I want to apologise for the time it's taken me to update - I've been very swamped with, well, life, lately, and I simply haven't found the sort of time to write that I'd like to. In case anyone is worried that I might not finish, I will promise you something right now: I will finish this story. Once I commit to writing, I stick with it.

Fortunately, the next two or three chapters are pretty much finished, so look forward to more updates in the near future.

On a side note, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was, in my opinion, excellent. My biggest disappointment was that they didn't mention Teddy and Victoire in the epilogue, because I'm a huge Teddy/Victoire fan, but it's very much a trivial complaint. All in all, I loved it.

Speaking of Teddy and Victoire, I'm going to shamelessly plug my new T/V oneshot, Intoxicating. It's fluff, but I like it. You can, of course, find it on my profile page.

Thank you to those who reviewed last chapter, as always, your reviews are incredibly appreciated.

Anyway, on with the show…

IV. Enemies Foreign and Domestic

Harry

It was bitterly cold.

I wrapped my cloak tighter around me as I followed X up a rocky mountain path. Y, behind me, was muttering something about 'fucking frostbite' and how he never wanted to visit Eastern Europe ever again.

I was inclined to agree with him.

"Harry, do you want to scout from the air?"

I sighed. I doubted that it would be any warmer two hundred feet up.

"Alright."

X tossed me the rucksack he had slung across his shoulder, and I reached in, and after fumbling about for a few seconds, drew out my Firebolt.

I took to the skies. We were looking for a forest nestled somewhere in the mountain range. It was Unplottable, and well-shielded, so finding it was proving to be a challenge.

The witch who inhabited the forest was worth it though.

She had been a personal friend of Bellatrix Lestrange, and apparently just as mental.

And also just as dangerous.

From what we knew, she'd recruited heavily for Voldemort throughout the Balkans, Estonia and Lithuania. From what we'd heard, she was still in contact with the resurgent group of Death Eaters that was threatening Wizarding Britain.

From the sky, I saw a sprawl of trees covering a gentle slope, and took out my wand.

I cast a blue light that flickered and faded into blackness.

Dark Magic was here.

I flew back down to meet X and Y.

"Just a couple of miles. Shall we Apparate?"

We did so, and appeared on the fringe of the forest. We moved quickly through the trees, pausing every so often to check for hidden wards. Eventually, we ran straight into a magical barrier. It glistened and shimmered a dull red as we made contact.

"We're in the right place at least," said X, brandishing his wand.

Drawing a complex weave of spells through the air, X began to break the shield.

"I'm going to need your help," said X, his voice strained. "This is stronger than it looks."

Y and I both drew our wands and pointed them at the ward.

Golden light began to emit from our wandtips, and X drew back, and then sweeping his wand in a wide circle, shot a stream of light into the wall of red in front of us.

With a bell-like noise, the ward dissipated.

"Let's go," instructed X, putting his wand away and continuing. Y and I followed suit, and we made our way into a clearing in the forest.

Thump.

"What in Merlin's name was that?" exclaimed Y.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

"It's getting closer!"

"It sounds like-"

A massive bellow shattered the air.

That sort of noise could only come from one thing.

Giants.

There was another bellow, and another, and then the treetops parted as several giants shambled into the clearing.

"Ah, you've got to be fucking me!" shouted Y angrily, drawing his wand and firing a barrage of Stunners at one of the giants.

"You're only going to aggravate them!" yelled X.

"I'll show the bastards aggravation!"

A blossoming pillar of fire exploded from his wand, and livid and hungry, it began to feed like a living, raging beast. One of the giants fell back, but the others pressed onwards.

"I'm going to fly!" I shouted, trying to be heard above the coarse bellows of the giants. I grabbed my broom, and took to the sky, ducking below a hand that tried to snatch me, and weaving around flailing fists.

A giant is a notoriously difficult creature to hurt, wound, or kill. Their lives are a series of endless brutal conflicts, and only the biggest and strongest survive. Their hide naturally repels nearly every hex, jinx, or curse in the book.

But I wasn't aiming for their skin.

Swooping down and around, veering to avoid another limb, I aimed and fired a Killing Curse.

