A/N: Thanks to evil-mastermind666, pettybureaucrat, ChocoholicMonkeyfish, and Snowy-Mel for reviewing. I really appreciate it.
Pray for us
"Percy?" Mrs. Weasley cried out in surprise, before rushing over to him and giving him a tight hug.
And, for the first time in over two years, he returned her hug, causing her to burst into tears.
"Oh, Mum," Percy mumbled gritting his teeth as he blinked back some tears of his own.
"Why are you here, Percy? Why did you help us?" Ron asked. He didn't really mean to sound rude, but a part of him was angry and distrustful of Percy. After two years of watching his mum cry over her wayward son, he didn't know how much he liked Percy at the moment. And, he was very curious to know what had caused Percy to turn his back on his beloved Ministry and return to his family.
After their mother settled down some, Percy extracted himself from her arms and turned to face the people in the kitchen.
He fumbled around a bit, wiping his hands on his robes, and taking a few deep breaths. "I heard stuff. At the Ministry. Meetings between the Minister and some other people. At first, I didn't think anything about it. I wasn't allowed in the meetings, they were strictly between the Minister and these people, but I heard a few things. After a while, I realized they were talking about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and Horcruxes, which you all seem to know about. They talked about you too, Harry," Percy's voice became more agitated, nervous, and fearful from this point on. "I think the Minister is in league with him, Dad. I never would have believed it. I know I was wrong in the past: about how I acted and about how I believed everything the Minister did and said. But, I'm sure I'm right about this."
Percy turned to the six teenagers. "After seeing a few of the people who would leave the Minister's office, I knew I needed to do something. And, that's why I decided to help the four – now six – of you. I gathered what information I could about the Horcruxes and tried to find their locations or who might have them."
"Who did the Minister have meetings with?" Harry asked.
"Lucius Malfoy, after he broke out of prison. He would only meet with the Minister late at night, when everyone had gone home, or, he would come by way of the fireplace in the Minister's office so that no would see him, or at least that's how I figure he got into the office considering I wouldn't see him come in. I don't know much about the other people who would meet with the Minister, but I would bet they were Death Eaters as well."
"How come you're voice sounded so different?" Ginny asked.
Percy turned red at this point and reached into the pocket of his robes. "I used these," he answered, looking sheepishly at them, holding up the wrapper in his hand.
Ron burst out laughing, as did several other people in the room.
It was one of Fred and George's trick candies – one that obviously disguised a person's voice.
After a few more minutes of talking with Percy, a lull in the conversation allowed Ron to ask his previous question. "So, why are you here, Smith?"
Zacharias shifted around uneasily in his seat. "I found out my parents are Death Eaters. They lied to you about the cup. I have it with me."
Harry's head shot up. "Once we destroy this one, all the Horcruxes except for Nagini will be dead. Then we can go after Voldemort."
Hermione shifted around in her seat, which caused Aiden, who had until that moment been sleeping peacefully in her arms, to cry out in outrage at being disturbed.
Until that moment, no one, neither Mr. and Mrs. Weasley nor Hermione's parents, had taken much notice in the baby in Hermione's arms – they had been so caught up in the other excitements of that evening.
"Here, let me take him, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, rushing around and picking the baby up out of her arms.
"Who is he, Hermione?" Mrs. Granger asked, looking at her daughter questioningly. If the baby had been even five months younger, she would be asking if the baby was her daughter's, but, since he looked to be about eight to nine months old, she knew that wasn't possible.
"His name is Aiden. His mother was just killed by Death Eaters," Hermione answered, looking anxiously over at Aiden, who was cooing softly as Mrs. Weasley rocked him in her arms.
"He must have family," Mr. Granger commented.
Hermione shook her head. "His father is dead, too. Branna, his mother, said that they didn't have any other family."
"What's going to happen to him then?"
Hermione looked at Ron, who smiled softly at her and turned back to the rest of the people sitting around the kitchen table.
"We're going to keep him."
Mrs. Weasley gasped softly, so as not to wake the baby. "Ronald, this is not a pet that you just picked up from the street…"
Ron rolled his eyes. "I know that, Mum. I don't think Aiden is a pet."
