A Wonderful Weasley Wedding

Hermione sat with her written NEWT test in Transfiguration. It was the last test before she was done with them all. She looked over her answers one last time. Then she placed the papers down. She was finished. There was nothing she could do to improve her answers more. She rose and left the room. As her eyes had glanced over the room before she left, she'd seen that both Harry and Ron were reviewing their answers as well. She estimated that they would be out soon.

They were going back to Britain in a week or two. Juliet and Sirius were back in the UK getting the house ready. Hermione, Ron and Harry would be staying with them for the last stretch of the summer before school started up. They had some ideas to go over together. Their current plan was to get as many students away from Voldemort as possible. Hopefully, they could do it.

"Uh, I'm glad that is over," Ron said after the door closed behind him. He stretched. "It wasn't too bad though."

Hermione smiled. She liked how Ron had changed. He truly cared about learning now. He'd never been as lazy as most people though, but he hadn't really cared about doing well in school either. Much like the twins who cared more about their inventions. Now, however, Ron wanted to learn. He found joy in finding new information and researching. What he really loved, however, was working on strategies. It had always been something he was good at. He'd just gotten better with guidance from Juliet and the rest of the team. "I guess we should get back to the manor," she said as Harry joined them. She saw no reason for them to stay any longer than necessary in the States. It was nice and all, but all three of them felt just a bit out of place.

"So what do we do now?" Ron asked after they had port-keyed back to the manor.

Harry shrugged. "We have to wait for Sirius and Juliet to come back here," he said. "So…" he thought about it for a moment, "how about taking a hike? It's been a while, and we won't be able to do it again for a while." He looked out towards the forest. They had spent hours out there in the underbrush. Juliet had taken them to the forest to teach them survival skills. It had also allowed them to use some of their knowledge in Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. The forest was filled with dangerous plants and even more dangerous beasts. It was a reserve of some kind so they weren't allowed to harm anything. A small smile played over Harry's lips. It was a lot of fun travelling through the forest. He especially liked the old ruins. They had never spent that much time in those. Maybe they could do so now.

Two days later the trio was heading out. They apparated to one of the safe-spots in the jungles so they wouldn't have to walk the entire way. Slowly, they headed for the closest ruin. The vegetation slowed their steps. This had once been the land of an ancient people few knew anything about. Their culture may have been killed by the white man, but their buildings still stood.

Harry hissed at a couple of laceheads to calm them down as they passed close to their nests. He convinced them that his friends and himself were no danger to them.

Ron led them to a clearing in the trees. It wasn't common to find clearings since the trees around there shot for the sky whenever they could. An old temple was slowly being overcome by the plants of the jungle. Ron stepped carefully as he headed up to a darkened entrance. "That's pitch black," he pointed out as he drew his wand. "Lumos," he lit the tip of his wand up to guide him. "Are we heading in?" he asked. The Beta team had warned them. These ruins could be very dangerous.

"Only if we're careful," Hermione said.

Ron nodded. "I'll walk first. That way if there are traps, I'll trigger them and you can deal with them or get the Beta team," he said.

Hermione huffed. She wasn't too happy about that plan, but she knew there was no talking him out of it. She walked up the crumbling stairs behind him and lit her own wand. Ron started heading down. The sounds of the forest faded. He cast several detection charms used in curse-breaking as he went. They passed several empty rooms and found nothing special. Hermione studied the walls. Scripts she couldn't read would sometimes mar the heavy stone. She wondered what it said.

Suddenly, Ron raised a hand to stop her. He shifted his hand and a sparkling golden Jack Russell Terrier came rushing out of his wand.

"Dementor?" Hermione asked.

"I highly doubt that," Ron said. "It is a little too warm around here. But remember there is the tropical equivalent."

"Do you think a Patronus is enough to deal with that?" Hermione asked as she thought back on their lessons on the Lethifold.

"It will stun it for a while at least," Ron said. He looked around. "Didn't Harry come with us?" He just then realised that it was only the two of them there.

"No, I think he was talking to some snakes," Hermione said. She bit her bottom lip sheepishly. They hadn't told Harry they were heading down. That maybe hadn't been the best idea. Maybe they should head back? She looked towards the entrance.

"He'll show up," Ron said convincingly.

Hermione nodded before she continued following him. They were heading deeper and deeper. It was getting colder as they kept on walking. Hermione cast a charm on herself to keep warm.

Ron pushed a heavy stone door open. He raised his wand high. He couldn't see the far wall. He walked in slowly. A shrill scream had him turning around. His eyes widened. Long thin fingers were grabbing on to Hermione. The greyish skin looked like it was slowly rotting away. He threw a stunner at the being.

Hermione tore herself loose. She raised her wand as the room lit up. Flames were moving towards them. She cast her own spell towards the inferius. The undead man caught fire. She hurried over to Ron, and they layered shields against the firewall moving towards them.

The flames died down before they reached the two. All that was left was pools of fire where inferi lay burning. A great ball of light was cast to the ceiling, illuminating the room.

On the other side of the rooms stood Harry surrounded by serpents.

"Are you insane?" Ron asked him.

Harry shrugged. "How would I know," he said. "The insane seldom know they are crazy."

"You could have burned us alive!" Ron said.

"Sure, with your training," Harry said. "I'm certain you were protected enough to walk through lava."

Hermione smiled. Harry was right of course. That didn't mean she didn't agree with Ron to a certain extent, but she knew they would have made it just fine.

"So, there were inferi down here," Harry said. "That's interesting I guess."

"How did you get down here?" Ron asked.

"The snakes showed me a back door. They were speaking of a cold hunger that never slept. They sounded scared so I decided to take a look at it," Harry said with a shrug.

"Maybe we should stick together from now on," Hermione said.

"Sounds like an idea," Harry agreed.

There wasn't much else in the temple. They found sleeping quarters, but that was about it. They were glad that the sun hadn't yet reached its peak when they exited the temple. It was bright enough as it was. It took them all a bit of time to get used to the light again after the sheer darkness of the temple.

Harry said goodbye to the snakes, and the three of them headed onwards.

Hermione raced her wand to scare off a jaguar. They were not easy food and would not be presented as such. Her hazelnut brown eyes scanned the forest around them. With Harry around, they didn't need to worry about snakes, but that didn't mean they were safe from all other dangerous animals out there. "People," she whispered softly. Hopefully, the locals hadn't noticed them yet.

There was no guarantee they could communicate with each other. It was fairly uncommon to find someone who spoke English around the manor. Acting quickly, she had pulled her wand and disillusioned herself as soon as she had warned the others. She now blended in with the greens and browns of the trees and bushes around them. They reached a small clearing filled with saplings and big colourful flowers. A tall tree had fallen not too long ago, and the forest was reaching for the sun as quickly as it could.

Hermione smiled. Things like this made her envious of her sister. How many wonders of nature hadn't Juliet seen in her travels? She sighed. One day she would get a proper chance to travel herself. She wanted to walk where humans seldom set foot. She wanted to see things few had ever seen. Sure, she enjoyed visiting cities, but nature was so much more beautiful. She blinked. "What is that?" she asked and pointed.

Harry looked over to the flowers she had motioned to. His eyes narrowed. "It looks like a snitch," he said slowly.

"It's a snidget," Ron said, his voice filled with awe. "Those are what the snitches were modelled after." He took a few steps forward. "Most people claim they have gone extinct."

"Well, there obviously are some here," Hermione said. "Though it's probably best we never tell anyone where we saw them. They are better off that way."

Ron nodded vigorously. "Absolutely," he said. "That doesn't mean we can't go a bit closer, right?" He walked into the glade slowly. He hoped he wouldn't scare the tiny birds off. He really wanted to get a closer look.

On fluttering wings, the snidgets buzzed around happy. Their tiny fluffy feathers moved like the top of dandelion seeds in the breeze. They bolted around catching bugs as they went. Tiny beaks turned towards Ron as he got closer. It was impossible to tell exactly where their heads stopped and their bodies started. They look like fluffy golden balls. Ron kneeled down and held out a hand. A smile spread across his face as several of the tiny birds flew over to his palm. They didn't land, but their soft feathers brushed him.

