Disclaimer: I own nothing; it all belongs to J.K.Rowling. I’m just borrowing the characters to play with for a while. This is for pleasure only, no profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Ten

Loss of a Brother

The morning after the infamous Weasley boys’ night out was one Harry would just as soon forget. He woke with a pounding headache and barely made it to the loo in time to heave the remains of the alcohol from his system. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time, but as he knelt in front of the porcelain god, he swore he’d never go out with the Weasley brothers again. It was one thing to feel miserable after someone tortured him; it was something else entirely to know he’d done it to himself. No, it was much easier to blame Charlie and the twins.

When he finally managed to return to his room – leaning heavily on the wall for support as he did – he was surprised to find Ron in a much better mood than he should have been. “What are you so cheerful about?” he asked grumpily, plopping back onto his bed. The movement made his head spin even worse, and he had to grip the mattress to keep himself steady.

Ron peered into the hallway to make sure it was empty. He shut the door before sitting on the edge of Harry’s bed. He pulled a phial of a strange-looking yellow substance from the drawer of the nightstand. “Drink that,” he said, handing Harry the phial.

The mere color of the liquid made Harry want to hurl again. “Urg, get that ruddy thing away from me, Ron,” he said, pushing Ron’s arm away.

“Suit yourself,” Ron said with an expression that was so smug it made Harry want to hit him. He would have, too, if it weren’t for the fact that it would require all his energy simply to get off his bed again. Merlin, he felt awful.

“What is it?” Harry grumbled. He was annoyed that Ron wasn’t feeling as bad he felt. He wished Ron would just tell him what he was on about and leave so he could go back to sleep.

“It’s a hangover remedy. Works much better if you take it before you drink, but it still helps.”

“Where did you get it?” Harry asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

“I made it,” Ron replied. “Cordelia has been helping me with Potions. She said anyone could sit for the NEWTs, whether you take the class or not. It’s highly unlikely to pass without it, but she said she’d help me try. If I can pull off an Acceptable, I could still apply to be an Auror.”

Harry was stunned. He knew Ron had been missing for long periods of time while they’d been at the beach, but he had no idea he’d been using the time to work. That wasn’t the Ron he knew. “Whoa,” Harry said, whistling. “Hermione has really rubbed off on you, mate.”

“Hermione doesn’t know I’ve been doing this, so don’t tell her,” Ron said, his shoulders stiffening. “I’d like to surprise her.”

Harry sniffed the yellow liquid. “It smells awful,” he said, scrunching up his nose.

Ron rolled his eyes. “Quit being such a baby and just drink it.”

Now Harry couldn’t refuse the potion. Steeling himself, he tipped it back. It tasted as bad as it smelled, and he gagged as it went down. His stomach began to calm instantly, and the pounding in his head lessened to a more manageable volume. Harry looked up at Ron. “I’m impressed.”

Ron grinned with pleasure. “Don’t mention it to Charlie or the twins, mind; I want to see them suffer.”

Harry returned the grin. After what they had done to him last night, he wasn’t opposed to making the elder Weasley brothers suffer a little, either.

As the days of August flew by, Harry began to think about returning to Hogwarts and the year ahead. Somehow, he knew in his heart that this year would decide his fate. The battle was coming, and he was determined to be ready for it. He knew he’d miss this island getaway and decided that if he lived through the final confrontation with Voldemort, he’d use some of the money in his vault to buy his own holiday cottage by the sea. The money was just sitting there, and he knew Sirius would have wanted him to use it for just such a thing. It didn’t have to be elaborate, just a place where he and Ginny could escape when they needed. It would have to be big enough for any of the other Weasleys who wanted to join them, as well.

He and Ginny had stumbled across a broom shed behind the bungalow and waited until after dark to take a spin on one of the brooms. It was old and rickety and certainly didn’t hold a candle to Harry’s Firebolt, but they enjoyed themselves, just the same. They had to stay close to the Bungalow to avoid being seen, and the old broom would buck and lose altitude occasionally. Ginny started and clutched at Harry each time this would happen, and Harry found himself eagerly anticipating these dips, because he liked how closely Ginny pressed herself against him.

Aberforth talked to him about his powerful display of wandless magic at his surprise party. He said the kind of power needed to cause such destruction was immense, never mind that Harry had done it wandlessly. He split Harry’s training into two parts – one using a wand, the other without it. Harry proved adept at each. The first thing he noticed, as he began practicing spells, was the speed at which he could send them off when not using a wand. The wand seemed to slow him down, but he still needed it for the more powerful spells.

