It wasn't long after Harry and Luna left the Room of Requirement before more people began showing up through the Hog's Head entrance. Several more members of Dumbledore's Army showed up, and people managed to contact members of the Order of the Phoenix.
Annabelle was just greeting Angelina, Alicia, and Katie with big hugs when she saw her parents and Remus stumble into the room.
"Mum! Dad!" Anna called, rushing past her friends.
Sirius opened his arms and Anna slammed into him, hugging tight and not wanting to let go. She only did when her mum insisted on a hug, as well.
"What are you doing here? What about Aslan?" Anna demanded, both worried and excited.
"Well, we weren't going to miss the fun, were we?" Sirius joked with a grin.
"And Aslan's fine. He's asleep at Andromeda's." Wren added as Remus stepped up to give Anna a hug. "Tonks and Teddy are there, as well."
"Tonks willingly stayed behind?" Anna asked in disbelief.
"I wouldn't say willingly." Remus grinned ruefully. "But Andromeda and I talked her into it."
Molly and Arthur arrived soon after, as did Bill and Fleur, and several people Anna both recognized and didn't recognize.
"Hey, Freddie, Anna, why don't you lot tell Anna's parents what you've been up to?" George teased, forcing his twin to stand next to Anna while he threw an arm around them both. Anna instantly blushed and looked down, while Sirius narrowed his eyes between them warily.
"What now?" he asked suspiciously.
Anna cleared her throat, unsure of what to say. "Um, well,…"
"We kinda…got married?" Fred answered in a questioning tone.
"Sort of." Anna added.
"Magically, but not legally." Fred finished.
Wren's mouth fell open as she looked between them. "You got married without your father and I there?!" she demanded, almost angry as she glared at her daughter.
"Well, since we were in hiding, it's not legally binding, because we couldn't fill out the proper forms from the Ministry. So, we'll technically have to do it again." Anna admitted hesitantly.
"Well, you better hope we're there for that one." Wren informed her sternly, looking between her daughter and Fred.
"Yes, Ma'am." they both chorused obediently.
Wren's stern expression melted into an excited one. "Oh, darling, I'm so happy for you!" she squealed, hugging Anna in a crushing hug. Anna grinned slightly when she saw her father roll his eyes and mutter, 'Women'.
At that moment, a commotion announced the return of Harry and Luna, who looked surprised at all the people present. Harry then announced that they were evacuating the younger kids while everyone else gathered in the Great Hall to prepare to fight Voldemort. The second those words left Harry's lips, a great wave of people, with wands at the ready, surged toward the narrow stairs. Anna stayed back and waited until most of the people had cleared out. She saw that Harry was heading toward the group that had stayed behind, which consisted of Wren, Sirius, Remus, Fleur, Bill, Fred, and George around an arguing Molly and Ginny.
Anna caught enough of the argument to catch that Molly wanted Ginny to go home, due to her being underage, but Ginny was fervently fighting back.
"What were you two thinking, bringing her with you?" Molly snapped at the twins after Fred tried to defend his sister. Both twins looked ashamed, and Anna lowered her own head, even though the scolding hadn't been directed at her. Looking back, maybe if she hadn't been so distracted she might have at least suggested Ginny not go.
Bill also tried to persuade Ginny to go home, and it seemed everyone was against the young girl. Anna couldn't bring herself to join the discussion. After all, Ginny's reasoning was much the same as the one Anna gave herself when she decided not to tell Fred about the baby. She couldn't possibly stay at home, wondering what was happening to her friends and family.
Ginny was on the verge of angry tears when their conversation was interrupted by someone else coming through the passage into the room. A person who overbalanced on the exit and tumbled to the ground.
Anna watched with the others as the familiar person straightened up, horn-rimmed glasses lopsided. "Am I too late? Has it started? I only just found out, so I-I-"
Percy Weasley stuttered to silence as his eyes landed on the group, who were all staring at him, as well. He didn't seem to have been expecting most of his family to be there. Anna opened her mouth, glancing between him and his family. She so wanted to tell them what Percy had done for her. How he'd saved her from Umbridge. But she also remembered that he hadn't wanted her to do so.
"So-'ow eeze leetle Teddy?" Fleur asked Remus rather loudly; an obvious attempt to break the tension.
Remus jumped. "Oh, yes. He's fine!"
"Yeah. You promised to bring a picture next time you saw me." Anna added, glancing between the Weasleys and Remus.
"Yes!" Remus exclaimed, yanking a photo from inside his tattered jacket. He held it out so Fleur, Anna, and Harry could all see it. A tiny baby with a full head of turquoise hair grinned back at them, waving his fists at the camera. Anna smiled, a warm feeling bubbling up in her tummy. She subconsciously placed her palm on her flat belly, reminding herself silently that her child and Teddy, less than a year apart in age, would be cousins and hopefully friends.
