Harry Potter and the War of the Wands

Chapter 3 - The Wedding

Having managed to slip into Ron's room without waking him, Harry climbed into the spare bed, and drifted into peaceful dreams; the first since he had finished term. His deep sleep continued until late in the morning, when he was woken by a few sharp slaps on the face from his best friend.

"Wake up, mate!" Ron hollered in Harry's ear.

Harry opened his eyes slowly and yawned. "What time is it?" he asked blearily.

"It's nearly twelve o'clock. And the wedding starts at three!" answered Ron. Harry couldn't believe it, but, Ron had actually taken another stretch in height. Wasn't he ever going to stop growing? "Mum wouldn't let us wake you, 'cause she said you had a busy night. What happened?"

Sitting up in bed, Harry rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and recapped the night's activities to an incredulous Ron, who was hanging on every word that came out of his mouth.

"NO WAY! I thought they couldn't hurt you at the Dursleys'?" he said, open mouthed.

"Well, they couldn't before," said Harry. "But, I guess now that Dumbledore is ... gone ... and I'm of age, it looks as though the spells he cast to protect me don't have any effect anymore." He had been wondering how the Death Eaters had managed to infiltrate Privet Drive, and this was the only explanation he could come up with.

"It's a good thing you aren't gonna have to go back there again then, isn't it?" said Ron wisely. "Do you think that Headquarters isn't safe now either?" he asked uncertainly. Harry was slightly shocked.

"I didn't even think of that!" burst Harry. "The Order will probably have realised anyway, but we better mention it to your dad, just in case." If Voldemort managed to find out where headquarters was it would be disastrous for the resistance.

"He's at the office just now, handing some reports in or something. Mum's going crazy 'cause it's so close to the wedding, but he says it's important. He shouldn't be too long though, so we'll be able to tell him when he gets back," said Ron. "And Hermione should be arriving any minute now," he added. A curious grin shone on Ron's face when he said her name. Harry had a little feeling that it wouldn't be too long before his two best friends finally sorted things out and became an item.

At that point, there was a knock at the bedroom door, and Ginny appeared in the doorway. Harry's heart skipped a beat as soon as he saw her. It was with a slightly awkward step that Ginny entered the room and went straight to Harry, who hugged her tightly.

"How have you been, Harry?" she asked somewhat hesitantly, her deep brown eyes staring into his startling green ones. "I've thought about you a lot." Ron shifted nervously on the bed.

"You know me, Gin. I'm getting by," said Harry. He still couldn't bear to let go of her, but knew he should. "You've been on my mind too," he added in a whisper. They eventually broke apart, and Ron breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Ginny sat down on the bed between Ron and Harry, and once Harry had managed to convince her he wasn't hurt from the attack the night before, they began to chat light heartedly about goings on during the summer.

A short while later, there was another knock on the door, and this time it was Mrs Weasley with an enormous breakfast tray, laden with eggs, bacon, sausages and anything else Harry may have wanted.

"Harry, dear, I'm so glad you could be here for the wedding," she said, as the door swung open, "and we've also got another visitor for you," she added, as she stepped into the room, with Hermione following close behind. At once, Hermione ran over to the bed and hugged Harry, then Ginny, and then a little nervously, pulled Ron into a hug too.

"Eat up, Harry. I know you must be hungry after all that trouble last night," said Mrs Weasley regretfully. "I haven't got time to stop, dear. There is so much going on with the wedding today, obviously. I'll be back to check on you in a little while, okay?" She bustled out of the room, leaving the four friends alone again.

"Harry, what happened at the Dursleys' last night?" Hermione gushed anxiously. "Mrs Weasley said there had been an attack, but didn't tell me anything else." So, Harry had to recap the night's events for the third time, from start to finish, whilst also trying to get through some breakfast.

"Well, it's only a guess, but, it sounds to me as though any protection spells that Dumbledore cast have been broken, now that he's passed away," Hermione suggested knowledgeably. "This probably wouldn't include the Fidelius though, but it still raises questions around the Secret Keeper, and at least the Order is still keeping a close eye on you, with Professor McGonagall and Remus standing on guard."

