Prophecy 472

13- The Battle

Dozens of people filled the burrow. Groups were arranged in fours, standing in perfect lines around the living room. Bill, Charlie, Percy and George made one line. Kingsley and his three top aurors made another. Harry's squad was there, adding eight more, and Ginny, Angelina, Arthur and Molly made up the last group. Ron stood at the center of the room, Harry slightly behind him. Harry's squad had never seen him take the number two position before, but nobody was complaining, not even Harry himself. No one in the room was under any illusion that anyone but Ron was calling the shots.

"Hoxley, you and your men take the north field," Ron said sternly, pointing to the group he was addressing. "Krayshen, you guard the south. Kingsley, take your squad to the east and Bill, head to the west. Mum, Dad, take Angelina and Ginny and guard the perimeter, but stay within the wards."

Ginny opened her mouth to protest, but Harry silenced her with a look and held out his badge.

"It's an order," Harry said firmly.

"And what will you and Harry cover?" Kingsley asked.

"All of it," Ron replied, his face set in a stony expression. The groups set out with that, moving quickly through different exit doors of the burrow. Ron could hear their movements, footsteps and slamming doors. Some men boarded brooms to take to the air for a peripheral view and some were on foot, spreading out to search the extensive grounds for Hermione. And everyone knew it was only a matter of time before the party was crashed by the death eaters.

"Ron, what do I do?" Lavender asked as Ron was almost out the door. He sighed and turned back to her.

"Stay here, please? Don't get yourself hurt."

"What about you?" Lavender said, tearing up. Ron felt sorry for her for the first time in two days. "I think you should stay here, too. It's not safe for you out there."

Ron studied Lavender, noticing his Mum standing beside her. Molly watched the display, looking for Ron's reaction, as if checking to see if he would heed Lavender's request. Molly had lost a son already and wasn't ready to send another one off, not on a night when it had all but been decreed he should be killed.

"Consider it Ron?" Molly asked quietly, her face strained and her hands clutching at each other. "Don't be reckless."

Ron heard her, but the words were useless. This had been decided a long time ago. Past and future generations knew it, Hermione seemed to know it, looking at them now he could tell Lavender and Mum knew it, too. He himself had known it all along. Ron Weasley would die for the woman he loved.

"It's Hermione, Mum."

With that, he turned and exited the safety of his childhood home.

The darkness outside the burrow was illuminated by lit up wands, dotting the landscape on all sides. Ron darted forward, no idea where he was going, but needing to move. He could feel the moment his body passed the protective wards, but he didn't hesitate. Instead, he moved toward a thick grouping of trees, his eyes darting everywhere, searching for that familiar face. Inwardly, he knew it wouldn't be that easy. Hermione was invisible for God's sake, but that fact was also a comfort. Ron figured if he couldn't see Hermione, then neither could the death eaters. That detail just might keep her safe.

Moving along, some small part of Ron's mind knew that wasn't going to be the solution. If Hermione wanted to be found by Shraxem and Willigsbee, she would make it happen. A sob exited Ron's lungs at the thought, but he pushed it down, running faster instead. The running made deep breaths necessary leaving no time to give into the doubts. Hermione would be fine. She would be perfectly fine. He would force her to be.

As he ran, Ron constantly pointed his wand in different directions, muttering accio cloak in between his heavy inhaling and exhaling, praying that by some chance his wand would point at an invisible Hermione and the thing would come flying off her. Revealing her. How was he supposed to save her if he couldn't see her, damn it?