Dawn Rivera

Fallen Warrior

Hermione, Kingsley and I appear at the Burrow, all of us clutching a bent coat hanger. Harry, Danny and Lupin are hurrying towards us. Hermione and I fling ourselves into Harry's and Danny's arms, but Kingsley shows no pleasure at the sight of any of us. I see him raise his wand and point it at Lupin's chest. But right now, I couldn't care less.

"Danny!" I shout, and launch myself into his arms, almost knocking him over. Danny laughs and hugs me back just as tightly. "You're OK!"

"Of course I am," Danny replies, "and so is Harry."

He pushes me lightly in Harry's direction, but I don't need further convincing. His familiar arms around me is the only touch I crave now I know Danny is OK.

"Harry," I whisper. "Oh, Harry, I'm so glad you're all right."

"And I you," he replies. Pulling back slightly, he kisses me softly, and all my anxiety fades. I'm with Harry now. It's all going to be OK.

"The last words Albus Dumbledore said to the pair of us?"

"'Harry is the best hope we have. Trust him.'," says Lupin calmly.

Kingsley turns his wand on Harry and Danny, but Lupin says, "It's him, I've checked!"

"All right, all right!" says Kingsley, stowing his wand back beneath his cloak. "But somebody betrayed us! They knew, they knew it was tonight!"

"So it seems," replies Lupin, "but apparently they did not realise that there would be nine Harrys."

"Small comfort!" snarls Kingsley. "Who else is back?"

"Only Harry, Danny, Hagrid, George and me."

Hermione and I stifle moans behind our hands.

"What happened to you?" Lupin asks Kingsley.

"Followed by five, injured two, might've killed one," Kingsley reels off, "and we saw You-Know-Who as well, he joined the chase halfway through, but vanished pretty quickly. Remus, he can - "

"Fly," supplies Danny. "We saw him too, he came after Hagrid and me."

"So that's why he left - to follow you!" says Kingsley. "I couldn't understand why he'd vanished. But what made him change targets?"

"Harry and Danny behaved a little too kindly to Stan Shunpike," says Lupin.

"Stan?" I repeat. "But I thought he was in Azkaban?"

Kingsley lets out a mirthless laugh.

"Dawn, there's obviously been a mass breakout which the Ministry has hushed up. Travers's hood fell off when I cursed him, he's supposed to be inside too. But what happened to you, Remus? Where's George?"

"He lost an ear," says Lupin.

"Lost an - ?" repeats Hermione in a high voice.

"Snape's work," says Lupin.

"Snape?" shouts Harry. "You didn't say - "

"He lost his hood during the chase. Sectusempra was always a speciality of Snape's. I wish I could say I'd paid him back in kind, but it was all I could do to keep George on the broom after he was injured, he was losing so much blood."

Silence falls between the six of us as we look up at the sky. There is no sign of movement; the stars stars back, unblinking, indifferent, unobscured by flying friends. Where is Ron? Where are Fred and Mr Weasley? Where is Bill, Fleur, Tonks, Mad-Eye and Mundungus?