Prologue part 5 – Grief

Apologies for the long delay between chapters. I spend the last month moving and between the mortgage approval process (they give the TSA folks a run for their money), moving my family to NJ from Boston, waiting to get new internet service, and putting together IKEA furniture, was a little busy.

This rather lengthy part focuses on the impact of last night's events on the several members of the family and allows for a pause before the next, action oriented section.

Feedback is always welcomed.

Thanks to JKR for letting me play in her sandbox.

A gust of cold wind slithers its way inside a slightly ajar window at a small home on the English Coast. A young man, overcome by exhaustion, grunts from the worn recliner that he is sleeping in. The draft disturbs him for a moment as he rolls over, grunts, and resumes his content snoring.

The second person in the room, sleeping on her back in a bed next to the chair shivers as the cold air passes over her form. Although her body has just begun recover from the trauma caused by two days in captivity at the hands of the second most feared witch or wizard in England, the change in environment immediately awakens her.

"Damn it, where is she!" The third person in the room curses under his breath as flips a large parchment searching for one name of the hundreds inhabiting his old school oblivious the toe gust of wind that flashes by him.

Recovering from her slumber quickly, the young woman crawls out of her bed and onto the mattress next to her. Wrapping both of them in the blanket, she asks. "Who, Harry?"

Shaking his head, but not taking his eyes from the map, he shoots back. "Ginny!"

"She's not on the map?" Hermione asks while leaning over his should to look at the moving illustration.

"No," Harry grunts.

Rubbing her friend's back reassuringly, she reasons with her friend and herself. "She could have snuck out or the Order may have finally pulled her out. They have been talking about it for a while now."

"I know." Harry whispers back as he rubs the scar on his head absently. "It's just."

Wrapping her arms around him, she queries. "But, what?"

Taking a deep breath, he cautiously answers. "I just had a dream that she was in trouble at Hogwarts and Tom is very happy right now."

"Oh," Hermione starts before collecting herself. "Ginny's a tough girl. She can take care of herself." Collecting herself for a moment, she then adds. "You just lost Dobby and you're worried about everyone now. I'm sure it's nothing, Harry."

Hugging his friend back, Harry agrees. "Yeah, I know." Harry curses and folds the map back up and stuffs it into his bag.

Hermione gives him a quick peck on the check before crawling back into her own bed. "Get some sleep, Harry. We're all exhausted. We'll ask Bill in the morning."

"OK," he reluctantly mumbles and, after many long minutes, sleep finally claims him.

After he falls asleep, Hermione closes her owns eyes and whispers a prayer for one friend's safety and the other's sanity.

The next morning at the Ministry of Magic, Dolores Umbridge, Secretary of State for the Ministry of Magic, chirps as she skips into her assistant's office. "Percy, my dear?"

From around the corner, Percy, wearing the standard blue and red trimmed robes of the Ministry, looks over at his boss and is almost blinded, as usual, by the woman's bright, pink robes. Quickly he recovers his morning coffee in hand. "Yes, Madam Secretary?"

"I just wanted to tell you that the Minister tasked me with a vital errand this morning and I will not be back until lunchtime." She smiles.

"Of course, Madam Secretary, is there anything that I can do?" The young man asks sheepishly while wondering what was so important that it would pull his boss away from her daily interrogation of suspected muggleborns.

Nearly exploding with excite me that former convicted criminal and now senior member of the Ministry gleefully responds. "Oh, the Minister had another traitor executed last night and he asked that I personally inform the criminal's family!"

Shocked by the news, Percy steps back and whispers in fear at his own question, "Who?"

Bouncing jubilantly towards the door, she turns and smiles. "Oh, don't worry, Percy, nobody important, just Ginevra Weasley."

Percy collapses to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, his coffee mug shattering on the floor, scalding him with the hot liquid. "Why?"

"Why?" Dolores responds in a feigned confusion. "She was a traitor, Percy, all traitors must be punished." With that, she turns on her heels and leaves the office. Over her shoulder, she squeaks back. "Be sure to wipe up that mess off the floor before I get back, Percy. We both know the Minister hates a mess. I will be sure to tell your parents' you said 'hi.'"

Comfortably sitting in the kitchen after another his wife's fantastic cooking for breakfast, Mr. Weasley puts down the Daily Prophet upon seeing his wife enter the room in a frazzled state. "What's wrong, love?"

"It's nothing, Arthur." Molly absently replies

Arthur stands up and gently squeezes his beloved wife's shoulder. "Molly?"

