Chapter 7
“What was it like?” Remus asked in barely a breath. Bill heard, thanks to his wolf-like hearing. Just one of the things that Greyback’s attack had left him with.
Bill met Remus’ eyes and then let his eyes drift to Harry, who was in conversation with one of the Gringotts goblins. “Awful.” Remus frowned. “Pictures everywhere, none of Harry. You wouldn’t know Harry had lived there. And Mrs Figg, the squib that Dumbledore had posted near him, she - ”
Bill didn’t have to finish his sentence. “How was he about it?”
“Desolate,” Bill replied honestly. After cursing at his sister’s boyfriend for rushing off into an unknown house, Bill had watched Harry throw up upon seeing the elderly lady, dead on her living room floor. “He cried, a lot.”
Remus shook his head. “How’s he been since?”
Bill thought back to Harry, who had returned to Grimmauld Place, half-relieved that his relatives were still alive, half-broken that his childhood neighbourhood had been decimated because of him. The only time Bill had really seen Harry similar was in the Christmas that his dad had been attacked, when Harry had blamed himself. “Barely eaten,” Bill noted. “Barely left the room. Spent most of his time with Hermione.”
Remus met Bill’s eye and Bill shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know what to do.” Both men turned their eyes back to Harry.
“How’s Ginny?” Remus asked after a while.
Bill shrugged. “She’s okay. She seems to have a better grasp of things than anyone. She’s good at putting up a strong front.”
“She’s strong,” Remus agreed. They silently watched their young charge for a while longer, until he eventually came over to them, paperwork in hand. “All sorted, Harry?” Remus said, a forced note of cheerfulness in his voice.
Harry nodded, lifting the scrolls in emphasis. “I need to go to the quidditch shop. Is that okay?”
Remus frowned. “Of course, Harry. You can do what you want.”
“What do you need?” Bill asked, heading out in front of Harry, casting silent, subtle charms ahead of them, to ensure they weren’t walking out of the bank into any sort of trouble.
“Just something for Gin’s birthday.”
They exited the old, marble building and found Diagon Alley, extremely quiet. Ollivander’s was empty still, as was Fortescue’s. Bill watched as Harry took in both, his face unmoving. “Come on, mate,” Bill hurried. Harry nodded and they headed off to the quidditch shop, which was completely empty save for the lad on the till, whom Bill greeted with a smile and a quick confundus charm, convincing him that Harry was a normal person and not the great Harry Potter.
“What did the goblins have to say?” Bill asked. “Are you a filthy millionaire now?”
“I’m sure he was before,” Remus said with a snort. Harry gave them half a smile.
“Just what we thought – properties, more money, investments.” Harry shrugged. “I’ll look at it properly later.”
Bill gave him an encouraging wink and then asked, “What are you getting Ginny then?”
Harry sighed. “I don’t know.” His shoulders were slumped. Bill had to look away for fear of getting angry, not with Harry but with all of the bastards who were affecting him this way. He’d dealt with far too much in his too-short life.
Harry blinked and seemed to shock himself to life. “Right, I’ve already got her something, so it’s just something for her to open in front of-” He cut himself off, blushing, and Bill was filled with curiosity at what Harry had bought his sister.
“What have you bought her that you can’t tell us about?” Bill asked, a slow smile spreading on his face. “You’re not buying my 15-year-old sister underwear are you?”
Harry laughed slightly, his eyes lighting up briefly. “No. It’s – well, it’s tickets to go somewhere, just for a day. I just don’t necessarily think your mum and dad will approve.” Harry cocked his head. “Actually, your dad would probably want to come himself. I don’t think your mum will approve.”
Harry deserved a bit of rule-breaking, Bill considered. He put his hands up and said, “Your secrets are your own, Potter.” Harry smiled gratefully. “What are you going to get her as an extra then?”
Harry looked around, his gaze focussing on the broomsticks. “I bet she’d like a Firebolt.”
“As an extra?” Remus asked with amusement. Bill grinned, glancing at the older man. Harry looked up at them both with a sheepish grin.