"That's what I thought, too," answered Harry. "It could have been a lot worse off if they hadn't been there. Although, I do have a lot to thank the twins for," he grinned, remembering the Itching Bomb exploding on the Death Eater. "That reminds me, thanks a lot for the birthday presents, guys. I loved them all."

The four of them spent the next half hour or so, catching up with general goings on; including, the wedding preparations which Ron stated were "doing his head in". Harry was happily sitting and listening to the various happenings in the Weasley household when there was another knock on the door, and Fleur swept into the room.

"'Arry, eet is so good to see you," she said throatily. "I am so 'appy you could be 'ere for our special day." Ginny mimicked vomiting behind Fleur's back, just as Mrs. Weasley bustled into the room again.

"I'm glad to be here too," replied Harry truthfully. Fleur was obviously still in the middle of getting ready for the wedding, as Mrs Weasley was looking extremely harassed.

"Fleur, dear, we haven't got time to catch up just now!" she said irritably.

"Oh, I 'ave plenty of time to see 'Arry, and eet weel not take long to make me presentable, I think," Fleur replied with a toss of her shining hair. "In any case, I only wanted to tell 'Arry that Gabrielle 'as been so excited to see him again. All she talks about is ze brave 'Arry Potter."

Harry grimaced as Ron snorted with laughter, and tried to stifle it.

"She 'as quite the soft spot for you," said Fleur, with a wink at Harry. Harry merely blushed in return. Sitting next to him, Ginny growled.

"Well, I'm sure she'll see enough of him at the wedding," Mrs Weasley broke in. "In the meantime, I want everyone in their own rooms and getting ready!" she barked. No one, not even Fleur, put up any resistance.

****

As is turned out, Mrs Weasley had already organised Harry's outfit for the wedding. So, within an hour, both Harry and Ron were dressed in very sharp-cut, black formal wear. Harry was surprised how similar the suits were to a Muggle tuxedo. The only difference being the shimmering black cloak which clasped at the neck, and the round neck shirt without bowtie.

"At least they're better than my old dress robes, eh?" Ron smiled uncertainly. He was looking himself up and down in the mirror.

"I think I actually like them, to be honest," replied Harry, as he unsuccessfully tried to flatten his hair for the third time. The clasp on Harry's cloak was of emerald green, which he suspected Mrs Weasley had picked especially to emphasise the colour of his eyes, which it did.

"We should probably head downstairs, mate," said Ron. His suit made him look even taller than normal, but he'd filled out a little too, so wasn't as gangly as he once was.

When the two of them reached the kitchen, they could hear Mrs Weasley screeching something about the cake not being ready and the band being late, and basically that everything seemed to be going wrong. It seemed that she was getting more uptight the closer it got to the ceremony.

Mr Weasley was sitting at the dining table again. The pile of papers he'd been working on the night before had been moved. Harry thought that Mrs Weasley would've had a fit, if she'd seen the state of the place before.

"You two all ready?" asked Mr Weasley happily. He was only half dressed himself, and was obviously trying to finish another report off before the wedding.

"All set, dad," replied Ron.

"Me too, Arthur," said Harry. "There was just something I wanted to ask quickly, in case it hadn't already been sorted out."

"Ask away," replied Mr Weasley soberly.

"Well, obviously, since Dumbledore passed away, the protective spells he cast on me at Privet Drive have stopped working...."

"And you're worried that the Fidelius charm on Headquarters would also be compromised?" Arthur anticipated. "Not to worry, we have a new Secret Keeper, so Headquarters is still secure," he said confidently.

"I thought that would be the case, but I just wanted to make sure," said Harry.

At that point, Mrs Weasley let out a shriek of annoyance.

"I don't fancy getting caught by mum in that mood, let's get outta here!" Ron shot, as he headed for the back door. Harry was in complete agreement, and headed out after him into the back garden, where he stood in awe.

Mr Weasley laughed, and continued with his report.

****

The back garden had been completely transformed. The field where Harry and the Weasleys had played Quidditch in previous summers, now contained a massive white tent, adorned with decorations. Ice sculptures were on either side of the entrance, and there was a huge water fountain in the centre of the tent, where Harry noticed another two young wizards with a shock of red hair were standing, guffawing with laughter.

