Chapter 32: Battle for the Burrow
"Are you ready?" Hermione asks as she sits down beside Ron. Luna said it would be a few hours, but they gathered in the room once more, to wait together.
"No," he answers without looking up from the wand in his hands. "I don't think I'll ever be ready. Would you?" He looks over to her.
"Ready? I don't know, but after three years, we were all...willing," she answers. "It will go okay." Ron shrugs and looks at his wand again.
"I hope so."
"It's time," Luna says four and a half hours later. She's been sitting in the corner with her eyes closed the whole time. They're moving immediately, gathering in the center of the room around a portkey.
"Tracey, stick to your strengths," Luna warns and then the pulling sensation starts. They tumble onto the ground in the field in front of the Burrow. Ron jumps to his feet and mounts Harry's firebolt, taking off towards the house. Harry pulls Tracey and Hermione to their feet.
"Let's go," he says and they each walk to their separate places around the house. They've have spent hours pouring of strategies and in Luna's memories. They know there will be 10 strong fighters and another 8 mediocre fighters. They know what each mask looks like and the man behind it.
Hermione starts to set up the wards, waiting to trigger them. A couple of Black Family specialties are weaved into them to hopefully give them an advantage. They should cause certain dark spells to backfire when aiming for those who call this land home.
Tracey crouches on the right side of the field, waiting to strike once the Death Eaters appear. Harry is hidden deadcenter in front of the house. Ron is at the door. Once he has answered the questions, his mother crushes him in a hug.
"We don't have much time," Ron says. "There is a group of Death Eaters on their way."
"Then we must go," Molly panics.
"No," Ron says firmly. His voice is strong and his eyes unyielding, but his heart is breaking. "It's too late, they are almost here. I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner and help you get away. But in one minute, they will be here and they are coming after you, mum."
"What?" Molly screams. A crack break through the air. 18 Death Eaters move forward. They cast a charm and the roof is instantly on fire.
"Mum," Ron says urgently, "I have to go fight. Tracey, Harry and Hermione are here to help." Ron glances around the family. "Keep her safe. We'll get through this."
Meanwhile, Tracey slips into the group of Death Eaters wearing Harry's invisibility cloak and a few charms to make her silent. She slides behind Antonin Dolohov, who sits at the back of the group. A black arrow Harry had conjured sits in her hand. A silent spell makes the tip grow red hot. Tracey presses the arrow through his back, melting the bones away from the tip. She pushes it forward until it goes through his heart and into his lungs.
"For my mother," she whispers, then dashes away. Dolohov coughs up blood and falls to his knees. That's Hermione's signal. She activates the wards as Dolohov stops breathing.
Molly grabs Ron's arm as he reaches for the front door. He notices the pulse of the wards, which means it is time for him to join the fight.
"We have to go, we can floo away," Molly presses. Ron hugs her.
"The wards won't let us leave, mum," Ron says sadly. "But we're Weasleys, we'll fight and we'll be just fine. Love you." With that, he strides out the door and into battle.
Molly, Arthur, Bill, Fred, George, and Ginny stare after him. Screams and explosions are heard outside.
"Ginny, go out the back and get out of here," Molly says.
"No mum," she replies. "I'm not going anywhere and you know I will just sneak back. We are stronger as a family." Molly concedes and walks out the front door.
Curses fly around the estate. Three death eaters have fallen. Harry blasts another to the side, it's unlikely they will raise again.
"Greyback," Harry shouts, a Sonorus charm making him heard over the battle. Greyback turns from his rush at Tracey. "I challenge you for alpha of the pack." Greyback cocks his head to the side and starts walking towards him. A wizard points his wand at Harry, a curse on his lips. Greyback's hand closes around the wizard's throat.
"He's mine," Greyback snarls. The wizard falls from his hand, eyes empty and windpipe crushed. The werewolf doesn't spare him a glance as all his focus returns to the boy before him. The Dark Lord may want the boy alive, but Greyback isn't sure if he will be by the end of this.
Hermione's getting pushed back by five death eaters, barely able to dodge their spells and slow their progress. Then Bill comes to her aid and another two death eaters fall to their spells. Ron is already at Tracey's side, fighting two strong fighters there. The other five rush at the remaining Weasley family. Of the seven killed so far, Dolohov is the only strong fighter to have fallen. They may be closer match number wise now, but this a long way from being won.
Greyback and Harry circle one another. Mr. Lovegood had told him how important this process was to proving that you're a worthy opponent. There is a slight twitch in Greyback's jaw before he springs forward. Harry leaps to the side, missing the attack. He has trained for this. He sweeps his wand around and ninetails of fire burst from the tips and wrap around the man.
Greyback's skin sizzles and he growls. He reaches for Harry, but grasps air before his arm is covered in a deep gash. It is two nights until the new moon and his wolf strength isn't what it could be.
Harry continues to let Greyback attack and to dodge and retaliate at the same time. While he wanted to help the others, he couldn't afford to let the werewolf's hand to close around him.
The werewolf darts at Harry again, though changes direction mid-charge. Harry is already moving backwards when the shoulder glances off his torso. The wizard falls backwards as his ribs creak. He blinds Greyback and provides more cuts as he stands and backs away from his foe.
Greyback pants, blood leaking from several gashes on his body. The slight healing factor not being able to compensate for the deep injuries much more than to slow the blood loss. His black eyes watch the wizard. Harry lifts his wand.
"Sectumsempra," he says. Greyback lunges forward once the wand was moving and straight into the curse. It slices through the right side of his neck from the jawline down through the center and across his chest. With half of his neck missing, Greyback falls to the ground.
