Shadows of War
Diagon Alley
The trip to Diagon Alley was colorful to say the least. The large group emerged from the triple decker bus slightly worse for wear but with no serious injuries although Ron claimed the final stop had given him a sprain. With the party safely departed, the Knight Bus shot forward once again down the sidewalk before making a right and shooting through an alleyway. To anyone else it would have been normal, but it all seemed wrong to Harry. Not really paying attention, he silently followed the group into the Leaky Cauldron. His mind ignored the remarks made by those few patrons frequenting the Cauldron rather focusing on what had occupied his mind for the previous days.
Ever since his dream he had a growing feeling of unease concerning everything. But when ever it crossed his mind that his dream might have been a premonition, he merely reminded himself that the last time he thought one of his visions was a premonition and did something about it he had nearly killed five of his friends and succeeded in getting Sirius-
No…he's just messing with my mind, trying to get me to make a mistake again…I won't let it happen…not again… "Harry, mate you okay?"
Ron's voice snapped him from his silent reverie and he glanced towards his friend. "Yeah I'm…Ron, remember what happened before the Department of Mysteries…you know," his voice dropped to a whisper, "when I had a vision of something happening."
"Geez Harry, how could I forget? I mean that really creeped me-" he stopped mid-sentence, as if putting two and two together, "it happened again didn't it?"
Harry nodded.
"The other night? The nightmare?"
Another nod.
"Let me guess, the dream was about Diagon Alley?"
The final nod.
"This was the last thing I wanted, bloody hell."
"Ronald, watch your language!" Mrs. Weasley snapped from the front of the pack.
"Sorry mum," Ron replied before turning to Harry, "I still don't know how she does that. Anyway, what should we do?"
"I don't know, I mean it probably wasn't even real...he was probably trying to get me to slip up or something…I don't know."
"Think we should tell 'em? The adults I mean…"
"I don't know yet."
"Harry, this is a little last minute."
"I know, I know…I just tried to ignore it so what happened last time didn't happen again. I thought he was just trying to get to me like last time."
"Well…yeah, I didn't think about that." Ron conceded, looking thoughtful for a moment before continuing. "Harry, you know I'm behind you but this is kind of a big thing. I mean if something happens-"
"If what happens?"
Both boys turned to see Tonks standing behind them with a fairly concerned expression and both scrambled to find an excuse. But before they could answer she continued, "This has something to do with Harry's dream doesn't it?"
They nodded.
"And it has something to do with Diagon Alley, right?"
They nodded again.
"Oh well, I had a feeling something like this was going to happen."
"You did?" Ron asked surprised.
"Yeah, You-Know-Who's been too quiet lately, so Kingsley and I made a recommendation to the Ministry that we need to keep a group of Auror's on call and ready to apparate at all hours."
"So even if something happens…"
"We'll be okay; I'm just going to tell Moody, you know how he hates to be uninformed." She made her way to where Moody stood in the group, almost tripping over a chair.
"So I guess it's covered then," Ron absentmindedly mumbled leaning against the wall.
"Yeah…covered…"
"You two are being awfully quiet over there, I'd hate to think you're up to something," Hermione remarked, making her way from the clump of adults towards Harry and Ron.
"We didn't even do anything!" Ron replied, somehow taking offense.
"So what are we doing?" Harry interrupted.
"I think they're getting other things straightened out; I just need to meet my parents at Gringotts," Hermione answered, glancing back towards the adults.
"Well that's always the first stop," Ginny added joining the other teenagers.
"I just don't see why they couldn't take care of that before we got here," Ron commented, obviously regarding this hold-up as a complete waste of time.
"Sometimes certain things require planning," Hermione responded.
"I just don't see why-" Ron had barely started his comeback before Mrs. Weasley shouted for the group of them to get a move on. "Yeah, 'cause we're the one's holding up the group," he remarked sourly before pushing himself away from the wall. Harry grinned, following the group towards the entrance to Diagon Alley...
