A/N: An update! Yay! And I'm very rested too, from time in the countryside. Thanks so much to stella8h8chang for betaing this chapter. I own nothing. Rated T for strong language.


Chapter 7: Rescues and Recovery

She had never seen so much blood before.

There was so much blood coming out from someone who was still alive.

Daphne paled as she watched Harry Potter and Remus Lupin carry George Weasley into the Burrow's living room, making sure he was lying on the sofa. Daphne swooned with nausea as she saw the source of all the blood: a hole on the side of George's head where his ear had been.

Immediately, she ran and grabbed Blood-Replenishing Potions, right as Ginny snagged two whole towers of cloths and basin of water. They brought both to Molly Weasley, who was already tending to her son's wound with her own apron.

"Oh Merlin!" Daphne breathed out, as Molly viciously tore another strip of cloth off to staunch the flow of blood. She saw Ginny standing next to her, pale, shaking, and rubbing her mouth with a trembling, nervous hand. "What did Harry say?"

"There was a whole army of Death Eaters, waiting at Privet Drive." Ginny never took her eyes off of her mum as she worked on her older brother.

"They knew?" Daphne asked incredulously.

Ginny nodded, still watching Molly work. "We don't know how—"

"W-well," Daphne said, shakily but cynically, "I don't think it takes a great Arithmancer to divine that someone told them."

Ginny's face remained calm, but she turned her eyes to Daphne. The Slytherin saw her horrified disbelief. "I don't see how that's possible."

Daphne snorted. Her gaze fell to the ground. "Betrayal is a fairly common human quality."

(Just look at Professor Snape.)

Ginny shook her head. "No, I-I mean . . . how could any one of the Order do that? From where I'm standing, the only people that knew about the plan was our family and the other members who were participating that evening—"

Daphne shrugged, just as Lupin's voice rose in the background; he was telling Harry that "the time for Disarming is past!"

"Damn. You know things have turned to total dragon dung when Lupin's the one losing it." Daphne intoned.

Ginny was about to respond, when Daphne heard the same thing that caused Lupin to jump out of his chair — the sound of scuffling from the outside.

Another group had just arrived by portkey.

"I'll go see who it is. Stay here with your mum."

Ginny nodded and Daphne bolted into the yard, just in time to see Harry hugging Hermione and Kingsley Shacklebolt talking to Lupin.

Daphne joined the circle, and even managed to give Hermione a hug to greet her.

"Godric! You've no idea how much we were worried, Granger!"

"How many times do I have to tell you, call me Hermione—"

Daphne held up a hand to stop Hermione's rant. She gave the bushy-haired girl a small, relieved smile. "Well, that settles it! It's definitely you." Daphne's face fell. "The others aren't back yet."

Hermione shut her eyes and bit her lip. "Ron—"

Daphne shook her head. "No word. Fred's, Mr. Weasley's, Ron's and Bill's hands have been on 'Mortal Peril' now since you all left Privet Drive."

"Oh!" Hermione breathed out and brought her hand up to her watery eyes. "H-how're Mrs. Weasley? Ginny?"

Daphne winced. "They're focused on George—"

Hermione gave Daphne a horrified expression. "George?!"

"He lost an ear."

Hermione and Daphne turned and faced Lupin, who had been talking to Kingsley Shacklebolt about the most recent breakout of Death Eaters and other loyalists to Voldemort's army. Hermione's hand fell to her mouth; all the color drained from her face.

"An ear?" she squeaked.

Lupin nodded. "Sectumsempra. Snape's handiwork—"

At this, Daphne blanched.

(Bloody Salazar's Snake!)

(Snape?)

"Snape?!" Harry exclaimed. "He was there? He was a part of that?" Harry pointed to the heavens. Panting as Lupin explained Snape's hood had fallen off in the heat of battle, Harry turned around and let out a string of invectives that would've had any of the Weasley kids blushing.

"Harry, we need yeh in here!" Hagrid bellowed from the entryway. Harry ran toward the house. Daphne's eyes followed his retreating figure for a few moments.

She was certain that Hagrid had summoned Harry to help with George.

George.

George Weasley.

Daphne let out a breath. It had been so close. She had no idea whether George was all right; for all she knew he had already lost too much blood—

(No.)

(Stop that. Don't start thinking the worst.)

(They don't need you breaking down, Greengrass.)

Daphne remembered that Bill had lost almost twice as much blood after Greyback attacked him. He had made it through just fine. Daphne allowed a small grin of relief to appear on her face.

