Brontide

“No! No, no, no, are you out of your bloody mind? Do you have any idea just how dangerous this will be?” This was the third time Fred and I were having this argument and we still couldn’t see eye to eye.

“Of course I know it’ll be dangerous! Why else do you think I’ve been practicing so much?!” I yelled back, my wand shooting sparks. It was clenched tightly in my hand.

Fred looked severely distressed, his hair sticking out in several directions as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Blimey, you'll make me start balding early like my dad."

It was July 27th, the day of a very important Order mission. We were to assist in moving Harry from his aunt and uncle’s house to the safety of The Burrow, acting as bodyguards against whatever Death Eaters might be out there. As his magical protection would end when he turned seventeen, Mad-Eye decided to move him a few days beforehand, assuming Voldemort would think we were moving him the day before Harry’s birthday. However, several members of the Order would be involved in this mission, the four of us included. Fred wasn’t happy about my involvement, even though Rae and I had been practicing defensive and offensive incantations day and night.

My arms were folded up against my chest. “I’m going, so stop treating me like a ruddy child.”

“I’m not trying to treat you like a child, I just don’t want anything bad to happen again, that’s all,” he insisted, his eyes glancing down to my leg that'd been injured.

“I’m more than prepared for whatever’s out there, you don’t need to worry so much,” I shot back. “What if I told you I didn’t want you going?”

“What? Are you mad? Of course I’m going!” he said in disbelief.

“Then so am I! So get over it, you’re worse than my mother!” I shouted, storming off into the kitchen.

Tensions had been high ever since Dumbledore’s funeral, and even though I knew he wouldn’t want us dealing with things so poorly I couldn’t help it. I was so stressed out I was sure it would put me in an early grave. I tried to keep in touch with my parents as much as I could, making sure they were still safe and somewhat sound. The Order was stretched so thin I didn’t know when Remus or Kingsley had checked up on them last. According to their most recent letter, they were doing just fine but were scared for me and everyone else. Devon was doing just about the same, though he worried about everyone’s safety and wished he could do more.

The shop was closed for the day so Rae and George were sitting in the kitchen, focused on eating their respective meals. I’d heard them arguing earlier in the day, having a similar conversation like the one I’d just had with Fred. The tension everywhere was just thick and awkward and I hated it.

The moment I walked into the room George turned his attention to me, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. “Cassie, please tell Rae here that the idea of her doing something so dangerous is completely ludicrous.”

My best friend turned to me with a look that could kill. “Cassie,” Rae said through gritted teeth, her fork gripped tightly in her hand, “please tell dearest George that I frankly don’t give a damn what he thinks and will do whatever I please.”

I stared blankly back and forth between them. “Well, I – George, she can do whatever she wants…though, I really would rather if she didn’t go, to be completely honest,” I added quietly, looking away from Rae.

I could feel her glare. “Really, Cassie? Really? Have I just been practicing with you for nothing? What the hell was even the point of it if you’re going to have me just sitting here to be completely fucking useless? You of all people, didn’t we say we were both in this until the end? Didn’t we say we’d join the Order together and put an end to all the horse shit that’s been going on? Were those all lies?” she spat, pushing her chair back and standing up.

I forced myself to look at her. “I know what I said, Rae, but you’re like my sister! I know I sound like a bloody hypocrite after what I just told Fred, but...I can't help but want to protect you. It'd destroy me if anything happened to you. You can understand that, right?” I pleaded.

“I don’t need to be protected, so quit acting like I’m this fragile thing that could shatter upon the lightest touch!” she shot back. She’d never been that angry with me, and I tried to remind myself of the pressures we were all facing to make us act so hostile toward one another.

At this point Fred came into the room, looking to his twin and trying to avoid getting involved with what Rae and I were discussing. “George, it’s time to go.”

George nodded and rose up from his chair, following Fred from the room. Rae’s eyes softened.