Harry’s shield was incredibly strong, and it soon reached a point where Abe couldn’t breach it. He called Remus, Bill, and Tonks into the study one afternoon for a test. He hadn’t informed Harry about whatever it was he was planning, so Harry watched with slight unease as Abe ushered the others into the study. He was stunned when he realized Abe wanted him to duel with all three of them at the same time to see if they could break through his shield.

Harry was nervous, but he took several deep breaths and tried to clear his mind, focusing only on the task at hand. The others took positions around the room, glancing warily at Abe when he gave the signal to begin. After a moment of hesitation, they began throwing their curses, and Harry moved with the speed and agility of a wild cat. He felt the magic inside him throb and intensify as he concentrated on blocking and dodging while he kept up his shield. His maneuvers were completely defensive, as Abe had instructed. His movements became a blur as he wandlessly deflected spell after spell. Soon, they were all sweating with exertion, but his shield remained intact. A Stunning spell hit him from behind, but was deflected back at Bill, who slumped to the ground. Remus was the next to be hit with his own curse, until only Tonks remained. Finally, she, too, succumbed; Harry’s shield had never flickered.

He stood, panting and staring around the room at his unconscious teachers. He felt stunned; he knew his power had been increasing, but found this alarming. He wasn’t certain if it was because he’d reached adulthood, or that his inner power had been stretched during that last battle with Voldemort, but something had changed. When he concentrated on the fight, everything else blurred, and it felt as if he were drawing energy from the life around him.

“Well done, lad,” Abe said, breaking his contemplation. He walked to the others and revived them.

“That was amazing, Harry,” Remus said, getting back on his feet. “I think Voldemort is in for a surprise the next time you meet.”

Harry caught Remus’s eye, and they stared, unblinking, at each other across the room. Both knew that the next time Harry and Voldemort met would be the last, the final battle. Harry felt that it was Remus who was dreading it more than he was. He was ready to end this; he was tired of running. Remus nodded, as if understanding the unspoken communication.

Tonks walked over and gave him a quick hug. “The Auror Acceptance Committee is going to be thrilled with you next year, kid.”

Harry smiled, appreciating her confidence, but, for the first time, the idea of being an Auror didn’t thrill him, as it had in the past. He wondered if, after Voldemort was gone, if he lived through it, would he want to continue chasing Dark wizards?

“It’s a good thing you’re so powerful,” Bill said, grinning. “You’ll need to be to handle that sister of mine.”

Harry chuckled. “Believe me, I’m much more scared of her than I am of Voldemort.”

“Then there’s hope for you, yet,” Remus said, slapping him on the back as they all headed out of the study for lunch.

A few days later, Harry decided to visit the village. The others had all been back on various occasions, but Harry had been happy at the beach and too busy with his training. He wanted a chance to look around before they had to go back to London. It seemed that all of them were growing restless, for nearly everyone was planning on heading into the village that day. Even Bill and Jacqueline decided to take the day off to do some shopping. As they gathered in the kitchen, Harry was surprised when Tonks joined them. She was wearing khaki-colored pants and a tiny blue halter-top. Her hair matched the color of the top.

“Are we ready?” she asked, placing her hands on her hips and looking them all over.

“Is Remus coming, too?” Harry asked, noticing Charlie smiling at Tonks.

“No, he has to do something for the Order in London this morning,” Tonks said, not meeting Harry’s eyes. He knew that Mr. Weasley had been staying in London during the week so he could keep working, but Harry suddenly wondered how Tonks had been on holiday for so long.

“How come you didn’t go back, too?” he asked.

“Don’t be silly. I’m your bodyguard,” Tonks replied, winking at him. Suddenly, everything clicked into place for Harry. He knew that the goblins had sided with Dumbledore, and Dumbledore had made special arrangements with them to hire Bill to work on the ancient texts. He must have made similar arrangements with Moody to keep an Auror with Harry during the summer holidays. A few months ago, the extra protection and knowing that he was being watched would have irritated Harry to no end, but now, it didn’t matter. This was how it was and would be until the final battle. It was all up to him to change things.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go,” said Charlie, leading them all towards the dock.