“She always nicks mine,” he said defensively. He glanced around the store some more and Bill hoped that this was starting to make him feel a bit more normal. He’d had five days of hardly leaving his room. If it took spoiling Ginny to make him feel like himself again, then Bill would tease and encourage him for hours.
They spent twenty minutes in the shop, Harry going back and forth between Harpies memorabilia and a Firebolt. “Just get her the broom,” Remus said eventually. Harry looked up from the Firebolt in shock. “She’s going to love whatever you get her, so you may as well get her what you want.”
Harry’s face grew into a grin. “You think?” He glanced at Bill. “I think Ron will be…”
Bill shook his head. “You leave Ron to me. He has no place in your relationship,” he said firmly. Harry grinned, nodding.
“Okay, then, Ginny Weasley is getting a Firebolt.”
They left the shop a while later, with Bill agreeing to hide the broom in his room for a while. “You know, Bill, I own a villa in Greece,” Harry commented as they headed to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink.
“And I own a flat in Cairo. What’s your point, Potter?”
Harry glanced at him, as though this was new information. Bill shrugged him off and gestured for him to continue. Harry glanced at Remus and then at Bill. “Well, I know you and Fleur wanted to get married at the Burrow and now that’s not an option. I just thought you could get married and then have your honeymoon in Greece.” Bill blinked. “You don’t have to,” Harry added hurriedly.
Bill grinned. “Marry and then have repeated sex with my wife on a Greek island? How could I say no?” Harry wrinkled his nose and Bill grabbed him by the shoulder, ignoring his flinch at being touched. He met Harry’s green eyes and said, “Thank you, Harry.”
Harry glanced at Remus and Bill saw him wink in approval. “And – there’s something else.” Bill frowned as they entered the Leaky Cauldron. Remus led them to a quiet table in the back, gesturing to the barkeep for three beers. Harry put his hands together on the table. “I think we should move to Potter Manor.”
Furrowing his brow, Bill met eyes with Remus, who was watching Harry with interest, and then returned to Harry. “We’ve all just settled into Grimmauld,” Bill said softly.
Harry nodded. “I know,” he said, a bit miserably, “but it’s awful there. Me and your dad were looking into how long it’ll take to fix the Burrow and it could be at least a year, and that’s if it doesn’t get trashed by Voldemort.” Harry shook his head. “Your dad doesn’t want to rebuild until after the war, so that means we’re stuck permanently at Grimmauld.”
Harry trained his eyes on the table and Bill recognised his twitching jaw as sign that he was about to cry. Bill passed Harry his pint when it arrived and Harry gulped at it quickly. “I just – Being at Grimmauld reminds me of Sirius and how bloody miserable he was there. There are snakes everywhere and I know that they’re freaking Ginny out, especially with me going to the Chamber in a few days. It’s so dark and there’s no garden in the wards. I’ve been thinking about it for a few weeks, in the build-up to visiting Gringotts today.”
Remus looked at Bill. “It really is far nicer than Grimmauld,” he commented, “and there’s extensive grounds. It would take a powerful fidelius charm, but I’m sure we could manage it.”
Bill shrugged with a smile, downing some of his pint. “Well, I won’t be the one to tell Mum, but, sure, I’m on board.” Harry grinned and Bill felt like he’d made the right choice.
XXX
“Do you remember when we brewed Polyjuice Potion in here?” Ron asked as they entered Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom, glancing around for the ghost to appear. “We were 12, bloody insane.”
“I was 13,” Hermione protested, turning to take in the bathroom, “and I did most of the work.”
Ron pushed her lightly on the shoulder. “Well, that’s why you’re the brightest witch of our age.” Hermione lit up and Harry gave the pair of them a small smile. “Come on, Chosen One, wap out your snake tongue.”
“That’s what your sister said to me last night,” Harry muttered with a smirk as he stepped forward to the sink.
“Ugh,” Ron cried. “That’s vile, Potter.”
“And untrue,” Hermione commented with an amused smile at Harry. Ron was making vomiting noises. “Ginny spent last night with me.”
