Don't Look Back In Anger (Completed)

Chapter 17: The Devil in the Pale Moonlight

Claire wasn't sure if this was a late lunch or an early dinner, the newly married Blacks weren't exactly keeping to any sort of timetable. Sitting here as the yacht cruised along the Devon coast was wonderful, doing so with her husband though was simply perfect. Suddenly their perfect world was shattered.

Sirius stopped talking mid-sentence, his face taking on a horrified expression.

A now concerned Claire asked the obvious question. "What's the matter?"

"Sorry love, I forgot you couldn't see or hear the message spell. Remus just told me Luna's been kidnapped from Hogwarts, they snatched her right from under their noses. We need to get to our room and lock the door, then head to Grimmauld. This could get very ugly, Harry will go after her and Hermione will be in bits - Emma won't be much better."

Claire was out of her seat at once, both she and Sirius practically racing back to their private suite. This may have raised a few chuckles amongst the crew but the Blacks weren't bothered about that, their family were now in a deadly situation.

-oOoOo-

Ginny was helped to her feet while telling her brothers her version of what just happened. "They came out of nowhere, I didn't even get a chance to shout for help..." Ginny's words died in her throat at the sight in front of her. A distraught Hermione was sitting on the ground, cradling a lifeless Harry's head in her lap. The thought that this could all have been for naught had Ginny pushing her way toward her downed love.

"What happened? Harry was never supposed to be hurt..." Ginny suddenly realised she'd said too much, Hermione's wand in her face may have been her first clue.

"What have you done?"

Looking into those expressive brown eyes terrified Ginny, there seemed to be so much barely contained rage behind them.

"Nothing, I..."

"Ginny, I love Harry and Luna with everything that I am. You, I don't give a shit about. Please believe me when I say I would take you apart as painfully as necessary to save those two. You'll get no help from anyone here either, so the only way to stop that happening is for you to tell me everything you know. As you can see I'm not exactly at my best at the moment so I suggest you be fucking quick about it!" Hermione's voice had started off almost at a conversational level but she was screaming at the stupid redhead by the end.

Remus had immediately messaged Sirius but then hesitated, he would give this a moment or two to play out before contacting McGonagall.

Looking around for support, Ginny realised there was none coming her way. Her three brothers were looking at her as if she was a stranger while their friends couldn't hide their disgust. It was Harry who made her mind up though. Not because he would be unable to rescue her this time but more she'd been promised he wouldn't be hurt. The tip of Hermione's wand was glowing with power by the time Ginny answered.

"It was Bulstrode. She wanted to get back at Luna, but Harry wasn't supposed to get hurt..."

As Ginny spilled her sorry tale, Ron staggered away a few steps before throwing up. Susan was soon at his side, rubbing his back and trying to offer whatever support she could. Like everyone else, she was shocked at what they had just heard. "I can't believe Ginny would be so stupid. Of course they're trying to hurt Harry by targeting Luna. I never saw what they did to Harry though, he just slumped to the ground."