Hermione smiled. She wished she had brought a camera. It wasn't often Ron looked so carefree. He was truly happy. Harry placed a hand on her shoulder. He was pointing to the edge of the trees. Hermione's eyes widened. "Shield, Ron!" she shouted.

Harry had already pulled his own wand. The red light of a stunner travelled in between the trees.

Spell shattered against the shimmering dome of Ron's shield. He watched in amazement as the snidgets all flew into the safety bubble he had created.

Harry had taken up a position next to Ron. They didn't know how many people were out there so their best chance was to defend their position. Hermione had contacted the manor; they needed more people. Snidgets were considered off-limits. Unfortunately, their rarity meant that they fetched a good price with poachers. Harry had raised a shield too. He hoped the poachers couldn't find the birds' eggs.

Screams echoed between the trees suddenly. The Beta team must have arrived. Melonni came walking into the glade as the shouting died down. She cast a glance at the tiny birds. "Are you alright?" she asked the teens.

"We're fine," Ron answered. "They weren't that good at aiming."

"And their spells were weak," Harry added.

"Good, good," Melloni said. She looked around the glade and sighed. "We're going to have to move them," she said as she indicated to the birds. "They won't be safe here."

"Do we have anywhere they will feel at home, though?" Ron asked. He wanted to make sure that the snidgets would be alright.

"We can always expand to accommodate them," Melloni said. "Argo will take care of it."

"Well, I want to help," Ron said, determined.

Melonni chuckled. "Sure, go ahead," she said. "I'm certain he wouldn't mind. Thankfully, he arrived at the Manor just an hour and a half ago."

The teens' travels were cut short that day. They did head out again a few days before Harry's birthday, but nothing much happened except for the fact that a young emerald tree boa decided that he wanted to travel with Harry. So now Zant was a part of their little group.

Day after day Ron would spend time with the snidgets they had saved. The little birds flourished in their new home. They seemed aware of the fact that they were safe, and they were completely unafraid of humans. Ron was sitting in the bird sanctuary just watching them. It was soothing. His mind calmed. He knew he would miss them. He, Harry and Hermione would be heading back to Britain after Harry's birthday. It was time to go back home.

"Last call, is that we have found two Horcruxes," Sonja said as they had their last meeting before the move. The Beta team was moving as well. Their new Headquarters stood ready for them. The Villa would be the new basecamp.

"Two that's good," Hermione said.

Juliet nodded. "One was destroyed by Harry when he was twelve, and I have sources telling me that Voldemort's snake is one," she noted.

"So, that's four of them," Hermione said. "Say Voldemort himself counts, are we done? Did he have five pieces?"

Nate shook his head. "We found a cave where one must have been," he said. "It wasn't there anymore, but there was a copy left behind with a note." He pulled the note out of his pocket and handed it to Juliet.

"To the Dark Lord," Juliet read. "I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more." She looked up at the group. "It is signed R.A.B." she said.

"R.A.B." Sirius said.

"Yeah," Juliet nodded.

"Regulus Arcturus Black," Sirius said. "That one could be in Grimmauld Place." He looked at the note for a moment. Had his brother defected? Had Regulus seen through Voldemort's drivel and tried to stop him? It made him wish he had spoken to his brother more.

"We'll check on that one when we get back then," Juliet said.

"That would leave one if he used seven," Hermione said. "I doubt he used more than that. Five and seven are quite common as magically strong numbers."

"I also doubt he has made more," Pauline said.

"It could be at Hogwarts," Harry pointed out. "Voldemort has some kind of obsession with the school. We should look for it there."

"Sounds good," Sonja said. "We'll check some other leads out, but at least there is a plan now. I think the snake is going to have to be the last one."

"I have a guy on it," Juliet said. "When I give the sign, he'll kill the serpent and disappear."

Ron sat silently and listened. Everything seemed to be coming together. Maybe a little too easily, but then again, they were dealing with professionals. This wasn't the Beta teams' first rodeo. He trusted that they knew what they were doing. To be frank, Voldemort and his Death Eaters weren't what scared Ron the most about going back. His mother was going to be so angry. He didn't look forward to getting yelled at.

The meeting broke up and people returned to their own tasks. A big shift was about to take place. The Beta team was leaving the Alpha Manor. Things would change, but the change was necessary. Both teams would be expanding. The Beta team would always be younger than the Alpha team. The members would be moving on as time passed.

Times were changing.

Harry took one last look at the room he had spent the last two years in. He would miss the Manor, though, it felt good going back to Britain. It felt like they could make a difference now. He wasn't a scared little kid in over his head anymore. He lifted his bag up and walked over to the door. He would be staying with Sirius and Juliet. Hermione was going to spend some time with her parents, and Ron was at least going to visit his family. Harry flipped the light switch and headed outside. Hermione and Ron joined him on the way downstairs.

"All ready?" Juliet asked as they joined her on the beach in front of the manor.

Hermione sighed and nodded. "Yes, let's go," she said.

Juliet smiled softly. "You are going to miss this place," she said. She got three saddened nods in return. "Me too," she said with a shrug. She looked over at the manor house. "But this is just a building. We are bringing most of the important people along. What makes this place feel like home is coming with us." She held out a port-key. "Let's go home," she said. "You'll like it. I can guarantee it."

Sirius had already headed over a few days earlier. Most of their people had moved as well. They had chosen to bring the teens in last for security reasons. Juliet had wanted her team to make sure the area was safe. Goblins were trustworthy enough when you paid them, but her team was better and would do a better job.

The port-key activated. The world around them started spinning. The bright sun faded to a low burning sunset.

Ron looked around as they landed. They were standing next to a sturdy looking log house. Blue curtains hung in the windows. A little further away lay a bigger building. Next to it a tower rose towards the sky. It had to be the Villa and guard tower. "So that's the new headquarters," he said.

Juliet nodded as she answered, "Yes, that's the Villa." She moved on ahead. "You can choose if you want to stay in the Villa or with Sirius and I," she offered. "It is fully up to you."

The three teens looked at each other for a moment. "We'll stay in the Villa," Hermione said. "It will feel more familiar and makes more sense for now."

"We have rooms set aside for you already," Juliet said. "If you go over there, I'm sure someone can point you in the right direction. I have some things that demand my attention so I will leave you for now." She turned to her little sister. "Mom and dad expect us in two hours," she said.

"Okay," Hermione responded before Juliet left.

The teens headed over to the Villa. "I'll probably wait until tomorrow to head over to the Burrow," Ron said as they entered the house. "I don't feel like getting yelled at right now, and I might as well give her plenty of time to do so when I show up."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other. They didn't envy Ron.

It didn't take them long to find their rooms which looked very much like the rooms they had lived in at the Manor. The building was very different, and the view wasn't as good. It wasn't bad though. They had missed good old grass. The Villa was a single floor building that stretched out over quite a lot of land. The three of them spent some time walking around and orienting themselves. It would be good for them to know where things were. The Beta team kept to the same style as the Alpha team, so it felt just like home. Everything was very clean-cut and efficient.

Hermione left the other two to their own devices sometime later so she could join up with her sister and apparate them to their parents' house. Their father had cooked whole chicken and homemade fries with a big salad. "It's nice to see you again girls," Caroline Granger said as they walked in. She hugged Hermione and then Juliet. "How is married life treating you?" she asked.

"Quite well, mother," Juliet said. "He can be a bit of a child sometimes, but we're happy."

Caroline laughed. "Oh, don't I know it," she said. "You get used to it. Don't worry too much. It's good to keep some of that joyful spirit."

Hermione smiled. She headed into the kitchen before the other two and hugged her father.

"Hello sunshine," Dan said. "How are you doing?"

"Good, we're getting ready to go back to school. It's going to be a bit different since we're not really going to school to learn. We already have our grades after all," Hermione said. "It is going to be a bit tricky. Unless everything changes of course. Our plans are pretty fluid."

