Chapter 13

Molly was barricading herself on the garage, she knew it wouldn't hold much longer and she started to calculate a way out of that mess. She was unharmed, so was Fred, but George's leg had been seriously hit and Ron was severely hurt and getting worse by the minute. They had to do something fast.

They had arrived at the Burrows only a few minutes before, apparating on the front yard to celebrate Ron's new apparating licence. Arthur was coming later by floo with Ginny after he got out of the office.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Ron got hit by a spell and fell to the ground. If it wasn't for the twins they would all have fallen by now. They reacted faster than Molly could think and started to cast spells on the attackers as she dragged Ron to the closest shelter. The garage. She had caught a glimpse of them before the twins manage to close the double doors. Death Eaters.

"We have to do something, get out of here or ask for help." She could hear Fred saying while George was checking Ron "We can't simply stay put and wait for them to..."

BOOM!

The side wall was blown away, leaving the way open for three Death Eaters to step inside shooting spells in at the Weasleys who were taken too much by surprise to react in time to do something. In a matter of seconds they were all immobilised on the floor.

"Well, look what we have here" said one of the hooded figures

"Potter is not here" said another.

"It doesn't matter. We kill these ones and get Potter some other day" said the third, who seemed to be the boss.

"hehehe, where do we start? How about the twins? Do you think they will react the same way to the curse?"

"Don't be silly. We start with Potter's little pet here" said the boss pointing his wand at Ron "Let's make sure we send a clear message for that brat"

Molly whimpered as she tried to break the bonds to protect her child. Tears were falling free from her eyes but somehow see never saw clear in her life. Her son was barely conscious on the floor while a wand was dangerously pointing at his heart, the twins struggling on her other side, with another wand pointed at them and a third Death Eater was standing almost in from of her, also pointing his wand.

Molly Weasley was not the kind of woman who would let any child be hurt, let alone one of hers. She could feel her magic fighting the bonds holding her down and for a second she was almost convinced she was succeeding, but she could not get herself free. Starting to panic she notice something that made her heart miss a bit, crawling out of Ron's robes was a black snake. Her mind started to race even faster.

"Did Ron get bit? Is it poisonous? I don't remember ever seeing a snake like this one, did they bring it with them?...

Her thoughts were cut short by the Death Eater standing on top of Ron. He aimed his wand and started to cast a spell, but the snake seemed to realise something was going on disappearing inside his robes and before anyone could react the man shouted.

"Argh! Something bit me. Something is biting my leg... " and he started to jump up and down around the garage, his companions turning to him to try and understand what was going on.

Molly though that was a good opportunity to turn the table if they could get free, but before they manage to throw the spell off she saw them. Behind the first three Death Eaters, who were to busy finding out what was going on, another five apparated, wands drawn, masks in place, robes billowing around them as they made their way to the garage.

"Oh, Merlin, please, not like this. Please, just one more chance to fight, let me save my children. I'll do anything. Let me save them"

She was so caught up in her prayer that it took her a moment to realise what was happening. The new arrivals shot spells at the Death Eaters and standing over the prisoners and quickly remove the binding spells holding them. Three of the new ones started to tie the first ones together while the other two started to check the Fred and Ron.

The Death Eater checking Fred removed his mask. It was Snape. The Weasleys calmed down after seeing his face. It had to be a group from the order to rescue them. Snape handed a potion to Fred without saying a word and performed a healing charm on his leg.

"Snape, what happened?" asked George helping his brother to sit up and drink the potion.

"How is he?" Molly asked the same time to the hooded figure checking Ron. She gasped as Lucius Malfoy took off his mask.

"Severus. This one is seriously hurt, I can't figure out what they used on him"

"Malfoy!" The three Weasleys shouted at the same time "Snape! What is going on here?"

Snape moved to Ron's side casting detection spells to figure out what was wrong with his son's boyfriend.

"Lucius, If you please be so kind to explain, I believe we have to move. We don't have much time" he said without taking his eyes out of Ron's unconscious form.

