Until Death do us Apart - Part 8

Bill sighed heavily, and Harry was struck by how strained and exhausted the eldest Weasley sibling appeared. The scars lining his face stood out starkly against the paleness of his skin. "The wards around the Burrow are failing. That loud clanging sound and the flickering lights that appear every few seconds are indications that the wards are about to collapse. I'm trying to strengthen them, but I don't know if I can."

"Strengthen them how?" Harry asked.

"I designed the framework for these wards by using strength from the positive emotions that I feel for the Burrow," Bill said, and Harry could easily envision him as a Professor of Ancient Runes.

"The wards are capable of being strengthened by transferring power from a witch or wizard connected to the place within the boundaries. I reckoned that one of us would always be here in case of an attack and could use our emotions to power it. I hadn't expected the sheer number of spells being cast in each direction, however. The Burrow has always been crowded, but not this crowded."

"So, anyone who feels strongly about the Burrow could do it?" Harry asked, furrowing his brow.

"Anyone who feels positively about it, yes. It takes a lot of power, Harry, which is why I can't even stand up right now," Bill warned. "I don't think I have the strength to hold them up much longer."

Fleur placed her hand protectively on Bill's shoulder.

"What if we try to do it together?" Harry asked, and now he felt Ginny's hand on his own shoulder.

Bill looked at Harry uncertainly, his eyes flicking back and forth between his sister and Harry. Harry thought he appeared vaguely uncomfortable, but he couldn't dwell on that now.

"Look, I love this place as if it were my own, and you said yourself that what you're doing now isn't going to work," Harry said with a hint of annoyance.

"I don't have time to teach you all the spells and wand movements in a few seconds, Harry, but I think I can continue casting them by using your strength and transferring it to the wards," Bill said contemplatively.

"Head to that hill over there and climb to the top; that way, we can cover the whole area. On my signal, you have to project all the positive emotion and anything good you feel about this place into your thoughts. I'll take it from there. Make certain to have some cover, though, as this will leave you feeling very drained."

"I want to help, too. I'll go with you," Ginny said immediately, her eyes glinting with determination.

"No. Stay and help Fleur cover Bill; he's more exposed here, and we can't lose more than one patronus while I'm up there," Harry replied, knowing she'd hate the answer.

Ginny frowned and stared back and forth between Harry and Bill, lying on the ground. Finally, she looked out across the meadow at the pitifully few patronuses struggling to hold back the surging dementors. Nodding, she squared her shoulders and whispered, "Be careful," before kissing him fiercely.

"You, too," Harry replied, squeezing her hand once.

He turned, crouching down low and running behind some of the others, as he moved carefully toward the small hill that Bill had indicated. He stumbled several times as waves of dementor-inspired memories crashed over him. By the time he'd climbed the hill and reached the right spot, he was panting from exertion.

He could barely distinguish Bill and Ginny through the smoke, but thank Merlin for that red hair; he could spot it anywhere.