Despite the circle of people surrounding Harry, passersby still managed to catch glimpses of the Boy-Who-Lived. A few actually shouted towards him, calling out "We believed you Harry" and "We're behind you all the way" and much to his embarrassment an "I love you Harry!" once or twice. But Harry's personal favorite had been yelled by two familiar faces: "Fudge is a prat!" followed by "Harry Potter for Minister!" The two twins were quickly reprimanded by their mother despite the fact that her husband was doubled over in laughter. "Arthur this isn't funny."
"Yes it is, the man isn't going to be in office for another year," Mr. Weasley called back once he managed a breath.
At this point Ron, taking it upon himself to fill in Harry, leaned towards him, "There's a lot of people in the Ministry trying to get rid of Fudge.
"Great, so we'll get an even bigger prat instead," Harry groaned.
"Actually it might be Amelia Bones," Mr. Weasley cut into the conversation. "A small few wanted me but I couldn't bear the thought of being in charge let alone during a war with You-Know-Who; so I threw what weight I had behind Amelia and she'll most likely end up as Minister."
Harry thought it over for a moment and remembered the witch from a year before who had questioned him during the trial. It might no be that bad…
"So Harry," George's shout caught Harry off guard, "What do you think of the store?" Harry hadn't noticed the store before and was now amazed that he had missed it. The store front of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes had to be the most tactless and gaudy display of pure, unadulterated color, sheer random designs, and what seemed to be their trademark never ending fireworks thrown in for good measure. In a few words, it was the twins. In one word, it was perfect.
"It's brilliant!" he yelled and the twins grinned with maniacal glee.
"Don't encourage them dear," Mrs. Weasley said from his left. "I still don't know where they got the galleons for this in the first place."
"Oh come off it Mum," Fred pleaded. "We told you we have a respectable backer."
"Oh? Then who? Who is so 'respectable' that you can't even say their name?"
"He prefers his privacy," George added, trying to get his mother off the interrogation path but also knowing it was to no avail.
"How do you know he isn't a crook?"
"Alright, just stop it already!" Harry yelled, frustration building since Mrs. Weasley's interrogation began. "I'm the backer. As honored that I am that Fred and George protected me this long I've had enough of this!" he turned from the twins to Mrs. Weasley's stunned face. "I am their backer. I gave them the thousand galleon prize from the Tri-Wizard Tournament because I was not going to keep it."
Mrs. Weasley stood in stunned silence from a moment, obviously grasping at what Harry had just and when it finally clicked, "Well…I guess we don't need to worry about their source anymore, do we Arthur?"
"I wasn't worried," Mr. Weasley replied before noticing the glare directed at him from his wife, he then quickly reconsidered his answer. "Oh, yes, I quite agree."
The twins broke into hysterical laughter as the group made their way from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and towards Gringotts. Apparently there was a surge of business at the twins shop once everyone began to link their store with the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry knew the twins were waiting for them to be out of earshot but years of listening for Filch paid off when he heard one of them yell, "That's right folks, Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes is backed by none other than Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived! If it's good enough for Harry Potter, what have you got to fear?"
As they reached the center of Diagon Alley, the foreboding presence of Gringott's Bank and Trust began to tower over them when a delighted yell came from his right as Hermione split away from the group and ran towards a couple standing near the doorway.
"Oi, Harry, check it out!" Ron said, jabbing him in the side with his elbow. "Battle gear!"
That caught Harry's attention and turned towards the store front Ron was sprinting towards. He came to a stop before a store Harry had never noticed before. The sign above the door proclaimed "Rookwell's Outfitters" with a faded shield beneath. The glass display featured various mannequins, all wearing darkly colored, form fitting clothes made of a luminescent material that Harry had seen before…Bill's boots… "Is that dragon's hide?"
"Of course," a somewhat ethereal voice spoke from behind them. They both turned to see a blond woman in her mid-twenties with quite a few piercing. "The best battle gear is made from dragon's hide and magically treated to resist most curses, jinxes, and various charms. Oh, sorry; I didn't introduce myself. I'm Alicia Rookwell."
