Ok. Everyone knows the drill. Still here goes nothing -
Harry Potter and the other characters of J.K. Rowling are strictly hers. I am not the original writer (though I wish I could be J) and I do not wish to make money from this. Most Importantly, I DO NOT want to get sued. So if anyone has any problems with anything I write, then just tell me.
There's plenty more...blah blah blah...forget it and let the story begin :).
Note: US English has been used here.
Note: This is the sequel to Harry Potter & The Power Of Hogwarts. Please read it before moving on with this story.
HARRY POTTER & THE NEW DAWN
Chapter 1 – Initial Reactions
Harry Potter. These two words gave relief to some while others hated it. But one thing which was certain was that these two words were the most widely known ones except maybe for the phrase "You Know Who".
Harry Potter was sitting in complete darkness of his room in the trunk and thinking of what had happened on the previous night. New Year was generally a happy time for him because it meant getting presents and having lots of fun. Alas, this year had started off with misery as he lost the love of his live. Nymphadora Tonks was someone whom he had silently loved the whole of the past year. He didn't dare to say anything to her as he was afraid that he might lose her as a friend but now it seemed as if he had been foolish to hide his feelings. Now that she was not here anymore he felt kind of lost in this world.
Lost wouldn't be the right word to describe his feelings since he knew the goal of his life perfectly well. But still, Tonks had seemed like a guiding force to him along with Remus. Add to that the fact that he loved Tonks, she had become the single most important person to him in the past few months. Tonks was the only one who used to get angry with him over the slightest of things he did which she thought might harm him. Remus used to have a talk with him but Tonks was the one whose reaction would be extreme. He would miss that forever. Only if he had known that her reactions were the way they were because of her love for him, then he might have made some different choices down the road just to be with her.
Harry sighed in the darkness and if anyone had been around then they would have been able to detect the undiluted sadness in that one sigh. He had shed a lot of tears when Tonks had died but now he didn't have any more tears to shed. Now, he only had her memory on every part of his heart and soul. Now he knew that she used to love him too and that was enough for him. Even if Nymphadora Tonks was not there with him physically, she would always be there in his heart.
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"No…this can not be true" Molly Weasley's wails rang throughout the office of Albus Dumbledore on the morning of January 1'st. The Weasleys had been celebrating the New Year when they had suddenly found that Ginny was missing. Initially they had thought that it was one of Ginny's numerous pranks but later on, they had realized she was really not in the house. It was then that they had had panicked and called up all of her friends but without any results. Then, in the early hours of the morning, Dumbledore had flooed and had asked the whole Weasley family to come to Hogwarts.
"I am sorry Molly" Dumbledore said with a heavy heart. He looked quite old now that he had just been back from Tonk's funeral and he knew that this was going to be one of the most emotionally straining days in his life.
"No Albus…it can not be true" Molly repeated. "It just can't be"
"This must be a misunderstanding Albus" Arthur Weasley said to the elderly headmaster in a pleading voice. "Surely it was someone else under the polyjuice or something…". Arthur looked at the headmaster with expectant eyes but the headmaster refused to meet his gaze.
"This is a big joke…I know it" Arthur Weasley said at last. "You are in this along with Ginny. I never knew she could persuade you to join her in such an evil prank". Arthur Weasley gave a small but unconvincing laugh at this.
"Was it really Ginny?" Fred spoke for the first time since hearing the news. If someone thought that the twins could never get serious, then they could not have been more mistaken at the moment. The seriousness on the twins faces was rivaled only by that of the headmaster who gave a silent nod.
"Surely you don't believe him" Ron said in a bewildered manner to the twins who seemed to take the headmaster's word as the final verdict.
"Ron…it was Ginny" George said.
"WRONG!" Arthur shouted. "It could not have been Ginny. She wouldn't do anything to hurt us"
"You are right" Molly Weasley added confidently. "There must have been a mistake. These kinds of things have happened in the past too Albus…when people under the polyjuice…"
"Arthur…" the headmaster looked gravely at one of his favorite students of all times. "It was Ginny". There was a sense of finality in that statement which Mr. Weasley couldn't question. He looked at the headmaster for a couple of seconds before collapsing on the chair nearest to him. Slowly, he began to understand the implications of Dumbledore's words.
"Surely you don't believe him" it was Ron again this time repeating his previous statement. "I mean…how can it be Ginny? Ginny…a death ea…yuck…no way!" Ron looked adamantly at everyone present. Dumbledore had a sad look on his face while the twins looked as if someone had died in the family. His father also looked as if he was trying to distinguish between what was correct and what was not. Only his mother seemed as adamant as himself.
"It was…Ginny?" Arthur Weasley asked again after a long period of silence. Seeing the expression in the eyes of Dumbledore, Arthur broke down completely. This had to be some kind of a nightmare. He couldn't have lost two of his kids to the dark side…not after the sacrifices they had made in the first war. Percy and Ginny had always listened to how their uncle's had laid down their lives to protect them from the death eaters and, every time they had heard it, they seemed to appreciate and respect the efforts of their uncles even more. Ginny always used to say that she would grow up to be like her eldest uncle who had taken on seven death eaters on his own to give Arthur enough time to save everyone else from a death eater attack. The thought that the same Ginny could have turned dark was just…heartbreaking.
"WHY?" Arthur Weasley's scream rang throughout the corridors of Hogwarts. "Just because I don't have enough money? Just because I am too poor to satisfy their needs?" he looked at his sons with tears in his eyes. The twins shook their head while Ron seemed too stunned to do anything.
"You-Know-Who must have offered Ginny lots of money to join him" Arthur said as he looked at the headmaster again. "I will give Ginny money. I will do anything…I will beg on the streets…I will sell everything I have but I will give Ginny all the money she wants". Even Dumbledore couldn't stop his eyes from going misty at this statement.
"Fred…George…" Mr. Weasley, tears in his eyes, rushed over to his sons. "Can you two please lend some money to this poor father of yours?" he asked hopefully. "I will repay every knut…I promise. I just want to bring Ginny back home". The tears of Mr. Weasley just wouldn't stop. "I beg of you"
"Father…please…don't speak like this" Fred and George said simultaneously. Even they were crying. No one had ever seen or heard Arthur Weasley say things like these.
"Ron…" Arthur rushed over to his youngest son. "Can you get me to talk to Harry?" Ron looked shocked at this. "He has a lot of money…he is a very good kid…he will surely lend me some. I will repay him every bit…I will work day and night to repay him". The look of emotion on Mr. Weasley's face was indescribable.
