"Arthur, you and Kingsley block the front entrance," Alastor Moody ordered calmly, even in the midst of chaos. "Remus and Severus, with me upstairs. Sirius, take Harry and the others—out through the kitchen fireplace!"
"This way!" Sirius Black sprang to his feet with startling speed, gripping Harry tightly with one hand while shouting at the rest of the children, "Quick, follow me!"
"But—" Fred Weasley hesitated.
"Don't make things harder for them. Move!" Sirius roared.
The group hurried toward the kitchen in a near panic.
At the fireplace, Sirius flicked his wand, and emerald flames leapt up at once.
"Go, one at a time. Ginny—you first!" Sirius urged, glancing anxiously over his shoulder.
Ginny Weasley nodded and stepped into the flames… then Ron… followed by Fred and George.
"Harry, now!" Sirius said, his voice shaking.
The sound of magical explosions was already echoing from outside—the battle had begun.
Harry Potter was just about to step into the green flames when he suddenly caught sight of a figure. His face changed instantly.
"Harry, what are you doing?" Sirius shouted.
Without hesitation, he seized Harry and dragged him into the fire. The two vanished together.
...
"Where are we?" Fred Weasley asked, looking around in confusion.
They were standing on a bustling commercial street. Muggles passed by, casting curious glances at the oddly dressed group.
"Less than a mile from Grimmauld Place," Sirius panted. "We couldn't Floo directly to our destination. If the Death Eaters stormed in and checked the network, they'd trace us."
"What just happened?" Ron asked, bewildered.
"It's obvious," Sirius replied grimly. "The Fidelius Charm has been broken. Our defenses are down. Mad-Eye's concerns weren't unfounded. Grimmauld Place isn't safe anymore."
"It was Snape!" Harry said hoarsely.
"What?" Everyone stared at him.
"I saw him!" Harry insisted angrily. "He was supposed to go upstairs with Professor Moody, but instead he was at the basement stairs. He betrayed us. He tipped off the Death Eaters!"
"Harry…" Ron said carefully, "remember first year? We suspected Snape for months. But in the end, it was Quirrell who was working for You-Know-Who—"
"It's Voldemort!" Harry snapped, startling Ron. "And this time it's different. Think about it. Snape hardly ever comes to Grimmauld Place, especially not on Christmas. Why was he there today of all days? And just when he shows up, we're attacked?"
But Harry's words didn't convince anyone—not even Sirius, who slowly shook his head.
"Harry… I may not get along with Snivellus, but if Professor Dumbledore trusts him, then he's probably on our side," Sirius said cautiously.
It did nothing to change Harry's expression.
"Can we stop arguing about this for now?" Ginny Weasley cut in. "Where are we going? More and more Muggles are staring."
She was right. Their presence was attracting attention. A few Muggles were even pointing at Sirius—on television, he was still a wanted criminal.
"I'll take you to Tonks' parents' house," Sirius said, turning slightly so the Muggles couldn't see his face clearly. "From there, you can Floo to Hogwarts. It's the only safe place left."
"Have you lost your mind?" George Weasley demanded. "Our parents, Mad-Eye, Remus—they're all still fighting at Grimmauld Place. And you want us to run?"
"I'm protecting you!" Sirius said sharply.
"We want to fight too!" Fred and George declared together. "We're adults. We have the right to choose—"
"Mad-Eye's order was to get you out safely!" Sirius exploded. "The headquarters was ambushed—it was only a matter of time before it felll. We escaped through separate routes for a reason. And now that you're out, you want to go back? To be handed over to Voldemort as hostages?"
His voice dropped to a low, dangerous growl.
"If anyone says we're going back again, I'll tear their throat out."
The twins fell silent.
"Move," Sirius ordered.
...
Ted Tonks was a blond, round-bellied middle-aged man with a gentle expression.
When he heard that the Order's headquarters had been attacked, he looked shocked at first, but quickly recovered. Together with his wife, Andromeda Tonks, he ushered Harry, Sirius, and the Weasley children inside.
Though they were now safe, no one felt at ease.
In his agitation, Fred had already knocked over two delicate tables and a potted cast-iron plant. He and George kept casting resentful looks at Sirius, as if blaming him for everything.
Harry, Ron, and Ginny all refused the suggestion to return to Hogwarts. They wanted to know what had happened.
An hour dragged by in tense silence.
Then there was a commotion outside.
"Stay calm. Let's check," Ted Tonks said quickly.
He and Sirius raised their wands and approached the door cautiously.
The door burst open.
Arthur Weasley stumbled in, drenched in blood and gasping for breath.
"Dad!" the Weasley children cried, rushing forward.
"I'm not hurt!" Arthur raised a hand quickly. "It's Molly's blood."
"Mum—don't tell me she—"
"She's badly injured, but it shouldn't be fatal," Arthur said hurriedly. "I took her to your Aunt Muriel's house. When you weren't there, I guessed Sirius had brought you here."
He shot Sirius a grateful look.
Sirius remained grim. "What happened? Why did the Fidelius Charm fail? Was it the Death Eaters?"
"I don't think so," Arthur replied, shaking his head. "The attackers… I didn't recognize them."
"Didn't recognize them?" Sirius repeated.
"Molly and I were fighting a strange woman," Arthur continued.
"Bellatrix?" Andromeda Tonks asked sharply.
"No. If it were Bellatrix, I'd know. This woman looked younger… beautiful, even. But her voice sounded like some eerie old crone."
He swallowed hard.
"She's the one who injured Molly. If Kingsley hadn't arrived when he did… she might have…" His voice broke. "But Kingsley… Kingsley…"
"What about Kingsley?" Harry asked, his voice shaking.
Arthur lowered his head, tears falling freely.
"Kingsley's dead. I saw it myself… a green flash struck him squarely in the chest."