"Ron Weasley."
"Harry Potter."
"Harry Potter…" she trailed off and he saw her eyes float to his forehead and then back to his eyes. "So you're Harry Potter, had some bad press lately haven't you."
"I'd rather not talk about it," he replied coldly, turning away slightly.
"No, I'm sorry," she cut in quickly. "I have a tendency to just say things without thinking."
"Don't worry about it," came Harry's mumbled reply.
"Did you two want to see anything?"
The moment those words had left her mouth Ron's eyes lit up like a kid who realized he could fly.
As Harry turned to enter the store, the echoing crack of an apparition filled the street. "Bloody hell, kids these days, no common decency whatsoever…" an older wizard mumbled from Harry's left. Harry agreed with the man, but stopped caring about 'kids with no common decency' when the same resounding crack ripped through the alley thirty times over.
This startling number of apparitions pulled nearly every witch and wizards' attention towards the source.
Black robes. White masks. Wands drawn.
Death Eaters.
You can tell a lot about a person by the way they react to a dangerous situation. Some choose to flee to save their own lives while others choose to protect those important to them. Some will fail to completely grasp the situation until it is too late while still others recognize the situation immediately but the onset of shock does not allow them to act. Then there are those select few whose immediate response to a dangerous situation is to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. On that Friday in Diagon Alley, every type of reaction was shown.
Harry was one of the first to notice the Death Eaters and he was the first to draw his wand.
"Get down!"
His shout tore through Diagon Alley just as the sound of apparition had seconds before. Some turned to look, others ignored him, but some reacted. Mrs. Weasley's arm shot towards Ginny to pull her close even while Ginny was drawing her wand. Mr. Weasley stepped before his wife and daughter while placing himself between them and the Death Eaters. Tonks made a move towards the Grangers who obviously had no idea what was going on while Moody moved towards Weasleys in an attempt to remove them from the line of fire. Harry remained just outside the doorway to "Rookwell's Outfitters" with Ron behind him, both wands outstretched.
Harry knew why there were here. He knew that he was a target. He also knew that to the Death Eaters, everyone here was expendable and that they would die if they got in the way. He knew that casualties were going to occur. He also knew it wouldn't end until all the Death Eaters were captured, dead, or completely overwhelmed.
"Get down!"
The air literally crackled with magic before the multi-colored wave of spells flew from the Death Eaters in every direction. In the split second before he ducked to the ground, Harry saw nearly every form of Dark Magic that he knew including some Avade Kedavras thrown in for good measure. He felt rubble pelt his backside as a spell slammed into the wall behind him. Rising slightly he tried to shake the ringing from his head, but as the dull drone subsided the cries of pain came from every direction.
Still in a daze, the dull ring still present, Harry looked to his left. Bodies were strewn across the cobblestone street, their faces racked with pain and blood everywhere. But what hit Harry most wasn't the carnage, it wasn't even the fact that not all those lying on the ground were dead; it was the fact that the damage was indiscriminate. There was a woman no more than ten feet away cradling her daughter whose arm had been visibly ripped away by a severing charm. There was a man with a broken leg on the other side of the street trying frantically to reach a woman (Harry assumed was his wife) who's chest and probably right lung had been pierced by a large piece of shrapnel, and she lay gasping for air in the middle of the street. And it continued…witches and wizards who were trying to protect their families and loved ones only to be cut down by Dark Magic.
This is what a war really is…Harry's mind finally left the daze and began to think rationally.
"Harry! Harry, you okay?" Ron called frantically before grabbing his shoulders.
Harry nodded quickly before turning back to the situation at hand. The Death Eaters were concentrated on the opposite side of Gringotts. Moody had apparently managed to get Ginny, along with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley out of the middle of the street and they were currently crouched in a store farther down the street. But as Harry's eyes scanned the street, there was no sign of Tonks, Hermione or her parents.