"I was a fool!" Percy suddenly shouted, making Anna jump and pulling her back to the tense reunion. "I was an idiot, I was a pompous prat, I was a-a-"
"Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron." Fred finished for him. Anna hesitantly stepped forward and took Fred's hand in hers. She could tell by his tone he wasn't being hostile, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Percy swallowed thickly.
"Yes, I was!" he agreed.
"Well, you can't say fairer than that." Fred admitted, offering his free hand for his brother to shake. Percy seemed to deflate with relief and Anna smiled.
Molly burst into tears, as she was known to do. She rushed forward, shoving Fred aside to hug Percy to death. Fred stumbled into Anna, and she laughed quietly. While Percy hugged his mum and dad, Anna tugged lightly on Fred's hand.
Fred looked down at her curiously.
"Remember how some mystery person rescued me from Umbridge?" she asked. She figured she could break the news now that the family seemed to have already forgiven Percy.
Fred looked more curious at this topic. "The mystery hero you wouldn't name so I could thank them? Yeah. What about it?"
Anna smiled softly. "It was Percy."
Fred's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. He glanced over at his brother, who was talking to George and his parents, before looking back down at Anna again.
"Percy broke you out of Umbridge's office?" he whispered in amazement. "Why wouldn't you want to tell us that?"
Anna shrugged. "He didn't want me to. Maybe he wanted you to forgive him on your own terms, and not feel like you had to because of one good deed."
Fred swallowed thickly and nodded slowly. Turning back to his family, he pulled Anna toward them in time for Molly to release Percy. Percy smiled slightly at Anna before looking at Fred.
"You saved her?" Fred whispered softly.
"I just told him a second ago." Anna admitted when Percy looked at her.
Percy looked back at Fred worriedly and nodded.
Without another word, Fred pulled Percy into a hug. After a second of surprise, Percy returned it tightly.
"Thanks, Perce." Fred whispered before pulling back again and grinning at his brother.
"Well, how about we get upstairs and fight before all the good Death Eaters are taken?" George suggested, clapping both Fred and Percy on their shoulders.
Anna followed the brothers up the stairs and out of the Room of Requirement, briefly hearing Molly yelling at Ginny about something.
In the Great Hall, Anna didn't pay much attention to McGonagall's speech. She stood tensely between Fred and George as McGonagall explained what was happening and ordered anyone underage, or who wanted to leave, to follow their prefects out of the castle.
To nearly everyone's horror, Voldemort's voice interrupted McGonagall to basically announce that if they hand over Harry Potter, he'd leave them alone and they'd be rewarded.
When some Slytherins showed interest in this deal, nearly everyone from the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw tables stood up and pointed their wands at the remaining House. McGonagall then ordered everyone who didn't intend to fight to leave, starting with Slytherin House.
As the last of the students were trickling out of the Hall, Kingsley began issuing out orders for a battle plan. Anna, personally, felt immense relief having people like Kingsley in charge.
With only half an hour to midnight, the orders were handed out quickly. Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall were ordered to take groups of fighters up to the Ravenclaw, Astronomy, and Gryffindor towers, as they were the highest in the castle. Remus, Arthur, Sirius, and Kingsley were going to take groups onto the grounds.
"We'll need somebody to organize defense of the entrances of the passageways into the school." Kingsley finished.
"Sounds like a job for us." Fred called out, gesturing to himself, Anna, and George. Kingsley nodded in approval.
"Alright, leaders up here and we'll divide up the troops!" Kingsley called, causing the people he'd named to push to the front of the group.
Dozens of students were put in Fred and George's group, including a few people Anna knew or recognized, such as Lee, Alica, and Hannah Abbott of Hufflepuff.
"Alright, come on, you lot!" Fred called leading the way at a fast pace from the Great Hall. "There are seven secret passages into the castle-eight if you count the Room of Requirement."
"Aberforth's not likely to let any Death Eaters in through his pub, though." Lee pointed out.
"Right. Okay, so there's the one-eyed witch statue," Fred started.
"The one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy." George added.
"What about the Whomping Willow?" Anna reminded them. "Should some of us guard that one, too?"
"Um," Fred glanced over his shoulder, "Hey, Lupin! Did you want us to guard the Whomping Willow entrance, too?"
"No, we'll handle that one since it's on the grounds!" Remus called back, leading his own group out the front doors of the castle.
"Right, you heard him." George turned to the group. "Any of you know where the statue of Gregory the Smarmy is?" A handful of the students raised their hands. "Good. All of you who raised your hands, go there and guard it."