"Harry Potter!" called Fred, as soon as he spotted Harry and Ron approaching. Harry realised the source of the amusement when he noticed that there was a witch with bubblegum pink hair next to the fountain too. She was dressed in a fluffy meringue coloured evening gown, and had an extremely sour expression on her face.

"So good to see you again, Mr Potter," said George with a wink, as he bowed low to the ground. "We were just complimenting Tonks on her ... eh ... lovely dress here." Fred snorted with laughter.

"Wotcher, Harry!" Tonks smiled graciously at Harry. "Ron, you're just in time to see these jokers jinxed into oblivion for their cheek," she said whilst eyeing the twins up. Her wand, Harry could see, was already in her hand, and emitting little red sparks.

"Now, now, Tonks, my good lady," countered Fred. "I don't think mother would approve of you causing a scene in the wedding tent, do you?" A mischievous grin spread on his face. He had obviously kept this little Ace up his sleeve, just in case.

"I think you look fine, Tonks. Take no notice of them," said Harry politely. He, of course, thought the dress wasn't at all Tonks's style, but he also didn't want to be on the receiving end of one of her jinxes.

"Thanks, Harry, but I know I look ridiculous," replied Tonks. "I just don't like these two pointing it out," she shot, whilst glaring at Fred and George. "Anyway, Remus will be along any minute so I'm going to pop to the ladies' room and freshen up," she said with a smile. And with that, she disappeared, leaving the four boys on their own.

"I'm glad Tonks finally got her sense of humour back!" said George with a smile. "I wouldn't have fancied our chances, if she was still moping around all the time." Harry secretly agreed with him on that note, and also knew the reason she was happy again was obvious. He was looking forward to seeing Remus again, himself.

"I thought Ron said you two kept hiding your wedding suits?" Harry asked slightly perplexed. "They look fine to me." Fred and George were both wearing a similar outfit to himself and Ron, except with more ruffles.

"Well, mum finally conceded, and let us make a few alterations on the suits ourselves," replied George.

"You should have seen the nick of them before it!" Fred added with a frown. It appeared that both Fred and George were to be Bill's ushers, with Charlie as the best man, Harry assumed.

"You two want to go for a drink at the bar?" asked Ron, excitedly.

"Oooh, ickle Ronniekins eager for his first taste of Firewhisky, is he?" Fred chortled. There was a large bar at the far end of the tent, which seemed well stocked with various alcohols. A short bartender was busying himself cleaning the glasses.

"Well, I'm old enough now, ain't I!" Ron snapped back, blushing red. "Harry wants to try it too, don't you, mate?" he said pleadingly.

"Erm, yeah. Why not?" replied Harry. He was actually quite curious as to what Firewhisky tasted like, never having had any himself either.

It was now around two o'clock, and the guests were starting to arrive, as the four of them reached the bar. Harry was still astounded at the size of the marquee, and the beautiful decorations which were hanging from the roof. There were seats positioned on either side, for people to watch the wedding, and, at the other end, there were tables laid out, which people had already started to claim.

"Can we have four Firewhiskys from your best bottle, please, my good man?" George asked with a roguish wink at Harry. Harry seriously doubted this was the first time the twins had drank Firewhisky.

His suspicions were soon confirmed when Fred and George both raised their glasses.

"Bottoms up," they declared, downing the drink in one and slamming the glass back onto the bar.

"Cheers, mate," said Ron uncertainly to Harry. They both swallowed the drink in one just as the twins had, but immediately, both of them started to choke and splutter. The Firewhisky was burning Harry's throat, and tears were welling up in his eyes.

"Youngsters these days, eh, George!" Fred said, with a chortle. "Well, we'd better be off to greet the guests. Be good, you two," he added, with a pat on Ron's back.

"And if you can't be good, make sure you don't get caught," laughed George, as he ruffled Harry's hair. The twins left Harry and Ron still struggling with the effects of the Firewhisky, and headed off to the entrance of the marquee.

