The Safe Wizards

34: Help Needed

The Cullens, Andromeda, Harry, and Teddy were about to leave the wizarding house to go to the vampire house to celebrate Christmas when they heard a noise outside and the smell of blood followed by moans of pain. Harry rushed outside, followed by the rest of the group. He immediately recognized the Weasley as well as Draco and Hermione. They were all in bad shape, but the young Malfoy was certainly the closest to death. Carlisle rushed to him and brought him inside to give him first aid. Alice went to Hermione's side, Emmett to Arthur's, Edward to Percy's and Rosalie to Ron's. Harry was about to walk over to George when he realized that Jasper was frozen, as if in a trance. The Survivor slowly approached him, motioning for the redhead to stay still.

"Jaz?" he called, placing his hand on the white cheek.

The empath turned his almost black eyes towards him. Harry realized that the vampire was taking control of the man he loved. He didn't have time to make a move, however, as Edward, Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett rushed towards them.

"He must leave now," the telepath explained.

Harry needed no further explanation, he kissed his companion on the neck before whispering that he would get back to him as soon as possible. Jasper did not react, he trembled slightly under his hand and the lips of the brown. He was unable to leave on his own so focused on his bond not to attack the people Harry considered family. He knew who they were, the brown hair's emotions and the hair color of the newcomers were clues enough for him to identify them. Emmett and Rosalie grabbed their brother's arms and pulled him along with them. Jasper remained focused on his bond, so he didn't struggle. But pulling away from his companion made his heart ache.

Alice came to take the wizard in her arms.

"I'm leaving too, I don't want to take any chances with your family and Esme will leave too."

"Take Teddy, he doesn't belong here for the next few hours," he replied simply as George joined him.

"Harry, we need to warn Bill, they were after him, Fleur and Victoire... and Charlie is still under the rubble."

"What are you talking about?" the alarmed dark-haired man.

His separation with the dragon rider had not extinguished his feelings for him, far from it. That was why leaving him had been so painful, so knowing that something might have happened to him did not leave him indifferent. Edward gave him a strange look, before focusing on the redhead.

"The Ministry blew up the Burrow..." George couldn't continue, overwhelmed by his grief, the memories of what he had just experienced haunting his eyes.

"Two women died, but Charlie was still alive when they ran away," Edward explained, his eyes on the redhead.

"Why did he stay behind?" asked Harry horrified by the situation and the consequences of what could have happened to Charlie. He felt it in his heart that his soul mate was not dead and he suspected that would be the case until he completed the bond with Jasper. However, their bond was now so weak that he had no way of knowing what state the dragon rider was in.

"He was holding the rubble, he couldn't move without them crushing everyone, he told them to leave," the vampire completed, still reliving George's memories with him.

"Thank you Edward, let's get him back inside."

The vampire took the redhead in his arms to take him inside, but Harry didn't follow. Instead, he called his two house elves. His experience in the war came back to him like a second skin, which he slipped on without difficulty.

"Naoil, you find me Bill, Fleur and Victoire and bring them back here. If they have any healing potions with them ask them to take them, we're going to need them."

The elf nodded and disappeared. Harry turned to Kreacher.

"Go to the Burrow, find Ginny, Molly and Charlie. If they...if they are dead, take their bodies to their crypt and come back, if they are injured, bring them back here...if they are not there, find them."

"Master Charlie could lead them to you Master Harry."

"I know that Kreacher, that's why it's important to know what happened to him."

Harry had closed his heart to emotion, he was back to the warrior he was when he fought Voldemort, the one who was not afraid to lay down his life for those he loved, the one who was willing to make any sacrifice to bring down the dark wizard. Intuitively, he made sure his occlumency barriers were in place. He usually had nothing to hide from Edward, but now he wanted to be able to think and make decisions alone in his head. He didn't need to be reminded of Jasper all the time either, his mate was important to him, but right now his family needed him more. He suspected the vampire didn't appreciate being left out like this while their bond was still not complete, it wasn't pleasant for him either, but now was not the time. Keeping Edward out of his head was the best thing to do.

He walked into the cottage and found that Andromeda had all their medicine cabinets out in the middle of the living room. She and Carlisle were tending to Draco. The young man had finally passed out. He was lying on the table, shirtless, with a huge hole bleeding profusely in the side of his stomach. Harry wondered what he was doing there, but that wasn't the priority right now. He turned to the rest of his family. Arthur was crying in the corner, a towel over his head, another on his hip. Percy, one hand clutched to his chest, was helping Edward tend to George's shoulder. Ron was kneeling beside Hermione, still unconscious. Harry walked over to them, both happy to see them and worried.

"How are you?" he asked his best friend.

"Glad to see you alive!"

The redhead drew Harry to him for a hug, but let out a groan of pain as Harry closed his arms around him.

"I may have a few broken ribs," he admitted with a grimace without backing down, "but when you see the others. By Merlin Harry, they killed them, Ginny, Mum...I...I can never forget...that block of stone on Mum's head..."

The young man burst into tears, Arthur's sobs echoing back at him. Harry cradled his friend in his arms, knowing there was nothing he could say to ease his pain. They stayed there for a few minutes, until Ron's sobs subsided, if not his sadness, and then they parted. Harry fetched a jar of ointment and handed it to his friend.

"Put this on your ribs."

While Ron applied the cream to himself with relief, Harry approached Hermione, concerned to see her so unconscious. He cast a quick diagnostic spell on her, but was interrupted by the characteristic plop of house elves. Naoil, Bill and his family appeared in the living room. Bill fell to his knees upon discovering the scene as Fleur rushed over to the golden trio, Victoire in her arms.

"She has a fractured skull and is bleeding," said Harry, not sure what to do with this information.

"I'll take care of her," said Fleur.

"She'd be better off with Teddy, at my friends' house."

Fleur looked at him deeply before looking at Bill who nodded and went to his father. The young man seemed not to know where to start and overwhelmed by the nightmare he was discovering.

"I'll be right back after I drop her off and make sure she'll be okay," Harry informed as he got up to leave the cottage with Victoire.

However, he was interrupted by Edward who intercepted him at the door.

"What are you going to do, Harry?" the vampire asked him in a low tone.

"If he's alive, go get Charlie."

"Jasper won't take it well..."

" What are you suggesting, Edward? Let him die in their hands? That I let them get all the information they need from him to land here?"

The telepath looked at him forbiddingly, surprised by the violence in the wizard's tone when he had never shown anger to any of them until now.

"All I'm asking you Harry is to take into account that he is physically suffering from being away from you. He couldn't leave you the last couple of days and now coming home has been hard for him. What will happen if you go to England?"

"He'll survive," Harry concluded as he opened the door.

It wasn't Edward he needed to have this conversation with, if there was a discussion to be had.