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The sound of her mother’s sobs tore at Ginny's heart as she silently watched her brother and Hermione disappear. She had to remind herself to keep breathing, to keep her wits sharp for the fight that still lie ahead. She closed her eyes, allowing one angry tear to slip down her cheek as she silently pleaded with the night to bring her family and friends through the struggle. For everyone to, somehow, last until the morning.
Ginny gasped, opening her eyes as she felt a tingling warmth sweep across her body. That's Harry's signal, she thought as her heart flipped madly in her chest. It was time to make their move. Ginny twisted her body, fluidly pulling at the bonds Harry had placed on her wrists. She held back a cringe as the rough ropes scratched her skin, sighing with relief as her hand finally slipped free.
Keeping her arms behind her back, Ginny tugged on her sleeve, releasing the hidden wand inch by inch until it landed safely in her trembling hand. She heard Bill gasp behind her, twitching slightly as he saw the wand come into view. She'd been counting on this. Screwing up all her energy, she tried to send a message to her brother with her body language. Be ready, she thought with all her might, nodding her head slightly in hopes that he might understand her meaning.
Though she couldn't see him, Ginny knew Bill had understood. She could feel the air behind her changing, her family silently spreading the word that something was about to happen. She held her breath as she watched Harry raise his wand, hitting one of the Death Eaters before him with a Full Body Bind. As the frozen man crashed to the ground, another Death Eater retaliated, a confused shout escaping his lips as he fired a bright jet of red light in Harry’s direction.
The light of the Stunning Spell drew the attention of the other Death Eaters. For a moment none of them moved; they just stood transfixed as they watched, what appeared to be, two of their number suddenly locked in a duel. Ginny took a breath, muttering “Aboleate!” as quietly as possible. She sighed with relief as the band of green light broke, uncoiling itself from her family and the Order in one swift motion. The clearing darkened instantly as the emerald light died, sending the remaining Death Eaters into a panic as they realized their hostages had been set free.
Harry grunted, avoiding the Death Eater’s Stunning Spell with a quick turn of his body. He could feel every eye in the clearing upon him, the confused stares of the waiting Death Eaters piercing through his mask and robes, dissecting his disguise in search of the hidden man that lie beneath. As he fired a spell in retaliation, the night went black, the green light from the Evincious Chain suddenly fading into nothing.
Harry grinned to himself, praising Ginny in his mind for successfully completing her task. The trickiest part of their plan was over, but now the real trouble was about to begin. He celebrated their small victory for a brief moment before turning his thoughts back to the task at hand, focusing all of his energies on taking the Burrow back from the Death Eaters.
“Stupefy!” he shouted, taking aim once more at the offending Death Eater before him. The spell reflected harmlessly off a well placed Shield Charm, never reaching its target. Harry rolled to the ground as another jet of light shot in his direction, this time from a second Death Eater in the distance. Raising his wand, Harry went on the defensive, blocking spells from both attackers, casting protective incantations without pause.
He could hear the sounds of shouting around him, and the occasional screams when spells met their mark, but he could see nothing except the two men before him. The mask he wore inhibited his gaze, both helping and hindering him in his fight. The moment Harry had placed the mask over his face he’d realized there was something special about it, some hidden magic that radiated from its surface. Now that he was locked in battle, the spell was taking affect. The world around his attackers grew darker, making their robed forms more visible in the blackness of the night. Harry suddenly had the vision of a predator, his prey vividly capturing his focus, the rest of the world slipping into oblivion.
For a few minutes Harry lost himself in the fight, seeing naught but the Death Eaters before him, sensing nothing but the will to stave off his own demise. He launched attacks and blocked returning spells with remarkable ease, his senses completely in tune with the two men before him. Thinking fast, Harry recited a Reflecting Spell Hermione had taught him, reflecting a powerful jinx back at its sender. One of the Death Eaters fell to the ground hard, the spell ripping his robes along his arms and stomach, revealing brilliant pools of blood in its wake.
Harry turned towards the other Death Eater. The man seemed oblivious to the fate of his comrade, not even casting him a second glance as he resumed dueling. For a moment Harry wondered if he’d even noticed the other Death Eater fall, the enchanted mask creating a blanket of selfishness around every fighter. Somehow, Harry suspected there was more to it than that. The mask and robes may have perpetuated a lack of selflessness in their wearers, but they couldn’t entirely erase the person underneath. Harry himself had found the focus the mask leant him intoxicating, but his heart kept reminding him that he needed to check on the others.