Harry winked at Hermione. “Did she?” Still cringing, Ron let out a snort of laughter and Hermione shoved Harry in the shoulder. He grimaced and then joined in their laughter. Ron and Hermione shared a look and Harry knew they were thinking about why he was in a better mood. He chose to ignore them and focussed on the tap.
The snake was very similar to those at Grimmauld Place. He narrowed his eyes, concentrated and then told the bloody thing to open. It did.
“Bloody creepy,” Ron commented as the sink began to move.
“Horrible,” Hermione agreed.
“Thanks for the support, as always,” Harry commented, giving them both a dry look. Hermione gave him an apologetic look, squeezing his shoulder, but Ron just shrugged, which Harry felt was rather more honest. He waved his wand over the hole that had been revealed by the taps and turned the slide to stairs.
“You couldn’t have done that last time?” Ron commented as he started to descend, offering his hand out for Hermione.
“I was 12!” Harry protested, following them down. At the bottom of the stairway, they found the same pile of vermin skeletons as last time. “Try not to obliviate anyone, Ron.”
Ron let out a sarcastic laugh. “I’ll do my best, Harry.”
They treaded through the long corridor, Hermione commenting on the size of the basilisk skin. “Wait til you see the actual thing.”
“As long as it’s dead, I don’t mind,” Ron added. Harry laughed.
“I promise it’s dead.”
In the Chamber itself, the carcass lay. Harry swallowed as he looked at it. He’d been bitten by that thing. More importantly, Voldemort had used Ginny to move it around the school, nearly killing multiple muggleborns, including Hermione, who was looking at it solemnly.
“It really shouldn’t have been such a surprise that you fell in love with Ginny,” Hermione said, looking at him out of the corner of his eye. “You saved her when you were only 12.”
Harry let out half a laugh, remembering Ginny lying on the floor in front of the statue of Slytherin. His stomach twisted and he shook his head, blowing out a breath. “I had no clue until last summer. It surprised me, came over me.”
“That’s Ginny for you,” Ron said, his voice quiet as he took in the basilisk. He slapped Harry on the shoulder and squeezed. “I don’t think I ever thanked you for saving her.”
Harry shrugged him off. “You never needed to. I’d have done it for anyone.” Harry glanced at the two of them.
“Just think, you’d still be a virgin if you hadn’t,” Ron commented, still in a sombre tone. Harry cried out and shoved him, hard, so that he fell against the basilisk. Ron screeched and Harry laughed, encouraging Hermione to join in.
“I’m glad you can joke about your sister’s near-death experience,” Hermione said with a piercing look at Ron. Ron sighed.
“If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry, won’t you?” Harry grinned at that comment and began to step towards the basilisk.
“Let’s get some of these, then.” He pulled on the gloves that Charlie had given him, made of dragonhide.
“You know, Harry,” Hermione said as Harry tugged at a tooth from the basilisk’s mouth, “you could’ve told us about Ginny.”
Harry glanced up at her from his crouched position, placing a fang in her open bag. He met eyes with Ron too and then looked away, shrugging. “It- This is going to sound soft as all hell but it was – it was special to just be with Gin.” He cringed at himself and added, “We were fighting the world together, in this little bubble.” He shook his head, putting two more fangs in Hermione’s bag. Meeting Ron’s eyes, he added, “She is – it’s like she’s my other half.”
Hermione let out a soft sigh and Ron mimed vomiting. Harry laughed, pulling himself up. “That should do, shouldn’t it?”
“I reckon so,” Ron said, bobbing his head from side to side. “Unless Voldy starts making more of the bloody things.” Harry laughed. “Hey, but then, he might just kill himself.”
“Fingers crossed, then,” Harry agreed, amused.
XXX
“Wow,” Ginny breathed as they crossed the barrier to Potter Manor, about twelve miles north of York. She glanced around herself and saw that her family were having similar reactions. Hermione was practically spinning on the spot. Remus had been telling her about the library the evening before and Ginny could sense how much she wanted to run off and explore.
