Katerina Blair flicked through the pages of the Daily Prophet, a deep frown etched onto her face.

"Anyone we know dead?" Ron asked her.

"No, but a Muggle family has been murdered."

Ron shook his head and swore under his breath. The murdering of Muggle families seemed to be a favourite pastime of the Death Eaters', but of course the Muggle population hadn't the faintest idea how all of these people were dying. Family after family were found dead, their bodies unscathed, as the Killing Curse left no marks (with the exception, of course, of Harry Potter's lightning bolt scar), and the Muggles could not figure out how these people had died.

There was a knock on Ron's bedroom door and it creaked open, revealing the freckled face of Ginny Weasley.

"Mum says dinner is ready." she announced and then, as quickly as she came, she was gone and had shut the door behind her.

When Katie and Ron arrived at the dinner table, they found everybody already seated there — Mr and Mrs Weasley, Bill and Fleur and Ginny and Hermione. Chris and Niall had returned to Ireland once more, this time to make sure Niall's family were doing all right, but left the promise that they would be back for Bill and Fleur's wedding. The twins were still living above their shop, much to Mrs Weasley's dissatisfaction. She thought that it was dangerous for them to reside there and wished they would just come home.

Everyone ate in silence. It was rare that they spoke at the dinner table these days because the topics of discussion were often quite grim; they always involved death and destruction and often turned people off their dinner. Today, however, Mr Weasley decided to spark up a conversation.

"I've just been conversing with the Order," he started. "Harry will be moved next Saturday."

"And he's coming here?" Katie asked, her attention focused on the steak that she was cutting. "Are you sure it's safe?"

"The Order and the Ministry will be placing every protective enchantment they know on the house to ensure Harry's safety." Mrs Weasley responded.

"And how is he being moved?" Ron inquired through a mouthful of mashed potato, which earned him a sharp slap on the arm from his mother while she reprimanded him about manners.

"Mundungus suggested that some of us use Polyjuice Potion and turn ourselves into Harry." Mr Weasley said.

Katie raised an eyebrow. "Mundungus said that?"

Mundungus was not renowned as one of the smartest members of the Order of the Phoenix so, judging by everyone else's wide eyes, they were all just as surprised as Katie to hear that Mundungus had made such a smart suggestion.

"Fred, George and Mundungus have agreed to take the Polyjuice," Mr Weasley went on as though he had not been interrupted. "Ron and Hermione, am I safe to assume that you two will take it?"

"Yeah." Ron said.

"Of course." Hermione said.

"I want to take it." Katie said quickly, perking up in her seat, feeling quite offended that Mr Weasley did not believe she would want to help safely escort Harry to the Burrow. Mr Weasley, however, shook his head firmly.

"No, you're too young. You're not of age yet."

"I'll be seventeen next Wednesday!" Katie rebuked, but she was ignored by Mr Weasley and by everyone else at the table, for that matter.

"Fleur, will you take it?" Mr Weasley inquired.

Fleur seemed to hesitate for the briefest of moments but then replied with, "Yes."

"Excellent," Mr Weasley smiled. "That's settled then. Ron, Hermione, Fleur, Mundungus, Fred and George will drink the potion, and each of them will be escorted by a member of the Order of the Phoenix."

"I want to go too!" Katie piped up. She had forgotten all about her dinner and placed her knife and fork down.

Mr Weasley closed his eyes as though he was trying to compose himself, sighed deeply, then said, "Katerina, you'll only have turned seventeen a few days before—"

"I don't care, I'll still be seventeen!" she crossed her arms and scowled at Arthur. "I care about Harry just as much as any of you!"

"I never said you don't care about him." Mr Weasley's voice was calm but Katie could detect an undertone of agitation.

"Then why can't I go?"

Mr and Mrs Weasley exchanged fretful looks, giving Katie the impression that they were hiding something from her. To add to Katie's suspicions, all of the other teenagers, as well as Bill and Fleur, were staring down at their dinner plates, anxiety written all over their faces. Everyone in the room knew something that Katie didn't.

"What?" she demanded.

Mr and Mrs Weasley seemed to have a conversation with their eyes, a conversation which lead to the decision that Molly was going to do the talking. She sat down her knife and fork and looked at Katie with a gentle expression.

"As you know," Mrs Weasley began, "you are one of... his greatest targets."

