Whispers

Twenty-Six

Calliope dragged Fred through the tent towards where Harry and Elphias were.

"Callie we have to get you out of here," Fred protested.

"Harry has to get out of here, he is the key to everything. If they find him here we've lost."

"And the fact that you know that is the exact reason that we have to leave!" Fred retorted.

"Barney!" Calliope stopped at the table where Harry, Elphias and Muriel were in conversation, "Barney, you and your friends need to leave now. It's very important that you get out of here."

Harry's face was slightly confused, but he stood up. He bade Elphias and Muriel goodbye and then he was off to find Hermione and Ron. 

"Okay, now they're going we need to get you out of here Callie," said Fred.

"No we need to stay." Calliope's brain was running at a hundred miles an hour thinking of how they could best approach this situation, "we're part of the family, they will expect us to be here."

"But Ron is leaving-"

"Isn't that what the ghoul is for?" Calliope asked, "go and get it into Ron's bed!"

Just as Fred turned to hurry away towards the house, a silver patronus emerged in the middle of the dance floor, punctuated by the crack of apperition, indicating to Calliope that Harry, Ron and Hermione were gone.

The Patronus spoke with Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice, "the Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

Calliope immediately burst into action. She grabbed Ginny, who was the nearest Weasley and instructed her to hide under a table. Guests began to disapperate around her and Sirius dashed past her towards where the cloaked and masked figures were emerging. Calliope whirled around and drew her wand to join Sirius. Together, they cast a shield charm, preventing the advancing Death Eaters from harming anyone there. 

Calliope saw Fred slip back into the tent, and she raised her voice loudly above the noise of spells and disapperition happening all around. 

"We do not want to fight you," she told the Death Eater's, all of who's attention was rapidly upon her, "but if you fight us, we will fight back."

A Death Eater stepped forwards and removed his mask, showing himself to be Augustus Rookwood, "if you fight back we will deal with you all."

"No one will die here tonight," Calliope promised. The tent was almost silent now as everyone who remained stared at the exchange happening. "We will cooperate with you as long as that fact remains."

"In that case, drop your shield charm and line up. Each of you will be subject to questioning about the location of Undesirable Number One: Harry James Potter."

Calliope was the first to drop her wand and then her defensive stance. She knew that no one would die at the Burrow. She was very sure that her words were true and therefore the most relaxed throughout the entire questioning process. Harry would not be discovered, as only those loyal to him knew of his presence and he had escaped with plenty of time. 

The Death Eaters swallowed the story about Ron's illness, which was backed up by them meeting the ghoul who Fred had placed in Ron's room. Everyone who remained (the immediate Weasley family, Fleur's parents and sister, Tonks, Remus, Sirius and Elphias) were all questioned. Calliope was the very last person to be called in for questioning. 

The Death Eaters had taken over the sitting room of the Burrow and Calliope walked into the room with confidence. 

"Sit, halfbreed," said Rookwood.

"I'd rather stand, this will be brief," Calliope responded, "to answer you inevitable questions: Harry Potter was not and is not here, this was not a secret meeting but a family wedding. I do not know where Harry Potter is or will be, and no I will not accompany you to the ministry for further questioning."

"We are not asking you to accompany us, we are telling you that you will accompany us," said Rookwood.

"I would much rather stay here," said Calliope, "if you want to take me anywhere you will have to harm me otherwise I will harm you and I know for a fact that Voldemort does not want me harmed beyond usefulness, which you would have to do in order to get me to go anywhere." Calliope paused and cocked her head at the Death Eater before her. "Are we done here? I want to go back to my husband."