"Molly…" Mr. Weasley rushed over to his wife who herself seemed shocked at his statements. Everyone knew how proud Arthur was when it came to monetary matters and, here he was, begging for money to bring back his daughter. "Molly…we can repay everyone, cant we? Just tell me that I can and I will be able to do it" Mr. Weasley's voice quavered as he said this. "You are my strength Molly…you will be there for me, wont you?"
"Dad…" a voice came from the doorway. Standing there were Bill and Charlie with tears flowing down their cheeks. They had entered a few moments ago and had heard enough to comprehend what might have had happened. It tore their heart apart to see their dad ready to beg for money.
"Bill…Charlie…" Mr. Weasley looked helplessly at his two most established sons and rushed towards them. "Bill…your sister needs lots of money. Can you help me get it?"
"Dad!" Bill hugged his dad tightly. "Dad…please don't beg for her. Please dad…"
"She's your sister son" Arthur said in between hiccups.
"No dad…she was our sister" Charlie came forth and said. "Not anymore"
"Shut up Charlie". Mrs. Weasley hissed at her son. No one had seen the change coming on Mrs. Weasley's face when she had seen the emotions her husband was going through. Even though he had never admitted it openly, it was not too hard to know that he always had a soft spot for Ginny. Without her, Mr. Weasley looked as if he had gone mad and Molly Weasley couldn't stand the scene. She had reconciled herself to the fact that what Dumbledore had said must be true. She had already lost Percy and Ginny to the dark side but she couldn't see Arthur weeping and begging like this. Whenever she had broken down, Arthur was there to support her. Now was the time for her to give some support to her husband.
"Ginny is still your sister" Mrs. Weasley said as she came over and placed a hand over Arthur's shoulders. She knew how hard it would be if Arthur was to think of Ginny being family as a past tense. "Don't worry Arthur…all of us will be there for you…always" Molly said.
"But Ginny?" Arthur asked in a helpless tone. "How do we get her back?"
"She is lost Arthur" Molly said as tears started to form in her eyes once again. "Lost forever"
"No Molly…" Arthur shook his head like a child denying that something had gone wrong. "Not our Ginny…not my Ginny"
"She tried to kill Harry?" Bill exclaimed from another part of the room as Fred and George explained the whole thing to him and Charlie. His initial estimates seemed to dwarf in comparison to the reality.
"Yes but Tonks saved Harry" Fred replied.
"And she died in the process" George added gloomily.
"Tonks! Dead!" Charlie looked as if some sacrilege had been committed. "Ginny killed Tonks! Oh - my - god!" Charlie said as he collapsed into the chair nearby, his head in his hands.
"Some mistake…" Mr. Weasley said in between hiccups but he too knew that it wasn't any mistake of any kind. Somewhere deep down, he had started accepting the fact that Ginny was really lost to them forever.
"What about Harry?" Ron asked in a low voice. Charlie and Bill looked at the headmaster for an explanation along with all the others present.
"He is now at Tonks's grave" Dumbledore replied. "It has been very tough for him"
"Weren't Tonks, Remus and Harry living together somewhere?" Bill queried. Dumbledore nodded in reply.
"Poor Harry" Charlie said with a sigh. "He's just lost another person"
"Not just anyone…" Dumbledore said as he got up to leave the room. He knew that the Weasleys needed some time alone. "He lost a person very close to his heart". The Weasleys stared at each other as Dumbledore walked out of the room. They couldn't understand Dumbledore's statement. It was Bill who suddenly looked up in astonishment.
"Did he mean that Tonks and Harry…?" he looked at the others without finishing his question but knew that they had understood him perfectly. A fresh bout of gloom descended on the room as they understood the real meaning of the headmaster's words.
&&&&
"Why is Dumbledore calling us in so early?" Neville asked Ron as they climbed down the boy's dormitory stairs.
"There have been some…developments" Ron said wearily. Something about Ron's tone told Neville that he was not in the right mood to talk. Little did he know what trauma the Weasley family was going through.
"I have heard that death eaters attacked Hogwarts yesterday" Seamus came up from behind Neville. At this, Ron sighed and started to walk slower. He couldn't listen to all this…not after what had happened during the night before and how his sister was involved in all that.
"Me too" Lavender said as she overheard Seamus. "People are saying some student was involved too"
"Bet Harry was in it" Parvati Patil chipped in. "He is always there when something happens"
"Why do you guys drag him into everything all the time?" Neville seemed slightly annoyed.
"Well…he's the Boy-Who-Lived for god's sake" Lavender said with a roll of her eyes. "And the number of scrapes he has gone through…" Lavender's voice trailed off as they moved out of the common room and into the corridors. No one noticed Ron staying behind and then go up to his room again.
"Hi there" a female voice called out from behind. Neville turned around to see Cho and Soha hurrying towards them.
"Good Morning" Neville said. As the others exchanged greetings, Soha spoke up. "Where is Harry?". Neville gave a shrug of his shoulders to indicate he had no idea.
"Is he alright?" Cho asked in a concerned manner.
"Guess so" Seamus said as the group proceeded towards the great hall.
"You guys are supposed to be in the same house as him" Soha said, throwing up her arms. "How come you never have a definite answer?"
"It's not our fault" Neville replied in a sincere voice. "It's been like this for quite some time now. No one can say anything about Harry nowadays"
"Well…maybe Hermione knows something" Soha's voice had a hint of hope in it.
"Maybe…" Neville said. "But we haven't seen much of her. The last time we saw her was when she was talking to Ron early today morning for a few minutes"
"Why do you think Dumbledore is calling us?" Seamus asked to no one in particular. "I mean, there have been attacks in the past too but he hasn't called everyone in like this at such a short notice"
"And to think we just got back…" Lavender added.
"It must be very important" Cho said even as Soha cast her glance around, searching for Harry's face in the sea of faces around.
"Did you guys feel something yesterday morning?" Parvati said suddenly. "I was checking out the stars positions when there was a kind of vibration all around"
"Really?" Neville said. "Now I understand how I got awakened all of a sudden without my granny poking me"
"I felt something too!" Cho added not knowing that it was the effect of the Power of Hogwarts getting destroyed. "I thought I was just imagining things but now that you guys have felt the same thing…" Cho looked around in puzzlement.
