Chapter 6: Answers
Ginny looked horrified. Harry hoped in all his heart that it was because of the Death Eaters. He grabbed his wand and followed most of the other men who were running at the large group.
This was not good. The Death Eaters had just interrupted an event that contained nearly every member of the Order along with every member of the Living Wizards. He heard several popping noises from behind and hoped that it was people Disapparating to safety.
“Harry, take a group to the left and get behind them.” Harry had no idea who had told him this, but he did it none the less.
Twelve men followed Harry around the group by means of the forest next to them. When they were finally behind the group of Death Eaters, the night was filled with shouts and blinding lights of every color. Death Eaters fell like flies. There were a few cracks; some of the standing Death Eaters Apparated before anyone could get to them. Within ten minutes, the ground was littered with stunned, injured or dead bodies. All of the dead were Death Eaters, but many of the injured people were Order members.
Harry helped bring people over to the tents to be looked after and transported to St. Mungo’s. The stunned Death Eaters were bound up and watched.
“Wow, we’ve gotten freakishly good at this.” Harry turned around to see Bill standing next to him, supporting a busted lip and a black eye. Harry tried to laugh, but it sounded more like he needed to vomit. “Are you alright?” Bill asked him. “You look sick.”
Harry hated the Death Eaters. Not only were they trying to kill everybody he knew, but they always came at the most inconvenient times. He laughed in spite of himself. “Yes,” he responded, “I’m fine.”
Bill left to go check on his wife and daughter. Harry searched through the crowd to find Ginny, and felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to meet, not Ginny, but Hermione. “She went with a group to St. Mungo’s.” Harry stared at his friend, horrified. “She wasn’t hurt,” Hermione quickly added, when she saw the look on Harry’s face. “She is helping transport injured people to St. Mungo’s.”
Harry relaxed a bit. “This sucks,” he said under his breath, but Hermione heard him.
“Yes it does,” she said to him. “Poor Tonks, her wedding was just ruined.”
“Not my wedding, my reception, so it’s ok. The important part was good.”
They turned around to see Tonks standing there. She was wearing a very torn, burnt, and smaller version of her wedding dress. “Well, I didn’t have time to change,” she said as she noticed the shocked faces on the people in front of her.
Lupin came into the group and put his arm around Tonks. “Well, that was the most fun I’ve had in ages. We should have our wedding interrupted by Death Eaters more often. Adds some spice to my life.” Everyone laughed and broke apart.
People began Apparating back home until only Harry, Ron and Hermione were left. Ron and Hermione looked at their friend and simultaneously said, “What is it now?”
Harry looked up and responded, “I had it all planned out. We danced, we were happy, I asked her, and they show up. Great.”
Hermione screamed and hugged Harry. “You did?! You asked her? Harry, that’s wonderful!” Ron looked confused. “Asked who what?” Harry laughed. Ron was definitely a little clueless at times. “I proposed to your sister, but don’t get too excited. I didn’t get an answer. We were interrupted when the Death Eaters showed up.”
Harry smiled and turned. He appeared in Ginny’s room next to his bed. He climbed in without even changing and fell asleep.
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“Well, where are they?” came a snarling voice from the chair.
“We didn’t realise that the entire Order of the Phoenix would be there, master. Only ten of us survived to come back.”
“I thought I told you not to come back here unless Dumbledore and Black were in your hands? When did you try this attack?”
“I think it was a wedding.” This last remark was followed by a scream from a Death Eater.
“You fools! Remus Lupin’s wedding? Of course the entire Order would be there!” Voldemort’s hissing voice was angry, and it was apparent in the screams of his twitching Death Eater. “Jerwill, Markson, Malfoy. Come here.” The three Death-Eaters approached their master on their knees. “What is it my Lord?” they asked.
“Round up an army larger that the one present tonight. You are now leading this force. I want Dumbledore and Black, and I want them alive.”