She wasn't going to allow herself to think that anyone was going to die tonight.

Another day, perhaps.

Another war.

But not tonight.

Daphne glanced over to her right side. Hermione was looking up into the dark sky. Daphne saw that Hermione's eyes were growing more and more wet and she stood stock still, her arms crossed in front of her chest as if trying to keep her entire body contained, as if trying to keep herself from leaping up off of the ground to search the heavens for the missing parties.

"Hermione," Daphne whispered, "they'll be here."

Hermione could only respond with a soft whimper. She kept her face turned upwards—

Another bright blue light lit up the night. Daphne, Hermione, Shacklebolt and Lupin watched as both Fred and Arthur Weasley slammed onto the ground.

"Arthur!" Lupin cried out.

"Mr. Weasley! Fred!" Hermione could barely stop herself. She ran over to the pair. "It's George."

Arthur nearly stumbled to the ground. "W-what? What happened?" His eyes moved rapidly over Lupin's and Shacklebolt's faces.

"George was badly injured during the fight, Arthur." Lupin said quickly.

"Injured how?"

Lupin turned toward Fred. "His ear. Snape's doing."

Arthur stormed toward the Burrow, Fred on his heels.

"Wait!" It was now Kingsley Shacklebolt who was speaking. "Arthur, we need to ask you your question—"

"Don't even think about it, Kingsley! My son's in there!" Arthur managed to wrench out of Shacklebolt's grasp and proceeded toward the Burrow as if his own life depended on it, his face clouded with both fury and fear.

Daphne and Hermione looked at each other. Instead of words, Daphne moved closer to Hermione, and put her hand on her shoulder. Hermione gave her a shaky smile.

Both girls' eyes turned back toward the sky.

It was impossible to know how long they stood there, silent and waiting. At one point, Hermione gave Daphne's own hand a couple of pats and Daphne felt her chin give, and sensed tears gathering in her own eyes.

They stood, and slowly, more joined them. Shacklebolt was already outside next to the girls. Lupin joined him. From where he stood, Daphne could hear him whisper, "Tonks," into the night air.

Daphne heard the quiver in her own breath. She had forgotten that Professor Lupin was waiting for his wife's safe return. She wanted to kick herself for being so forgetful.

On the other side, farther away from Shacklebolt and Lupin, Harry and Ginny stood together, hands held, still and quiet as two statues.

Harry looked over to Daphne and she gave him a small smile and nod. He returned both gestures—

"Come on, Ron," Hermione said in a hushed voice. "Please."

The vigil continued.

Seconds . . .

Minutes . . .

Hours . . .

(Too long.)

Daphne paced back and forth, biting her fingernails and tearing them off in increasing apprehension.

(They should've been back by now—)

Blue light shone directly in front of her—

And Daphne yelped and Hermione screamed out, "It's them!"

Before Tonks' even made it off of her broom, Lupin had her in his arms, his face turning pink even in the darkness.

Harry, Ginny and Daphne ran over to Ron, who was embracing Hermione as hard and as tight as he could. Harry slapped his best friend on the back and Ginny took her turn hugging him.

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed. "I shouldn't be worried about Bellatrix Lestrange; I'll be hugged to death after all this is over!" Ginny slapped at him with affection. "Are we the last back? Muriel was a complete basketcase. She made us late—"

Ginny shook her head, her face showing her disappointment and worry. "We're waiting for Bill and Fleur and Mad-Eye and Mundungus." She turned back to the Burrow. "I'll tell Mum and Dad you got back all right."

Daphne smacked Ron across the head. "You git!"

"Ow! The hell, Greengrass! Some bloody 'Welcome Back!' that is." He looked put out.

"You! You kept us all waiting," Daphne said, as she shook her head and rolled her eyes. She smirked at him, but playfully and kind. "Even on a mission, you take your sweet time."

Ron rolled his eyes at her and turned back to the others. "All right, so, what did I miss?"

"I lost Hedwig," Harry said; sadness clouded his voice.

Hermione gasped. "No! Harry, y-you mean she's—?"

Harry nodded. "Killing Curse. I have no idea which Death Eater it came from." Harry swallowed and let out a breath halfway between a gasp and a sob. "It didn't sink in before . . . sh-she's just gone."

"Mate," Ron said in a sympathetic voice. He put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'm sorry. Really sorry." Harry nodded.

"She was good to you, wasn't she?" Daphne asked.