"Maybe the stars have formed some kind of alignment which…" Lavender started to explain but stopped when she saw that the others weren't the least bit interested in her theory.
"Do you think it was some magical thing?" Neville asked to everyone at the same time.
"Well…" Cho seemed thoughtful. "How else do you explain something which has been felt all over the world?"
"But something like that must be really powerful" Soha countered, her Ravenclaw logic forcing her to join the conversation. "It could have been something natural too. After all, nothing is more powerful than Mother Nature herself"
"Well…I guess there is only one way to find out the truth" Neville said. "Listen to Dumbledore". They had all entered the great hall and knew that only Dumbledore could give an explanation about the tremors, if at all. With a quick nod to the others, everyone went over to sit in their usual places. As Neville took his place, he found three vital seats empty – those of Ron, Hermione and Harry whose new position was at the extreme end of the table. Harry not being present was not too unusual nowadays but the absence of Ron and Hermione was of great significance.
"Where's Hermione?" Neville instinctively asked the person sitting next to him. With a start he realized that that seat was empty too. He had been so busy searching out Harry, Ron and Hermione on the table that he had ignored the fact that the seat to his left was also empty – that of Ginny Weasley.
"What's the matter?" Seamus, who was sitting opposite to Neville, asked. "Where the hell are these guys?" Seamus's question seemed to be on everyone's mind as more and more people cast a puzzled look at the spot where the Weasleys generally sat along with Neville and Hermione.
"No idea" Neville answered absent mindedly. His mind seemed to be racing as he tried to add up all the happenings. There seemed to be some relation in all this but he didn't know exactly what it was. A lot of muttering continued around the hall as more and more people speculated as to what could have happened. What worried many people were the smiling faces of a lot of Slytherins. Whenever they smiled, it meant something bad could be coming for the rest. The one notable exception was Malfoy. He didn't seem to be showing too many emotions with comparison to many others and that was saying something. If something really bad happened, it was always Malfoy who strutted around happily about it but for some reason he didn't seem too enthusiastic about anything.
Slowly the teacher's table started filling up. Most of them looked very stressed out while Hagrid looked as if he was on the brink of crying. His eyes were deep red and anyone who knew Hagrid could swear that he had been crying his heart out. Even McGonagall didn't seem as composed as she usually did. One person stood out amongst all the teachers and that was Fleur as usual. This time however it was her pale face which seemed to attract unusual stares from the students as no one had ever seen the quarter veela so pale before. Another notable thing was the empty seat of Snape.
"Maybe Snape died" Seamus cracked a joke when he saw that, except for Dumbledore, all the teachers had taken their place. "And Dumbledore has called us to say that". Some of the Gryffindors around smirked at this comment.
"But why would Professor Fleur be so pale?" Mark Evans asked very seriously.
"Kid…maybe she loved Snape" Seamus replied much to the amusement of some of the other seniors. Amidst all this, one grave voice spoke up.
"Something is wrong…" Neville said with a very calculated look in his eyes. "…very wrong". Just then the whole hall fell silent. Albus Dumbledore had just walked in.
&&&&
"Hey" Remus said as he walked into Harry's dimly lit room. Remus has been to an urgent meeting with the teachers of Hogwarts but he didn't feel like staying any more. Instead, in the middle of the meeting, Remus asked Dumbledore to let him go so that he could be with Harry. In a very rare gesture, Dumbledore had granted him the permission to leave the meeting halfway through.
"Hi" Harry replied in a voice devoid of any emotion.
"Want to eat something?" Remus asked in concern. He knew that Harry had lost track of time ever since the death of Tonks and didn't even care about eating anymore.
"I don't feel hungry" Harry replied.
"Well…you got to eat timely" Remus said and got up to get some food. In the kitchen, he found some ready food inside one of the "magic" refrigerators which Harry used to use in Sunshine Villa before Dobby came over to live with him.
"Here you go" Remus said putting down a few slices of sandwich and a glass of mango juice in front of Harry.
"I said I don't feel like eating" Harry said again with slight irritation in his voice.
"But your health will break down if you don't eat!" Remus looked Harry straight in his eyes but Harry refused to meet his gaze. "You have got to eat something Harry"
"Oh well…" Harry sighed but didn't make any movement to pick up anything. Seeing no response coming, Remus took one of the sandwiches and held it in front of Harry's mouth. After a few anxious moments, Harry took the sandwich from Remus's hands and took a bite off it. As soon as he started chewing, he suddenly realized how hungry he really was.
Remus watched in satisfaction as Harry cleared up the whole plate and gulped down the last of the juice in front of him. Even though Harry wouldn't admit it, he felt slightly relieved when his stomach felt full. A voice from deep within himself had been constantly telling him that he needed to eat properly but he had ignored it till now. At long last, that voice finally seemed to die away.
"Feeling better now?" Remus asked knowing very well that he wouldn't get an answer for that. Pausing for a second, he continued "Do you want to go to the great hall?". At this, Harry shot Remus a quizzical look.
"All the students have assembled in the hall" Remus explained. "Dumbledore wants to tell them about the things which have happened in the past couple of days"
"So what am I supposed to do about it?" Harry asked in a monotonous voice.
"Well…" Remus looked slightly thoughtful. "…when the students hear about what had happened, they will need some kind of a reassurance". Harry narrowed his eyes at this. If Remus expected him to tell everyone that he was going to save them from some dark wizard then he was grossly mistaken. Remus seemed to read what was going through Harry's mind.
"What I meant was that people look up to Dumbledore for protection. Even the students know that as long as he is around they are safe. But…" Remus paused again at this and seemed to be carefully weighing his words. "…but…the students need someone who can lead them…someone who motivates them to fight for justice"
"Remus…" Harry began but was stopped by the hand raised by Remus.
"Harry…you know as well as me that everyone has to lookout for themselves now. Also, they have to know that they too can fight when necessary. They need you in their midst" Remus said.
"But all I have ever brought to anyone's life is pain and suffering" Harry said in a slightly quavering voice.
"And love…and the will to fight…the will to protect others even at the cost of their own!" Remus's voice seemed very determined as he said this. Harry looked at Remus for a moment but turned his head away. Remus sat still for some time awaiting an answer from Harry but nothing of the sort came forth. With a sigh Remus got up and left the room.