Harry could see Hermione looking at the boat while chewing her lip. “Don’t worry, Hermione,” he said, grinning. “I’ll make it a fast trip.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she groaned.

Harry drove them over at top speed, despite Hermione’s protests, and the trip was uneventful. Before they disembarked in the village, Tonks told everyone to partner up and keep their eyes open. She didn’t expect any trouble, but better to be safe. Constant vigilance, you know. Harry had to be partnered with Tonks, so Ginny paired off with Charlie, Bill with Jacqueline, and Ron with Hermione. This left the twins to pair up with each other, and they made a grand show of linking arms and strolling up the street as if they were on a date.

Most of the shops were filled with T-shirts and souvenirs. They all bought little things to remember their holiday. Ginny wanted a new bathing suit, so Harry, Tonks, and Charlie went with her into a little boutique. The prices were outrageous, but the shop held a wide selection of designer swimsuits. Bill and Jacqueline joined them inside.

“I decided I could use a new swimsuit, too, Ginny,” Jacqueline said, beginning to browse through the assortment on the racks.

Harry didn’t know Jacqueline very well, but she seemed pleasant enough, if a little flighty. Maybe it was just the blonde hair, but she reminded him of Lavender Brown – very talkative, and with an obsession for clothes.

Ginny seemed to like her, and, along with Tonks, the girls began selecting bathing suits to try on for themselves and each other. Harry hung back with Bill and Charlie. He noticed the dreamy, far-away expression on Bill’s face. Harry had seen that same look on Ron’s face on occasion when he looked at Hermione.

“Make sure to let us see, so we can help you decide,” Bill called after the girls as they entered the fitting room.

Jacqueline turned towards him and rolled her eyes. With a mischievous twinkle, she picked up an amazingly tiny little bikini off the rack. “Hey, Ginny,” she called, as she followed the other two inside. “I think this one would look great on you.”

Harry gulped audibly, as images of that little piece of fabric on Ginny sprang into his mind. His face flushed, and he studied his shoes to avoid the stares he knew Bill and Charlie were giving him.

“Get your mind off it, Potter. That’s exactly the reason Ginny won’t be buying that suit,” Bill said, his voice sounding oddly strangled.

“What’s the point, brother?” Charlie asked, chuckling. “Harry already admitted to us he wasn’t a virgin anymore.”

Harry wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole. He looked up in alarm, his skin burning. “Charlie!” he yelped, then, noticing the growing color on Bill’s angry face, he took an involuntary step backwards. “That’s not right. We were talking about firewhiskey. A firewhiskey virgin,” he hissed, lowering his voice on the word ‘virgin’.

Charlie continued to chuckle, and Bill finally seemed to catch on that Charlie was winding him up. He glared at both Charlie and Harry. “Ginny’s not getting a bikini.”

Harry felt a trickle of sweat as it ran down his back, again thinking that Ginny had entirely too many brothers.

The girls eventually came out of the changing room. Both Tonks and Ginny decided the store was too rich for their blood, and, even though Harry promised to buy it for her if she’d get a bikini, Ginny declined. She said the summer was almost over, and it was not worth the battle she’d have to go through with her mum. Jacqueline bought a bikini but refused to show Bill. She said he’d see it on the beach. The two of them left the others, who went into another bathing suit shop to continue their search. This place was much more reasonable, and both girls found new suits. Ginny bought a one-piece suit in jewel tones that seemed to please her. Harry thought it was nice, but he would have preferred the bikini.

They continued along the streets, stopping at various shops and tourist attractions. Harry held Ginny’s hand as they walked, thoroughly enjoying the rare freedom. The Muggles in the village never gave him a second glance, and, although his scar still got occasional looks, none of them were gaping. He thoroughly enjoyed this chance to be normal. In one shop, a heavyset native woman seemed overly interested in them. She actually followed them around the store, picking up various items at which they had looked. She never spoke to them, but watched them closely. She made Tonks nervous, so she ushered them all out of the shop. The woman didn’t follow, so Harry soon put it out of his mind.

As he enjoyed his time with Ginny, he couldn’t help but notice the easy jokes that passed between Charlie and Tonks. They teased each other like friends who’d known each other for a very long time. Harry knew this shouldn’t bother him, and it was none of his business, but he couldn’t help worrying about Remus. He must not have hidden his dismay well, for Tonks approached him about it when they entered a small snack bar. Charlie and Ginny had walked down to the beach to watch some of the surfers.

