Hey everyone - thanks for the reviews and sorry for the wait! Here's fourteen. :)
Gone - "It is difficult to realize that you cannot win every battle for every friend. It is difficult to understand and accept your own limitations, and with them, the recognition that while you try to do the best you can, it will often prove inadequate." – Drizzt Do'Urden, The Lone Drow, R.A. Salvatore
Ron closed his eyes, praying to every god there was that when he opened them again, he'd be back in his four poster at Hogwarts.
He opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by at least a dozen Death Gobblers.
No such luck.
"Ron," Hermione said, her voice wavering as she took a step back toward Harry's motionless body.
"Well, well, well," someone drawled, emerging from the ring of Death Gobblers to approach them. "What a pleasant surprise."
Ron wondered what they would say if he called them Death Gobblers. He fought the insane urge to laugh. Why not? They'd lost anyway. Maybe with Harry they would've had a chance, but he was unconscious at best. The eerie wand maker had fainted too – not that he would've been much help.
Him, Hermione, and Ginny against twelve Death Gobblers. Ron felt the mad urge to laugh again as despair threatened to overwhelm him. He was going to die. They were all going to die.
"Put your wands down, hmm?" the Death Gobbler in front of them said softly. Dark eyes glinted behind the mask. "Don't make a fuss, now."
"That's right," another voice called out. "Just hand Potter over like good little children, and maybe we'll kill you quickly."
"Never!" Hermione said shrilly, brandishing her wand at them. Ron groaned inwardly as the Death Gobblers laughed.
"You can take him," Ginny snarled, "over my dead body."
Ron could almost see the smirk behind the Death Gobbler's mask. "As you wish, little girl," he said obligingly. He raised his wand and pointed it at her.
"Hermione, take him back," Ron heard Ginny whisper as she raised her own wand. "Take Harry back, now!"
"Ginny, no!" Hermione whispered back fiercely. "Ron – "
He's going to kill my sister.
He can't kill my sister.
"Avada Kedav – !"
"Expelliarmus!" Ron bellowed, jabbing his wand in the Death Gobbler's direction. One of his companions stepped forward and cast a shield around him, but five more jets of red light slammed into him from behind, shattering the shield and blasting the Death Gobbler off his feet.
There was instant chaos as more jets of light shot out of nowhere. The Death Gobblers seemed to have forgotten them momentarily as they looked around wildly, haphazardly casting shields and firing off curses. Ginny took this chance to hit the nearest Death Gobbler with a Stunner and immobilize another before several of them turned their attention back to her.
Ron stepped forward so that he was standing next to her. They glanced at each other, thinking the same thing – they couldn't leave without Harry, but if they stayed here, they'd be cut down easily.
"Hermione, you have to take Harry back," Ginny said in a low voice, seeming strangely calm as the leering Death Gobblers approached them. There were more screams from around them as the unknown spells found their targets. Ron could only hope that it was the Order, and that they'd show themselves soon.
"B-but what about – "
"Don't argue with me," Ginny growled. "We can't fight them off and guard Harry at the same time. Take him back and tell Professor McGonagall!"
"You're not going anywhere," a Death Gobbler hissed. His black cloak billowed around him as he flourished his wand, and before either Ron or Ginny could react he shouted, "Crucio!"
"Protego!" a familiar voice cried. A giant purple bubble shimmered over them, flashing white as the Unforgivable Curse hit it.
Lupin had appeared beside them, issuing instructions to the five other Order members that he'd arrived with.
"Lupin!" Hermione said, almost sobbing with relief. "Lupin, Mr. Ollivander – "
"Take Harry back!" Lupin shouted, cutting her off. The shield had dissipated and the Death Gobblers, who now knew exactly who their attackers were, had begun to close in on them. Lupin slashed his wand at one who broke into a run toward them, felling him immediately. "Take him back!"
"But we – "
"Take him back!" Lupin roared, blasting another Death Gobbler aside. "Sturgis, take Harry!"
"He took the wand maker back!" Kingsley yelled back, struggling against a brawny Death Gobbler who had cast aside his wand and was trying to go for Kingsley's neck with his beefy hands.
"Hermione!" Lupin bellowed. "Take Harry and leave!"
