A/N See I haven't forgotten the Universe that makes sense. Oh yeah I guess Rowling still owns
everything. WARNING: Major Character Death and scenes of torture.
Chapter 14: What Fate Bequeaths Us
**********************Somewhere in Tibet*********************
Albus Dumbledore swept his fur-brimmed hood back from his head and looked up at a massive dark tower rising from the snow and ice like the conning tower of some impossibly huge submarine. The walls of the tower were a black, metallic material with an odd sheen, almost like oil on water. The snow did not stick to the tower, if that's what it was, at all. Even the drifts seemed to pile up around it, but stop inches from the actual surface. Fawkes chirped a question to the elderly wizard and he nodded, "yes old friend, I am afraid that you are right." With a sigh, Dumbledore headed out, his staff and feet making an odd, tripod series of tracks in the snow. He rapped the iron-shod toe of the staff on the great iron door, and a moment later, it creaked open to reveal a dark, cavernous hallway. The door boomed to a close behind him and Fawkes took flight. Circling around his head as if to guard his partner against any harm.
A brief visceral shiver ran through 160-year-old bones as Dumbledore followed a line of torches that seemed to have been added after this structure was originally constructed. The wizard continued down the corridors, which where an odd, flattened oval shape, wider than tall. Periodic sealed metal doorways stood to either side of the corridor. Finally after almost another half an hour of walking in this never ending series of corridors, Dumbledore passed through a destroyed doorway that once, eons ago, would have signaled the end of the passage.
He emerged into a large, circular room. Strange, obelisk-like pedestals stood around the room, surrounding a large, crystalline orb, whose depths were filled with a hazy-purple-black fog. A man was standing next to the orb; he looked up at Dumbledore's arrival and nodded. "Ah Albus, it is good that you have finally arrived." The man was dressed in dark blue robes chased with bronze, a rampant eagle decorating his chest. The wizard's, for that's what he must be, hair was white and long as was his beard, which was gathered into a tail with small gold rings in front to match the rings holding his hair in a matching tail in back.
"Alexandrov" Dumbledore replied with a nod of greeting as he came to a halt next to the mysterious wizard. Fawkes landed on one of the pedestals and looked up questioningly at the pair. "I hope that you have something to show me. Now is not the time for me to be out of contact." Dumbledore's eyes were stern as he peered through his half-moons at the man. "I have no way of contacting anyone in this valley, nor can Fawkes do so without almost a days flight to clear its effects."
"I know, I know." The man replied with a raised hand, "however I was unable to satisfactorily transfer the information, and you, yourself requested that the Order of Ravenclaw help you in your quest. I am here to help you in that endeavor."
"I could have the heir demand your allegiance." Dumbledore replied slightly testily.
"Yes, we know of the appearance of a true heir, Albus, and if she ever demands our allegiance we will of course obey. However you have sworn a wizard's oath not to reveal our existence to her. She has yet to prove herself." The man's tone was almost simpering. Dumbledore's eyes flashed and any twinkle that had survived the long, overland trek, died. Even Fawkes bristled at the implication... "It is still the position of the senior members that Rowena abandoned her principles to fight with and later marry Godric and her heir, repea..." The man suddenly became silent as he was being held several feet off the ground motionless. Very few times in recent memory had Dumbledore's eyes held such fury, at the final battle with Grindelwald; yes. At the battle with Voldemort at the Ministry and later at Hogsmeade and Hogwarts; of course he had. And now, here thousands of miles away from any civilization, wizard or muggle, in an unknown construct, with a man who should have known better.
"It would do you good to remember, Alexandrov Smirnoff." Dumbledore said softly, lethally, "that my true allegiances are to the Gryffindor line, and its heirs" He smiled with absolutely no humor in his expression, "which as you so ably reminded me also includes the Ravenclaw heir...who ultimately can demand your loyalty. And those loyalties far outweigh any promises I might have made to your order of, what is the term that Harry used the other day..." he nodded to himself, "ivory tower intellectual fops. She choose to be a Gryffindor in the end...in every way. You will remember that." Alexandrov nodded slightly as Dumbledore let him drop. "Now, what did I come here to witness?"