Directly through the giant's eye.

It worked. The giant groaned and dark blood spurted from it's mouth as it went down. Together, X and Y had taken down another by hamstringing it to the ground. The cries of crippling pain cut off abruptly as it too was hit by a Killing Curse.

Three remained, including the Gurg, who was armed with what looked like half an oak tree for a club. A memory of a troll in a bathroom suddenly came to me as I flew, and I grinned.

Wingardium Leviosa!

The club was ripped unceremoniously from the giant, who looked perplexed for only a moment, before realising his club had mutinied against him, and was trying to smash his head in.

It was a surreal sight, me on my broom, swishing and flicking an enchanted oak trunk, trying to take out it's previous owner, whilst the giant grappled with it, trying to bring it back under control so he could swat the pesky wizard out of the air.

And, at that moment, I was sure-as-hell glad Hermione had made me pay attention to Professor Flitwick.

"HOOMIE! GIMME STICK!"

I brought my wand down in a sweeping motion, and the oak trunk shattered on the skull of the Gurg. I found I still had control of a decent sized shard of the splintered oak, and I swung my wand back around to impale the shard through the throat of the Gurg.

He had asked politely, after all.

Only one giant was left, and as I swooped overheard, I saw X somehow climbing up the back of the brute. The giant had noticed and was trying to grab him, but it's massive muscle-bound arms were proving a hinderance.

"GEROFF, HOOMIE!"

X reached it's shoulders, and grabbing a fistful of hair to steady himself, jabbed his wand directly at the giant's head. I saw a blaze of brilliant green light unleash from X's wand, and then half the giant's head quite literally exploded clean off.

X jumped as the corpse collapsed, and was caught by a Levitating Charm from Y, who lowered our colleague to the ground.

I flew down low to hover a few feet above the grass.

"She knows we're coming," said X, his face grim,

"We need to move fast," said Y, reaching into the bag and drawing out a second broom, before passing the bag over to X.

On brooms now, we headed further into the forest, flitting through the dark trees.

Ginny

It was the 2nd of January, and from sheer lack of anything to do, Hermione and I decided to journey back to London.

Once we were in the capital, we made our way to the Ministry, quickly registering our wands as guests with a witch who bade us a good day, and we took a lift to the Auror Office on Level Two.

The Auror Office had a cavernous entrance through a great iron door that stood open as we walked in. Runes were etched into the metal.

We made our way to a small reception desk occupied by a prim looking witch.

"Is Amy Rogers here?" inquired Hermione.

"She was called away on a mission, sorry."

"Do you know when she'll be back?" I asked.

The woman gave me a look.

"I'm a secretary. I don't have the clearance to know that sort of information."

"Can you tell her that Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger came to see her when she gets back?"

The secretary's expression softened. "Sure."

We bade her farewell, and left the Auror Office.

"Shall we go and see Ron?" Hermione suggested, and I nodded. We stepped into an empty lift and began to head back down towards Level Eight, the Atrium.

Harry

An hour of flying later, and we still hadn't come any closer to finding the witch. The sun had all but disappeared behind the murky canopy of the trees, which slowed us further down.

And then, without warning, vines shot out from the undergrowth, dragging X off his broom and to the forest floor.

He yelled in surprise, and then was cut off as one of the vines, python-like, wrapped itself around his neck and began to choke him.

"Devil's Snare!" exclaimed Y from behind me, as I dived to rescue X.

There was a crashing noise, and Y went to ground, caught too by the plant.

Another distant memory from my first year at Hogwarts went through my head, and drawing my wand, I conjured blinding light from my wand.

"You'll have to try harder than that!"

I looked up to the source of the voice. An incredibly old woman was perched in the branches of a nearby tree, her weathered face malicious. She pulled back her lips to reveal a cracked snarl.

From the corner of my eye, I saw X being dragged away into the bushes, and leapt into action.

If light wasn't going to work, I'd try fire.

Yelling, I cast a billowing blue flame into the air around me, as the woman let out an enraged howl.

The Devil's Snare retreated hastily, and Y, freed first, ran to pull X away as I turned again to face the witch.