We have to find them.
"Ron, come on," Harry launched himself into a crouched run towards Gringotts, skidding to a halt behind an outcropping shielding them from the Death Eaters. A split-second later Ron slid besides him, his eyes darting around the street. "Where's my dad?"
"Shh, he's over there with Moody, Ginny, and your Mom."
"What about Hermione?"
"Don't know, that's why we're here, now hang on," Harry leaned around the corner, the Death Eaters were still more or less in the same spot that they had apparated in. They had, however, arrayed themselves in a circular formation making sneaking up from the rear extremely difficult if not impossible…Assuming I could get behind them…Harry grimaced. The second I use a spell they'll know where I am. Unless…
His eyes turned to Moody and the Weasleys. He tapped the Signum on his hand. Moody.
As he watched, Moody's head popped up in surprise before returning to its usual grimace. What do you want Potter?
Can you see the Grangers?
Yeah, they took cover about five feet from your position.
Is Tonks still with them?
Yeah.
Can you draw their fire so we can get them out?
Silence. Fine, but you're explaining to Dumbledore that it was your idea.
Agreed. Harry responded and watched as Moody raised his hand, all five gnarled fingers extended. He then lowered one…
Four.
Three.
"Harry, what's going on?"
Two.
"Just follow me."
One.
"Stay low."
Moody dropped his hand and both he and Mr. Weasley fired a volley of spells towards the mass of Death Eaters. Seizing the opportunity, both Harry and Ron jumped from cover and ran towards the where Moody had said the Grangers were…but they weren't there. Crap, where are th-"
A hand gripped his right arm and pulled him roughly into the archway of the entrance to Gringotts. Slightly perplexed by the abrupt change of direction, Harry went a whole five seconds staring blankly into the eyes of one Nymphadora Tonks. She had the most confusing expression Harry had ever seen. It looked like concern mixed with happiness with a hint of guilt. Slightly more confused now, he shook it off, and pushed himself upwards and turned to the others. Hermione's parents were more than a little shaken, not surprising, they have no idea what's going on. Hermione seemed a little shaken up as well but the fact that she had he wand out meant she knew enough about what was going on to defend herself at least.
Potter. Moody's voice echoed through his head. I'm going to draw them away from your position, get ready.
Okay.
No sooner than he had responded, a sudden barrage of spells whipped down Diagon Alley towards the Death Eaters with a few muffled "Protego!" shields before the explosions of ricocheting spells shook the ground. "There he is, Avada Kedavra!"
A large group of Death Eaters passed by the small alcove hiding the five of them…I hope Moody knows what he's doing. When the last Death Eater had passed, Harry realized that the Death Eaters had made an incredible tactical blunder…we're behind them now… "Ron, Tonks, Hermione, come on. You two," he pointed to the Grangers, "stay down and stay out of sight."
Wand in hand he pulled himself upright and moved to the edge of cover, Ron, Hermione and Tonks behind him with wands ready. "Attack fast, keep moving," Tonks' voice came from behind nodded in understanding. "Go!"
Harry stepped into the sunlight and turned right to find a small group of Death Eaters remaining at the apparition point. "Stupefy! Petrificus Totalus!" one Death Eater dropped to the ground while the other merely toppled, his body rigid. Two blasts of red light came from Tonks and Ron to his right and a final stunner from Hermione finished the remaining the last Death Eater.
Harry turned to see the remaining Death Eaters chasing after Moody who appeared to be running as fast as possible with a wooden leg. Unfortunately the Death Eaters in the rear of the group noticed that the four of them had disarmed their comrades and decided that revenge was in order.
A bolt of green ripped across the open space between the two groups headed directly towards Harry. Stepping aside he felt the rush of air whip against his body and fired a Reductor curse towards the Death Eater. The spell caught him in the shoulder, and a sickening crunch told him that arm had broken. The man dropped to the floor knocking over another Death Eater in the process and Harry fired another Reductor, not at the Death Eaters, but at the ground between the two groups. The spell blew a hole in the cobblestone street and sent up a cloud of dirt and debris that blinded the Death Eaters. "Spread out!"
