Disclaimer: Only writing for fun, none of this is mine! Enjoy!!
“You’re only making things harder on yourself, Flint,” Harry said in a dark tone, hovering above their hostage menacingly.
“I’ve told you a thousand times, I don’t know why he wants you!” Flint groaned, glaring angrily at the floor.
“And I’ve told you a thousand and one times that I don’t believe you,” Harry replied, lifting his wand.
“Please! I’ll tell you everything I do know, if you’ll just stop!” Flint finally caved, rustling angrily against his bonds.
In the corner, Ginny let out a sigh of relief. After promising to do as she was told, to follow Harry’s orders no matter what, Harry had told her everything. About his lie, his suspicions about today and the danger he feared he’d placed on all of their heads. She’d been shocked to learn why all of this was happening, though strangely grateful for Harry’s moment of rash action. It seemed likely that the Death Eaters would have attacked today no matter what, Flint had made that clear. If Harry hadn’t told that lie, they all might have been dead by now.
After his confession, Harry and Ginny had agreed that their best hope at success was questioning Flint more thoroughly. They needed as much information as possible if they were going to be successful, and time was running out. But suddenly, Flint became very tight lipped. It seemed the rest of the information he possessed was extremely valuable, and he wasn’t nearly as willing to part with it. This had led to some rather excruciating to witness moments, where Ginny had involuntarily shut her eyes against the scene before her. Harry had remained remarkably strong through it all. Though he wasn’t causing lasting damage to Flint, it was obvious that Harry was uncomfortable inflicting pain on anyone, no matter who they were. His face flooded with obvious relief when Flint finally started to spill what he knew, sagging dejectedly against the ropes.
“Everyone is hiding in a clearing in the trees,” Flint said, gasping slightly.
“Near the Quidditch Pitch,” Ginny mumbled, Harry nodding in agreement.
“I don’t know why he wanted you, but he said to bring you alive.”
“Bring me where?” Harry interrupted, his face inches away from Flint’s
“Only the highest Death Eaters are allowed to know that,” Flint balked, “so I wouldn’t know.”
“You have to meet somewhere, Flint. Where did you join up before coming to ruin the wedding this morning? Where were they going to bring me once it was over?” Harry pressed.
“They were going to bring you to a graveyard. Would have been a right homecoming for you,” Flint sneered angrily. Ginny raised a questioning eyebrow at Harry, trying to see if he’d understood this response. Harry looked mildly puzzled for a moment, gazing at Flint as though he were trying to read his mind. Finally a look of recognition crossed Harry’s eyes. He simply shook his head in disgust, backing away without a word.
“Harry?” Ginny began, stepping towards him in concern.
“Stay here, Ginny. I’m going to go see what we’re up against,” Harry said in a quiet voice, stalking towards the door.
“Wait! I'm coming with you!” she roared, chasing him across the room. Harry stopped dead in his tracks, turning around suddenly and halting Ginny in her pursuit. She glared up at him, fuming. She was tired of being left behind, told that she was too young or too incapable to take care of herself. Frankly, she’d had enough. “I don’t see why I have to stay here, Harry! That’s my family; if anyone should be going out there it’s me!”
Harry placed his hands gently on Ginny’s shoulders, causing her to relax despite her sudden anger. “Please, Ginny, I just need a few minutes. I need to see what we’re up against, to figure out a plan. You promised you’d follow my instructions, now please just trust me and stay here. I swear I’m coming straight back.”
Ginny glared at Harry for a moment, crossing her arms in frustration. “You’d better,” she grumbled quietly. Harry squeezed her shoulders affectionately and kissed her on the head before turning towards the door and disappearing into the night.
Harry crept through the trees, practically floating over the ground in his efforts to remain silent and unnoticed. In the distance he could see a clearing, illuminated in poisonous green light. He held his breath as he slunk right to the edge of the trees, casting himself into the shadows as he took stock of the camp before him.
His stomach turned when he spotted the Weasley family and the remaining members of the Order, bound and beaten, completely helpless. Around them stood a dozen Death Eaters, more than Harry could ever dream of taking on alone, even with Ginny’s help. He felt completely at a loss. The situation looked hopeless. For a moment he considered Apparating, to go in search of help. But deep down, he knew leaving wasn’t an option. The longer he and Ginny waited to make their move, the worse things would get for everyone else. They needed to act quickly, if only they had a plan.