"The Dark Lord told me of his foe. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived."

With a surprising agility, the woman leapt from her branch to land on the ground. From her sleeve she drew her wand.

I drew myself into a dueling stance.

"Careful, Harry," Y warned from behind me.

And then, she struck.

I barely managed to counter her first curse, and the second one that followed missed my face by inches.

The witch was faster than nearly anyone I'd ever seen.

With a wave of her wand, she sent several thin streams of light at me. I raised a powerful shield, and as the light collided, the impact threw me off my feet. Getting up, I hurled several Stunners back. However, each Stupefy was met with a manipulated vine or branch that blocked my spells from their target.

The woman cackled as each Stunner dissipated, and replied with a wave of inky black that sent an icy chill through the trees and darkened the sky. The black wave burst through the hasty Protego that I'd cast, and surged closer. Gritting my teeth, I reached out with my hand, remembering the words X had said when I'd been training back in the Department of Mysteries.

Focus. You can't do this without concentration. Focus on the energy inside of you.

Now bring it forth, reach with your free hand, make a circle with your wand, and say the words.

The syllables rolled off my tongue as I flicked my wand in a circular motion.

And cast white lightning.

Like a scythe, the lightning tore through the inky black, crackling, livid, and lethal. The witch let out another enraged yell as her curse was broken. She conjured a glowing red shield as the lightning surged around her.

The very air howled as the magic intensified, growing brighter until I could see nothing but white light.

I held my wand at the ready, and as the bright light eventually dimmed, I tried to make out the figure that appeared from it.

It was Ginny.

She was gorgeous, radiating, as she fixed me with the soft smile that she'd only ever given to me.

She was wearing a white dress that clung to her in all the right places, the stark white accentuating the fiery stream of hair that flowed down her slender back.

She began to walk towards me, her head held high in a manner that exuded her proud confidence that was as much a part of her as the freckles that dotted across her nose.

I let out a breath I hadn't realised I was holding in.

"Ginny, I-"

"Crucio."

Pain blossomed through every nerve in my body and I collapsed to the forest floor. She brought her wand down and I felt one of my ribs crack in my chest. A thin stream of blood trickled from my nose as I spasmed, fingers clutching at dirt and grass.

Black spots began to appear before my eyes, and I felt my willpower drain from my body.

This was it. I was done.

No.

I wasn't done.

Not yet.

"Expelliarmus!"

She gasped in shock as my wandless spell flung her backwards and sent her wand spinning away.

Shakily, I got to my feet. With a reach of my hand, my wand flew back into my grasp.

"Harry, it's me. I'm yours, please…" she pleaded with me.

"Go to hell," I retorted through gritted teeth.

A flash of anger crossed her face, and she reached out an arm, words forming on her lips.

I didn't wait.

"Avada Kedavra!"

I closed my eyes as I shouted the words, knowing that the Killing Curse could not miss.

It didn't matter that she wasn't really Ginny.

I couldn't watch her die.

Ginny

The lift plummeted downwards, but then suddenly came to a screeching halt. It shook as a great rumble emitted from below us. Hermione let out a gasp as the light disappeared and we were cast into pitch black.

"Ginny?"

"I'm alright. Lumos."

I held up my wand to see Hermione's worried face.

"What do you think's happened?"

"I don't know."

Her mouth was a grim line.

"Is there a way we can communicate with someone? Get the lift going?"

There was another rumble.

"It sounds like, I dunno, an explosion," I hazarded a guess.

Hermione nodded, then drew her own wand.

"Protego Horribilis."

I looked at her, surprised.

"That's the shield charm against Dark magic, right? You don't think…?" I left it hanging.

"A year on the run taught me it's better to be safe than sorry."

The lift shook again as a third rumble sounded.

Harry

"Well done," said X, freed from the last of the Devil's Snare.

I nodded my head in acknowledgement.

"We should be able to Portkey back to London from here," said Y, fishing about in the rucksack, and drawing out a bottle of Butterbeer, which he opened and took a swig from, then tapped his wand against the glass.

"Portus."

X and I clasped our hands over the bottle, and seconds later I felt the tug behind my navel as we left the forest behind.