As they hurried past Fred up the stairs, Fred did the same as his twin, asking who knew where the one-eyed witch statue was. They did this a few more times until there was only a few more lesser-known passages to guard. They split up the remaining students among Anna, Fred, and George.
Anna lead her own group of four other students down the corridor and around a few corners from where Fred's group was guarding a passage. She found the one she was ordered to guard, and began giving orders to her group.
"Um, okay, remember any defensive spells you can." Anna told them, not liking being in charge. "And any protective enchantments you know might be helpful."
One of the older students, a seventh year Hufflepuff girl, stepped forward and pointed her wand at the small entrance hidden by a suit of armor.
"Protego horribilis." she chanted.
"Protego maxima." Anna added, pointing her own wand at the passage.
"Protego totalum."
"Repello Inimicum."
"Salvio Hexia."
A few of the students contributed their own enchantments until Anna was sure no Death Eater would be getting through this passage.
"Okay, someone keep an eye on that end of the corridor, in case Death Eaters come running from that direction." Anna continued. "Someone else keep an eye on the other direction. Someone watch the windows, to keep an eye on the status of the battle, and anyone else keep an eye on the passage."
Anna and a younger Ravenclaw student stayed to watch the entrance, both holding their wands ready just in case.
"What are the odds of someone actually coming through this entrance?" the boy asked, turning to look up at Anna. She guessed he was no younger than sixteen, but he clearly looked nervous.
"I'm not sure." she admitted, trying not to let her own fear and nerves show. "I would guess they'll be trying to get through Flitwick's shield and onto the grounds before they try this entrance, but it's hard to say."
He nodded, shifting his gaze back to the passage. Anna glanced out the windows across the corridor, but she couldn't see much in the thick darkness.
"Anna!"
Anna's head whipped around and she stared as Fred hurried toward her from the direction of the hidden passage he was supposed to be guarding. Glancing around, Anna saw that it was about five minutes to midnight.
"Fred-what-?"
Anna's bewildered question was cut off when Fred planted his lips on hers, his hands cupping her cheeks. She felt the smooth wood of his wand in one hand brush her cheek.
When he pulled away, it was only a couple inches. When he spoke, it was a quiet whisper that brushed his warm breath over her face. "I love you. I'll see you soon, and when all of this is over, we're going to get married in front of our whole families, and I'm taking you on a long honeymoon."
Anna smiled, her eyes pricking with tears. "Okay. I love you, too, Fred."
Fred kissed her cheek quickly once more before pulling away, throwing her a wink before he hurried back to his post.
Anna shook her head, taking a deep breath to compose herself and force her smile away. Now was not the time to get lovesick.
Her focus was brought back by a sudden onslaught of flashing lights out the window. The girl in her group who'd volunteered to watch out the window leaned to one side to look through the glass.
"It's starting." she announced in a shaking voice. "The Death Eaters are firing spells and things at the shield. It's holding, but…"
Her question was left unfinished. 'For how long?'
It wasn't long before shouts began echoing from all around. Then, the girl who was at the window suddenly screamed, "Duck!" and dropped to the ground. Anna and the others did the same just as a spell shattered one of the windows and hit the wall above Anna's head.
"Well, safe to say it's started." Anna commented dryly.
Spells continued flying for a few minutes before the castle suddenly shook with a great BOOM. Anna stumbled and leaned back against the wall to keep from falling.
Trying to ignore what was happening in the rest of the castle, Anna focused her attention back on the passage. But it was next to impossible. It wasn't long before it was clear that the main shield had been broken down. The flashes got much closer to the castle, and the walls shook every few moments.
Anna coughed roughly as a particularly large explosion shook the castle, causing pieces of stone to fall from the ceiling and dust to fill the air. Hurrying across the corridor, she looked out one of the many broken windows and down at the grounds below. Sure enough, groups of Death Eaters and their supporters were now on the grounds, dueling with Orders members and anyone else who was fighting on their side.
"We've got to help them." the girl beside her decided.
Anna nodded. "Just be careful not to hit our own." she pointed out needlessly, aiming her wand out the window and sending a jinx into the crowd of people crossing the grounds. Her and the girl at her side continued to shoot spells and jinxes into the crowd, being careful not to aim anywhere near their own side. Anna was satisfied to see multiple people drop, either under hers or her companion's spells.
"They're here!" a boy's panicked voice called from behind. Anna and the other girl whipped around in time to see masked figures just inside the secret passage. Luckily, they were stopped by the protective enchantments Anna and the others had put up earlier, but Anna guessed the spells the Death Eaters were shooting now would disintegrate the enchantments fairly soon.
"Everyone get ready!" Anna ordered, turning her back on the windows and aiming her wand readily at the passage entrance. She could make out at least three figures inside the dark passage, but she wasn't sure how many more were out of view. The other kids in the group gathered around her, also aiming their wands.