They sat down by the kitchen table to enjoy a calm meal with the family. It had been too long since the last time. The conversation lulled back and forth between topics. It was nice being home.

It was everything Ron knew he wouldn't have as he headed over to the Burrow the following morning. He walked up the path slowly. The house looked as ready to collapse as ever. Ron sighed. He knew his mother well enough to know that she would scream at him despite the letters he had been sending. He knocked on the front door. Technically, he could have just opened the door since he was still, on paper at least, living with his parents, but it wouldn't feel right for him to do so.

When the door finally opened, it was Ginny standing there. She folded her arms across her chest. "It's about time you came home," she said acidly.

Ron raised an eyebrow. He had known his mother would be angry with him, but Ginny he hadn't counted on. Mostly because he couldn't fathom why she was angry. It wasn't like they had ever been particularly close. Or they hadn't been before the summer when he had run off. He took a leap of faith and guessed the reason. "So you're pissed off that we took off without you, huh sis," he said. He shook his head. "They wouldn't have taken you in. They barely accepted the three of us because of our age. Hermione got us in."

"She could have gotten me in too," Ginny hissed.

Nailed it. "Possibly but I doubt it," Ron said. "Besides you're acting like Fred and George always let you in on their ideas. We are brother and sister. The only reason we spent time together that summer was because mother decided to lock us all up in a house and not let us out."

"Who is it Ginny?" their mother called from the kitchen.

"It's my idiotic big brother!" Ginny responded.

Mere seconds later Ron was pulled into a hug. He hugged his mother back. She moved away from him and held him at arm's length so she could get a good look at him. "You're too thin," she said.

Ron hummed. He wasn't thin. He was well trained. His mother just had some strange ideas about body size.

"We have been worried about you," Mrs Weasley said. "How could you just take off like that. You could have been killed! There are Death Eaters out there! And what about your education? How are you supposed to get a good job with no grades." She was working herself up. "No respect for the ones that raised you. Some measly letters that's all! And here you stand like nothing happened!" Her face was getting red. She was working herself into a frenzy.

Ron knew better than to speak up against her. She wouldn't listen to him. He just let her go on until she had shouted herself hoarse.

Bill showed up as Molly was going on. "Hello, Ron," he said. "It's nice to see you. Where have you been?"

"I've been receiving special training," Ron answered. "We had some really good instructors. You might know of one of them. She is a Curse-Breaker. Melonni Farish."

Bill's eyes widened. "Farish!" he exclaimed. "She is one of the best in the field. How did you end up learning from her?"

"Hermione's sister is her boss," Ron said with a shrug.

Bill almost looked like he wanted to beg Ron to take him to see Melonni. The older redhead pulled himself together though. "I'm glad you are back," he said instead. "It wouldn't have felt right to get married without my brothers present. It is bad enough Percy won't show up."

"You are getting married?" Ron asked. He was surprised but happy for his big brother. He noticed that their mother had fallen silent. She must have realised he wasn't listening.

"Yeah, you remember the French champion from the Triwizard Tournament?" Bill said.

"Fleur Delacour," Ron said. "Pretty girl, quite smart. Made me act a fool since she's part Veela." He smiled.

Bill laughed and nodded. "We met a few times after the third task and then we started dating," he said.

"Congratulations," Ron said as he slapped Bill on the shoulder.

"You'll come right?" Bill said.

"Obviously, I'd be honoured to be there," Ron said.

Bill smiled. He looked around. "How about we move inside," he suggested. "It's rather strange for members of a family to have discussions on the doorstep." He placed a hand on Ron's shoulder and walked inside. They settled down by the kitchen table. "So, you have been training?" he said.

"Yeah, someone has to deal with the whole Death Eater situation we have going on," Ron said.

Mrs Weasley looked disapprovingly at her son. "You should let the grown-ups deal with You-Know-Who," she said.

Ron smiled calmly and shook his head. "They have had two years to do something. I'm seventeen now; I am a grown-up. Now it is my turn," he said. "We have trained for this."

"Harry and Hermione are in on this as well?" Bill asked.

"Yepp," Ron responded. "And most of our teachers are here. We're setting things up." He leaned back.

"You have a plan of action then," Bill said.

"We have several," Ron said.

"Ronald you are back 'ome!"

Ron turned and smiled at Fleur. "Hello Fleur," he said. He stood up and walked over to her so he could give her a hug. He could sense her allure hanging like an aura around her, but it no longer affected him. "You look great," he complimented her as he hugged her.

Fleur giggled. "You don't look too bad yourself," she said while winking. He had changed a lot from the lanky teen that hadn't even been able to talk to her without stuttering like an idiot. She knew her allure affected men. It was nice to meet guys who weren't affected and it seems like Ron had overcome his weakness for her allure. They moved over to the table and Ron pulled out a chair for her. She sat down. "My such a gentleman," she said.

"I have worked on my manners over the years," Ron said. "I figured out people are easier to deal with if you are polite."

"So, you are finally back?" Fleur asked.

"Yes, we returned yesterday," Ron said.

"'Arry came with you?" Fleur asked.

Ron raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, he came back with me," he answered.

"Bon, 'e is invited to ze wedding. Plus one if 'e would like," Fleur said. "Zat goes for you as well of course." She assumed Bill had already invited his brother. "Gabrielle would really like to see 'Arry again. She is a bit smitten wiz 'im."

Ron chuckled. "I'll let him know," he said. "When is the wedding?"

"Ze eighth of August," Fleur said.

"Any colour code I need to think of?" Ron asked.

"Oui," Fleur said. "Ze bridesmaids will wear gold. If you bring ladies zey should not wear gold."

"I'll remember that thank you," Ron said.

"Do you even have someone to bring?" Ginny asked almost acidly.

"Hermione," Ron answered calmly. "Or Sonja or Melonni or Pauline. Whoever wants to go, but most likely Hermione."

Ginny looked put out. The Ron that had returned was not as easy to rile up as the Ron that ran away.

Ron stayed for another few hours talking mostly with Bill and Fleur. He ate dinner with his family and spoke some with his father after dinner. Arthur wasn't angry with him. The letters seemed to have been enough for him. He had known Ron was doing alright.

As it was getting later Mrs Weasley came over to them. "Your brother is using your room right now," she said. "I'm sure you could double up…"

Ron smiled at her. "I'll go back to headquarters, mother. You don't have to worry. There is plenty of space there for me," he said before standing up. "Speaking of which, it's probably time to get back."

"The Burrow isn't good enough for you anymore," Mrs Weasley said accusingly.

"Of course it is, but you don't have space for me here, and I have my own place," Ron said with a sigh. "If you need my help with the wedding prep please let me know." He hugged her and shook his father's hand. "I will see you again soon," he said. He headed outside and apparated away.

Molly looked after her youngest son. "They grow up so fast," she whispered.

"And we should let them," Arthur said. "It is good that he is acting responsibly."

"Everything went well?" Harry asked as Ron came walking into the living room in the Villa.

"Yeah, it was alright. Mother got to vent. I didn't listen to half of it. She just wanted to scream for a bit," Ron said. "Ginny was angry with me. I don't really get why."

"That sounds strange," Harry said as he placed down the book he had been reading. "Why was she angry?"

"She didn't like that we didn't bring her along," Ron said with a shrug.

Harry shook his head. "I barely know her. She's your little sister, and she only interacted with Hermione because she didn't have any of her own friends around. Why is she angry we didn't include her?"

Ron sat down in an armchair with a flop. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe Hermione or Juliet can explain it to us." He leaned back and got comfortable. "Bill and Fleur are getting married," he said. "Fleur invited you. You can bring someone if you'd like."

Harry chuckled. "Who would I bring?" he asked. "It isn't like we spent two years chasing girls."

Ron rolled his eyes. "No, but I was thinking of bringing Hermione," he said.

Harry considered what Ron had said for a moment before he started smirking. "I doubt Sirius is invited," he said. He knew that Mrs Weasley didn't like Sirius all that much.

