"Honestly Ronald, if you had just listened to me and packed earlier-"
"There's no fun in packing early," Ron grinned at her, throwing his clothes into his trunk. "And besides, you said doing it by hand was better, so that's how we're doing it!" Hermione had NOT thought her plan through.
"We should have started packing earlier," Harry sighed, struggling to balance the stack of books in his arms on top of his clothes. "We always wait until the last minute and then end up rushing around like this."
Neville nodded in agreement, his arms full of socks and shirts. "I know, I know. But we just can't help it, can we? It's far too much fun."
"Idiots, all of you." Hermione said, sitting on top of her trunk, book in hand. "Honestly, I could have just done it for you."
"No, you wouldn't have." All three said in unison. The tips of Hermione's ears turned bright red.
"Come on, We have to finish up before Gran-"
"NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM,"
"Bloody hell. "
"Welp, see you all in the next life." Neville sighed. Harry, having the least amount of items out of all of them, was mostly finished. He just needed to shove these books in there and he'd be ready to go.
"Walking participation trophies, all of you!" Hermione said, exasperated. She waved her wand, their bags filling up. "You can sort through it when we get there."
"Hermione is our saviour!" Ron swooned. "Move it, Boy-Who-Lived, it's Hermione-Who-Saved now!"
Harry and Neville laughed, throwing their shoulders around each other as they dragged their trunks out of the room.
"Come on, Harry, let's leave the love birds alone so they can be all kissy kissy mwah mwah."
"You're a prat!" Hermione yelled, following behind them. Her cheeks were tinted pink and her lips slightly parted though, so Neville knew he was right.
"They just love each other soooo much, Neville. How will we possibly still have space in their lives?"
"You're a dick, Harry," Ron said with a laugh.
"He's a what?"
"Nothing Mrs Longbottom!"
If Ron sat with a sore bum from a stinging hex, no one had to know.
Except everyone had to know because Neville and Harry couldn't keep their mouths shut.
"Oh yeah, Harry dear?"
"Yes, Madam?" Harry looked up from where he was peeling potatoes. Augusta was like him; when she cooked, she preferred no magic in the kitchen whatsoever. Harry was happy to abide, doing most of the vegetable prep for Mrs Weasley by hand. The only magical spell going was the one for the mop.
"You have two visitors. It's important."
"Oh, alright, let me just finish up and-"
"No, it's alright Harry," Augusta Longbottom took the peeler and vegetable from him, pushing him out of the kitchen with a slight frown. "I figure this is something that needs to be dealt with now."
Harry nodded, slightly confused, and headed towards the drawing room.
"Hello?"
"Ah, you must be Harry! You…look different to what we were expecting, haha."
The fake laugh was obvious.
"Who are you two?" He questioned, stance tight as he readied himself to pull out his wand if needed.
"I'm Hestia Jones, and this is my partner, Daedalus Diggle. We're from the ministry-" Harry pulled out his wand quickly, aiming at the woman before she could even get her next sentence in. "NO! We don't support them! We just work for them, we're really a part of the Order of the Phoenix!"
"Honest!" The man offered from beside her.
"Lead with that, won't you?" Harry muttered, putting his wand away. "What is it you need me for?"
"Not really need you per se, but…well, there isn't a way to say this but, your family is dead."
"Ma'am, they've been dead. For like, sixteen years now."
"What? No, I mean your muggle family." Oh.
OHHHHH.
"Wait, what?" Harry resisted the urge to scratch his head or to glare at the man staring at him. He heard his friends a few rooms away, laughing as they tried to cook. The only two teens who knew what they were doing were Harry and Ron, which made for a load of fun.
"We know this must be awful for you, Mr Potter, but we must let you know that we are grateful you were away from home at the time of the fire."
"It's Sn-" Harry shook his head. "Nevermind. How'd it happen? Just a muggle thing? Well, if it was muggle, I doubt you'd be here."
"Rightly so, Mr Potter. It was a Death Eater attack. They locked them inside and… this must be terribly awful for you to deal with."
"Not really," he shrugged. "I couldn't care less if I tried, to be honest."
"I- Mr Potter!" Hestia looked stunned, eyes wide as her hand clutched her necklace.
"I hated them, they hated me, simple as that really. No love lost."
"But they were your family…" she tried to explain. Harry snorted, shaking his head.
"No, no they aren't. My family is alive and well, thank you."
"You really have changed, Mr Potter," Diggle said. Harry stood straighter, sneering.
"Daedalus Diggle, right? Take a picture if you want to stare at me so badly."