Molly takes down a death eater, while the twins, Arthur and Ginny take on the other four to keep them from ganging up. Tracey and Ron ebb and flow gracefully as they battle together. Bill is at Hermione's side. She places obstacles in the death eaters' way while he deals damage. Another falls to this method. When one of them fighting Tracey and Ron goes down, there are only seven left.
"NO," Molly's voice rings through the area. The attention of the two fighting Bill and Hermione wavers for a second and duo hit them hard, taking both out at once. Bill rushes to his mother's side. Molly is cradling Ginny in her arms. The young girl is gasping. A diagnostic spell reveals the girl is bleeding internally. All of the blood vessels in her torso have burst. She wouldn't even make it to St. Mungo's. There is nothing they can do.
Weasleys are known for being powerful and having tempers. Seeing one of their own fall left the remaining death eaters not standing a chance.
Molly sobs over the little girl as they all gather around.
"Love you," Ginny gasps. "...sorry...tell Dean…" Her breath cuts out and her eyes slide close. The family falls to their knees around the mother and daughter in a huddle. Molly's sobs can be heard over the rest of the tears that fall.
Harry set about in burying the bodies off of the Weasley property. It was mostly a mass grave, but 18 markers were set on top of the dirt. When he returns, Hermione finds her way to his side.
"We all need to go soon," she whispers. He nods and heads over to Bill. After a few minutes of whispered conversation, Bill nods. Arthur, Molly and Ginny's body disapparate, heading for Shell Cottage where Charlie and Fleur are waiting. Bill, the twins and Ron set about magically packing the house. After a moment, Harry, Tracey, and Hermione join in.
A half hour later the contents of the house is packed away in a large hand bag with an extendable charm. The twins come forward and drop another bag at Harry's feet. He looks up at the twins.
"We are coming with you," Fred says.
"Don't bother arguing," George says. Harry nods wearily. Bill glances around at the house before picking of the hand bag.
"Stay safe," Bill says and then disapparates away to his wife. Tracey hugs Ron, leaving Harry and Hermione to each grab a twin as they all turn. The top step of Grimmauld place is very crowded as Draco opens the door. His eyes widen.
"Grandma Jean and we picked up a few stowaways," she says, stepping passed Draco.
"No one know which is older," Ron says, also entering.
"Flitwick," Tracey says, following her boyfriend.
"Dudley and pick your chin up off the floor, Malfoy," Harry says. The twins stare at Draco, but Hermione pull them all into the kitchen.
"Draco, healing," she reminds. He blinks and starts running diagnostic spells over the lot of them. Draco goes to the cabinet. He pulls out a range the potions and charms them to follow him to the table. Vanishing Ron's shirt, he spreads a salve over the burn that covers his left arm and over to his chest.
"Tracey get mad at you again?" Draco jokes as he continues to work it over the marks. Ron's lips lift in one corner.
"Not this time," he replies. Draco waves his wand and gause appears over the wound, adhering on it's own.
"I'll need to change the dressing tomorrow, but it should be gone in a couple days," Draco instructs before moving over to Harry. Harry's covered in dirt, sweat, and a number of cuts and scrapes. Draco vanishes his shirt as well and cleans the area with a Scourgify.
"Are any of these from a werewolf?" Draco asks as he sets about sealing the cuts on his arms, chests and face.
"Just the bruise," Harry replies. A large bruise reaches over his ribs. Harry winces when the spell hits him from the wand.
"There was a couple small fractures in the ribs. Just be glad I didn't vanish the bones like Lockhart," Draco laughs.
"That wasn't funny," Harry laughs as well.
"With only the fractures I'm guess it wasn't a good blow," Draco says as he runs more diagnostic spells.
"It was with his shoulder, but I was already moving backwards when he hit."
"Good." Draco rolls up the leg of Harry's pants. "You sprained your ankle as well."
"Well since this is all I got from challenging a werewolf then I consider myself lucky," Harry says. A wrap springs from Draco's wand and folds around the limb.
"Drink this," Draco hands him a potion. "And you are the luckiest bastard I've ever met." Harry smirks and takes the potion.
"Miss Granger, right this way," Draco says, turning towards her. Hermione limps behind the screen partition he indicated. He follows closely. He helps her onto the high bed before leaving her side.
"Tracey, you just need rest and that purple potion," Draco says. "The twins are fine. The rest is calming and sleeping draughts if anyone needs them." Draco ducks back into the small area with his witch.
"You've done a number on yourself," he murmurs.
"Trust me, I'm not the one who caused these," she teases. Draco looks into her eyes, no humor on his face.
"I'll need to see," he says softly. She nods. He vanishes her clothes so that she's only left in her knickers. Hermione blushes, but his eyes immediately go to the deep gash stretching up the side of her leg, ending just before the hip. He tends to the wound gently, cleaning and sealing it, before turning towards her stomach. There are scrapes across the skin from rock and other debris that had been flung her way.
"Are you in any pain?" he asks as he finishes healing the scrapes.
"I wasn't before, but with the adrenaline leaving it's starting a bit," she answers honestly. Draco nods and pulls out a green liquid. Measuring out a teaspoon, he hand the spoon to her. His eyes skim over her for a moment, then he shakes his head a turns away.
"You should stay off that leg for at least a day," he says to the wall. "Kreature?" The elf pops beside them. "Please take Hermione to her bed. She is not allowed to put weight on her right leg. Also get her clean sleeping clothes. I'll be up in a moment." The elf nods and pops her to the bed in their room.
True to his word, Draco enters the room once she is in her clean clothes and tucked into bed.
"Thank you for patching us up," she says. He shrugs.
"You going to tell me how the twins ended up here?" he asks.
"Ginny died. They want to take a more active role," she answers. He nods and brushes her hair away from her face.
"Get some sleep, love," he says as he slips into the bed and blows out the candles.