The four of them split into groups of two, Ron went to the opposite side with Tonks and Hermione moved in to back up Harry. It wasn't until Harry had moved to the side of the street that he noticed a bolt of green flying towards Moody's back. Knowing it was too late to say anything, Harry watched as the green spell struck the Auror in the back and then it did something that Harry did not expect: it exploded. Liquid went everywhere and what Harry couldn't understand was why Moody was made of water.
For the second time that day, an arm grabbed him and pulled him roughly aside as a spell collided with the wall where Harry had just been standing. "Are you daft boy, what the hell are you doing standing still in the middle of a fight like that?" It was Moody.
"But you just…Shouldn't you be…what the hell?"
"It's an Auror trick, explanations later!" he yelled as another spell hit near them, Moody fired another spell around the corner they had ducked behind. "Where are the Grangers?"
"They're still hiding by Gringotts," Harry answered sending an Impediment curse towards the group of Death Eaters. Leaning around the corner, he watched as his curse spun harmlessly away from a Shielding charm.
"It's Potter!' exclaimed one of the faceless Death Eaters. "You six stay here; the rest of you keep moving!" He was gesturing now, making him a lot easier to spot. Moody took aim, mumbled an incantation, and fired a spell against the gesturing Death Eater. The spell struck, coating the man's dark robes with an iridescent blue.
"He's the leader, we need to take him out," Moody grumbled seemingly to no one in particular.
"They're splitting up? I thought I was the target," Harry wondered aloud as Moody tried to hex the blue Death Eater.
"They must have another target," Hermione answered, she herself still trying to figure out what that target might be.
"Worry about it later," Moody interrupted, "we need to deal with these ones first."
Harry nodded, glancing towards where Tonks and Ron had taken cover. They were both frantically firing spells towards the Death Eaters but it was Tonks who got Harry's attention. She wasn't trying to control her appearance anymore and even though most of it remained the same, it seemed that her emotions were taking control of some of it. Every time she fired a spell her hair color changed slightly, and that gave Harry an idea. "Disillusion me."
Moody stared at him blankly before his mind registered Harry's plan and he cast the charm. The uncomfortably familiar feeling of a cracked egg covering his entire body returned and after a few seconds the chameleon effect of the spell had covered him completely. "There, now don't get yourself killed."
"Fine," Harry mumbled in agreement before getting to his feet and strolling to the middle of the street. Before him stood the looming figures of six black robed figures and one flamboyantly blue. Take out their leader…here goes nothing… "Stupefy! Inverte Stature!"
The stunner stuck the unaware Death Eater and as he slumped to the ground the second spell slammed into his body, flipping him into the air. He landed six feet away from his previous position with a sickening thud and the crack of broken bones.
Each Death Eater turned to the spot Harry had been and confusion filled the air. "He must be using a disillusionment charm, spread ou-" Tonks' stunner slammed into his back. The remaining five began to back towards the group that had split off when Moody caught the middle Death Eater with a petrifaction curse. The four remaining Death Eaters sprinted for the other group while Tonks stunned the two rear stragglers. She and Moody began to move down the alley after the remaining Death Eaters leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione in what just seconds before was a warzone.
"Mate, that was brilliant!" Ron shouted coming up to him as Harry cast the counter-charm on himself.
"Thanks," Harry grinned sheepishly before turning to Hermione, "You should probably go check on your parents." She nodded quietly before running towards where her parents had remained during the fight.
Harry we have a problem! Tonks' voice echoed through his head. Get to cover now!
"Ron, get down!"
"But Harry-"
"Get down now!"
Ron moved back to where he had taken cover before, but this time Harry was with him. But it didn't feel right, something was wrong…Hermione…
"Hermione get down!"