"Not as far as I know," Ron said. "It isn't like he knows either Fleur or Bill."

"I wonder if he would let me bring my adoptive mother to the wedding," Harry said before he burst out laughing.

"He adopted you?" Ron asked while also holding back his own mirth.

Harry nodded. Sirius had really wanted to adopt him and Harry hadn't seen a reason to say no. Sirius was as close to a father as he would ever get. Sure, it was a bit strange that his adoptive mother was only five years older than him, but he didn't care and neither did she.

"Wait," Ron said once he had finally stopped laughing. "That means, Hermione is your Aunt."

Their eyes met and they collapsed with laughter.

Juliet walked in to find the two young men lying on the floor shaking and breathing heavily. "Hello, Harry and Ron," she said loudly to overpower their laughter.

"Hello, Juliet," Ron choked out. He sat up and clutched at his stomach.

Harry sat up as well and wiped tears from his eyes. "Hi, mother," he said.

Ron collapsed laughing again, but Harry managed to keep a straight face.

Juliet just shook her head. "I just came to let you guys know that Sirius and I are heading for Grimmauld Place tomorrow morning if either of you would like to come along," she informed them.

Harry's facial expression turned serious immediately. "I'm coming along," he said. If nothing else, he wanted to be there for Sirius. He knew how much his father disliked that house.

"Make sure to be up and ready by nine, then," Juliet said. "That's when we're leaving."

"Will do," Harry said.

Juliet walked back out of the living room. She had a meeting with one of her undercover agents to take care of. She headed over to Sirius' flying motorcycle. Hagrid had dropped it off for him, and he had fixed it up while she had made sure the Beta Villa was up to par. She turned the key and squeezed the clutch. She flipped a switch. Both she and the bike went invisible.

The feeling of freedom that accompanied driving a motorcycle for Juliet was easily doubled when she drove it to the skies. She had no idea how Sirius had managed to make the bike fly, but what truly astounded her was the fact that it still felt like she had traction. The sky was slowly darkening. Little towns and farms rolled by beneath the bike. She slowed down as she reached Wortham Ling. She landed smoothly and stepped off the bike.

A shadowy figure moved between the trees. "I almost didn't think you would come," he said quietly.

"You should know by now that I always show up," Juliet said. "It takes me a bit longer to get places than a witch or wizard, though." She smiled softly. "How's the wife doing?" she asked.

"Well enough," he said. He ran a hand through his hair. He had fallen in love with a squib a year and a half after he'd joined the Death Eaters. She knew what he was now, but he hadn't dared to tell her before he had found a way to make things right. Somehow Juliet had found him. She had offered him a way out … or a job as an undercover agent. He had been so full of himself when he had joined the Death Eaters. He had believed in pureblood supremacy. Now, he thought purebloods were just scared because mixed-blood seemed more powerful than them.

"You are worried for her," Juliet said. He had fallen silent and retreated into himself for a moment. She figured she might as well give him some time, but they couldn't stay forever.

He nodded. "She hasn't been feeling well lately," he said. He shook his head. "I don't know how much longer I can keep her safe. HE hasn't paid that much attention to me, but he is very good at Legilimency."

Juliet removed a chain with a small pendant from a pocket. "Give this to her," she said. "It will take her straight to headquarters if she ends up in danger." She gave him a stern look. "If that happens your first priority is to get to safety. If you can take the serpent out then do that, but it is more important that you get out alive. Your life is more important than the mission," she said.

He offered her a quick smile. "Understood ma'am," he said as he saluted. He turned serious again very quickly. "How much longer do you think it will be?" he asked.

"We will be done within a year," Juliet answered. "Hopefully, I can give you the order before Christmas, but that will lock you to Headquarters for a while. We could use the death of the snake as a way to infuriate him and make him act before he is ready."

He sighed. "At least it will be over soon," he said.

"Do you need more potions?" Juliet asked. They made pain relievers that would also heal cruciatus damage for him. They didn't want him to end up with permanent damage because of his mission if they could avoid it.

"It wouldn't hurt," he said. "I am running low."

Juliet nodded as she turned. She walked back to the bike. From one of the side bags, she pulled a case filled with vials. She carried it back to her agent. "Be careful," she said. "And keep track of our priorities."

"Will do," he said. He disappeared in between the trees in the shadows of the leaves. He apparated back home.

"So what did she say?" his wife asked.

"It is over within a year, but hopefully my involvement is over by Christmas," he answered.

"They can't act faster?" she asked.

"There are preparations that need to be made for this kind of thing to work out," he said. "At least she and her people are trying." He pulled the thin golden chain that Juliet had given. "I want you to wear this," he said. "It will take you to safety if something happens."

She eyed the chain. "What about you?" she asked.

"I have an emergency port-key," he said. "My orders are to stay alive above all else. I'll be fine. I just want you to be safe too."

She sighed. "Fine," she said.

While the couple argued, Juliet was heading back home. She took a bit of a detour. She slowed down and drifted. Everything seemed so much easier when you got an overhead perspective.

Tomorrow was another day.

Harry walked out of the Villa the following morning. He met up with Juliet and a yawning Sirius outside of their house.

"We'll land right outside," Sirius said after they had gotten through the usual morning pleasantries.

"See you there then," Harry said before apparating away. He landed on a desolate street. A dark eyebrow rose. The Black Family home lay on a run down no-mag street? It surprised him. Trash cluttered the porch of number eleven, and number thirteen was overrun by rose bushes growing wildly. A soft pop behind him alerted him to Sirius and Juliet's arrival.

Sirius had a disgusted look on his face. He sighed heavily. "Let's get this over with," he said as he started walking towards number twelve Grimmauld Place. It had been his childhood home, but he held no love for it. If he could burn the house down, he would do it in a second. There had been a Fidelius Charm placed on the house so no one could find it while the Order of the Phoenix had inhabited it. Sirius had asked them kindly to leave, and he had removed the charm last time he had been in the country. It stood empty now. Well, Krecher was still there, but apart from him, there wasn't a soul in the building. Sirius opened the front door and walked inside. The entrance hall was dark and musky. He lit the lamps and a faint yellow light spread over the narrow hallway. A set of stairs led to the next floor. A heavy umbrella stand, made out of what looked like troll bone, held some dry and cracked canes.

"This is rustic," Harry commented. His eyes widened as a set of heavy curtains wiped apart. Behind them hung a portrait depicting a woman in her forties.

"Blood traitors! Filth! Scum! How dare you sully the Great House of Black with your presence!" the woman in the portrait shouted at them.

Juliet moved forward before either of the other two could react. She straightened as she reached the portrait. "It is harrowing to see how my predecessor shrieks like the wife of a fishmonger," she said loudly.

"How dare you speak to the Lady of the House that way foolish girl," Lady Black screamed.

Juliet held a hand out in front of herself as water started pooling in it. "I am Lady Juliet Marie Black daughter of the Chevalier family. I am a Water Mage," she said. She shifted slightly. "Harry, would you set fire to her frame please?" She had drawn all the moisture out of the painting.

Harry nodded. He drew his wand. Fire hit the frame.

"I'm sure she had it protected from fire," Sirius said as the flames rose.

"Fiendfyre?" Harry asked with a smirk. He shifted his wand and the flames changed. They were tinted green now.

Mrs Black's shriek pierced their ears.

Juliet sent out water to contain the flames. Normally nothing could stop fiendfyre, but Water Mages had a bit of an advantage since they could control water in a much more advanced way than normal witches or wizards.

As the ringing in their ears died down, the flames licking the wall faded. Where the painting had once been was now only a black scourge mark.

Sirius breathed out in relief. "That's much better," he said. Spending time in number twelve wouldn't be as bad without his mother's portrait around. He wouldn't have to listen to her ever again. From a room further into the house, the sound of dragging feet reached their ears. A haggard-looking house-elf made his way to the hallway slowly. His big brown eyes looked up at the black mark on the wall. He stared at Sirius. Then his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed.

Harry pointed his wand at the elf and performed a diagnostic spell. "Heart attack," he concluded.

