Chapter 5

A Fallen Warrior

When I came around, I heard someone fussing over me.

"Are you sure that's what you saw, Violet?" a woman's voice said nervously.

"I can't be way too sure, there was too many of them and lest you forget, Genevieve, I was Stunned too." Violet's voice said.

"Will she be ok?" Willow James' voice said.

"She'll be fine, Willow." Violet's voice said. "But we're lucky it was just one Stunner instead of three, like Minerva got when Umbridge was at Hogwarts."

"It's just the matter when she'll come around." the woman's voice said as I heard two sets of footsteps walking away.

I sighed, deciding that now was a good time to come around. I blinked and let my eyes open.

Willow James' face swam before my eyes, making me blink and mutter "Skinner, Fanelli and Faksa, here's hoping my vision isn't Skinnered up." in a hoarse voice.

"Han!" Willow said happily, hugging me tightly. "MUM, VIOLET! She's awake!" she squealed.

I opened my eyes, rolling them. "Hey, Will." I said amused when I looked around at my surroundings.

It seemed to me that I was in a teenage girl's bedroom. Pictures of me and Jeff Skinner plastered the walls and a guitar sat in the corner.

I turned to Willow with a "You have to be kidding me." look. Someone was a very obsessed fan girl.

"Sorry for the…illusion of obsession," Willow said, smiling timidly. "I was just dying to meet you since I was a kid. Once I did and found out you were just a regular person like the rest of the world, I…I just never bothered to bring the posters down. But the Skinner posters are new, I swear!" she said.

I laughed, making her flinch. "It's cool, Willow, it's kind of nice to have a fan." I said as Violet and someone vaguely familiar ran into the room, just as I was getting up.

The someone had long black hair like Willow's and green eyes, she was pale and like Willow wore a charm that matched her eyes and a lot of bangle bracelets. It was Willow's mother.

"Han!" Violet sighed in relief "Thank God you're alive, Mad-Eye wouldn't have liked it much had you died."

"How are you feeling?" Mrs James asked "Anything else broken? I mended your arm, leg and ribs, and cleared off the concussion you had." she explained.

I paled "My broom…" I said.

"Your Nimbus is fine, Hannah, it's right here!" Willow said, handing me my black broom.

I sighed, taking a hold of it. "Thank Skinner for that!" I breathed. "If anything happened to it, I would have cried."

"I'm fine, too, thanks for asking!" Violet said, shaking her head.

"Sorry," I said, smiling at my protector "but the broom has sentimental value. Draco gave it to me when I was twelve to replace my totalled Nimbus 2000 that Drosie destroyed. Stupid bitch." I muttered, loathing my blonde haired blue eyed enemy.

"There's been a change in plans." Violet said. "We're not going to the Burrow from here, we're going to Ivy's dad's place before the Burrow. The Death Eaters know where we are."

I nodded. "Ok. Where's the Portkey?" I asked.

"Here it is, Hannah!" Willow said, handing me my glowing fawn charm bracelet as Violet did the same.

I felt the familiar tug from under my naval and I was spinning. I shouted. "See you, Willow, bye Mrs James!" before I was blinded by the white light.

When my feet touched the ground again, I was in the living room of the Duff household, where I hadn't been since I was eleven years old. (Well, to the Ministry, but technically, I was still ten.)

There stood a greying, brown haired man with Ivy's eyes, smiling at me.

"Hello, Hannah Potter." Daniel Duff, my best friend's father said. "Hello, Violet." he added to Violet.

"Hey, Daniel." Violet said, smiling at Mr Duff.

"Hi, Mr Duff." I said, smiling.

"We've heard that the Death Eaters found out the plan." an old kind faced woman said, concerned.

"Where is Ivy?" Ivy's grandmother asked.

I shrugged "I hadn't seen her since we took off from Privet Drive." I said. "But I'm pretty sure she's ok. She's strong minded and has a good head on her shoulders."

Mr Duff nodded "That's my daughter." he said before turning to me with a smile "The Portkey is in Ivy's room, would you like a snack or two for the road?" Mr Duff asked.

"Yes, please." I said, nodding.

Ivy's grandmother handed me a bag "Here you go, these are freshly baked." she said.

I opened the bag to find a large bag full of chocolate chip cookies. "Wow, thanks." I said.

"You're welcome, dear, anything for Ivy's best friend." Ivy's grandmother said, pinching my cheek.