Katie already had the feeling that she knew exactly where this was heading, but she allowed Mrs Weasley to elaborate nonetheless.

"Therefore, it is only fitting that we provide security for you—"

"Voldemort isn't going to just snatch me out of the sky while we're rescuing Harry," Katie interjected stubbornly. "My mum told me that he's waiting for me to go to him myself — which is never going to happen — and that's why none of the Death Eaters took me the night that... the night that Dumbledore died."

For a split second, Mrs Weasley seemed to be at a loss for an argument, but then she curtly said, "That doesn't matter. If you were to go, we would need to bring a whole extra team just to protect you."

"I don't need protection!" Katie cried in exasperation. "I'm not the one that's supposed to kill Voldemort, all right? Voldemort isn't trying to kill me. I'm not Harry Potter."

"You're not going," Mrs Weasley's voice shook ever-so-slightly. "And that's final."

***

As promised by Mr and Mrs Weasley, Katie did not travel to Privet Drive to join the others in escorting Harry safely to the Burrow, much to her annoyance. She waited in the kitchen with Molly and Ginny, anxiously chewing her nails and casting frequent glances down at her watch. They should have been back minutes ago...

Although no one had been talking, Mrs Weasley made a harsh shushing noise and put her hand to her ear, signalling that she had heard something. Katie strained her ears and, sure enough, heard a distant rumbling sound. All three of them rushed to the window and squinted through the darkness. Despite the fact that it was pitch black outside, they could just about make out the silhouette of a glinting silver object racing from the sky towards them. It landed with a great splash in the swampy grounds nearby.

Katie, Ginny and Mrs Weasley drew their wands and, the latter in the lead, cautiously stepped through the front door and out onto the lawn. The need not have worried; only ten seconds later, Harry and Hagrid emerged from the marsh, soaked to the skin, but they seemed otherwise unmarked. Katie waited for Ginny to rush to Harry — they were together, after all, and was deeply confused when Ginny did not move.

"Harry!" Mrs Weasley cried. "Hagrid! What happened? Where are the others?"

Harry froze in his journey to reach the house.

"Is no one else back?" he asked apprehensively.

"They were on us right from the start, Molly. We didn't stand a chance." Hagrid said, sounding thoroughly disgruntled. Katie did not need any more information to uncover that Hagrid was telling them they had been attacked by Death Eaters.

"Well... thank goodness you two are all right." Mrs Weasley tried to smile but it looked more like a pained grimace.

"The Death Eaters were waitin' for us, it was an ambush." Hagrid said as he and Molly made their way towards the house. Together, Katie and Ginny approached Harry.

"Ron and Tonks should've already been back." Ginny mumbled.

"Are you all right?" Katie asked Harry. "You look really pale."

Katie supposed this was quite a stupid question. Harry had, of course, just been attacked by a group of Death Eaters, but she was not expecting to receive a completely different reasoning as to why Harry seemed so shaken.

"Hedwig," he croaked, his voice hoarse. "She's — she's dead."

Katerina felt her heart sink to the pit of her stomach.

"Bloody hell..." she whispered sadly. "Harry, I'm... I'm so sorry."

Harry sniffed. "Yeah... she was trying to protect me. I think that's what made the Death Eaters realise I was the real — well — the real me."

There was a loud crack nearby and two heads emerged from the shrubs. One of them was leaning on the other, and only as they drew closer did Katie realise that it was Remus Lupin supporting a barely conscious George Weasley.

"Quick! Into the house!" Remus cried.

At once, Harry rushed forwards and helped Lupin carry George through the door and into the house; Katie and Ginny hurried along in their wake. Only when George had been laid down on the couch and the light flooded his face could they really get a clear view of what happened. Ginny gasped and Katie clapped her hands over her mouth. There was a huge, gaping hole where George's ear used to be and gleaming scarlet blood matted the side of his face and his clothes.

No sooner had he lay George upon the couch did Lupin seize Harry by the arm and shove him against the wall. Katie and Molly both screamed.

"Lupin!" Hagrid bellowed.

"What are you doing?" Ginny shouted.

Lupin had placed his wand to Harry's throat. "What creature sat in the corner the first time Harry Potter visited my office in Hogwarts?"

"Are you mad?" Harry yelled.

"What creature?" Remus loudly demanded.

"A Grindylow!"