"Should-should we aim to kill?" one of the boys stuttered nervously, glancing over at Anna.
Anna swallowed, her eyes fixed on the Death Eaters trying to break through their barrier.
"They'll be fighting to kill." she reminded them over the shouts and explosions around the castle. "Do what you have to do to stay alive. If you can live with their blood on your hands, or if you have no choice…do what you have to do. It's up to you."
They accepted her words silently, their wands never wavering from their aim at the passage.
Then, suddenly one of the spells broke through the barrier. Anna jerked to the side, her and one of the other kids falling to the ground and barely escaping the spell. The corridor was suddenly filled with shouts and flashing colored lights as a duel began.
Anna scrambled to her feet and aimed at the nearest Death Eater, firing jinx after jinx at him. When the first Death Eaters fell, Anna thought they might be okay. But then a sudden wave of dark figures swarmed out of the passage, nearly overwhelming Anna and the kids.
"Avada Kedavra!" A flash of green light hit one of the boys, causing him to drop lifelessly to the ground.
"No!" Anna screamed, firing spells and curses at the man with more fervor than before. But the Death Eaters were pushing them back, causing the group to be forced down the corridors slightly in different directions and separating them from each other.
Anna put one Death Eater in a full body-bind curse when a familiar voice sent chills down her spine.
"Hey, Black."
Anna tensed, but didn't bother to give Marcus Flint a verbal response. She fired a flurry of spells at him, hoping one might hit it's mark. But Flint must have improved his skills.
Physically, Flint didn't look much different from the last time Anna had seen him. He might have bulked up some, and his crooked teeth were more yellow and crooked than ever, but other than that, he looked just the same.
Anna managed to hit him with a Stinging Jinx, which made him grit his teeth in both pain and anger. He fired a couple spells at her before he actually managed to hit her with one of the last spells Anna would want to be hit by.
"Imperio!"
Anna stumbled back until she hit the wall. She shook her head, trying to fight against the fog filling her mind. She felt like she was floating, and every worry she'd recently had-the baby, the war, Fred, the battle-disappeared from her mind. It was an amazing feeling.
Then, a familiar voice spoke in her mind.
"Change your appearance."
'What? Why would I do that?'
"Change to look like a Death Eater."
'Why would I do that? Death Eaters are evil. Why would I want to be one?'
"Being you is too difficult. Be someone else for a while."
Well, the voice certainly made a good point. Being Annabelle had been difficult and worrisome lately. So, Anna let this voice take over for the time being. She felt her hair shrink back into her head, growing very short and lightening to a light brown. She turned into a scruffy man and transfigured her clothes into a robe.
"Now, go find someone to fight and kill. Preferably a redhead." the voice ordered.
Anna turned and walked down the corridor, leaving the other kids in her group to duel the Death Eaters that had entered through the secret passage. She continued on at a casual pace until she turned a corner. She found herself facing the backs of a few Death Eaters who were dueling two familiar redheads.
Remembering her orders, Anna-disguised-as-a-Death-Eater moved forward and joined the duel, her spells aimed at the younger of the two.
"Hello, Minister!" Percy Weasley called when he knocked the hood off a Death Eater next to Anna. "Did I mention I'm resigning?"
"You're joking, Perce!" Fred cried gleefully as he finally Stunned one of the Death Eaters he'd been dueling, leaving him and Anna dueling one-on-one. Thickness, who Percy had hit with some Transfiguration spell, collapsed in agony. Now Anna and another random Death Eater were left dueling the Weasley brothers.
Anna shot out a quick series of jinxes. Fred managed to block them all except for a Knockback Jinx. Fred slammed back into the wall behind him and winced before throwing himself more into the duel, his eyes narrowed in concentration.
"Enough of this! Finish it! Kill him!" the voice ordered in her mind.
"Avada Kedavra!" Anna shouted in a voice that wasn't hers.
Fred dodged the curse and shot back, "Impedimenta!"
Anna jerked back and her body was frozen for a second by the jinx. In that moment, the fog receded enough for her to realize what was happening. What she was allowing to happen.
'I just tried to kill Fred!' she thought to herself, horrified. Her hands shot to the sides of her head, gripping the short hair on the sides.
"Kill him!" the voice screamed in her head.
"NO!" Anna screamed out loud, clutching at her head as she tried desperately to fight what she now realized was the Imperius Curse.
Fred paused, his wand aimed warily at the Death Eater in front of him. He'd only hit the guy with the Impediment Jinx as far as he knew. That shouldn't have put the guy in so much pain that he was doubled over and clutching his skull. What was going on?
He watched closely as the guy seemed to be struggling with something. Then, something happened. Something Fred wasn't sure how to explain.
