Bad [Harry Potter Fanfiction] (Bad Series: 1)

16 | Do you understand?

Darkness engulfed Harry. Snippets of conversation came on the wind. Laughter. The air was cold and damp as he walked through the forest. He was almost there. His heart pounded. Just a bit. Almost there. Maybe he should go back. The trees opened up. A flash of red eyes, a hiss on the wind-

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Ennervate!"

Harry shot up, screaming.

"Harry!" Hands held him down. He struggled. Oh, God. No. "Harry!"

His eyes snapped open, and Ron and Hermione came into view. He froze. Merlin. He was safe. He's wasn't there. He fell back against the floor, breathing hard, and covered his face.

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered, crouching beside him. "Are you okay?"

He'd been back in the Forbidden Forest. Surrounded by Death Eaters. Ready for... He cleared his throat and sat up. "Yeah, I'm okay." Looking around, it all started to come back to him, his temper rising with each breath.

Ginny.

She had stunned him. He couldn't believe it. He was trying to help her, save her from Azkaban, and this was how she repaid him? He ran his hands over his face, glasses catching in his hair. He exhaled into his hands. Merlin's Beard, was there going to be anything easy about Fyrefox?

"What's that?" Ron asked, straightening and moving over to Hermione.

Her eyebrows were knitted together as she read over a parchment. "Harry, why did someone stun you then leave you here on our doorstep?"

He was on their doorstep? He looked around. On a small porch, a red and gold knitted welcome mat from Mrs. Weasley.

"Have you been here since you disappeared from the ball?" Ron asked before he could reply. "You didn't say a word. Did you see Fyrefox? Did you find him?"

Oh, he saw her alright. Sticking her wand in his bloody face.

"What does it say?" he asked Hermione instead.

"That you were stunned." She handed him the letter, and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from groaning. Inconspicuous writing and no name. Ginny wouldn't give herself away that easy. He rolled it up and slipped into his pocket. Two letters from Fyrefox now. He'd look more at this one when he got a moment alone.

"Why don't you come inside and tell us all about it?" she said as Ron held his hand out to him. Harry sighed but got up with his help. She ushered them in, shutting the door.

Harry would never get bored of their house. A mixture of the magical and muggle worlds. Appliances moved on their own, a family clock just like the one that hung in the Burrow was in the kitchen, a flatscreen telly sat on a stand in the living room, and a phone was on the table by the couches, mostly used for Hermione's parents, though Harry had one too.

Settling on one of the couches, he took off his glasses and rubbed his temples. The pain of a headache was starting. Had he hit his head when he fell before? He ran his fingers through his hair. No sensitive areas.

"Why did you-" Ron started.

"Harry, would like a Firewhiskey?" Hermione cut him off. When he nodded, putting his glasses back on, she summoned a bottle and three glasses. She poured each of them a drink then handed them over. Harry drank the first in one go and it burned the entire way down. Bloody hell. He held out his glass for another. She refilled it. This time, he sipped it and leaned back against the couch, head dropping, and stared at the ceiling.

He sighed. Just what the hell was he going to do now?

"Is everything alright?" Hermione asked.

Sitting up, he took another sip and looked into his drink. What could he say? The fury coursing through him was nothing compared to the fear he felt about Ginny getting thrown in Azkaban. He put down his glass and looked between Ron and Hermione. This would affect them too. Merlin. He didn't want to arrest her. She was just confused. If could help her...