FIFTY NINE

RORY LOOKED DOWN AT the paper in front of her in disbelief. Her hands were shaking as she tried to read it, gripping it tightly causing the paper to wrinkle.

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: The Ministry of Magic should be embarrassed that it's biggest enemy is a teenage boy. The pure notion Harry Potter is undesirable number one is almost laughable. Their greatest fears aside from a child are Muggles, people who don't posses magic and are defenseless. They're taking it easy, because they won't be able to win this war when they fight against those capable of hitting back. We fought before, and we won. When your only belief system is blood purity, it's easy to defeat that. Fighting against prejudice is not hard when your opponents fail to grasp concepts of basic biology and magic itself, Magic runs through someone's blood. It cannot be stolen. It's a trait just like blue eyes or blonde hair. Sometimes, these traits might skip a generation or two. There's no need to kill an entire group of people because Voldemort doesn't understand Mendel's theories. Blood purity is a joke. However, I have yet to hear the punchline. — Andrew Harrison]

It was almost like it was taunting her. Laughing at her.

"This was published... in the Evening Prophet?" Rory swallowed hard, throwing it down on the coffee table, "Tell me, what happened?"

Andrew took a deep breath, he was pacing, frantic.

"They just... came! They burst into the house and took him! I don't know where, they didn't say anything. They had on their masks, I couldn't even tell who they were. Cory tried to do something, she was downstairs with him... I just heard the commotion from upstairs — but she started getting terrible pains in her stomach and nearly collapsed. It all happened to fast... I need you to stay here with Cory while I go after them. I called Remus too, but I'm not sure if he's going to make it and we can't waste any time." He said.

Cordelia sat on the couch, clutching her stomach, her face tight with pain and soft cries exiting her lips.

"Andrew, no!" Rory said firmly, "You can't go after them! You stay here, I'll go! I have a hell of a lot less to lose. You can't leave your pregnant wife, crying in pain to chase after some Death Eaters!"

"Actually, none of you will be going after them!" A third voice said, Remus Lupin walked into the living room. Andrew pointed his wand at him and raised an eyebrow.

"What was the name of the student we gave detention to for skipping class when we were Prefects together?"

"Emma Nelson," Remus answered quickly. Andrew lowered his wand.

"What do you mean, we aren't going after them?" Andrew snapped. "We can bloody go together for all I care. I'm not letting them hurt my son!"

Remus sighed and ran a hand through his graying hair, "Do you understand the repercussions if either of you get taken while looking for him? Might I remind the two of you that you're secret keepers for the Order? If you go out there you're putting not only yourselves at danger but everyone. They'll torture you for information and kill you when you won't give it."

"No!" Rory shouted, "Wouldn't you want to go? If someone you loved was taken? Wouldn't you do anything to get them back?"

Rory was furious, her mind was slow to grasp what was occurring. A new emotion came as it did. The initial shock of the news was wearing off and anger had struck her.

Anger at Andrew for his hubris. Anger at the Death Eaters for taking Aaron. Anger at Remus for trying to stop her from going after him. Not the childish kind with closed fists and slamming doors, but the kind that's real. The kind that weighs on one's heart and blinds them.

"I understand what you're feeling but you're part of the Order! When Dumbledore died we all become responsible for what happens to each of us and if you go after Aaron, you'll die!" Remus boomed. She had never heard him shout with so much anger, so much passion. He was usually more gentle, a calming voice of reason. Albeit he had aggression, for obvious reasons, it was much more passive.

The man looked at Andrew, who was avoiding eye contact all together. They were so close, nearly nose to nose.

"You need to take your bloody wife to St. Mungo's," Remus said, "I'll talk Rory down and we'll figure something out."

Andrew hesitated, looked at him and nodded. He walked over to Cordelia and helped her up. She seemed in too much pain to muster a sentence as they apparated out of the home.

Rory collapsed, tears streaming down her face. She didn't know if or when they would stop. Her heart was ferociously pounding against her ribcage and there was a strange numb feeling in her hands and her face.

Her brother was gone. She didn't know if he was safe, where he was. Her brother, a piece of her soul, an extension of herself was in danger. Something in her knew he was still alive, but she wasn't sure how long it would last. Never did she picture a life without Aaron. She always assumed she'd be the one to go first, that she would never be without him. He was still a child in her eyes. And he was, a child. Fifteen years old.

She wanted to get up off the cold, wooden ground, and go after him. Go and find him. She was a protector. But what sort of protector lets her own brother be taken and doesn't try and do anything about it?

"Remus, please," she cried. He knelt on the floor beside her and placed a hand on her back.

"Rory, I really... I wish I could let you go. Hell, I'd go with you," he said, "but we need to be safe, we need to protect the Order."

"What can we do?" She pleaded.