“Something on your mind, kid?” she asked.

Harry looked down and began studying his shoe. “No…er, not really.”

“You’ve been kind of quiet,” Tonks pressed.

Harry wouldn’t look at her. He liked Tonks very much. She’d always been very good to him, and he knew this was none of his business. He couldn’t help how he felt, however, but didn’t know how to tell her.

Tonks sighed. “Look, Harry, Charlie and I are old friends, nothing more. I’m in love with Remus. If that weren’t true, who knows?” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “Maybe Charlie and I would give it another go. But that’s not going to happen, because it is true. Remus should know that, and I don’t know what else to do to make it clear to him. I’ve told him how I feel.”

Harry was stunned that she was revealing all of this to him, but didn’t know why he should be. Tonks had always been up front and honest with her feelings. Still, he felt the need to defend Remus. “He’s got some issues getting close to people,” he said, thinking back to all the trouble that he’d had connecting with Remus.

“I’m well aware of that, and none of it matters to me. A lot of people seem to have a problem with our age difference. As if I’ve ever been bothered with anything as silly as convention. I do what feels right; I like to laugh, and Remus has quite a mischievous streak that he likes to hide behind his stiff upper lip. I don’t care about his finances; other families live on an Auror’s salary. I don’t care about his being indisposed on the full moon; hell, I’m beastly once a month myself.”

Harry tried to fight the blush, but felt his face and neck light up like a Christmas tree. He nervously cleared his throat and searched for anywhere to put his eyes except on her.

“Bloody hell, Harry, I’m sorry. I forget how young you really are sometimes,” Tonks said, laughing and patting his leg in comfort. Harry could understand how she felt. Sometimes, he felt like he’d already lived more than an entire lifetime in his short seventeen years.

“Anyway,” Tonks said, sighing again, “the thing is, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m a fairly tough girl, and I’ve seen a lot. Hell, with relatives like mine, you have to be tough. The thing is, Remus knows all this, but he’s got to be the one who lets it go. He has to trust me, and trust himself enough to give it a shot. You and he are so similar. Fortunately, Ginny got to you when you were still young enough for it to make a difference. You’re much more resilient than he is. He’s had opportunities to change his life before, but he’s always walked away. Maybe if he’d just trust enough in another person, and the choices they are willing to make, instead of feeling that he’d drag someone else down, he’d see that the other person could bring him up. But, until he’s willing just to let everything go and try, I don’t see that happening.”

Tonks sounded so sad, and Harry desperately wanted to comfort her, but he didn’t know how. He didn’t want Remus to give up on her, but he didn’t want Tonks to give up on Remus, either. “It’s hard to let go,” he whispered, a world-weary pain shining in his green eyes.

“You did it. You let Ginny in, and look at the difference it’s made. Not only are you a stronger person for it, but you used the love she gives you as a defense. The two of you are stronger together than either of you is apart. That’s how love works. Until Remus can let go and just go with that, he’s doomed to keep repeating the pattern,” Tonks said.

Harry looked out towards the beach; he could see Charlie and Ginny making their way back towards them.

“As to Charlie,” Tonks said in his ear. “I still don’t think it would ever work with us, even if it weren’t for Remus. Charlie is wondering if he made a mistake, but he didn’t. He loves those dragons and that nomadic lifestyle. It will call to him again; he’d be miserable stuck back here, looking after unicorns and tied to a house and a family. That’s just not Charlie.”

Harry felt better after his little talk with Tonks; his spirits were lighter. They ate lunch together at the snack bar, then began looking for the others. They found Ron and Hermione first; Hermione was loaded with gifts and souvenirs for her family. Harry felt a twinge of guilt, knowing she missed her parents, and that she’d again had to cut her time with them short because of him.

Aside from the time on the beach when they’d all been together, he hadn’t spent much time alone with Ron and Hermione during this trip. They’d been disappearing for long stretches. He and Ginny had been getting in a lot of time for stolen kisses, so he imagined Ron and Hermione were doing the same. Still, he missed them and hoped when they returned to school things would go back to normal.

“Where have you two been?” Harry asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Ron was obviously excited and nearly bouncing on his feet to tell them. “They had a surfing competition down the other end of the beach. It was brilliant; you should have seen the stuff that lot was doing. Hermione and I rented surfboards and tried it ourselves. You wouldn’t believe how good Hermione is.”