"It takes a little getting used to, I think," Harry grinned, when he had recovered, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Definitely," Ron exclaimed, "another?" he asked. Although it burned as it went down, Harry thought that it had quite a pleasant taste after all. The two friends ordered another round with much the same effect as the last one. But, by the third drink, they had at least managed to keep the spluttering to a minimum.

The tent was beginning to fill up with people by this time. Harry noticed a few people he recognised from the Order, and also a couple of people he knew worked at the ministry with Mr Weasley. It looked as though Mad-Eye Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt were on duty though, as they weren't mingling with anyone. Instead, each was posted at a different end of the tent, and Harry saw that Tonks was also roaming through the crowd, keeping an eye on things too. There were also a few Hogwarts students scattered around. He saw Angelina Johnson talking to Fred and George at the entrance, and Katie Bell had already come over to say hello.

Whilst Ron was ordering their fourth round of Firewhisky, Harry felt a tap on the shoulder. He turned round, and came face to face with Ginny. The monster in Harry's chest reared its head once more, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. Ginny was dressed in a figure hugging satin gown, which reached almost to the floor. Her hair was tied up in an elegant bun that Harry had never seen her with before, and she had a beautiful silver necklace which plunged down into her bosom, where Harry's eyes were dangerously close to wandering to. Hermione was standing to her side, with a knowing smile on her face.

"... Ginny ..." Harry spluttered. He was completely lost for words. Her eyes were boring into him, as if she knew every thought that was running through his mind at that second. He blushed slightly. "You look beautiful, Gin," he finally managed to cough out. It wasn't enough though. He couldn't find the words he wanted to say. Everything that was flying through his head just sounded cheesy and unoriginal.

Ginny was blushing too. "Thank you, Harry," she replied. "You look very handsome too." Ron, in the meantime, had turned around to face Hermione. His mouth was gaped wide open, and he looked very much like a fish out of water. Harry could tell he was trying to speak, but, like himself, couldn't get the words he was looking for. Hermione was also looking lovely in a pale blue, strapless dinner dress with silver trim. Her hair looked sleek, as it fell down onto her shoulders, and she was smiling a broad smile.

"And thank you too, Ron," Hermione said with a chuckle. "I'll take that as a compliment." Ron, in the meantime, still hadn't managed to say a word, but his expression conveyed everything. Ginny chuckled at her brother, and Harry couldn't refrain from laughing too.

"You look ... nice," Ron finally managed. Hermione scowled jokingly. "No ... better than nice, obviously ... erm ... really pretty," he attempted. His ears were starting to go pink, and he was shifting his feet uncomfortably. Harry spared him his blushes by offering the two girls a drink, which they accepted. Ron thanked Harry with his eyes, and picked up his drink. Harry ordered two champagnes and suggested taking a seat before all the tables were taken.

The four of them sat together chatting idly until a gong was sounded. "Would everyone please take their seats, as the ceremony is about to begin," a low voice sounded around the tent. Ginny had to dash off quickly to get into position, as she was a bridesmaid, and Harry, Ron and Hermione all went to their seats. Harry and Hermione were both touched to find that they had been included in the family, when the seating plan was made. A few minutes later, the band started playing a lovely melodious harmony, and a hush fell over the crowd.

****

The ceremony itself didn't last too long. Fleur looked stunning in a pure white wedding gown, and Bill was very dashing in a suit similar to Harry's own. Although the scars were still visible on his cheeks, they were somewhat covered by the large bushy sideburns that Bill had acquired. Harry supposed this was some of the wolvish characteristics coming through.

Harry had lost all concept of time when Ginny had walked up the aisle behind Fleur. She looked breathtaking, and Harry's mind wandered back to Hogwarts, and the times they had spent together before the end of term. In his head he thought he'd made the decision to end things with Ginny for the rights reasons, but now he was questioning himself. His head and his heart were at loggerheads, and right now his heart was in the lead. He wanted to tell Ginny how much he cared for her, and how he had made a mistake, but he was trying to master himself.