I smiled as Mr Duff lead me and Violet upstairs to Ivy's room, where a glowing hairbrush with the inscription: to Ivy, love always, Blaise sat on Ivy's Puddlemere United comforter.

I beamed, remembering my boyfriend's best friend, Blaise Zabini, who turned out to be my best friend's boyfriend. (messed up, eh?)

Violet grabbed my hand as the brush started glowing brighter and I, gripping my bag of cookies tightly in one hand started spinning as I pressed my hand to the brush. And for the second time that night, I was spinning as fast as I could.

When I landed again, I was in the back garden of the Weasley Burrow, landing gracefully on my feet for the first time using the Portkey.

"Hannah!" Mrs Weasley's voice screamed, running into the garden and holding me tightly in her arms. "Oh, Hannah! Are you the real Hannah? we were so worried! Where are the others?"

I blinked. "The others aren't back yet?" I asked.

Ginny shook her head "No," she whispered, her face paler than I ever saw it.

I swallowed "Death Eaters. The Death Eaters were surrounding us from the moment we took off. I think three were tailing me and Violet, and…and Voldemort tried to steer me off course -" I explained before Mrs Weasley took me in her arms.

"Thank goodness you're alright!" she said, tears falling onto my shoulder. "Come in, come in, if Hagrid and Harry made it, they'll have been fourth."

"Ron and Tonks were supposed to turn up first, but missed their Portkey," Ginny explained, nodding to a rusty oilcan. "Fred and Dad were supposed to come next, but their Portkey came without them, too," Ginny continued, nodding to an old plimsoll. "You and Violet came were supposed to be third, and if Harry and Hagrid made it, they'll be here in a minute."

No sooner had Ginny said that then the darkness started glowing blue in front of the window I was standing under.

I held my breath, hoping that it was Harry and Hagrid.

And my hopes came heeded, Harry fell onto his hands and knees in the front garden, tears falling down his face.

Mrs Weasley ran up to hug him, thanking goodness that he was all right, but the first thing out of his mouth was something that shocked me.

"Hannah." he said. "Is she here? Is she ok?" he asked, his voice sounding thick from emotion, even from where I was listening by the door.

Mrs Weasley nodded "She's in the living room." she said, making Harry hug her and run into the house, Hagrid still standing there as Harry burst through the door.

"Han!" Harry breathed relieved as he trapped me in his arms. "Thank Skinner, thank Skinner you're safe. I thought you were a done-for!"

I breathed a little easier. "I'm fine Harry, now let go, I can't breathe!" I said, making him let go.

"Sorry." Harry said as another glow of blue penetrated the darkness.

I screamed. It was Remus and George.

Their presence wasn't what made me scream. It was the fact that there was blood everywhere, and it was coming from the side of George's head.

Lupin carried George into the living room and set him on the couch for Mrs Weasley to dote over when he grabbed Harry.

"Hey!" me and Hagrid shouted together "Let go of him! Let go of Harry!"

"What was the creature in my office the first time Harry Potter visited it at Hogwarts?" Lupin demanded, shaking him a little "Answer me!"

"A Grindylow in a tank, wasn't it?" Harry asked, making Lupin let him go and turn to me.

Lupin grabbed my arm and threw me against the wall, hitting my head and making Harry shout.

"HEY! PUT MY SISTER DOWN!"

"Who were the six Death Eaters that Hannah Potter fought in the graveyard the night You-Know-Who came back?" Lupin asked. "And damn it, you'd best answer me!"

"Avery, Macnair, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle and Lucius Malfoy!" I screamed, mostly from pain.

Lupin dropped me, making me fall back into my brother. "I'm sorry, Hannah." Remus said. "I had to check who you were, you can't be too safe. They knew, the Death Eaters found out we were moving you tonight."

I blinked "But how could they have found out?" I asked.

"Maybe they've Imperioused someone to tell them. Or Veritaserum." Harry suggested.

I nodded "That's a point." I said as Ivy and Ekaterina burst through the door, Ivy's hair shortening and turning back to brown as she went.

"How's George?" she asked, turning to Mrs Weasley.

"Lost an ear." Mrs Weasley said sadly as Fred and Mr Weasley came through the back door.

"Hannah!" Fred said, rushing over to me before his twin brother "I thought you were a goner!" he said, wrapping me in his arms and kissing the top of my head.

"Fred, it's over, Hannah's with Malfoy." Harry said to Fred, who let me go.

"Again, should you ever change your mind." Fred said, smirking at me before he went to check on everyone else as one by one, people started coming in and fussing over me before George. Apparently, they all saw me get Stunned before crash landing at the James' estate.