“You like it?” Harry asked Ginny quietly. Ginny grinned and leaned up to kiss him.
“I love it,” she said, before clearing her throat. “I was only with you for your fame, but now I do have to take your money into consideration too.”
“Ginny!” her mother said, horrified, but Ginny only grinned, letting out a peal of laughter as Harry laughed, wrapping her up in his arms and kissing her neck.
Holding her against him as they walked forward towards the door, he murmured in her ear, “And here I was thinking it was for my body.” Ginny laughed, kissing him again. He grinned, pulling back and slinging his arm over her shoulders. “Come on, let’s go and explore.”
It was an old building, light brick with wisteria growing along the front. The door was large, dark oak, and it only responded when Harry opened it. “Are we all just going to be bloody trapped here then?” Charlie asked with a quirk of his brow.
Remus showed them that his hand worked too and he explained that they could all be keyed in. “Handy,” Ginny’s dad commented.
The staircase greeted them and Ginny ran upstairs immediately, hearing Harry clattering after her and then the others coming more slowly. “Look at this!” Ginny cried as she opened a door to an office with a huge desk and books in huge bookcases on every wall. She turned to Hermione and said, “This isn’t even the library!”
Ginny grabbed Harry’s hand and dragged him along. “This is amazing,” she sighed to him. They explored a few more rooms, until they reached one with “The Lady’s Room” on a plaque on the door. Ginny felt her whole body go alight and she leaned back on the door, her hand on the doorknob and her grin aimed at Harry.
Ignoring her mother’s mortified look, she said to Harry, “This is my room, then?” He grinned at her and followed her in. It was a set of rooms, a small sitting room with a bathroom and bedroom attached. Ginny plonked herself down on the sofa, her feet up.
“This room wasn’t really used before,” Remus commented. “James and Lily shared a room, as did James’ parents.”
Ginny sighed, letting her head fall back and her hands brush the carpet. “Well, they didn’t have cruel parents forcing them to sleep apart,” she murmured. Harry cleared his throat and she met his eyes, grinning devilishly as she swung herself upwards and took his hand to stand up.
Getting close to him, she waggled her hand at him, emphasising her empty ring finger. Harry’s cheeks flushed and his eyes widened. “When am I getting a ring, then, Potter?”
She ignored her family’s looks and gasps and murmurs as Harry’s eyes flashed. “You’ll be lucky if I ever get you one at all, Weasley,” he responded, an amused smile on his lips. Ginny gasped, putting her hand to her chest.
“Harry!” she exclaimed in faux-shock, before settling down with a giggle. “I’ll just propose to you then.”
Harry laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I’ll say no.” Ginny gasped, trying to shove him away and enjoying the fact that everyone was laughing at them. It was good to have something to laugh about.
They spent the rest of the afternoon exploring, Tonks coming to join them at the end of her shift, bringing Fred and George with her. “Isn’t it amazing?” Ginny practically crooned at them.
“Golddigger,” Fred coughed. Ginny scowled, eyes narrowing.
“That’s what the press will say,” her mother said archly.
“The press called Harry a delusional liar only just a year ago,” Ginny said. “I think we can ignore what the press says.” Harry grinned at her from across the room, where he was in conversation with Bill, as per usual.
XXX
Harry woke up, aching, in the bedroom that Remus had identified as his grandparents’. Sleeping in his parents’ room had been too much and he had locked the door personally, so that nobody could try and enter. He didn’t want to have to explain.
He and Bill had stayed up for most of the night, casting the fidelius charm with Bill as the secret keeper, as Harry was already secret keeper for Grimmauld. Because of the battle that had happened immediately after he’d warded Grimmauld, he’d not noticed how much warding a house tired him out. And this was a far bigger property.
Yesterday had been a good day. Everyone had been happy. Ginny had been on a high, which had been nice to see after a subdued few days after his visit to the Chamber, during which she had barely slept. They’d had a nap yesterday afternoon, in Ginny’s Lady’s room, to try and make up for it.