The rest of the Weasleys were seated along the same row as Harry. He could see Mrs Weasley with tears in her eyes, hugging Mr Weasley, as the vows were being taken. Even Fred and George were on their best behaviour, and Charlie was fulfilling his role as best man as Harry expected. Percy was nowhere to be seen.

The low voice had already announced that the celebration was about to begin, and everyone had started to get out of their seats, before Harry really realised what was going on. Once everyone had made their way to the middle of the marquee, the seats all magically rearranged themselves out of the way, and space for a dance floor had been made.

Bill and Fleur had already disappeared off to get changed, and Ron was leading the way back to the bar hand in hand with Hermione when Fleur's little sister Gabrielle appeared in Harry's path.

"'Ello, 'Arry," she breathed excitedly. Her eyes were fluttering, and she was blushing slightly.

"Oh, hello, Gabrielle, it's nice to see you again," replied Harry awkwardly. In Harry's eyes, she was still a little girl with a crush. But in actuality Gabrielle had flowered into a very pretty young teenager - with a crush. "I'm just off to the bar with my friends," he said immediately, in a rush to get away.

The young girl floundered somewhat, and Harry immediately felt guilty. "But we'll have a dance later if you like?" he offered gently. What harm can a dance do? he thought to himself.

"Zat would be wonderful!" Gabrielle gushed, with a wide smile, and trotted off quite happily. Harry hurried over to where Ron and Hermione were standing. Ron already had a drink waiting for Harry.

"You know what, mate?" he said. "I could definitely get used to this Firewhisky!" He grinned and knocked another back. Harry noticed that Ron's cheeks were getting slightly red, and thought the alcohol might be having an effect already. "How did you manage to sidestep your biggest fan?" he chortled.

"I promised her a dance later," mumbled Harry. Ron found this highly amusing, whereas Hermione just smiled and agreed that it was the polite thing to do. Harry raised his glass to Hermione jokingly, and swallowed his Firewhisky in one. Ron was right, he was getting used to it himself.

****

The party was now in full swing, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. This was the first time Harry had ever been to a wedding, Muggle or otherwise, so he had no idea what to expect. The bar was packed, and the dance floor was full of witches and wizards dancing to the various tunes being blasted out by the band, who were actually very good in Harry's opinion.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had managed to get a table again, and were sitting happily talking about the wedding and the guests, when Gabrielle reappeared out of thin air. Ron choked on his drink in surprise, and slopped some of it down him. Hermione frowned at him.

"Are you ready for our dance, 'Arry?" asked Gabrielle, in the sultriest voice she could muster. Hermione kicked Ron under the table when he snickered out loud. Gabrielle scowled at him in response.

"Er, yeah, sure," replied Harry. He wasn't really looking forward to this. He wasn't much of a dancer, and hadn't had any practice since the Yule Ball in fourth year, and even then he had avoided the dance floor as much as possible that night too. Gabrielle, on the other hand was extremely enthusiastic, leading him by the hand right onto the middle of the floor where she clamped her arms around him and swayed gracefully in time with the music.

Harry was doing his best not to tread on her feet and also to keep her hands above his waist.

"Just relax, 'Arry," whispered Gabrielle sweetly. Harry tried to shake of some of the tension in his shoulders, and began to take the lead in the dance. The young French witch was a very graceful dancer, moving in rhythm with the music, and following Harry's lead impeccably. He noticed that, as he relaxed, she seemed to relax into him too, and he began to enjoy himself. She really was a very pretty girl, he thought to himself, and the scent she was wearing was intoxicating. He moved in a little closer to her as they danced.

There was something in the back of Harry's mind telling him he should get back to Ron and Hermione, but he was quite happy on the dance floor with such a captivating partner, and everyone else seemed to be having such a good time too. They hadn't spoken since they started dancing, but that didn't seem to matter much. He was just about to whisper something in Gabrielle's ear when it hit him. She was part Veela, just like her sister. She was obviously either unconsciously, or deliberately using her Veela charms on him. All at once, he stopped dancing and looked over her shoulder.

