The Burrow

Molly Weasley hummed happily to herself as she bustled about the kitchen. She had Celestina Warbeck playing in the background and she was smiling as she prepared dinner for her family. Bill was here with Fleur. Charlie was on a break from the dragon ranch in Romania and Fred and George had closed the shop and flooed over especially. She could hear them talking and raucously laughing in the living room. Sometimes it was simply better not to know what her children were up to. She knew that herself and Arthur had raised a fine bunch. She glanced over to her lovely clock. Some would argue that she was spying on her family, but it was a comfort to her. Simply knowing if her family was safe or not let her sleep at night. She smiled to herself knowingly that the clock would be updated with the hands of Harry and Hermione very soon. They were family to all of the Weasley's in all but blood. Her smile faltered as the hands of Arthur and Percy abruptly turned to mortal peril and she let out a shriek.

"Mum? Mum? What's wrong?" asked Bill as he raced into the kitchen.

Molly couldn't say anything. She raised a pointed finger to the clock.

"Shit" said Charlie as he entered the kitchen with Fred, George and Fleur.

In the panic of the moment, the gathered family had not heard the crack of the wards failing. Bill raised his nose into the air and sniffed three times. There were a few perks to almost being turned into a werewolf. It meant that Bill had heightened senses. He could smell one drop of blood a mile away.

"Wands out everyone. We are about to have a visit from some uninvited guests" Bill said morosely.

The seriousness of the moment was all too real when not even Fred and George could joke around. The house shook and the smell of smoke started to fill the air.

"No, not again" cried Molly.

"Mum, listen, we are going to have to fight. I don't know how many there are but if I am going to die today, then I'm going down fighting" said Charlie determinedly.

"Agreed" piped up Fred and George.

Molly looked at her family and nodded. She turned to the clock and felt a pain in her chest at seeing all of the hands on the clock, except Ron's and Ginny's, firmly set on mortal peril.

The Weasley's ran out of the house as the heat was starting to become unbearable. Bill charged out the door first, a shield already cast and prepared for the oncoming onslaught. Molly cast one last glance at her beloved kitchen. She took the clock off the wall and transfigured it into a wristwatch. She nodded her head once resolutely and then marched out of the burrow to assist, protect and defend her family.

"Werewolves, they are all werewolves" Shouted Bill.

The Weasley's had formed a small semi-circle. They hadn't trained for it but the instinct to protect each other had kicked in and they were in a good rhythm of defending and attacking.

"Oh Billy boy. I'm not finished with you yet. Come and join our pack" taunted Fenrir Greyback.

"Like hell" shouted Bill.

Fenrir reared his head back and let out a hearty laugh which turned into a howl.

"Full moon tomorrow Bill. Can you feel it?" sneered Greyback.

Bill growled and sent a bludgeoning curse towards Greyback which he side stepped. It hit the werewolf behind him who went down whimpering like a dog.

Molly was terrified. Not for herself, but for her family. She had counted sixteen werewolves. She had no idea how they were going to make it out of this alive.

"PROTEGO" Molly shouted protecting Fleur from an unknown purple coloured spell.

Fred and George were dancing around with four werewolves. Molly was shocked to see that they were holding their own. Charlie had the attention of three werewolves and Fleur was helping Bill to take on Greyback and another three. Molly was side-stepping, dancing, weaving, attacking and defending. All of the knowledge she had about duelling was being put to the test. She blanched as she saw a killing curse soar over the heads of a ducking Fred and George. She spotted the werewolf who had cast the curse and moved in for the kill. She growled and the air crackled around her. Waves of power were radiating from her and she was satisfied to see the resolve of the werewolf falter ever so slightly. She didn't give him a chance. She fired a bludgeoning hex followed by a cutting curse and finally a stunner. The werewolf lazily threw up a shield and then laughed at Molly. The laugh turned into a shock as a green jet hit him from Molly's right. Charlie had despatched the three he was taking on and had went to assist his mother.

Molly cast a glance at Bill and Fleur to see the most amazing display of fury. Fleur was protecting Bill as much as she could and Molly could see the fierceness in her eyes. Molly watched as Fleur let off five spells in quick succession taking down two werewolves. The glint in her eyes showing only calm resolve. Molly watched as Bill was hit in the left hip with a cutting curse and he let out a cry of pain as he fell to one knee. Greyback laughed and started to taunt him again. She rushed over to help but Charlie held her back.

Her watch buzzed and Molly looked down at it to see Arthur and Percy's hands change to travelling. She heard the cracks of apparition and then her watch showed Arthur and Percy to be home.

Greyback had made the mistake of turning to see who had joined the party, giving Bill the perfect opportunity to send a killing curse straight into his chest. The werewolf who had taken so many lives and had turned so many children into werewolves could now cause no more harm.

Fred and George were faltering slightly and were getting tired. They hadn't managed to take any of their opponents down although they had caused them significant harm. When they saw Arthur and Percy running to join the fight, it gave them a burst of energy and to both of their disbeliefs, their next curses hit their marks and the werewolves fell to the ground in agony.

The five remaining werewolves seeing that the Weasley's had made light of their comrades turned and run erecting shields behind them. This left them at a disadvantage however as they were not protecting their front. Tired from the battle that had already happened, Arthur and Percy gave no chances, firing off killing curses and despatching the remaining werewolves.

Arthur ran to Molly, giving her a hug and a kiss and then embraced his family one by one.

"Oh Arthur, what are we going to do" Cried Molly as she looked at the burrow in flames.

"We are all apparating to Hogwarts. Ron and Ginny are there. Listen everyone, this was not the only attack today. Voldemort himself attacked Tower Bridge and the ministry was attacked too. We don't know who's dead or how many, but right now, the safest place in Britain is Hogwarts"

The Weasley's all nodded at the Patriarch's words. They watched as two green hues filled the sky. The dark mark cast over the home of the Lovegood's and the other over the village of Ottery St. Catchpole.

"Right then let's go. Gates of Hogwarts everyone" said Arthur firmly.

The group turned and apparated away to Scotland.

The fire burned bright illuminating the corpses of the death eaters who were ordered to attack the burrow. Rats started to appear from their hiding places to feast upon the corpses. One werewolf still alive was surprised to see one lone rat scuttle away. His final thought before he succumbed to the darkness was that he was sure that that rat had a silver paw.