"He was old," Sirius said. "Seeing my mother's portrait destroyed was probably too much for him." He shrugged. "At least now I don't have to figure out what to do with him. I'll just bury him out back."

"We'll start looking around then," Juliet said.

"Be my guests," Sirius said with a wide wave of his arm.

Harry followed Juliet. From the stories Ron and Hermione had told about this place, it was full of nasty creatures. It was probably smarter to stick together. Mrs Weasley must have left some time ago considering all the dust. He cast a few cleaning spells as they went.

Juliet waved her hand as they entered the drawing-room. The heavy curtains that hung along the walls were soaked in water. Doxies flew out towards them, but Harry got rid of the flying pests with a swing of his wand. Juliet stopped in front of one of the cabinets in the room. She opened it up. It was empty. Her eyes narrowed. "What have they done with everything?" she muttered.

"Ron mentioned them cleaning a lot of old things out," Harry said. "A lot of it was cursed." He opened an empty set of drawers.

Juliet sighed. "I hope they didn't just throw it all out," she said. "Old family heirlooms can be very valuable even if you don't want to keep them, and I'm not just talking about money."

"Sirius was the one who didn't want to keep the stuff," Harry said with a shrug. He could understand why Juliet was irritated. It made life harder for them now. He could, however, understand Sirius as well. His father, that was still strange to think, hadn't liked his family much so the things they had owned meant nothing to him. It all just reminded him of bad times.

Juliet shook her head and walked out of the room. Harry assumed she was going to find Sirius. He looked around one last time. He could really understand why Sirius didn't like the house. It was dark and damp. The windows were so dirty you couldn't see outside. A coffer shook suddenly. The gold hinges rattled. Harry had almost jumped in surprise. He drew his wand and headed up to it. Chances were there was a boggart in there. He grabbed the lid and flung it open. He backed off quickly as a dementor rose out of the coffer. The room got colder. Harry raised his wand and pointed it at the dark apparition. "Ridiculous," he said calmly.

The dementor stumbled and fell. As it lifted its head, a big pink pacifier could be seen where its mouth was. The dementor tried getting up, but all it could do was flail helplessly.

Harry laughed merrily. It had taken him quite some time to figure out how to make a dementor less scary let alone funny. In the end, he thought he had managed rather well.

Footsteps approached quickly.

Juliet walked inside. She laughed at the baby dementor.

Harry stepped back. He was curious to see what Juliet's boggart was. The shapeshifter focused on Juliet instead of Harry. It changed and passed through several different forms so quickly that they couldn't see what it was. When it finally settled it was a being of pure fire.

Harry raised an eyebrow. He was quite confused.

"That's interesting," Juliet said. "She walked forward. "I don't fear fire. I wonder why that is the shape you have taken?"

A low rumble passed through the house. "Burn!" it seemed to say.

Juliet hummed. Her eyes closed as she focused her power. The flaming beast approached her. She didn't move. It looked like the flames consumed her. Neither Harry nor Sirius moved to help her. They both knew she could handle herself. She didn't need their help. The flames seemed to rise higher and burn hotter. It was all an illusion as ice and water shot out and consumed the flames.

"Water will always quench the flames in the end," Juliet said softly. "All fire and heat does is change water." She turned to Harry as the fire disappeared. "Sirius said they gathered all the junk in the attic," she said. "We might as well check there first."

"Sure."

Harry agreed. He wasn't that interested in spending more time in the rundown house than he had to. The staircases were far from wide. They were also very rickety. They had to walk one after another to fit. Sirius led them upstairs past the library and his own bedroom all the way up to the top. Bags filled with things stood up there amongst old furniture and spiderwebs.

Sirius and Harry lit the tip of their wands so the three of them could see. Juliet grabbed one of the junk bags and started sifting through it.

"Some of these things are cursed," Sirius pointed out to her.

"Harry said so earlier," Juliet said. She was looking for things that could be of use to them or that could be considered valuable in more than a monetary way. The rest she sorted up so they could sell anything of value and donate the money.

"So," Harry said sometime later as he went through one of the bags. "I was invited to attend a wedding. Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour are getting married. The invitation says I can bring a plus one." he looked up at Juliet. "Would you mind coming with me?" he asked.

Sirius laughed boomingly. He found it very funny. 'Hi, I brought my mom.' He kept laughing as he walked away a bit.

Juliet smiled softly. "I'm already going. The Chevalier family and the Delacour family are old friends. It just so happens that the rest of the family is a bit busy or otherwise incapable of going," she said. "Now that we know that I belong to that family they have kindly asked me to represent."

"Oh, I see," Harry said. "I guess I can bring Sonja or Melonni. I'm just thinking some extra guards wouldn't be bad. It might be a big target for the Death Eaters." He smirked mischievously. "And it would have been a little funny," he said.

Juliet rolled her eyes. "Yes, well it would have," she said. Then she looked over at Sirius. "Will you please stop Sirius. I'm not that much older than him. You are the old crow here."

"But you married me," Sirius said.

"Yes I did," Juliet said. She shook her head and turned back to Harry. "You do raise a good point," she said. "William is a curse-breaker, isn't he?"

Harry nodded.

"What about miss Delacour?"

"I don't know. I don't know her that well."

Juliet nodded slowly. "I would say we talk to Sonja. Do you mind if she comes along? She would be the most practical," she said.

Harry shrugged. "I don't mind," he said. Sonja was nice and fun. It was probably better than Melonni from a decency point of view anyway. Bill would be way too interested in talking to her. It would disrupt the wedding. Or at least it could.

Sometime later Sirius sighed loudly in frustration. "It's not here," he said as he flung several goblets across the room.

Juliet and Harry ducked. They could both understand why he was reacting so erratically.

Juliet stood up and stretched. "Where is your brother's room?" she asked. It could always be there. If Regulus had been the one who took it, Krecher could have placed it there. She didn't want to consider other alternatives right now. R.A.B could be someone else, or it could have been taken elsewhere.

"This way," Sirius led them downstairs. He opened the door to a green room. The walls and fabrics were all green.

"This is very Slytherin," Harry commented.

"It's in response to my room," Sirius said. "It looks just about as bad. A single colour like this just looks awful. Silver and gold does not help."

Juliet worked through the room quickly opening drawers. She found several hidden compartments. She stopped searching and held up a small black book. "It's a diary," she said softly.

Sirius' face turned ashen. Harry walked up to him and gave him a hug. "I don't want to read it," Sirius said.

"Do you mind if I read it?" Juliet asked.

Sirius shook his head slowly. He guessed it might be good if someone acknowledged what his brother had felt like over the years. He just knew he couldn't do it. He'd been an awful big brother. It was so clear to him now that he had seen Juliet and Hermione together. Maybe he could have changed things. There was no point to those thoughts now. It was too late. Regulus was dead.

Harry started walking around the room. He pulled a drawer open. "Got it," he said. He put on a pair of velvet gloves before he brought a long chain out of a drawer. At the end of it hung a heavy locket. It was identical to the locket that the Alpha team had found.

Juliet went over to him as she brought out a silk pouch. Harry dropped the locket into it. They would bring it to Melonni when they got back to the Villa. "I can return at a later date with Melonni to finish up," Juliet said. "Let's get out of here."

"Yes please," Sirius said. "I would rather not set foot in this house ever again."

"I'll take care of it, dear," Juliet said. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. As she did, he apparated them back home.

Harry landed closely behind them. He and Juliet headed up to the Villa. They needed to destroy the locket as soon as possible. They found Melonni and Pauline in one of the back rooms set aside for experiments. The curse-breaker and warder were working on something lying on the table. It looked like a pair of glasses, but that was probably just the surface of it.

"... we include these runes. We should be able to make it work without a problem," Pauline said. She was pointing to a rune chart.

"I know," Melloni said. "I'm just worried it will get unstable."

Harry moved forward. He studied the notes on the table for a bit before pointing to one of them. "If you add this one it shouldn't become unstable," he said.

"Well that might work," Melloni said. She tapped the chart.