&&&&
"Today is one of the most vital days in the history of the wizarding world" Dumbledore said to all the students who had gathered in the Great Hall of Hogwarts on the morning of January the 2'nd. A murmur went through the hall as everyone started speculating as to what could have happened. However, the hall fell into pin drop silence within a few more seconds.
"There had been another death eater attack on the castle yesterday". Even as Dumbledore said this, looks of panic could be seen in the eyes of many of the students. Dumbledore, however, looked as calm as ever. "I am afraid your parents will not be too pleased about you knowing the truth but I have always maintained transparency about everything that happens at Hogwarts. You may be young but you have the right to know the truth". Even as a murmur of consent went through the students, except for the Slytherins, Dumbledore continued.
"Yesterday a couple of persons, whom everyone knew very well, decided to choose the dark side over the light. They decided their priorities lay with Lord Voldemort rather than with the rest of us". Before Dumbledore could finish the sentences, the whole hall burst into wild speculations. Some of the students were shouting across the house tables while some others were talking in whispers. Still others were looking petrified at the prospect of some of their known people joining You-Know-Who. Slowly but surely, a few eyes came to rest at the empty seats in the Gryffindor table.
"Please calm down" Dumbledore said over the noise the students were making. Even as the last murmur died down, Dumbledore continued his speech.
"As you can see, there are some empty seats around the hall". Some people nodded to each other as to prove that what they had been thinking was right all along the way. "Yesterday night, one of our teachers and one of your fellow classmates left us. They were Severus Snape and Ginny Weasley". If someone had expected the students to start their conversations again then they couldn't have been more mistaken. No one made a sound as the enormity of words sank in. Not only had the Slytherins lost their head of the house, the brave Gryffindors had lost one of their members to their enemy. Nothing could be more shameful than that.
"I know this is very disturbing news for all of you" Dumbledore continued after pausing for a few moments. "I must apologize to all of you for not understanding Severus Snape's loyalties before. But…" Dumbledore paused again to gain everyone's attention. "…we have to accept the fact that everyone here will make a choice. Some of you will choose to follow Lord Voldemort whilst others will fight against him till your last breath" Dumbledore's eyes rested on Neville as he finished off this sentence. The boy looked slightly blue in the face but his hands were tightly balled and the look of determination on his face told the whole story.
"The choice you make will decide your and the wizarding world's fate" Dumbledore continued once again. "It is up to you to decide which path you will walk. Succumbing to Lord Voldemort's fear is much easier than standing up to him. Now is the moment to unite once and for all". Many heads amongst the students nodded in consent along with those of the teachers. "Stand together and we will win"
"What about Harry?" one voice called out. It was Colin Creevy. Everyone held their breath at this question. It was a well known fact that somehow Harry always got involved in these kinds of things.
"Mr. Potter…" Dumbledore started but his voice trailed away for a moment. Dumbledore adjusted his monocles as everyone kept looking at him with rapt attention. Some of the teachers, however, were having trouble keeping their emotions in check.
"Harry Potter tried to stop Severus Snape and Ginny Weasley" Dumbledore continued, albeit in a very sad voice. "In trying to do so, he lost a beloved friend of his". Some of the boys were staring open-mouthed at the headmaster while many of the girls had covered their mouths with their hands in shock. Dumbledore looked around for a few moments, unsure of whether to say something or not. It was very unusual to see the headmaster lost for words.
After a long pause, he continued "I hope you will respect his privacy and give him some space. Also, Mr. Weasley and his family have suffered a great loss too. Please give him the required space too. I don't have anything else to say now. Thank you.". Without saying anything more, the headmaster walked out of the great hall. Even after the headmaster had left the hall, no one made a move to leave their seats. It seemed like a bad dream for all of them…a very bad dream. No one noticed McGonagall getting up from her seat to say something.
"I can understand this has been a tough beginning for you all this year" McGonagall said. "However, Hogwarts will continue to function as normal. Your classes will continue as specified earlier. Professor Flitwick will take over the Defense against Dark Arts classes until a suitable replacement is found". McGonagall could see the look of disbelief on the faces of the students but she knew that life must go on. "Thank you" McGonagall said as she left the hall too, leaving in her wake lots and lots of angry and disgruntled students.
&&&&
Harry sat silently for many an hour after Remus had gone away. He knew that Remus was right in a way that the students needed someone to follow in the battle. He didn't want to be the leader who would show the way to the students…not after what had happened to Tonks. Every time someone came close to him, he or she inevitably died. It was strange…it was inexplicable…but it was the fact. And every time, they had died trying to protect him. He didn't want this to happen again. He knew many of the students would be more than willing to follow his lead but did he really want that to happen? Was he really ready for someone else sacrificing their life for him again?
No. He couldn't let others die to save him time and again. He just couldn't let it happen. With a determined face, Harry kept staring at the wall opposite to him and tried to think up of ways to defeat Voldemort. Hours and hours of thinking didn't yield any idea which might have good potential of succeeding. Slowly but surely, the tired brain of Harry gave up to the attractions of a much needed sleep.
&&&&
Harry found himself walking in the white, boundary less corridor again. This time however, he asked himself as to what this place really was. Was it just a dream or was it something else? Even as this thought seemed to be occupying his mind, his feet slowly walked down the well known path which led to the area where he had first seen his parents.
"Harry"
"Mom" Harry replied with tears in his eyes. There was a yearning in his voice which he himself had never heard before. Somehow, now was the time he needed the support of his parents the most but he knew they were lost to him forever.
"Don't be so hard on yourself son" Lily Potter had tears in her eyes too. The thirst in Harry's voice was something which she couldn't miss.
"Yes son" James Potter spoke up. His face seemed to reflect the pain which Harry felt at that moment. "It's quite tough for you as it is…don't make it tougher"
"But dad…" Harry looked on helplessly. "What can I do? I can't lead this people to battle…I can't let anyone else die"
"They don't want you to lead them to battle Harry" James replied. "They want you to show them the way"
"But the way is right in front of them" Harry said, anger getting the better of his other emotions. "They don't know how to live a life of honor?"
"You are asking them to do something which you yourself are afraid to do?" the taunting voice of Sirius Black asked Harry. Harry seemed slightly taken aback at this.
"What's the matter Harry?" Sirius's face showed the anger he himself was feeling. "You are pushing away your friends so that they don't die because of you and then you think they should all fight together to save each other's lives? Why…they also have every right to separate themselves from the others and start fighting Voldemort…everyone can fight Voldemort…but tell me, who is going to win it this way?" Sirius knew it was time for some hard talk. Sometimes Harry had to be brought back to his senses in a manner different from which his parents thought was the best for him.