The guy sort of changed. His features flickered. His hair turned dark brown, but then went back to the light brown it was. It grew a couple inches before shrinking back into his skull. His skin lightened before returning to the tan it was. Fred tilted his head, barely catching the guy's eyes flash gray before returning to brown.
Then, the guy looked up at Fred, and Fred stared as the face before him changed for a split second. It changed into Anna's face.
'It's Anna!' he realized.
"Anna?" Fred called hesitantly, lowering his wand slowly.
Anna slowly raised her head. Fred had just enough time to recognize that she was back under the control of the Imperius Curse before she fired a curse at him. Fred blocked it, and continued to block the spells she shot at him. He no longer was aiming to hurt like he'd been when he thought she was an enemy.
"Anna, come on. It's me!" Fred called, hoping to get through to her. "You can fight this! I know you can! Come on, love, fight it!"
'Fight it?' Anna wondered. 'Why would I fight it?'
"Exactly!" the voice in her head hissed. "Why fight it? Just kill him and be done with it! It'll be one less bloodtraitor in the world!"
"Anna, listen to me!" Fred yelled, dodging another jinx she shot at him. "Remember what we talked about? Just before the battle? I promised you that when this is all over, we'll get married for real and go on a long honeymoon. And maybe soon we'll have a family! We'll have a couple kids of our own, and you can have whatever kinds of pets you want! Hell, I'll even get you a hippogriff! Just come back to me, Anna!"
'Kids?' Anna froze, suddenly remembering the tiny baby growing inside her. Fred's baby. She couldn't kill Fred! He was the father of her child and the love of her life!
Anna shook her head harshly, her wand lowering.
"No!" the voice in her head screamed. "You have to kill him!"
'I can't! I won't!'
While Anna tried to fight for control, her body managed to force a couple more curses and jinxes from her wand. It was an inner battle as fierce as the battle raging around her.
"Annabelle Weasley!"
"KILL HIM!"
"NO!"
Anna screamed in refusal, jerking her wand up just as a jet of green light shot from the end. The light hit the brick wall above Fred and Percy's heads, causing the wall to explode. Anna fell backward from the force of the explosion, landing hard on her back. She had enough sense to roll onto her side, covering her head and stomach with her arms as bricks flew all around her.
She waited for a few seconds. The air didn't necessarily settle, as the war continued on around the castle, but the corridor at least quieted as the bricks stopped falling. Slowly, Anna sat up, finally completely free of the hold the Imperius Curse had on her.
Hearing the scraping of bricks shifting, she looked around. Percy was sitting up, shoving bricks away from himself. But a few feet away from him, Anna saw another head of red hair, almost hidden from view by chunks of brick wall.
"Fred?" she whispered weakly, shakily pushing herself to her feet. "Fred?!" she called more frantically, hurrying over and dropping to her knees by him. Fred's head was rolled limply to one side, a brick was on his chest, and another was on his arm. "No, no, no, no…" Anna muttered fearfully, throwing the bricks off him before leaning over him. "Fred, you can't be dead. Please don't be dead." she whimpered in a panic. She leaned over him, one hand on his chest and the fingers of her other hand going under his chin to feel for a pulse. She froze for several seconds, ignoring Percy frantically speaking to her at her side.
Then, under her own frantically-beating heart, she felt a weak heartbeat against her palm, matching the faint pulse against her fingertips. Feeling weak, she dropped her head onto Fred's chest.
"Fred?!" Percy called, kneeling next to Anna. "Fred, can you hear us? Wake up! Anna, is he alive?"
Anna swallowed the lump in her throat, ignoring the warm tears rolling down her cheeks. "Y-yes." she stuttered, her voice rough. "He's alive."
"Oh, thank god!" Percy gasped, shoving some bricks away to make room.
"Fred, please wake up." Anna begged, putting her hand to his cheek.
"Fred?!" a panicked voice called behind Anna. She glanced up just as George appeared at her side.
"He's alive, George." Percy reassured him.
"What happened?" George demanded, dropping to his knees next to Anna, his eyes not leaving his twin's face.
Anna swallowed thickly, her guilt gnawing at her stomach.
"I-I almost killed him." she whimpered.
"What?" George demanded, his eyes shooting to her face.
"It wasn't your fault, Anna." Percy told her firmly. "You were under the Imperius Curse."
"I should've fought harder!" Anna argued, a sob tearing through her throat. "I shouldn't have given in so easily.
"Anna-" George put a hand on her shoulder, and passed her wand back to her.
"Crucio!" an unfamiliar voice screamed from behind them. A red light hit the wall nearby, making them flinch and scream. Percy shot to his feet and began dueling the Death Eater who was approaching them.