"If we don't try then we'll never know," Pauline said.

Juliet had looked the notes over as they spoke. The glasses were supposed to show curses and wards more clearly to the wearer. She guessed they were making them for apprentices. Young people got hurt a lot in both professions.

"Now," Melloni said as Pauline started working on the glasses. "Did you find a Horcrux in Grimmauld Place?"

Juliet brought the silk pouch out and handed it to the curse-breaker.

Melloni looked over her shoulder at Pauline. "Let's go somewhere else," she said. She didn't want to damage their project. They headed a few rooms down and closed the door behind them.

The wards activated.

Melloni pulled the locket out of the pouch. She turned it in her hand a few times. "It's sealed," she said. "I don't recognise the mechanism." She held the locket up by the chain, and it spun around slowly.

"I think I might know how to open it," Harry said suddenly. "Place it down."

Melloni did as he said, and drew her wand. "Go ahead," she said.

Harry breathed in. He breathed out. He was trying to focus. "Open," he hissed in parseltongue.

The locket opened up and a dark mist rose out of the locket. Melonni moved forward. She was chanting in a low voice. The mist changed and took form. Two people took shape in the mist. A man and a woman. They started speaking. Their words were filled with acid and disappointment.

Juliet smiled softly. The locket was trying to break Melonni's spirit. She knew that wouldn't work. Melonni most likely couldn't even hear the projections. The curse-breaker tended to shut the world out when she was working. She was chanting slowly under her breath. The chanting died down. "Harry cast a blasting curse. Juliet freeze it. It's the only way to destroy it," Melloni breathed. She was using up quite a lot of energy to keep the locket vulnerable.

The locket frosted up as Juliet turned her powers on it.

Harry waited for the perfect moment. He wanted the metal to be as brittle as possible. "Confringo!" he said as he cast the spell.

The locket shook for a split second before it exploded in a thousand little pieces. Juliet had raised a shield to protect them from the shrapnel. It was good she had. They would most likely all have their shins filled with metal otherwise.

"That's another one down," Melonni said. She cleaned the room up. "I'll be heading back to Pauline now if you don't mind." She walked off before they could respond.

It felt good to have gotten rid of another Horcrux. They were one step closer. Now they needed to get into Hogwarts. Chances were the last one would be there. They would have to find it and send it back to the Villa. It wasn't going to be easy.

Bill and Fleur's wedding was approaching quickly.

Juliet left the Villa to go see Celestine. When she returned she was carrying a decorative box. As a representative of the family, she needed an appropriate wedding gift. The family was very happy she could go. It would have been disastrous if they weren't represented.

The morning before the wedding Juliet was standing in the kitchen. She was weaving her magic slowly. She had the gift from her family. Harry needed to give them something, though, and she felt they could make something really personal. She was making a frozen flower that Harry could then enchant. They had contacted a seamstress she knew to get clothes for the wedding a couple of days before. Sirius wasn't coming along. He didn't want to mess with Molly. He certainly wasn't invited. He just wanted to avoid any fighting.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sonja and Juliet all joined up the next day. They were heading off to the wedding. They were all dressed up in current fashion. Ron and Harry in black and the women in shades of purple. Hermione took Juliet's hand and they apparated off. They landed and were greeted by the Weasley twins, Fred and George. "Well hello ladies," they said. "How did you find such beautiful companions?" Fred asked Ron.

Ron chuckled. "I was lucky," he said. "You know Hermione," he said. "Then we have her sister Juliet and one of our instructors Sonja."

"Any of you ladies free?" George asked.

Juliet chuckled. "Trying to flirt up all the pretty girls?" she asked. "You are going to have your hands full. Have Fleur's family showed up yet?"

"Oh, no," Fred said. "Are they good looking?"

"Let's just say she has a lot of cousins," Juliet said. "On the Veela side of the family."

"Oh, now that sounds interesting," George said.

"Now let's get you seated," Fred said.

"I represent the Chevalier family this day," Juliet said.

"Ah, now that places you on the bride's side," Fred said. "Please come with me."

"The rest of you will sit on the groom's side, though, we could use your help, Ron," George said.

"Sure," Ron said. He took a sheet with the seating arrangements so he could help his brothers out. He looked it over, nodding slowly as he did. As Fred and George helped his party, several french families showed up. Ron asked their names and guided them to their seats. Most of them were seated around where Juliet had ended up.

"I didn't know you spoke French," Fred said as the twins joined back up with him.

"I don't," Ron said. "But we have some really good translator equipment."

"Wouldn't mind getting ahold of that," Fred said.

Ron chuckled. "Don't think so bro' you're a businessman. These things are not for sale," he said.

Fred pouted. "But Ron," he said.

"Hush there are more people coming," Ron said. He stepped forward and smiled brightly as several ladies came walking up to them. The three brothers helped them out. Ron helped people to their seats until it seemed like everyone was there then he went and sat down next to Hermione. He drew his wand as his great aunt Muriel came and sat down. He cast a silencing charm at her. No one needed to hear her comments right now. He also made sure she didn't realise what he had done.

Everyone fell silent as the music started playing. Ginny and Gabrielle came walking down the aisle. Their golden dresses reflected the faint light from the torches. Both girls were really pretty. Behind them, Bill and Fleur walked in. Bill looked a bit nervous, but he seemed to be as happy as he could ever be. Fleur was glowing. She was easily the most beautiful woman there, and it wasn't because she was part Veela.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said a slightly sing-song voice. It was a tufty haired old wizard that would officiate the wedding. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls. As William Arthur Weasley and Fleur Isabelle Delacour embark on this journey together they will be able to nurture a love that makes them better versions of themselves. Marriage is a garden we sow with love and harvest in personal growth."

"William and Fleur, on your journey together, keep your spouse in the space of highest priority in your heart. The love that you share must be guarded and cherished forever, for it is your most valuable treasure," the officiant said.

Harry looked around. He could see that Mrs Weasley was crying. She was drying her eyes with a handkerchief. Harry sighed. He found this ceremony rather boring. He liked Sirius and Juliet's wedding better. Simple and to the point. He focused back on the man talking.

"...but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance," the officiant said.

"Do you William Arthur take Fleur Isabelle to be your wife and better half, to take care of her and cherish your relationship? To love her today, tomorrow, and forever? To always be open, honest, and faithful to her. Do you take her to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself unto her for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Bill said.

Now Molly had almost disappeared in her handkerchief. She was crying even more. She was joined by several other women, and Ron almost considered silencing them as well. He thought better of it though, knowing that the sniffles somehow belonged.

The officiant repeated the question to Fleur, and then he pronounced them bonded. He raised his wand high over the heads of Bill and Fleur, and a shower of silver stars fell upon them, spiralling around their now entwined figures. Fred and George rose from their chairs. They were applauding loudly, and it didn't take long for everyone else to join them. Golden balloons overhead burst to let out birds of paradise and tiny golden bells.

"Ladies and gentlemen please rise," the tufty-haired wizard called out. "If you would please stand up!"

They rose and the officiate cast several spells. The chairs disappeared and a golden liquid spread out under their feet creating a dance floor. Waiters showed up at the edge of the tent. Some carried drinks and others carried finger foods. People mingled. Hermione and Ron walked around for a bit. They found Viktor Krum sitting by a table.

"Hello Viktor," Hermione said. "I didn't know you would be here. It is nice to see you again."

Viktor looked up and his eyes brightened. "Hello Hermione," he said. He glanced over at Ron.

"Ron Weasley," Ron said. "I know it is a bit hard to keep track of which one of us is which with this many of us."

"Ah, yes," Viktor said. "So the tvo of you are a couple nov?" he asked. He could faintly remember the redhead in front of him.

Hermione shook her head. "No we're just friends," she said.

Viktor's eyes lit up. "Could I ask for a dance in that case?" he asked.

Ron gave Hermione a questioning glance. It was up to her.

"I would love to," Hermione said.

Bill and Fleur had stepped onto the dance floor. Arthur had invited Fleur's mother. Others were slowly stepping up. Harry led Sonja up to the floor.