Hermione smiled, obviously pleased with Ron’s compliment. “I learned when I was younger and actually did quite a bit of surfing this summer when I was with my parents.”

“Oh, that sounds like fun,” Ginny exclaimed. “How did you do, Ron?”

“He was pretty good, once he got the hang of it,” Hermione answered for him, smiling at her boyfriend. Harry was happy to see the two of them getting along. Maybe all the tension was finally over.

They sat down at a picnic table overlooking the beach. They could see the activity on the beach from one side and the village on the other. “You lot sit here for a few minutes while Charlie and I peer up the street to see if we can catch sight of the twins,” Tonks said. “Merlin only knows what they could be up to at this point.”

“We haven’t seen them all day,” Ron said. “It’s been quite nice, actually.”

Ginny slapped him on the arm. “Go ahead; we’ll stay right here.”

Tonks and Charlie each headed in opposite directions, their eyes scanning the street, looking for red hair.

Nearly the moment they were far enough down the street for the crowd to swallow them, it happened. Obviously, someone had been watching, waiting for the moment they could get to Harry without an adult present. Death Eaters wearing full outfits – masks and all, despite being on the beach – emerged from both directions. Muggles fell in the street, struck unawares. A panic soon followed, with terrified tourists and villagers running to get away from the strange men firing the strange lights. Harry could see streams of green cutting down Muggles at random.

“Look out,” Ron screamed, as a jet of light came hurtling towards them. Ron and Harry jumped to one side, Hermione and Ginny to the other, as the table where they’d been sitting absorbed the curse and was split down the middle. Ron and Harry took cover behind a small brick wall that kept the sand on the beach and away from the street. Harry could see Hermione and Ginny take cover just inside the snack hut where they’d eaten lunch.

The Death Eaters were firing a barrage of curses at the wall where Harry and Ron were crouching. “This is insane,” Ron yelled, firing a single curse back before ducking back down as a shower of sparks flew in the air where a curse hit the wall. Part of it had started to crumble. Harry raised a shield, trying to cover him and Ron as best he could, while he fired several of the curses Abe had taught him in rapid succession.

He could see Hermione shouting something at them, but the noise from the street and the panicking Muggles drowned out her words. He was sickened by the destruction piling up in the street. The Death Eaters were intent upon Harry, but not opposed to taking out as many Muggles as possible in the process.

He could see the signs of wand-fire further up the street and assumed it was Tonks trying to reach them. He needed to think of a distraction. He was done running; it was time to show these morons that there was a reason Voldemort feared him. If they had joined the Dark Lord thinking it was inevitable that Voldemort would be the one eventually in power, Harry had to show them that nothing was a guarantee.

Taking a deep breath and strengthening the shield he had around himself, Harry stood up.

“What are you doing?” Ron hissed, trying to grab his arm. “Get down, Harry.”

Harry ignored him; he stepped over the wall and began firing curse after curse. The speed became so rapid that his arm looked like a blur as he aimed his spells. The Death Eaters began falling. He felt several spells knick his shield, but nothing had got through so far. He’d held it for a long time against the others during practice, but he hadn’t been firing back during that session, so he wasn’t sure how long the shield would last. He could feel it flickering each time he fired a powerful spell towards the Death Eaters.

He knocked them out with Stunning Spells, but wasn’t opposed to giving them a few cuts and bruises along the way. He could feel his anger boiling inside him with white-hot fury, and he fought to control it. Jonathan had stressed that his positive emotions were his greatest strength; therefore, it stood to reason that his hatred would weaken him. He didn’t want to give in to that. They needed to be stopped, as quickly and efficiently as possible.

He fired another Stunner and took out two more Death Eaters who were dragging a woman from a car. He felt his shield collapse as a powerful bludgeoning spell hit him from behind. He landed on the street with an oomph, the breath knocked out of him. Ron took out the Death Eater that got him, while Harry struggled to catch his breath and raise another shield. He knew this one was weaker, but it would have to do. Ron was still taking cover behind the wall, but he couldn’t see what had become of the girls.

Ginny and Hermione had ducked into a small snack shop when the curses had begun to fly. They’d tried to yell to Ron and Harry that they’d cover them if they tried to run over, but there was too much noise to be heard. Ginny wasn’t even sure they could have got across the courtyard, there were so many spells flying through the air.