Alexandrov backed away slightly and pointed his wand at the globe. Despite Dumbledore's earlier comments his voice dropped into a lecturing tone. "As you know Albus...the Order" Dumbledore ignored the slight sneer in the academic's voice. "Has been researching this topic for several years, and we have been able to determine the purpose." He flicked his wand and the orb cleared to reveal images of shining steel and glass towers and dark shapes. Of Silver portals and vast armies of darkness.
After several minutes in which Dumbledore grew progressively paler, his gaze shot to Smirnoff. "How long have you know this?"
"Our preliminary findings came in a year ago, however the council thought we should further..." he broke off as Dumbledore started back down the passage to the exit, his passage a blur, even as he knew in his heart he was already too late.
****************************Ministry of Magic*****************************
October 10, 2012
11:46 pm GMT
Mad-Eye looked up as sudden alarms screamed. His gaze shot to Arthur who instinctively grabbed his wand and turned to the door. Luckily for the aide that barged in suddenly, his aim was not the best of the old members of the Order of the Phoenix. His hurried stunner charred the doorframe, right above the newcomer's dark brown hair. "Minister...Minster..." he gasped. The man was pale, and his eyes wide with fright.
"What son?" Alastor muttered. His magical eye spun about as if to peer about the Ministry building for the cause of the young wizard's concern, but of course the wards around the Minister's office were too strong even for him.
"Sir...s..sir..."
"What?" Arthur snapped, as he slammed his wand back down on the desk.
"In the lobby, sir...werewolves." The aide opened his mouth again but no sound came out. It was as if he weren't there, Arthur dashed over to his fire, and tossed a pinch of powder into the fire. Nothing happened and closed his eyes for the barest of instants. It wasn't really a surprise that the Death Eaters could block the fires; it was actually rather simple to prevent them from linking to the Floo network. A rather simple scrambling spell that had been developed by the Unspeakables at the very end of the Voldemort war had been lost along with many other secrets when Bariss, among other agents, betrayed the Ministry. And a second later...he knew he was dead. A hissing growl came from the large reception area.
"BACK ARTHUR," Mad-Eye snapped as he swept the Minister behind him. Arthur stumbled to the back of the office, knocking his papers and the portrait of the family to the floor. The tiny people inside could be seen silently screaming as it fell and the glass shattered. Mad-Eye flicked his wand in an odd, almost epileptic fashion, and snapped, "mutatio argentium" Instantly a shining wave of magenta light panned across the door and wall leading to the entrance to the office. The light faded to reveal the glimmer of sliver. The walls, the door, even the carpet and the ceiling near the door were now shining the burnished hue of wrought silver. "Come on." The old Auror growled as he pulled Arthur towards a large bookshelf in the corner.
Reaching up, Mad-Eye pulled out A Report on Magical Beasts of Europe and with a soft creak of age set wood, the bookshelf swung forward to reveal a long, dimly lit stone passage. "Go damnit." Alastor said pushing Arthur and the terrified aide into the passage. "GO, follow it down, it splits off three floors down, one part leads to the atrium, the other to the basement of that muggle building next door. It should be far enough for you to be outside of the wards. GO." Arthur turned, lighting his wand as he did so.
A loud boom sounded behind him, "Alastor did you?" He asked but no response greeted his ears, he turned and looked back to find that his friend was not there. "No MAD-EYE NO!" Arthur screamed, as he desperately tried to reopen the passage, but try as he might through any magical or mundane means at his disposal, in the end he was not the equal of Alastor Moody.
****************************The Burrow**********************************
October 11, 2012
12:15 am
A continuous CRACK echoed out on the lawn of the Burrow, like the mother of all thunderstorms. With various flashes of light, puffs of smoke and sounds of apparition depending on their various power levels, almost forty wizards and witches appeared on the lawn of the ancient shanty. As their eyes adjusted to the dark night outside the house, Ron glanced up.