“Is this everyone?” one of the Death Eaters mumbled in the distance, his masked face scanning their hostages.
“We believe there are two more,” another Death Eater replied, “A boy and a girl, the last of the family of filthy blood traitors.” Some of the Weasley’s visibly stirred at this comment. “Two parties have been sent to hunt them down, but neither has returned.”
This was the information Harry had been searching for, an opportunity to infiltrate their ranks without being noticed. A bizarre idea started to form in his mind, one that would be beyond risky and disastrous if even one aspect of the plan should go wrong. He was just about to leave the clearing when he noticed a Death Eaters was moving steadily in his direction, as though he knew exactly where Harry was standing. Harry stiffened and pressed himself closer into the brush, berating himself silently, fearing that he’d let his guard down for a moment and revealed his location. He was standing knee deep in leaves and branches; there was no way he could run.
Harry’s heart rate increased as he stood in waiting. If he was caught now, all hope would be lost. He drew his wand, ready to fight should the need arise, when a shout of pain ripped through the air. It was distant, and slightly muffled, but it carried clearly through the night sky. The Death Eaters stirred into action, racing in the direction of the Burrow. Harry heaved a brief sigh of relief as the approaching Death Eater faltered and then joined his comrades, running in the opposite direction. Crouched low to the ground, Harry flew back through the trees, his heart twisting manically. There was no mistaking the bearer of that scream. Harry grimaced as he pressed his worries aside, unsuccessfully trying to convince himself that Ron would be alright as he sped back to find Ginny.
Ginny was just starting to get worried when the door finally opened, revealing a very strained and worried looking Harry. “Is everything alright? What did you find out?” Ginny demanded, stepping forward as he leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath.
Harry sighed and shook his head. “It doesn’t look good,” he said weakly, pacing back and forth across the tiny shed. “The Death Eaters have everyone locked in an Evincious Chain.”
Ginny gasped involuntarily, covering her mouth in shock. “Then there’s nothing we can do!” she said bitterly, her heart filling with dread. “Only the castor can remove the spell.”
“Or someone locked inside it,” Harry said darkly, meeting Ginny’s gaze.
Ginny allowed herself to get lost in Harry’s green eyes for a moment as his words truly sunk in. The first thing the Death Eaters would have done upon capturing the others was strip them of their wands. With as many Death Eaters as she’d seen earlier, Ginny knew there was little hope of getting close enough to rearm the Order without being seen. That meant only one option. One of them would have to be captured and placed in the chain, and given the truly pained look on Harry’s face; she knew which one it would have to be.
“What do I need to do?” she asked quietly, her voice resolute.
“We’re going to have to get your captured,” he replied quietly.
“I don’t know it that will work, Harry. If they capture me they’ll take away my wand…”
“It will work,” Harry said confidently, cutting her off, “because I’m going to be the one that captures you.”
For a moment neither of them said anything. Ginny stared at Harry, confusion swimming in her features as she watched him cross the room to Flint’s side.
“I only hope they’re easily deceived by appearances,” Harry mumbled to himself, pulling Flint roughly from his chair. Ginny watched in slight horror as the two men struggled, Harry throwing Flint viciously against the wall, knocking him out with a well placed blow. He then stooped and began removing his robes, striping Flint down to his underclothes.
“You’re going to be a Death Eater…” Ginny mumbled in disbelief as she watched Harry don the black robes. He looked truly repulsed by what he was doing, but he simply nodded and continued getting dressed, arranging the robes until they sat perfectly.
“I heard some of the Death Eaters talking while I was hiding outside their camp,” Harry said once he was dressed, crossing back to Ginny’s side. “They said they were still looking for you, that the original group dispatched to hunt you down hadn’t returned. If I bring you back dressed in Flint’s robes, they shouldn’t question me. They’ll assume I already disarmed you and they’ll lock you in the chain with the others.”
“And what if they don’t trust you? What if they search me and find a hidden wand? What then?” Ginny posed in a worried tone. “What if they figure out who you are?”
“We’ll worry about that when we come to it,” Harry replied, an uncomfortable look on his face.
“So what happens once they lock me in the chain?”
“While you break the chain, I’ll try to disarm a couple of them. Hopefully they’ll be too confused to realize what’s happening, and you’ll have enough time to break free and give me a hand. Once everyone’s loose, and we have a few of the Death Eaters disarmed, we may have a chance.”