Molly nods her head towards the family room. "Sometime last night, Ginny's hand on the clock went from 'Mortal Peril' to 'Lost.'"

"Never seen that before," Arthur mumbles as he slips on his glasses and ventures out of the kitchen. Looking up at the offending family heirloom, he lifts it off the wall for a moment before giving his wife a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, my love. This thing is so old; it was bound to break at some point."

"I know. I'm just so worried about our children with Percy in that snake's nest, Bill and Charlie working for the Order, Fred and George and the shop, and Ron with Harry and Hermione doing Merlin knows what." Molly wipes away the partially shed tears of a worried Mother.

Wrapping Molly up in his arms, Arthur nods. "I know, I am worried, too; but, Ginny is in the safest place possible right now."

"Maybe we should have made her stay home after the Easter Holiday when the Luna disappeared?" Molly thinks out loud.

Arthur gently replies. "I don't think Ginny would've let us. She's upset about being left out from Harry's quest and we won't let join the Order, even after Bill, Charlie, and the Twins have. School is the one place where she thinks she can make a difference."

"A Gryffindor girl, through-and-through." Molly agrees through puffy, red eyes.

"Listen, after I get home from work today, I'll take the clock out to the shed and have a look." Arthur smiles before giving her a warm hug. "I love you, Molly."

"I love you, too, Arthur." Molly smiles before stepping back and heading off to the kitchen to wash the morning's dishes while her husband retreats to his office to collect his things for another day at the Ministry.

After a few minutes of washing the dishes, a deep chime reverberates through the house announcing that unexpected guests have entered their warded property. Mrs. Weasley raises the shade above the kitchen sink and blurts out. "I hope that's the Twins or Bill stopping by."

Returning for his lunch gab, Mr. Weasley agrees. "I know. It's so quiet here since all of the kids moved out. We could use the excitement." He then looks up in alarm, dropping his forgotten meal and reaching for his wand as he wife goes deathly pale. "Molly, what's wrong!"

Shaking, Mrs. Weasley whispers. "It's Minerva and Secretary Umbridge."

Instinctively, Mr. Weasley bolts for the front door with his wand raised. Half way between the front door and the old iron gate, he confronts the two women and demands and explanation. "What's going on?"

"Tisk, tisk," Secretary Umbridge smiles. "I can see that the Ministry will soon have another Weasley to punish." Shaking her head back and forth theatrically, she adds. "Yes, indeed, approaching a Ministry official with a raised wand is very bad."

As Mr. Weasley glares at the pink clad woman, Mrs. Weasley pushes her way in front of her husband and, with one glance, can tell that her former teacher and current friend is in shock. "What happened, Minerva?"

The beaten woman takes a deep breath, but can only whisper. "I'm so, sorry Molly. There was nothing we could do. He was there himself."

"What happened!" Mr. Weasley barks while keeping his eyes and wand trained on the Secretary.

Taking another breath, the elder woman begins. "Five nights ago, Ginny lead a group of students into the dungeons to free Neville Longbottom, who was caught the day before sabotaging a classroom. He was tortured badly by the Carrows."

"Tisk, tisk," Secretary Umbridge launches. "Don't worry, he will be caught soon and punished like the rest."

Professor McGonagall pauses to stare harshly at the despised Ministry official before continuing in a pained voice. "As they were escaping, they were discovered. Ginny stayed behind to cover the others escape and was eventually captured."

Somberly, the other woman nods her head up and down. "Yes, so true, she was caught red-handed aiding the escape of enemy of the Ministry and nearly murdered two students and a professor in the process."

Instantly concerned by the choice of words that the Dolores used, Mr. Weasley moves his wand even closer to the short, pink clad woman. "What do you mean? Ginny is a student, they cause trouble all of the time. She didn't murder anyone and being a child is not a crime!"

"Tisk, tisk, Mr. Weasley." Delores reprimands the older man as if he was a child. "That may have been the case when you and your other children were students at Hogwarts under, shall I say, a different administration." Then, her faces becomes instantly as hard as iron. "But, not anymore! Everyone must show discipline and respect for the Ministry or face the consequences."

Taking a deep breath, Professor McGonagall soullessly interrupts the brewing argument. "Last the night, the Minister found Ginny guilty of all her crimes. You-Know-Who was in attendance."

"What, no trial?" Mrs. Weasley harshly laughs.

