"One more week and he'll be gone," Harry said, gazing on the ground below. He was on his broomstick, having a mid-air conversation with Ginny and Ron in between pick-up Quidditch matches. Hermione was talking to Dudley; neither of them seemed pleased with their respective conversation partner.
"Think we should help them?" asked Ron, staring down at Hermione, who was now outright glaring at Dudley.
"Why don't you go alone," Ginny suggested. "He seems to like you well enough. Since I'm Harry's girlfriend, he might be jealous." Ginny shot a coy smile at Harry, which made him lose a few feet of height. Getting distracted around her was becoming a usual occurrence.
Ron shrugged and flew down to meet Dudley and Hermione. Once he was out of earshot, Ginny flew a little closer to Harry.
"So I guess this means we won't have to pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend once he's gone?"
Harry's eyes widened slightly. His chest rumbled unusually at the thought of not pretending to be her boyfriend, but he thought it was stupid of him to think so. It was all make-believe to fool Dudley into thinking Harry's life was impossibly perfect.
"Yeah," Harry said tightly. "That's right. We won't have to pretend anymore."
Ginny gripped her broomstick, turning around toward the sunset. Her shiny red hair looked like the setting sun; distracted by it, he fell a few feet in the air again.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing."
"It looked like you were falling."
"I'm…tired?" Harry said, hoping she wouldn't notice the heat that was rising to his cheeks.
"C'mon, I know where to go." Ginny sped off on her broomstick and Harry followed. They flew over a grove of trees to the edge of a shallow pond on the edge of the Burrow's enchanted boundaries. Harry had been to the spot before, but it was the first time he would be there alone with Ginny.
They sat down at the water's edge, watching as a frog leapt out of the water and onto a slippery rock.
"Are you going to miss him?" asked Ginny, after a few moments of silence. "Dudley?"
"No. Not at all."
"He's not so bad. I thought he was going to be worse."
"It's different now," Harry said, finding a flat, smooth stone to try skipping on the pond. "Everyone's watching him – even the portraits know what he's doing. Even if he tried to punch me or play Harry Hunting, he's seen enough magic to know I can hurt him a lot more than he could hurt me."
"You wouldn't, would you?" Ginny sounded more serious than Harry expected. Her lips were curled down into a frown, leading him to wonder if she was worried.
Harry shook his head and threw the stone at the pond, watching it skip once before sinking under the water's surface. "I don't like him but I'm not going to hurt him." He bent down, found another smooth stone, and cast it at the water, where it sunk as soon as it hit.
"You're doing it wrong," Ginny said impatiently. "I'll show you." She found a different smooth stone and made Harry watch her carefully as she flicked her wrist just the right way. Her stone skipped five times and she turned to face him, grinning with her success.
"Okay, okay, I'll do it your way." Harry picked up a stone, flicking his wrist the way that he saw Ginny do, and tossed it at the water. It skipped twice and sunk, while she threw another stone that skipped six times. She smiled smugly at him and the two went searching for more smooth stones.
"I feel bad for him," Harry admitted quietly, once he'd found a stone. "Don't tell anyone I told you that."
Ginny stopped in her tracks and stared back at him. "I thought you hated him."
Harry exhaled forcefully. "I don't…I don't hate him. I don't like him, but I don't hate him. My aunt and uncle weren't good to me but they spoiled him. Sirius said he's 'a product of his environment.' It means he grew up with what he knew, like his brother, Regulus. Tonks told me something similar. She thinks Dudley could change if he wasn't stuck around the same awful people – Aunt Marge and the posh pricks at his school – but he doesn't have a choice to be any different."
"That's stupid," Ginny said, her brown eyes flashing with anger. "You lived with those people for years and you're not awful."
"That's what I said." Harry finally found a smooth stone and as he stood to try skipping it across the water, Ginny took hold of his hand, which led him to drop it instantly.
"Sorry," Ginny mumbled. "I should've told you – I wanted to help—"
"You can help." Harry picked up the stone and held out his forearm. Ginny took hold of his hand, and moving her wrist against his, helped him skip the stone across the pond. It skipped four times – more than Harry had ever achieved alone – and he grinned, feeling unusually proud of himself for such a small accomplishment.
"That's two more points for me, since I helped." Ginny let go of his hand and went back to looking for more stones.
"Points?"
"Every skip is a point. I've got thirteen now and you've got five."
"We never said it was a competition!"