"Let's go!" Ginny shouted, grabbing Hermione's sleeve and dragging her toward Harry.
Ron was about to follow them when Lupin seized his shirt and yanked him down, yelling, "Duck!" A blast of silver light shot over their heads, singing Ron's hair.
"You too," Lupin said, roughly pushing him in Hermione's direction. "Go!"
Ron stumbled toward where Ginny was trying to get Hermione to calm down enough to Apparate. "Concentrate!" he heard her say as she glanced desperately at the battle raging around them. The Order was outnumbered at least two to one, and they were trying to keep the Death Gobblers away from Harry.
Why didn't Lupin bring more people? Ron thought bewilderedly as he just barely avoided another curse.
"Ron!" Ginny shouted. "Ron, where – "
He looked up in horror as he heard her words cut off, only to discover that she, Hermione, and Harry were gone.
He stared numbly at where they'd been kneeling just a moment ago.
"Ron, I told you to get out of here!" Lupin yelled, risking a glance back at him as he parried a furious barrage of hexes.
"I-I can't!" Ron cried, feeling the panic well up inside him as he looked around. They're gone. They're gone! "They left!"
Lupin swore loudly and cut down the Death Gobbler that had been chasing after Tonks. "Do you think you can Apparate?"
"I-I – "
"Watch out!" Sturgis roared, dashing in from nowhere and tackling Ron to the ground. A giant ball of fire rocketed over their heads and exploded against a tombstone, sending splinters of rock and debris flying everywhere.
"Sturgis, he has to go!" Lupin yelled.
Sturgis grunted in response as he pulled Ron to his feet. They dodged several spells and ran toward the run-down shack. Sturgis slammed the door and sealed it shut behind them after they stumbled in.
"Here," Sturgis panted, reaching inside his robes and producing an empty pack of cigarettes. "Portkey. Mad-Eye made it just before we got here. It'll take you to the Burrow. Tell your mum and dad, Charlie, Bill, anyone who's there. Go, take it!"
Ron took the Portkey at Sturgis' urging.
"All right, ready?" Sturgis said, glancing back at the door. "One…two…three!
"Ron!" Hermione screamed hysterically into the darkness of the tunnel. "We forgot Ron! Oh my God, oh my God – "
"Shut up, Hermione, you'll wake the whole damn castle!" Ginny said fiercely. "Lumos! Ron's probably fine. He's with Lupin. We have to get out of here first. Harry – "
"He's still – still unconscious," Hermione said, trying to take deep, steadying breaths. "I-I can levitate him."
"All right," Ginny said, nodding. "Okay. Let's go."
She'd been trying to stay calm; she'd actually felt oddly composed when she'd faced the oncoming Death Gobblers. But now they'd left Ron back at the cemetery, Harry was unconscious at best, and there were half a dozen Order members trying to fight twice the number of Death Gobblers…
Her wand hand shook as she hurriedly led the way back out of the tunnel. She could see Harry's levitating body and his lolling head out of the corner of her eye. He's fine, she assured herself. He'll be okay when we get him to the Hospital Wing.
"There's the end," she said, breaking into a run as they neared the entrance hole that the statue was blocking. "Dissendium!"
The statue sprang aside, revealing the dimly lit third floor corridor. Ginny sighed in relief as she climbed out and turned around to help Hermione.
"Ginny, take Harry to the Hospital Wing," Hermione whispered. "I'll go tell Professor McGonagall."
Ginny nodded quickly; she'd just been about to ask if she could take Harry since she didn't know the password to the Headmistress' office. Hermione lowered Harry to the ground and dashed off.
Ginny let out a shaky breath as she looked down at him. She hadn't realized how frightened she'd been – still was – until now, but she couldn't let that get in her way. Pointing her wand at him, she murmured, "Mobilicorpus."
Harry's body rose into the air. His head and arms hung limply back, like he was –
Ginny roughly shook her head and turned her hurried footsteps toward the Hospital Wing.
"Remus, he's okay!"
Remus turned to see Sturgis sprinting out of the shack. "Good," Remus called back. "Go help Kingsley!"
There were still about seven Death Eaters standing, three of whom were being pounded by Mad-Eye. Tonks and Hestia were engaged with one each, while Kingsley was staving off the remaining two. Remus watched Sturgis rush to Kingsley's aid.