"No, Mrs. Weasley, the new Ministry has learned from its past mistakes, such as when your husband here visited with that terrorist, Mr. Potter." The Secretary nods emphasizing each word of her explanation. "Now, the Minister is the Wizengamot and can arrive at a verdict on his own. It's much more efficient that way. If such was the case back then, Mr. Potter would be in Azkaban now instead of running around murdering people and causing trouble."

"So Minister Thicknesse is now the judge, jury and executioner," Mr. Weasley bites back. "So, what happened? Was my daughter expelled or is she spending the rest of the school year in detention with the two goons the Ministry has working there now?"

Still smiling, Secretary Umbridge corrects Bill. "I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley; but, doing lines would have been a far too lenient in face of the serious crimes she committed."

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Weasley gasps.

"Minerva?" Secretary Umbridge turns to her unwilling companion.

"I'm so sorry Molly. I'm so sorry Arthur." Through the tears streaming down her aged face, Professor McGonagall looks at her two friends before gathering what little strength she has left to continue. "The Minister found Ginny guilty of all charges and…had her…had her…hung from the gallows midnight."

"No!" Mr. Weasley screams consumed by rage. "Crucio!"

"Protego!" His friend instinctively cries out blocking the red curse aimed at the Secretary of State.

From behind, Mrs. Weasley grabs a hold of her enraged husband and pleads into his ear. "Please stop, my love, please!"

Now full of indignation herself, Secretary Umbridge screeches with her wand pointed at Mr. Weasley. "That's it! You are now under arrest yourself for assaulting a Ministry Official."

Wiping away her tears, Professor McGonagall calmly intervenes. "No, he's not Delores. Arthur was aiming for me as I was responsible for his daughter's safety at school. Under the circumstances, and as no one was injured, I am choosing not to file charges."

Shocked, the Ministry Official spins on the older woman. "He was not!"

"Yes he was, Delores." McGonagall glares. "There has been enough pain and suffering for one day."

Looking incensed, Secretary Umbridge turns on her heels and leaves in a huff. "Come, Minerva, you need to get back to your students."

The devastated husband and wife watch the two women go through the gate and disappear with a pop. Once gone, Mr. Weasley drops helplessly next to his wife crying as his wand bouncing onto the grass. "I don't know what to do."

After an eternity, Mrs. Weasley wipes her eyes one last time and cradles her husband. "It won't take long for Umbridge to report back to You-Know-Who and the Minister. They will come for the rest of us now. We need the Order's help to hide."

Mr. Weasley gives a muffled answer from her shoulder. "I know."

Gently, Mrs. Weasley stands up and pulls her distraught husband up with her. "Go and warn the Twins. I'll go inside and pack."

Slowly, Mr. Weasley nods. "OK, I'll be back in an hour." Looking away, he then adds. "Not sure how, but I will also find a way to get word to Ron, Hermione, and Harry. They've a right to know."

"I love you, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley whispers as he pulls away.

"I love you, too, Molly," Mr. Weasley replies as he prepares for the most painful journey of his life.

The door chimes sings out a verse from an inappropriate drinking song as Mr. Weasley walks into his sons' shop in Diagon Alley. Before he can make it a meter, Angelina Johnson, who has become a regular presence at the store, grabs him into a big hug in her lime green blouse, neon purple skirt, and pink leggings decorated with yellow pygmy puffs.

"Mr. Weasley!" She beams at him. "It's great to see you! Fred and George will be so happy to see you."

Afraid to look her in the eye, Mr. Weasley looks around the store. "Kind of quiet, today, Angelina?"

Quickly she picks up on Mr. Weasley's somber mood and is puzzled. "Yeah, rumor has it that Hogwarts is on lockdown again after another 'event.' Everyone, even here in Diagon Alley, is staying inside. We've barely seen a sole in town all day."

"I know." Mr. Weasley quietly answers. "Listen, Angelina, I need to speak to my sons in private, can you please watch the shop for a bit?"

A look of concern crosses her face before she answers, "Ah, sure, Mr. Weasley."

From upstairs in the shop's office, Fed spots his father standing silently lost in thought. Wearing his customary dark green dragon hide jacket over a bright orange shirt, and shinny, faux leather purple pants, he trots down the stairs with his oversized, gold top hat bobbing along the way releasing a trail of bubbles behind him. "Hey, Dad! What's going? Trying to scare away the three customers we have left?"

Mr. Weasley bites his lip as he welcomes his son's embrace. "Where's George?"

Looking around to make sure that no one else is nearby, Fred finally answers in an infrequently used serious tone. "He's in back with a special guest showing him some of our new toys."