"NO!" He screamed and ran for the house; Hermione went pale and almost collapsed for an instant before Harry steadied her, though his face was as ghostly as the crescent moon shining down though the trees. The pair of them leapt forwards, their afterimages trailing behind them as they ran to the house, passing Ron on the way. A pale green glow hung low over the house as a giant, glowing, green skull lit the night.
Harry didn't even consciously notice the body of the Auror he stepped over as he swept into the room, both of his wands questing for a masked face. Hermione was at his shoulder and only a sheer act of will kept her wands from shaking in her hands. Their eyes swept the room hoping, praying, for the sight of a mop of black hair hiding behind a couch or a chair, but their hopes were for naught. They found Molly, her eyes bulging and with a wand flick, she gasped for breath.
"They have them." Molly screamed, and Hermione finally collapsed into Harry's arms as Ron and the rest of the family tumbled into the room. She was shaking, and great, sudden, silent sobs were fighting to escape as she refused to look around the room. Harry's eyes were bright and for the first time in his life, he was almost glad for the Dursleys having taught him to hide his tears in silence.
Two hours later found Harry holding Hermione, both were seated out somewhere in the dark lawn outside of the Burrow. No one had been able to even approach them within ten yards, their magic had thrown Remus and Ron bodily across the room as they attempted to approach and neither had even noticed. They were automatons as they had silently drifted out into the yard and collapsed together to the ground. Not an audible word had come from either of the two since they had arrived to find their children and their best friends' children gone and in the hands of the Death Eaters.
Thirty yards away, Remus stood talking softly with Ron. Both of their cheeks were suspiciously damp, while Ron's breathing was particularly ragged. Sirius came up to the pair, Cordelia at his side, and glanced over at the pair. "Remus, Ron, we still haven't been able to get hold of the Ministry." He sighed, a dark worried look on his face as he remembered a conversation with an old friend mere days ago as he looked out at his son and daughter-in-law in all but name. "Something is wrong. I was able to get hold of group three out of Nottingham, but they only have five agents on staff. Harry's group was the only fully staffed group. We were still ramping up from Fudge's years and replacing the casualties from Voldemort."
The Chief Auror nodded knowingly, "I know. I know..." He sighed as he wondered just what the hell the Potters had done in some prior life to piss off the gods like this, again. He bit his lip as he choked down his worry for his own children into a tight ball, twisting it into a cold, dark fury. There would be hell to pay for this night, whether it be one day from now or seven years, it would happen. "Sirius can you and Cordy see if you can..."
Sirius nodded and with a soft pop, they vanished.
**********************Minister of Magic's Office********************
October 10, 2012
11:55 pm GMT
Alastor Moody nodded to himself as he heard the pounding from behind the bookcase stop and hurried footsteps pound off. He sighed and slowly picked up his battered fedora from a side shelf, and placed it on his head. Booming thuds sounded at the door and plaster fell from the ceiling as Mad-Eye unhurriedly canted the fedora low over his magical eye. He sighed as he slowly pulled his wand from his pocket and looked it over carefully. Reaching under his collar with his left hand, he pulled a short, sliver blade and palmed it. He stepped back, just as with a final thundering boom, the door went pin wheeling into Arthur's cavernous office, missing Moody's head by inches.
Horrible howls rent the air as half a dozen wolves bounded into the door and their hand-paws touched the coating of silver that guarded the entrance. Mad-Eye hopped sideways on his pegleg, "SAGITARRIUM ARGENTIUM" he howled as his wand flicked in a great arc. Dozens of silver arrows shot across the room, impaling the werewolves that were howling on the silver entrance and another three that were coming in the door. A wolf jumped in, landed on one of his less fortunate fellows and bounded across the room, landing on the side and bounding again. "REDUCTO" Mad-Eye's curse shattered the wolf's legs as he landed. The wolf started growling and pulling its way slowly across the carpet until Mad-Eye placed another silver arrow in its eye. Another ten wolves bounded into the room, missing the silver barrier and formed in a growling, snapping line.