"You never said it wasn't," she said airily. "Everything's a competition if you grow up with six brothers." She found another stone, watched as it skipped four more times, and added, "I won't count those because you're losing so badly."
"Count them anyway. I want to win fair and square," Harry said boldly, knowing he had no chance of beating her. They spent several minutes skipping stones and while Harry struggled to get ten skips, Ginny had lost count. He admitted defeat at last and sat back with her on a fallen tree trunk.
"Why do they say Dudley doesn't have a choice to be better?"
"They didn't say that…they said it's harder for him," Harry replied pensively. "Sirius told me all about his brother. He said that even though Regulus had it a little better at home because his parents were nicer to him, Sirius had more freedom and better friends, like my dad and Remus. He told me that even though life isn't fair, I've got a better one than him now and everyone knows it."
"Do you think Dudley knows it? He always makes it sound like he's got the best life."
"He's bluffing. Like I said, his life was better before and now it's worse. Mine's the opposite but I've also got magic. Sirius told me not to rub it in his face anymore so I just ignore him."
Harry watched the sun's fading rays in the reflection of the water. Ginny scratched her nails against the bark on the tree and he could see the top of her head in the water's reflection, where her fiery red hair shone brighter than the sun's rays.
"Are you going to call him Professor Black?"
"Only when I've got class with him. He wants to do what Lyall did and call everyone by their first name."
"Do you miss him?"
"Yeah." Harry put his palms on the trunk, feeling the rough wood against his Quidditch-calloused skin. "He was everything a Grandad should be." Harry kept his gaze away from Ginny. He didn't want to cry, in case they were summoned back to the Burrow. He was ignoring Dudley effectively, but if his cousin saw evidence of tears, Harry would never hear the end of it.
Ginny seemed to understand, as she changed the subject. "When are Remus and Tonks getting married?"
"No idea. They're going to live at our old house in Cardiff while I'm at school."
"HARRY! GINNY!"
"WHERE ARE YOU?"
Harry groaned. It was getting darker outside and they should've returned to the Burrow by now. Having Voldemort on the loose made everything more complicated. He and Ginny grabbed their brooms and flew over the treetops to land just outside the garden, kicking bits of rock and grass everywhere as they touched down to the ground.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Mrs. Weasley demanded.
"We were by the pond, skipping stones," Ginny replied evenly.
"Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to go outside of our boundaries? You could've been seen! You could've been—"
"Molly, it's all right," Tonks interrupted. "I know they're being careful." She winked at Harry and he grew hot, hoping Mrs. Weasley didn't take the statement the wrong way.
"They know what's at stake," Remus added. "They've both seen what Voldemort's capable of." Harry felt the sudden urge to take hold of Ginny's hand; they almost never discussed what happened in the Chamber of Secrets, as she was mortified over the incident, but he wanted to give her something – anything – that would make her feel better.
"Why don't we go inside?" Tonks suggested. "Whatever you've got cooking smells delicious and we've got loads to discuss for the World Cup tomorrow."
Mrs. Weasley still looked worried, but took up Tonks's suggestion and led everyone back inside. Dudley and Mr. Weasley were the only ones already seated at the table and Harry stifled a laugh, as Mr. Weasley had a box full of his favorite Muggle contraptions and was showing them off, oblivious that Dudley likely thought it was all rubbish.
Harry sat with Ginny, Ron, and Hermione, eager to discuss the upcoming Quidditch match between Ireland and Bulgaria. While the adults coordinated Portkeys and plans, Ron praised Bulgarian Seeker Viktor Krum and Ginny challenged him with the tales of the talents of Irish Seeker Aidan Lynch. Hermione looked forward to the international gathering of witches and wizards while Harry looked forward to seeing Quidditch's finest players.
Almost everyone was going to the World Cup, with the exception of Mrs. Weasley and Dudley. Like Harry, Dudley was under everyone's watchful eye with Voldemort on the loose and for the duration of the Quidditch World Cup. As Muggles couldn't see the World Cup due to the enchantments around the stadium, Dudley be at the Burrow with Mrs. Weasley. Harry suspected Dudley wouldn't mind being with her, as Mrs. Weasley was an excellent cook and Dudley was more pleasant with a full stomach.
A few days after the World Cup, when it was time for Dudley to go back to Marge, they would try casting the Blood Protection Charm over the two of them to afford them some level of protection anchored in Lily's sacrifice of love. They'd then go their separate ways until the Christmas holidays, though Remus and Tonks had let it slip that they might not see each other until Easter, due to some goings-on at Hogwarts. Intrigued, Harry had tried to learn more but no one told him – or his friends – anything regarding events at Hogwarts.
