Chapter 3: Falling
"Where is the nearest apparition point?" Harry asked as he carried a sleeping James. He could see Teddy's eyes drooping and he had nearly tripped a few times.
"I think it's on the other side of those trees." Ginny pointed to the edge of the nearest village. It had been too dangerous to risk the one closer to home. They would have had to go through the muggle army, something Ginny and he could have done alone, but neither wished to risk the safety of their children.
Watching Teddy nearly trip from exhaustion again, Harry quietly woke James. He ruffled his hair and told him it was time to get up and walk. The nearly three-year-old rubbed his eyes as his father placed him gently on the ground. Ginny reached for the toddler's hand as Harry picked up an overly exhausted Teddy.
"I can walk Uncle Harry." Teddy yawned into Harry's neck.
"I know but I wanted to give you a short break." Harry felt Teddy nod his head slightly, before falling asleep immediately.
"Just for a few minutes, then we'll pick up the pace again and I'll carry James." Ginny nodded as the family continued to walk.
About forty minutes later, the family stopped to rest among the trees, hidden from view. Harry laid Teddy down against a tree. Ginny sat next to him with a still sleeping Albus in her arms. She patted the ground next to her and James scurried over between her and Teddy. He cuddled against his mother before quickly falling asleep.
"I'm going to see how much farther." Harry said, as he unclipped his clock from around Teddy and placed it over his godson and son as a blanket.
"Shouldn't you bring your cloak?" Ginny whispered. Harry shook his head.
"I'd rather you have it. I can hide myself, but if anyone comes, you'll be able to hide the kids with it." Ginny nodded, understanding. She brushed her hand through Teddy's hair as he moved in his sleep.
Harry scurried down the hill towards the road. The sun was slowly rising, giving him enough light to see without magic. Harry ran past an old run down home and into the woods behind it. It wasn't long until he found the apparition point. As Harry turned back, he could hear the sound of motors from the direction of his family. He bolted back towards the old house and hid behind it seeing the army that had just destroyed his home marching down the road. Harry slipped into the house's broken window and crept quietly to the other side of the room. Through a hole in a shutter, he looked through the parade of vehicles to where his family was. He couldn't see them, which meant Ginny had safely secured them all under the invisibility cloak.
As the army passed, Harry crept towards the broken door. The old door was rotting and held up by a single hinge. Harry watched as the last vehicle turned the corner and drove out of view. Only a few soldiers on foot remained on the road. As Harry slowly slide out behind the door, not making a sound, he heard a rustling from across the road. He looked up to see Teddy tumbling down the hill and Ginny popping out of the cloak. Two soldiers were left on the road. Harry darted across the road, picking up Teddy, before jumping behind a bush.
"Go check that out and report." Harry heard one of the soldiers order. He motioned for Teddy to stay quiet as the soldier's footsteps became louder. Harry held his wand ready to attack the muggle soldier if need be. Teddy held his face into his stuffed animal as the man came closer.
Harry edged around the bush before making eye contact with the muggle. The muggle froze, his gun still up.
"Marcus?" Harry whispered. Marcus must have been drafted into the army recently. The two friends had seen each other a few months earlier at Teddy's birthday party. Harry knew he wouldn't have joined the army on his own, he was a friend of the magical world.
"Soldier report." Harry heard the other man call out as he walked towards Marcus. Marcus lowered his weapon and turned back around.
"Nothing sir. Just a rock that looks like it might have stumbled down the hill." Marcus walked back to his fellow soldier and marched down the road. Harry wondered if he had known whose house they were burning earlier. Not that Marcus could have done anything to stop it.
As the two men walked around the corner and out of sight, Ginny and James skated down the hill. Once behind the brush, Ginny quickly looked over Teddy's cuts from the tumble.
"As soon as we get to Grandma's, I'll ask her to look at you. She's much better at healing spells. Is that ok?" Teddy nodded.
"You think you can run Teddy?" Harry asked, concern across his face and in his voice. Teddy stood up and walked over to Harry.
"I'm sorry I fell." Harry hugged his godson tight.
"It's ok. Let get out of here, ok?"
"Ok." Harry picked up James and the family ran across the street, past the old house and to the apparition spot. Holding their boys close, Harry and Ginny turned on their heel and apparated to the Burrow.