"I…uh…" Harry stammered slightly even as Sirius continued.
"Even Voldemort has his supporters. Why are you being foolish Harry? You need people to fight with you…side by side, shoulder to shoulder, as a team and not as individuals. You can't do this all alone and if you think you can then you are an even bigger fool than Voldemort who thinks he will become immortal one day"
"But every time someone…"
"Old excuse" Sirius glared at Harry. "People died trying to save you because they foresaw you fighting Voldemort on equal terms one day. I didn't die thinking you will defeat Voldemort and his whole army alone. You have to fight Voldemort…but what about the death eaters? Who will fight them?"
"I don't know" Harry turned his face away.
"Look at me young man" Sirius seemed to be in complete control of the situation and neither Lily nor James dared to say anything in between. Slowly, Harry faced Sirius again but was relieved to see that Sirius's face had softened considerably.
"Harry…Harry…you need help. You can't do this all alone…none of us can. You are our only chance. Don't blow it by being over-cautious" Sirius was almost pleading with Harry.
"But Tonks…" Harry's voice choked as he mentioned the name of his one and only true love.
"Tonks was a beautiful girl" Lily said. This was something which she could handle better than Sirius. "She did what was right and it was her own decision. You should show respect to her decision"
"But mother…"
"Harry…" Lily cut short Harry. "If you knew that a fatal spell was going to hit Tonks, would you have given your life to save her?"
"Yes!" Harry replied without any hesitation. He wouldn't have thought twice before doing the same as what Tonks had done for him.
"Then why don't you accept that fact and move on?" Lily asked. "She loved you and gave her life to save you. Tonks didn't want you to be all alone, did she?". Slowly Harry gave a nod.
"Tonks wanted to see you with your friends Harry" Lily continued. "Please respect her wish".
"WHY SHOULD I?" Harry screamed out at his mother. "I wanted her to live…with me. Did she respect my wish? Why didn't she do what I wanted her to do?" Tears were flowing freely down Harry's face.
Lily Potter's heart bled as she saw the pain on Harry's face. No one knew better than her as to how hard Harry's life had been. Tonks had been like a breath of fresh air in his life but that too was gone now, making it even harder for him to carry on.
"Son…" James spoke up. "You know why Tonks did what she did, don't you?". James waited patiently for Harry's reply. He knew Harry would start thinking logically again once his emotions were under his control again. After many a second, Harry finally nodded his head.
"I know dad…I know" Harry said with a deep sigh as he brushed off his tears. "I guess I should keep her wish". James, Lily and Sirius looked greatly relieved at this statement. "But I still have to think about this" Harry said with his jaws firmly set. "I have to know how I want to plan out everything. Then only I will approach the others"
"Fair enough" Sirius replied while the others nodded. After all, they had got some sort of a compromise from Harry's side which was more than enough for now. They knew he would take the right decision when the right time came.
"Thanks mom…thanks dad" Harry said as the room started to dissolve from his view. "THANKS SIRIUS". Even as he said this, the room went completely out of view. Moments later, a much relieved Harry was lying awake on his bed.
&&&&
"Ginny Weasley!" the general tone of disbelief attached with this name right now could be heard in every part of Hogwarts. No one could ever imagine a Weasley going dark, that too Ginny who was such a lively girl. Her likeable personality had won her friends in all the houses except Slytherin and yet she had turned out to be more Slytherin in her approach than anyone else.
"She fought with us at the Department of Mysteries for god's sake" Neville said for the umpteenth time to Luna who nodded her head vaguely. They were sitting in their Potions class but Fleur didn't seem to be in a mood to teach. Rather, she had told the class to go over what they had learnt in the past couple of months.
"How can she go over and join…him?" Neville's voice had such contempt in it that a couple of students sitting in front of them turned around and gave him a look. Without caring for them, Neville kept on repeating the same thing over and over.
"Maybe it is related to the tremors we felt on January 1'st" Luna said dreamily but Neville didn't seem to hear him and continued asking on the same question over and over again.
"I don't know what happened" Dean Thomas was not in a mood to talk to anyone but he couldn't keep his emotions in check when his roommate Seamus sat down beside him in the Potions class. "I just don't know what happened to her" Dean kept on shaking his head.
"Don't know mate…" Seamus seemed slightly dazed at all that had happened from the morning. "This is some bad dream"
"No…this is life during war" came a voice from behind. Looking around, they saw that a Ravenclaw boy had made the comment. At the looks given to him by the Gryffindor boys, the Ravenclaw continued.
"1 brother and 2 uncles on that side" he said with a sad smile. "The rest of us on this side". The ease and the manner with which the boy described the whole thing was quite astounding and it left the two Gryffindor students speechless for a second. "That's how it goes during this war" The boy continued. "Our family is already torn…god knows how many more will be".
"Hopefully none" Dean said.
"Hopefully" the Ravenclaw boy replied with a slight sigh.
&&&&
"Still can' believ' Snape was working for him all the time" Hagrid grumbled at the emergency Order meeting Dumbledore had called during the afternoon. This meeting was very important as not everyone knew about Snape's actions on the night of January 1. Soon, the room was filled with all the important Order members including Remus. The persons who were conspicuously absent were the Weasleys. Dumbledore was the last to enter the room which was eerily silent as many of the members had learnt about the happenings due to Hagrid's constant grumbling.
Without waiting for too long, Dumbledore informed everyone about the happenings at Hogwarts and how Tonks had died trying to save Harry. Everyone seemed shocked at hearing what had happened not to mention the fact that the daughter of Arthur and Molly Weasley had gone over to the dark side. Many wondered aloud what the Weasleys might be going through after what had happened with Percy. They couldn't help but pity Arthur and Molly at the turn of the events.
"You didn't have the remotest idea that Snape was working for Voldemort?" Remus talked for the first time during the meeting. His voice seemed devoid of all emotion.
"No Remus" Dumbledore couldn't meet Remus's gaze while replying. He could only guess what Remus and Harry had gone through in the past 36 hours or so. "If I had only known before…" Dumbledore's voice trailed away.
"Don't you think that we should shift the headquarters?" a young witch asked. As Remus looked at her, he saw that she looked of foreign origin and had dark features.