“I’m sorry, I just – it’s been an overwhelming past few weeks,” she said quietly.

“I know,” I said, giving her a small smile of understanding, “let’s – let’s get going before they apparate without us, which is a very likely possibility.”

We hurried into the sitting room just in time, Fred opening one of his eyes. He and George had joined hands in the sitting room, seconds away from disappearing. Rae and I each grabbed their hands, and I shot Fred a look that dared him to disagree with me. He let out a sigh and muttered, “Git,” before the darkness of apparition swallowed us.

***

We landed at the Burrow for stage one of the plan, which was to meet up with the rest of the Order who’d be going with us; Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Kingsley, Remus, Tonks, Mr. Weasley, Bill Weasley, Fleur Delacour, Mad-Eye Moody and Mundungus Fletcher. From there we partnered up and decided on our modes of travel, which would be either broom or thestral (Sirius’ old motorbike for Hagrid); Harry would be with Hagrid, Hermione with Kingsley, Ron with Tonks, George with Remus, Fred with Mr. Weasley, Fleur with Bill, and Mundungus with Mad-Eye which meant Rae and I were together. We cast Disillusionment Charms on ourselves and took off into the night.

Lights from small towns shone from hundreds of miles below us and I was definitely feeling uneasy on the broom, as it’d been a long time since I’d ridden one and we were very high up. The cool night air whipped at our faces and Rae held onto my waist very tightly. Though I couldn’t see her I knew she wasn’t looking down. Every once in awhile I would hear one of the others shouting directions, making sure we all went the same way. After what felt like an eternity we finally started descending, the lights from the neat, picturesque town of Little Whinging coming into view.

We landed in Harry’s backyard and I let out a sigh of relief at being on solid ground again. At the sound of the motorbike Hagrid was riding Harry hurried out the back door, our Disillusionment Charms lifted. Greetings and hugs were thrown around everywhere until Mad-Eye ushered us inside, his magical eye whizzing around in his head with paranoia and carrying two large, bulging sacks.

We went through the back door into the kitchen and Rae, Fred, George and I leaned against the wall, others sitting down and chatting animatedly. Harry looked a bit older, a bit taller than the last time I’d seen him, too. However his hair still stuck out at odd angles and his glasses were ever present, his green eyes still the same and his scar peeking through his hair.

“Hey,” Tonks called to me, perched on top of the washing machine. Her face was glowing with happiness, her hair presently her favorite color – bubblegum pink. “Look.” She wiggled her left hand at me, and my eyes went wide when I saw precisely what was on it.

“You got married?” Rae and I asked at the same time, completely shocked. She nodded, a grin plastered to her face. I looked back and forth from her to Remus, not quite able to take in this information.

“I’m sorry you all couldn't be there, it was very quiet,” he added apologetically.

Harry looked just about as shocked as I felt. “That’s brilliant, congrat –”

“All right, all right, we’ll have time for a cozy catch-up later!” Moody roared over the chatter. The kitchen fell completely silent. He went on a whole rant about how the only safe ways we could move Harry without the Ministry knowing, seeing as it was believed to have been infiltrated and they could monitor the Floo Network, Apparition, and Portkeys, was by broom, thestral, or Hagrid’s motorbike. We’d given the Ministry a false trail; they believed he wouldn’t be moved until the thirtieth, but seeing as this was Voldemort we were dealing with Moody firmly believed the sky wouldn’t be completely Death Eater-free. On that note, Moody pulled out a flask of what looked like sludge, and I recognized it as Polyjuice Potion. Harry protested, refusing to let seven people disguise themselves as him and risk their lives.

“Well, none of us really fancy it, Harry,” Fred said truthfully. “Imagine if something went wrong and we were stuck as specky, scrawny gits forever.”

Harry did not smile at this. “You can’t do it if I don’t cooperate, you need me to give you some hair.”

