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Harry walked through the offices and into one of the meeting rooms. Everyone else was already there with the exception of Barnard. The boys grinned as Harry walked in.
"So, Ginny, eh?" Seamus chuckled.
Harry rolled his eyes, "We've been together ages, you'd think the prophet would have something better to write about."
Dean dramatically grasped his chest. "I can only imagine all of those heartbroken girls out there who have been pining after Potter for years."
"Oh, stuff it Thomas." Harry groaned, he looked to see Ron sitting in one of the chairs hands firmly clamped over his ears. "Ron! You can listen, we're not talking about anything."
"I'd rather not risk the horrible imagery." Harry rolled his eyes at Ron's dramatic tone and looked around.
"So, I heard we got a potential location on Greyback?"
"That we did Mr. Potter." Barnard said. "We received an anonymous tip this afternoon."
"Is there any reason to believe the information is credible?" Harry asked.
Annoyance began to steep into Barnards tone, "Well considering this is the third tip from the same location yes."
He pulled out a map and focused on the north of England. "There have been three sightings of Greyback in the Cheviot Hills up north. All of them focus on a single cave system on the border of Scotland. All the reports say that the area is secluded with a minimal number of people seen going into the cave. We are to go there, find the entrance to the cave and overtake the few individuals that are said to be inside." He pointed a point just south of the caves. "This is where we'll apparate to. Any questions?" When no one said anything Barnard nodded. "Great, we'll leave immediately."
After a short time of feeling like he'd never be able to breathe again, Harry looked around at the hills ahead of them. They waited until everyone was accounted for and slowly started making their approach to the bottom of the hills. Immediately Harry saw a number of people going in and out of what appeared to be an entrance.
"Wait." He said quietly, stopping everyone. "I thought the reports said that there was a minimal number of people." From here he could hear the low murmurs of a group of people, not even trying to disguise their whereabouts. It made him uneasy.
"They did." Barnard replied sharply.
"Then why can I hear them from out here? They're supposed to be in hiding, why would they make it so obvious?" He questioned.
"It's just the echoing of the caves Potter." Barnard said irately. "And this is a remote area, it's not obvious."
"I don't think so, I think there's more than we realize in there. I think we should go back for more Aurors." He said.
"I agree with Harry." Ron piped up, and Dean, Seamus, and Neville all nodded in unison.
"By the time we get more Aurors and come back they could have already moved on. It's just echoing that you're hearing. Any extra members will be taken down quickly. We'll overpower them easily. Now shut your mouths before they hear us and get into formation Potter." He ended, turning Harry's name into a sneer. "I'll stay in the back to make sure no one gets us from behind."
Harry took a deep breath. This is not how it should have gone, and he knew Ginny would kill him for what he was going to do next, assuming he didn't get himself killed in the process. "Then I'll take point."
"Fantastic." Barnard replied, a dark glint in his eye. "Then lead on Potter."
Harry looked at each of them and waited until they nodded back before gripping his wand tightly in his hand before making his way to the entrance. Taking a second to calm his nerves he took a step into the dark cavity, nothing felt right about this.
Immediately Harry felt something crash into his left side and pain ripped through him as he was smashed against the rocks and on to the floor.
"Take cover!" He yelled, trying to reach for his wand that had fallen from his hand when his head had cracked against the rocks.
He could see Greyback looming over him and felt it as he stepped on his arm as it reached out for his wand. The sickening sound of his own bones breaking was something he never wanted to hear.
Greyback grinned, showing off his nasty bloodstained teeth. "I must say Potter, I'm going to enjoy killing you."
"Like hell you will!" Harry saw Dean Thomas land multiple stunning spells on the werewolf. He opened his mouth to thank him, but couldn't manage it.
Dean shouted at Ron. "Weasley! Help me get him out of here!" The last thing Harry could remember was being picked up by the pair of them, and being drug out of the caves.
Ginny's leg shook under the table as she became more and more uneasy. There was no reason for it, she was surrounded by her family. All of her brothers, even Charlie, had managed to make it home for dinner.
She had been sitting on the couch when Charlie appeared in the fireplace. He stepped out, his hands over his eyes.
"Everything all clear? My tiny little engaged sister not up to anything she shouldn't be right?"
Ginny gave a throaty laugh before throwing her book at him. "Not likely, besides he and Ron we're called in on official business."
Charlie groaned. "How am I supposed to threaten his life if he's not even here?"
"Hopefully they'll be back in time for dinner," She said getting up to hug him. "Its great to see you Charlie. I've missed you."
He wrapped his arms around her tightly, giving her one of his infamous bear hugs. "Well, come on now lets see it."
Ginny held up her hand for him to get a good look at her ring. It was just a small diamond on a thin band. "It was his mothers."
Charlie looked like he was getting misty eyed. "You know, he makes it really hard for me to want to kill him for corrupting my baby sister."
Percy and George had had similar reactions when they had made it home. Ginny had enjoyed getting to spend time with all of her brothers. She had felt fine until dinner when she had begun to get anxious.
Hermione leaned over and whispered to her. "Gin, you're shaking the entire table. Are you alright?"
"Something just doesn't feel right." She whispered back. She looked up and asked, "Mum may I be excused?"
"Of course Ginny." Mrs. Weasley replied, her eyes looked almost sad.