Because we couldn't Portkey directly into the Department of Mysteries itself, we'd made a habit of using a small Muggle flat that we'd rented out near one of the entrances to the Ministry.

On our arrival, I grabbed my Invisibility Cloak, and we made our way down an alleyway where a discrete entrance to the Ministry was placed.

Like the entrance to Platform 9¾, it was simply a brick wall that anyone with magic could simply walk right through.

I led the way, striding right through the seeming solid brick wall.

And walked into hell.

The Atrium was in chaos. Three massive craters had been gashed into the floor, and the room was filled with a cloud of ash and dust. Bloodied, mangled bodies were visible around the three blackened crater sites.

An army of St Mungos personnel had descended on the scene, and were tending to injuries sustained in the blasts. MLE wizards and witches were also swarming around the room, taking questions from witnesses, no, survivors, and setting up barriers around the destroyed area.

A couple of reporters rushed past, one sporting a camera that was rapidly taking pictures of the disaster. The second held a microphone to his face, and was speaking rapidly into it.

"We're in the Atrium on Level Eight of the Ministry of Magic, where only minutes ago, three explosions occurred, killing an undetermined number of people. This is the WWN, reporting live from the aftermath of an attack on the Ministry itself. The devastation is unbelievable…Merlin, I won't forget this for as long as I live…I repeat, an attack on the Ministry itself!"

I stood there, momentarily dazed, until a rough hand on my shoulder shook me from my trance.

"Go back to your rooms in Mysteries, Harry. You can't help here," instructed X, his voice in my ear.

I wanted to help, but I knew he was right. I couldn't just appear out of thin air and save the day.

This time, I was too late.

Silently, I slipped away.

Ginny

We'd been stuck in the lift for about twenty minutes when it suddenly came back to life, the lights flashing on, and with a dull whirr, it lurched forwards.

I stood up as it came to a sudden halt.

"Level Eight, Main Atrium."

The metal grate slid open and I took in my surroundings, robbed of speech.

Three great craters, like scars, had been blown the floor, accompanied by a thin film of soot that blanketed the very air. Scores of people were rushing in every direction, from journalists to Mediwitches, teary-eyed secretaries and a number of red-robed wizards carefully removing corpses from the craters in the floor.

Next to me, Hermione swore, and I found that, despite the horrific scene before my eyes, I had to bite back a laugh. Hermione never swore.

Two wizards in red robes strode past carrying a stretcher.

The receptionist who'd checked us in as guests barely an hour ago lay dead upon it.

"Ginny!"

I turned to see Percy dashing towards me. He had a cut on his forehead, and his arm was in a makeshift sling.

"Are you alright?" he said rapidly.

"Yes, no, I'm fine, we were in the lift when it happened. But what about you? Percy, your forehead!"

He waved it off with his good arm.

"I'm fine. Have you seen Dad?"

"No, we just got out now. Per-"

I didn't finish my sentence as Percy dashed away.

"Come on, let's help," suggested Hermione.

Hermione and I began to make our way towards one of the craters, but were stopped by a Hitwizard.

"Sorry, Miss, I can't let you go any further."

"But we can help!" I protested.

"Stand down, John, they're with me."

I turned to see Amy Rogers, the Auror we'd planned on meeting, striding towards us. Her right arm was wrapped in a bandage, but she looked ready to kill.

"Amy, what happened?"

"I'll tell you in a minute. I only got back myself. Come this way."

She led us down a flight of stairs to an alcove in the wall. Tapping her wand against the stone, she muttered something under her breath and a metal grate appeared, a green fire springing up.

"Internal Floo to the Auror Office. Follow me."

She stepped on the grate and disappeared in a green flare. Hermione and I did the same, and we reappeared outside the vast metal doors that guarded the entrance to the Auror Office.

Three wands were pointed at us before we had time to blink.

"It's me," declared Amy.

One of the three guards gestured toward the door. Amy walked to the doors and placed her hand on one.

Nothing happened.

The three wizards wordlessly lowered their wands, and one joined Amy by the doors and knocked twice.