"Mr Potter, you must understand, we knew your father during the war and, well, you look nothing like him."
"Oh no, really?" Harry deadpanned. "The horror. Gran, can I go back upstairs?"
The woman standing behind him nodded, letting Harry run back upstairs to his friends. A loud "I'm freed!" Was heard by the three adults downstairs, Augusta having to cover her mouth to avoid laughing.
"Well, I will see you out," Augusta said, gesturing towards her fireplace.
"Miss Longbottom, why is he so…"
"It is not right of you to ask me about Harry's business," Augusta told Hestia with a glare. "But I will tell you this, Mr Potter is with me for a reason."
"Right, well," Hestia cleared her voice, Diggle trailing behind. "We'll be off then. Thank you for your hospitality."
Augusta just nodded, sending them off. She didn't like ministry people, regardless of who they really served.
"Harry, do you have everything packed?" Hermione asked for the third time that evening. They were going to head out in the morning for the Weasleys, and Hermione was scared that they'd leave the most important things behind. Harry rolled his eyes.
"Harrison!" Ron mock-shouted. "Do not roll your eyes at your father."
"My…father?" Harry burst into laughter at Ron's mishap, the redhead's face heating up as they all laughed. "Sorry, MUM, won't happen again."
They laughed harder, Neville almost stumbling as he brought them water. As they calmed down, sipping on their drinks, Hermione asked the question they all wanted confirmation on.
"Harry, can we really trust him? I know you explained everything, but…" her worry annoyed Harry, but he understood it.
"Absolutely. He explained what he could to me, I trust him." he took a deep breath. "I understand if you don't, I know he's the one who ultimately killed Dumbledore, even if that's what was asked of him, but I get it. I just ask that you trust me."
"Of course, Harry," Hermione said with a smile. "We always will."
"Always," Neville and Ron seconded. Harry hugged them all, grinning.
"Now, are we gonna talk about what was overheard?" Neville teased, wagging his eyebrows.
"That's right! Mr and Mrs Granger-Weasley," Harry placed his hand on his head, leaning into Neville. "They're going to leave us puny singles behind to live in their own house."
"It was just an idea," Ron grumbled, crossing his arms. "When we wanna, you know…" His face lit up again.
"Granger-Weasley… I like that!" Hermione grinned, reaching over to uncross Ron's arms and holding his hand. "Hermione Granger-Weasey."
"Ewww, don't be gross now," Neville scrunched up his nose. "Gross."
"Do you think you'll ever get with anyone, Harry?" Hermione asked, switching the topic.
"Not really? Never really thought of anyone like that. Maybe when I'm old, but I'll probably stay single forever with Neville."
"What do you mean with Neville?!" he squealed. "I plan on settling down one day, thank you!"
"Yeah right, you great lump," Harry teased, dodging Neville's hand as the boy swatted at him. "You've never even found a girl pretty!"
"That's not true! I mean, Lavender is pretty cute." Neville blushed slightly.
"Awe, Neville, that's so cute!" Hermione said.
"So cute his taste is awful." Ron followed. The two bickered, their hands never letting go of the other. Harry shared a grin with Neville, the two eventually heading upstairs to finally check all the items before they headed to bed. Harry's bag had been labelled as the "travel bag", so they were checking that one first.
"Clothes?" Neville asked, watching Harry stuff their extra clothes in a side bag, nodding. "Books Hermione insisted on?" Harry snorted, dropping the stack of books back in there. "Toiletries?" Eventually, they got through the whole bag again, Neville sighing as he plopped onto his bed.
"Hey, look at this," Harry said, holding up a glass shard. "How'd this get in there?"
A flash of blue eyes appeared on it, both teens gasping. How in the world?
"Dumbledore?" Neville whispered.
"But he's dead…"
"Those were his eyes, though!"
"Yeah, that's what's so weird about it…" Harry shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He didn't want to deal with this right now. "We'll bring it, just in case."
The two lay in their bed, their respective vines Axiome and Fhozite twirling around above them.
"We'll make it through this, yeah?" Harry whispered, arm covering his eyes.
"Of course." Neville sounded uncertain. "And if we don't, we go together."
"Brothers until the end?" Harry turned on his side, sticking his pinky out. Neville grinned, wrapping it in his own.
"Until the world explodes."
The next morning, the four teens were up bright and early, following an agitated Augusta out of the house and into a muggle car.
"Wait, what?!" Neville asked, watching as Hermione and Harry placed all their items in the back of the car. Harry kept his expanded bag on him, holding his and Neville's clothes, while Hermione had hers and Ron's in her own (illegally acquired) bag.