His father absently responds. "I need to speak to both of you."

Fred takes in his father's withdrawn eyes, slow gait and that his office clothes appear to have dirt and grass stains on them. His family may not be as well off as others and thus they do not wear the latest fashions; but they always take pride and care of what they do have. Now concerned, he forces out a laugh in return. "Sure, let's go in back to talk. Our guest will likely want to say, 'hi,' too." Turning, he shots over to Angelina. "Can you keep an eye on things here?"

Angelina nods as Fred guides his father through the back of the shop and into a storage area. Unlocking a hidden door located behind a shelf of fireworks with his wand, Fred navigates his way down the cramped, musty passageway. At the far end, Remus Lupin and George are handling a new gadget that looks like a muggle firework in the hidden work room. Unlike his twin, George is wearing a simple black shirt that is streaked with dirt and powder stains, and a pair of brown cargo pants over worn, practical black leather work boots. His former teacher has his brown, aged travelling cloak hanging off the corner of a nearby shelf and is also simply dressed in a blue shirt and tan pants. Their old family friend greets the Weasley patriarch with a smile. "Hi, Arthur!"

The two men embrace in a long hug. Putting off the inevitable for a moment, Mr. Weasley courageously asks. "What's that?"

Fred steps in to answer. "It's an anti-Dementor rocket."

"Shots a bright, facsimile Partronus into the sky." George adds.

"Of course," the other chuckles. "We can't find anyone who wants to field test it."

"I just want to see the look on a Dementor's face when the Patronus takes form!" George laughs.

Fred blurts out. "Yeah, we call it the 'One Finger Salute!'"

Tears of laughter falling down his face, George continues. "Fred wanted to use a naked woman. You know, his happy thought! But, Ang shot it down."

"She did not!" Fred protests.

Pounding the desk, George continues. "Yep, Fred is already married!"

"Remind me not to let these two anywhere near my son." Remus chuckles in protest. Turning his head towards the elder Weasley, he stops laughing immediately upon recognizing the deep pain radiating out from behind the older man's glasses. "Arthur, what's wrong?"

Fred continues to roar. "Oh, I bet Fleur is pregnant already."

Pounding his twin on the back, George jumps back in. "Guess that runs in the family, eh Dad? We really should develop a new Triple W product for that problem."

"And call it what, the anti-Weasley?" Fred snorts.

"Yeah, but you can try it first!" George fires back.

"Enough!" Remus bellows upon realizing that Arthur is on the brink of a nervous breakdown or jinxing his own sons.

Finally, their Professor's tone quiets the twins and they both look at their father. Looking at his boys' eyes, Mr. Weasley is unable to rein in his grief any longer and sobs uncontrollably. They both ask at the same time in an alarmed, childlike voice. "Dad, what's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath through bloodshot eyes, Mr. Weasley blurts out before he loses all control. "Ginny was caught a few days ago helping Neville Longbottom escape from the dungeon at Hogwarts. Bellatrix, the Minister, and You-Know-Who showed up the next day. They tortured her, tried her, convicted her, and hung her in the courtyard at midnight last night."

Remus turns as pale as the moon and whispers in horror, "No."

"Ginny's dead?" George moans. "No, no, no, no, no!" In shock, he falls to the ground as his farther slides off the chair and embraces him with all of the strength he can muster.

"Not our little sister! Not our Ginny!" Fred shouts punching a nearby shelf with his bare hand, slicing his knuckles open. "It should have been me." He cries while bleeding over his shinny purple pants.

Arthur rubs his hands in George's hair before taking a deep, rattling breath. "I'm so, so sorry, my boys. We just found out. Professor McGonagall told us; but, we couldn't talk much as Umbridge was escorting her."

Pacing around the cramped room, Fred kicks an object that was knocked off the shelf across the room. "This has to be a fucking joke. Why would they kill a Ginny? Ron, Bill, Charlie, and the two of us are much bigger targets!"

Fighting to keep his own emotions under control, Remus somberly answers. "The on-going rebellion at Hogwarts that Ginny and Neville were leading was causing problems for the Ministry there and throughout the country. Outside of the castle, many people felt that if students could fight the Ministry and You-Know-Who, they could, too. Hogwarts has become a rallying point for everyone who was against the Dark Lord and the new Ministry."

Fred grunts back. "Murdering my little sister won't help gain that bastard any more support."

"True," Mr. Weasley agrees. "But, it will scare many people into submission, especially those with children at the school. Hogwarts was the last safe place. Now, nowhere is safe."