Harry groaned as he heard a banging on his door. “Go away,” he cried.
“Come on, Potter,” Bill shouted. “Ginny’s already outside.”
“Tell her she’s a nuisance.”
“Come and tell her yourself!”
Harry dragged himself out of bed, pulling on shorts and a t-shirt, and, grumbling, stomped down to the backdoor through the empty kitchen, briefly stopping to look at the clock, which told him it was half past seven in the morning.
“Morning,” Bill said, looking cool as a cucumber. Harry frowned. “Good night’s sleep?”
“First in a while, yeah,” Harry snapped. Bill only grinned.
“Go and work out your frustrations, Potter. Ginny’s on her fifth lap.” Harry set off but then stopped and turned to look at Bill.
“What time was she up?”
Bill opened his mouth and closed it, frowning. “I don’t know.”
Harry nodded shortly and ran off to catch up with his girlfriend, who was running as though she had Bellatrix Lestrange at her back. Eventually, he had to hit her with a jelly leg hex to drop her – which only worked after three goes. She was getting very good at dodging hexes, even those which came from behind.
She cried out her disapproval and Harry only frowned, meeting her eyes, reversing the hex. She stood up and he tugged her back. “Why didn’t you come and get me this morning?”
Ginny let out a breath through her nose. “Why didn’t you want me to come with you to Little Whinging?”
“I did!” Harry protested. “It was Bill who said no!”
“And it’s my parents who say I can’t go in your bed.”
Harry sighed, tugging her close and pressing her into his chest. She let out a heavy sigh and Harry saw her shoulders fall down. “Not for much longer,” he told her and she pulled away, looking up into his eyes.
“Why?”
Harry opened his mouth and closed it again. He didn’t know why he’d said that really, apart from that’s what he’d been telling himself. He was 17 now but Ginny was only nearly 16. Could he cope with another year of this? And would they be able to, then?
“We’ll figure it out,” he promised. Ginny scoffed and he used his fingers to tip her head up towards him. “I swear, Ginny.” She relented and allowed him to kiss her head. “I love you,” he murmured. “Please come to me next time.”
“Okay,” she agreed.
XXX
“Where are Ginny and Harry?” Ron’s mum said impatiently as she glanced at the magically warmed food.
Ron shrugged, enjoying his own full English. “They’ll be here,” he said, his mouth full of food. Hermione and Fleur gave him distasteful looks.
“I zink zey are wiz Bill,” Fleur said, after swallowing her food. Ron gave her a disgruntled look.
The backdoor slammed open and Ron had his wand in his hand before he could blink, facing the intruder. “Sorry,” Charlie said, cringing and reaching to grab some of Ron’s toast. Ron swore violently under his breath. “Sorry,” he said again, “but you’ve got to come and see this.”
Now, Ron had always known that Harry was a good wizard. Not only was he brave, good and honest, he also was very fast at picking up charms, transfiguration and defense spells, though, like Ron, he didn’t try too hard with the theory.
And Ron had seen Harry, briefly, fight during the Battle at Hogwarts and then the Battle at the Burrow. He knew he was a good wizard.
But, this, that he saw as he left the house, sausage still in his mouth, was unreal.
Harry was halfway in the air, blasting a force of air against a shield and, slowly but surely, eradicating it. “That’s Bill’s strongest shield,” Charlie said excitedly. Ron saw that his mother, Fleur and Hermione had followed him out. Hermione watched Harry with wide eyes.
“Why is he in ze air?” Fleur asked Charlie curiously. Charlie shrugged.
“Don’t care. So cool.”
Harry floated back down to earth once he had destroyed Bill’s shield and Ginny took over, trying to destroy a shield that Charlie described as pretty strong. “She’s not been training as intensely for as long,” he explained.
Ron supposed that all that training Harry had done was worth it, particularly when Harry stripped his shirt off and Ron saw that he had a full six pack. Ron had to look away, where he found both his mother – his bloody mother - and Fleur staring at Harry, Hermione watching on with amusement. Ron clicked his fingers in front of their eyes.