She whirled around to see a charm directed at her. Harry and Ron could only watch as she cast a shielding charm. The shimmering wave of energy appeared before her, reflecting the charm harmlessly into the sky. It was then that she realized that a second charm was headed towards her. Seeing no other option, Harry leapt from his crouched position, charging across the cobblestone street shoving her to the side as he felt the spell strike his left shoulder. The impact jerked his left side backward with enough force to cause him to lose his balance and he landed on his back staring upward at the pale blue sky.
Someone screamed his name before a pair of hands pulled him to the side of the street. He could hear a slightly muffled sob coming from whoever grabbed him. Mentally checking if he had all his body parts and when everything checked out he pulled himself upward. Upon moving he noticed that his left shoulder was slightly stiff, but aside from that there was nothing wrong…that is until he couldn't find his wand. His eyes scanned the street frantically until they found it lying in the middle of the street. Glancing towards the Death Eaters, who seemed to have their hands busy, Harry once again seized the opportunities.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Harry dove for his wand, his mind registering the rush of air as it passed within inches of his body. His fingers wrapped around the wand and as he scrambled to his feet, his side of the battle came to an abrupt stand still. It was obvious to anyone that the Death Eaters had inflicted heavy losses against those at Diagon Alley. There were still some ten-to-fifteen that had not been incapacitated and Harry didn't even want to contemplate the numbers of wizards and witches that had fallen by their hand.
"So this is the great Harry Potter," a voice sneered from the faceless horde. "Rather pathetic really."
"You attack innocent bystanders and I'm pathetic," Harry retorted.
"Did you hear that? He thinks he's better than us!" the voice called back, a few laughs came from the mass.
Harry…what's going on? It was Tonks.
They're talking.
See if you can keep them busy.
Fun.
"I said answer me boy!"
"Sorry, wasn't paying attention."
"I think we should teach you a lesson in manners, wouldn't you agree?" the voice had a chilling quality that made Harry's hair stand on end…I don't think I want to know…
The group of Death Eaters surged forward around their newly self-elected leader. This isn't good, we're getting closer to Ron, Hermione and her parents… His mind was screaming at his body to do something but his body only took a step backward…away from the Death Eaters and closer to his friends.
"Imperio!"
The spell struck Harry's chest and the calming sensation once again swept through his mind. But as quickly as it entered it was replaced by something else.
"Lower your wand."
Seconds ticked by and Harry's wand remained in the same position. The voice that had echoed through his mind the last time he was under the Imperious Curse was strangely absent and it dawned on him that he had somehow fought off the Unforgivable Curse without realizing it. "Ah look, he's trying to fight it." A few laughs came from the horde and they seemed to have gotten the wrong idea about what was happening and deciding that it would be best to keep up the charade and lowered his wand.
"Good, now I want you to swear allegiance to the Dark Lord."
"Reducto!"
Once again the spell struck the cobblestone street sending chunks of dust and debris into the air, obscuring all vision. Reacting on instinct, Harry ran towards cover knowing the Death Eaters wouldn't wait for a clear shot, but would rather send spells in every direction. Sure enough, he was right.
The incantations of spells came from every direction. Indiscriminate shouts could be heard from every direction and the dust and debris from spells impacting walls and ground lay so thick in the air that vision was limited to your hand about a foot in front of your face. The chaos was overwhelming. Harry could feel adrenaline pumping through his body in such a way that he was sure his blood vessels would burst. For how long it lasted he couldn't be sure but he would always remember the end. It was brought about by a scream that belonged to Hermione followed by a seemingly endless series of cracks caused by apparition.
"Mosmorde!"
A flash of green light filled the dust and the outline of a demonic green skull hung in the sky above Diagon Alley. Another series of cracks followed and a silence coated the street only to be shattered by a voice. "Harry? Mate you still there?"
It could be a trap…
"Harry this is serious!"