Harry gave her a grin, and Daphne noticed with a start that it was the first time she had ever seen Harry's chin shake with emotion. "She was the best."

Hermione hugged him tightly, muttering her own condolences, which Harry accepted gratefully.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley ran outside to see Ron. Daphne was shocked to see Molly's apron several inches shorter, loose strings from where the fabric was ripped flying as she ran.

And, Daphne observed, with another sickening sensation, that it was covered with blood.

"Oh . . . my Ronnie . . . my little Ronnie!"

"Arrgh! Mum . . . gerroff . . . 'M all right . . ." he managed to get out despite her violently hugging and kissing him all over his face.

"Son, I can't even tell you how glad we are to see you," Arthur said shakily. "Tonks said you were wonderful up there — got one of the Death Eaters right in the face."

Ron blushed and stammered. "Well . . . er . . . don't wanna brag . . ." but his voice was filed with the sound of pride. Suddenly, Ron noticed his mum's apron. "M-Mum, what's that—?"

"Ron, it's your brother. Everything's all right, but—"

Molly didn't have a chance to finish the sentence. At that moment, all eyes and hands pointed toward the sky.

"I see them!" Tonks shouted. "A Thestral! Bill and Fleur!"

Bill and Fleur landed and the group ran over to greet them. However, they all paused as they noticed the expressions on both of their faces.

"Mad-Eye's dead."

A hush fell over the garden, broken only by the startled gasps of Molly and Tonks.

"Bill," the young Auror asked him, a small hint of desperate disbelief creeping into her voice, "You're sure? H-he's . . ." Lupin had a hold of Tonks' shoulders, and Daphne saw them shake as she spoke.

Bill could only nod. "Voldemort went after him as soon as we were in the air. I- . . . Godric! Did any of you see him?" Bill asked the others, desperation in his voice. Lupin and Shacklebolt nodded.

"He can fly."

Bill shook his head at Lupin's response. "We couldn't believe it ourselves." He wiped at his mouth, too shell-shocked to continue.

"Eet looked as though Mundungus panicked and Disapparated while on zee broom," Fleur continued. "Mad-Eye was steel alive, but V-Voldemort 'it 'im in zee face and Mad-Eye fell." Fleur looked at Bill, who was shaking his head.

"We couldn't reach him . . . we had to go on . . . there were too many, and we were almost surrounded . . ." Bill looked at Fleur with a nod. "I'm never, ever teasing you again about the quality of teaching at Beauxbatons." Bill turned to the others. "Fleur put most of the Aurors at the Ministry to shame."

Daphne could hear the matter-of-fact reverence in his voice.

"Tonks," Fleur said, still blushing at Bill's compliment, "I am so sorry about Mad-Eye. I know 'e trained you to become an Auror."

Tonks could only nod and mouth "Thanks" She turned into Lupin's arms and embraced him.

Daphne caught her breath. She had barely known Mad-Eye Moody. And, in all actuality, she couldn't really count the year that he had taught Defense Against the Dark Arts. He had been, not Mad-Eye Moody after all, but Barty Crouch, Jr., a Death Eater in disguise.

But when she had known Mad-Eye as Mad-Eye, he hadn't really trusted her. It was only a week ago when he had tried to kick her out of the meeting where they discussed how they were going to rescue Harry.

However, Daphne knew that Mad-Eye's death was a huge loss for the Order. For all of his paranoia and insanity, Mad-Eye was one of the best Aurors the Ministry had ever seen . . .

("Had" is the operative word, isn't it?)

(So much death.)

(It's nowhere near over, and already, so many people have died.)

Daphne didn't even realize that they were walking back up to the house. She looked over at Harry and Ginny, who were still clinging onto each others' hands. Ginny caught her eye; to Daphne's surprise, the youngest Weasley girl wasn't crying like the others.

Daphne pulled her eyes away. She saw Ron holding Hermione close to him. Lupin and Tonks were trailing behind all of them, Tonks weeping into her hand, and Lupin offering her his handkerchief. Shacklebolt stood next to Hagrid, who was dabbing at his own eyes. The Auror had his head bowed down low and his eyes closed. Daphne felt that even watching him was an invasion of his privacy.

Molly and Arthur were already standing in the room. Arthur kissed the top of his wife's head as she trembled in his arms and cried.

All Daphne wanted at that point was to have Michael Corner next to her, embracing her.

(Because you'd know for sure that he was still alive.)

Bill sent a number of glasses filled with firewhiskey around the room. They all took the glasses, raising them in high tribute—

"To Mad-Eye."