"Mrs. Weasley, boys" Said Lucius in a very polite tone "I'm afraid you been lied to"

"What do you mean? What is going on?" asked Molly very aware of the fact the their wands were being pocketed by the Death Eaters. They were still defenceless.

"Perhaps knowing who your attackers really are would help. Humm?" Lucius said, gesturing for the others Death Eaters to remove the mask of the ones on the floor.

"Oh! Alastor! Mundungus! Kingsley! What is going on here? Since when have you became Death Eaters?" Molly shouted.

"They are not Death Eaters, Mrs. Weasley" said Lucius calmly "We are"

"What?" Molly was frantic, nothing made sense anymore.

Snape got up and made a gesture to the others Death Eaters, one of them pick up Ron, while Lucius help Molly getting up before lending a helping hand to George, who was helping Fred, the two others pick up the false Death Eaters, Kingsley was unconscious for some reason and before the Weasleys could realise what was happening they felt the familiar tug on their bellybuttons and they all disappeared.

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Ginny was ready to faint, a few minutes ago she was reading a book in her room at the OotP headquarters when Harry ran in asking for a favor and now she was sitting in a large sofa with a cup of tea in from of her and the Dark Lord himself sitting not ten feet away from her. How did that happen?

flashback

Ginny felt a tug behind her navel and felt herself being pulled, in a moment she was standing in the middle of what looked like living room, a very expensive living room judging by the décor. No one was around.

"This must be another hideout for the Order… a much nicer one. How come we don't use this one as a headquarter? I bet there is a lot more rooms in this place that at Grimmaud, if the size of this one if anything to judge from. Now, where Snape or Trelaway could be. Harry did say it was urgent" she mused in a heartbeat while looking around and deciding that yelling was the best option.

"PROFESSOR SNAPE! PROFESSOR TRELAWAY! HARRY NEEDS HELP" Ginny started yelling as she moved to one of the double doors, before she got there the door opened and Snape came running in. Ginny was to too busy handing him the note to notice more people coming in the room "Professor, it's from Harry, he said it was a matter of life or death"

Snape took the note from the girl and read it, turning around to talk to someone standing behind him.

"My lord. Harry's boyfriend is being attacked as we speak"

The hair on the back of Ginny's neck stood still as she notice who else was in the room. From where she was standing she could see Snape, Lucius Malfoy and at least four others she recognise as Death Eaters…

"Wait! What did Snape just say? Harry's boyfriend? Ron is Harry's boyfriend. Ron is under attack? Who… a voice made her shut her mouth before she utter any of her questions. She had never heard that voice before, but she knew without a doubt who was speaking. She knew exactly who was in that very same room with her.

"Snape, Malfoy, Avery and you two, go now and make sure the boy is save, and I want to know who is behind the attack. GO!"

Snape and the others bowed and apparated away. Now there was no one standing between Ginny and the wizard she prayed everyday to never see again in her live. She was too scared to even begin to wonder how come Harry had send her here, that Ron was under attack and that she had no way of getting out of wherever she was. Everything but mind nubbin fear faded away.

She barely register someone standing next to her and never felt Trelaway putting an arm around her shoulder and stirring her towards one of the sofas where they sat side by side as the teacher said.

"Come now, child, there is nothing we can do. Let's have a cup of tea while we wait for them to return"

Ginny sat there with the cup of tea in front of her getting colder while she could not bring herself to tear her eyes way from the wizard sitting not ten feet way from her.

End of Flashback

Chapter 14

Molly Weasley felt the tug of the portkey and landed in a richly furnished room, which was not what she was expecting. She was expecting a small, humid, dark cell where she would be thrown with her children and left there with their injures unattended until they decide on how to dispose or torture them.

She was very surprised when nothing of the sort happened. They were greeted by two med-witches who took orders from a very attentive professor Snape placing George and Ron in immaculate white beds while she and Fred received a dose of calming drought each. Then they were allowed to sit and watch the preliminary exams before they were taken next door in to a sitting room where they were told they could wait for news on the boys conditions.

