March To The Sea - George Weasley ✔️

- 1 8 3 - PERCY

"WHAT'S FIRST, HARRY?" called George, breaking the silence as everyone stared at the boy who lived. Lorelei had moved back to George, taking his hand in hers. "What's going on?"

"They're evacuating the younger kids and everyone's meeting in the Great Hall to get organized," Harry said. "We're fighting." A great roar and surge of Dumbledore's Army, the Order of the Phoenix, and Gryffindor's best Quidditch team seemed to siege passed Harry with their wands drawn. They were ready to fight.

Lorelei saw Molly arguing with Ginny, the few of them left in the Room of Requirement stared at the scene. "You're underage! I won't permit it! The boys, yes, but you, you've got to go back home now!"

"I won't! I'm in Dumbledore's Army--"

"A teenagers' gang!"

"A teenagers' gang that's about to take him on, which no one else has dared to do!" Fred defended Ginny.

"She's sixteen!" Molly shouted. "She's not old enough. What were we thinking, bringing her here--"

"Mum's right, Ginny," Bill said gently. "You can't do this. Everyone underage will have to leave--

"And Embry!?"

"Embry is not my authority, though I wish he would--"

"Absolutely not," Embry said, moving to grab Lorelei's hand.

Ginny glared at those around her. "I can't go home! My whole family's here, I can't stand waiting there alone and not knowing and... F-Fine! I'll say goodbye now, then, and--"

A noise caused everyone's head to turn toward the tunnel where another red-head fell out, unbalanced and lopsided. His glasses fell down his face when he caught himself on a chair, looking up to stare at his family. He finally spoke, "Am I too late? Has it started? I only just found out, so I--I--"

Percy Weasley spluttered himself into silence, eyes widening at the sight of Lorelei. By the surprise on his face, he was not ready to meet almost his entire family right away. Fleur finally broke the silence, asking Remus, "So-- 'ow eez leetle Teddy?" Remus blinked at her, startled. He realized what she was trying to do, moving to say loudly, "I-- oh, yes-- he's fine! Yes, Tonks is with him-- at her mother's--" He paused as all of the Weasleys seemed to be at a loss of what to do. "Here, I've got a picture!" he said, moving to show Harry and Fleur.

"I was a fool!" Percy finally roared, causing Lorelei to jump a bit at the sound. "I was an idiot. I was a pompous prat, I was a-- a--"

"Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron," Fred finished, being the first one to regain his voice.

Percy swallowed.

"Yes, I was!"

"Well, you can't say fairer than that," said Fred, holding out his hand to Percy. Molly burst into tears, running forward to push Fred aside and hug Percy. Percy's eyes never left his father's.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Percy said.

Arthur seemed to blink rather rapidly as he processed the words before also moving quickly to hug Percy with Molly.

George looked to Percy with a grin. "What made you see sense, Perce?" inquired George after a moment.

"It's been coming on for a while," said Percy, mopping his eyes under his glasses with a corner of his traveling cloak. "Really since Lorelei spoke to me at Dumbledore's funeral... I-I knew I was wrong. But I had to find a way out, and it's not so easy at the Ministry, they're imprisoning traitors all the time. I managed to make contact with Aberforth and he tipped me off ten minutes ago that Hogwarts was going to make a fight of it, so here I am."

"Well, we do look to our prefects to take a lead at times, such as these," said George in a good imitation of Percy's most pompous manner causing Lorelei to let out a choked laugh. "Now, let's get upstairs and fight, or all the good Death Eaters'll be taken."

Percy walked to Lorelei, allowing the mermaid to squeeze the life out of him in a hug. "And the baby?" he squeaked.

"Ophelia," Lorelei whispered. "Godric, I'm so glad to see you, Perce."

Percy grinned as she pulled away. "Like you said: The Weasleys will be at the front lines when the fighting starts. I'll never leave you lot alone again."

George grinned at Lorelei as Percy walked to Fleur. Bill, Fleur, and Percy ran ahead while Fred, George, Embry, and Lorelei walked out with their wands drawn as well. George tightened his grip on Lorelei's hand. "Keep an eye on Embry," George said aloud to either Lorelei or Fred. Both gave an affirmative nod as Embry tightened his hold on his wand.

They all ran to the Great Hall where Professor McGonagall was giving clear instructions of evacuation practices. Lorelei gripped Embry's hand now as a snake-like voice that haunted Lorelei's dreams spoke. There were petrified screams as Bethany came to stand near Lorelei, frowning slightly at the other mermaid.

"I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood," Voldemort paused as the Great Hall became eerily silent. "Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight."

Lorelei growled out loud when Pansy Parkinson yelled out, "But he's there! Potter's there! Someone grab him!"

Lorelei moved first, standing right in front of Harry with her wand pointed at the Slytherin. She felt him grab her arm, but soon, more people stood to stand in front of Harry. Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and almost every Gryffindor stood proudly in front of Harry against Pansy. Harry was awestruck as Lorelei called out, "I think you'll have a lot of fighting to do if you want Harry, Parkinson."

McGonagall was quick to get the Slytherins who wanted nothing to do with fighting out of the hall, moving the younger students along with them. There was a bunch going on, but Kingsley soon stood on a raised platform to address those who remained behind.

"We've only got half an hour until midnight, so we need to act fast! A battle plan has been agreed between the teachers of Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix. Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest towers-- Ravenclaw, Astronomy, and Gryffindor-- where they'll have a good overview, excellent positions from which to work spells. Meanwhile, Remus, Arthur, and I will take groups into the grounds. We'll need somebody to organize defense of the entrances of the passageways into the school--"

"Sounds like a job for us," Fred called, indicating Lorelei, George, himself, and Embry. Kingsley nodded his approval. The four took off, ready to fight off anything that got in their way.