Chapter Four

Fallen Warrior

"Hagrid?"

Harry struggled to raise himself out of the pile of metal and leather that surrounded him; his hands sank into inches of muddy water as he tried to stand. He didn't understand where Voldemort had gone and expected him to come out of the darkness at any moment. Something hot and wet was running down his chin and from his forehead. He crawled out of the pond and stumbled toward the great dark mass on the ground that was Hagrid.

"Hagrid? Hagrid, talk to me…"

But the dark mass did not stir.

"Who's there? Is it Potter? Are you Harry Potter?"

Harry didn't recognize the man's voice. Then a woman shouted, "They've crashed, Ted! Crashed in the garden!"

Harry's head was swimming.

"Hagrid," He repeated stupidly, and his knees buckled.

The next thing he knew, he was lying on his back on what felt like cushions, with a burning sensation in his ribs and right arm. His missing tooth had be regrown. The scar on his forehead was still throbbing.

"Hagrid?"

He opened his eyes and saw that he was lying on a couch in an unfamiliar, lamp lit sitting room. His rucksack lay on the floor a short distance away, wet and muddy. A fair head, big bellied, man was watching Harry anxiously.

"Hagrid's fine, son," said the man, "the wife's seeing to him now. How are you feeling? Anything else broken? I've fixed your ribs, your tooth, and your arm. I'm Ted Tonks…Dora's father."

Harry sat up too quickly: lights popped in front of his eyes and he felt sick and giddy.

"Voldemo-"

"Easy, now." said Ted Tonks, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder and pushing him back against the pillows. "That was a nasty crash you just had. What happened, anyway? Something go wrong with the bike? Arthur Weasley overstretch himself again, him and his muggle contraptions?"

"No." said Harry, as his scar pulsed like an open wound. "Death Eaters, lots of them…we were chased…"

"Death Eaters?" said Ted sharply. "What do you mean. Death Eaters? I thought they didn't know you were being moved tonight, I thought-"

"They knew." said Harry.

Ted Tonks looked up at the ceiling as though he could see through it to the sky.

"Well, we know our protective charms hold, then, don't we?" they shouldn't be able to get within' a hundred yards of the place in any direction."

Now Harry understood why Voldemort had vanished. It had been at [oint when the motorbike crossed the barrier of the orders charm. He only hoped they would continue to work. He imagined Voldemort a hundred yards above them as they spoke, looking for a way to penetrate what Harry thought was a transparent bubble.

He swung his legs off the couch; he needed to see Hagrid with his own eyes before he would believe that he was alive. He had barely stood up, however, when a door opened and Hagrid squeezed through it, his face covered in mud and blood, limping a little but he was defiantly alive.

"Harry!"

Knocking over two delicate tables and aspidistra he covered the floor between them in two strides and pulled Harry into a hug that nearly cracked his newly repaired ribs. "Blimey, Harry, how did you get out of that? I though we were both goners."

"Yeah, me too, I can't believe-"

Harry broke off. He had just noticed the woman who had entered the room behind Hagrid.

"You!" he shouted and he thrust his hand in his pocket, but it was empty.

"Your wand's here, son." said Ted tapping it on Harry's shoulder. "It fell right beside you, I picked it up. And that's my wife your shouting at."

"Oh, I'm….I'm sorry."

As she moved forward into the room, Mrs. Tonks resemblance to her sister Bellatrix became less obvious. Her hair was a softer brown and her eyes were lighter and more pure. She walked over to Harry a smiled at him.

"I'm glad your alright." she said hugging him more gently the Hagrid had. "Have you heard from Dora?"

Harry looked down at his feet. He didn't want to tell her that they were attacked by Death Eaters and that he had not known what had become of her daughter. He looked up suddenly when a realization struck him.

"What are we suppose to now?" He asked looking from the couple to Hagrid.

"There should be a hair brush on my vanity." Mrs. Tonks said. "It's black. And it's a portkey."

Harry nodded his thanks before heading towards the door. He let Hagrid go in first before turning to the couple yet again.

"Don't worry, Andromeada." Ted was saying. "'Dora's an Auror. She can take care of her self."

"I know." the woman said sadly.

"I'll give Ton- I mean, Dora, word to call you." Harry said smiling at the woman he almost hexed into oblivion.

"Thank you." she said smiling with teary eyes.

Harry entered the room and stood next to Hagrid. He grabbed onto the hair brushed and waited.

"Hey, Harry?" Hagrid said. "Where's Hedwig?"

"…She….She got hit." he said quietly.

"I'm sorry Harry." he said patting Harry on the shoulder. "Never mind, she had a great old life."

Harry felt an unusual yet very familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach as the Portkey jumped into action. He closed his eyes not opening them until he felt ground beneath his feet. He looked around. He was now standing in the garden at the Burrow. He noticed Ginny open the door to see who had landed in the yard.

"Mum!" she yelled running over to him. "It's Harry! You are Harry right?"

"Yeah." Harry said laughing at the question. "Is anyone else here?"

"No." Ginny said as Molly came rushing out the door to engulf Harry in a tight hug. "What happen?"

