Chapter 4: Crash the Wedding
Unfortunately, Harry never got that chance. The drums of war beat ominously as the summer after Dumbledore's death dragged on. Harry turned 17 at the sunset of July, and was spirited away from the Durselys to the Burrow. In August, a month before Rose's 2nd birthday, Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour were married.
Harry was in the reception marquee, bouncing Rose on his lap and watching her parents dance when it happened. A Patronus appeared in the middle of the guests, announcing the fall of the Ministry to Voldemort's control. Seconds later, black plumes hurled into the party, as Death Eaters attacked.
Rose in his arms, Harry sprang over a table and pelted towards Ron and Hermione. With no time to think, the quartet held onto each other and Disapparated.
Hermione had them emerge on Chauntsbury Avenue, a Muggle street, hustling her thrown-together family into an alley and dealing out supplies from her beaded bag. Rose squirmed in her father's arms.
"Mummy? Where are we going?"
"Hush, my little rosebud. Uncle Harry's going to take us to his place."
"What? I am?" There was no way Harry could go back to the Dursleys now, but when Hermione gave him an expectant look, he remembered. Grimmauld Place.
The four made it into the hidden safe-house without incident, Hermione quickly commandeering the kitchen to cook dinner. Ron entertained Rosie by showing her how to play the grand piano. Beethoven's 9th Symphony drifted through the background as Harry contemplated the Snitch left to him in Dumbledore's will.
Dinner was a silent affair, Harry joining in playing Rosie's games and acting as normal as he could. It was the only way he and her parents thought they could reassure her that nothing was wrong. Glancing up from her plate of mashed potatoes, Rose yawned sleepily.
"Bedtime, little lady," Hermione bristled. As soon as she flounced up the stairs with Rose over her shoulder, the men began to pow-wow in hushed tones.
"She can't stay here," Harry said flatly. "We have to send her back to the Burrow."
"We can't! You heard Dad's Patronus - the family is being watched!"
"So, we arrange a Portkey for her to take on her own, that lands her right in the back garden, and..."
"Are you insane, Harry? She's my daughter!"
"They're not going to slap her face on Wanted posters, now, are they?"
"They can do whatever they like! And they probably already have Rose doctored into a mugshot!"
"Well, is there anyone else? Maybe we could leave her with Lupin and Tonks!"
"Sure, that's real considerate - leave a pregnant woman with a toddler!"
"It would be good practice..."
The argument halted as Hermione came back into the kitchen. Even so, from the way her eyes flashed, it was apparent that she had overheard at least some of the conversation.
"My baby stays with me."
"Hermione -" Harry tried to reason.
"For now. She stays. She's my daughter. She stays."
Satisfied with this (although in his mind, Ron was desperate to ensure his daughter's safety), Ron turned to his best mate. "What's the plan, Harry?"
The plan involved breaking into the Ministry of Magic. Following an accidental tip from Mundungus Fletcher, the Golden Trio learned that a possible Horcrux lay inside the Ministry. Abducting three Ministry employees, Harry, Ron and Hermione took on their identities with Polyjuice Potion. In a decision that he would come to appreciate later, Harry elected to not leave Rose warded inside Grimmauld Place, but rather, concealed and warded in a rucksack across his back.
The quartet entered the lifts without incident, and finally managed to steal Slytherin's locket from off Umbridge's own neck. But before they could sneak back out of the building, the Polyjuice wore off. A Death Eater called Yaxley pursued them in a mad dash to the lifts, from which the band of renegades Disapparated.
Harry found himself on his back, in a cluster of trees. Remembering, he rolled onto his stomach to avoid crushing Rosie in the rucksack. He undid the wards, and broke his goddaughter out. "Good girl, Rosie... you are such a good girl... you were so quiet..." her godfather breathed in relief.
But then, Rose's eyes widened in horror, her lip trembling. "Daddy!"
She and Harry ran over to wear Ron was spread-eagled, bleeding and shaking. Hermione was hovering over the father of her child, tears in her eyes, as she began applying Dittany to the wounds.
"Why aren't we at Grimmauld Place?" Harry demanded, the tone harsher than he had intended.
"We were, we were!" Hermione hiccuped. "But Yaxley had hold of me and this is the first place I thought of when I shrugged him off... and Ron got splinched!"
Ron made a choking nose, as Rose laid herself flat on his chest, stroking his cheek. "Get better, Daddy," she murmured gently. Ron's countenance relaxed encouragingly.
Beaming with tenderness, Hermione softly kissed Ron's lips, then gathered Rose up in her arms. With her free hand, her wand began casting Protection charms all around their site, as Harry hefted Ron to his feet.
For the foreseeable future, they would be going on a camping trip.