"You're not even married to Hermione, Ron. And, you know nothing about babies," Mrs. Weasley continued to huff.
"I know, Mum. But, Branna asked us if we would take him. His own mother thought we were mature enough to take care of her son."
Mr. Weasley broke in, trying to defuse some of the tension. They didn't need to argue about this right now. "We got some letters for you."
Mr. Weasley got up from his chair and walked over to one of the kitchen drawers, opening it, and taking a small stack of papers out.
"These were owled to us about three months ago. We didn't open them. We were waiting to give them to you when you returned." With that, Mr. Weasley handed out the papers to each of them.
Hermione opened the sealed envelope, unfolded the paper, and began reading.
From the Offices of Abberley and Kite
2640 Eerie Avenue
London
Miss Hermione Granger:
The last will and testament of Mrs. Deidre Dearborn states that you are one of five beneficiaries.
Upon receiving this letter, your money, which comes to the sum of 250,000 galleons, will be put into a Gringott's vault for safekeeping. If you already have a Gringott's account, the money will automatically be credited to your account. If you do not already have an account at Gringott's Bank, which is located in Diagon Alley in London, one will have been created for you. If the latter is the case, you are responsible for retrieving the key from Gringott's staff.
If you have any questions pertaining to the contents of Mrs. Deidre Dearborn's will, you may contact Mr. Abberley or Mr. Kite at the above address.
If you chose not to accept the money please contact our offices as soon as possible and the money will be divided up between the remaining beneficiaries, as stipulated by the will.
With regards,
Mr. Nigel Abberley and Mr. Richard Kite
Hermione looked up from the letter and met her friends' equally surprised faces.
"Why would she put us in her will? She didn't know us for that long," Ginny asked, as she looked down at the key her father had handed her.
"Well, she did say she had no other relatives. Maybe she was going to give the money to her friend, remember, the one we saw in the mirror. Or to a charity. Then, after she met us, she changed her will. Her husband and sons were killed by Death Eaters, and she knew what we were trying to do," Hermione replied. She was just as shocked as they were. Maybe Mrs. Dearborn, who had already sacrificed her life for them and what they were doing, was attempting to help them in any way she could and, so, had written them into her will.
"Who's will, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking at the four teenagers.
"Mrs. Dearborn, the woman who was killed not long after we left. The one that was related to Ravenclaw."
Mrs. Weasley remembered that woman and the story about her death in the Daily Prophet. From what was said in later news articles, the woman was very wealthy. This, of course, made since considering she was a descendent of Ravenclaw. All of the descendents of Hogwarts founders were wealthy.
Still, it would be difficult for her son and Hermione to raise a baby. Aiden seemed to get on well with them - he had lain in Hermione's arms without complaint for the last hour, which, considering what they had just been through, was a surprise. Ron and Hermione would, she knew, get married – she had seen how they had acted toward each other over the years and Ginny had told her what when on in their sixth year. Anyway, any doubt she might have had was erased after reading the letter Ron had left them when her son, daughter, and their friends left for Godric's Hollow.
Mrs. Weasley sighed. She couldn't exactly go against what Aiden's mother had wished anyway. In the wizarding world, a person could not go against a wish like this. There was magic in the request, and if Branna wished for Ron and Hermione to take Aiden, and they had agreed to it, then they would now be viewed by the wizarding world as his parents. "Well, having the money to raise the baby will help, but you will need emotional support. Your father and I will be here if you need anything at all."
Mr. Granger looked at Mrs. Weasley surprised. "You're just going to allow this?"
"We don't have any choice really. If Aiden's mother asked them to take Aiden, and they accepted, magically, they are bond to be his parents," Mr. Weasley responded.
"And, I agreed," Hermione spoke up looking at her father.
"We agreed," Ron chimed in, squeezing Hermione's hand gently.
After a few moments, Mrs. Granger spoke up. "Then, we'll be here for you too, dear."
Hermione smiled at each of them in turn. "Thanks, Mum, Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley."
"Okay, I need everyone to stand back, while I destroy the cup."
Everyone in the kitchen stood back, giving Harry the room he requested.
"Hermione?" Harry asked, looking back at Hermione with a little smile.
"Amo scaphium, Harry," Hermione answered, smiling in return.