"Maybe this is a very expensive hospital and Harry arranged for us to came here" she thought.

She and Fred stayed there for almost ten minutes before the door on the other side of the room opened. Lifting her head Molly saw a well dressed woman bringing a red head girl by the hand. It actually took her a few seconds to recognise her own daughter.

"Oh! The calming draught did take effect, that's nice"

Ginny sat by her mother on the sofa, shivering. Molly absented minded put one arm around her daughter, not noticing Malfoy and Avery, who were just coming in the room, bowing before a strange looking man at the corner and begin talking amongst themselves.

Harry was sitting on his bed reading a book when he heard a soft know at the window. An owl he had never seen before was there with a note attached to her claw. He quickly opened the window letting her in and grabbed the note.

Harry,

Big party. You better came this time or else.
No excuses will be accepted.
See you, little brother.

There was no signature, but Harry knew the handwriting and the real meaning of the note. Something went wrong with the Weasleys, big time. Something that needed his attention and he was needed in person. He was not supposed to let anyone stop him.

"Merlin, the attack… someone is hurt… RON" and in a heartbeat Harry was out of the bedroom under his invisibility cloak, locking the door and putting a silence spell so anybody looking for him would assume he was sleeping inside, and out of the front door, from where he could apparate strait in to the twins shop.

There were two Death Eaters waiting for him. They bowed their heads and handed him a cup without saying a word. Harry knew it was a portkey the moment he laid eyes on it. He took the cup and felt the usual tug behind his navel. His head was spinning with the rapid pace everything was happening, in one moment he was sitting in his room waiting for some news, any news, and a second later he was being taken… to his grandfather.

Voldemort stood in a large and luxurious sitting room. Lucius and Avery, the man who had almost killed buckbeak, were talking to him in hushed tones. Voldemort simply nodded at Harry, who nodded back, quickly scanning the room for Ron.

Molly Weasley was sitting in a sofa holding Ginny in one arm, Trelaway was sitting in a chair by her side petting her hand and Fred (or George) was pacing in front of a door, throwing worried looks at the three man talking on the other side of the room. When he saw Harry he hurried to his side.

"Harry, mate, you came!"

"Of course, I came. Where is Ron?"

"In that room with Snape and some med-witch… Harry, did you notice You-know-who standing right over there?" George, or Fred, asked pulling Harry by the arm.

"George…"

"Fred. George is in there too, he got hit"

"Sorry. Fred. It's ok. We are safe in here. He won't hurt anybody and there is a lot more going on that you could possibly dream about it. I promise I'll explain everything later. Now tell me how is Ron and George"

"Well" Fred said running his hand through his hair tiredly "George got hit on his leg, I have no idea by what kind of curse. He was in a lot of pain but Snape is drowning him in potions, so he should be ok… We just don't know about Ron"

"What do you mean you just don't know? Fred, what happened to Ron?" Harry was yelling now, grabbing Fred by the front of his robes and shaking him until Lucius and Avery took him by his arms and held him still while Voldemort put his arm around a very shaky Fred Weasley.

"It's ok, young mister Weasley. Go sit by your mother and let me handle Harry here"

Shocked by the Dark Lord's touch and all the events of the day, Fred couldn't bring himself to say anything. He walked over to his mother, who was still strangely calm through this whole thing, and sat by Ginny's side. The fact that they were still wandless in the presence of the Dark Lord didn't help any of them to calm themselves.

"Harry" said Voldemort forcing Harry to look at him "Severus and two very powerful med-witches are treating your boyfriend and his brother as we speak, they are doing everything that is possible and the best thing that we can do is to remain calm. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Tom" said Harry calming himself, there was nothing he could accomplish by force right now "Where is Shadow?"

"In the room. She refused to leave Mr. Weasley's side" Voldemort answered with a chuckle, signalling for his Death Eaters to release Harry "Let's offer some comfort to our dear Mrs. Weasley, shall we?"