Ginny got up and walked out the back door, leaving it open, to pace around the small garden. She could hear Charlie talking to her mother and tried to shut it out as she calmed herself.
"Has Harry been gone much lately?" A pause which she assumed was her mother shaking her head. "She's going to have to figure it out, otherwise I'm not sure how she'll be able to handle it."
Ginny continued to pace around the garden, she had no idea why she was feeling so uneasy. There was no reason for it. She just couldn't shake the feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was going horribly wrong.
Her head snapped around towards the door when she heard the sound of the fireplace, she made her way to the back door where she saw a blood soaked Ron standing.
"Ron what on earth happened to you!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed seeing his torn robes that were caked in dirt and blood.
"It's not mine, it's Harry's." Ron looked around until he found Ginny standing in the doorway wide-eyed. "Gin, it's Harry. He's at St. Mungo's."
She didn't need anymore prompting, she walked straight through the house without stopping, following Ron through the fireplace. Before she knew it she was in a long hallway with Ron standing in front of her, who started moving the moment she stepped out.
Ginny rushed down the hall of St. Mungo's following an irate Ron, trying to keep herself calm. Ron had reassured her that Harry was fine, but she needed to see it for herself. Ron opened one of the doors down the hall and motioned for her to go in.
Walking in her eyes immediately found a blood-soaked Harry. He must have had a large gash on his face that had since been healed considering his hair was matted down and he had dried blood coating the side of his face, down his neck and into his t-shirt. He was also holding his arm in a way that looked painful. She took a deep breath before walking up to him.
"Well Potter," She said, her voice wavering slightly. "You've certainly looked better."
Harry had a somber look on his face as he pulled her toward him into a hug. "You can't imagine how relieved I am to see you right now."
"The feeling is mutual. What happened?" She asked.
"That is no concern of yours Ms. Weasley." Barnard said in a scathing tone. "In fact, you shouldn't even be here, not until we have Potters statement."
"Like hell I'm leaving." Ginny said, turning to glare at the man. Harry dropped his arm to curl protectively around her waist.
Barnard reached forward to grab her and move her out of the room. At the same time Harry jumped off the edge of the table, pushed Ginny behind himself, and pulled his wand in one fluid movement.
"Barnard you touch her, I swear they'll break my wand in half for what I do to you."
Barnard dropped the hand that was reaching for Ginny. "I'll make sure you end up in Azkaban Potter."
"We'll have adjoining cells; I guarantee it." Harry spat back at him. "I can't wait to write up this report, and I won't forget a single detail I can promise you that."
Barnards face turned bright red as his scowl twisted into a mask of anger. "You dare Potter! I did nothing but- "
"Lead us into an ambush where we all would have been killed if it hadn't been for Harry." Neville said bluntly.
Ginny turned, she hadn't heard Ron come in behind her who had since been joined by Hermione and Neville.
"You ignored all of your teams' recommendations and decided to put us in danger anyway, which resulted in severe injuries for 2 members and minor injuries for the rest." Ron growled and continued even when Barnard tried to open his mouth. "And you better believe that we'll be reporting this. All of us. Just because you're a Senior Auror doesn't mean you get to get away with trying to throw people's lives in front of your own."
Barnard stomped out of room while the others looked at one another. Ginny, on the other hand, only had eyes for Harry.
"What did you do?" Ginny demanded.
"He was a git and jumped in front of everyone else, and if his head hadn't just been closed up, I'd hit him for it." Ron replied grumpily.
"Ron!" Hermione admonished.
"No! He could have been killed, should have used Barnard as a human shield lazy, useless sack of dragon dung that he is." Ron grumbled.
Ginny glared at him. "We're you trying to get yourself killed?"
"Of course, not though I'm not so sure about Barnard." Harry and Ron shared a dark look, but before Ginny could ask a healer walked back into the room. "Thank goodness," Harry said. "Am I fine to leave then?"
The witch shook her head disapprovingly at him. "I'd tell you that I want to keep you over night, but I doubt you'd listen."
"You'd be correct." Harry confirmed.
She huffed and said, "Fine, but I'm going to give you a sling for that arm that I want you to wear it for two days minimum." Harry opened his mouth to argue but she quickly cut him off. "I don't want to hear it! The bones have been mended and your shoulder is back in place, but you'll still be sore for several days. I want to give it plenty of time to rest. Now, there's not much to do about your ribs since they're only bruised, but along with everything else rest is what's best for them. We mended your skull as well, though you lost a lot of blood. You'll probably feel tired for the next few days. If anything starts hurting more than it already is come back in at once."
Harry thanked the witch after she helped him put the sling on and assured her that he'd keep it on. She gave him a disapproving look and only moved away once Ginny promised her that she'd make him wear it.
"Well that's it, you're all set Mr. Potter. Oh wait, reporters are littering the waiting area. There's a fireplace at the end of the hall on your right that you'll want to use instead. And I already sent a note to the Minister, I want you out of work for a minimum of 4 days."
They thanked her and made their way down the hall, Harry and Ginny trailing behind the rest. Ginny grabbed his hand to slow him down.
"I'm really glad you're okay." She said looking at him.
He sighed and pulled her toward him, wrapping her in his good arm. "So am I." They stood like that for several long moments before Harry kissed her on the top of her head and said, "Let's get home and get some sleep."