"You are right" McGonagall said in agreement. "We should move the headquarters as soon as possible"
"I have already made arrangements for that" Dumbledore said. "Since Hogwarts is the safest place right now, I think we should make this room our meeting place all the time"
"But this is an ordinary classroom Albus" McGonagall did not think that the decision to convert a classroom into the headquarters was a very appealing idea. Any of the students could easily find their way to it.
"It's not ordinary any more" Dumbledore corrected her. "Only the officially inducted Order members will be able to remember this classroom's location. Also, I have placed this room under the Fidilius too so we don't have to worry about any student stumbling in"
"Not a bad idea then" the young witch spoke up again. "We could all turn up as the parents of some of the students and pretend to come here for meeting the headmaster on the pretext of something or the other from time to time"
"I don't think that would be necessary Alba" Dumbledore said as he addressed the young witch. "The war is all out in the open. No pretending of any sort is going to help anyone anymore. But yes, there is no harm in taking precautions"
"Tha's sorte' out then" Hagrid said from the corner seat he had occupied.
"What about Harry?" another wizard asked this time. "Do we really have to keep someone or the other to protect him and drain our resources?" A few people nodded in agreement while others protested this statement. The wizard, however, continued "We can't keep losing Order members like this any longer, can we?"
Before Dumbledore could say anything, Remus spoke up. "Tonks was not there on the Order's instructions. She was a friend of Harry's and did what any one friend would do for another"
"Then it was most irresponsible of her" the other wizard said. "She was the only metamorphmagus in the Order and…" Before the foreign wizard could say anything more, he found himself pinned to the wall.
"She was just a metamorphmagus to you, wasn't she?" Remus asked in a hissing voice as he gripped the man's neck even more tightly. As the man struggled for air, Remus shouted "SPEAK TO ME. SHE WAS JUST A METAMORPHMAGUS, WASN'T SHE?". It was seldom that Remus lost his temper and it was during these times that the powerful beast within came into view. With one powerful thrust, Remus lifted the man a couple of feet in air.
"You have tested my patience a lot of times, Veldor" Remus continued in the same hissing tone. The others in the room were too frightened to say anything. Seldom had they seen Remus this angry. Furthermore, some of the present members shivered at the thought of what this werewolf was capable of when he was real angry and out of control.
Remus didn't hear Dumbledore asking him to calm down. Instead, he grew even angrier at the man named Veldor as his breathing got faster and faster. "I don't think I want to give you any more chances Veldor". Veldor seemed scared out of his wits as he saw the werewolf bare his fangs. Instantly he let out a scream.
"Let him go Remus". Remus turned around as he felt a hand being placed on his shoulder. The deadly look on his face slowly started to fade as he saw the sympathetic face of the headmaster looking at him.
"Save your anger for the persons who have caused such pain to you" Dumbledore said in a reassuring voice. The anger started to subside and made way for the pain which Remus had been constantly feeling. Slowly he let Veldor out of his grip. Instantly Veldor collapsed to the ground, coughing and gasping for breath.
"Let this be clear once and for all" Dumbledore spoke up once. "Harry Potter is a very important person in this war and we have to protect him at all costs. And, even if the Order doesn't do it…" Dumbledore glanced at Remus as he said this. "…then there are plenty of people who are more than willing to look after Harry on their own…" Dumbledore gave a reassuring smile to Remus as he said this. "…including myself"
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"This is quite a nice place" Mrs. Delacour said to her husband as she looked around their 'new' home in Godric's Hollow. It was a small two storeyed building with a small garden in the front. Overall, the house was a cozy place to live in.
"Yeah…I agree" Mr. Delacour replied as their two daughters and son moved in. Gabriel instantly ran off and could be seen from time to time as she moved from one area to another to inspect the place. Soon she had gone upstairs and they could hear her feet going back and forth.
"Seems like she is deciding where she wants to sleep" Mr. Delacour said with a smile to his wife.
"That's your darling daughter alright" Mrs. Delacour responded. Mr. Delacour opened his mouth to protest but closed it again. It was a well known fact that Gabrielle was the gem of his eye.
"You guys like this place?" Mrs. Delacour asked her other children. Her son gave a short nod which was the most he could manage but Fleur didn't respond. Rather, she seemed lost in her own thoughts.
"What's the matter Fleur?" her mother asked her. Upon hearing her name, Fleur seemed to snap out of the trance-like state she had been in.
"Yes mother?" Fleur asked in a confused manner. It couldn't be more obvious that her thoughts had been elsewhere.
"Do you like this place sweetie?" her mother asked as she slowly guided her to the kitchen which was empty.
"Yes mother…it's very nice" Fleur replied instantly.
"But you haven't even had a look around dear" her mother said. Fleur seemed slightly uncomfortable at this but her mother continued. "Tell me…what's bothering you?"
"Nothing" Fleur replied though she didn't look straight into her mother's eyes.
"No problem if you don't want to say anything" her mother said. "But if you want to…". With this, Mrs. Delacour stood silently waiting for Fleur to say something. Mr. Delacour was entering the kitchen but Mrs. Delacour silently asked him to leave them alone for the moment. Mr. Delacour duly obliged.
"Tonks is dead" Fleur said after a long pause, without taking her eyes off her hands which she was carefully scrutinizing. There was a sense of disbelief in her voice which was unmistakable.
"We know dear" Mrs. Delacour moved closer to her daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It was very tragic". Even though it had been a couple of days since the incident had happened, Fleur seemed unable to take her mind off it.
"She was so nice mom" Fleur said after a few seconds pause. "I mean…she died to save Harry. How many people would do that?"
"Not many honey" Mrs. Delacour replied. "That's what made her special". Even though Mrs. Delacour didn't want to raise the issue, she knew that her daughter felt guilty about loving Harry now that she knew how much Tonks had loved him.
"She even asked me if I liked…you know…" Fleur hesitated but was gave a reassuring squeeze by her mother. "When I asked her if she liked him then she said she liked him only as a friend. Why would she do that?" Fleur asked in a confused voice, still looking down at her hands.
"Maybe she thought she was not the right person for him" Mrs. Delacour suggested softly.
"But she was the right person!" Fleur exclaimed as a couple of tears made their way down her cheeks. She knew she couldn't be as selfless as Tonks and it pained her to think of what that girl might have gone through all the time she had been near Harry and yet unable to confess her feelings to him.