"It's the safest way, I got word from Shacklebolt that the route we were going to take was being watched, so we switched portkeys and locations."
"Can't we go by apparition?" Ron asked as they settled into the expanded car.
"Apparition is likely being monitored, as well as flu travel. I received a notice from Jones a little after, saying how she had run into Lucius Malfoy demanding where she had been." Augusta explained, taking a seat behind the wheel. "Now, buckle up. It has been many years since I have last done this."
The old woman pressed her foot to the pedal, and off they went.
After a few mishaps (and one confounded police officer) the group was lulled into a peaceful silence. Ron was playing chess with Neville, Hermione was reading a book, and Harry was listening to the muggle radio. It was peaceful enough that Harry allowed his eyes to slip shut.
"Couldn't keep secrets from your son, Severus?" Dumbledore's words could almost be seen as teasing if the situation was lighter. Now though, they carried a heavy weight. A final question, a test.
"Die, old man. Avada Kedavra!" Dumbledore crumpled to the floor. Snape had failed.
"Severus!"
"You are next, Potter. I am sick of putting up with you! This ends now!
"Kill the spawn!" Bellatrix shouted next to him. "Make him bleed!"
"Avada Kedav-"
"Harry!" He sat up with a shout, gasping. Neville was shaking him awake, and the car stopped. "What's wrong?"
"Bad dream, I- what's up? Are we there?"
"We're being followed, Gran thinks," Neville explained. "Ron and Hermione ran inside to get food, we're meant to follow once you are awake."
"Be safe, you two," Augusta said, the lines on her face hardened. "I will try to get your belongings to you as quickly as I can, but who knows what will happen."
"Right, thank you. How do we…?"
"Hermione already knows, even has a map."
"Right, got it." Harry turned to face Augusta, laying his hand on hers. "I'll keep Neville safe, I promise."
Augusta's hard exterior faltered for a moment, her hands coming up to rest on both of the boy's faces.
"Both of you, protect each other. You're going to need it."
"We will," Neville said, looking determined. Harry leaned into the woman's hand, smiling. Severus had done this once. Harry missed his father.
Harry and Neville climbed out of the car, the small bag tucked into Harry's waistband. Their eyes scanned the parking lot of the filling station, looking for anything suspicious. They didn't see anything immediately, so they headed inside. Once they had grabbed their food and paid for it, Harry waved his hand, a fake illusion version of them walking into the car. All four promptly disappeared once the door had closed. Even Harry didn't have enough power to keep them longer than a few seconds.
"Alright, you ready?" Harry asked the group, a small voice interrupting anything that was going to be said next.
"Uhm, that car just left without you," The muggle cashier said. "Are you going to be alright?"
"Yeah, we're walking to a friend's house," Hermione quickly lied. "We need to exercise, especially with what we just bought."
"I get it, I'm watching my figure too," the girl smiled. "Have a good day!"
They left the station, slinking off the side and following a dirt path through a field. Hermione and Ron cast different spells over them, hiding them from anyone who could see.
It wasn't enough. Within thirty minutes, they had been found.
"Damn it!" Harry yelled, the group of four running away from the cascade of spells being thrown at them. Harry and Neville did what they could with wandless magic, but they couldn't do much. Hermione and Ron carried them the whole way through, countering and shielding as often as they could.
A few illusions of Harry's danced around the spells, jaws snapping as they lunged after their attackers, but they were illusions. Like at the first battle, Harry's illusions could distract and scare, but not actually do damage.
Neville, on the other hand, was tearing them apart. Vines had come up out of the ground, grasping and twirling around their victims, pulling and prodding them. An enhanced Venus Fly Trap had sprung up out of the ground and was munching on some guy's arm. Harry was impressed.
"Neville, duck!" Harry yelled, a spell going straight for the boy's head. He turned just enough that Harry got a glimpse of his face, and if Harry was a lesser person, he would have been frozen in fear.
His face was utterly still and devoid of all emotion- Except his eyes. They held things Harry hadn't wanted to see in his best friend's face. His pupils were blown wide, but also seemed bloodshot, holding levels of ecstasy Harry didn't think was possible. Harry suppressed a shudder, moving out of the way of another curse.
Ron jumped in front of Neville, the curse hitting his arm. He fell to the ground in pain, screaming.
Harry ran forward, Hermione close at his heels. Harry tackled Neville, the boy smacking his head on the dirt. This seemed to break the trance, but Neville was completely out of it. Death Eaters closed in on them, a few laughing while others readied their wands.