As the three Death Eaters turned to leave, Voldemort’s voice called them back. “Let’s make this a little more interesting... I also want the Weasley girl. This should increase the draw on Potter.”
The Death Eaters bowed and left, leaving Voldemort to laugh and Entrieve to twitch.
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Harry, feeling as though no time had passed, woke up. Ginny Weasley was lying awake next to him, lwatching him.
“Yes,” she whispered. Harry smiled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. “I love you, Ginny Weasley” he told her and kissed the top of her head. “Harry James Potter, I love you too.” Harry and Ginny sat talking about the way nothing in their lives was ever quiet, and laughing about how nothing ever went as planned.After a while, exhaustion started to set in. When they closed their eyes, they were instantly asleep.
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“I bet she said yes.”
“Of course she said yes! She’s not stupid. You can’t bet on the obvious, it’s not fair.”
Harry awoke to the sound of his friend’s bickering. He turned over and saw Hermione and Ron outside in the hall, facing the room. He was still holding his recent fiancé in his arms. It must be early, he thought to himself. He worked Ginny out of his grasp and joined his friends outside.
“Oh, good morning,” Hermione said when she saw him.
“Don’t be pleasant, what’d she say?!” Hermione slapped Ron upside the head. “You have the sensitivity of a piranha; you know that, don’t you.” Hermione was staring at Ron who was laughing. “You just say that because you love me,” Ron retorted.
Harry smiled at his friends. “She said yes.” Neither of the other two noticed. They were bickering, again. Harry laughed and cleared his throat. Hermione turned her head and asked, “Did you say something?”
Harry smiled and nodded, and Hermione squealed. “That’s so wonderful! You and Ginny are going to get married, I always knew you would someday!”
Ron punched Harry in the arm and said, “Congratulations mate. I can’t wait to see mum’s face when she finds out. She’ll be through the roof!”
Harry talked to his friends for a little while then bade them good-bye. He went back into his room and laid back down. A glance at his clock told him it was six o’clock in the morning. He turned his head to see Ginny’s large, brown eyes upon him.
“Good morning,” she said. “Talk about an eventful evening.” Harry laughed.
“This should be an eventful day,” he told her. “Ron reckons your mum will be delighted. He and Hermione have a small bet going on the facial expression she’ll use.”
Ginny broke into a fit of laughter. “Was Ron’s bet that she would cry? That’s mine. I wonder if I can still get my money in the pool.” Harry laughed and kissed her.
“We’ve only got one day left here, you know. We need to be going tomorrow,” Harry reminded her.
Ginny looked at him and said, “I know. We need to get back to business.”
“But there’s one thing we need to do here, first. The house sounds awake. When’s a better time than now?” Ginny smiled at him, and the pair got dressed.
As they descended the steps, Harry was anxious. He couldn’t wait for everyone to know about the engagement, but was a little nervous none the less. Being as he practically knew Mrs. Weasley’s reaction, he was now wondering what the elder Weasley men would think. Ginny was the only girl in the family (not counting Mrs. Weasley, of course) and Harry knew how protective her brothers were.
Harry didn’t realise they were in the kitchen until Ginny nudged him in the side. He looked around and everyone was there. He opened his mouth to call for people’s attention, but nothing came out. He sat down and grabbed a plate of food.
Ginny looked at him with a hurt expression. Harry didn’t know why he hadn’t said anything until he took another look around. Sirius wasn’t there.
“Gin, I want Sirius here when I tell them.” She then smiled and nodded. “So do I,” she replied.
As if on cue, Sirius came bounding down the stairs and sat next to Harry. Harry smiled at his godfather and stood up.
“Excuse me. Hello?” It took him a minute to get everyone to look up. “Well, I don’t exactly know what I’m supposed to say before this, so, here we go. Ginny and I… we’re engaged.”
Life Of a Wizard by xCoHoRoIoSoToAx
Chapter Notes: The Death Eaters showing at Lupin's wedding may have taken the Order by suprise, but it isn't too much to handle.