the_debt_of_time

As the group turned to await their friends, Padfoot caught the scent of blood, and
his eyes widened as Remus came running toward the house, carrying with him the wounded
body of George Weasley. Padfoot stayed put, still on the edge of his paws, wishing that he
could do something to help, but remembering everyone's precautions.
Wait for everyone to get back, then go to Harry.
Everyone made their way into the house, and Padfoot winced, knowing that soon
Ginny and Molly would notice his absence. He listened quietly from outside as Molly
tended to her son's wound; it was not life-threatening from the sound of it, though he felt
a modicum of grief for the boy—a fellow Marauder—who, from the sound of things,
would certainly no longer look like his identical twin.
"What creature sat in the corner the first time Harry Potter visited my office at
Hogwarts?" Padfoot overheard Remus ask. "Answer me!"
"A grindylow in a tank, wasn't it?" Harry nervously replied.
"What was that about?" Hagrid roared.
"I'm sorry, Harry, but I had to check," Remus said tersely. "We've been betrayed.
You might have been an impostor."
Outside, Padfoot looked back to the field by the Burrow, waiting for anyone else to
arrive, his eyes scanning the area carefully, his ears perked up, alert for any threats. Remus
said they had been betrayed. He mentally went through the list of Order members that he
recalled, growling as his memory fell on Mundungus Fletcher. Remus told him it had been
Fletcher's idea to use the Polyjuice, but Sirius knew Dung was not smart enough to have
come up with something like that. It must have been a trap.
Padfoot continued to guard the Burrow, listening all the while to Remus scolding
Harry inside the house. He was on edge at the volume and tone his best friend was taking
with his godson—though he had to admit, it was for the boy's own good.
"Harry, the time for disarming is past! These people are trying to capture and kill
you! At least stun if you aren't prepared to kill!"
"We were hundreds of feet up! Stan's not himself, and if I had stunned him, he
would've fallen and died the same as if I'd used the Killing Curse!" Harry insisted.
"Expelliarmus saved me from Voldemort two years ago."
"Yes, Harry," Remus conceded with painful restraint, "and a great number of Death
Eaters witnessed that happening. Forgive me, but it was a very unusual move then, under