"Mad-Eye."

The clinks of glass hitting teeth and mouths filled the quiet space. Daphne choked her own firewhiskey back, letting the fire burn down her throat. There was a moment of lightheadedness, a brief swoop as the drink hit her guts . . . and it was gone.

Daphne's head returned to the present, and she heard the conversation in the room return to what exactly happened . . . how the hell had they found out . . . if they had been betrayed (and, obviously, they mentioned Mundungus's name, since he had suspiciously disappeared.)

"Where do you think you're going at this hour?"

Daphne snapped out of her trance and heard Lupin's stern question to his wife, who was walking out the door.

"Someone's got to find Mad-Eye's body and wand, Remus." Tonks said in a faraway voice. "I'd prefer it to be one of us," she pointed to Shacklebolt and herself, "instead of Death Eaters. It's our job." Tonks' voice eased up, and she walked over to her husband and touched his cheek. "We have to retrieve his body. Mad-Eye was good about keeping only the necessaries on him. He wouldn't have had any confidential items on him, but I shudder thinking that if he were found by the wrong people . . ." Tonks gave a small cough. "I'm going. Who else is with me? Bill? I know it's already been a long day, but you saw where he went down—"

Bill nodded. "Count me in."

"Beel?" Fleur intoned. He held his hand up.

"I saw him fall. They need help. They also might need backup. I've got to go." Fleur ran to him and hugged him.

"Jus' be careful, Beel."

"Of course," he said to her gently and kissed her.

Kingsley Shacklebolt nodded an affirmative. "I'm with you, Tonks."

"No way you're leaving here without me." Lupin stepped forward to join his wife.

The house quietly watched the party of four troop out of the house and out into the dangerous night.

Talk of wands and trying to get Harry to stay when the stupid git damn near insisted that he had to go seemed to occupy the rest of the evening. Daphne did notice Harry growing more and more pale, more and more sickly as the discussion progressed, and Harry stumbled outside, followed closely by Ron and Hermione. Ginny stood, watching them leave, scratching her elbow in an awkward manner, as if she simply didn't know what to do with herself.

Daphne felt her eyes close. It seemed that the adrenaline rush of the evening had finally worn off; coming down from that particular high and consuming the firewhiskey left Daphne rather drowsy.

She bade goodnight to the group and drug herself up the staircase toward Percy's old room. Daphne flung herself onto her bed, and shut her eyes . . .

When she heard a knock at the door.

"C'min," she mumbled, and the door creaked open.

"Daphne, were you asleep?"

Ginny peeked her head into the room. "Oh, dangit! I'm . . . I'm sorry. I sort of wanted to talk to . . . er, someone . . ." Ginny turned back to the hallway. "I'll just go to my own room—"

"Hey," Daphne said, and she sat up and rubbed her eyes. " 'S okay, Ginny. I had just put my head on the pillow. Come in."

Ginny nodded and sat down on the bed.

"How's George?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Saintlike."

Daphne creased her brow, "Huh?"

"His horrible joke. He's holey now." Ginny pointed at her ear.

Daphne groaned and smacked her forehead. "Awful. Seriously awful!" She snorted and Ginny chuckled. "At least he's all right." Daphne meant to make it a statement, but it came out more like a question.

Ginny's face fell; she looked troubled and confused.

"How can I feel like this?"

"What do you mean?"

Ginny fumbled with the loose threads of the bed sheets and licked her lips. "Did you cry?"

"Hmm?"

Ginny looked down at the bed. "When you found out about Moody. Did you cry?"

Daphne's eyebrows shot up. "Well . . . er . . ."

Ginny nodded, her face expressionless. "Yeah. I looked over, and I think you and I were the only ones that didn't." She swallowed. "I feel so bad," she whispered, "because Harry was, Ron and Hermione were, my whole family . . . Tonks, Shacklebolt . . . but," her hand swooped under her eyes for emphasis. "No tears." Ginny looked back at Daphne. "I c-couldn't help it," she coughed awkwardly, "I felt . . . not happy, but relieved." She chewed on her bottom lip. "After what happened with Bill, and tonight with George, I was . . ." Ginny paused and closed her eyes, her face scrunched up a bit as if she were trying to not think, feel, or say what she was about to. "I felt relieved that if we were to lose someone, it wasn't a Weasley. I couldn't help it." Ginny opened her eyes and looked at the Slytherin girl with a face that was pure, stark white. "I feel like a monster."