Where are the others? he thought angrily as he came up behind the Death Eaters Mad-Eye was dueling. Sturgis had first noticed that Harry had gotten out of bed, via the tag they'd put on him. He had argued fiercely against this, of course, but now he shuddered to think what would have happened if they hadn't.
He, Tonks, and Kingsley had been together in the Auror office when Sturgis found them. They had then sent out signals to the rest of the Order, but only Hestia and Mad-Eye showed up before they'd decided they couldn't wait any longer.
Mad-Eye caught Remus' eye and, at Remus' nod, he Disapparated. Remus hit the three confused Death Eaters with Sleep Jinxes before they even had time to turn around. Mad-Eye reappeared next to Remus with a wide grin on his face.
"Bloody bastards," he said, wiping blood off his face. He flicked his wand and the sleeping Death Eaters were immediately bound up tightly with rope. "Think there might be more coming?"
"Possibly," Remus sighed. "I don't know what happened to the rest of the Order."
Mad-Eye shrugged. "Still in their beds," he said. "No matter. Let's go finish – "
A sudden scream made them look up. Someone – Remus couldn't see who – had fallen to the ground with a Death Eater bearing down –
Before he could do anything, a thunderous explosion overhead knocked him off his feet.
"Remus!" he heard Mad-Eye shout, but the air was filled with a thick smoke that stung his eyes. "Remus, there're more!"
Coughing, Remus leapt to his feet and slashed at the murky air with his wand. A swathe of smoke disappeared, and Remus saw that there were a dozen more Death Eaters in the cemetery. Heart pounding, he charged forward and began firing off curses. Who fell? Kingsley? Hestia? Sturgis? Or…Tonks?
Fear and rage gripped him as he rammed his shoulder into a short, lumpy Death Eater, slamming him against a shattered grave marker.
"Remus!"
Remus whipped around as several popping sounds announced the arrival of more people – people from the Order.
"Remus, Mad-Eye!" Arthur yelled as he came running toward him. Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George followed on his heels.
"Someone's down!" Mad-Eye roared as he sent off a sizzling blast of sparks at a group of Death Eaters closing in around him.
The four Weasley brothers dove into the fray without a moment's hesitation. Remus blocked a Full-Body Bind from a wiry little Death Eater and blasted him aside as he ran toward the source of the scream. He could see Sturgis and Kingsley furiously battling the five Death Eaters around them, but neither Tonks nor Hestia was visible.
Remus gritted his teeth and raised his wand, but two large Death Eaters suddenly blocked his path. Remus shot off a Confunding Curse at one and ducked away to the side to avoid a Killing Curse. He dashed away from them into the rows of graves, and they gave chase. He vaulted over a tombstone and darted behind a small statue of a dragon as stone and dirt blew up into fragments behind him. The two Death Eaters were shouting at each other. Taking a deep breath, Remus spun around to face them again and managed to fell one before a foot connected painfully with his side. He felt his feet leave the ground as he flew through the air and hit a tombstone.
Pain erupted in Remus' head as he crumpled to the ground. He had to run, he had to get away…but his legs wouldn't respond, there was a stabbing pain in his chest…
"Cru – "
"Immobulus!" two voices shouted in unison. The Cruciatus Curse was cut off as the caster and his companion were frozen where they stood.
Two pairs of hands grabbed Remus' arms and helped him to his feet.
"You don't look so good," he heard a voice say.
"Not good at all," another voice agreed. "Can you stand?"
Remus nodded stiffly as the Weasley twins tapped his head with their wands. To Remus' great surprise, the pain in his head subsided almost immediately.
"Little trick of ours," Fred said with a grin.
"Anything else hurt?" George asked. "That bloke caught you right in the ribs, didn't he?"
"I'm fine," Remus muttered, shaking his head. "Thank you."
"No problem," Fred said. "I say, those chaps are having all the fun. What d'you say we jump back in, George?"
"Excellent idea, Fred," George beamed. "Lupin?"
Remus gave them a grim smile. "Of course. Do you know if anyone else is hurt?"
"Except for these rotten little buggers, no," Fred said, looking the immobilized Death Eaters up and down. "Should we tie them down?"