"And it shows all of us who have the courage that You-Know-Who must be stopped, no matter the cost." Remus adds. "Still, it's a bold move for them to make while they are still trying to quell unrest within the Ministry itself after the coup."

"Yeah," George agrees, as he absently punches the floor. "Wouldn't Neville make a better target? Everyone knows that both of them are friends with Harry; but the Longbottom name is closely related to the last war."

"There's more." Mr. Weasley shakes his head. "After Professor McGonagall and Umbridge left, we found out from Aberforth that Bellatrix, during the so called trail, directly referred to Ginny being the 'consort' of Harry Potter."

Closing his eyes, Remus interjects. "That would make perfect sense. Not only could the Ministry use Ginny as an example of what will happen to people of any stature who cross them; but, they could really hurt Harry at the same time."

Fred shakes his head in disgust. "Also explains why the Ministry sent Umbridge so fast. They want Harry to know immediately how bad they hurt him."

George swears. "That fucking bitch probably enjoyed it, too."

Looking at the two boys through red, swollen Mr. Weasley quietly asks. "How long have Ginny and Harry being going out?" Shaking his head sadly, he points out to no one in particular. "I know my daughter. Even without Moody's eye, I could see the tension between the two during the last few summers. They were circling each other."

Remus looks at the two boys. "How did the Ministry find out?"

"It wouldn't have been that hard." Fred and George share a sad laugh. "Although we had already left Hogwarts by then, even we heard the story."

Puzzled, Arthur looks at the two young men. "What story?"

"A month or so before Dumbledore died," George begins.

Fred waves his wand over his bleeding hand absently before continuing. "Harry was in detention."

Remus cannot hide a dry chuckle, "again."

George smiles. "Yeah, so Ginny had to save the Gryffindor Quidditch team."

"Again," Remus adds once more.

"Of course they won and the party in the Gryffindor commons afterwards was epic." George pushes the story forward before sheepishly looking at his former Professor.

Smiling, Remus encourages the twins. "Don't worry, I'm not your Professor anymore."

"Sorry, old habit," He apologizes. "Harry got out of his detention with Snape at some point during the night and came barreling into the party."

Fred smiles at the picture of his happy sister in his mind. "Our little Ginny, takes one look at our little Harry."

"And snogs him senseless in the middle of the common room with over fifty people watching," George smiles for the first time.

"Just like his father," Remus rolls his eyes. "Hard to keep that a secret."

"Ah," Arthur tentatively interrupts the story before asking. "Do I want to know what 'snogging' is?"

"Just kissing, Dad." Fred explains.

"Yep," George adds. "Our Ginny turned 'The Boy Who Lived' into the 'Boy Who Snogged.'"

"Bet he liked that nickname," Remus grins. "I am surprised that you two and the rest of the horde did not curse poor Harry to dust."

Fred looks over at Remus with an incredulous look. "You've obviously never been on the wrong side of Ginny's temper."

"Merlin help anyone who got in between Ginny and what she wanted, especially if it involved Harry." George swallows.

"Her bat bogey hex is legendary, just ask Professor Slughorn." Fred adds while massaging his sore hand. "And she uses that pleasant little piece of magic only if she is in a caring mood."

Emotionally exhausted, George rocks back to sit against the work table. "They were so happy together. After everything that both of them had been through, we didn't have the heart to say or do anything."

"But, they weren't together last summer?" Remus queries.

Taking a seat on the ground next to his twin, Fred answers. "Ron let it slip that Harry broke if off because he was worried about something like this happening." Tears begin to slide down his face once more. "He did not want Ginny to be used by that bastard to get to him."

Crying also, Mr. Weasley gently admonishes his sons. "You can't fault her for wanting to be in love, my sons, even if it was only a short time with Harry. Without love we're nothing."

Silence fills the room for several minutes as each man is lost in his own thoughts, memories, and fears. Eventually, Remus speaks out. "What's next, Arthur?"

"Molly is packing now and the Order is going to help us go into hiding." Looking at his two boys, Mr. Weasley asks a question that he already knows the answer to. "Will you two be going with us?"

The two brothers look at each other and nod in a silent agreement. Fred answers for the both of them. "We're staying put, Dad. We can do more to help here and lend support to the Order where and when possible."

"I thought you two would say that. Your Mum won't be happy." Mr. Weasley sadly replies knowing in his mind; but not his heart, that his two boys are men now. Turning, he then asks Remus. "As we're going to stay with Bill at the cottage, I can tell him then, can you get work to Charlie over on the Continent?"