"Thanks," Harry turned back, facing the Horcrux. "You might as well duck for cover now; these things like to explode."
He took a deep breath and focused all his thoughts on Ginny, the dream, and the provocative image Ginny had whispered to him right before he destroyed the locket.
"Amo scaphium!"
Sure enough, as with the other Horcruxes, the cup split into pieces, showering the room and occupants with shards of metal.
"Great job, Harry," Ginny said as she came up and hugged him.
Later that night, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, and Zacharias were all sitting in the living room, talking quietly as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Percy, Aiden, and Hermione's parents had already gone to bed.
Hermione's parents were staying with them at the Burrow now – had in fact been at the Burrow for the last month. Things had been getting too dangerous for them to remain at their home.
"So, your parents are Death Eaters?" Harry asked, looking over at Zacharias who hadn't said a word since Harry destroyed the cup.
"Yeah," he mumbled in response.
Harry looked at Zacharias for a few moments, judging the sincerity in the shame he seemed to be feeling toward his parents. Eventually he responded. "I'm sorry."
Zacharias head shot up, his haunted eyes meeting Harry's own. "Susan Bones, you know her? She was my friend. Her grandparents, uncle, his family, and her aunt were all killed by Death Eaters. My parents might even have been involved in her aunt's murder. Susan's going to hate me now."
Ginny looked saddened by this revelation. "She might not. It wasn't your fault."
Zacharias just shrugged and looked down at his shoes.
"The Order should be here soon," Mr. Weasley said the next morning as the seven teenagers came downstairs for breakfast.
Harry nodded, and no sooner had he done this, when Lupin and Tonks apparated into the kitchen.
"Wotcher, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, long time no see. I'm glad you guys are okay," Tonks greeted them, hugging both Hermione and Ginny, and then looked over at Neville, Luna, and Zacharias. "Sorry, I don't know your names."
"That's Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and Zacharias Smith," Ginny answered, pointing to each of them in turn.
Tonks nodded, smiling at them. "You and Neville fought in the Department of Mysteries, right? And the battle at Hogwarts?"
Neville and Luna both nodded.
"And, Zacharias,…um…" Tonks trailed off uncomfortably, not remembering his name from anywhere.
Zacharias turned red. "I was in the D.A."
Tonks nodded enthusiastically. "Brilliant." She then turned her attention back to Harry. "We just heard that Irish Aurors were dealing with a Death Eater attack last night. It was at an inn, called Kendrick's Pub and Inn."
Harry nodded. "That was Branna's. We were staying there. Branna was killed."
"Could you tell me who the Death Eaters involved in the attack were?"
"It was Lucius Malfoy and that huge Death Eater from the attack on Hogwarts, I don't know his name."
"Thanks, Harry. I'll make sure to share that information with the Aurors."
"We haven't been reading the papers recently, I guess Azkaban had another breakout?" Harry asked. He had been wondering this since they saw Lucius Malfoy at inn. Last he had heard, Malfoy Sr. was still in Azkaban.
Lupin spoke up. "Actually, everyone that was in Azkaban is out now. The Dementors joined with Voldemort and they released everyone before they left."
"Just like Dumbledore said," Harry commented.
About twenty minutes later, some of the more trusted Order members were standing around the Weasley's kitchen, waiting for the meeting to begin.
"Can I have everyone's attention so we can begin the meeting?" McGonagall spoke up after the last Order members arrived.
Once everyone settled down, she continued. "We have just learned that Harry found and destroyed all the Horcruxes, save Nagini…"
Harry spoke up. "That's not true. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, Percy, Zacharias, Mrs. Dearborn, and Branna helped."
"Well, whatever the case may be," she replied as if this was trivial, although she looked at him with a little pride because of his comment, "the destruction of the Horcruxes means that we can now go after He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named…"
Harry spoke up again. "Voldemort."
McGonagall as well as a many other Order members looked uncomfortable at the mention of his name.
Seeing this, Harry groaned and stood up. "Look," he said as he looked around the room at the twenty some Order members who had been trusted enough to come here, "if you can't even say his name, how are you going to fight him?"
Moody growled, "The same way we did in the past, boy."
"Yeah, and look at how well that turned out for you."
