Hey, everyone! Mystery Critic here, back at you with another chapter of Ma Fleur! I hope you were all waiting in anticipation at the trouble Harry is in. I had so many people saying that Harry was in trouble, and hoooo boy, were you right! Harry in deep doo doo dis time. I hope you all look forward to seeing how Harry attempts get out of this kerfuffle. As for the disclaimer, I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the rights affiliated with it. Anywho, now that the unpleasantness is out of the way, grab your Drooble's gum, your Pepper-Up potions (For those who woke up just to read this when they received the email, you're awesome!), and enjoy!

Chapter 13

Italics - French

"Um... Say again, Hermione?" Harry asks, trying his best to feign innocence.

"Harry James Potter, you know what I said!" She snaps crossing her arms and glaring at him. "You are going to tell me what you mean by that, and you're going to tell me now!"

"Well... I uh... Tried to end my life to save myself from the Dursley's..." His voice barely even audible as Fleur cries silent tears freely, the memory difficult to recollect. Collective gasps are heard from the people around, save Jacques and Apolline, who are crying openly with their daughter.

"Mate... Why the bloody hell would you do that?" Ron whispers, moving forward as he grabs Harry by the shoulders none too gently. "Do you have any idea how it would make us feel if you had succeeded? Mum, me, Ginny, Fred and George? We would have been devastated, mate! You've told us the muggles were bad, but what could they have done to make you want to do something as barmy as that?!"

Looking over at his family for courage, he sees nods from his adoptive parents and bond mate. Getting the courage he needed from their silent support, Harry took a deep breath clenched his fists.

"Let's get back to the tent and I'll show you." He says simply, not leaving any opening for discussion. Pulling out a tattered old boot, Arthur holds it out for everyone. Once the collected group has a finger or hand on the boot, Arthur croaks out a muttered word, and the pull of a hook on everyone's navel whisks them all back to right outside the tent the Weasley's and Hermione use. Looking at the small tent curiously for a moment, he ignores it and peeks in. His eyes widen in surprise as he sees the inside, basking in the beautiful colors and sheer size of the tent. 'I love magic...' Harry thinks happily, before realizing now wasn't the time. Walking in before everyone, Harry takes several deep and calming breaths before turning around to see tear stained faces all around. Reaching down slowly, Harry hesitates.

"Remember what Sharpblade said, 'Arry." Fleur says, placing her hands on top of Harry's and smiling warmly. Moving them down to the hem of his sweater, she intertwines his fingers in her own and grabs the cloth. "Wear zem wiz pride, for zey are proof you survived."

Taking one last deep breath, Harry pulls up his shirt with Fleur's help and tosses it aside. Fleur steps to the side and reveals the multitude of scars adorning Harry's body. Gasps and squeals of horror and sorrow cry out throughout the room. Looking up slowly, Harry takes in the reactions of the people in front of him. Hermione and Ginny are crying silently, covering their mouths in horror at the sight in front of them. Molly rushes forward and wraps her arms around him tightly, crying loudly.

"Oh, Harry dear!" She cries, her tears dropping onto his shoulder and back. "I'm so sorry! We should have urged the headmaster to listen closer to you. We believed him, and I'm so sorry we did! We should have listened to you, and I am so sorry! Please don't hate me, I've failed as a mother. I know you're not my child, but I love you as one of my own! I'm so sorry, Harry!"

Removing his arms from her grip, he wrapped his arms around her, as well. "Mrs. Weasley, I don't blame you at all. You haven't failed at all. Until you started taking me into your home at the end of summer, I had no idea what it was like to have a mom, or a family. I will always love you for that, I want you to know that." Placating the woman, she tightened her grip and cried harder. "You have nothing to be sorry for, ad while I love Apolline as my maman, you'll be the closest thing I'll ever know to what a mum feels like. While Apolline is my maman, I hope I can continue to see you as mum and be welcome in your home."

"Always, Harry dear. Always." Continuing to cry on Harry's shoulder, he comforts the grieving woman. Turning to Ron, Hermione whispers in his ear.

"Did you know?"

"No... I didn't know at all."

"It makes so much sense..." She says, wiping the tears away. "He values friendship above all else because he never experience it before us, no matter what we do to upset him. He bottles all his anger up inside because he doesn't want to blow up at us. He thinks he'll risk losing us. He always tenses up when I hug him, or when you put your shoulder around him."

"Why was he wrestling with me, then?" Ron queries, wiping his own tears away. "He didn't seem to be tensing up during that."

"I think he's gotten better since moving in with the Delacour's." She theorizes, looking down. "They must have been able to do what we weren't; getting Harry out of his shell."

After a few minutes, Molly steps back slightly, smiling sadly as she sniffles. "You're such a wonderful young man, Harry." Holding his face in her hands, she plants a kiss on his forehead. "Thank you for trusting us with this."

"Gred, fancy a bit of muggle baiting?" One twin asks, a murderous look on his face.