Ginny nodded her head in understanding, trying to piece together the information racing through her mind. “Harry, what if they assume I’m you when they see me, since I’m the only one still not captured?” Ginny wondered as she ran her hands through her fiery hair.
“You’re not the only one,” Harry replied quietly, lifting the Death Eater mask he’d cast to the ground earlier that night.
“What?” Ginny practically shouted, turning to face Harry in surprise. “Who? How do you know?”
“Ron’s still out there,” Harry finally said after a long pause, not meeting her eyes. “If we hurry we may be able to free the others before they catch him.”
Ginny’s heart began to beat painfully against her ribcage. The fact that Harry wasn’t meeting her eye worried her. Ginny wanted to know more, and she could sense by his strange behavior that there was more to the story than he was telling her. Tears of dread stung her eyes as she stowed her wand in the sleeve of her robes and practically ran to the door. “Let’s go,” she said in a brave voice, throwing herself into the darkness. She’d already lost one brother today. There was no way in hell she was going to lose another.
Harry led Ginny through the trees, grasping her hand protectively as they moved closer to the camp. He felt truly uneasy about their plan, startled that he was so willingly placing Ginny in danger. So much could go wrong. So much could happen to her. But Ginny didn’t seem worried. In fact she looked unaffected, brave and courageous like a seasoned warrior as she followed Harry deeper into the trees, her head held high.
A short distance from their destination, Harry pulled Ginny closer and pressed her against a tree, losing themselves in the shadows. “Are you ready?” he whispered in her ear, trying to keep his nervousness from showing. Ginny nodded in response. Harry took a moment to meet her eyes, trying to judge how she was really feeling. Her gaze was firm, unyielding. If she had any qualms about their plan, any fear over the moments ahead, there was no trace of it on her beautiful face. She looked ready, determined.
After a brief kiss for good luck, Ginny spun around and allowed Harry to bind her hands with ropes conjured from his wand. Turning back, she looked slightly nauseated as she watched Harry pull on the Death Eater mask. Harry was feeling a bit ill himself, dressed in the garb of his enemies. He almost felt like a different person, as though Harry no longer existed within the folds of the black robes. It could be anyone hiding behind this mask, some strange unknown foe. It made Harry sick to realize how easily someone could hide behind this disguise, becoming less than human in the safety of its secrecy.
He shuddered involuntarily as she pushed Ginny before him, heading towards the clearing, his heart racing. They had just left the safety of the woods when Harry froze, his stomach plummeting in dismay. The departed Death Eaters had returned with Ron, and much to Harry’s surprise, Hermione in tow. They both appeared terribly injured; Ron’s robes smattered in blood, Hermione sporting wounds from the Blasting Charm that morning. He sighed internally, knowing this new development would complicate things greatly. Now, more than ever, Harry was determined to make their plan work. He and Ginny were now, truly, everyone’s last hope.
“Make this look convincing,” Harry mumbled into Ginny’s ear as he pressed her forward, leaving behind the safe confines of the shadows. He grunted as Ginny obliged, thrashing about as though she were in the clutches of a true Death Eater. Harry looked up, expecting someone to see through his disguise, to question why he was alone, but they simply nodded in appreciation at his prize as he brought Ginny further into their midst.
Ginny gasped in despair, despite her best efforts to put on an air of bravery. Her whole family sat before her, their bodies covered in blood and bruises. She met Bill’s eyes first. He looked strangely pleased to see her given the situation, and he wasn’t the only one. Her mother clutched a hand to her heart, a look of relief spreading over her tear stained face. They thought I was dead, Ginny thought in wonder as she continued struggling against Harry’s grasp, allowing him to lead her closer to the Death Eaters.
Halfway across the camp Ginny’s gaze locked with Hermione’s. She nearly broke under the strained look on Hermione’s face, the appearance of helplessness in her friend’s eyes. Ginny wanted to speak to her, reassure her that they had a plan and everything would work out alright. Instead she settled for holding Hermione’s stare, trying to exude as much hope and strength from her body as possible. It seemed to work. Hermione stood taller, walking with determination to Ron’s side, giving the Death Eaters a rather impressive glare as she knelt before them.