But their fussing was only a moment or two before they went to fuss over George, who, as Mrs Weasley had said, lost an ear. His head was bloody and there was a gaping hole where his ear should have been.

Fred was kneeling down by his brother's side as he came around.

"How're you feeling, Georgie?" Fred asked.

George opened one eye, looked me in the eye and muttered "Saint like."

I paled. "What's he mean? Is his mind effected?" Fred asked.

"Saint like…" George said again "I'm holy…holey, Fred, get it?"

I rolled my eyes the same as Fred "Pathetic!" we said together "Of the whole wide world of ear related humour before you, you go for holey!?" we asked "Stupid ass!"

"I'll take care of your son, Molly." Ekaterina said, turning to her brother, who like Ivy had turned back into himself "Michael, could you go home and take care of Polina and Sophia?"

"Absolutely, Malenkaya." Michael said, walking out the back door as everyone started to leave.

"I am not that short!" Ekaterina snapped to Michael's retreating back.

"Emily…" I siad, paling "I lent her my Invisibility Cloak…where's Emily?"

"Right here, Han." Emily beamed, handing me my Cloak as Bill and Fleur walked in.

"Oh, Bill!" Mrs Weasley said, running into Bill's arms as Bill turned to Mr Weasley and said something that stalled the whole room.

"Mad-Eye's dead."

Everyone stopped their quiet muttering, nobody spoke, nobody moved. Mad-Eye dead? That wasn't possible!

"We saw it happen." Bill said as Fleur dabbed her eyes. "Just after we broke out of the circle. Mad-Eye and Dung were close by us, they were heading north, too. Voldemort - he can fly -went straight for them. Dung panicked, I heard him cry out, Mad-Eye tried to stop him, but he Disapparated. Voldemort's curse hit Mad-Eye full in the face, he fell backwards off his broom and - there was nothing we could do, nothing, we had about a dozen of them on our tails already."

I paled and swallowed, completely numb. One of the best Order members…dead? It couldn't be…it just couldn't be.

"I - I'll be upstairs." I said, standing up and walking upstairs.

"She needs a moment." Harry said from downstairs "The shock."

I smiled. My brother knew me so well.

I rushed into Ginny's unused room and sat on her bed, closing the door and locking it with the key she gave me. Harry was right, I definitely needed some personal Hannah time.

Death Eaters had discovered the plan. I nearly died getting to the Burrow, but I was still alive. My flying kept me alive, albeit Stunned temporarily.

Then I remembered. One of those Death Eaters had tried to knock me off my broom with a spell I hadn't heard in months.

"I got her, Sectumsempra!"

I paled. That was the spell that Harry had used on Draco when we were in Moaning Myrtle's washroom at Hogwarts. It caused Draco to almost bleed to death in my arms! And the Death Eaters knew that spell!

Oh, crap, I thought. I'm really, really screwed.

"Hannah!" a voice said from in my pocket "Han!"

I reached into my breast pocket and groped around for my mirror.

"They knew!" I said to Draco "They knew about the plan!"

"I didn't say anything, I swear!" Draco said. "It was Mundungus Fletcher that tipped us off!"

I gaped "That rotten little squealer!" I snapped, dropping the mirror briefly to keep from melting the metal with my fire affinity. "I should have known the little sneak was no good!" I growled when I calmed down enough to grab the mirror again.

"I know, I thought he was on your side." Draco said, as shocked as I was (but no doubt not as angry.)

"I almost died because of that bastard!" I snarled.

"WHAT!?" Draco demanded, angry fire dancing in his eyes.

"If it wasn't for Fletcher squealing on us, the Death Eaters wouldn't have come and gotten to us, and I wouldn't have been stunned from a hundred feet in the air!"

Draco gaped.

"And yes, to answer your question, I'm fine." I said, reading his mind.

"You know me so well, Spitfire." Draco smirked.

"Han, Han, we need your help!" Hermione said, pounding on the door.

"Skinner!" I hissed "In a second, Watson!" I called before turning to Draco "Got to go." I said, tucking the mirror into my breast pocket and unlocking the door. "What?" I asked.

"Harry wants to go help Remus and Bill find Mad-Eye's body." Hermione said.

I huffed and started going downstairs to find Harry looking at Remus.

"No, I want to help." Harry insisted.

"Harry, if you go, you'll be jeopardizing yourself, the exact thing that Mad-Eye died trying to avoid. You don't want him dying in vain, do you?" I asked, making my brother look at me.