"Of course, Arthur," his friend solemnly nods before adding. "Just be careful, Bill got a message to me saying something was up."

Fred's face instantly pales and his whispers, "Bad?"

Remus stands up and shakes his head negatively. "No, I don't think so. I believe it has something to do with Harry, which would explain the secrecy."

"Why after months of nothing, would Harry contact Bill for help?" George asks.

Remus shrugs his shoulders. "That's a very good question. After I help shore up the wards here and get a message to Charlie, I'll help you and Molly move to the Cottage tomorrow."

Arthur stands up slowly, wipes his eyes one more time, and puts his glasses back on. "Thank you, Remus."

Fred smiles at the two older gentlemen sadly. "Ginny's our sister and all; but, this is really going devastate Harry."

"And that is exactly while You-Know-Who did this." George fills in.

"I know." Their father shakes his head sadly as he reaches for his sons' hands. "Just please take care of yourselves, be safe."

As the two senior members of the Order reappear into the storage room, Ginny's father falls into the other man sobbing in grief. "The bastards murdered her, Remus. They hung my little girl!"

Several minutes later, Arthur opens the door and turns mindlessly down Diagon Alley. Behind him, Remus is on the threshold with Angelina holding the door open and hesitantly asks. "What's going on Professor?"

Remus, turns slightly before simply answering with his head bowed. "Ginny's dead."

The first rays of the morning sneak their way past the curtains in an upstairs bedroom at a modest two story cottage perched above the awe insuring Dover Cliffs. The warm, comforting wave of light chases away the darkness and the images of the mistakes made and the people lost that constantly haunt the young man restlessly sleeping on a mat on the floor. Slowly, his dulled emerald eyes open. Suddenly faced with an unexpected environment, he whips the borrowed wand he had stuffed up his left sleeve. Holding his breath, painful memories flood his consciousness of the last few days and he takes a reluctant breath while blindly rummaging for his glasses. He is safe, for the moment. After locking away his nightmares, both real and imagined, in a cupboard in his mind, he turns to the racket coming from a chair a few feet away. In that chair, he finds a sliver of peace. His longtime mate is snoring contently in the chair with his hand draped across the person sleeping in the adjacent bed. In that bed his is other best mate, more like adopted sister, Hermione. She appears to have benefited greatly from a safe, long night's sleep and a good meal after the disaster at Malfoy Manor. Of course, harry knows all too well that not all scare are visible and those that cannot be seen often run deep and can take many years, if at all, to heal. Held tightly in her two hands is Ron's oversized paw.

From outside the door, the scent of breakfast slowly invades his senses reminding him that food has been an infrequent luxury over the last eight or so months on the lamb. Not wanting to disturb his friends' rest, he silently throws on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and slips out of the door.

Once across the threshold, Harry immediately becomes aware of the alarming, tense, whispers emanating from the kitchen. A moment later, he slips unnoticed into the commotion and asks his hosts wearingly. "What's going on?"

Jumping at the unexpected voice, the powerful and unflappable curse breaker and emerging leader of the Order, blushes when he turns to see his rumpled house guest standing behind him. As his wife slides a fresh cup of strong, hot coffee across the table; he swallows before answering. "We're not sure, harry. Got a message from my Dad last night that they're going into hiding and abandoning the burrow. Mum has already been over twice with stuff"

"Not a big surprise," Harry thinks while grabbing a muffin. "But, it did happen fast."

With nothing concrete to add, Bill changes gears while cutting into his rare liver and steak breakfast. "I'm glad you all are looking better, Harry. A sleep and a few proper, home-cooked meals always go a long way."

"Yeah," Harry smiles. "Thank you both for everything. Fleur has turned out to be a really good cook."

"Thank you, 'arry." Fleur smiles. "Mrs. Weazlee taught moi a lot over the summer at the Burrow. Just a little French culinary la connaissance et viola! Are 'rmione and Ron awake yet?"

Harry sighs in relief. "I didn't want to wake them; but, yes, Hermione looks a lot better."

"We are all trez relieved that the three of you are sain, Harry." Fleur agrees.

"I know." Harry sheepishly replies before a there is a knock at the door.

Fleur slips past the two men, wand held discretely behind her back. After a tense moment, her joyous voice floats back to the two in the kitchen. "Bill, 'arry, c'est vous your parents plus Prof Lupin, Tonks, est little Teddie!"

