Chapter Notes: Some readers have express concern that they feel that my version of the Weasley's rolled over too easily. As this chapter proves, the Weasley's might knuckle under to grief for a while, but if you threaten one you get the whole clan!

When we last left our story...

George sat in the silence studying a cluttered apartment that had not been tidied since Percy last did it. George shook his head to clear the last cobwebs, she had belted him good, but he thought she had knocked some sense into him. "Good sense, and a mean right hook Freddy, I'm gonna marry that girl someday!" he called to the emptiness, but it felt companionable all of a sudden, like Fred was listening. He could imagine what Fred would have said, "So what are you going to do Gred my boy?" George stood unsteadily to his feet. He finally knew what was next. He was going to do his best to save Percy, or die trying and catch up with Fred. Either way, it was about time he did something.

He kicked an empty Firewhiskey bottle out of his way as he went to wash up. With some floo powder, and a flash of green, he was finally on his way home.

Now...Lunchtime at The Burrow...

AfterMagic

Chapter3

The Weasleys Strike Back!

Ginny's P.O.V.

Ginny stood in the corner of the crowded family room, hugging herself. She was staring at the man the centre of every focus, the man she was in love with, as he ruminated on something beyond this room. Harry's forehead was wrinkling cutely, as that magnificent brain of his worked full time, sorting out a way through this problem. They all tried not to watch him as they waited on George, but everyone in this room knew if there was a chance to get Percy back alive, it was Harry. As uncomfortable as it made him sometimes, he still represented something to the Wizard World, and to this fragmented family holding itself together by fingernails bitten to the quick. He stood for hope.

With a whirl and a whoosh of green fire, George popped out of the floo, did a comical soft shoe, went down on one knee and announced, "Taa Daaa!"

Everybody stared at him aghast. Some teary eyed. Ginny felt a warmth in her heart at the old George up-to-something grin plastered on his face.

"Cheer up you lot!" He crowed. "This is a rescue, not a memorial!"

"He's right!" Ginny called as she pushed away from the corner and made her way over to Harry. She slipped a deliberate arm around his waist, feeling her cheeks pink a bit from all of the stares.

Her Dad was standing behind Mum,kneading her shoulders trying to give her what comfort he had. He stood up straight and nodded in agreement, "Alright. We have indeed mourned enough." Mum wiped her eyes, with the handkerchief her husband had given her earlier. Ginny was relieved to see some of her old determined fire creep back into her eyes, "What do we do Harry?" she asked quietly.

Hermoine, who arrived from Hogwarts just prior to George, was chewing her bottom lip arm in arm with a distraught Ron in the love seat piped up, "If I may suggest Harry. If I can get access to the same archives, I might be able to find out more on that book."

Ginny's eyes swept the room. George was standing beside Charlie, fresh from a marathon Floo jaunt from Romania and still looking woozy. Bill was behind a seated and very pregnant Fleur, who was of all things, knitting a pink little cap for her impending little baby girl with delicate skill.

"I just don't know what's possessed Percy!" Mum blurted into the silence in a pleading tone, "He's always been such a good boy!" Her voice caught, and she could say no more.

Suddenly Ginny felt Harry tense. A thrill of excitement rushed through her. He's got a plan!

Harry spoke. "Hermione, I'll write you a letter, take it to Gerry Podemore Acting Head of the Aurors Office. That should get you into the archives, take Ron you could use another pair of eyes and hands."

Ron sputtered, "I'll be in the way, I'm useless with the guess work, Harry. You know that!"

Ginny saw Harry level his intense green-eyed gaze on his best friend. "Come off it Ron. You weren't useless in the life-sized chess game that first year, and you weren't useless in all the years since. Remember, you were the one that thought of the basilisk fangs to destroy that Horcrux. You'll always an asset, mate, whether you believe it or not."

Ron started to protest again, but he cut out when Hermione distracted him with a pinch on his shoulder. "What do you want us to look for Harry?" she called. Ron glared at her as he rubbed the new sore spot.