As one, the wolves perked their ears and responding to an inaudible signal they bounded out of the room. Mad-Eye stepped back as he heard the characteristic rushing sound of a portkey, and a reflected, multicolored light in the silver, mirrored surface of the wall. A horrible, shuddering cold filled the room. He jumped behind Arthur's desk as a half dozen green bolts hissed across the room, impacting and driving huge divots into the walls and the bedrock beyond.
"Lucius" Alastor sneered, as his eye effortlessly peered through the heavy oak and steel desk, "what's wrong, couldn't find any real minions to come visit?" He took a deep breath and threw the silver blade aside. Reaching into a pocket of his cavernous cloak, he pulled a baseball sized, dull black sphere and held it loosely in his hand. I hope this gadget of the twins' works...
"You know how it is Alastor." Lucius replied coldly as he stepped into the room behind a cordon of X'Sheen. Bariss and Narcissa flanked him as he entered. Bariss took up a post at the door, watching back into the room beyond. Lucius gestured with his free arm, Narcissa replied with a small graceful nod and stepped partially behind him, raising her wand and pointing it towards Mad-Eye's hiding place. "It is truly hard to find competent subordinates...I mean look at all of your security forces...they were so easy to defeat...a mere tithe of my werewolves were sufficient to totally subdue the Ministry. Where is Weasley Alastor? All you have to do, is give him to me and I will let you join me."
"Do you really think I believe that you will let me walk out of here Malfoy?" Mad-Eye chuckled darkly as he fingered the black orb. Using his wand, he tapped it three times and muttered something under his breath. "Lad, I have heard the same offer from little piddly-arsed dark wizards for the last sixty years, and I will give you the same answer that I gave them..."
Moody closed both eyes tightly, real and magical, and tossed the orb over his shoulder. A blinding flash of light lit the room and with a flick of his wand two coat racks shot across the room and impaled a pair of X'Sheen. He rolled to his right, another wand pass, "FLAGELLTIA" A hail of invisible knives shredded another X'Sheen. Mad-Eye fired a repulsion hex at his feet flinging himself across the room. He landed with a loud, "humpf" and rolled on his back. "Incendio Cyclonium" A howling whirlwind of flame swirled across the room, engulfing the last two X'Sheen, and an instant later the flames erupted around Lucius, Narcissa and Bariss.
Slowly Mad-Eye stood, his wand pointed towards the towering wall of flame at the far end of the room. Slowly the flames parted to reveal a shining black dome. The dome vanished to reveal the unburnt visages of the trio of Death Eaters. Lucius' eyes were glowing a bright, fiery red, he flicked his wand and Mad-Eye was flung against the far wall, to hang spread-eagled and inverted. "Reducto" Lucius whispered almost lovingly and Alastor's real leg shattered. He gestured and Mad-Eye fell to the floor in a heap. Another wand flick and three wands, four knives, a handgun and two more of the twin's flashbangs piled up at the Dark Lord's feet. "My Love" Lucius said, waving towards Mad-Eye, who was glaring at him from the floor. Alastor's dark natural eye was shining with fury and defiance as he glared upwards into Malfoy's sneering face. "It is only proper manners to entertain our guests" He smiled, "After all the Ministry is now ours, my Lady."
Narcissa's cold blue eyes glittered as she turned to Mad-Eye, "As you wish my lord...Evicserata" A red bloom stained Mad-Eye's robes and he slumped further. She smiled as she bent close to him and ran her fingers lightly over his face. "Pity, Alastor," she whispered tenderly. "You could have been so much more. Pity." She stood and walked back to Malfoy, "can we go now my Lord?" She asked as she intertwined her arm with his non-wand arm.
Lucius lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. "Yes dear we shall, after all we still have a reception to plan for Potter and a party to throw for his...spawn."
"You're a dead man Malfoy. Potter will have your guts for garters."
"We shall see, my old friend, we shall see...or rather I shall see." A silver chased wand rose slowly. "Goodbye Mad-Eye. AVADA KEDAVRA" A sound like the thunder of a hundred horses flooded their ears, and a brilliant green flash lit the office. With a flourish of a long cape, Malfoy turned on his heel and left the office, his wife at his side.
