Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter/Wizarding World. They were all created by the genius that is J.K. Rowling.
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone that's reading glad you're enjoying the story. It makes me happy that nobody is ready to off me for offing Dean. As for the beaded bag mishap it does make for an interesting complication, doesn't it. Lastly nobody has to worry about me trying to pull something angsty as far as Hermione and Harry's relationship goes it's safe.
Chapter 27: Aftermath
Everything around Ginny seemed to happen in slow motion. The arrival of the Patronus lynx, everyone Disappearating, and the flash of green that had been meant for her but before it hit her. Dean had jumped in the way taking the killing curse for her. Complete shock and fear had her own heart pounding in her ears, making it impossible for her to comprehend what was going around her. Dean fell back against her, the weight of his much larger body causing her to sink to the floor her arms wrapped around him tightly. She heard someone scream his name but it couldn't have possibly have been her own voice. It sounded foreign and loud, it was unlike her own voice. Her arms were wrapped around him and she leaned over him sobbing hard. "Ginny!" she heard someone scream in the distance. She couldn't make herself respond; instead she set there in the middle of the dance floor. It a place where not ten minutes before she'd been happy, yet it seemed like a life time had passed since then. She didn't want to leave, if she left then that meant Dean would really be dead. Holding him like this, she was able to touch him here and to remember how his touch felt on her own skin.
Viktor Krum had his wand out helping the members of the Order of the Phoenix. They were trying to defend the Weasley's home, as well as give Harry and the other guests, a chance to get out of the Burrow. He saw Ginny sitting in the middle of the floor holding the body of the dead boy. "We have to get out of here before the second reserve of Death Eaters get here." He heard Remus Lupin call. "Go underground until everything is safe."
Quickly, he made his way over to where Ginny was sitting, "'Ve have to go." He said to Ginny.
"No, I can't leave him," she said holding on to the boy tighter. Knowing that she would put up a fight, he pulled her away from the boy and swept her up into his arms. "Put me down you barbarian!" Ginny screamed fighting against him.
"There are more Death Eaters coming and they vill kill you." Viktor said ignoring her struggles.
"I can't leave Dean." Ginny said again.
"He's dead there is nothing you can do." He said before Disappearating with Ginny in his arms.
"We have to go back." Harry panted as they Appearted in some back alley in what appeared to be London.
"We can't, there were Death Eaters everywhere." Hermione said grabbing both Harry and Ron's hands again tugging them down the street knowing that they needed to keep moving.
"Where are we?" Ron asked looking around trying to get his bearings.
"Tottenham Court Road." Hermione said. "Just keep walking. We have to keep moving and we need to find somewhere to-"she paled realizing what had happened. "We have to go back to the Burrow."
"You're barking, you just said it yourself. There are Death Eaters everywhere there." Ron said. He more than either of them felt the urge to go back to the Burrow, after all it was his family that were in the most danger. He couldn't get the last image that they'd seen there out of his head, Ginny sitting in the floor holding Dean's body. He wondered if she was okay or if- no, he wouldn't let himself think that. His family had to be okay. Still, even he had to admit, going back right now would be suicide.
"No you don't understand I dropped the bag. When Viktor picked me up, I dropped the bag." She said almost in tears.
"You mean that ruddy little thing you've been carrying around?" Ron asked confused.
"It had everything in it." Hermione said.
"Exactly what could you have in there that's so important, it's nothing more than a glorified change purse." Ron said. "Tooth picks, lipstick, and breath mints?"
"Ron, use your head. I figured it would look awfully suspicious if we carried around loads of stuff. I put an undetectable extension charm on it. It had everything in it I can't believe how stupid I am." She said ranking her hand through her curly hair.
"Come on let's get off the street we'll figure out what we're going to do." Harry said leading them into a small café.
They set down in a small booth in the back hoping not to draw too much attention to themselves. After ordering coffee Ron said, "You know we're not far from the Leaky Cauldron here, it's only in Charing Cross-"
"We can't Ron." Hermione said.
"I just figured it would be the best place to find out what was going on." Ron sulked a little.
"We know what's going on, Voldemort took over the Ministry. Going to some place like the Leaky Cauldron or Hogsmeade or something would be exactly what they would expect us to do. I think staying in the Muggle world is the safest bet." She said.
They all got quiet as the waitress brought them their coffee, it wasn't until after she left that Harry spoke, "She's right, I mean going there, we wouldn't find out anything more than we already know. Once things settle down we'll send a message to the Order."
"We have to figure out a way to get back and get the bag. Without it we're lost it took me weeks to get everything ready." Hermione said.
"We will but first we have to find a place to hide out." Harry agreed.
As they were discussing options, two workmen walked into the café catching Harry's attention. Wizards were easy to spot in the Muggle world; it was almost like watching a fish out of the water. They tried so hard to blend in. It rarely worked out for them; they looked even more out of place than they would if they would have come into the Muggle world as themselves. That's how Harry spotted the two Death Eaters who were trying to blend. "What is it?" Hermione asked when she noticed the change in Harry's demeanor.
He didn't say anything, he jumped to his feet wand in hand, "Stupefy!" he yelled. He hit the blond Death Eater in the face causing him to slump to the ground. His companion surprised that they were the attackees rather than the attackers, quickly fired a spell but instead of hitting Ron it hit the mirror behind them causing it to shatter.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Hermione screamed hitting the Death Eater, whose whole body went stiff and he smashed through a table that had been laden with china.
It was only after both men were incapacitated, that any of them lowered their wands and walked over to where they were. "That's Dolohov." Harry said clutching his wand tightly. It was all he could do to keep from cursing the man. After all, he he'd nearly killed Hermione that fateful night in the Department of Mysteries.
Hermione knew what Harry was thinking and laid her hand on his arm. "What are we going to do with them?"
"Kill them?" Ron suggested, "They'd kill us."
Hermione gasped then looked at Harry who shook his head. "No, we'll erase their memories. It's better like that; it will throw them off our scent. If we killed them it'd be obvious we were here." Besides Harry wasn't ready to have blood on his hands and deep down neither was Ron.
"You're the boss." Ron too was relieved, "Hermione? I've never done a memory charm."
She took a deep breath and pointed her wand at Dolohov's forehead, her hand shaking a little, "O-Obliviate." At once the man's eyes became distant and dreamy.
"That's brilliant Hermione." Harry said knowing how hard that had to be on her and that it would have brought up memories of her parents. After she'd erased the other man's memory he wrapped his arm around her and squeezed it gently. "I'll clear this up."
"Clear it up?" Ron asked.
"You don't think they might wonder what's happened if they wake up and find themselves in a place that looks like it's just been bombed?"
"Right," Ron said.
"I think we should go to Grimmauld Place." Harry said after they'd finished repairing the damage to the café and they propped the Death Eaters up in a booth.
"Don't be silly Harry that will be the first place Snape would have them looking." Hermione said.
"Ron's dad told me they've put up jinxes against him-and even if they haven't worked, so what? I swear I'd like nothing better than to meet Snape."
"But-"
"Hermione, where else is there? It's the best chance we've got. Snape is only one Death Eater and it would be the last place he'd expect."
She ran everything over in her head and sighed, Harry was right. Not to mention it was still supplied from where it had been the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. "Alright," She agreed reluctantly.