His soft brown eyes met her own and he sighed, "We can set up guards at the house. To keep your dad and Cordelia safe. We have people out there, if we can find a way to tell them to keep an eye out, we will. I wish I could say there was something more we could do."

"He's my brother," Rory cried, "I'm supposed to take care of him. I always have... this wasn't supposed to happen. He's fifteen, Remus!"

She tried to breathe but it felt as if something very heavy was sitting on her chest as a harass truth dawned on her, "Christine. Our mother... she needs to know. They might go after her, if they haven't already. I hate her but I don't wish her dead."

"We can get guards watching her house. I know you don't want to see her but —"

"It's fine," she whispered, "I need to go. I need to be the one who tells her."

[][][][][]

"AURORA! GET DOWN FROM the tree! You're going to hurt yourself!" Aaron's small voice cried from below. Aurora ignored him, climbing each branch higher and higher.

A loud giggle escaped her lips as she felt her hands touch the rough bark the leaves tickling her skin. She felt as if she were on top of the world, everyone below her were like little ants. Her house was like a dollhouse, and Aaron looked like a toy solider.

"Aaron! Come up!" She shouted. Below her, her little brother shook his head.

"I can't!" He said with a pout.

Aurora rolled her eyes and grabbed on to a branch, swinging from it like it was a monkey bar.

"Aurora, please! Mum is going to be so angry if you get hurt! Or worse, stain your dress!"

But Aurora didn't care. Her mum was always angry at her. So, she swung and swung until her hands got raw. The nine year old slowly climbed down and jumped on to the grassy earth below her.

Standing in her front yard, she looked up at the tree which was still firmly planted in the ground. It stood tall, just as it did eleven years ago when she climbed it for the first time. All of London below her. She was invincible. Was.

She walked up the brick walkway and pressed a firm finger on the doorbell, hearing the ring echo inside the house.

She held her breath as the door slowly opened, only just a crack.

"Aurora," Christine gasped, "What do you want? Who are these people? Why is he here?" She looked at Remus with narrow, cold blue eyes.

"Christine," Rory said coolly, "can we come in?"

She nodded slowly and opened the door wider, "Fine... but you better have a damn good explanation —"

"Aaron has been taken," Rory said, "I'm here with these people so you don't get killed. They need to protect the house. You already know Remus, this is Hestia Jones. And this, is my boyfriend, Fred Weasley. Remus and Hestia are going to tell you everything. I don't wish to speak to you any further. C'mon, Freddie, let me show you my childhood bedroom."

As he walked past Christine, Fred glared at the woman. Her mother almost looked afraid, leaning away from him as he passed. Rory held his hand and tugged him up the steps as Remus and Hestia began the conversation below them.

The first bedroom was Aaron's, Rory didn't want to look inside. She passed it and entered her own. It was almost exactly how she left it just years prior. Although she assumed Aaron must have cleaned it since. The bed sheets wrinkled slightly, a few papers and pillows thrown around the room. The Beatles posters decorated the yellow walls along with polaroid pictures and records.

She wasn't sure what to feel. The last memories she held in her room were spent mourning over the loss of Cedric and then furiously throwing her things together as she moved out.

"Wow," Fred whispered, sitting on her matching yellow comforter, "This is almost exactly how I imagined it."

"Yeah," Rory sighed, "I spent a lot of time in here... had to make it feel safe."

"What's this?" Fred asked, pointing to a small book on her night table.

She sighed and sat next to him, picking up the book, "It's my Bible."

"Oh," was all he said in response.

She nodded, "Yeah. I suppose you don't really know much about religion." She set the book back down and laid on her back, looking up at the ceiling. Glow in the dark stars stuck to it. Although in the sunlight, they had a light green coloring. Fred copied her movement and fell beside her. She placed her hand in his and tightly intertwined their fingers. She turned her head to look at him and he met her gaze.

"It's so strange, being here," he said. She nodded in agreement. He went on, "First time meeting your Mum... she seems awful."

"She is," Rory sighed, "Who needs her though?"

"Exactly," Fred said with a soft smile, "it'll be alright. Aaron is so strong and so brave..."

Rory shut her eyes, "I'm trying to come to terms with the fact that I might never see my brother again but it's just so hard... but I'm not going to get anywhere crying about it. I'm becoming more desensitized to all of this. Losing people. Sirius warned me about this. When Cedric died, I let the grief win for a while. I can't this time. I've got to be brave, just like Aaron is. If I'm going to sit here while he's out there then it needs to be worth something. My dad has the right idea. Yes, he was stupid and prideful and messed up but somebody needs to stand up for all the people who can't do it themselves. For the rebels and for the travelers and for Aaron... for Ron, Harry, and Hermione. For everyone we lost so far..." she slowly opened her eyes.

Fred sat up and looked down at her, she sat up as well, her feet touching the floor in front of her.

He nodded, "I think I know what we can do. But first, we need to talk to Lee."