"Vhat are you doing nov?" Viktor asked.

"I have another year of school left and then I don't know. The UNMDs research division sounds interesting," Hermione said.

"That is a rather had business to get into," Viktor said. "Vithout an in.."

"I have one. My sister works for the UNMD," Hermione said.

"You have a sister?" Viktor said, surprised.

Hermione chuckled. "She's around here somewhere," she said. "I can introduce you later."

They danced for a while before taking a seat again. Ron was dancing with Sonja now and Harry had invited Ginny onto the floor.

"Hermione," Viktor said after a while. "Do you know that man?" he pointed over at Luna Lovegood's father.

"Not really," Hermione said. "I have met his daughter a few times."

"Hmmm."

"How come?"

"He is vearing a very rude symbol," Viktor said. "It is Grindelwald's mark."

"Ah," Hermione could understand why Viktor didn't like that. She looked around trying to find her sister. She was lucky and their eyes connected. "Sis, what do you know about the symbol that Mr Lovegood is wearing?" she asked as Juliet walked up.

Juliet looked over. She tilted her head to the side and grimaced. "Ah, it's the sign of the three brothers: the Deathly Hallows. The cloak, the stone, and the wand."

"Viktor says it is Grindelwald's mark," Hermione said.

Juliet shook her head. "The mark is older than that," she said. "He might have used it because he was interested in the myth. The tale of three brothers is a rather old story. It just so happens to be at least partly true."

"Really?"

Juliet nodded. "Considering I found that mark in Harry's invisibility cloak and the Alpha team found it on a stone that just so happens to be able to bring back the dead, or their spirits at least. We have locked that one up. It is a little too dangerous to be left out there."

"So not really Grindelwald's mark then," Hermione said.

"No, though I can understand that you connect it as such Mr Krum," Juliet said. "Mr Lovegood does not mean anything bad by it. He is just a fan of the Hallows."

Viktor grumbled but he accepted the explanation. Part of him wished he had known Hermione had a sister earlier. He liked Hermione, but wow her sister was hot. She, he could tell, was taken though. He invited Hermione back on to the floor to dance.

The cutting of the cake came sometime later. Everyone was happy and talking to each other loudly. Some people were outright drunk, but most people were just slightly tipsy. Juliet mingled with as many of the French folk as possible. As she walked around, she learned the reason the Lady of her own house wasn't there. Her son had fancied Fleur so when Fleur had decided to marry someone else he and his mother had gotten really angry. The Lord didn't agree, but he wasn't going to show up by himself so a representative was their only alternative. The Delacours seemed rather happy she was there instead of the main family.

Suddenly a patronus lynx ran in on the grounds.

"The Ministry has fallen. They are coming."

Panic ensued.

Juliet found Harry and Sonja. Rita showed up. "I've called in reinforcements," she said.

Juliet nodded. "Let's get people out of here," she said. "I have several port-keys to the Villa." She moved over to the French guests and had them leave with some of the port-keys. She wanted to get as many people as possible away from there. Elders and children were the priority. She grabbed Ginny. "You are going," she said. She was not open to arguments. She sent the youngest Weasley off with a bunch of other people who didn't want to stay.

Their numbers thinned until only those willing to fight were left.

"We will never make it," Arthur said.

"We are not alone," Juliet said. She stepped forward. "We have cleared everyone out."

"Ron!"

Ron came running up to Juliet. He knew his family better than she did. He would be better at placing them. Soon enough Ron was calling out orders. His voice held a tone that no one wanted to argue with. He placed them out in a semicircle facing the only plausible direction of attack.

Spells started bombarding the wards.

"These wards are not very good," Juliet said. "They won't stand for long." She closed her eyes and concentrated. She was going to have to prepare. She kneeled down and touched the ground.

Ron drew his wand. "Harry! Hermione! Sonja! Wands out. Shields at the ready. We will protect while the rest of you attack," he shouted. He was doing that way since their shields would hold against almost every spell. "Keep on your toes and don't get hit by an Unforgivable."

It almost seemed like time was standing still. The Betas and their students were breathing calmly. They were trained for this.

Then there was a loud crack as the wards crumbled.

Spells came flying.

"Now," Ron commanded. Four strong shields went up and melded together.

Death Eaters came rushing towards the house. Spells flew everywhere. Most of them exploded against the shield. It looked like tiny fireworks. Deadly fireworks.

"Fleur no," Bill shouted. He tried to get to her as a green spell sailed closer and closer.

A solid shield of ice formed between Fleur and the spell. Ice flew everywhere as the killing curse hit the shield.

Someone realized that Juliet hadn't moved since they arrived and started focusing their spells on her. Grey eyes opened and Juliet rushed forward. She ducked spells and punched the man in the stomach before jumping back. Her body flared with ice as spells hit her. She had created a body shield.

Then shouts could be heard from the back of the Death Eater ranks. The Alpha team had moved in.

Bellatrix, who was leading the attack, swore. She turned her attention to the building behind the defenders and cast several spells at it. The Burrow caught flames and the rickety structure started to collapse towards the people on the ground.

Juliet turned back. She rushed forward and she called all the water she could find nearby to her. A wave caught the debris and froze. She reached it and placed herself as a supporting pillar under it freezing with the wave.

"Hermione! Harry! Help Juliet!" Ron called out. "Sonja let's drive these clowns off." He and Sonja switched from defending to attacking. They drove the Death Eaters back towards the Alpha team. With nowhere to go Death Eaters started apparating away.

Once Harry and Hermione had cleared off enough rubble from Juliet's wave she turned around with it and threw it at the remaining Death Eaters. As the ice and stone and wood hit the ground the attackers were gone.

Alpha team disappeared right away.

Only moments later Abus Dumbledore showed up with several Aurors. He looked around at the gathered people. Remus approached him slowly. "We have a few injuries but nothing bad. No one was killed. The biggest casualty was the house," he told the headmaster.

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "The other guests?" he asked.

"Sent to a safe location via port-key," Remus said.

"We should go too," Juliet said. "They don't have their rat anymore, but we can't know who else is lurking."

Hermione nodded. She grabbed Bill and Fleur and disappeared. A few seconds later she reappeared. "Fred. George," she said and waved them to her. She was gone again.

"You know where to go," Juliet told Remus.

He nodded, grabbed Dora and disappeared.

"You're the Beta leader aren't you?"

Shacklebolt walked forward from behind a few Aurors.

Juliet nodded. "I am," she said.

"Do you know where they took our injured from the ministry?" Shacklebolt asked.

"Probably back to the Villa," Juliet said. "We can head there now." She brought a port-key out and held it up. "If you are coming grab on," she said.

Everyone there who didn't know where to go grabbed the hairbrush she held out, and they left for the Villa.

Dumbledore looked around. There were dozens of tents set up. People were running around, but their movement wasn't frantic. Everyone seemed to know exactly what they were doing.

Juliet sent her sister off together with Ron and Harry to see if they could help. A short man with wild brown hair came walking up to her.

"Status report," he said.

Juliet started talking, and they headed off towards the Villa.

"Oh, she brought a bunch of people I see."

The rather confused group turned around to see Sirius Black.

"What is this place?" Dumbledore asked.

"Beta headquarters," Sirius responded. "I am going to assume you don't know about the UNMD." As people shook their heads, Sirius started explaining.

"So they are special forces?" an auror asked.

"You could say that," Sirius said. "Juliet, the pretty one that brought you here, is the leader of the Beta team. The other guy that stole her away just now was Crocell Reeden, the leader of Alpha team." Sirius smirked. "Don't think that one team is better than the other. What separates them is age. Crocell has seniority that is it," Sirius added.

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "So, they are taking care of all the people that got hurt," he said.

"They have a bunch of healers," Sirius said. "Everyone will be well taken care of." He started walking towards the Villa. "We might as well head to the main conference room. Everyone will gather there eventually." He showed them inside and they settled down around a huge table.