"Maybe…maybe not…" her mother replied. "But, at the end, they both knew how the other felt"
"At the end, mom…at - the - very – end!" Fleur looked up with tears in her eyes. "Is that justice mother? They loved each other so much and yet…"
"Life is not always fair, my child" Mrs. Delacour said as she hugged her elder daughter. Fleur was very insecure at the moment and she knew she had to guide her right now. "And it doesn't stop for anyone honey"
"It has stopped for Harry" Fleur shed more tears as she said this. "I could see it in his eyes"
"He will get over it dear…he has to get over it" Mrs. Delacour replied.
"But how?" Fleur asked again. "I listened to the words he had said…I heard the passion and the pureness in them. He loved her with every part of his self. How can he 'get over' this tragedy?"
"We have to help him get over it honey" Mrs. Delacour replied. "We have to be there to support him"
"Why did it have to happen this way…why?" Fleur asked to no one in particular. "They would have been so happy together…"
"It will be alright dear" Mrs. Delacour said. "Just be there for Harry when he needs your support, ok?"
"Ok mom" Fleur said reluctantly as another tear fell. She knew she would never be the one whom Harry would love. This, in itself, was very painful. But what was even more painful was the fact that she would never be able to bring herself to confess her love to Harry…not after seeing Harry and Tonks together. However, one thing was for sure – she would always be there for Harry when he would need her.
&&&&
"Where is Harry?" Soha asked Neville during their next Potions class together.
"Don't know" Neville replied. No one had seen Harry except for the time when he had come to meet Fleur for a brief minute in between classes. He had apparently come to pass on his best wishes to the Delacours for their new home. After a minute or two, he had vanished again. His roommates knew that he was sitting inside his trunk but they didn't say this to anyone else.
"How come he gets away with not attending classes?" a Ravenclaw student sitting behind them asked in a puzzled manner.
"Dumbledore said he needed some time" Soha replied, clearing up the boy's question.
"But…" Soha turned back towards Neville. "…aren't you guys roommates? You should know where he is or what he is doing?"
"Look…" Neville sounded slightly irritated. "…none of us has any interest in disturbing Harry now. He was just recovering from his godfather's death when someone else dies again. Would you have gone meddling into his business at this moment?"
Soha looked taken aback at this question but recovered quickly. "I am not asking you people to meddle into his life now. All I wanted to know is whether he is fine or not".
"He is fine" Neville replied. "He just needs some time and we don't want to disturb him right now"
"What about Ron?" Soha continued but her eyes went over to where Hermione was working fervently on her potion. Hermione had been unusually quite in the class for the past few days. "I haven't seen him in the classes either for the last couple of days"
"He will be back too" Neville replied. "It's been very tough for him and his family to suffer this double loss"
"Double loss?" Soha looked slightly puzzled. It was then that Neville realized that very few people knew about Percy. He had got to know about Percy because Ron had told him about it. With Harry mourning Tonks's death, Ron had no other person to go to other than Hermione and Neville who had become quite close to this couple over the past few months.
"Oh…someone passed away in his family just before all this happened" Neville quickly made this up but, seeing Soha's reaction, felt that she wasn't entirely satisfied with his answer. In any case, she didn't pursue the topic further and started to concentrate on the potion in front of her. It had been only a couple of days since they had got back and already everyone could feel the absence of Harry and Ron in the classrooms. Silently Soha said a prayer for both Harry and Ron. Both had suffered losses and she hoped that god will give them the strength to move on in life and keep fighting.
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"What is happening?" a man in his mid-thirties got up as he heard sounds outside. It was around midnight that he suddenly woke up but he couldn't understand why. In his dreams he seemed to have heard some screams but now that he was awake, the night air seemed perfectly still.
"Go back to sleep" came the disgruntled reply. Obviously his wife didn't like being disturbed in her sleep.
"Something is wrong tonight…" the man said hesitantly as he climbed out of his bed. Something about the stillness outside gave him a nervous feeling.
"Yeah" his wife replied as she turned over in her bed. "You are awake in the middle of the night…that's what is wrong"
"What are those lights over there?" the man's voice had a curiosity which made his wife open her eyes for the first time. "Green light…red light…all kinds of lights…"
"Get back to bed, will you?" his wife said as she looked at her husband who was standing near the window and looking out in wonder. She could see some flashes of lights across the window pane but she brushed it off as some kids sending of crackers even though it seemed absurd. Whatever be the case, she just didn't like to be disturbed like this.
"No…this cant be!" her husband's voice sounded astonished along with a tinge of fear. It was as if he had seen something unbelievable, yet terrible. "People are appearing out of thin air!"
His wife looked very irritated and seemed to have overlooked the fear on the man's face. Even as she got up to a sitting position, her husband stumbled backwards and fell down. Within seconds however, he had scrambled back on to the bed and was sweating heavily.
"One man saw…saw…me…" the man gasped out.
"Have you gone mad?" his wife seemed to be getting more upset with every second passing by. It seemed like they were going to have another argument. Not a single day passed without them having any argument of some kind and now he had to start acting weirdly at night.
"No" came the reply. The man's wife seemed taken aback at the difference in her husband's voice. It seemed very harsh…and ruthless.
"But now he will be" the voice continued. Only then did the woman realize that the voice was not that of her husband who was already looking at a dark corner of the room. As she looked around, a hooded person stepped out of the shadows and lowered the hood to reveal a handsome, red-haired young man. He had a small stick in his hand which he pointed at the man sitting in front of him with his mouth open in astonishment and fear.
"And you will have the privilege to join him too". A split second after the boy finished the sentence, the air around them filled up with spine-chilling screams.
&&&&
Harry jumped up from the position where he had fallen asleep whilst he was thinking about Tonks. He did not know what had happened but he was sure he had heard blood curling screams nearby. For a moment Harry wondered where he was but, upon realizing that he was in the trunk, he started to wonder what it was that he had heard. He was sure he had heard something but then again, it could have been a dream. Even as he tried to remember, he couldn't recall any dream he had been having.
Harry got up from his bed and went over to the kitchen to drink some water. He had the glass of water near his mouth when it stuck him. It had not been a dream…rather, it was the sound emitted from one of the spying devices implanted on the death eaters. The voice had seemed recognizable to a certain degree but he couldn't remember it clearly now. Not caring much about whose voice it was, Harry started to think about how to stop what he had just heard – people being massacred.
