned to Harry who jerked his head back towards the fort. They could just make out the long high barricade to which Hermione had been indicating. Harry took the lead trying to remain quiet as he swiftly covered the ground between the barrows and the wall where he knew Dumbledore, and the rest of his party, would be waiting with a Portkey.
The sight of a gallows came into view as they neared the stretch of stone riddled with bullet holes. Here where the spirits of those who perished by the hands of evil were thick they would be able to escape. Those long dead souls would be enough to assure that they could elude the wards placed on the Breendonk.
Out of several niches cut into the wall came Dumbledore, Molly, Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Percy, and Moody looking relieved. Their looks of relief quickly turned dark as a voice tore through the silence, "They're here. Over here!"
They came, twenty odd Death Eaters, firing spells as they ran. The Order shot back at them as Harry and the others continued to sprint in earnest towards the gallows. Harry saw Bill fall to the ground, caught by a stunner, and heard a thump from behind him signaling that one of his party had been hit as well. Turning his head to look Harry saw Brenda and Ron carrying an unconscious Hermione between them as her head bobbed uselessly against her chest. The Death Eaters were gaining now and their aim was becoming more accurate.
Ginny let out a muffled scream as she landed face first on the ground, toppled by a trip jinx. Harry turned around to help her, having to avoid the leg locker curse as he did so. Moody fell next a gash across his scarred forehead, his magical eye still rotating wildly in its socket.
"REDUCTO," hollered Nott not far behind them.
Harry, with Lily still in his arms and Ginny in tow, veered right to avoid a gaping crater that had appeared before him at the masked man's spell. Other Death Eaters began to take their cue from Nott and the spells began to hit the ground around them like bombs spraying soil and stones in all directions. As Harry and the others weaved their way swiftly around the holes Tonks and Remus came running out from behind the wall.
Remus caught a spell to the chest and fell to his knees as blood began to soak his robes. Tonks helped him up and they reached the other members of the Order at the same time as Harry's party. Charlie and Arthur were supporting Moody and Molly and Percy were picking up Bill as Dumbledore held out the Portkey. They all reached out for it and disappeared, landing seconds later as a tangled mass of bodies in the kitchen of Number 12 Grimmauld place.