Juliet joined them eventually. Celestine showed up and handed her a clipboard. Melonni walked in, and Juliet talked to her quietly for a moment before she left again. Crocell walked in with Harry, Hermione and Ron following him. The Weasley's joined them. Remus and Dora showed up and several others.

"Well, I think we are every one that will be needed for now," Juliet said. "So we lost the Ministry and the Burrow tonight. It isn't that surprising. We would have liked to stop it, but that didn't happen. Thankfully we suffered no losses. We have a few heavily injured. Everyone will make it, though." She could tell that most people in there relaxed a bit.

"Orders from the UNMD are that the Beta team now takes command of Britain," Crocell said. "Juliet you are in charge. I will leave you most of my Alpha team. I need a small group though. You should call all of your Beta team back. You will need them. I'll take care of whatever they are doing right now."

"I'll call them right away," Juliet said. She walked off for a bit.

"So," Crocell said. "From now until Voldemort and his Death Eaters are taken care of, Juliet runs this place. She is in charge of dealing with this threat. If you have information on Voldemort or his Death Eaters and withhold that from Juliet it will just make things harder for her. We brought Juliet into the fold when she was fairly young. We trained her. There is no one better to deal with this threat."

"She is just a girl, though," Mrs Weasley said.

"She is an adult, and she is a team leader," Crocell said. "If you decide to treat her like a child she will make you leave. Her job is too important for you to interrupt it."

"What will happen to the Burrow?" Arthur asked. He was worried about their home.

"The house is completely destroyed," Crocell said. "We have sent warders to go ward the grounds from both no-mags and others alike."

"Where will our parents stay?" Bill asked.

"They can stay right here in the Villa if that is alright with them," Crocell answered. "We are going to..." He fell silent as Juliet came back.

"We want to send out a message to all the no-mag born," Juliet said. "This will be a sanctuary. Does anyone here know how best to do that?"

Fred looked at George. "We should be able to fix that," he said.

"Good I'll talk to you later about what we want to be said," Juliet said. "We'll send out guards to protect the train to Hogwarts. We will have two agents stationed by Hogwarts at all times." She had turned to Dumbledore. "I'll be sending warders over to check on the wards. We want to make certain the children are safe."

Dumbledore nodded. He wasn't sure how to handle this. The fact that there was some kind of special forces that were now going to fight Voldemort was great, but there was so much they didn't know. He glanced over at Harry. He wasn't sure what to think when it came to their former students. They seemed to be just as well trained as Juliet's people. They acted the same. That wasn't what he wanted. He wanted them to have a childhood and be happy.

Dumbledore sighed heavily. Corcell finished speaking and deferred to Juliet.

They split up a while after that. Juliet pulled Fred and George aside to talk to them about their message to the public. Then as she walked out to head back to her house, Dumbledore stopped her.

"You are calling a lot of heat here," Dumbledore said worriedly.

"I trust that our warders have done a good job," Juliet said. "I don't mind Voldemort coming here. That just makes our work easier."

Dumbledore considered telling her that it wasn't so easy to take out Voldemort. Could she be trusted with that information? He hadn't found any and that really made him worried. "Voldemort can't be killed," Dumbledore said. He paused for a moment. "He made Horcruxes."

"We are aware," Juliet said. "He has one unknown left. Harry is rather certain that one is at Hogwarts.

"We are looking into other possibilities as well," Harry said as he joined Juliet.

"Harry you shouldn't…"

"Save it," Harry said. "We're taking care of this."

Juliet nodded. "Harry, Hermione and Ron have been instrumental in dealing with this situation so far. Without them we would never have managed as well as we have," she said.

"Currently, our plan is to return to Hogwarts as students and complete our education there even though we have long since passed that level of learning. We have already sat our NEWTs and passed with flying colours, but we wish to assess the situation and save as many of the young as possible. People like Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott who may have become Death Eaters might still be saved. At least if we learn that they were pressured into taking the Mark," Harry explained. "The original plan didn't involve you knowing about this, but plans do change. It doesn't really make a difference. Voldemort is the enemy here and protecting Hogwarts is our priority."

"Allowing Harry and his friends back into Hogwarts increases the protection of the school," Juliet said. "I can set two agents aside. That does not include Harry and his friends since they aren't technically my people."

Dumbledore sighed. He wasn't sure what to say. He certainly wasn't against letting his former students back. He bid his farewell and left. As he sat down behind his desk at Hogwarts, he breathed out slowly. He wasn't sure what to think. He had never heard of the UNMD before. It seemed Shacklebolt knew more about them. He would have to ask the man what was going on with these new people. At least Shacklebolt seemed to trust them, and he had seen quite a few other people who wouldn't trust just anybody, Amelia Bones, being one of them. Slowly, he took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Maybe he was getting old. New things surprised him much more than they used to. He popped a lemon drop in his mouth and leaned back. If Juliet and her team were as good as they seemed, then at least the students would be safe. Right now the express and Platform 9 ¾ was not safe for the children. Their idea of getting a message out there of a safe haven for anyone that needed it was good. He was just worried they would get infiltrated. There was nothing he could do though.

Briefly, just before heading to bed, Dumbledore wondered if he should have told Juliet about his concerns regarding Harry and the Horcrux in his head.

In another part of the country, the owner of said Horcruxes sat in his ebony throne. Voldemort was displeased. They had taken the Ministry, but they had done that at the cost of only a handful of lives on their opponents part. Most had disappeared as soon as they were injured. They had taken the building. That was it. An empty husk worth nothing on its own. Yes, the Minister was dead, and sure he could now pass any law he wished. However, Voldemort was no fool. He knew that if the opposition had a safe haven those laws would mean nothing. He glared angrily at his followers. If that wasn't enough, they had completely failed in killing the Weasleys. A blow to that family would have shaken Dumbledore's support. They couldn't even get that right.

Defenders. They had told him there were defenders. He had sent his best and they couldn't even take out a dozen or so people. His red eyes focused on Bellatrix. He pointed his wand at her. Silently he entered her mind. Locating the memory wasn't hard. Getting the insane woman to focus on it was a little harder, but he didn't care how much it hurt her. Soon enough he was walking around the battlefield. His eyes focused on the group defending the house. 'Children,' he snorted internally. Then his eyes narrowed. It would seem that Potter had returned. A foolish move on the old man's part. Did he really think a mere child could defeat him, the Dark Lord? Dealing with Potter would be simple enough. He would just have to give the word.

Voldemort allowed for the memory to play out. Anger rose within him. He pulled out of Bellatrix's mind. "Why has it taken until now for me to learn that they have a Mage on their side!" he hissed angrily. The woman wasn't really going to be a problem, but he needed the information. She had to be a prime target, especially since she could guard herself against spells.

"This is the first time we have encountered her, my Lord," Rowel said.

Voldemort closed his eyes. They needed to act swiftly. Hogwarts would be his. Once they had the children, the parents were going to have to listen to him. They would strike swift and hard. "I want those of you who can to keep an eye on the train. See if they have added any security to protect the children. It will give us an idea of how well prepared they are," he told his Death Eaters.

It was a plan, but Hermione and Ron were one step ahead. Any Betas that accompanied the teens had disguised themselves as students. Half the Aurors just looked like parents. The other half openly wore their uniforms. They were the only ones that the Death Eaters saw. A dozen or so Aurors. It was laughable. If that was all they could set aside to guard the children then they didn't stand a chance.

Back at the Villa, Melonni had destroyed the last Horcrux. Pauline had gone to look for it while she and the other warders worked on the castle wards. So now all they had to do was wait for Voldemort to attack. Though some people weren't too happy about the idea. No one really wanted to have the children at Hogwarts at risk, but defending the Castle would allow them to save more people in the end. Attacking Voldemort meant risking many more lives. They still knew very little about him as a general. The one thing they did know was that he didn't really care who died as long as he got what he wanted.

All in all, they wanted the high ground. That was why Pauline and her group had been warding the school. It now had three layers of wards. Voldemort was not getting in.

Their plans had changed once more. It was a good thing they were so flexible.