George had just stood up, raising his own wand to prepare to join the duel when-
"Avada Kedavra!" the Death Eater screamed. A green light hit Percy in the chest with so much force he flew back and landed hard on the ground, his blue eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling through cracked glasses.
"No!" Anna screamed. She whipped around, still on her knees, and shot a curse at the Death Eater with so much force, he flew back and smacked into the far wall with a sickening crack. She whipped back around, staring frantically across the floor at Percy, but she knew he was gone.
"No." Anna whimpered, putting her head briefly on Fred's chest. "No, no, no." She lifted her head again, feeling as if it weighed a hundred pounds. "Fred, please wake up. I need you. Please." she begged, tugging on the front of his jacket.
A quiet groan sounded from Fred's throat, and Anna's breath caught in her throat.
George quickly kneeled next to her, though he was sure to keep an eye on their surroundings. "Freddie? Freddie, wake up. Can you hear us?"
The sound of running footsteps made George stand up and whip around while Anna turned away from Fred, her wand held at the ready.
A pair of Death Eaters rounded the corner and raised their wands. Anna prepared to duel, to avenge Percy and defend Fred. But then a high, cold voice echoed through the walls of the castle as if he were standing right next to them.
"You have fought valiantly." Voldemort's voice announced. Anna, George, and the Death Eaters they were facing paused to listen. "Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste."
George snorted and Anna glanced at him, a shiver running down her spine.
"Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately."
The two Death Eaters glanced at each other before turning and walking away. And yet, Anna couldn't bring herself to relax.
"You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured." Voldemort continued.
He then spoke to Harry, though everyone could still hear him. George had moved back to kneeling by Anna and Fred. Voldemort gave Harry an hour to meet him in the Dark Forest. Voldemort threatened that if Harry did not come, he would enter the fight himself and kill everyone who dared hide Harry from him. Anna knew without a shadow of a doubt that Harry would want to give himself up. He would never stand by and let people die for him if he could stop it.
When he finished speaking, Anna and George exchanged a glance. Anna was just about to suggest they move Fred and Percy, when she was interrupted.
"Well, that wasn't the melodious voice I was hoping to wake up to."
Anna and George looked down to see Fred looking up at them, a wry grin on his dusty face.
"Fred!" Anna shrieked, leaning down and wrapping her arms around his neck while George laughed.
"You mean you don't want Ol' Voldy to sing you a lullaby?" George joked, lightly shaking Fred's shoulder.
Fred snorted, one arm wrapped around Anna's back as she refused to release his neck. "I'd rather listen to Celestina Warbeck."
George laughed, reaching over and patting Anna on the back. "Alright, Anna, let go. We should go find everyone else."
Anna pulled back, staring down at Fred with watery eyes. "I'm so sorry! I almost-I tried to-I-I-"
"Anna, calm down." Fred soothed, reaching up and brushing her cheek with a hand. "It wasn't your fault. You fought it."
"But not in time!" Anna argued.
"Yes, in time." Fred countered. "Your spell hit the wall above my head, not me. Who put you under the Imperius Curse, anyway?"
"Marcus Flint." Anna muttered, looking at her lap.
"That git's a Death Eater?" George scoffed. "Oh, if I see him, he's dead."
"Not if I see him first." Fred countered. "Hey, where's Percy?"
Anna closed her eyes for a moment before peaking down at him. Fred stared at George, his expression going from curious to worried.
"No." he denied.
George's eyes flicked past his twin, and Fred turned his head to follow his gaze. He stared at Percy's lifeless body while George explained.
"Some Death Eaters showed up after you got knocked out. One of them got the better of Percy. Anna got the bloke back, though."
"Of course she did." Fred grinned slightly up at her, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Anna returned it sadly.
"Anyway, we'd better go find the others." George continued. "Can you walk?" he asked his twin, standing up and looking down at Fred.
"Yeah, I-ow." Fred winced when he tried to put weight on his arm, the one that a brick had landed on.
"Are you okay?" Anna asked worriedly, gently taking his arm in her hands.
"Yeah. I don't think it's broken. Just bruised."
"I'm sor-"
"Stop apologizing!" Fred groaned, his head dropping back on the ground. "It's not your fault."
Anna kept her mouth shut after that, helping Fred stand up. She let him lean on her, even though he could walk on his own for the most part. George walked alongside them, hovering Percy's body with them.
Compared to how loud and chaotic the battle had been, the castle was now eerily silent. They passed multiple bodies, and brick walls were cracked and broken apart, and blood stained the floor.
When they neared the Great Hall, where George assumed everyone would be gathering, Oliver Wood came from the large doors leading into the Great Hall.
He waved at them in greeting, grinning slightly. "Fred, George, Anna. You're family's in there. They were looking for you."
"Thanks, Wood." Fred grinned slightly.
