Percy Weasley

Noise tore through the air, thunderous chants mixed with obnoxious songs that carried on for miles. Excitement burned brightly as the Weasley's spoke over one another, fought their way through the throngs of fans and back to their tents as one. Percy's hands waved as he shouted energitically at Charlie, the broad grin on his brother's face. He never had much in common with his siblings, but this - the sense of inclusion and being one of them was euphoric. 

He had been hesitant about attending the Quidditch World Cup, tried his best to remain locked in his room to finish his work when Bill and Charlie barged in. A family trip, they had called it as they shoved the bright green hat down on his head, refusal to leave until he apparated first. It took a while for him to get comfortable and happy that he had come. The top Ministry officials he had met was worth it all he believed, connections made that would could help him climb the ladder. The game had changed everything.

He fought to maintain his decorum, watched with burning embarrassment as veela's took to the pitch and the men around him seemingly lost their minds; his father included. Sharp teases from his brother's once they realized that he hadn't been affected until Charlie had come to his rescue, the only other male around them that didn't seem infatuated by the veela's. Once the game had started everything changed. They had seemingly become one, a family as Percy broke from his usual rigid self and joined in. It felt good to finally be included, not to just be there but involved. The twins wedged him between them, arms wrapped around him as the three jumped and shouted with every play. 

It was too good to last, and he knew it.

The words scratched at his throat, the drumming in his ears that made him shout louder to hear himself. Hands hit his shoulders, the twins suddenly behind him. It was difficult to hear them, but Charlie nodded with laughter. 

"Isn't that right, Weatherby?"

Percy slowed at the name, a sudden flush to his face. It was bad enough that Crouch called him that in front of his peers at work, but in front of his family, not just once but three times. The man he idolized, spoke highly of when he would return home from work and pretended that he was important to the department gone in that ridiculous name. They knew he was nothing.

Hands in his pockets, Percy trailed off from the group, watched and waited to see if anyone noticed he was gone before his head dipped into his chest. The sense of inclusion had faded, their normal reality back in place and he was once again the oddball. 

Darkness blanketed the camp the further he walked from the Weasley's tent, Percy's face turned up to the stars. It was a soft comfort but he could feel it, knew that something was amiss. Celebrations around ceased in a wave, the faint screams that were easily mistaken as cheering that followed. Everyone saw it at once, a panic that descended as people with masks came. The screams came first, noises of sheer panic that were soon drowned out by the ricocheting cracks of apparation, desperation to get to safety.

Percy took a few steps back in fear. It couldn’t be happening, none of it made any sense. Voldemort was dead . . . the thing they all feared was gone, or so they believed. Any followers that remained weren't dumb enough surely.

A spell flew past him, shock rolling through Percy at just how close it was to hitting him. He reached for his wand on instinct, the extension of himself back in the tent. He didn’t believe he needed it, never could have imagined a need to use it while in a place surrounded by other witches and wizards. Percy backtracked as chaos fell around him, every face turned up to the sky. The skull loomed above, snake twisting up and through it in a menacing radiance. Every moment that passed sent Percy’s heart plummeting into the pit of his stomach - the dark mark glowing like a beacon above them.

Fear gripped him but not for his own safety, Percy’s head snapping in the direction of their tent miles back. “Ginny.”

Panic swirled inside, tugged at his limbs and made him move faster, body thrown into groups of people trying to remain together and escape. He ran for what seemed like ages, breaths short and sharp as the tent came into view. Flames danced along the top in sync with the fire that now burned in his lungs.

“GINNY!”

Heat greeted Percy’s skin as he ripped the tent flaps back, a moment of hesitance as the glow of the fire danced off his glasses. “Ron? George?” It was impossible to make out the faces around him, to spot a familiar face and dread set in. Smoke clouded his vision, personal safety disregarded as he threw himself into the burning tent. “Fred? Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t! Where are you?”

Everything burned as the black smoke consumed him, filled his lungs despite his attempts not to breathe. Knees hit the ground, some semblance of logic that overrode the panic that he couldn't breathe. Blindly he felt around for his wand, tried to blink the pain away as his eyes stung. Fingers curled around the handle just as he was about to give up, hugged the only thing that was truly ever his to his chest before he coughed out a spell to clear a path.

Black film coated his glasses, made the people running in every direction seem unreal. Teeth gritted, Percy pulled himself up, his wand held tightly in his hand as he stumbled forward, hearing past the cries for help in search only for familiar faces. He hoped they got out, that their father came back and forced them all back to the portkey in time, even if it meant they had forgotten him and left him behind.

They would be safe and that was what mattered.

He mumbled to himself as he fought his way through the people once more, did his best to remain calm. He saw her then, Ginny’s eyes wide as she stood in the middle of it all, alone and vulnerable. He didn’t think twice as he barreled for her, roughly shoving past people as her name left him once more. His arms circled her tightly, pulled his baby sister into a tight embrace. He found her, was determined not to fail her again as his hand locked around her thin wrist and quickly he pulled her along behind him.

“Get off me, Percy!” Nails clawed at his arm, Percy wincing as he pressed on until finally, she started to slip from his grip. “I’m not a child anymore, I don’t need you to take care of me!”

Percy rounded on her, fear clear on his face as he fixed his grip. “I’m not losing you to them, not again!” His chest heaved, eyes turning up as Ginny’s name filled the air, Percy’s eyes locking on the twins. Roughly, Percy drug Ginny along behind him before he passed her off into George’s arms, the two he knew she would be comfortable with - wouldn’t fight. “Get back to the portkey. Unless you see Ron don’t stop for anything.”

“Perce . . .” Ginny’s voice was timid as he started to walk away, faded in the noise. He looked back, waiting for her to ask about Harry. “What about you?”

“I’m going to help others.”

“You can’t go alone. Fred or George should -”

His head shook. He didn’t want to say they would do more harm than good, that being unable to use magic to even protect themselves put them at risk and he wouldn’t have it. Percy’s attention shifted to his brothers, wand at the ready. “Get her back now.” They hesitated and Percy took a threatening step at them. “Now!”

Percy waited a moment, watched as it took both twins to drag Ginny away before finally he turned, terrified as he ran back into the fight.