"'Arry, what is wrong?" Gabrielle asked gently. He had tensed up again as he saw Ginny, standing at the side of the dance floor with a wounded expression on her face. "Are you okay? Would you like to seet down?" she asked concernedly. She looked genuinely worried, and her eyes were boring into him. He knew in that moment, she hadn't realised what she was doing, but it was too late.

The damage was done.

"I'm sorry, Gabrielle, I need to go and speak to someone," Harry burst out. She looked away and nodded. He looked over just in time to see Ginny heading out of the marquee. He rushed through the dance floor after her, leaving the pretty witch on her own.

****

When he finally managed to work his way through the dance floor, and out of the tent, he looked around until he spotted Ginny. There were various couples roaming around between the tent and the house too, but Ginny was sitting alone on the old swing set at the bottom of the garden. Her head was bowed down, and she was swaying slowly back and forth. He went over and sat on the swing next to her.

"Ginny?" he said, gently. He felt terrible. Nothing had even happened, but he understood completely how she felt. He remembered how deep it cut whenever Ginny was with Dean Thomas last term. How much it hurt to see them together, to hold back every time he saw them kiss. All he'd done was dance with Gabrielle, but it felt like a betrayal.

"I'm okay, Harry. Just go back into the party," Ginny replied, without looking up. She wasn't the type of person to show weakness and Harry knew it. She was exactly like him, in that respect.

"I don't want to go back to the party, I want to stay out here with you, Gin," Harry said sincerely. "That wasn't what it looked like, you know?" he said quietly. He knew it sounded like a cop out, but he couldn't think of anything better to say.

"Oh, and what did it look like?" Ginny shot scornfully. She had finally looked up at him, and he could see there were tears in her eyes. Harry didn't reply. "Look, Harry, I know I'm being stupid about this, but it just hurt to see you holding another girl when I wanted you to hold me!" Ginny looked away again.

"You're the only girl I want to hold, Ginny. You should know that!" he said. "You think if I had a choice, I wouldn't be in there, holding your hand and dancing with you right now, kissing you?" he continued.

"I don't know," said Ginny quietly.

"You know why I had to distance myself. It's my curse, Gin!" he said earnestly. "I can't have any happiness until I've done what I have to do. I'm the one who has to do it. Everyone I let in gets hurt, and I can't have that happening to you again." He lifted her head with his hand. "You understand, don't you?" he asked.

Ginny looked into his eyes and smiled sadly. "I do. But it doesn't make it any easier to take," she said miserably. She took his hand in hers.

"I know it doesn't. But we need to try," said Harry softly. He had to hold himself back to stop from kissing her. "Let's go back inside, eh? Ron and Hermione will be wondering where we are." He stood up from the swing, but just as he did, he felt a chill run through his spine. The moon seemed to disappear, and the darkness enveloped them.

"Harry, What's going on?!" Ginny had stood sharply too. The various other people in the garden had all stopped talking, and one woman let out a shriek.

Harry drew his wand from its sheath.

"Get into the tent and raise the alarm, quickly," he replied grimly. "It's Dementors...."

****

The shout went up immediately. The Burrow was under attack.

All of the Order members burst out of the tent at once, whilst the rest of the guests scrambled amongst themselves to find their partners and children, and escape to safety.

It was absolute mayhem.

The wards around the Burrow appeared to be holding at the moment, but Harry didn't know how powerful they were, or how long they would be able to last against a prolonged attack. He could see a large number of Dementors swooping at the barrier, and being repelled. His mother's screams filled his head. He fought against it, and tried to control his emotions.

Death Eaters had begun to Apparate at the edge of the wards, and were now throwing hexes and curses at the invisible barrier. The dome shimmered with every hit. All around him, people were screaming.

"Harry!" he heard someone shout. He turned to face Bill and Mad-Eye, who were rushing over to him. Bill looked terrifying. His eyes were blazing, and he was panting heavily. This was his wedding day after all, Harry thought.

"The Death Eaters are trying to break through the barriers," snarled Bill. "I'll focus all my energy on keeping them up, but there are bound to be breaches. I'll need you all to repel the attack, if the bastards break through!" Harry had never seen Bill so angry before.