"You read my mind, Forge." The other answers, his face warped in equal amounts of rage.

"You will do no such thing!" Molly roars, turning on the twins in an instant. "I will not have you two in Azkaban!"

"They deserve it!" Both twins roar back, causing Molly to step back in shock. The twins had never outright yelled in rebellion to her, and it was startling to see it happen.

"What they did to him..."

"They deserve a slow and painful death..."

"THEN TOSSED IN THE DEEPEST PIT OF HADES AND ROT FOR ETERNITY!" They yell at the top of their lungs in perfect synch, their bodies trembling in rage.

Walking forward in two large steps, Harry wraps an arm around each of the twins in a brotherly hug. "Thank you guys." He says, shattering their stupor of fury. They break down in tears and hug him close, holding their brother in all but blood close. "I appreciate what you want to do, but don't stoop to their level. Karma will come back and give them a prank worthy of the name Weasley."

Smiling as tears flow down their faces, they tighten their hug on him for a few moments before stepping back. Letting go of the twins, Harry turns to his two best friends, opening his mouth to speak, before being cut off by Hermione rushing forward and hugging him as tightly as she can. A few moments later, Ron joins her and wraps the both of them in a hug, afraid to let either of them go.

"Why didn't you ever tell us?" Hermione whispers, crying on Harry. "We could have helped. We could have done something!"

"I know, and I'm sorry, Hermione." Harry says, causing them to step back and look at him in disbelief. "I should have told you, but I was scared. I was scared that the Dursley's were right all along. That I was a freak who didn't deserve friends, family, or love."

"That's insane, Harry!" Ron says, throwing up his arms in exasperation. "Why would you ever think that about us?"

"Ronald Weasley!" Molly steps in, yelling at her youngest son. "He was afraid that if he told you, everything the Dursley's spent years telling him while they abused him would come true!"

Everyone stays quiet, Ron thinking over the words his mother screamed. "I'm sorry, Harry." Ron says, hugging Harry again. "I don't know what it's like to go through what you went through, and I shouldn't question how you feel. I'm really sorry, mate."

"It's okay, Ron." Harry says, smiling at his best mate's attempt at decorum. "Don't worry about it. How about we move on to happier things? Where's my little sister, she need a horsey ride!"

With a smile on his face, he turns to look for Gabrielle. His eyes lands on her, and his heart sinks as he sees his beloved little sister sniffling and sobbing quietly. She rushes forward and wraps her arms around his waist, breaking down into loud sobs and shrieks of sorrow, grabbing at Harry's pants to pull him closer. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" She cries out, taking deep breathes through her sobs. "Did you think I was too young to understand? I thought you loved me, why didn't you love me enough to tell me this?!"

It struck Harry that no one ever told her what Harry went through before he came to live with them. Dropping to his knees, he scooped Gabrielle up in his arms and held her as close as possible, trying his best to mend her anguish. "I'm so sorry, little bird." He whispers in the sobbing girl's ear, nuzzling the top of her head with his cheek. "I thought that someone did tell you. If I had known that no one did, I would have told you right away. I won't hide anything from my precious little bird. You're one of the most important people in my life, and that will never change."

"You promise?" She asks after a few minutes to calm down. She sniffles and looks up at Harry. He smiles and wipes the tears away from her face before kissing her nose.

"I promise."

After Harry spends a few more minutes rocking his little sister back and forth in her arms, she falls asleep. He stands up slowly and carries her over to a bed and looks back at Mrs. Weasley. Nodding enthusiastically in silent answer to his unasked question, he lays her in the bed and covers her up gently. After brushing her bangs out of her face, he steps back and sits in one of the love seats with a heavy sigh. Fleur walks up to her love and sits in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and nuzzling him. Harry responds in kind, wrapping his arms around her waist. Out of nowhere, an piercing cry of agony pierces the air and Harry's head snaps up instantly. "Hermione!"

Faster than anyone could track properly, Harry slides Fleur to the cushion next to him and dashes out the tent. Turning to the source of the continued screaming, Harry spots Hermione writhing on the ground as several people in black cloaks stand around her. Sprinting forward, Harry pulls his wand out of his pocket and slashes it in a downward motion. A brilliant light green spell shoots from his wand and severs the arm attached to the wand causing his sister's torture. As the masked man screams, the attention of the others was turned to Harry. He swings it in a wide arc, focusing on nothing but getting the bastards away from his sister. An enormous wave of magic erupts from his wand and slams into the unsuspecting Death Eaters, sending them flying in random directions and crashing all around.

"Hermione, I'm coming!" He screams, rushing forward. He kneels down next to her and picks her up bridal style, feeling her tremble furiously from the after-effects of the Cruciatus Curse. "Let's get you out of here."