Daphne sat forward, gasping in disbelief. "Ginny, Voldemort's the monster! Voldemort's the reason that there's so much suffering in the world. He's the reason there's so much death and pain." Daphne caught herself thinking back to the conversation between Dumbledore and Snape just a few months ago.

The conversation in Snape's office.

The conversation in which the Headmaster revealed why he had assisted Daphne's upbringing all these years—

(Stop it. Don't do this.)

(Not now.)

"You're only a witch. You're a witch whose entire family's in the middle of a war. And there's no guarantees about who'll get hurt or who'll die or . . . or anything!" It was Daphne's turn to shake her head. "But you didn't want anyone to die. You didn't send that curse into Moody's face. That was all Voldemort."

Ginny's head bobbed up and down in silence, but Daphne thought it was more to show she only heard her words, not that she fully believed them.

Ginny exhaled. "I don't think I ever really talked to Moody about . . . well, about anything. I mean, he was more than a little intimidating." Ginny gave Daphne a little lopsided grin. "Constant—"

"Vigilance!" Daphne finished. Both girls chuckled.

"But, you expect someone, a strong wizard like Moody to go down in battle." Ginny looked away to the other side of the room. "You just sort of know that the only way he's going down is in a fight because he's a warrior. He's never been anything but a warrior. That's how I've always known him. My brothers," Ginny's voice halted in her throat. "M-my brothers . . . my dad . . . They're not soldiers . . . they're Weasleys. They're supposed to live and have a million babies with red hair and brown or blue eyes and freckles and . . . they're supposed to bloody live!" Ginny's hand hit the bed, and she looked down at the simple pattern of moon and stars rotated around dark blue cloth. The sound of her fast, deep breaths filled Percy's bedroom.

"If anyone told you that you couldn't fight," Daphne started, slowly and quietly, "you'd rack 'em in the bollocks, wouldn't you?"

Ginny cocked her eyebrow at Daphne and snorted. "That I would."

"Right . . . so, I guess you get your, er . . . spirit wherever your family gets theirs. Definitely a Weasley, through and through."

Ginny let herself laugh. "I see your point. We're all so . . . stubborn and thick-headed and . . . we fight, don't we?" Ginny let her eyes scan the room and she let out a breath. "Speaking of stubborn, I haven't seen Percy in so long. Merlin, he must hate us so much—"

"Honestly, Ginny," Daphne interrupted, "I don't think it's possible to be a part of this family and hate it. Ever." Daphne spoke firmly, causing Ginny to look at her with surprise. "What? It is possible for a Slytherin to actually admit that the Weasleys aren't all that bad." Daphne gave her a sly wink. Ginny chortled.

After a couple of moments of chuckling, Ginny grew serious once again. "I hope Percy's all right. I never really talk about him with anyone here. Mum cries every time one of us brings him up, and you can't have a conversation about Percy with Ron or the twins because their faces go all red and blotchy and they start swearing." Ginny's brows twitched. "I'll join them, depending on my mood, of course. But, I guess all I want is for someone to tell me he's all right."

"Your dad still sees him at the Ministry?"

Ginny nodded. "Mm-hm, but he never talks to him. They only stare at each other in the lifts or in the hallways every once in a while." Her chin shook, causing her teeth to hit each other. "All I want is to hear his voice and say that he loves us, that he still loves us. He doesn't even have to say he misses us . . . just that he loves us. And that he's okay."

Daphne felt herself getting choked up. "It's hard to admit you're wrong about something you believed in so intensely, even if you know you're wrong." Ginny met Daphne's eyes. "Trust me, Ginny. I definitely think he'll surprise you one day."

Ginny smiled at her. "I hope so." Letting out a breath, Ginny climbed off the bed. "I'm off to bed. You'll be all right?"

Daphne nodded and smiled back at her. "Sleep well. Sleep in."

Ginny gave a small chuckle. "Yeah. Hey, thanks for listening to me."

Daphne nodded. "No problem. Y'might talk to Fleur too. She's pretty cool."

Ginny rolled her eyes but Daphne noticed she continued to grin. "Yeah, maybe." And with a wave, Ginny opened the door and left her brother's bedroom.

Lying back on the old pillows on Percy's bed, Daphne finally let sleep wash over her, feeling oddly comforted as she thought about the conversation she had just had with Ginny.


A/N: Lupin's line to Harry is straight from Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, U.S. Version, page 70 (2007). His line to Hermione about George's ear came from page 73 of the same edition. The line Hagrid yelled at Harry comes from the same page.