*********************Atrium, Ministry of Magic****************************
2:15 am
A soft pop sounded as Cordelia and Sirius materialized in the disapparation zone of the Ministry's lobby. Instinctually the pair turned back to back as a feeling of utter wrongness settled in their bones. Cordy took a deep breath, and a faint glow appeared around the edges of her irises. A soft, cat-like hiss escaped between her teeth as millennia-old genetic level responses flooded her brain. Lupin was one thing, this was entirely another.
The pair of them wheeled into a dark, cul-de-sac, "Sirius..."
"Yeah I smell them too." He replied darkly. "And..."
"Yeah." Cordelia's explanation was superfluous as the iron smell of fresh blood wafted past their noses. Fangs dropped in an unconscious recognition of the situation. "Where are the guards...the bodies or the Death Eaters..." Sirius shrugged. His eyes spotted a flutter of movement in the shadows across the way. He elbowed Cordelia and motioned in that direction with his head.
Her eyes glowed fully and the muted colors of the room and their dark outfits fell away to be replaced by cool blues and greens. She scanned over to find a pair of yellow and red outlines in the shadows across from them emerging from a rectangle so dark blue as to almost be back. One of the heat signatures she had never seen, but the other was familiar. "It's Arthur." She muttered. He nodded and without another word the pair of them sprinted across the room, their steps echoing oddly in the empty, cavernous room.
A wand tiredly rose to greet them, then lowered almost as fast as Arthur recognized them. "Sirius...where's..." he broke off suddenly.
Sirius didn't want to meet his eyes so he disguised his apprehension by not meeting his boss's eyes. "It was a set up Arthur...Malfoy has the kids." A sharp intake of breath answered his words but Arthur Weasley was made up of strong stuff, he nodded for Sirius to continue. "We got Ginny and Neville out" The Minister looked at him oddly, "yeah, he's awake and everything. Molly was incapacitated but she was ok. They wanted her to relay the message. By now, if Remus has followed protocol and been able to get close enough to them, every one will have been evacuated to Hogwarts."
"Them?"
"Harry and Hermione were flinging everyone across the lawn if they tried to get within ten meters." Sirius shrugged. A clattering sound echoed out as the lift began to move in the corner. "We have to go." The four of them, including the poor young aide who had been caught up in this scampered across the atrium to stand in a slightly glowing circle that demarked the hole in the wards allowing them to disapparate. "Burrow first...anyone else?"
"No." Arthur replied, and no other words were necessary. Sirius gestured at the jumpy young aide and Cordelia grabbed his sleeve. A crack echoed out and the room was empty. In the corner a pair of masked Death Eaters emerged from the lift and began walking around the room.
*****************************The Burrow**************************
Brown eyes stared unseeing into the dimness as a few fireflies added their scattered glows to the night. She sighed slightly as she leaned back into the arms holding her. The sound of their hushed breathing echoed oddly off of the very faintly glowing dome that surrounded them. Her thoughts were not here in this time, but years ago, and in a castle hundreds of miles away in the north.
**************************Hogwarts*************************************
October 8, 2007 (5 yrs prior)
2:12 pm
Hermione finished dressing as Madame Pomfrey murmured something about "another jinx?" and headed out into the main part of the infirmary shaking her head. Pulling her hair from under her shirt she pulled on a set of dark green Professor's robes and followed Poppy around the drawn curtain. With a slightly amused smile she waved to one of her fourth year transfiguration students as they were drawn up in a bed with a light purple potion being fed into her arm via an IV. Her problem as was often the case with magical mishaps at Hogwarts was obvious. The girl seemed to have tentacles for arms at the moment, and Hermione shook her head as she realized that she would probably be seeing something on that little incident. Susan Franks and her twin sister Elisa were both Gryffindors and that and the mere fact that they born within ten minutes of each other were probably the only things that kept them both alive so far. The octopato appendago spell seemed to be almost as much of a hallmark of her sister's as Ginny's bat-bogey hex was of the youngest Weasley.