"Now, see here, Potter," Moody stepped menacingly toward Harry.
"Stop," Lupin spoke up, his voice quiet but sharp. "Harry's right. We made mistakes in the past. We thought he was gone, and he wasn't. We didn't trust the right people. But, now isn't the time to fight with each other."
With that, the Order members began making plans to go after Voldemort and the Death Eaters.
"Do we even know where Voldemort is hiding?" Harry asked McGonagall.
McGonagall nodded. "We do. We have it on good authority that he and the Death Eaters are hiding out at the Riddle house in a town called Little Hangleton, in England."
Harry nodded. He knew that place well. Then, his brows knitted in confusion. "Who is this 'authority' you got your information from?"
Several of the Order members shifted around, looking uncomfortable.
McGonagall sighed. "I can't tell you that, Harry."
Rushes of anger filled Harry's head, causing his ears to ring. "It was him wasn't it?"
"Who?" Ginny asked, rubbing Harry's shoulders in an attempt to calm him down.
"Snape," Harry spat out, glaring around the room.
McGonagall's back straightened even more than usual as she gave Harry a stern look. "Yes, it is Professor Snape."
"Professor," Harry spat again. "I don't go to Hogwarts anymore. He's traitor and murderer to me." He looked around the room again, no one would meet his gaze. "I can't believe any of you trust him. He killed Dumbledore."
"We know that, Harry," McGonagall, trying a different tactic, said soothingly. "We have learned that Dumbledore and Snape had planned this…"
"Dumbledore planned to be killed?" Harry interrupted nastily. "I thought you were smart. I can't believe that you believe that rubbish."
McGonagall ignored him and continued. "During the past school year, Professor Snape told Dumbledore that he had, in an attempt to keep his cover, been forced to form an unbreakable vow with Narcissa Malfoy, who was worried for her son, Draco. He also told Dumbledore that Draco Malfoy had been ordered by He-Who-…Voldemort…to kill Dumbledore. If he failed, Draco and his family would be killed. Dumbledore and Professor Snape decided that if it came down to it, and Draco was unable to be persuaded to join our side, or if he was unable to kill Dumbledore, Snape would do it."
"And, how did you learn this?" Harry demanded. He was still angry, and didn't want to believe that any of this was true. But, some of the things that happened on that tower were questionable. For one thing, he remembered Dumbledore begging Snape. At the time Harry figured that Dumbledore was begging Snape not to kill him, but the more the thought about it, the stranger that seemed. Dumbledore didn't seem like the type of person to beg for his life. Harry still remembered what Dumbledore said to him in first year: To the well-organized mind, death was but the next great adventure. If Dumbledore really believed this, then it seemed strange that he would fear death so much that he would beg for his life.
"I had several talks with Dumbledore's portrait, as did Lupin, Tonks, Hagrid, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.
"And this is what he said to you?" Harry asked, looking to the others who had talked to Dumbledore's portrait.
They all nodded.
"Fine. Let's…uh…Let's continue the meeting then," Harry said. He needed to think about this more before he could get used to it, and not when everyone was looking at him as if they feared he was about to explode.
McGonagall nodded, turning to Charlie. "You know what to do. You have everything ready, right?"
"Yes," Charlie answered. "I'll bring ten of them. I was able to recruit that many riders."
"Great, you might as well leave to get them back here in time. If that's alright with you Arthur, Molly?"
"It's fine. We'll find some place to keep them," Mr. Weasley answered.
"Okay, we'll probably be back here tonight sometime. You can tell me and the others what happened during the rest of the meeting when we get back," Charlie said to no one in particular before apparating.
"Okay, now, Bill, Fleur, how are things going with the Goblins?"
"They won't help us unless we pay the gold that Bagman owes them," Bill answered, clearly frustrated that all their efforts had been, for the most part, in vain.
"Well, then, I guess we are just going to have to forget about them." McGonagall answered, turning to Hagrid. "Hagrid…"
"Wait," Hermione interrupted, then flushed when she realized she had just interrupted her favorite teacher, and that said teacher was staring at her in surprise. "Sorry, Professor McGonagall, but how much does Bagman owe the Goblins?"
"Almost 400,000 galleons. We don't have the kind of money and we don't have enough people who can help donate that much," Bill answered.