Mad-Eye raised his voice. "Everyone who can conjure a corporeal Patronus, get over on the front line!" he shouted. The majority of the guests were still scrambling around, but all of the male Weasleys, along with the rest of the Order and a few of the Ministry workers, had already burst out of the tent in support. There were also a number of the guests Harry didn't recognise, that had also decided to fight. "Position yourselves under cover, and start firing," ordered Moody.

"You stay close to me, laddie," Moody said in an undertone to Harry. "We'll make 'em pay for this one!" he spat. The magical eye whirled in his head, as he nodded gravely.

They turned just in time to see a small rupture appear in the barrier, through which a dozen Death Eaters poured, followed by two Dementors. He could see Bill hidden behind one of the ice sculptures; he was crouched down, with his wand out, muttering. He seemed to be struggling.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry bellowed. Prongs erupted from his wand, and hurtled at one of the Dementors. Spells were flying in every direction. Harry was behind a stone water fountain, which had been erected for the wedding, and he could see Moody under fire behind the bench.

The breach in the wards was growing. More and more Death Eaters were breaking through, followed by the soul sucking demons. Harry could hear Moody directing the defence at the top of his lungs.

"I want fire concentrated on that breach!" he yelled. "Don't let any more through!" He leaned out and fired a hex at the advancing attack. Harry saw one of them crumple to the floor. The Dementors were swooping over head, and the voices in Harry's mind were getting louder. He could see that the others were affected too; one of the Ministry workers was on the ground, hugging his knees and crying, and another of the defence had broken position, in a frantic attempt to escape.

Harry focused his strength, firing another curse over the water fountain, and was pleased to see it hit the mark. Another Death Eater dropped. Remus and Tonks had now entered the battle. He could see a huge Wolf Patronus leaping through the air at the Dementors, forcing them back a little.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Remus called, as he took cover. "Sorry I'm late," he smiled grimly. He fired two curses in quick succession, and another Death Eater fell to the ground.

"I'm okay!" Harry called back. He could see that the defence was being worn down. At least four of the guests who had come to their aid had already been wounded. How would they be able to force them back? he thought desperately. And where were Ron and Hermione?

The wards around the Burrow suddenly began to flicker. He could see the shimmer, as they fell and reappeared. He looked over at Bill, who was now on his knees, furiously working at keeping the barrier up. They needed to strengthen the wards. But, how? Harry had no idea of the spells involved, or how the protection had been set up. He peered over the fountain again to check the position of the Death Eaters, and that's when he saw him.

Severus Snape was leading the attack from the rear.

Hatred reared up in Harry's heart. All he wanted to do was get to Snape and cause him pain. He rolled out from position, firing a hex as he did so. The nearest Death Eater was thrown back from the force of the curse. Harry moved forward under cover again, firing hexes and jinxes, one after the other.

"Harry!" he heard a shout from behind him. "What are you doing?!" But Harry didn't care. He wanted to wrap his hands around Snape's neck. He sprang out again, throwing curse after curse at the Death Eaters, who had stopped advancing in his wrath. He'd managed to incapacitate seven of them so far, but there were many more managing to break through the gap in the defences. He crouched behind a broken bench, and focused his thoughts. There were hexes flying all around him. It was a miracle he hadn't been hit yet. Control your emotions, he thought. How can we replenish the wards?

Looking back, he saw that Ron had finally appeared, and was covering Bill. Breathing a sigh of relief, he assessed the rest of the defence. Mad-Eye was holding his own and still barking directions. Tonks and Remus were under heavy fire, but still hadn't been hurt, but he couldn't see the rest of the Weasleys. He hoped they were okay.

Ron had his hand on his brother's shoulder, trying to support him, but Harry could see that he was struggling. Bill was the only thing keeping the wards in place, thought Harry. If they could manage to boost his power, then they might just have a chance. Looking back over to the breach, he could see Snape, marshalling the Death Eaters, but he had to choose his priorities. The Burrow was more important. There would be another chance to pay Snape back.