"Where're you headed?" George asked curiously.
"Neville and I are gathering up the dead." Wood admitted.
They bid Oliver goodbye and entered the Great Hall. The House tables had been taken out and the Hall was more crowded than Anna had ever seen. There was a raised platform where Pomfrey and a few volunteers were healing the injured, most of the survivors were stood in groups,…and the dead were laid out in a row in the middle of the Hall.
Anna swallowed thickly, not letting her eyes stray to the bodies on the floor. A bile was in her throat, but she tried to ignore it in favor of looking for their families.
She patted Fred's arm, which was draped over her shoulders even though he was hardly putting any weight on her.
"Your family's over there." she told him and George, nodding across the Hall. Fred and George followed her, George still floating Percy's body.
Molly looked up from where the Weasley family was grouped together. Arthur was there with Bill, Fleur, and Ginny. Molly gave a relieved smile when she saw them.
"Oh, thank goodness-" Molly cut herself off and froze when George carefully let Percy float to the ground on the end of the line of bodies. "No." Molly whimpered before screaming, "No!"
With that, she threw herself down onto Percy's chest, sobbing violently. Sadly, this scene wasn't so off that people stared. There were quite a few people crying over bodies.
Anna looked away, feeling sick. Arthur approached his wife and knelt beside her, rubbing her back even as silent tears streamed down his cheeks.
It was so very unfair. Percy had only just reconciled with his family that evening, and now he was dead. Molly finally got her son back, only to lose him in the worst way. It was cruel.
In the process of avoiding looking at the grieving family, Anna glanced back toward the door of the Great Hall. A little closer to the middle of the Hall, Anna saw her parents. They were hugging, Sirius clutching at Wren as if she were a lifeline. Anna's brows furrowed worriedly. She couldn't see her father's face, as his back was to her, but his back and shoulders were shaking violently. Her mother's face, visible over his shoulder, was pale and dusty with darker lines trailing down her face to show her tears.
Slowly stepping away from Fred, Anna walked toward her parents hesitantly. Wren met her eyes when she got closer, her green eyes dark with pain.
"Anna." she breathed, gently pulling away from her husband. Sirius jerked back, his head snapping around to look for his daughter frantically. His long hair was messy, his face pale and dirty, and his eyes bloodshot and puffy as tears poured down his cheeks.
"Dad?" Anna asked worriedly, only for him to yank her into a tight hug, crushing her to his chest. Anna hugged him back hesitantly. Then, her eyes looked down from where her face was peaking over his shoulder.
Just behind Sirius, laying side-by-side in the line of bodies, their hands touching, were Remus and Dora.
"No." Anna whispered weakly, clutching at her dad and hiding her face in his shoulder to hide from the reality. Remus and Tonks couldn't be dead. They just couldn't be. They had to get back to Teddy. Tonks wasn't even supposed to be at the battle!
And yet, Anna knew what she saw was real. She knew she'd lost her cousin, and the man she saw as another father. But her father lost so much more. He'd lost the last of his best friends. And poor Teddy lost both his parents. He would be an orphan, even though he had plenty of family to love him.
Anna swallowed back the thick bile that had risen in her throat. She felt claustrophobic, with her dad clutching her so tightly. Her stomach was queasy and a metallic taste was filling her mouth.
Very gently, because Sirius seemed unwilling to let her go, Anna pulled away. Wren took him from her daughter, holding him again as sobs continued to rip violently from his throat. The sound echoed in Anna ears, making her heart break even more.
"How're the Weasleys?" Wren asked gently, still holding her husband in her arms as he fell apart.
Anna couldn't look at her. She couldn't look at anyone. "Percy's dead." she admitted, in voice croaking as her eyes trailed distractedly down the line of bodies. Then, her gaze froze. She'd spotted two very familiar, dusty faces in the line of bodies, a few people apart.
Lee Jordan's dark eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling above, his mouth partially open. He had blood smeared on one cheek and his dreadlocks were sticking up in all directions.
A few bodies over, Anna felt herself sway on her feet. Katie lay as if she were asleep, perfectly still with her eyes closed. Her face was dirty with a scratch on her forehead and a bruise on her cheekbone.
Anna suddenly felt like the room was spinning around her. So many dead, just laying there as if they were asleep. But they weren't sleeping. They would never wake up again. She would never talk to Remus, or laugh with Dora, or plan her wedding with Katie. Percy would never get to spend anymore time with his family, and Lee would never get to help the twins plan a prank again.
Anna felt her stomach lurch and turned away, racing across the Great Hall and out the doors. She barely made it to a corner of the Entrance Hall before she fell to her hands and knees and threw up.