“Well, that’s that plan scuppered,” said George, rolling his eyes. “Obviously there’s no chance at all of us getting a bit of your hair unless you cooperate.”

“Yeah, fifteen of us against one bloke who’s not allowed to use magic; we’ve got no chance,” said Fred with a smirk.

“Funny,” said Harry, “really amusing.”

After a lot of arguing and threats Harry eventually gave in, pulling out some hair and putting it into the flask. Everyone who was going to be Harry lined up; Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Fleur, Mundungus and Rae stood in front of the kitchen sink. Moody pulled out seven small glasses from inside his cloak and handed them out, pouring a bit of Polyjuice Potion into each. At the same time, they threw it back and started gasping and grimacing as the potion hit their throats.

Within a moment’s time, their features began to distort and bubble; Hermione, Mundungus, and Rae were shooting upwards. Ron, Fred, and George appeared to be shrinking, their hair getting darker in color. Hermione and Fleur’s hair appeared to be shooting backward into their skulls. It was a very strange sight to watch, and a minute later the room had seven more Harrys than it’d had before.

Fred and George turned to each other and said together, “Wow – we’re identical!”

“I dunno, though, I think I’m still better-looking,” said Fred, examining his reflection in a kettle. I stifled a laugh.

Fleur was looking at herself in the microwave door. “Bah,” she said, her French accent thick, “Bill, don’t look at me – I’m ‘ideous.”

Rae came over to me, her face screwed up uncomfortably. “These shoes are way too small,” Harry laughed – or rather, Rae laughed. This was all so weird.

Everyone changed into clothes that fit them and put on a pair of glasses, taking a bag of luggage and a cage with a stuffed snowy owl in it. Moody listed off the pairs – the same pairs that we’d gone there with and the same methods of flying, only Harry would be in the sidecar of Hagrid’s motorbike, seeing as the Death Eaters would expect him to be flying on a broom. Once everything was set all of us headed back out to the dark garden. Broomsticks were leaping into hands and Rae took the lead on ours this time, securing the luggage. Hermione and Fleur had been helped onto their thestrals by Kingsley and Bill, respectively; the beautiful creatures blended in with the night like chameleons. Hagrid settled into the motorbike, putting on a pair of goggles while Harry sheepishly went into the sidecar. Everyone else was holding broomsticks and we waited for Moody’s count off.

“Be careful,” Fred said from next to me, standing in front of his father.

I nodded and said quietly, “You too,” before Moody called our attention.

“All right then,” Moody said. “Everyone ready, please; I want us all to leave at exactly the same time or the whole point of the diversion’s lost.”

There were some last minute adjustments, everyone mounting their brooms and making sure their luggage was secure. I wrapped my arms around Rae’s waist, wand already in hand.

“Good luck, everyone,” shouted Moody. “See you all in about an hour at the Burrow. On the count of three. One…two…THREE.”

Hargid’s motorbike roared to life and we all kicked off from the ground, soaring into the sky with rapid speed. The air whipped at my face and my hair was thrown back, my eyes watering. Higher and higher we flew, and next to us a thestral with Bill and Fleur on it was just visible through the dark. On our other side Fred and Mr. Weasley were ascending, scanning the skies above. The village soon looked like nothing more than several streetlights, the house we’d just left completely indistinguishable from the rest –

And then, coming through the darkness out of seemingly nowhere, we were surrounded. I didn’t have time to count but I guessed that there were at least thirty hooded figures, all of them seemingly suspended on their own. They were forming a vast circle around where the Order had risen, all of us completely oblivious. I felt my heart nearly stop at the sight –

There were screams, jets of green light on each side. Rae jerked the broom to the right, just dodging one that’d come near us. I freed my wand arm as we sped off. Three Death Eaters broke off from the fray and began tailing us. I couldn’t see any of the other Order members, the night sky occasionally lighting up green or red with each spell, booms echoing off the clouds like thunder –

“Stupefy!” I cried, a bolt of red light shooting from my wand. The Death Eaters avoided it. I then realized that they were also on brooms, swerving to the side with ease. Rae flew up higher into the sky; the ground below was speckled with dots of light here and there. I didn’t take the time to daydream about how pretty it all was, as more jets of green light were being shot our way. Rae looked back quickly and pulled hard to the left, almost unseating me from the broom. I clutched her jacket tightly in my hand, my arm locked around her middle while my free arm was firing off more spells.