Acting quickly, Harry rapidly cast a Stunning Spell, followed immediately by a Body Bind. His plan worked, the red light of the Stunner distracting the Death Eater long enough for the Body Bind to break through his defenses. The man fell to the ground, his body stiff and unmoving. Harry paused and frowned slightly at the two men before him, their outlines fading slightly in the vision of the mask, no longer posing a threat in the fight. He took two steps forward, intent on quickly disarming the pair when a feminine scream met his ears.
Ginny…
Ginny leapt to her feet, brandishing her wand before her like a sword. Her fiery hair whipped around her shoulders as she spun on her heel, taking aim at her nearest enemy and toppling him with a powerful hex. Bill appeared from behind her, laying a ruthless, well placed blow on the fallen Death Eater as he tried to rise from the ground. Bill snatched the wand from the fallen man's hand, sending Ginny an appraising look as he ran back to the others, leaving her to her own devices.
She cast her eyes about, searching for oncoming attacks and ready to continue fighting. Up ahead she could see Harry, still hidden beneath the Death Eater’s mask, dueling against two enemies. She took a step in his direction, marveling slightly at the speed he was hurling defensive spells, when she was stopped by an oncoming jet of blue light. The spell spiraled towards her rapidly, flashing in her eyes as she deflected it at the last moment. She raised her wand to retaliate, only to find that Fred and George had beaten her to it. She smiled tiredly in appreciation, watching the twins pounce on her attacker, putting up an impressive fight even without the aide of magic, practically bringing the Death Eater to the ground with their matching punches. To their left, Lupin was grappling with a rather large figure, fighting almost animal-like as he sought to gain control of the Death Eater's wand. Ginny sighed in momentary relief; it seemed like their plan was working.
Turning about, she spied her mother and father in the distance, dragging the unconscious form of Kingsley Shackbolt to safety. Seeing that neither of them were armed, Ginny began to run in their direction, determined to give them cover. Suddenly a spell came flying up behind her, hitting her sharply on her lower back and pitching her forward. Ginny grunted and stumbled, feeling all the breath rush from her body as she collided with the ground. She rolled on her back, frantically searching the clearing for her unseen attacker, her eyes blinded by insistent, pained tears.
A Death Eater sprang from the shadows, the woman who had spoken heatedly earlier in the night about disposing of the captives “properly.” She slashed her wand at Ginny maniacally, obvious enjoyment dripping from her limbs at the attack. She fired a jet of yellow light, her wand aimed at Ginny’s chest. Ginny saw the light just moments before it struck. She rolled to her side in an attempt to dodge the spell, but she wasn't fast enough. She screamed as it hit her upper back, crying loudly as her skin was torn and burned.
Ginny pushed with all her might, trying to turn and retaliate before the woman could strike again. Her hand trembled as she lifted her wand, and she begged her eyes to focus as she aimed at the offending Death Eater. Suddenly a streak of white hurled past her blurred vision. The female Death Eater released a howl of pain and shock, her hands flying to the back of her head in surprise. Ginny blinked hard and pushed herself to her knees. She gazed at the scene before her, slightly shocked at the sight that met her eyes. Fleur was attacking the female Death Eater, her manicured hands clawing at the back of the woman's black hood. The Death Eater shrieked as Fleur pulled harder, no doubt grasping a clump of the woman’s hair in her clenched fingers.
Ginny panted and raised her wand. "Stupefy!” she grunted, hitting the female Death Eater square in the stomach before she could mount another attack. Fleur released her grip on the woman as she crumpled to the ground, instantly turning her attention onto Ginny.
“‘Ere, give me your ‘and,” Fleur said in a rush as she stalked forward, pulling Ginny to her feet and examining her wounds with worried eyes.
"Thank you,” Ginny gasped, forcing herself to release Fleur’s hand, relenting the support she had offered. “Don't worry about me, just grab her wand!" Fleur nodded and turned, stooping over the Death Eater to retrieve the fallen wand. As she rose to a standing position, her body was abruptly knocked backwards by an unseen spell. Ginny shrieked in surprise, looking on in fear as Fleur failed to rise from the ground. She growled, turning wildly in search of Fleur's attacker. Phlegm may be annoying, she thought with a grimace, but she's family now.
Family meant everything.