“He’s not a piece of meat,” he reminded them.
“Bit rich coming from you,” Hermione said.
“Oi!” Ron responded, poking her in the side. Hermione smiled.
Predictably, Ginny also succeeded and then floated back down to earth, where she was immediately grabbed by Harry into a hug. Bill called them over, grinning. “How did you like the show?” he asked.
“Bloody brilliant,” Charlie commented. “How did you fly like that?”
“Levitation,” Harry said, clearing his throat and pulling his shirt back on. Ron reached over to pinch his red cheeks and Harry shoved him away laughingly. “Bill wants us to practise maintaining a charm while fighting off an opposing force.”
“That’s wicked,” Ron said.
Bill looked between them all and said, “I’ve got an idea.”
Barely fifteen minutes later, the twins were grumbling as they entered via the floo. “It’s nine ‘o clock, you heathens! The shop doesn’t even open til 11.”
“We’re having a duel, George,” Charlie said impatiently, “and we’ve been waiting for you too.”
Both of them perked up. “A duel? Some sort of tournament?”
Bill smirked. “No, just the one duel.”
Outside on the Potter lawn, Bill lay out the rules. “Harry and Ginny against myself, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron and Fleur. Hermione and Mum will be watching and potentially giving First Aid.”
“Sweet Merlin,” Ron’s mum cursed, making Ron gasp out in laughter.
“Five on two seems a bit unfair,” George commented.
“Even if it is the Chosen One,” Fred teased. Ron felt his stomach turn. Surely, Harry and Ginny weren’t so good that they could beat all five of them at once. He saw the two of them conferring and wondered if they actually were that bloody good.
XXX
“What do you reckon?” Harry asked.
“We can beat them easy,” Ginny said calmly.
Harry tutted. “Not that. Do we get Bill and Fleur first then pick off the rest or do we get rid of the others and focus on Bill and Fleur?”
Ginny hummed, glancing over at where her brothers and sister-in-law were discussing. She looked about herself. “I reckon we get rid of the others first. I don’t want to be hit by a stray curse from bloody Ron of all people while I’m trying to get rid of Bill or Fleur.”
“Agreed.” Harry looked at her and Ginny felt her whole body set on fire with the intensity of his gaze. “We should use the environment.”
“That tree spell we practised the other night?” Ginny asked. Harry nodded. “I reckon that could get Ron right away.”
Harry smirked. “I’ve got a plan for Ron.”
“Have I told you how sexy you are when you smirk at me like that?”
“Have I told you how sexy you are all the time?”
“If we win this, will you get me an extra special birthday present?” Ginny asked, her voice low. Harry grinned and Ginny licked her lips.
“I’ve already got you a pretty good present.”
“So confident,” she hissed. Harry pressed a kiss to her neck and she let her magic fizz off of her, leaving Harry laughing. “Now, don’t do anything too sexy to distract me,” she warned. Harry winked at her.
“I’ll do my best.”
XXX
Ron screamed as Bill’s bloody duelling ward dragged him to the sidelines, because he was bloody out. Harry’s first – FIRST – bloody spell had been to conjure a spider to pin Ron down and scratch him.
“What was the time on that?” Ron growled at Hermione as he pulled himself up and tried to get some dignity back. Hermione cringed and glanced at her watch.
“Thirty-seven seconds.”
“Bloody wonderful.”
He stalked away from Hermione and sat down beneath a tree, glaring at the ongoing duel. While Harry had conjured his bloody creepy crawly, Ginny had pulled the trees out of the ground and their roots had shot out, tangling around Fred and George’s feet. While they tried to get themselves out, shooting off spells, Ron watched as Harry reflected Fred’s stunner back onto the first twin, who promptly joined Ron on the sidelines, dumped out unceremoniously with a loud grunt.
George managed to cut two of the roots holding him down but, while he was trying in vain to escape from a third, Ron noticed Ginny’s smirk as, between shots of some sort of blue charm that Fleur was deflecting, Ginny shot him with a jelly leg hex, following by an incarcerous spell, which she tightened up to the point that George passed out and joined Fred and Ron, their mother practically screeching at the sidelines.