“Incarcerous!” I shouted. Ropes sprung forward from my wand, flying towards the Death Eater on the right but just missing. A jet of green light flew mere inches past my face, whipping my hair into my eyes –

“Carpe Retractum!” I shouted. This time a singular rope shot from my wand, aimed at the Death Eater in the middle. It hit its mark, wrapping around him tightly and binding his arms to his sides. Before either of his comrades could help him the rope yanked inwards toward me and, securing my legs tightly around my broom, I briefly released my other arm from Rae’s waist to punch him square in the face when he got near enough. I heard a sickening crack of his nose breaking and grinned, cutting him loose and letting him plummet into the darkness.

One of the other Death Eaters dove down to help him and disappeared from view. The last one following us was determined to stay on our trail; Rae made sharp turns and tried to shake him, but he wasn’t having it. More jets of light streaked past us. “Stupefy!” I yelled. Miss. “Impedimenta!” Miss. “Expelliarmus!” Another miss, though just barely. We’d been flying for awhile by this point, and I knew we couldn’t be too far away from the Burrow.

“Cass, it’s not too much further – we need to throw them off!” Rae called back to me.

“I’m trying!” I called back to her. The Death Eater who’d gone to rescue his friend had come back, both of them sharing his broom. The sky lit up in even more explosions now, the booms from their spells resounding off my eardrums. They were bearing down on us, getting closer and closer. I was having a hard time keeping them at bay, until finally –

“Diffindo!” I shrieked; it hit the one who’d gone off to save his friend, slashing him across the face. He grabbed his face, yelling in agony as it bled.

“Reducto!” I yelled. The spell hit the one who was flying by himself. He stopped in mid-flight and gave a great yell before being completely disintegrated, the wind blowing his ashes away.

“Rae, I think I just killed one,” I told her blankly, completely stunned.

“How many more are there?”

“Two –” I turned back around and, to my great surprise, the two Death Eaters that’d been on the same broom had vanished. “They were just here, where’d they go?” I asked, searching around us frantically.

"What? They're gone?" She began looking around too, her imitation Harry glasses lopsided on her face. "Are you sure? That's bloody weird."

I felt a pit of nervousness form in my stomach that wouldn't go away, finding myself wondering about the others and if the Death Eaters had retreated because their mission was successful.

“Cassie!” Rae pointed. Way off in the distance were hills and hills, small villages tucked away beneath their peaks and roving forests that spanned for miles. We were nearing Ottery St. Catchpole, and about five minutes later I saw it.

“We made it,” I sighed, my voice full of relief. The Burrow had come into view, its many windows lit where, no doubt, Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were waiting nervously for everyone to return safely. We descended onto the lawn, just as Rae’s Polyjuice wore off. I stumbled onto the ground, windswept but otherwise happy to be out of the sky. We hurried over to Remus, Kingsley, and Hermione who were waiting near the front door. I was relieved to see that they were alright, but as we approached them Remus aimed his wand at us.

“Cassie, what was your father's occupation before going into hiding?” he asked.

“He was an Electrical Maintenance Engineer,” I said uneasily, “what –”

“Rae, what is George Weasley’s Patronus?”

“A fox,” she answered quietly.

Remus lowered his wand. “We’ve been betrayed,” he said tiredly. “I apologize for the abruptness but I needed to make sure you weren't imposters.”

Harry, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley hurried outside, having heard our landing.