“Ginny,” Hermione said, the urgency ringing in her words. “You can drive the boat, right?”

“Yeah,” Ginny replied, confused. What good would that do? They were too far from the sea.

“Look!” Hermione pointed to a stone overpass over a canal into the village. It was most likely used to deliver goods and supplies to the local merchants. “We could bring the boat up and get Harry out of here.”

Ginny nodded and followed Hermione to the other side of the shack. She knew very well that Harry could and should Apparate away, but she also knew he’d never do it if it meant leaving her and Ron behind. Peering around the corner, she realized that the Death Eaters weren’t paying any attention to them because they were all focused on Harry.

“Okay, now!” Hermione said, and the two of them sprinted down the street. Hermione threw her packages on the ground as they hurried away. The streets were crowded with panicked Muggles, and it was hard to get through the mass. Hermione pulled Ginny out of the way of a stampeding crowd before she was trampled. As they huddled against a building to catch their breath, a familiar voice called to them.

“Ginny! Hermione!” Bill called, pulling Jacqueline behind him. “What happened? Where are the others?”

“Death Eaters,” Ginny said. “They’ve got Ron and Harry surrounded near a restaurant on the beach.”

“We’re going to get the boat and bring it up the canal. Can you Apparate back to the Bungalow and get some help? They’re killing the Muggles,” Hermione screamed frantically, tugging at her hair.

Bill swore beneath his breath. “Where is Tonks?”

“I don’t know! We got separated when she and Charlie went to look for the twins. Have you seen them?” Ginny asked.

“No, I haven’t seen them all day,” Bill answered, worry lines creasing his forehead.

“I’ll get help,” Jacqueline said, before Disapparating with a ‘pop’.

“You two keep going and get the boat; I’m going to see if I can help,” Bill yelled, already running in the opposite direction.

Hermione grabbed Ginny’s hand. “Come on.”

They struggled through the crowds a bit further before spying Tonks; she was heavily outnumbered, but holding her own against another group of Death Eaters. Hermione drew her wand. “Petrificus Totalis,” she said, and the nearest Death Eater fell.

They helped Tonks take down the others, then explained to the harried Auror what was happening. “Damn it,” Tonks said when told Harry was fighting.

“Tonks, we need to get to the boat, but we’re having trouble getting through all these people,” Ginny said.

Tonks thought about it a minute, then raising her wand. She created some kind of whirlwind that swirled and created a tunnel of sorts through the crowd. “Just run down the center. Hurry; it won’t last for long.”

Hermione and Ginny didn’t need more encouragement. They sprinted down the street towards the boat. By the time they reached the dock, Hermione had fallen behind, and Ginny felt a painful stitch in her side. Gasping against the cramp, she leaped over the side of the boat, turned the key, and heard the engine roar to life. Hermione jumped in and sat in the seat next to Ginny, breathing heavily. “You drive, and I’ll cover you,” she said, kneeling on the seat and holding her wand at the ready.

Ginny released the bowline and sped onto the open water.

Harry was growing tired. He’d taken out about a dozen Death Eaters, but they just kept coming. He knew he could fire off more curses if he did it wandlessly, but he was still hesitant of revealing that capability. He didn’t know why there were still any Muggles in the area that hadn’t run away, but the Death Eaters were making sport of several innocents. Harry knew that he was the main target and reasoned that if he were to lead them away from the Muggles, they should follow him. He didn’t want to take the chance of getting hurt or caught, but thought if he could just lead them far enough away, he could Disapparate. Help had to be arriving soon.

He began sprinting down one of the side streets that he knew headed out of the village. He could hear Ron screaming at him from behind, but couldn’t make out the words. His shield had collapsed once again, and he felt various curses cutting and singeing his skin, but he was far enough away that they weren’t causing real damage.

“Harry!” He heard Ron’s call, and something about the tone of his voice made him stop and turn back. Ron was gesturing to a stone archway above the water. He could see Ron running for it. He covered for his friend until Ron got there.

He looked at a Death Eater who was coming up towards him; he stopped a few paces away. There was something disturbingly familiar about the way this man walked, and Harry was momentarily mesmerized, his mind working furiously to make the pieces click into place. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end.

“Potter,” the voice drawled. “How typical of you to try and lead us away from the filthy Muggles.”