"HEY!" A voice cut through the sound, two of Voldemort's men being knocked to the ground with purple spells. The one closest to Harry cursed, his voice striking Harry as familiar. He couldn't place it, but he also didn't have the time.
Two more Death Eaters fell, one apparating on the spot. Hermione cast her own spell at another, but they dodged, running into the forest and disappearing with a quiet pop. Ron groaned, holding his twisted arm. It was a rough sight; the arm was bent at the shoulder, turned a good thirty-five degrees over what could have been natural. It was like his entire arm had been ripped out of its socket, tendons and all. How Ron wasn't screaming in pain was beyond Harry.
He paled. If that had hit Neville in the neck…
"Are you- Oh! It's you four!" The woman spoke, running towards them. "Ted, it's them!"
"My word!" The man, Ted, joined the woman.
"Who are you?" Hermione asked, one arm shielding Ron's head while her other was pointed at them. Harry followed suit, even if he couldn't do anything.
"That would save us the trouble of getting hexed by a bunch of teenagers, wouldn't it?" The woman bowed her head. "Andromeda Tonks née Black, at your service."
"I know you!" Harry gasped. "You married the muggle-born!"
"I did…" She trailed off, raising her eyebrow. Harry had the decency to blush a little.
"Sirius, he told me about it, I got to see the mantle and stuff." Hermione cleared her throat.
"Thank you for helping us, but we have more pressing matters. None of my spells are healing Ron!"
Andromeda knelt down, looking over the injured boy. She clicked her tongue, sighing.
"That's dark magic for you. Let us get you over to the Weasley's, and we'll look over him, and Mr Longbottom there. Can you carry them?"
"I can probably manage Ron, but not both," Hermione admitted honestly.
"No issue, I got the lad." Ted smiled at them. "Edward Tonks, at your service. Call me Ted. Come on, the portkey will be deactivated soon."
"Is that why you were here?" Hermione asked, casting a spell and levitating Ron. Harry watched as Ted helped Neville, and a sense of uselessness filled his veins. He needed to be seventeen, and fast. Then he could finally help out his friends. Only a few more days now.
"Yep," he told her. "Me and Andromeda were here to make sure it got properly shut down before any one devious could find it. Glad we came early, that wouldn't have ended pretty. Almost there now. Is everyone touching someone?"
They all nodded, Andromeda saying a firm "Mistletoe!" before their guts turned and they were gone.
"My lord," A Death Eater said, staring at the floor. A few of his men around him were shaking from their round under the cruciatus, but hopefully, he would not be one of them. "I bring you information you'll find enlightening."
"Speak, my servant." Voldemort hissed, leaning back into his throne.
"Potter has no care for the muggles you killed."
"What?" Voldemort sounded outraged. "Legilimens!"
"Not really," he shrugged. "I couldn't care less if I tried, to be honest."
"I hated them, they hated me, simple as that really. No love lost."
"No, no they aren't. My family is alive and well, thank you."
"Daedalus Diggle, right? Take a picture if you want to stare at me so badly."
"Oh no, really?" Harry deadpanned. "The horror."
Voldemort tore out of the man's mind, laughing maniacally. So Potter truly had changed! This had been enlightening!
"This information is deserving of a reward, my servant. You have done very, very well. Your Lord is pleased."
The man let out a sigh of relief.
"Potter cares not for the muggles we killed!" He announced loudly. "He, in fact, welcomed the idea of them burning!"
Makes sense, Snape thought to himself. After what they had done to Harrison, why would the boy care for them?
"We were also able to injure the Weasley he had with him!" The Death Eater added joyfully. No one paid him any mind.
"My Death Eaters, you are dismissed! My most loyal, I will see you at our table."
They follow, all but three staring at him in fear.
"Nagini, you shall eat well today," Voldemort hissed at his snake, glaring at a person in the corner of the room. "Come, bring my precious her meal."
A woman was floated over, her body partially mangled, her face contorted in pain.
"A muggle-loving witch is no witch at all," Voldemort spoke, standing up. Severus resisted the urge to look away. This was horrible.
"Severus," the woman sobbed quietly. "We were friends."
"You were friends with such filth, Severus?" Voldemort asked, raising his brow. "You see this useless being as your friend, one of our own?"
"Severus-"
"Never, my Lord. Like you said. Filth." Severus hated this.
"Excellent," Voldemort offered a horrifying smile. "Nagini, feast!"
The sight of the snake chomping down the human woman would forever be ingrained in his head, as were the screams she released.