With a great sigh, Remus released Harry and sank back into a chair behind him. Harry was breathing rather heavily as everyone else stared, unmoving, terrified and confused.

"We've been betrayed. Voldemort knew you were being moved tonight," Lupin said tersely, wiping sweat from his brow. "I had to make sure you weren't an impostor."

Still breathing heavily, Harry gave a stiff nod. There was another crack outside in the garden and Remus, followed closely by Katie, Ginny and Harry tore outside. Kingsley and Hermione, who was slowly beginning to morph back into herself after taking Polyjuice, were stumbling through the sodden grass. Both Remus and Kinglsey raised their wands, aiming them squarely at each other's chests.

"The last words Albus Dumbledore spoke to the pair of us." Kinglsey said slowly.

"Harry is the best hope we have. Trust him." Lupin replied calmly and both men lowered their wands.

A third crack and Tonks and Ron came striding towards the house, completely unscathed. Without wasting a second to think, Hermione broke away from Kinglsey's side and flung her arms around Ron who, despite being exhausted and mildly surprised, hugged her back.

"Deserves that — brilliant, he was," Tonks said warmly as she greeted her husband with a hug of his own. "I wouldn't be standing here without him."

"Really?" Hermione gazed up at Ron, her eyes swimming with awe.

"Always the tone of surprise." Ron said, sounding slightly offended.

Without speaking, Hermione removed the round glasses from Ron's face and then Harry rushed forwards, attacked them both with a hug.

One final crack. Two heads of fiery red hair bobbed into view. Arthur and Fred Weasley also seemed unharmed but physically drained.

"Is everyone else back?" Mr Weasley addressed the group at large. "Where's George?"

Katie and Ginny exchanged a nervous glance. Mr Weasley, who had clearly grown worried by the crushing silence on the lawn, raced inside the house where Mrs Weasley was stroking George's hair. Fred dropped to his knees at his brother's side, white-faced and trembling, and for the first time since Katie met him, Fred Weasley seemed to be at a loss for words.

Perhaps roused by the arrival of his twin and his father, George stirred.

"How do you feel, Georgie?" Mrs Weasley whispered.

"Saint-like." he murmured, lifting his fingers and groping for the side of his head.

"What's wrong with him?" Fred croaked, looking terrified. "Has his mind been affected?"

Once more, Katie and Ginny exchanged nervous looks.

"Saint-like," George repeated, opening his eyes and looking up at his brother. "You see... I'm holy, Holey, Fred, get it?"

Mrs Weasley burst into tears. Colour flooded Fred's pale face.

"Pathetic," he told George. "Pathetic! With the whole wide word of ear-related humour before you, you go for holey?"

Everyone was so distracted by George's injury that no one heard a Thesteral arrive on the lawn outside, and were only alerted to Bill and Fleur's return when they slipped inside. Bill, his expression grave, pushed to the front of the group.

"Mad-Eye's dead."

Nobody spoke, nobody moved. Katie wasn't sure she could move even if she wanted to. She felt as though her whole body had been suddenly encased in ice.

"Mundungus took one look at Voldemort and Disapparated." Bill told them.

Katie felt her stomach drop, only it did not seem that it was going to stop falling.

"Voldemort was there?" she asked, her voice quivering against her will.

It was Harry who answered her. "He knew I was being moved tonight."

"Whoever betrayed us, they knew the real date you were being moved, Harry," Remus said solemnly. "It has to have been someone who was directly involved in the plan."

Once again, no one dared to speak, not until Fleur's silky voice cut through the silence.

"What about her?"

All heads turned to face Katie and it took her a few, long seconds before she realised that Fleur was pointing at her. Her mouth fell open.

"Me?" Katie almost laughed.

Fleur merely glared at her. Remus shook his head curtly.

"No," Lupin said flatly. "She wouldn't."

"Wouldn't she?" Fleur chimed in. "She eez a Slytherin, correct?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Katie snapped, feeling very affronted.

Fleur's scowl only hardened. "Slytherin 'ouse has created ze most Dark wizards. And zat boy, zee Death Eater's son, 'e eez your boyfriend, eez 'e not?"

"Was," Katie corrected her. "He's not anymore."

She tried to ignore the wave of sadness that crashed down upon her. She had been trying very hard to push all thoughts of Draco out of her mind over the previous weeks.