Harry’s head snapped up as he noticed a single long tendril of blonde hair snaking out from the hood of his outfit. But Lucius Malfoy is dead; they told me Tonks killed him. His heart started beating so fast it was painful. So far, during this battle, Harry had managed to keep all the disturbing images of his captivity blocked out, but the sight of Lucius, or who he thought was Lucius, threatened to overwhelm him. Lucius Malfoy had a particularly vindictive personality, and Harry was well aware of it. Clenching his teeth, Harry forced the memories down. He didn’t have time to work this out now, so he stored the thought away for later. The Death Eater raised his wand and aimed it right at Harry, who quirked his eyebrow cheekily before Disapparating, only to reappear a moment later on top of the archway. He watched as the rush of green light sped through the air in the spot he’d just been standing.

“All right, Ron?” he asked, watching Ron gasping for breath.

“Nothing serious. Look,” Ron said, pointing to a boat speeding up the canal. Harry could recognize the flaming red hair of the driver as it flew in the wind behind her.

Ron climbed up on the ridge of the archway. Ginny slowed the boat and stopped just below them. “Ready?” Harry asked.

“Are you going to be able to swim to the boat?” Ron asked.

“Not much choice,” Harry said, shrugging before he leapt off the side. Ron followed right behind him.

Harry hit the water hard and plunged deep into the water. Trying to remain calm, he righted himself and kicked for the surface, hoping that Hermione could take care of the Death Eaters until he was out of the water. He broke the surface, and, before he’d even looked around to find the boat, he felt his body being lifted in the air and brought directly onto the boat. He watched Hermione shout, “Accio Ron,” and bring his friend onto the boat the same way.

Ginny gunned the engine, and they sped away. They’d only gone a short distance when they saw Bill and Tonks waving their arms from the shore. Ginny steered the boat over to the water’s edge, while Hermione levitated them both on board.

“We’ve got six Death Eaters in a full body bind over there,” Tonks said, pointing towards a small shop. “I already broke their wands. What’s going on back there?”

“Ron and I stunned a bunch of them, but I didn’t think to break their wands.” Harry said, cringing.

“You couldn’t have, anyway, Harry. There were too many of them, and they were still firing when we left,” Ron said.

“Ginny, turn around and head back that way,” Bill said. “We’ve still got to find Charlie and twins.”

“Charlie wasn’t too far from us when all hell broke loose,” Ron said. “He went in the other direction from Tonks.”

As they reached the stone archway once again, all was quiet. Harry could still see several Death Eaters lying on the ground, but he knew that there had been at least three still firing when he jumped in the water.

“See anyone?” Ron asked, squinting against the sun.

“No,” Bill answered, his mouth set in a grim line. “Ginny, pull the boat up to the dock, and we’ll take a quick look around.”

Ginny pulled the boat in closer to the edge of the canal, while Bill, Ron, Harry, and Tonks stepped off. Hermione went to follow, but Tonks stopped her. “Stay and cover Ginny. She’s still under the Age Restriction.”

Ginny scowled, and Hermione gave her a sympathetic smile. “We’ll keep it running, in case you need a quick escape,” Hermione said.

“Harry, duck,” Ron yelled from above. Harry hit the ground as yet another flash of green light flew over him. He scrambled up the hill, where Ron and Bill were returning fire with a Death Eater across the road. Harry could make out the distinctive blonde strand of hair, but offered no comment. Tonks crawled up the hill behind him.

“Harry, Apparate back to the Bungalow,” she demanded. “Now!”

“No.”

“Harry-”

“No, I’m not leaving you all here, Tonks. I’m not,” Harry insisted.

Tonks sighed in exasperation. Curses were now coming from three separate locations. Tonks fired one way, Bill another; and Ron and Harry aimed at the third Death Eater. All of a sudden, the brick wall they were crouched behind exploded into dust, sending sharp bits of rock into the air and covering their skin with painful little cuts. Harry’s glasses shielded his eyes, but Ron wasn’t so lucky. He screamed and fell backwards, his hands clutching at his eyes.

Bill had taken down one of the Death Eaters before the force of the blast set him sprawling backwards. He sat up, gasping and clutching his chest. Tonks face was bleeding, and she blinked rapidly. Harry could see she was struggling with bits of small stone and debris in her eyes, as well.