With a grating noise, the huge doors swung inwards, and with a nod to the guards, Amy led us through.

"What would've happened if you weren't an Auror and you touched the door?" asked Hermione.

"You'd turn into stone where you stood," she replied simply. "I have to talk to the other Aurors, I won't be long."

Inside, Dad was waiting. He rushed over to me and engulfed me in a hug.

"Your mother said you'd come to the Ministry, Ginny. Are both of you alright?"

"Yes, we're fine. Dad, did you see Percy? He was looking for you."

"I sent him my Patronus. He's coming now."

His face livid, the Minister for Magic suddenly burst through the entrance.

"How the hell did this happen? Someone…Arthur!"

"Kingsley, do we have a report?"

"Yes, I just got handed it on my way here. According to eyewitnesses, three wizards registered as guests made it into the hall where, one by one, they exploded."

"Exploded?"

"Vials of potion were strapped to their bodies. Demolition Draught, according to the Potions Division."

"This happens to Muggles. They call it suicide bombing," said Dad.

The Minister nodded.

"What about casualties?"

"Close to fifty wounded, sixteen are dead."

"Merlin. Any idea on who-"

Kingsley cut Dad off with a guarded look. "I don't know."

An ageing wizard wearing Wizengamot Court robes bustled over to Kingsley, anger on his face.

"What in Merlin's name happened, Kingsley? I thought this damn place was a fortress!"

"Higgins, please-"

"Three wizards just walk in, and-"

"Higgins-"

"I expect that you'll be answering to the Chamber for all-"

"Higgins!"

The elderly looking wizard stopped talking.

"I have every intention of briefing the Wizengamot as soon as the situation is under control. Please be patient."

"Patient? Only for so long, Minister. Only for so long."

With surprising speed, the wizard hurried away.

"Pack of wolves, the lot of them," muttered Kingsley, before heading off with Dad to his office.

"I'll send Ron my Patronus. He'll be worried sick else," said Hermione, conjuring the ethereal otter from her wand. "Ron, there's been an attack. We're all fine. I'm with Ginny and your Dad right now. I love you."

With a whisper, the Patronus sped from the room.

Amy returned from her discussion with the other Aurors.

"I have a million other things to do, but I have your Press Restriction Papers, and seeing as you're here, I might as well give them to you now."

We followed her into her office, were she handed each of us an envelope.

"Guaranteed freedom from reporters. Enjoy."

"Thanks, Amy," I said. Hermione echoed my sentiment.

She shot me a tight smile. "If I were you, I wouldn't want to deal with it, either."

"You're not wrong about that."

"Will you stay for the Wizengamot Chamber?" she asked.

"Yes," Hermione said, an edge in her voice. "I want to know how on earth this was possibly allowed to happen."

Harry

I paced my room for about twenty minutes, trying desperately to think of some lead, some scrap of parchment that could have some connection to this attack.

I had no luck.

X and Y, both covered in soot and dust, entered with somber expressions on their faces.

"We're going to get cleaned up. Kingsley and Arthur are talking now, and they want to see you. He's in his office. We'll do a proper briefing tonight," informed Y.

"Okay."

I grabbed my Cloak and headed towards Kingsley's office.

Reaching his door, I heard loud voices inside. I reached to open the door, but paused. Curiousity won out, and making sure my Cloak was covering me properly, I crouched beside the door.

"I can't do this anymore, Kingsley! I can't do it!"

"Arthur-"

"You have no idea, Kingsley! No idea at all! I sat there, surrounded by my family, and lied through my teeth! My only daughter cried herself to sleep for months, and I've known, all this time! Now this! They've gotten to us, Kingsley, despite all that we've has done! What good is Wrath of Merlin when we can't even protect our own front door!"

"Deputy Minister Weasley, look at me," Kingsley said with authority. "Do you know why I begged you to take this job?"

"Why?"

"Because I can trust you. And there are very few people left alive in whom I can place my trust."

"That doesn't explain why I had to be in on it, though!"

"Listen. You have to know about Merlin. I explained this when I first told you about it. You are my insurance, so in the event of my death, it continues."