"Death Eaters were waiting for us." he said suddenly.

"Well," Molly said petting his face. "At least your okay."

Harry felt a sudden pain in his stomach as he realized that something could have happened to Draco and Halie.

"Haven't got any brandy, Molly?" Hagrid asked receiving a worried look from her. "For medical purposes."

Molly walked out of the room with out another thought to fetch the brandy. Harry turned to Ginny.

"Ron and Tonks should have been back first, but they missed their portkey. It came with out them." she said pointing at a rusty oil can laying nearby. "And that one." she pointed at an old sneaker. "That was dad and Fred's they were suppose to be second, you and Hagrid were third and" she checked her watch. "if they made it George and Lupin should be next."

Mrs. Weasley returned with the bottle of brandy and handed it to Hagrid who drank it down from the bottle.

"Mum!" Ginny said pointing out of the door.

A blue light had appeared in the darkness: it grew larger and brighter, and Lupin and George appeared, spinning and then falling. Harry knew immediately that there was something wrong: Lupin was supporting George, who was unconscious and whose face was covered in blood.

Harry ran forward and seized George's legs. Together, he and Lupin carried George into the house and trough the kitchen to the sitting room, where they laid him on the couch. As the lamplight fell across George's head, Ginny gasped and Harry's stomach stirred: One of Georges ears was missing. The side of his head and neck drenched in we, shockingly scarlet blood.

No sooner had Mrs. Weasley bent over her son than Lupin grabbed Harry by the upper arm and dragged him. None too gently, back into the kitchen, where Hagrid was still attempting to ease his bulk through the back door.

"Oi!" said Hagrid indignantly. "Te' go of 'im! Le' go of 'Arry!"

Lupin ignored him.

"What creature sat in the corner the first time that Harry Potter visited my office at Hogwarts?" he said, giving Harry a small shake. "Answer me!"

"A…A gridylow in a tank, wasn't it?"

Lupin released Harry and fell back against a kitchen cupboard.

"wha' was tha' 'bout?" roared Hagrid.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I had to check," said Lupin abruptly. "We've been betrayed. Voldemort knew that you were being moved tonight. And the only people who could have told him were directly involved in the plan. You might have been an imposter."

"So why aren't you checking me?" panted Hagrid still struggling to get through the door.

"Your-half giant." Lupin said looking at Hagrid. "The Poly-juice potion is only for human use."

"None of the order would have told Voldemort we were moving tonight." Harry said. The idea was dreadful. He could not believe that of any of them. "Voldemort only caught up with me in the end, he didn't know which one I was in the beginning. If he'd been in on the plan he'd have known from the start that I was the one with Hagrid."

Harry explained to Lupin how the Death Eaters perusing them had recognized him as the real Harry, how they abandoned the chase, how they must have summoned Voldemort, who had appeared just as him and Hagrid reached Tonks' parents house.

"They knew it was you? But how? What had you done?"

"I…." Harry tried to remember. The journey was all a blur of panic to him. "I saw Stan Shunpike, you know they guy who was the conductor on the knight bus? So, I tried to disarm him instead of…you know…he doesn't know what he's doing, does he? He must have been on the imperius curse."

Lupin looked aghast.

"Harry, the time for disarming has passed! These people are trying to capture and kill you! At least stun if aren't prepared to kill!"

"we were hundreds of feet up! If I'd stunned him and he'd fallen he would have died! Expelliarmus saved me from Voldemort two years ago!" Harry added defiantly. Lupin was reminding him of the sneering Hufflepuff Zacharias smith, who had jeered at Harry for wanting to teach Dumbledore's army how to disarm.

"Yes, Harry," Said Lupin with painful disdain. "And there were several Deatheaters there to witness it."

Harry looked down at his hands not wanting to have another word about this. He knew that he should have acted in another way but he couldn't bring himself to hurt Stan.

"What happen to George?" Harry asked trying to change the subject quickly.

"Snape." Lupin said quietly. "He hit us from behind, Sectumsempra."

Harry didn't know what to say. He knew what the curse could do. He had used it on Draco last year and nearly lost him. His fist clenched at the thought of this. He looked up when he saw a familiar blue light hoping that it was Draco.

"Mum!" Ginny called as she stuck her head in the window. "It's Kingsley and Hermione!"

Harry jumped out of his seat and was stopped by Remus. He walked over to the two stopping them from entering the house. Harry knew that they were already them and folded his arms.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed after Remus was finished with her. She ran over to him and hugged him. "I'm so glad your okay!"

Harry hugged Hermione backed and smiled. He was glad that one of his friends had come back safely. The return of his friends came quickly now. Mr. Weasley and Fred came in a bustle wanting to make sure that George was okay. This resulted in Remus having a black eye as Arthur punched him to get to his kids and a aching groin as Fred kneed him to get to his hurt brother. When Ron showed up with Tonks Harry had settled himself in the leaving room sitting in between his two best friends with Ginny on his lap. She had taken to touching Harry when ever she could.

