The whole family had moved to the sitting room and packed tightly into what space they could. The monthly family dinner always followed the same routine. As always, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry sat at the edge nearest the door. The family never questioned, they all knew why.
They needed an escape route. An easy way to move.
Molly also knew that at some point, her Son-in-law would somehow slink away without anyone noticing. Invariably, Ginny would wait for a few minutes and follow. After about ten minutes, they would return without anyone mentioning it. Every time. She didn't say anything. She didn't have too. After they had told her what had happened that terrible year, she was surprised they weren't more affected than they were.
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Ginny watched the clock. He always asked for five minutes. On the dot, she got up and quietly slipped out the opened door. It was a beautiful evening. The early autumn air smelled sweet and soft. A full moon shone on the pond, casting the light up into the trees, and on Harry. He normally stood just outside the door but tonight, he was in the middle of the garden. With fear, she saw him standing at attention. She moved closer and could see his wand being held slightly behind him. "Get your dad." He whispered quietly.
She froze. Her body tuned to her environment. Only one thing stood out. There was no sound. No birds, no foxes circling the sheds, no gnomes. Even the chickens made no sounds. Her wand slipped slowly into her hand as she backed into the house.
At her entrance into the kitchen, Ron caught her eye. Her apprehensive expression caused him to squeeze Hermione's hand. She glanced up and followed his gaze. At Ginny's slight tilt of her head towards the door, they too stood and joined her.
The conversations in the room continued on, baby Victoire still being passed around. But Arthur took note that his youngest children were looking alert.
"Somethings off outside." Ginny whispered.
"What?" Ron asked, seeing Harry standing in the garden, searching.
"It's silent out there. Like a mufliato. Harry didn't want me out with him." She replied as quietly as she could.
Hermione nodded and touched Ron's arm. Their wands in hand, turned to the family.
Arthur raised his eyebrows in question at his son's alertness. At Ron's tiniest nod, he too stood and wove his way out of the crowd. This finally caught the attention of the others.
"Somethings wrong outside. Harry wants help." Ron said calmly.
They both turned to the family, who were all watching, "Get your wands."
At the sounds of their father's command, they all stood. Molly, who was playing with the baby, ushered Audrey and Fleur into the back bedroom. It was away from the hubbub of the main part of the house and had only one window. Easily defended. "Just like we practiced ladies, take the baby into the wardrobe. Stay there until I say so." She said quietly. The women then took places around the room, Audrey standing guard in front of the wardrobe. Molly at the only window.
"But I can fight too." Fleur tried to argue.
"You keep that baby safe. No matter what happens, keep that baby safe." After a few minutes of continued silence, Molly slid the sash open so she could get a better view.
Outside, Bill stood by the bedroom window, on guard. She could see Charlie moving further towards the corner of the house.
"Mum, there is something unseen just outside the perimeter. Dad, Ginny, and Harry are tightening the wards in the front. Ron and Hermione with George and Angelina are on the other side of the house. Charlie and I just finished here. Something is, I don't know, just weird." Bill said through the opened window, "I'm going to check out there." He pointed towards the tree line.
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Harry could see the shimmer as the wards were refreshed. The full moon seemed to waver overhead for a brief moment before becoming clear again. As he turned his gaze back towards the gate, he saw a shadow. He had him. Many cheap invisibility cloaks can fool the eye but have a tendency to allow shadows. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another one about twelve feet to the right. From the way Ron shifted, Harry could tell that Ron saw it too.
Listening so close to the wind, he could hear his wife's breathing. It was comforting. He had no desire to hide her into the house. He wanted her at his side. He needed her at his side.
Ginny hitched her breath quietly, letting him know she saw a moving shadow in the other direction.
Just as he was going to shout something, a bright blue line shot up high into the sky. Upon hitting the wards, it shattered into a burst of blinding light. Harry knew what it was, he had seen it during the battle. He covered his eyes just in time, but he still had to blink a few times to clear his sight.
"Aim only in front of you." He yelled as a second barrage lit the sky brighter than noon day.
He could hear blasts hitting the shields, one after another. He sent off another layer of wards, and seeing him, Ginny did the same.
"Harry!" Ron yelled over the din of the spells.
"Yeah. Going low." Harry ducked down into a stand of lilac bushes. Although there were no blossoms this late in the summer, it was enough. He reached into his pocket and brought out his cloak. The true invisibility cloak. Stepping out, he walked close to the perimeter. Scanning closer, he could see someone get caught in a tree, the flimsy knock-off cloak ripping off and showing someone he thought was dead. He was someone he had seen in the Department of Mysteries the night that Sirius died. The name didn't come to mind, but seeing his face was enough.
It was a year since the trials began. A year since the death lists were published. That face, was it listed?
It didn't matter who he was, only why he was here.
"I see you standing behind the tree." Harry called out.
"What are going to do about it?" came a cultured voice.
"What do you want me to do about it?" Harry replied, amused.
"Well, die would be a good start. But I'll take your wife instead."
