CHAPTER ONE: Attack

Everyone got up with a start. "What the hell is that noise?" said Fred in nothing more than annoyance.

"Could be Percy's had a row with someone at work. He does get rather loud when he's angry," George conceded.

"You idiots!" yelled Hermione. "Those sirens mean that London is being bombarded! Someone's just declared war on Great Britain!"

"What!" came the simultaneous cry from everyone else in the room.

"Some muggle government must have decided to launch a strike against Britain. Only thing is that I don't hear any blasts outside," said Hermione. Waving her wand, she turned on the Wizarding Wireless Network device in the lounge where they all were.

A female reporter appeared in front of what looked like a wasteland of ash. In the distance, Harry thought he could see a familiar structure half-destroyed on its side. "…an attack from a muggle satellite, a metal device orbiting the globe, successfully launched a weapon known as a hydrogen bomb at the heart of Paris," Harry and Hermione gasped,
"leaving the city in ruins. Mediwizards from all over the EU have responded immediately, trying to save anyone they can, though from the looks of things, there may not be much to find. No one knows who launched the attack, as the satellite was unmarked, unlicensed, and self-destructed upon the success of its mission. The European Ministry and Healing Hands both urge extreme caution in light of this horrific event, and to not revert to hasty or hostile action against anyone. If anyone is able to provide the Ministry with any information, or wishes to contribute to relief effort, contact your local Auror office or hospital immediately."

The reporter continued to drone on, but Harry's attention came back to the lounge in Number Twelve. "A hydrogen bomb…" he whispered. He'd heard of them, back when he attended primary school with Dudley, and he's heard of the horrors that had been Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Supposedly, the damage done to those cities was child's play compared to the havoc wrought upon Paris. "But why are the sirens sounding here if the attack was in France?" said Harry, though he was afraid he knew the answer.

"Because," said Ginny annoyedly, "all of Europe is one nation now. An attack in the Netherlands would have set off the sirens just the same as France, or Spain, or any other European country." Sighing, she hung her head. "European province," she corrected herself bitterly. "There are no independent European countries anymore, thanks to that traitor, Lanskey." She spat the name.

Harry nodded. Rowanda Lanskey had been the Hogwarts Potions professor up until a few hours ago, when Headmistress McGonagall had fired her. Leading a seemingly worldwide cult under the name of 'The Great Healer' seemed to play in the minds of Harry and his friends as not the friendliest of scenarios. The fact that Ron had been temporarily brainwashed into said cult was also disturbing. Now, however, he was back to normal, though only by Lanskey's own accord out of respect to Harry.

"Harry, mate, you don't think this could have anything to do with those Sins you told us about, do you?" Harry had told them all about the Sins in a short break from the euphoria of the news of a baby.

Harry nodded. "If they can't trace it, then it probably is. Most of the world is heeding the Great Healer's call for non-violence. This attack is just so out of place! I have no idea where to start!" He hung his head in frustration.

"Mate, that's obvious," said Ron. "We start in Paris. Any leads we find will be there, at least at first. And don't give us any of that 'I can't risk losing you,' stuff, Harry! You know we're coming with you."

Harry grinned. He had indeed been about to name this as his burden, and his alone. But then, where would he have been without Ron and Hermione all these years. "All right, but…"

"No! No buts!" came Ginny's sharp reprimand. "If there's anything I can do to help, I'm doing it, Harry! Don't use our baby as a shield for me; I stand a better chance with you lot than I do on my own."

Sensing that it was futile to argue, Harry threw up his hands in the air. "All right! Let's all get going. You also coming?" he asked of the other Weasleys.

Bill shook his head. "Sorry, but Gideon and Fabian are starting Hogwarts in a few weeks, and I want to make sure that they get off on the right foot. You know, so they don't need 'healing.'" Bill and Fleur had named their twin sons for Molly Weasley's two brothers, who had died as heroes in the first war with Voldemort.

Charlie said, "I'll see if I can get some of the healers who help us with burns and such to aid the wounded, but I don't know how much help we can be in tracking down whoever's behind this."

Harry nodded understandingly. "Fred, George, you game this round?"

The twins looked at each other. "Sorry, mate," said Fred. "We'd love to help,"

"But we feel that our place is here," said George.

"And by 'here, we mean the shop. Nothing personal,"

"It's just that we've always been inventors,"

"Businessmen, you know?"

"Never been the best combatants, have we, Fred?"

"Can't say as we have, George."

Harry could not help but chuckle at the twins' dialogue. Those two never failed to amuse or impress. "In that case," said Harry, "We'll be off. But first, we should all use Protego to shield ourselves from the radiation. Poison from the bomb," he explained, seeing the look of confusion on Ron's face.

Ron nodded and used the charm on himself, followed by Ginny and Hermione. "Eiffel Tower, then. Let's be went, then!" And with four cracks, the two couples were gone.