Dinner concluded with a toast to Ireland's Quidditch team and the promise of waking up too early the following morning. Despite the anticipated early start, Harry couldn't wait for what the next day would bring.
…..
"Ow!" Ron yelped. Harry sniggered behind his hand with Ginny and Hermione. The Veela spectacle before the Quidditch World Cup was underway, and while Harry found them interesting, Ron had become so engrossed in the show that he'd run headfirst into the thick glass of their private box. It was part of Sirius's birthday gift to Harry – paying for a private box and inviting Harry's closest friends and family to the World Cup – and so far the experience had been incredible.
They'd taken Portkeys early that morning to get into the box before nearly everyone else arrived to the World Cup grounds. The others trickled in over the course of the day, including the Tonkses, Mad-Eye, and the elder Weasley brothers, Bill and Charlie. They had many visitors in their box, including a roguish fellow called Ludo Bagman, who made a bet with the Weasley twins over the outcome of the match. They were visited by Barty Crouch Sr. as well, who Harry recognized from his custody hearings. Percy was attending the match with Crouch Sr., his new boss, and Harry tuned out what Percy had to say when he began discussing cauldron bottom thickness.
Now that the opening ceremony had begun and all the visitors were back where they belonged, Harry could feel the excitement building upon seeing the sea of green and red in the stadium.
Ron wasn't the only one mystified with the Veelas. Bill, his oldest brother, was mesmerized by them, as were Fred and George, but none of them had run into the thick glass wall. The Veelas seemed to make the biggest impression on the younger wizards, except for Charlie Weasley. The older wizards – Mad-Eye, Mr. Weasley, Ted Tonks, Remus, and Sirius - seemed less affected by the Veelas. Tonks looked very smug about Remus's apparent indifference, though Harry didn't know why.
The match flew by; Krum's impressive catching of the Snitch, however, came at just the wrong time. Ireland was ahead and won by 10 points – a single goal – and the stadium erupted into loud cheers for Ireland's victory.
The twins were eager to find Ludo to collect their winnings, but Mr. Weasley stopped them from leaving the box.
"We're not leaving until the stadium clears out," Mr. Weasley announced. "Alastor and Tonks are going to the bottom of the stands to keep an eye out and the Tonkses are going home first." As he said this, Bill and Charlie followed Mad-Eye and the three Tonkses out of the private box, without being stopped by Mr. Weasley.
"Why are we waiting?" asked Ron. "And why do Bill and Charlie get to go?"
"They're of age. Everyone else is not and we're taking precautions." Mr. Weasley was unusually stern; he had glanced at Harry twice, leading him to think that the precautions were because of him alone.
"It shouldn't be more than an hour," said Remus. "We'll have food—"
A little pop in the corner of the box announced Kreacher's arrival. He carried several baskets with him, all of which had different aromas coming off of them.
"Excellent timing, Kreacher." The elf bowed at Remus, snapped his little, leathery fingers, and popped away, leaving the baskets full of food for everyone to dig through.
Ron didn't seem as upset now that there was dinner, and Harry was relieved, too, as Kreacher had packed several cards for Exploding Snap, a miniature wizard's chess set, and a book of Ancient Rune riddles that Hermione snatched at once.
They were deep into a set of animal crackers – treats that, when eaten, would let one mimic that animal's sound for a few seconds – when there was a sound of screaming in the distance. Ron had just finished roaring like a lion. Everyone in the box fell silent, craning their ears to hear what was happening. Harry watched Remus closely; he had excellent hearing, thanks to his lycanthropy, and he would have a better idea of why there was so much commotion. Sirius transformed into Padfoot, stuck his furry head out of the box, and lifted an ear towards the uproar.
A large, silvery creature with four massive legs arrived in the private box. It was a Patronus, but it didn't look familiar to Harry.
"Stay where you are," the Patronus spoke, in Tonks's voice. "Will provide details later – it's not safe to go outside."
The Patronus disappeared into thin air and Harry gaped at the spot where it was, wondering how Tonks had changed her Patronus. He gazed up at Remus, who had grown a deep shade of crimson, while Padfoot transformed back into Sirius.
"You heard her – we're staying put," Sirius said, clapping a hand on Remus's shoulder.
"I thought Tonks's Patronus was a rabbit," Harry said, frowning at Remus. "Did she change it?"