Harry's heart ached when he saw Bill and Fleur come in alone. Fleur was in tears and Bill looked all too shocked. He stepped into the living room holding his wife. He looked up as if on the verge of tears himself.

"Mad-eye…" his voice trailed off. "…his gone."

Harry raised an eyebrow. He could feel a lump forming in his throat as he thought about what this could mean.

"you mean he took Draco to his house?" Ginny asked hopefully.

"We…Don't know where Draco is." Bill said rubbing his wife's lower back soothingly. "I'm sorry, Harry."

Harry didn't say anything. He looked down at his feet as he felt the hot tears form. Ginny rested her head on his shoulder and rubbed his back soothingly with Hermione on the other side. Ron gave him a sympathetic look. Harry tried not to cry. He knew that Draco would want him to be strong until they found him. There was a loud crash in the garden making everyone jump. Harry jumped up, knocking Ginny to the floor, and ran to the door. Praying that the crash had belonged to Draco. When he opened the door he felt something run into his legs and squeeze.

"Daddy!" Halie said hugging his legs tighter. "I was so scared."

"It's okay, Honey." Harry said petting her head. "You're safe now."

Halie went inside to make sure that the rest of her family was okay. Draco looked up just in time to see Harry throw himself at him. His arms were around Draco's neck and his face was buried in his shoulder. He was sobbing madly. Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's waist to hold him close.

"I thought I lost you." He said in between sobs.

"You could never lose me, Harry." Draco said rubbing his back. "I'd always find a way to come back to you."

Draco grabbed Harry's chin and brought his face up so that he could kiss him. The kiss was gentle but demanding so that they knew that it was real. Harry pushed himself closer. He wanted to feel all of Draco to make sure that he was real. Draco pulled away slowly and chuckled at Harry's whimper of disapproval.

"I'm sure everyone else will want to know I'm safe." Draco said smiling at him.

"Yeah," Harry said resting his hands on Draco's hips. "Everyone except Ginny."

Draco chuckled as they made there way to the house. When they entered everyone was discussing how they knew that they were being moved tonight.

"…Well, he can't have known the entire plan." Hermione said quietly.

"She's right." Harry said sitting down and lifting Halie into his lap. "He only caught up with me towards the end."

"True." Remus said sourly. "Although he might have never caught up with you if-"

"Maybe it would be best if I left." Harry said thoughtfully, ignoring Remus. "Me being here is only gonna put you all in danger."

"What about your family?" Molly asked angrily.

"Draco and Halie can stay here until…" Harry felt Halie shift uncomfortably and Draco tense up next to him. "…What?"

"We're not staying here." Draco said softly. "We're your family. You can't leave us."

"But-"

"I don't want you to go, Daddy." Halie said looking up at him.

"Two years ago," Draco said his voice cracking. "When this relationship got serious I promised you that no matter what you do, or where you go, that I'd always be there."

"Draco." Harry said quietly.

"And that's what I intend to do." He said looking at Harry. "No matter what."

"But, you could die." he said looking at his hands. "I can barely live with myself for letting Ron and Hermione talk their way into this. I can't let you-"

"It's not up to you." Draco said standing up suddenly. "I love you too much to let you leave me here."

"What about Halie?" Harry asked looking up at him. "She needs her parents."

Draco looked at the small child in his fiancés lap. He knew it would be dangerous to take her. But, what other choice did they have.

"She can come, too." he said quietly. "And I'll protect both of you with my life."

"Draco…" Harry said looking up at him. He knew that there was no talking him out of it. "Fine. You can come…but-"

"No buts." Draco said putting a finger to Harry's lips. "We're coming and we're staying together."

Harry nodded his head. He gasped at the throbbing pain in his head. His scar was hurting and Draco knew it.

"I'm…gonna go get some air." he said sitting Halie in her own chair.

Draco nodded his head as he watched Harry make his way out of the house. He hoped that he would be okay.

Harry's eyes were closed so he didn't hear Hermione when she stepped up behind him. He opened his eyes when the vision was over. He couldn't believe what he had seen. Olivander was laying on the floor of a ceil withering and screaming. Begging Voldemort to stop hurting him. He had been wrong about something. Something about a connection?

"Harry?" Hermione said questioningly. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He said quietly looking at her and then away. "Just a vision."

"You know," Hermione said firmly. "Dumbledore wouldn't like this. He would have told you to stop having these visions and control them better."

"We'll I can't do that can?" Harry said rolling his eyes at his friend.

"Are you sure it's wise to let Draco and Halie come?" Hermione asked suddenly. "It's gonna be really dangerous."

"I know." Harry said rubbing his eyes. "But if I say no…he'll just follow us."

"Really?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Yes, he followed us into the Chamber of secrets, he followed us to go save Sirius, he followed us to the Department of Mysterious, and he almost followed Snape out of my life." Harry explained. "There's no stopping him once his made his mind up."

Hermione chuckled even though she knew it was true.

Author Note: Sorry for the late update. There's been a lot going on what with me getting ready for school and my sister's birthday. Then there was that thing when I had to move my computer so…yeah. Hope you enjoy this chapter. It's kinda loving. Read and Review please.