Smiling, Bill strides into the living room to great his parents while Harry pauses to allow the family a moment together. Remus shoots Harry a sad look before turning his attention to Fluer. Holding his newborn son gently, he quietly asks the former Triwizard champion. "Can you please take Teddy out to the garden, Fleur, the rest of us need to talk and I don't want to upset Teddy."

"Oui, "Fleur replies. "C'est everything OK?"

Remus sadly shakes his head. "No, Fleur, but we'll tell you later, I promise"

The conversation between Remus and Fleur does not go unnoticed. As Fleur retreats back to the kitchen on the way to the garden, Harry shuffles over to Remus. "What's wrong, Professor?"

Taking a ragged breath, Remus looks at Harry. "Can you go get Hermione and Ron, Harry? I don't want to have to do this more than once." Out of the corner of his eye, Harry watches Mr. Weasley gently escort his shaking wife out of the kitchen and into the currently vacant library on the first floor.

Alarmed, Harry shakes his head in agreement and vaults up the stairs, three steps at a time. A second later, he throws the door open and shouts at his friends. "Get up, meeting downstairs!"

"What?" Ron cracks an eye open before throwing a pillow back over his head and protesting. "I don't want to!"

Hermione pops her head up and tiredly asks. "Why, what's going on?"

Already heading back to the stairs, Harry throws an anxious reply over his shoulder. "Ron, your parents are here with Lupin, Tonks, and Teddy. They've abandoned the Burrow."

"What!" Ron yells, jumps out from under the blanket and makes it all the way to the stairs in just his boxers before hurrying back into the room to put on more clothes.

Turning slightly pink as she watches a half-naked Ron rummage for some clothes next to her, Hermione reaches out for her own clothes and drags them under the sheets. As she struggles slightly to put them, she asks. "I wonder what's going on?"

"Nowadays, I doubt I even want to know." Grunts as he pulls on a worn faded orange t-shirt.

Shortly after, the couple joins the growing and tense assembly. Ron spots his father having coffee with Ron on the sofa while Harry and Remus are perched in chairs opposite each other. Bill is lost his own coffee with a concerned look on his face as he leans against the door frame. Tonks sees the pair approach and moves away so that Ron can sit next to his father and stands guard with Hermione behind the two Weasley men.

Harry is struck by the fact that this is the time that Ron has seen his family in several months; but, there are not happy greetings, no hugs, no warmth in this reunion. Not good. He thinks to himself while taking a sip from his mug.

After a moment, Ron notices that his mother is not present and swallows hard. "Where's Mum?"

"She needed to lie down for a bit, Ron." Mr. Weasley tiredly replies. "It's been a long twenty-four hours."

Now alarmed himself, Ron barks. "OK, what in the name of Merlin's saggy pants is going on? You all look like you have been hit by the Knight Bus." His father and Remus will not meet his eyes and fear continues to eat away soul. "What? Did You-Know-Who win the war while we were asleep or something?"

"Worse," Mr. Weasley whispers.

Bill puts his drink down on the table and looks closely at his father's creased face. "Dad, are you OK?"

Mr. Weasley chokes back a sob and whispers as tears begin to fall down his face. "No, I'm not, son."

"Remus?" Bill spins with a horrified look on his face.

"Listen, there's no easy way to tell you all of this, so I am just going to say it." Remus swallows to collect himself. "A few days ago…"

"It's OK, Remus, I know." Harry unexpectedly interrupts his former Professor as she stands up and calmly walks over to the window facing the horizon line made by the cliffs a kilometer or so away.

"Harry?" Ron asks in fear.

No one says a word as everyone nervously eyes the young man, their one true hope, resting his forehead on the cold glass. "Ginny's dead."

Hermione quickly reaches over the couch and grand Ron's hand, shock written all over her face. "Why would say that, Harry?"

Ron cries out at Harry in horror. "That's not funny, mate!"

In a panic, Bill's pleading eyes seek out his father and then Remus. Neither is can accept his desperation. The truth spreads like poison through his body as he slides down the wall in defeat. "Merlin's bear, it's true, isn't it?"

"Professor, Lupin?" Hermione cries unable to feel Ron's fingers digging into her palm in terror. "What's going on?"

Looking up with bloodshot eyes, Lupin nods his head. "Yes, it's true. Ginny's dead."

"No!" Ron shouts, bolts up, and kicks the coffee table sending several mugs flying through the air unnoticed. Pointing his wand at his former Professor in anger, he screams. "No! Take it back, it's not true!"