The next few moments passed in a blur. Ginny’s mind was consumed with their plan, trying to add the new complication of new hostages and more Death Eaters into the equation. She hardly noticed when one of the Death Eaters began inquiring about her presence, until she felt him roughly grab her face, pulling her chin higher so he could look in her eyes. On reflex, she bit the man’s hand, anger swelling through her body at the physical intrusion. The next moment her face was burning with pain as the man slapped her across the cheek, her head whipping back painfully. She was almost thankful when Ron leapt forward to retaliate. Had he remained still, someone might have noticed Harry flinching angrily, his hand flying for his wand before he could stop himself.
Everyone’s voices seemed muffled after that, the sound of the world drowning in the ringing in her ears. She shook her head lightly, willing the piercing pain to subside while the Death Eaters argued around her.
“I think it’s this one,” one of the Death Eaters said in a nasal tone, grabbing Ron’s head and snapping it back roughly. “Didn’t like it when he hit your little girlfriend, did you?”
Ron paused for a moment, then replied, “No, I didn’t appreciate it,” in a firm, steady tone.
Ginny practically leapt from the ground, turning to Ron in exasperation. She opened her mouth, words of warning begging to tumble from her lips, but a rough shove from Harry reminded her of her promise. No matter what, she needed to focus on getting placed within the chain. If she didn’t, there was no hope for any of them.
“You claim to be the boy, then?” said the Death Eater that had slapped Ginny just moments before.
“Yes.”
“No!” Hermione screamed suddenly. “Ron, I won’t let you do this! I won’t let you take my place... I’m the one you want.”
Ginny gaped at the two of them, her heart momentarily ceasing to beat in her chest. This couldn’t seriously be happening…
“Hermione, stop!” Ron said angrily, turning to gaze at Hermione with a crazed look on his face. “It’s over! They’ve caught me, now let them take me!”
“No, Ron,” Hermione responded gently, “I won’t let you take the fall in my place.”
A gasp caught in Ginny’s throat as two Death Eaters stepped forward and pulled her off the ground. She watched her brother and Hermione as the Death Eaters threw her roughly to the ground, locking her with her family in the chain. It was obvious that something had changed between them. The way they looked at one another, and the passion in their voices, gave it all away. Ginny closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath, trying to still her raging mind. She couldn’t lose her focus now, no matter what happened in the next few moments.
Slowly she gathered her strength, awaiting Harry’s signal.
It took every last ounce of energy Harry possessed to stay silent as his friends willingly took the fall in his name. In truth, they had no idea that he was there, standing just behind them, but he still felt immensely guilty. His lie had gotten them into this mess, this moment of choosing to sacrifice themselves for the good of the others in the hopes that help would soon be arriving.
Harry watched silently as the Death Eaters swept forward, dragging Ginny away from him and throwing her in the chain with the others. Everything was going according to plan. Everything, that is, but this new complication of his two best friends moments away from a death sentence.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, Harry turned and gazed at Ron and Hermione. He knew he couldn't act now. They were at an incredible disadvantage, Harry being the only one not tied up and possessing a wand. If the Death Eaters caught him now, there would be nothing to stop them from killing everyone else. As much as it killed him, he had to wait, to time his attack perfectly.
“Fine,” one of the Death Eaters finally said, gazing icily at Ron and Hermione, “we'll take them both.” A collective gasp seemed to rise from everyone at these words. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley bellowed nonsensically. The Death Eaters shook their heads in disagreement. Harry swelled with rage.
“We can’t take them both! The Dark Lord only wants Potter…” one of the Death Eaters began.
“And that’s precisely what we’ll bring him! Since both of these two claim to be Potter, we’ll just have to prove one of them wrong. It will only take a brief detour to determine who is lying,” the Death Eater said confidently. He motioned two Death Eaters forward, ordering them to lift Ron and Hermione off the ground.
“Watch the others until we return,” the leading Death Eater spoke before vanishing with a crack. The ones holding Ron and Hermione followed moments later, a resounding shout of despair following their departure.
Harry gripped his wand tightly as he watched his best friends disappear, his face distorting with repressed anger. Now was their chance to strike. The Death Eaters had no leader, and were fewer in number. They would be caught off guard. Harry cast his signal in Ginny’s direction, and then raised his wand ready to strike. He had no intention of drawing this out; Ron and Hermione needed him now, and based on what Flint had told him, he knew exactly where they were being taken.
With a blast of light, the new battle began.
Senses by Gryffinpuff
Chapter Notes: You win battles by knowing the enemy's timing, and using a timing which the enemy does not expect.
-Miyamoto Musashi