In The Fight To Survive (Golden Trio Era) {4}

Linking Up

Harry's feet slammed onto hard ground and he fell onto his hands and knees in the yard of the Burrow. He heard screams as he stood up, swaying slightly, and saw that Mrs. Weasley and Ginny running down the steps by the back door heading straight for them. "Harry! Hagrid!" Molly called once she realised who had arrived, "what happened? Where are the others?" she asked once she got closer. "What d'you mean? Isn't anyone else back?" Harry panted, but the answer was clearly etched in Mrs. Weasley's pale face.

"They were on to us way from the start, Molly. We didn't stand a chance." Hagrid told her, trying to give her as much information that he could considering how quickly they had lost sight of the others. You could hear the self-justifying note in his voice, the plea for her to understand why he did not know what had happened to her sons. "Well, thank goodness you two are all right," Molly offered a shaky smile before pulling Harry into a hug that he didn't feel like he deserved. "Death Eaters were waiting for us. It was an ambush." Hagrid tried again as he and Molly stood away from Harry and Ginny, Mrs Weasley clearly trying to hide the distraught look on her face.

Harry turned to Ginny and she answered his unspoken plea for information at once. "The others should be back already, you and Hagrid were due to arrive just before Moody, Mikayla and Mundungus." A blue light had appeared in the sky at the boundary of their wards, it grew larger and brighter, momentarily diminishing the darkness of the night, before it completely went out. In it's place appeared Remus and George, spinning and then falling to the ground. Harry knew immediately that there was something wrong, Remus was supporting George, who was unconscious and whose face was covered in blood.

Harry ran forward and seized George's legs. Together, he and Remus carried George into the house and through the kitchen to the living room, where they laid him on the sofa. As the lamplight fell across George's head, Ginny gasped and Harry's stomach lurched, one of George's ears was missing. The side of his head and neck were drenched in wet, shockingly scarlet blood. No sooner had Mrs. Weasley bent over her son that Remus grabbed Harry by the upper arm and pushed him roughly against the fireplace, holding him there with a hand on the chest and his wand pointed at him.

Hagrid let out a shout in protest, while Ginny incredulously inquired what he was doing. "What creature sat in the corner the first time when Harry Potter visited of my office in Hogwarts?" Remus asked, his own voice shaking, "are you mad?!" Harry protested, "what creature?" Remus asked again, giving Harry a bit of a shake to tell him just how serious he was, "a Grindylow!" Harry shouted and Remus let out a relieved breath, releasing Harry and sitting down on the arm of the armchair.

"We have been betrayed. Voldemort knew you were being moved tonight. I had to make sure, you were not an imposter." Remus explained himself, before once again a blue light appeared and a sound of thunder. Remus dived for the back door, Harry leapt over Hagrid's legs and sprinted into the yard behind him, while Hagrid stepped out to block the door. Two figures had appeared in the yard, and as Harry ran toward them he realised they were Hermione, now returning to her normal appearance, and Kingsley.

"Wait!" Remus warned, blocking Harry from greeting Hermione. In sync, Remus and Kingsley pointed their wands at each other, wearyingly. "The last words Albus Dumbledore spoke to the pair of us?" Kingsley requested from Lupin, "'Harry is the best hope we have. Trust him,'" Remus answered calmly, and they both lowered their wands. "What gave you away?" Kingsley asked Harry once Remus vouched that he was the real one. "Hedwig, I think. She was trying to protect me." Harry answered just before another flash appeared to their right, Bill and Fleur coming into view on the thestral.

Seconds later, Tonks and Ron appeared behind Hermione, and she bolted over to give him a hug as Tonks continues towards Remus. "He deserves that. Brilliant he was. I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for him." Tonks tells them before she pulls Remus into a tight hug. "Really?" Hermione asks, "always the tone of surprise." Ron smirked making Hermione sigh as she pulls Harry's replica glasses off of Ron's face. Harry rushes over to pull Ron and Hermione into a hug, relieved that the both of them are okay.