Running back towards the tent, Harry stops in place after running for a few dozens yards. The entire camp burns up with blazing orange flames, screams permeating the air around them. His eyes flit back and forth, looking for the Weasley's and the Delacour's. He spots several heads of red and blonde hair before instantly bolting forward, catching up with them quickly. Handing Hermione over to Ron so Harry can help defend, they merge with the crowd leading away from the Death Eaters. Turning back to make sure they weren't being followed, Harry trips and slams his head onto the ground. Groaning in pain, Harry starts to sit up, only to be knocked back and trampled by several hundred fleeing people. Harry's eyes slowly close, a scream of his name the last thing he hears before succumbing to the blackness of unconsciousness.

-Fleur-

Several hours later, Harry wakes up slowly with a massive headache. Feeling around on the ground, his hand comes into contact with his glasses and he slides them onto his face. Sitting up shakily, he looks around to see the campground burned to ash, smoldering pieces of wood littering the ground and burning pieces of cloth floating eerily through the air. As he attempts to stand up on trembling legs, Harry looks around for anyone to help him. He pats his pockets and realizes his wand isn't there. Looking around frantically, he starts walking around unsteadily. After a few moments, he spots a silhouette a little bit away from him.

"Hey, excuse me!" He calls out, moving forward carefully. "Can you help me?"

As the words leave Harry's mouth, the man had already cast a spell to the sky. A green light shoots up and explodes in the sky, Harry's eyes widening as he sees it. The explosion turns to mist and writhes around into a foreboding skull, an ominous snake slithering out of the jaw. Harry's hand dashes up to his forehead, clutching his scar in pain as it burns at the image. Looking back down, he sees the man approaching slowly, his wand raised at Harry. As the man raises his wand over his head to cast a spell, several voices cry out. Lowering the wand, the person turns and runs away into the mass of smoldering tents. As Harry turns towards the voices continuing to call out for him, he opens his mouth to cry out. Before he can get a word out, the world seems to slow down as the hairs on the back of his neck rise up in urgent warning. Ducking down as quickly as he can, he narrowly dodges several stunners shot at where his head was moments ago, shot from the wands of several wizards who apparated into the clearing of ash and embers.

"Do not move!" A voice snaps at Harry, and he raises his hands in surrender. "Why did you conjure it?!"

"Conjure what?"

"The Dark Mark!" The man snaps angrily, jerking his head up to the sky briefly before focusing back on Harry. "You're the only one here!"

"No, there was a man! He conjured that Dark Mark thing, and ran when my family came running. " Pointing to where the man ran, the man turned and waved his hand in the direction Harry indicated.

"Give me your wand, boy."

"I don't have it. I woke up a few minutes ago and I couldn't find it." He explains, keeping his hands up. "I swear. You can search me, if you want."

Waving his wand over Harry's body, the man nodded and lowered his wand before turning to the group of people approaching. As Molly surged forward, Apolline sprinted past her and wrapped her arms around Harry protectively.

"Are you okay, love?!" She asks frantically, pulling back from the hug and examining his body thoroughly. "After the crowd pulled us to the edge of the camp grounds, we gathered everyone together, but you weren't there! What happened?!"

"I tripped in the rush and was knocked out by everyone fleeing." He says in English for the sake of everyone present who couldn't speak French. "I woke up a few minutes ago."

"I 'eard." Jacques spits venomously, turning towards Crouch. "What makes you zink you can just move in on someone and fire stunners before you question zem? You 'ad enough manpower zat it wouldn't be a problem, Crouch!"

Ignoring Jacques, the man named Crouch moved away, motioning for the rest of his men to follow in the direction he sent the first few. Sitting down, Harry lets out a sigh of relief. Fleur sits next to him and wraps her arms around him, petting his head affectionately. A few minutes later, the men walk back into the clearing and walk up to Harry and hold out a wand. "Is this your wand, boy?"

"Yeah, where'd you find it?"

"Hm. I guess you weren't the one to cast it." He harrumphs, passing the wand back to Harry. "You are too young to know about it. I recomend getting a wand holster. It'll make it much harder to lose it, understood?"

"Yes sir, Mister Crouch."

"Sorry for casting at you, Mr. Potter." Nodding at Jacques and Harry, Crouch turned and apparated out with the rest of his group.

Sliding his wand into his pocket once more, Harry looks up at everyone and sighs tiredly. "Can we go home now?"

Well, everyone! There's yet another chapter of Ma Fleur! Now, I know the twins are a bit OOC, and Ron is a little bit smarter, but if anyone can guess why, they'll get their own special cookie. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and are looking forward to the next one. Now, I decided to add in one more chapter before the big time, so the following chapter will consist of the rest of the summer. Which means... That's right! Two chapters from now will be taking place on The Hogwarts Express! I hope this chapter will bring the story's followers up to break 1000, and I will be so happy when that happens. As always, constructive criticism is always appreciated, and flames will be used to bake cookies. As usual, read, review, and spread this story like wildfire! I'll see everyone next time! This is Mystery Critic, signing off.