“Who’s back?” Ginny asked frantically. She spotted us and engulfed us both in hugs, Mrs. Weasley doing the same. She was crying.

“Oh, I’m so happy you two are alright,” she said shakily, trying to hold back more tears, “but George –”

“George,” Rae said, panicking, “what about George? What’s happened to him? Where is he?”

“He’s inside,” Harry said quietly, “he’s…lost an ear.”

“What?” I asked incredulously.

“Unfortunately I couldn’t repay Severus the favor,” Remus said gravely, “I was trying to keep George from falling off the broom…he’d lost so much blood...” I couldn't even begin to process that Snape had been among the Death Eaters we fought, mostly because my mind had never been so clouded with worry.

Rae pushed her way inside, and I followed with Mrs. Weasley right behind me. George was sprawled out on a couch in the sitting room, his head turned to the right. Sure enough, where his left ear had once been was now a strange, gaping hole. His shirt was stained with blood but the wound was clean.

“I cleaned it the best I could, but it won’t grow back, being cursed off by Dark Magic. It could’ve been so much worse, I’m just happy he’s alive,” Mrs. Weasley told me shakily. I just nodded, watching as Rae knelt beside George and took his hand. He seemed to wake up at this, his eyes roving across her face and looking more than relieved that she was okay.

“How are you feeling?” she asked quietly.

“Better now,” he grinned. Rae gave a nervous laugh, and I could tell she was on the verge of tears. George looked behind her to where I was standing, my wand still clasped tightly in my hand, which was shaking. “Hey, Cass,” he smiled, “glad to see you’re both back okay. Did’ya get any of theirs?”

“We were trailed by three, I injured two, one worse than the other, and definitely killed one,” I told him, still a little shaken from seeing George without an ear.

“Where are the others?” he asked, “Dad and Fred should’ve been back by now, Ron and Tonks, too.”

At this, there was a great crash from the kitchen. “I’ll prove who I am, Kingsley, after I’ve seen my son, now back off if you know what’s good for you!” My eyes went wide; I’d never heard Mr. Weasley get so angry. He burst into the sitting room, his face red and sweaty and his glasses bent. Fred came in after him, both of them pale but unharmed.

Mrs. Weasley had started sobbing again, going over to her husband. I was able to breathe easier knowing that Fred was alright, but the look of shock that adorned his face when he saw his twin almost sent me into tears. He went over to the sofa, kneeling next to Rae with Mr. Weasley hovering behind him.

“How do you feel, George?” Mr. Weasley whispered.

George’s fingers groped around on the side of his head, tracing the hole of where his ear used to be. “Saintlike,” he muttered.

“What’s wrong with him?” Fred croaked out, looking completely terrified. “Is his mind affected?”

“Saintlike,” repeated George, looking up at his brother. “You see…I’m holy. Holey, Fred, geddit?”

Mrs. Weasley let out a wail and started sobbing harder than ever. I tried not to laugh at the silly pun, wrapping an arm around Mrs. Weasley comfortingly.

Color flooded Fred’s pallid face. “Pathetic,” he told his brother, “Pathetic! With the whole wide world of ear-related humor before you, you go for holey?”

“Ah well,” said George, grinning at his distressed mother and seeming completely unfazed. “You’ll be able to tell us apart now, anyway, Mum.”

This time I let out a cough, one that could almost pass for a laugh. George searched around the room, his eyes landing on Harry. “Hi, Harry – you are Harry, right?”

“Yeah, I am,” Harry said quietly, inching closer to the couch.

“Well, at least we got you back okay,” said George. “Why aren’t Ron and Bill huddled round my sickbed?”

“They’re not back yet, George,” I said quietly, the grin fading from his face. Everyone except the four of us went back outside, looking up at the sky for any signs of the missing Order members. We swapped stories on what exactly happened up in the sky, and what was strange was that the remaining Death Eaters tailing them had disappeared at some point, too. It was a while before Ron and Tonks came back, but I was very relieved that they too were okay. It wasn’t until everyone was back inside, hanging out around the sofa George was on that Bill and Fleur finally returned. I heard them coming in through the kitchen, and when they got to the sitting room Mrs. Weasley hurried over to her eldest son, sick with worry.