Remus darted his eyes back and forth, not meeting anyone's gaze. "We ought to focus on staying put. I'll be right outside – it doesn't hurt to have another set of eyes looking out for us." He walked past everyone, stepped outside of the private box, and closed the door behind him.
"That was weird," Ron muttered. "What d'you think's going on?"
"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Hermione whispered from behind the book of rune riddles. "Look at Mr. Weasley and Professor Black." Harry forgot for a moment that for everyone else, Sirius would soon be Professor Black. He watched Sirius and Mr. Weasley, heads bent toward each other, whispering rapidly on the other side of the box, with the door leading outside slightly ajar.
"I think they cast a Silencing Charm around us…I can't hear anything, can you?" Hermione brushed aside her bushy brown hair and cupped her hand against her ear. Harry did the same, as did Ron and Ginny, but none of them could hear anything.
"Where did Fred and George go?" Ron said, realizing that his older brothers were gone. "Dad?" He stood up from the floor and poked Mr. Weasley's shoulder. "Dad! Where are Fred and George?"
Mr. Weasley spun around, his glasses askew, and saw that only four people remained in the box. His eyes widened in panic, seeing that only his youngest two children were there.
"I'll find them," Sirius said, transforming into Padfoot. He went through the door on four paws, pushing past Remus, and thundered down the stairs of the stand. Mr. Weasley followed at once, opening the door even wider, and Harry heard the previously muffled screams even more loudly than before.
The sound of a soft popping behind Harry made him jump.
Kreacher appeared, bowing deeply, and said, "Mistress Nymphadora has ordered Kreacher to bring the little master and his…friends…home." Kreacher glared suspiciously at Hermione; though the elf had improved by leaps and bounds in the last few years, he still disliked Hermione for being Muggleborn.
"Remus?" asked Harry, poking his head out of the private box. "Kreacher says Tonks told him to take us home."
Remus went back inside and gazed down at Kreacher. Before Remus could clarify the order, a strange glow illuminated the night sky.
Harry looked out of the window to see a giant, grotesque-looking, and glowing green skull with a snake coming out of its mouth floating in the sky close to the stadium.
"We have to get out of here," Remus said instantly, growing pale. He turned to Kreacher and ordered him to take Ron and Hermione to the Burrow, followed by Harry and Ginny. Kreacher grumbled at the prospect of touching Hermione – she held onto Ron instead, while he held onto Kreacher – and they disappeared with a pop.
"What is that?" Harry asked, pointing to the sky.
"It's the Dark Mark – Voldemort's sign," Remus replied. Ginny blanched and Harry stumbled backward, wondering if Voldemort had somehow made it to the World Cup.
Kreacher returned moments later, ready for Harry and Ginny. The elf didn't complain with either of them and readily turned on the spot, away from the madness at the World Cup.
Mrs. Weasley descended upon them both when they returned to the Burrow.
"Are Fred and George coming next?" she asked, once she ushered Harry and Ginny inside the living room, where Ron, Hermione, and Dudley sat.
"We don't know," Ginny replied nervously. Harry had a sinking feeling in his stomach when he saw that Fred and George, and Mr. Weasley's hands on the enchanted clock were all stuck on "mortal peril." Harry didn't want to ask if the hands had been there for everyone, or if they were only there because Fred and George had somehow escaped from the private box unnoticed during the chaos.
"They're traveling," Dudley said, pointing his arm at the clock. Harry let out a relieved sigh to see that Fred and George's hands were moving on the clock.
Another crack rent the night air. Mrs. Weasley rushed out and brough in Fred and George, who looked visibly guilty.
"Where have you been?" Mrs. Weasley screeched. "Why weren't you with the others?"
With yet another crack, Mr. Weasley came home, pale and shaken. "Everyone upstairs - now. I have to speak with your mother."
"Everyone up! Every last one of you to your rooms – and girls stay in Ginny's room!" Mrs. Weasley shooed them all – Dudley included, up the stairs. Ron let Dudley inside Bill's old room, the twins went to their room, Ginny and Hermione went to Ginny's room, and Ron and Harry trudged up the stairs to Ron's room.
They weren't alone for long. Ginny and Hermione burst into Ron's room, breathless and panting.
"There was an attack on Muggles at the World Cup," said Ginny. "I overheard Dad tell Mum."
"Real Death Eaters were there!" Hermione squeaked. "His followers! They were there!"
"What about Voldemort? Did they say anything—"
Ginny turned to Harry to reply to him. "They put a stupid Silencing Charm on the stairs. It's all we got and we came up here to tell you."