"Yes, of course" Harry let Voldemort guide him to where the Weasleys were sitting and kneeled in front of Mrs. Weasley, who let go of Trelaway to hold his hand, pulling him closer.

"Oh, Harry, they got you too?"

"What? Oh! No, Mrs. Weasley nobody got us! We are safe here, I promise. Thrust me, we are safe"

"Safe? But, Harry…" the woman said gesturing towards the room where two of her children were healing from severe injures.

"I know, but it's ok. We are safe and as soon as we know how George and Ron are doing I'll explain everything"

The door leading to the room where Ron and George were being treated opened to let a very serious looking Snape came in to the room. Harry and the Weasleys held their breath.

"Severus, how are the young men?" asked the Dark Lord before anybody could speak.

"Well, Mr. George Weasley's leg will recover completely; there may be a mark, but nothing big. Mr. Ronald Weasley, I'm afraid, is still the same. We manage to stabilise his condition but he hasn't regain conscious. You may go inside, not everybody at the same time and I do advise you to be quiet at all times and let them rest now. They have been through a lot"

"Mrs. Weasley" said the Dark Lord, making the woman look at him "after you see you sons I would like a word with you in regards of what happened today. I assure you it will not go unpunished"

Molly nodded and walked in to the next room, taking Ginny with her. Fred stayed behind and as soon as the door closed behind them he turned around and faced Harry angrily.

"What the hell is going on in here? Why are you all comfortable with them? Ever since when do you side with death eaters? Why did you attack us? And why the hell is my mother not making a scene and yelling at everybody?" he kept coming toward Harry until he was restrained by Avery and forced to sit down again.

"Perhaps is time we have a little chat" said Voldemort sitting down at his side. Fred gulped and looked at him, thinking in how much trouble he got himself in to this time.

"Your mother, Mr. Weasley, have received a large dose of a very powerful calming draught because we are all very much aware of her temper and she just had two sons injured. What went on was an attempt on your brother's life by Dumbledore, you'll get prove of that later" said the Dark Lord raising his hand to stop Fred from bursting in to another tirade "Harry in comfortable because he knows no one here will cause any of you harm, my people just saved your lives if you haven't notice and as for taking sides, it would be wise to wait until after having all the facts before start making accusations. I believe that should answer all your questions for now, anything else will have to wait for a much more formal meeting. Has Mr. Weasley senior been contacted yet?"

"Yes, my lord, he will be arriving shortly. He still doesn't know to whom the house belongs"

"Good. It's probably best this way. We shall have this conversation on the dinning room".

"As you wish, my lord" said Avery bowing before he left the room.

"Harry" asked Fred "what is going on?"

"Fred, I think we better sit down, we still have a few minutes before we are allowed to see Ron and George anyway. I'll try to make this as short as I can" said Harry before he launched himself in a condensed as possible report of the events that had taken place since his birthday. His encounter with Voldemort, his gift, the bond, how he found out about Pettigrew's real betrayal, Dumbledore's plan, Hermione's part on it, the discovery of his father and the discovery of his grandfather (even though he hadn't accepted that one yet) "and believe me, I don't know the half of it, from what I can tell there is plenty more going on. The only good thing is that at least Voldemort seems to be willing to tell me everything, but still…"

Fred was dumbstruck. He knew Harry's life was complicated and that his adventures were always a bit (ok, a lot) more dangerous than the ones he and George had got themselves in to. He actually had envied Ron for getting himself involved in them, but now he was right in the middle of one of Harry's famous adventurous… and he would give anything to go back to the envy right now.

"What do we do now?"

"We wait for news on Ron and George and as soon as your father gets here we join everyone at the whatever room they said they would be and get all the facts together… then we strike back and make sure they hurt as much as we do" said Harry getting up and walking to the door of the room where Ron was unconscious. He was tired of waiting for news on his boyfriend, it was time to make things happen once and for all.