Her hair dashing about her, Ginny ignored their mother and turned to focus on Bill and Fleur, while Harry’s focus was on Charlie. Ron realised for the first time that Harry actually was quite tall, as he started to take on Charlie, who was the smallest Weasley other than Ginny.
Harry had wrapped himself in a one-way bubble, which was allowing all of Bill’s spells to bounce harmlessly off him and into the environment, one or two even nearly getting Charlie. Ron could see that Charlie was getting more and more frustrated, as good natured and excited as he had been earlier when they’d watched Harry and Ginny training.
Using one of the trees that Ginny had uprooted, Charlie deflected three different spells from Harry, none of which Ron recognised. They were clearly not Hogwarts spells. Harry continued to bounce spells off Charlie’s tree, to the point that Fred murmured to Ron, “Is he doing this on purpose?”
Ron watched with narrowed eyes as Harry smirked suddenly and lifted his hand in a sudden gesture. The roots underground ripped upwards, like hands reaching, and they pulled Charlie down and into the ground.
“Did Harry just kill Charlie?” George asked pleasantly.
A loud groan of “no” told them otherwise, as Charlie appeared with them. “Five minutes and twenty-two seconds, Charlie,” Hermione informed him. Charlie growled at her and she flinched away. Ron slapped Charlie over the head.
“You did better than us,” he reminded him.
“Let’s just watch them beat bloody Bill and Fleur.”
And beat them they did. Individually, they were powerhouses, but, together, they seemed to be unstoppable. When Fleur pierced Ginny’s weaker shielding charm, Harry took advantage of the distraction to hit her with a green mist that seemed to send her dizzy, at which point Ginny sent her flying to join them by the tree.
With the two of them on Bill, admittedly the strongest Weasley sibling by far, their older brother did not stand a chance. Harry provided support for Ginny as she hammered her brother with wandless, wordless spells, to the point that Ron wondered how many bloody spells there were in the world. Bill’s shield held and Ginny let out a shout of frustration. Ron shared a smirk with Charlie. Clearly, they weren’t as good as they thought.
That was, until Harry took over the barrage of spells from Ginny, and Ginny flew into the air, and hit Bill from above with a stunner. It felled him immediately, making the duelling ward fall and Ginny let out a squeal of excitement as she lowered herself down and jumped on Harry.
“That has got to be painful,” George said as he pulled himself off the ground and headed over to join the victors. Bill was rousing as they arrived. “Good show,” George said, congratulating them.
“How the hell did you let that happen, Bill?” Charlie said crossly. “I thought you had them.”
“He was putting all his strength to the front of his shield,” Ginny said, “so I told Harry to keep going and I took a risk.”
“You didn’t say anything,” Bill corrected with raised brows.
Ginny rolled her eyes. “Okay, so I told Harry – through my mind – that that was what I was going to do.”
“Wow, that’s advanced,” Hermione said. Ron glanced at her, wondering where she was up to with occlumency. He was fairly certain she couldn’t do what Harry and Ginny could, not if she was commenting with that bitter tone in her voice. “Well done, though,” Hermione commented.
“Thanks,” Harry said, squeezing Ginny to his side.
“Amazing that was, Harry, Ginny,” Fred agreed. “It’s a wonder that the death eaters don’t fall at your feet.”
Ginny laughed. Harry said, “We don’t know the death eaters quite as well. They wouldn’t have fallen for that spider trick, for one.” Ron scowled at Harry.
“What was that one you shot at Fleur, with the green mist?” Bill asked curiously. “I’ve never seen that one before.”
Harry raised his brows at Ginny, who grinned sheepishly. “I made that one up.” Ron turned wide eyes to his sister. “You know that feeling after you get hit by a bludger? That’s what I wanted to create, without having to conjure something to hit you with.”
“It worked,” Fleur said strongly and Ginny’s smirk widened.
XXX