Hermione bit back a soft laugh as she realized that the young student was in the same bed that she had spent so much time in, or rather the bed that had replaced hers. Poppy had had all three of the trio's second beds at Hogwarts put into storage, just in case. With a small sigh of exasperation, Hermione sat on the bed next to Susan. "Ok, what was it this time Susan?" Hermione asked. Over the last year, McGonagall had started to try to unload head of house duties on Harry and Hermione, as she was getting ready to take over for Dumbledore, who everyone was expecting to retire, just any time now.
The sullen faced, copper-haired girl glanced up at her and then back down at her sheets. Susan frowned, and finally whispered, "Michael."
Hermione forced herself to keep a straight face as she remembered how she had been in her fourth year. The twins had somehow become fixated on a fifth year, Michael Weaver. And of course, the almost sixteen-year-old boy had eaten it up. He had been known to lead them both on, and occasionally at the same time. And the fact that both of them were almost as identical as the Patil sisters didn't always help matters either. A brief flicker of pain wafted behind her eyes as she remembered Pavarti's twin who had died a little over a year ago. I just hope that they are as discrete as the Pails were. Otherwise I'm never getting any sleep in the next few years. "Susan, you two are going to have to stop this...it's just a boy..."
"What would you have done if it were Professor Potter?" Susan snapped, then shut up abruptly and covered her mouth with her hands. She looked petrified at her sudden gaff, but Hermione just chuckled.
"At your age, I didn't know what I wanted, honestly." She patted the girls shoe and stood, "I assume that you and your sister will probably be visiting one of us for detention?"
"Yes, mum, Professor McGonagall has already assigned both of us detention tonight with you...I um...got Elisa with a acne hex."
"Fine then, I will discuss this with both of you then, at seven?" Hermione did not wait for an answer as she walked into Pomfrey's office. Poppy looked up at her with a small smile on her lips as she flicked the door closed with a wand. A brief glow lit the walls as the permanent anti-eavesdropping spells kicked in. The student body of Hogwarts was and probably would always remain one of WWW's biggest customers. Thank Merlin that the twins keep their best toys for us. Hermione mused silently as she turned her attention to the medi-witch.
"Miss Granger...Mrs. Potter.... bloody hell, Hermione." Poppy began and Hermione grinned at her. "I have your physical results here." She waved a large, manila folder she had picked up off her desk. "You are in perfect shape."
"Good then, Poppy," Hermione replied, "then I guess I'm cleared for ops for the next year." She smiled as she started to get up, "I would love to stay and chat, but if you excuse me I have to be in class soon..."
"Wait a moment Hermione." Poppy replied, and looked up at Hermione. A slight twinkle danced in her eye as a small grin blossomed on the normally stern witch's face. "Normally around here, this isn't a good thing as most of my patients are somewhat younger...you are in perfect health...for a woman who is a month along." Hermione's jaw dropped.
"Are you sure?" Hermione squeaked. Pomfrey just nodded and Hermione jumped up and hugged the witch. She sat back down and trembled slightly as the permeations began to dance in her mind. And the least important seemed to be only one she could voice. "I'm out of the field, then."
Poppy nodded, she was one of the few at Hogwarts along with McGonagall and Dumbledore who knew all of the details of the double lives of several of the Professors. "Yes, I will be putting a notice in your file...standard precaution I am afraid." Hermione nodded, it was Ministry policy that pregnant witches not be assigned work where harm to them or their unborn children could happen.
"Can you hold off for a day Poppy."? Hermione asked and Poppy frowned, Hermione shook her head, "I understand the reason, I just want to let Harry know." Poppy grinned and nodded.
8:20 pm
Harry looked up as Hermione came into their shared quarters from giving detentions to the recalcitrant Franks twins and flopped into his lap on their old dilapidated couch that Harry steadfastedly refused to admit had been...acquired, from the Head's common room. Of course the small heart with the initials HP and HG carved into the wood trim on one of the arms seemed to belie his statements, but she didn't really mind. It was sweet. And after all, she had this odd feeling that the cause of her current happiness had been...created on this very couch on her most recent birthday.