Harry huffed "I guess you're right." Harry said, turning to Remus "Go on without me." he ordered.

I smiled as Remus and I shared a look. "Thanks." he said as he and Bill walked off.

I turned and Mrs Weasley grinned at me "Your things are in Ginny's room. You look exhausted."

I nodded, finally noting how exhausted I was "Thanks, Mrs Weasley. I'm going to turn in for the night."

"Good night, dear." Mrs Weasley said as I turned for the stairs and went upstairs to Ginny's room.

I sighed as I sat on the cot next to Ginny's bed, where my backpack and Hellion's cage sat, my cat sitting on the pillow.

"Hey, Hellion." I said, lying down with my cat and petting her, taking Diablo out of her little hut and placing her on my tummy "Hi, Diablo. What a day." I sighed "I never thought me leaving Privet Drive would kill someone." I thought aloud.

"You'd be surprised what little things will kill someone these days." Ivy's voice said in the distance.

"Hey, V." I said as Ivy sat on the bed next to me.

"Hey. So, you were talking to Malfoy." she said.

I nodded "Yeah, I was." I said, stroking Hellion's fur. "Why?" I asked.

"Uh…did he mention anything about Blaise?" Ivy asked.

I shook my head. "No, why?" I asked.

"Oh," she said, looking slightly crestfallen "I just wanted to know if Blaise had said anything about me."

I smiled "He may be busy, Ivy, you never know." I said, trying to cheer my best friend up.

"Yeah, but what if he finally gets time and - and I'm gone." Ivy said, hanging her head.

I shook my head. "Ivy, don't think that going on the run means you'll never see Blaise again. He knows that you'll be back again someday." I consoled.

"Now you're just making me sound like Frosty the Snowman!" Ivy said angrily.

"Sorry, Icy, I'm just trying to help." I said, trying to make Ivy sound less mad.

"Right, Han, sorry for snapping." Ivy said, lying down and petting her orange cat, Coral. "It's just the stress of the war's getting to me. Everyone's asking me what Voldemort's doing and when. It's hard."

I nodded "Yeah, it's taking a toll on all of us." I said. "Even me."

"You're saying that because you can't be with Malfoy!" Ivy snapped "There are a lot worse things in the world than being with some prick who double crossed you and nearly got you killed in a fire!"

"He didn't want to be a Death Eater, he told me so himself!" I said defensively.

"Maybe he was lying!" Ivy said back.

"Ivy, you'd know if he was lying!" I snapped. "And so would I, lest you forget, you are a Legilimense and I'm a Seer!"

"Whatever, I had him tagged as bad news from the minute you and him met!" Ivy said, getting up and storming out with Coral under her arm.

"He isn't bad!" I shouted back to her.

"He's the worst possible person imaginable! And if you can't see that then you're the stupidest person on earth!" Ivy snapped, turning to me "Love's changed you, Han." she added coldly "You said you'd never love a Death Eater, and here you sit, you love a Death Eater that killed Dumbledore, you traitor." Ivy said before walking out.

"Oh, for Skinner's sake!" I said, angry and hurt tears falling down my face. "Why can't she just let go of Draco being a Death Eater and be happy for her best friend who's happily in love?" I asked, turning onto my side and crying silently.

"Hannah?" Hermione whispered, sitting on the bed next to me and touching my shoulder "What's wrong, Sherlock?"

I sniffed "Ivy's being Ivy again." I sobbed. "She's calling Draco a prick and saying he double crossed me by being a Death Eater." I added in a whisper.

"That's just Ivy being protective, she just doesn't want you to be hurt." Hermione said, sitting on my bed and touching my forearm.

"It seems that nobody's happy for me." I admitted in tears "Nobody ever thought that I'd find love, and here I am, and everyone's telling me to stay away."

Hermione pulled me into a sitting position and held me like Harry used to. "That's the prejudice talking," she soothed "and if it's any consolation, I'm happy for you." she said.

I smiled and held Hermione back "Thanks, Watson." I said "You're the best."

Hermione let me go and beamed "You're welcome, Sherlock." she said, getting into the bed next to me "Goodnight." she said.

I smiled. "Night." I said, lying back down and turning to my side before falling asleep with my stuffed dragon.

A/N: Well? What d'you think? Will Hannah's and Ivy's friendship fail like Slytherin's and Gryffindor's? Will Hermione become Hannah's new best friend? What will happen at the wedding? Review and I'll keep writing, and then you'll find out!