Ginny's mind reeled as she strained her body into a fully standing position, raising her wand in an attempt to keep fighting. There were people from both sides littering the ground. Her legs shook dangerously as she spied her parents, the twins, and Bill among the fallen, all lying frighteningly still. She saw Tonks racing to Lupin’s side, each fighting wildly and shouting warnings to the other as they faced down their respective attackers. Charlie was also still standing, though Ginny could hardly recognize him, his countenance smattered in dirt and blood.
A black outline lunged in Ginny's direction, slapping her hard across the face. Her head spun madly as she fell to the ground. She fought for control over her limbs as the Death Eater advanced on her, dark and unflattering words ringing from his lips. Her body arched and spasmed in pain as she was placed under the Cruciatus Curse, her mind slipping into darkness as she unconsciously screamed. The Death Eater held the spell for a few moments, enjoying the shouts that rent from her lips as she flailed helplessly before him. She gasped for breath as the spell lifted, struggling to remain conscious as the world slipped to blackness around her. Her eyes drifted shut as another robed figure emerged from the shadows, advancing on her prone form, wand drawn and poised to strike.
Harry turned at the sound of Ginny’s shouts, scanning the battle before him for any signs of her, or any indication of what trouble she might be facing. He ran towards the thick of the fight, pairs of dueling wizards all around him. Finally he spotted her, kneeling on the ground, blood dripping from a large gash across her shoulder as she watched Fleur grapple with a Death Eater. His stomach lurched as he stepped forward, only stalling when a spell collided with his arm. He groaned loudly, spinning quickly to find his new aggressor. His gaze focused on a young woman, her hair a vibrant pink against her bruised, dirty face.
He shouted in surprise as Tonks fired another spell directly at him. He barely managed to deflect it, stumbling back slightly. He started to feel anger rise inside him until he realized she had no idea who he was, hidden behind the mask of a Death Eater. He marveled that he hadn’t been attacked earlier as his mind raced, searching for a way to still Tonks’ attacks long enough to make his identity known. Desperate to reach Ginny’s side, Harry threw caution to the wind, quickly pulling the mask from his face and allowing his hood to slide down to his shoulders.
“Harry?” Tonks mumbled in astonishment, instantly lowering her wand and gazing at his face in wonder.
“Look out!” Harry bellowed, diving in Tonks’ direction as a Death Eater appeared behind her. He pulled her roughly sideways, effectively dodging a spell. Tonks wheeled about, launching a fast counter-attack. Harry joined her, their combined efforts easily bringing their assailant down. As the Death Eater fell, Tonks turned and gazed at Harry, her lip curling into an intrigued half-smile as she took in his robes.
“You’ll have to explain this to me later,” she grinned, clapping Harry once on the arm. With one last glance she turned and ran across the clearing to join Lupin, who was wrestling with two Death Eaters at once. Harry smiled faintly at the pair, his attention turning back to Ginny as he began scanning the scene around him. He turned sharply when her screams once again tore through the night. He streaked towards her voice, his heart plummeting when he saw her lying on the ground, shrieking loudly under the attack of the Cruciatus Curse. Harry lifted his wand, aiming it at the heart of the Death Eater before him.
Sensing Harry’s approach, Ginny’s attacker lowered the curse, turning to fight Harry face to face. They stood on either side of her unmoving form, firing spells with rabid urgency, the spells flashing brightly in Harry’s brilliant green eyes. He almost felt possessed, his desire to bring this battle to a close consuming him as he faced this last foe. Firing one more spell with a heated shout, relief swept over Harry as he watched the red jet hit the Death Eater hard, bringing him down with a deafening crash on the now silent battlefield.
Harry dropped to his knees at Ginny’s side, gingerly pulling her into his arms and whispering gently in her ear. She didn’t answer, her body quivering with each ragged breath. Harry raised his head, gazing around the clearing in search of help. Nearly everyone was down, most of them unmoving. Harry bit the inside of his cheek, refusing to let the worry and pain in his heart rise. Not yet. With an audible sigh he turned back to Ginny, running his hand across her cheek.
“Ginny?” he mumbled quietly, clutching her in his arms and hoping with all his heart that he might see her open her eyes again, just for one last time, sitting alone on the ruined fields of a battle won.
Senses by Gryffinpuff
Chapter Notes: I would like to thank Gmariam for her help on the last few chapters. I've been in a bit of a funk lately, and it's likely that I wouldn't have posted nearly as quickly without her insights! Once again, the story is turning in a darker direction that will linger until the final chapter. And, just so you know, there are massive cliffies ahead. You have been warned!