"Well, you could 'ave joined up with Voldemort last year," Fleur suggested, sounding angry. "Maybe you were even involved with 'is plan to kill Dumbledore—"

"That's enough!" Mrs Weasley intervened sternly. "Yes, Katerina is a Slytherin, but she's not a killer and she wouldn't betray the Order."

"If there's anyone in here who hates Voldemort as much as me, it's her." Harry announced confidently and Katie shot him a grateful smile.

Katie could not exactly fault Fleur for pinning the blame on her. Someone had betrayed the Order to night, and Fleur was simply stating what she believed would be the most obvious conclusion. It was almost impossible to trust anyone anymore.

***

It was the next morning and Katie, Ginny and Hermione were setting up the table for breakfast.

"Did something happen with you and Harry, Ginny?" Katie asked nonchalantly as she set the silverware out on the table. Her back was turned on the other girls so she did not notice them catch each other's eye. "You seemed really awkward yesterday."

"Er — we ended things at Dumbledore's funeral." Ginny explained.

Katie wheeled around. "What?" she gasped. "Why?"

Ginny shrugged. "He said he wanted to keep me safe from Voldemort. I don't know why — I'm perfectly capable of handling myself, but he insisted."

Katie moved to a nearby cupboard and began taking down glasses from drinks.

"I'm really sorry, Ginny." she said, and she meant it.

Ginny only shrugged again. "It's fine. Besides, if I'm being honest, I don't think he ever really got over you."

Katerina dropped the glass that she was holding and, with a great crash, it smashed at her feet. Hermione let out a reproving noise, scolded Katie under her breath, then pulled out her wand and repaired the broken glass. Katie was seemingly oblivious to the glass that had cut her exposed ankle and Hermione's angry mutters as she stared at the surprisingly casual-looking Ginny.

"Ginny, don't say that." Katie said quickly.

Ginny chuckled. "It's fine — really, it is." she added upon seeing Katie's expression warp into a frown.

A few minutes later, Ginny left the kitchen to go and wake Ron, and Katie and Hermione sat down at the kitchen table. Katie's face was contorted and Hermione noticed her stress.

"I think Ginny's right, you know..." Hermione was wearing a frown that mirrored Katie's from only minutes before. "I mean, you didn't see the way he looked at you and Draco—"

"Please stop, Hermione," Katie said rebukingly. "I don't really want to hear all this right now."

This was entirely true. With Draco's betrayal, the betrayal of someone in the Order, Mad-Eye's death, worrying whether or not Chris was going to make it home safely and the constant looming dread that Voldemort wanted her to join him for reasons still unknown, Katie already had quite a lot on her mind and did not need anymore dramatics in her life.

"All right. Can we talk about the Horcruxes, then?"

Katie moved into a more comfortable position. "Yes, lets."

Mrs Weasley had been interrogating Katie and Ron on the daily, asking why they were dropping out of Hogwarts and what secret job Dumbledore had left Harry to do. Of course, Dumbledore wished that no one else knew about the Horcruxes, so Katie had to politely turn Mrs Weasley down every time she asked questions. To make things more difficult, Bill and Fleur's wedding was swiftly approaching and the house needed preparations. Everyone was assigned jobs, and Mrs Weasley conveniently allotted Katie, Harry, Ron and Hermione with different jobs every day. Katie assumed that Molly believed she could keep them for longer if they could not get together to conjure up a plan.

"I've been packing for days so we'll be ready to leave when Harry says it's time," Hermione began. "I just need to add your things to the bag, so leave everything you want to bring on your bed tonight and I'll take them. Don't worry about weight, or anything," she added upon seeing Katie's quizzical expression, "I've added an Extension Charm to the bag."

Katie had just opened her mouth to speak when Mrs Weasley came bustling into the room, a basket of laundry in her hand.

"I just got a letter from Christian." she announced.

Involuntarily, Katie perked up in her seat. "Really? What did it say?"

"All good news, all good news," Mrs Weasley hummed. "He'll be arriving by Portkey in two day's time. The Portkey will bring him to the hill just through the woods there," she pointed out the window, "and Arthur will meet him on the hill. And, oh! He's bringing his new boyfriend!"

"He has a boyfriend?" Katie asked, feeling a great rush of happiness. It was about time Chris found someone.

"Yes," Mrs Weasley beamed. It was clear that she had been itching to bring Katie this news. "He didn't tell me much about him, only that he's from Ireland."

"That's great!" Katie grinned.