Harry had taken the brunt of the blast on the side of his face. He could feel the warm trickle of blood along his cheek and down the side of his neck. There were droplets pooling on the ground in front of him at an alarming rate. He raised a shield around all of them, but knew it was very weak and the first curse would likely take it down. They were all spent and wounded, and the situation looked dire. Harry glanced around frantically for an idea or some kind of plan.

Before another curse could be fired, however, a familiar red head came barreling around the corner, wand raised and firing rapidly. The blonde Death Eater turned to fire back but was hit in the arm with a slicing curse. He slapped his other hand over the wound. Charlie came charging forth, like an enraged dragon seeing his family under fire. He ran down the street intent upon the Death Eater and completely missed the second one who leapt to his feet behind him as Charlie ran past.

The Death Eater raised his wand and pointed at Charlie’s back.

“Avada…”

“Charlie!” both Ron, who had cleared his eyes, and Bill yelled, jumping to their feet and trying to alert Charlie of the danger.

Charlie continued forward, only stopping when the blond Death Eater Disapparated from the spot in front of him. Charlie came to an abrupt standstill.

“Kedavra.”

“Impedimenta,” Harry snarled at the same time that the Death Eater finished uttering his hateful curse.

Harry watched in horror as the sickening green light sped towards its mark. Charlie never had time to move; the death curse hit him squarely in the back, knocking him to the ground. Harry’s powerful spell hit the Death Eater, flinging him in the air and into the side of a building, knocking him unconscious.

“Noooooo,” Ginny screamed in horror from below. She jumped off the boat and began running, but Harry stopped her by wrapping his arms tightly around her and holding her back. “Help him, save him,” she pleaded, struggling to free herself and race towards her fallen brother.

“There’s nothing you can do, Ginny,” Harry said, his voice was soft and choked. He felt Ginny’s body go limp, as she broke down in his arms. He was painfully reminded of a similar scene in the Department of Mysteries between Remus and himself. He gripped Ginny tighter, as she buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed.

Ron and Bill reached Charlie’s body. Bill knelt down and gently turned his brother over. Charlie’s dead eyes were open, staring straight ahead. Bill hung his head, his shoulders slumping.

“You son of a bitch,” Ron roared, stalking towards the unconscious Death Eater.

Hermione swiped the tears from her cheeks and called, “Ron!”

Tonks had anticipated what Ron was going to do and was already running after him. Ron pointed his shaking wand at the man. “He killed him,” he cried, sounding like a wounded animal.

“I know, Ron, but killing him won’t bring Charlie back,” Tonks said, big, fat teardrops leaking from her eyes.

“No, but it’ll make me feel better,” Ron said.

“Maybe for a minute, but probably not even that long. Charlie will still be gone, and you’ll have a murder on your conscience. You don’t want that.”

“I’ve already got that.”

“No, you don’t. This isn’t self defense, and you know it.”

Ron gritted his teeth, fighting an internal battle. After several tense moments, he finally lowered his wand and dropped to his knees, his shoulders shaking. Hermione jumped out of the boat and ran towards him. She sank down onto the ground next to him and wrapped her arms around him, whispering words Harry couldn’t hear.

Harry held a crying Ginny close and rested his chin on her head. He felt a painful, burning lump in his throat, as he let his own tears fall. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He could see Remus and Abe on the street across the bridge, rounding up the fallen Death Eaters. Someone had to tell Mr. and Mrs. Weasley before they wandered this way. Harry remembered Mrs. Weasley’s boggart from fifth year. He’d give anything not to have to see her face when she learned about the death of her second son. He raised his wand in the air and sent up a small display of red sparks, attracting Remus’s attention.

How could a day that had started out so lovely turn so terribly, horribly wrong?

A/N: I’m so sorry. Gulp, this was an incredibly hard chapter to write. I know I’ve seen reviewers on other stories who say they immediately stop reading a fic that kills a Weasley. I love them, too, but I can’t help but feel that in a family of nine all heavily involved in a war…there are bound to be casualties. Sniff. Still, I was pleased with the way the chapter came out, so I hope you were as well.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve second guessed this, but so much of the future plot depends upon it, so it remained. Cringe.

Thanks so much to Mistral for all her advice and aid in making this a better story. I really appreciate all your advice.

Thanks also to all of you who left such fun and witty reviews in response to Drunk!Harry. I’m glad he was so well received – I love an image of powerful Harry who can create a Patronus when he’s 13 but can’t hold his rum and coke. It’ll keep him humble. ;)