"Good luck with that. Even I'm afraid of her." Harry moved to his right, always keeping the intruder in front of him. He thought he could hear a stifled chuckle from his wife.
"You would be- you coward." The semi-hidden man tripped, making enough sound to alert everyone to his position.
"Ah, resorting to name calling, are we?" Harry almost laughed. Training taught him that the more he talked, the sooner they could resolve this. "So, what do you have against me this time? Still mad about losing your boss?"
"No, Mr. Potter. This time, it's personal." The cheap cloak tore more and fell to the ground. Harry could hear Ginny gasp softly as a second shadow joined the now exposed man.
"Ginny, down." Harry ordered as the second person shot several curses at the ward right in front of her. She dropped into a crouch behind a bush. Harry came to stand beside her and touched her shoulder to alert her to his presence. "Do you know him?" He whispered.
"Mr. Parkinson. He was reported missing after the bridge fell. Here comes another." Sure enough, another, uncloaked man slid into position with the other two.
"Parkinson, how many do you have in your gang? A dozen? Two? You're going to need more than that. Remember who's house you're at." Harry laughed, "The Weasley's don't take too kindly to anyone messing with them.
"Ha! Us three are enough. We ain't afraid." The uncloaked one bragged.
The barrage had stopped. It didn't take too long before the rest of the family heard the voices and moved slightly closer.
"What did I do to you?" Harry asked, formulating a plan.
"You lost me my job, our lives. That's what you did. Our families have left us. We're pariahs in our own country."
"Sorry, not my fault. You followed the wrong man.
"It is your fault. If you hadn't stuck your nose in our business, the world would be a different place." The third man yelled.
Harry stepped softly towards Arthur, "I'm going to go out there. I'll take Ron. When you see him over by the gate, open the wards there. Whistle if you see these three move that way."
Arthur nodded and moved to do the spell. Harry touched Ron's arm and the two moved off. While doing so, Ginny piped up, "Oh, nice seeing you, Professor Carrow. I thought we had you locked away."
"Shut up little girl. Don't talk back to your betters." He said back.
"Well, if I see any betters among you, I'll shut up. In the meantime, how about just setting your wands down and give up. It will go easier on you, I promise."
With Ginny keeping them occupied, the three didn't see the faint shimmer as the wards at the gate opened briefly. Ron stepped behind a tree and waited for Harry.
"You go behind. I'll give them a fright. When they are apart, bind them." Harry said in a whisper.
"Right. Do I need to be nice about it?" Ron tried not to laugh.
"I won't tell if you don't." With barely a rustle, Harry moved the thirty feet to where the men stood.
Ron moved in a different direction, so he ended up hiding behind another boulder, he had a great view, but they wouldn't be able to see him at all. He knew this as it was a favorite place to hide from the twins.
"Parkinson, Carrow, and is that Simkins? I really think you should pay attention to Mrs. Potter." Harry said. The men jumped, as Harry was only a few feet from them. Carrow tried to reach out, hoping to grab something, but met only with air.
Harry chose him first. He stepped behind and grabbed the ex-teacher's cap and flung it away. Before any reaction, he had jumped to the left and then yanked Simkins traveling cloak around the short man, binding his arms to his side and over his face. A quick binding jinx caused the man to stop struggling.
Carrow started firing off curses, in the wrong direction. Ron's petrificus jinx stopped him short.
When Harry looked over at Parkinson, he saw the man upside down hanging as if by an unseen hand. The wand lay snapped on the ground.
Harry threw back the cloak, so it was hanging on his shoulders. He picked the broken wand up, "Drop him." He said with a grin.
The man fell with a thud, right on the top of his head. A glowing rope slip out of Harry's wand and wrapped around the men like snakes. "Parkinson. I learned that you were reported missing when the bridge fell. Well, I guess we found you. Carrow, you and Simkins were definitely in Azkaban. I was there when you were sentenced. What happened?"
"It's naught to do with you, is it? It's to do with who we know. Now let us up or you'll pay." Simkins sputtered out through the cloak.
"And who is it that you know?" Ron 'nudged' him with the toe of his boot, "Speak!" The red-headed Auror demanded.
"Don't talk!" warned Parkinson.
"Someone right at the top. Someone you'll never find out." Simkins taunted.
"I told you to shut it!" Parkinson shouted.
"Well, it can't be Donner. We caught him last week. How about Clankton? He was in charge of Azkaban until midsummer. Was it he?" Harry teased.
He saw Simkins face fall slightly when Clankton's name was mentioned, "Ah, it was Clankton. He let you out? You know, he tried to commit suicide a few days ago. He didn't want to spend time in his own prison. You can go say hello to him. Well, when he learns how to speak without vocal chords, that is."
Harry lifted his wand and his stag raced out, "Attack at the Burrow. Situation under control. Send back-up" and sent it off. "By the way gentlemen, when you use a muffliatus, don't set it against our wards. It's what warned us." Harry laughed as he took off his invisibility cloak all the way, "And one thing to spread to your buddies, don't mess with the Weasley Clan."