Abandoning caution, Harry stepped from cover to see men in black robes running in every direction. His right hand unconsciously tightened its grip around his wand before his mind forced it to stop. They aren't Death Eaters…they're Aurors…Unfortunately that thought did nothing to calm his mind.
A bolt of red caught his attention and he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. "Harry, are you okay?" It took him a moment to comprehend that it was Ginny half-mumbling into his chest. Slightly taken aback by the sudden overt showing of affection, he realized that it was nothing when Mrs. Weasley pulled him into a vice grip.
"Oh thank Merlin your safe. If you ever do anything like that again I'll…I'll kill you myself!"
"Mrs. Weasley, you did-"
"Harry!" it was Ron. "Come on mate!" A hand grabbed him, pulling him through what dust remained floating in the air.
"What is it?" The dust cleared before Ron could answer. The black robed Aurors were in every direction inspecting structural damage caused by spells, they were reviving those that could be brought back and covering those that couldn't. There were a few of the green robed Healers from St. Mungos but they were apparating in and out so quickly that Harry couldn't keep track of how many there were. The sight was grisly, but there were two covered bodies that caught Harry's attention. A pool of blood had formed underneath one while the other lay just to the left. Gruesome as he could tell the murders had been, not as though others hadn't died in gruesome fashions, but it was the form hunched over them that had grabbed Harry's attention. "Her-Hermione?"
Her head lifted slowly, red-rimmed eyes streaming tears met his and he saw pain a person could only know once they've lost someone dear…a pain I know so well…
Her head lowered slowly, barely audible words escaped her lips, "They're dead." Her voice trailed off and she forced her trembling body to stand. "They shouldn't have died…its all my fault…I should be dead, not them-"
He couldn't take it.
His arms shot from his sides, grabbing her shoulders. Her gaze leapt from the ground and to meet his eyes. For a second she seemed to shy away but quickly decided to stand firm. "Whatever makes you think it's your fault it isn't. That wasn't something you could control and it won't matter how much you beat yourself up about it. You aren't responsible, the person who fired the spell was."
His words had an effect on her, whether it was for better or worse he couldn't tell, but as her arms wrapped around his body and the sobs muffled by his chest quickly became much stronger he knew that his words had an effect. Realizing that what she needed the most at the moment was comfort; he slowly slid his arms around her, holding her gently as she cried.
"Harry, I think we've got a problem," Ron's voice quivered slightly. Twisting slightly, Hermione still in his arms, he saw Ron holding three envelopes. "They're addressed to us, from the Misuse of Magic Department."
"You're underage wizards?"
The voice caught them off guard and all three turned to see an Auror giving them a wide-eyed stare. "Yes."
"And you fought in this?" they nodded. "What are your names?"
"I'm Ron Weasley."
"She's Hermione Granger," Harry said gesturing with his head to the witch in his arms, "and I'm Harry Potter."
"Harry Potter? Merlin, I've heard stories but I didn't know you were this good," the Auror whistled, obviously impressed.
"I didn't do all of it," Harry responded, slightly annoyed.
"Right, sorry…" the man trailed off before regaining his composure. "Anyway, Accio!" the three letters flew from Ron's hand to the Auror. "I'll take care of these, I can see you were justified."
"It doesn't have to go through Fudge does it?" Harry questioned, his voice gaining a cold undertone.
"Merlin's sake no, where did you get that idea?"
"I got dragged in front of the Wizengamot for saving my muggle cousin from two dementors."
"That's a bit extreme, I'll let you in on a secret," the Auror stepped closer to them, apparently trying to keep whatever he had to say from being heard by eavesdroppers. "The Wizengamot has declared war on the You-Know-Who and his followers. It's not public 'cause it would just cause people to panic. But anyway, during a war, instances of the Decree of the Restriction of Underage, well you know what law, if an Auror signs off, says it was justified, then it gets expunged and filed, end of story. Now if you'll excuse me."
With a crack, the Auror apparated, leaving the three teens amidst the chaos that remained.