It felt like it would never end, but eventually, Anna felt like her stomach was empty. Tears were pouring from her eyes, both from the puking and from the grief. She stayed there even after she finished being sick, just crouching on her hands and knees as she gasped to catch her breath.
She flinched when a large, warm hand rested gently on her back, rubbing it soothingly. She sniffled, knowing she looked disgusting with her face blotchy and covered in dirt and tears, snot dripping from her nose, and her breath smelling of puke. She hesitantly peaked over at the person she sensed kneeling beside her.
Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the familiar freckled face, blue eyes, and red hair. A familiar face she hadn't seen since Bill and Fleur's wedding.
Forgetting about how gross she looked, Anna threw her arms around Charlie's neck, clinging to him as she sobbed into his shoulder. Charlie held her close with both muscular arms, rubbing her back and shushing her gently.
"It'll be okay, Anna." Charlie whispered gently. "It's okay."
"No!" she protested weakly. "No, it'll never be okay again."
"It might not feel like it right now." Charlie agreed. "It'll take a while, but I promise it'll get better."
Anna sniffled, trying to quiet her sobs before she pulled away and wiped her face off with her hands.
"When did you get here?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Just now. I was gathering some reinforcements. But I guess You-Know-Who called a timeout?"
Anna nodded desolately. "Yeah, for an hour. He wants Harry to meet him in the Dark Forest. Everyone's in the Great Hall."
Charlie nodded. "Yeah, I saw. Ginny mentioned she was going to help Neville gather up the dead and injured."
Another sob shook Anna's chest. "Percy's dead. And Remus, and Tonks, and Katie and Lee. And I almost killed Fred!" she began babbling and crying uncontrollably. Charlie gently pulled her into another hug, and she clung to him.
"I'm sorry!" she cried, realizing what she just said. She'd just blurted out that his brother was dead.
"Shh." Charlie shushed her gently, rubbing her back. "I already knew about Percy." Despite him trying to make her feel better, she could hear the grief in his voice. He was the only one of the family not present when Percy made amends. He didn't get to talk to his brother one last time before he died.
"He died protecting us." Anna told him quietly.
"I know. He was a Gryffindor to the end." Charlie agreed.
"He saved me from Umbridge, just before I had to go into hiding." Anna added, for some reason needing to make sure Charlie knew how brave his brother was. "He broke me out of her office after-hours and smuggled me to his flat."
Charlie chuckled slightly. "Good. Now, how about we go back into the Great Hall?" he suggested, pulling away and gently tucking a stray piece of hair behind Anna's ear. She nodded weakly.
Charlie helped her to her feet and lead her back into the Great Hall. She noticed and didn't comment on the fact that he walked so that her view of the line of bodies was mostly blocked. They crossed the Hall to where the Weasley family was still gathered around Percy's body, though by now Sirius and Wren had joined them, as did Ron and Hermione.
"Where's Harry?" Anna asked, her voice a low croaking. She cleared her throat awkwardly.
"We're not sure." Hermione admitted worriedly. "He ran out a while ago. I think the grief got to him."
"Do you think he'll give himself up?" Charlie asked, putting an arm around his mother, who was dabbing her face with her sleeve.
"If he thinks it'll save lives, he just might." Sirius admitted lowly. Anna noticed his grip on Wren's waist was almost-painfully tight, as if he were clutching to a lifeline.
Glancing around at the rest of the faces in the group, Anna met Fred's eyes and realized he'd been watching her. For how long, she didn't know. Blinking back fresh tears, Anna ducked her head and looked down at her feet. She couldn't look Fred in the eye. Not right now. Despite what he said, she'd almost killed him.
Shoes scuffed the ground and suddenly, Anna was gently pulled into Fred's chest. She hugged him back hesitantly, hiding her face in his chest. His breath was warm on her cheek, his lips near her ear.
"What made you fight it?" Fred breathed.
Anna's brows scrunched up, confused. "What?" she breathed back.
"The Imperius Curse." Fred affirmed, making Anna stiffen. "You fought it in the end. What gave you the strength to fight it?"
Anna swallowed thickly. "You."
"What about me?" Fred asked, a slight grin in his voice.
"You…talking about having a family." Anna admitted quietly. Fred's arms tightened around her in response.
"You see? You never wanted to hurt me. Whatever happened in that fight wasn't your fault. It was Flint's. You would never have tried to hurt me. I know that, and you know that. Okay?"
Anna relaxed, melting into his chest and nodding. "Okay." Part of her still blamed herself, but she couldn't let that control her. She couldn't let the guilt eat at her. For Fred, and for their baby.
XXX
This seemed like a good stopping point. The rest of the battle will be in the next chapter. We're nearing the end! Aaahh!
Anyway, let me know what you all thought of this chapter! Especially Flint's surprise return and him putting Anna under the Imperius Curse!