Harry's mind raced with the possibilities. Voldemort hadn't been seen, but that wasn't unusual. Harry still didn't have a good idea of what he looked like, other than the face he'd seen on the back of Quirrell's head a few years ago, or the memory of a teenage Riddle from the diary. If Voldemort's supporters were at the World Cup, it couldn't have meant anything good.
"Look! Remus and Sirius are here!" Ginny exclaimed, pointing at the window. Harry, Ron, and Hermione clamored there and saw the familiar figures walking to the Burrow. Harry's brow knit together, wondering what happened to the others. Were Tonks and Mad-Eye safe? Did Bill, Charlie, and Percy make it away? Were the Tonkses safe, too?
"I'm going to see if I can hear anything," Ginny offered. She went out of the room and pattered downstairs.
"What do you think happened to Fred and George?" asked Ron, now that Hermione sat on Ron's bed and Harry stood, staring at the floor with worry for those who were unaccounted for.
"They looked guilty to me…I know they wanted to go after that Bagman bloke for their gold," Harry said heavily, hoping the twins hadn't risked their lives to collect a winning bet from an obvious swindler. He paced the length of the small bedroom anxiously, waiting for Ron to announce the arrival of Tonks.
"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" asked Ron, beckoning for Harry to join him at the window. Harry rushed over, hoping to see Tonks, but instead saw a taller figure moving in the shadow of the darkness. "Is Professor Dumbledore supposed to be here?"
Harry cleaned his glasses on his shirt to make sure he was seeing properly. He thought Ron might've been mistaken, but it was obvious Dumbledore was on his way to the Burrow, walking purposefully across the grassy field toward the house. Hermione joined them at the window, too, and she confirmed what Ron was seeing.
Harry ran out the door to the staircase. He needed to know immediately if something happened to Tonks, but he was pushed back from the last staircase by an invisible barrier.
"Ow!" He rubbed his forehead, realizing he'd stumbled against the corner of a sharp picture frame hanging on the wall.
"Come here," Ginny whispered from her doorway. "You can hear better."
Harry went inside Ginny's bedroom and she led him to the corner opposite the door, where a floorboard had been set aside. She put her finger on her lips and crooked her finger to have Harry join her. There was a snitch-sized hole in the floor beneath the floorboard. Harry could see the faint outline of tall Mr. Weasley, and Ginny put a piece of parchment above the hole to cover it.
"They can't know we can hear them," Ginny whispered into Harry's ear, making his spine shiver. He and Ginny bent their heads over the spot to listen.
"Merlin's beard! Murdered, you say?" Mr. Weasley said, aghast.
"She didn't stand a chance," Dumbledore replied somberly. "There was nothing any of us could've done to prevent it. I found out too late to stop it. You know what this means, Remus?"
"Yes," Remus replied, in a strangled voice. "How are we going to tell—"
"Now," Sirius interrupted. "They have to know."
"Surely this kind of news can wait until the morning," Mrs. Weasley whispered harshly. "He's just a boy!"
"Sirius is right, Molly. He deserves to know what happened to her sooner rather than later," Arthur said firmly. "He's not ours to raise."
"I'll get him," Sirius said quietly. "He's upstairs?"
"They both are," Molly confirmed.
Harry felt sick to his stomach. He was sure they were talking about him – and Tonks. He felt a lump in his throat; Ginny looked disturbed from hearing the conversation, and she replaced the floorboard to stop the sounds from coming in.
"You need to go up," Ginny whispered. "You're not supposed to be here."
Harry took off in a sprint up the stairs. She's not dead. She can't be dead. She's too young to die. Too young…just engaged…like a parent…
"Harry!" Sirius called, finding him on the fourth floor landing. "Where's Dudley?"
"There – in Percy's room." Harry pointed to the door behind him. Dudley swung it open, likely having heard his name from the landing, and Sirius glanced between them both.
"Come with me, lads. We've got some news."
Harry glared at Dudley, wondering why he had to be included in the family conversation, but they trudged downstairs to the living room. Dumbledore, Remus, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and now Sirius had seats, leaving Harry and Dudley to share the smallest sofa together.
"I'm afraid we have some unfortunate news to share with you," Dumbledore said solemnly, facing Harry and Dudley. "It's come to my attention that Marge Dursley was murdered earlier this evening in her home."
Harry's jaw fell open as his cousin made a pitiful sound from the back of his throat.
This wasn't at all what he had expected.