Harry leaned back and regarded her oddly as an odd taste to her mind glow became evident. She was hiding something, not very successfully, but enough to keep it from him. He crooked an eyebrow. Hermione Jane...
Yes, Harry James...She responded with an air of utter contentment. He could feel the smirk that blossomed on her lips as she kept looking away from him and reached for a 453rd edition of Hogwarts, A History on the coffee table. The table seemed to sigh in relief as she lifted the huge tome, and since it was Hogwarts, it was entirely possible it did so. You wish to know something...honestly all you have to do is ask. She sighed as she opened to book to the chapter on married professors over the years in Hogwarts. She pretended to read for several minutes, her eyes flicking back and forth across the pages, but he knew it was a lie.
Mione...I know you're not reading...
And just how do you know that? She replied, trying to insert a snappish tone in her thoughts and failing miserably.
Harry grinned as he leaned forward to kiss her hair over her ear. You read out loud in your head...it's rather cute. She laughed as she set the book back down and snuggled closer.
I had my yearly physical today. Hermione explained it seems that I won't be joining you on assignments for a while. Harry stiffened and spun her around. A trace of fear danced in his eyes and with a small laugh, she took pity on him. Her fingers brushed a recalcitrant lock of hair out of his eyes, "I'm fine love." She whispered.
"Don't give me a shock like that Mione." Harry shot back. He sat back, considering what she had said, "though if you are not sick..."
"Actually I was sick this mourning Harry." She retorted as she fought not to giggle. And Harry knew. He laughed out loud as he fell back onto the couch and pulled her down into a kiss.
"Thank you Hermione. I love you." He replied as she curled up on top of him, "When?"
"May sometime." She whispered in his ear. "I thought of doing something with baby foods or leaving elf sized clothes laying around...but you know how thick you can be. And it just wouldn't be us." She paused, considering, "One more thing...it's twins Harry." Harry chuckled.
"I guess I need to get around to fixing up the Hollow then."
***********************The Burrow********************************
October 11, 2012
2:16 am
Harry closed his eyes for a long second; then opened them slowly. With a flicker of his fingers, he canceled the shield that one or both of them had subconsciously summoned. Hermione, love, I ah...
I will hurt you if you say this is your fault Harry. I am going to kill Lucius. You know that right? Harry nodded. Painfully. Very painfully. Very, very fucking painfully.
We're sharing. Harry returned and she just nodded. We need to get everyone one out of here Mione. It's not secure. Hermione nodded once more. I promise you Hermione, whatever it takes, I will get our kids back to you. Harry sealed the promise with a soft kiss to her forehead before flinging himself to his feet. Hermione glanced upward at him before bouncing to her feet next to him in one fluid motion. The group silently watching them witnessed as she took his hand and they slowly approached, and more than one of the waiting crowd stepped back involuntarily. Harry looked up as Tonks hugged Hermione with tears in her eyes, followed quickly by Luna and Ron. The impromptu pack closed in as Harry's eyes scanned around the darkened yard, catching faint glimmers of movement every so often indicating disillusioned agents. "Sorry everyone." Harry apologized but as one the gathered witches and wizards waved it off. "We need to get everyone to Hogwarts, its not safe..."
He was interrupted as a sharp CRACK rang out and Sirius, Cordelia, Arthur and his young aide appeared on the lawn. At least thirty wands pointed at their heads before the sound died away, but were soon put away. "We have to go." Sirius snapped as he came running up to the group, "they've taken the Ministry."
"Bloody Hell" Ron snapped as he gave his dad a quick hug.
Lupin looked at Arthur, "where's Mad-Eye?" Arthur just shook his head and that was all the response needed.
Harry closed his eyes and pushing up his glasses he squeezed the bridge of his nose with the hand that wasn't once again squeezing Hermione's for dear life. He raised his voice. "EVAC NOW, SG-1 HEADQUARTERS, ALL CIVILIANS AND AGENTS, GO." Before the words had even faded away into the night, CRACKs of disapparation echoed out as wizards and witches started heading for the hidden secret passage entrance to Hogwarts outside of the Wards.
A/N there we go. Next chapter, a plan.