Harry broke from his cover again, just as the bench exploded from a powerful curse. His luck had held out just long enough, he thought grimly. He zig-zagged back to where Bill and Ron were hidden; Bill was on the verge of passing out, but still hadn't stopped the incantation. Ron was trying to keep him conscious, as well as still firing hexes at the Death Eaters, who had redoubled their attack, as soon as Harry retreated to the rear guard.

"I don't think he can keep this up much longer, mate," said Ron disconsolately. Harry agreed. Bill was looking pale and drained. His forehead was matted with damp hair from the sweat.

"Bill!" Harry shot. Bill raised his head slowly. "Is there any way to transfer power from us to you?" he asked desperately. Bill nodded slightly. "What do we need to do?" It was obvious that the second Bill stopped the spell, the wards would come crashing down.

"Harry," Ron spoke urgently. "Bill told me that the wards are powered by positive emotions, the same way that the Patronus is. The idea was, that as long as there were still Weasleys at the Burrow, that we would be able to project enough good feeling to power the protection."

"So the incantation isn't the most important part?" Harry asked quickly.

"No. The incantation is just Bill focusing our good feelings about the Burrow into the barrier. We just never thought we would be up against such an onslaught"

"Right, well I can help then, can't I?" Harry asked. "I mean, I love this place more than anything. You've made it my home since we met." Ron nodded in agreement.

"Take my hands!" Bill spat out suddenly. The wards shimmered briefly but stayed up. Harry and Ron each grabbed hold of Bill. He wasn't going to last unless they did something now.

"We've got to focus!" said Harry sharply.

Harry cleared his mind of everything that was going on around him. His eyes were closed, and he began to see pictures in his head. He remembered the time the twins had broke him free from Privet Drive and brought him back to the Burrow; everyone had been so happy to see him. He could see Ron in the back garden, swinging a garden gnome over his head, tossing it as far as he could. Harry had a smile on his face now. He was now playing Quidditch in the field with Ron, Hermione and Ginny; he could almost feel the wind through his fingers.

Harry could smell something delicious. Mrs Weasley had just cooked a huge dinner for the family, and all his favourite treats were on the table in front of him. They were all laughing and joking; this was his family. He wouldn't let them down.

Bill was back onto his knees, and the barrier was pulsing instead of shimmering now. Ron was standing with his eyes closed, exactly like Harry. The defence was still fighting back, but the Death Eaters were still pushing forward.

In his head, Harry could see Mr Weasley pottering around the kitchen with various plugs and sockets, while Mrs Weasley was shaking her head in bewilderment. The barrier was pulsing quicker and stronger now.

Remus looked around to see what was causing the wards to be strengthened, and was shocked to see Harry with a powerful white aura emanating from him, as he stood quietly with his eyes closed. Bill and Ron were oblivious to this, as they were concentrating so hard. Bill was almost back on his feet now.

Harry could see Ginny running towards him with a smile on her face. She looked prettier than he had ever seen her. The sun was shining and the world was peaceful. She jumped on him, and they both fell to the ground, laughing. This was where he belonged.

Suddenly, a blinding white light erupted all around them, and an explosion of energy burst from Harry, Bill and Ron. The shockwave hit the attacking Death Eaters, like a massive tidal wave, and they were thrown beyond the barrier, which was shining powerfully. An ear-piercing screech came from the Dementors which were caught in its path, as they disintegrated into dust.

"Retreat!" Harry heard Snape roar. The Death Eaters who were conscious and able to, began to Disapparate. Snape was dragging his fallen comrades to their feet, and helping them onto brooms. You're not getting away that easily, traitor, thought Harry viciously. Raising his wand, Harry summoned his bag from the Burrow. It burst through a window, and soared towards him.

The rest of the defence were just getting their bearings when he pulled his Firebolt from the bag, and leapt on it after Snape. Ron was slightly dazed, and rubbing his eyes.

"Harry!" he yelled, as he got to his feet. But Harry wasn't listening. He was determined to catch a murderer.

Snape caught sight of Harry, and, immediately dragging the remaining Death Eater onto his broom, sped off, with Harry in pursuit.

The last sight Remus and the rest of the Order had of Harry, was of him, flying past the defence, furiously firing hexes at the ex Potions Master.

And with that, Harry Potter was gone.

****