"I understand. I just…I can't keep it a secret forever, Kingsley. I don't even know how my family would react now! Ginny, if she's anything like her mother, would be after my head, and I'm not sure Molly would stop her! Ron…he's Harry's best friend, he might understand, but he won't be happy about it!"

He paused, and there was a heavy silence in the room.

"I'm scared, Kingsley. I'm scared that they won't forgive me."

"They will."

"I've betrayed their trust, their love…"

"Arthur, they'd have to find out first."

"You don't think they won't? I'm not going to tell them, but I can't make any guarantees for Hermione!"

"She's been prying?"

"Well, put it this way, if there's a list of people who know the most about Harry right now, with Harry being number one, and us four rounding out the top five - she'd be number six."

"That girl is far too intelligent for her good. How long has she been at this?"

"About a month."

"Bugger," exclaimed Kingsley.

I grinned. That sounded like Hermione.

"Isn't she busy with NEWTS?" "This is apparently a hobby."

"Merlin's beard…can't we find something for her to do?

"Like what?"

"I guess I we could put her in charge of the Reform Bureau."

"We already have someone in charge of the Bureau."

"I'll make him Ambassador to the French Ministry."

"We've already got an Ambassador to the French Ministry." "He's retiring."

"Well, that works out then. But how are you going to get approval from the Wizengamot?"

"I don't have to. The Bureau only has the power to make recommendations at this stage, so a formal approval isn't necessary."

From my position beside the door, I checked my watch. I was ten minutes late, and I didn't want Kingsley to think I'd been eavesdropping. I knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

Once the door was firmly shut and locked behind me, I unwrapped the Invisibility Cloak from my shoulders.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. Harry, we missed this one completely. I don't know how. I don't know why."

He fixed me with an eagle-like stare.

"But we are sure as hell going to make them pay."

I nodded. Arthur was silent.

"We'll debrief on the Europe mission and cover this bloody mess tonight. Good?"

"Yeah. Good luck with the Wizengamot."

He grimaced, and I went back under my Cloak.

On my way down to Level Ten, I rounded a corner along the corridor, and there she was, not ten feet in front of me.

Ginny.

She was so tantalisingly close, so close.

Her eyes were strained, and there was something - a sadness - in her bearing that I hated.

I hated it because I knew that it had been caused in part by me.

Others couldn't see it. I didn't even know if she could see it herself.

But despite it, I could't help but think that she was still the most beautiful person I'd ever laid eyes on.

She was with Hermione, Percy, and the Auror we'd dealt with last year - Amy Rogers.

"Kingsley is about to brief the Wizengamot Chamber," said Percy. "This way."

Ginny's group headed towards the lifts for Level Ten.

I followed them at a short distance, and upon our arrival, I slipped around to the other side of the Chamber so I could see Ginny's face.

She looked around the Chamber, and for the tiniest moment, she looked directly at me, and I looked into her eyes.

She only saw empty air.

Below, Kingsley entered and beckoned for silence.

"Earlier today, Wizarding Britain suffered an attack on it's most public institution, the Ministry itself. Three wizards self-destructed, using Demolition Draught, in the Atrium, causing great devastation. Seventeen are confirmed killed, and we expect that to be the final death toll. Dozens have sustained injuries. At this point, I want to commend the bravery and dedication of the rescue and recovery personnel involved, especially the staff of St Mungos."

And then came the storm:

"How could you let this happen?"

"Minister, how do the wards on your home compare with the minimal protection in the Ministry?"

"Blatant breach of security protocol!"

"Disgraceful!"

"In my day-"

"Broken promises of protection! Empty words for the people of Wizarding Britain!"

In a matter of seconds, the Chamber was in an uproar.

Kingsley Shacklebolt stood there, facing the onslaught.

He was a man under siege.

We were a people under siege.

And I could see no end in sight.

I promised a bit more action, so I hope that suffices!

'HOOMIE!' in Giant means 'Human' - in case anyone was wondering.

By unfortunate coincidence, the bombings in this chapter somewhat mirror the tragedy unfolding in Norway at the moment. I'm not too sure if I have any Norwegian readers, but if I do, you have my condolences.

Finally, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please review!