"Why not?" George shrugged. "Incarcerous!"
He and Fred nodded in approval as the bound Death Eaters crashed to the ground. "Well then, let's – oh damn."
Four more Death Eaters had appeared, surrounding them.
"Not so fast," one of them cackled. The other three grinned wickedly.
"Just how many of you are there?" George said, sounding annoyed.
"And how long is it going to take to learn your lessons?" Fred added, putting his hands on his hips.
"The only lesson that's going to be learned here," another Death Eater said menacingly, "is that little children shouldn't mess – "
" – With Dark magic, we know," Fred said, rolling his eyes. Then, quick as lightning, he and George each pulled out what looked like two small, black balls from their pockets and threw them at the four Death Eaters, who promptly disappeared.
Remus stared in shock.
"Vanishing spells," George explained, giving Fred the thumbs up. "They'll be back in a century or so."
Remus ran a hand through his hair and gave a shaky laugh. Who knew the two pranksters would prove to be so useful? "It's – "
Urgent shouts from the battlefield interrupted him.
"Uh-oh," Fred sighed. "Looks like our presence is required elsewhere."
"Nice chatting with you," George said, clapping Remus on the back and making him wince.
The twins Disapparated with loud pops. With a last glance at the fallen Death Eaters, Remus too ran back to the battlefield as fast as his lungs would allow.
There was a column of smoke climbing toward the sky near the edge of the woods; Remus suspected it was the old shack that was on fire. He heard Bill and Kingsley's voices ringing out over the din, as well as cries of pain and the sizzle of magic.
He skidded to a stop as Charlie suddenly staggered past him, locked in a ferocious duel with a blocky Death Eater.
"Expelliarmus!" Remus shouted. The Death Eater's wand flew out of his hand, giving Charlie enough time to knock him out cold.
"Thanks," Charlie said before racing off again. Remus stepped over the unconscious Death Eater and looked around; Arthur and Bill were dueling back to back against two Death Eaters while Fred and George were clearing the way for Charlie to put out the fire engulfing the shack. Kingsley was tackling another Death Eater and Mad-Eye was roping three others around a large statue. There was no sign of Sturgis, Hestia, or Tonks.
Remus had started heading toward Charlie when one of the Death Eaters shot red sparks into the air. All the remaining Death Eaters Disapparated a moment later.
Everyone stopped suddenly, divested of their opponents. Charlie, Fred, and George doused the last of the flames.
"Are they really gone?" Kingsley called wearily, his hands on his knees.
"Maybe, maybe not," Mad-Eye grunted, "but we're not going to wait around and see if they come back. Arthur, Bill, Kingsley – you three round up all the Death Eaters and take them to the Ministry. We can let the Aurors deal with them later."
"Where's Sturgis?" Remus asked, scanning the scorched and churned dirt of the battlefield. "Hestia? Tonks?"
"I saw Sturgis before," Fred said. "He was dueling a huge Death Eater back there, behind the graves. I think Hestia and Tonks were with him."
It was all Remus needed to hear; he dashed over to where Fred had pointed, a spot just behind a large cluster of graves. Let them be all right. Let her be all right.
When he got closer, he saw a silver lion hovering above a tombstone. Its fur glittered in the light of the moon, a wispy silver fog. It lifted its head.
Remus stopped.
Tonks was sitting with her back against a grave marker, her eyes closed and her breathing shallow. Her white face was streaked with blood and dirt. The vibrant pink of her hair had half-faded, as if the cold gray stone of the grave marker was leaching it out.
Sturgis was kneeling in the dirt beside her, his battered face bowed. His body was bent forward, shielding something – someone – that he held in his arms.
No.
Sturgis looked up at the sound of his footsteps. For a moment their eyes met.
No.
Sturgis laid her down calmly, gently. She lay in tranquil repose upon the bloody ground. He touched her forehead, brushing back her thick black hair. Her normally rosy cheeks had been drained of color.
Sturgis got to his feet.
"Sturgis," Remus said softly.
But Sturgis turned away, slipping his wand into his robes. The silver lion shimmered, then dissipated.
"Sturgis!"
He vanished.
Up Next: Draco wants his life back and to know just what Snape's doing.
Please review? Everyone?