“Bill! Thank God, thank God –”

Bill hugged his mother, but the look on his scarred face was empty, his eyes blank. He looked directly at his father and with a slight waver in his voice, he said, “Mad-Eye’s dead.”

The room fell incredibly silent. Nobody said anything, nobody breathed and I felt like a wrench might’ve been squeezing my heart at that moment.

“We saw it,” Bill said; Fleur nodded, her beautiful face laced with sadness and tears glistening down her cheeks. “It happened just after we broke out of the circle: Mad-Eye and Dung were close by us, they were heading north too. Voldemort – he can fly – went straight for them. Dung panicked, I heard him cry out, Mad-Eye tried to stop him, but he disapparated. Voldemort’s curse hit Mad-Eye full in the face, he fell backward off his broom and – there was nothing we could do, nothing, we had half a dozen of them on our own tail –” His voice broke off.

“Of course you couldn’t have done anything,” said Remus quietly.

Rae and I were looking at each other in shock. Tonks was trying to hide it, but she was silently crying into a handkerchief. I couldn’t imagine what she must’ve been feeling, losing her mentor. I could only imagine that the world would feel a whole lot lonelier.

Everyone received a glass of Firewhiskey and we drank to Mad-Eye, Bill and Remus going off to find his body before the Death Eaters did. Slowly the party began to disperse and George grew tired, Rae staying with him while Fred and I gave them their privacy. We walked through the empty kitchen into the dark yard, the lights from the Burrow casting shadows and a half-empty bottle of Firewhiskey in my hand. We trudged through the grass and planted ourselves in the orchard, lighting our wands and taking long pulls from the bottle between us.

“I can’t believe it,” Fred said, putting the bottle down and wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his overcoat, “I never quite pictured Mad-Eye dying.”

“Neither did I,” I said faintly, remembering this was exactly how I felt when Dumbledore died. “And George without an ear – how much stranger can an evening get? ‘Ear ‘ear!” I raised the bottle of Firewhiskey, imitating what George had said during the toast.

Fred let out a laugh and his face broke out into a smile, the first one I’d really seen on him in a fair while. I drank from the bottle and closed my eyes as the liquid burned down my throat, yet still, I was unable to hide the guilt that I felt.

A breeze picked up and rustled my hair, flowing in Fred’s direction. He wrapped a bit of it around his finger, letting it spring free, his eyes fixated elsewhere. My brows furrowed.

“Fred, I, um – I’m sorry about how I acted earlier,” I muttered, looking down at my hands. “I’d screamed at you and left things on a bad note…if something had happened to you and that was the last thing I said to you...I don’t think I could've forgiven myself. I’m a horrible friend.” The word “friend” sounded strange aloud, as though the meaning was lost in translation somewhere, like Fred and I had surpassed its meaning into something else.

“It’s alright, don’t apologize, Cass. If anything I should be apologizing for being an overprotective ponce,” he half-laughed, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. “You kicked some serious arse today…you’re passionate, determined and bloody talented…hell, that’s probably why I fancy you so much.”

I felt my cheeks turn bright red, the Firewhiskey not helping my case. I took another sip of it, nursing the bottle in my lap. For the moment, my problems were completely gone. It was just me, Fred and Mr. Firewhiskey in the apple orchard, our own little secret universe that no one else was allowed to enter. So when I leaned over and kissed him, whispering “Nox” against his lips so the light from my wand went out, I was unafraid. This was an unprecedented side of myself that the Firewhiskey must’ve brought out, but I didn’t care, not one bloody bit. And for once, to not care about a single thing, to forget about the horrors waiting outside the safety of the Burrow – it felt damn good.