Hermione looked at Harry, Ron, and Ginny, each of them was smiling. "We have that much money."
"You do?" Bill asked incredulously.
"That's right. The papers that were owled to us a few months ago were about Mrs. Dearborn's will. Mrs. Dearborn was the descendent of Ravenclaw who was killed about eight months ago. She left each of us 250,000 galleons," Ron answered.
Bill whistled in surprise. "Do you guys have the keys for the vaults?"
"No, we have to get them from the goblins at the bank. Will it be hard to get the money, we know that security has tightened."
"Well, since I work there, it will be a little easier for me. And, it doesn't hurt that one of the goblins working there is part of Ragnok's group," Bill answered smiling cheekily. "Fleur and I will go there right now to get the keys. If two of you can sign these papers, allowing me to take the money from your vaults, hopefully by tonight the goblins will be on our side."
"How did you happen to have the papers with you, Bill?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"Oh," Bill looked over at Lupin and Tonks, "I was supposed to…"
Lupin interrupted. "It's alright, we can do that later."
Bill nodded, withdrawing the papers from his robe pocket and handing them over to Harry and Ginny, who both agreed to sign the papers. It didn't really matter which of them did it anyway, the four of them would split the money evenly later.
Possibly, as they had talked about late last night when Neville, Luna, and Zacharias had gone to bed, they would also be able to give some of money away to a charity or something. Harry had wanted to give some of it to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, but knew that that wouldn't happen – although they would be touched by the gesture, they would never accept it.
After Bill and Fleur disapparated, McGonagall continued where she had left off.
"Hagrid, you said you would bring Grawp?"
Hagrid nodded. "Grawpy has gotten better about listening to me. And, he said he wants to fight. I also thought about bringing Fluffy along. Grawpy can easily control him and spells bounce right off of both of them. Everyone has just got to make sure to say away from them, don't want to get stepped on, after all."
McGonagall paled a little, as did several other people in the room. "Yes, well, we just need to have a plan of attack ready then, and we'll be all set. I was thinking, and consulted Dumbledore about this – and he agreed – that it would be better to attack at night when we are more likely to catch them by surprise."
Everyone agreed that this was a good idea, and after some argument from Mrs. Weasley, they began deciding on a plan of action that included Harry and the others.
Later that night, the seven teenagers – Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, and Zacharias were practicing spells with Lupin, Tonks, Percy, Fred and George, Bill, and Fleur,.
Bill and Fleur had returned an hour before announcing that the negotiations had been a success. Goblins were arriving in droves to the Weasleys, fully suited up in the indestructible metal that they were so famous for making.
Harry was just about to practice a strong shield charm when a roar came from the sky. Everyone stopped what he or she was doing to look up.
Black shadows were weaving in and out of clouds in the sky, heading toward a clearing near the Burrow.
Harry looked over at Lupin, who did not seem surprised.
"What are those?"
Lupin looked over at Harry. "That's Charlie and some of his friends."
Harry's head snapped back toward the sky, the shadows were now flying closer to the ground, and Harry was now able to see what had been making those huge shadows in the sky – dragons, ten of them and, atop each of those dragons, sat a person.
Once the ten dragon-trainers had landed, they set about securing the dragons.
"These are all Antipodean Opaleyes. They have much more mild temperaments than the ones used during the Triwizard Tournament," Charlie answered Harry's amazed look as he and the other trainers used magic to make a large enclosed pen that would hold the ten dragons. "We've trained them together so that they get used to each other, so we don't have to fear them attacking each other tomorrow. It also doesn't hurt that we have spent the last three years teaching them to obey our orders and allow us to ride them."
Deciding it was safer for everyone to gather at one place, all Order members were rounded up and were now sleeping in tents surrounding the Burrow.
It was also agreed upon that people sleep in shifts; making sure that ten people were always awake, incase the Death Eaters and Voldemort tried attacking first.
That night everyone slept as well as anyone who was preparing to go to war the next day.
Another A/N: I did not come up with the idea about Charlie bringing dragons to fight Voldemort. I borrowed it from a story I read recently. But, as I am unable to remember the title or author of the story, I was unable to credit the idea to them.