"I'll give you a list." Harry explained. "Ron, I want you to remember all the wizard stories of the Merlin legend, since Hermione and I grew up Muggle. See if you can think of a way we can destroy that book once and for all. I don't want it to go back to the ministry, so this can happen to someone else. Not this time. I'm the Chosen One, they'll get over it!"

Ron eyed Hermione warily, as he nodded his agreement.

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. I would appreciate it if you went ahead to St. Mungos. Tell them they will get a patient suffering from exposure to very dark magic, sometime before sundown."

"Why sundown?" Mr. Weasley inquired.

"Percy has until then to complete the spell. It calls for, the light of a dying day." Harry replied. They nodded.

Harry turned to Bill and Fleur, "I promised Andromeda that I would take Teddy today at four o'clock, so she could do some marketing. Would you mind standing in and taking care of the little guy?"

"Eet would be our pleasure!" Fleur cooed as Bill nodded, "Might need some practice soon anyway." He said with a chuckle. Charlie playfully punched him on the shoulder.

"Charlie," Harry called, "Romania was one of the countries where Gellert Grindelwald was at his worse. Use your connections to see if there are any Wizards left who treated the wounded. Grindelwald went further down the road into the offensive Dark Magic than even Voldemort. Mungos might need someone who has seen damage like this before." Charlie considered that for a moment. "There's a guy that comes in to mop up, when a dragon gets lucky with one of us, he's old enough, he's talked about how bad Grindelwald was. If he's not your man, he might know who is." Harry agreed, and Charlie headed to the fireplace.

Ginny felt a spark of life and purpose igniting in a family hearth that had been flickering, "You can take this family apart with grief and despair, but if you threaten one...Better be ready for a fight! She thought joyously. "What can I do Harry?" she inquired turning to him. His eyes locked reluctantly into hers, she could see he was struggling with something. "I'm going to have to ask you for your expertise, actually. You might be the most important part, outside of George."

"Speaking of which." George called sidling up to Harry and Ginny with a grin as the cracks from apparition and flashes from the Floo began, "What momentous assignment do you have for this old boy?"

Harry smiled at George, but it wasn't warm. "I need the old boy to tell me what he said to Percy to give him this idea. He wouldn't have come up with it on his own. That's what started this whole mess."

George glowered defiantly, "What makes you think it was me?"

Harry's bright green eyes where like chips of ice, "You are the only one in this family whose opinion would affect Percy like this. You're the only one whose respect he craves enough for him to even contemplate breaking this many rules."

George looked confused, "We never got on! Me and Fred played pranks on him all the time, and he tattled on us all the time. Surely you're joking."

Harry gently pulled away from Ginny's embrace, he crossed to George. "You weren't there when Fred died, George. I was. Percy was so devastated, he almost got killed trying shelter Fred's body with his own. I don't know much about brothers. But I do know what absolute grief looks like. He loved you and Fred, to a degree maybe none of us realized."

George slumped. His face turned away hiding his shame. "What do you want me to do?" he murmured.

Harry finally relented. "I need you to find him Georgie. If you can't, then none of us can."

George turned, desperation etched on his tired features. "What makes you think I can, when the great and mighty Chosen One can't?"

Harry grinned, shrugging. "You are still a Weasley twin, George. You guys could always find trouble were there was none!"

At that George had to chuckle. "How long do we have?"

Harry checked the clock, "Three hours, then it's too late."

George threw an arm around Harry's shoulders, grabbing his baby sister with the other arm. "Plenty of time! Lets get this disaster on the road shall we?"

They turned to where Ron and Hermione where waiting. Ginny thought to herself happily,

Look out! Here come the Weasleys!

Character Notes: I wrote a lot of detail about Harry's appearance into this chapter because it happens in the mind of a girl who is head over heels in love with him. In this chapter you see some of that indefinable magic that Harry has, that he passed down to his son Albus. When things are at their worst, there is a special few who are at their best!