"Ron, Ron, please!" Hermione pleads as she circles the couch trying to gently push her friend's wand arm down.

After a moment, Ron's anger and energy succumb to unfathomable grief and loss. Dropping his wand on the ground, Ron cries. "Please, somebody tell me it's not true."

Nearly everyone in the room is crying. Bill is sitting blindly against the door frame. Tonks, her hair now an unhealthy shade of brown, gently rubs Arthur's shoulders. Ron and Hermione desperately cling to each other on the carpet where the table once stood, sharing their grief. At the window, Harry does not move, does not seek comfort from his fiends, does not cry. Taking a deep breath, he lets go of his dreams, hope, and future before turning to face what is left of his family. "What happened?"

Remus meets the young man's stare and a spike of sadness along with a shiver of fear rips down his spine as he looks into Harry's glacial green eyes. He rubs his hand through his thinning hair and begins. "She was caught trying to break Neville Longbottom out of the dungeons at Hogwarts. Word has it she stayed behind to give everyone else a chance to escape."

"Is Neville OK at least?" Hermione asks as rubs Ron's back, he head buried into her chest, crying like a child.

Squeezing Tonks' hand, Mr. Weasley stands up and sits down next to his eldest son at the door. Once settled in, he answers. "He was beat-up bad; but somebody on the inside got him out of the castle and got him to Aberforth in Hogsmeade. He'll be OK, eventually."

"What the hell happened?" Bill growls with his eyes closed.

A hint of anger crosses Harry's emotionless voice. "Was it Snape?"

"It appears that Snape, one of the Carrows, and Yaxley were the ones to subdue her, eventually.

Bill opens his eyes for the first time. "It took three full-blown Death Eaters to kill her?"

"They only captured her." Remus gives Bill a sad smile. "She also put the other Carrow, Goyle Senior and four students in St. Mungo's. Alceto still has a limp and Pansy Parkinson won't be leaving the hospital for another month."

A predatory smile slips across Harry's visage. "That's my Ginny."

Suddenly faced with a mystery, Hermione looks up. "Out of the DA, Ginny was the second best fighter after Harry; but, that sounds impossible."

Stealing a glance at Harry, who is now resting his back against the window and staring into space, Remus nods his head in agreement. "I agree."

Bill shudders before entering the discussion. "You said 'captured,' Remus. So, she was not killed during the escape?"

"No, son." His farther replies. "Longbottom somehow showed-up at the Hog's Head in the middle of the night and had note. He never saw the face of person who rescued him; but, the note said that man was going to try and get Ginny out."

Lupin wearily adds. "But, that was before Bellatrix, the Minister, You-Know-Who, and half the Death Eaters paid Hogwarts a visit."

"He was there?" Hermione asks incredulously.

Sobbing from her shoulder, Ron whimpers. "Fuck."

"Yes," Lupin answers. "They held a so-called 'trial' the next day, found her guilty, and hung her from the gallows at midnight."

Already a deathly shade of green, Bill bolts up from the chair and dashes into the adjoining bathroom. The door smashes shut as he wretches into the toilet.

Alone, Mr. Weasley is sobs silently as everyone else is quiet.

After a few minutes, Harry concedes in a barely audible voice. "Then it's my fault.

Lupin stands up and walks slowly over to the window. "No, Harry, it's not your fault."

"Yes, it is Remus." Harry rejects solemnly and then looks towards the kitchen. "I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley, it's my fault. I knew that if I allowed something to happen between Ginny and me that it would be dangerous for her. I knew that if Tom found out, Tom would hurt Ginny to get to me."

"Harry," Lupin starts before Harry freezes him with a hard look.

"Just like everyone else I love." Harry states without a tear. "I'm really sorry, Ron, Mr. Weasley."

"Harry Potter!" Mrs. Weasley bellows as she returns to the living room with Bill clutched to her. "I never want to hear you say that. Ginny loved you. We all love you. That's what makes us different from You-Know-Who. We can love."

Holding Ron's hand tightly, Hermione chokes out. "Yeah, Harry, just like Dumbledore said."

"But, Dumbledore's dead and now Ginny's, too." Harry stoically states. "My parents, Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore, Hedwig, Mad-Eye, Dobby, Ginny, and countless others are dead because I did not act fast enough. This will not end until either Tom dies or I do."

Lupin tries to reach for the young man; but, Harry steps away. Everyone silently watches him for a moment, before he turns to face them. "Bill, I need to speak to Griphook then Olivander. This ends, now!"