&&&&
"Neville…get up" Dean Thomas tugged heavily at Neville's blankets. Neville lifted his head with great difficulty and looked at the watch on his bedside table. 5:30 A.M.!
"Go away Dean" Neville said as he covered himself with the blankets only to find that they were gone the next second.
"You got to see this" Dean said excitedly…and nervously. As Neville looked up again, he saw Seamus, Ron and Harry looking out of the windows of their room each having a different expression on his face. While Seamus seemed puzzled at what he was seeing, Ron looked fearful. Harry, seen after more than 48 hours by Neville, looked on with his face set in stony determination. There was something about his stony expression which made Neville shiver inwardly. Neville saw that their eyes were going back and forth on something on the grounds of Hogwarts.
"Don't complain later" Dean said as he peeked out of another window. His curiosity peaked, Neville got out of his bed, put on a jacket due to the intense January cold and went over to Dean's window. Looking out, he saw a scene he had never imagined in his wildest dreams.
Hundreds of people seemed to be crossing the Hogwarts grounds. As Neville looked around, he saw one family of husband, wife and a small kid. The lady seemed to be having a hard time putting the kid to sleep in this cold weather while her husband was busy leviating their luggage in front of them. Another group of people consisted of a very old couple along with two small kids who were constantly crying even as they walked across the ground. Their clothes seemed smeared with an unusual color of red.
"What the hell?" Dean said as he pointed out the kids to Neville. Apparently he was looking at the same group. "Why are they crying so much?"
"Because they have lost their parents a few hours ago" it was Harry who replied. The icy coolness in his voice caused everyone to look at him oddly. "And the color on their shirts…it's blood…the blood of their parents". At this everyone else in the room looked from Harry to the kids and back at Harry. Harry couldn't be right...rather, he shouldn't be right. This was what was going on through everyone's mind as they inspected the kids again. No matter how much their minds tried to deny Harry's statement, it seemed as if he was correct. A shiver went down everyone's spine's as they imagined what might have happened to these kid's parents and what these kids might have watched with their own eyes.
"What the…" Dean looked lost for words as more and more people came into view. Some were just wearing their night dresses while yet others were wearing a weird assortment of muggle clothes. Everyone seemed to be shivering in the tremendous cold outside not to mention the slight drizzle which had been there all through the night.
As they watched, they saw a few familiar faces appearing along with their families. Harry remembered many of them from his first couple of years at Hogwarts. More and more people were looking upwards as they passed. Harry guessed that most of the lights of Hogwarts must have been turned on by now. Even as he turned around, Harry saw Neville facing him with a questioning look.
"Yes Neville…" Harry said. He knew what question was on Neville's mind. "He has started killing again"
&&&&
"Oh my god…I can't believe this" Hermione said as she looked out of the window of the Gryffindor common room.
"What is the matter?" Katie said as she descended down the stairs which led to the girl's dormitories. She had been awakened by all the commotion in her room and, deciding that she wont be able to sleep again, she had got dressed and come down to find a room full of students.
"Hundreds of people…they are all attacking Hogwarts" one small girl squeaked from behind a curtain. Apparently she had thought she could escape by hiding.
"Stop it kid" Hermione scowled. "Have a look for yourself" she said to Katie. As Katie joined the other students near the windows, she saw the same scene which Harry and his friends had witnessed.
"What is the meaning of this?" Katie looked stunned at what she had just seen. She knew what this could mean but she wasn't willing to spell it out herself.
"Refugees" Hermione said the one word which described the whole situation perfectly.
"Harry!" one of the students exclaimed in delight. Everyone looked towards the boy's staircase and saw the familiar, yet rarely seen figure of the Boy-Who-Lived. Everyone watched the boy, rather the young man, climb down the stairs followed by Neville. Harry moved on through the throngs of students and out of the portrait hole with Neville. Once outside, Harry went on towards Dumbledore's office while Neville went off towards the Ravenclaw tower. The D.A. had to meet soon and it was best if Cho had seen what they had just viewed.
&&&&
The Daily Prophet
Largest Killing Spree Of The Century
Our special correspondent Rita Skeeter reports what is probably the largest death eater attack ever of the current century. Over seventy wizarding villages were simultaneously attacked according to our sources. The attacks, which started with the appearance of the Dark Mark at Midnight of January 5'th, were carried out for more than an hour. It is estimated that around four hundred death eaters carried out the attacks in groups of five to seven each per village. It is not known whether the ministry aurors were able to capture any of them or not but reports of fights between aurors and death eaters are doing the rounds. Many people say they had been saved by the aurors while yet others complained about the ministries false promises.
The total number of casualties estimated right now is a staggering Nine Hundred and Forty Seven. And it is still on the rise! The ministry, however, denies this.
"About a hundred people were killed in the attacks" Minister Fudge told us exclusively. "We had been successful in preventing larger number of deaths because our forces were already on high alert. We had been prepared for something like this"
However the unofficial reports contradict what the minister told us. It seems like our ministry has failed in its promise to protect the people – yet again!
It is still not known why this particular day was chosen for the attack but it seems He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has decided to make his presence felt. The last big attack was on the ministry building itself six months back when death eaters attacked there. It is rumored that something was stolen from the ministry building on that day but there had been no reliable confirmations. After that, no attack of such significance had taken place though there had been unofficial reports of death eaters attacking Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft and The Delacour Manor in France during Christmas. Currently, Fleur Delacour is occupying a teacher's post at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft.
"Where is Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter?". This is the common question which is on everyone's lips today. People believe that if anyone can stop these attacks then it has to be either of these persons. Even a ministry official, on the condition of anonymity, told us that many of the captured death eaters feared only these two persons. It seems that both Albus Dumbledore and the Boy-Who-Lived have their work cut out for them.
On the belief that Albus Dumbledore and the Harry Potter were their best chances at staying alive, hundreds of people were seen proceeding towards the Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft. Unofficial estimates put the number of 'refugees' at Hogwarts at over two thousand. People have flocked to the Hogwarts castle from all over England and reports of more people leaving for Hogwarts are still coming in. Overnight, many of the wizarding villages have turned into ghost towns.
The war has started!
Page 4: What can the Boy-Who-Lived do to save us?
Page 5: Dumbledore – Why doesn't he take care of this situation once and for all?
Page 6: "We don't need anyone else!" says Minister Fudge.
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A/N: Sorry for this HUGE delay in posting the first chapter of the Sequel. Caught up in my work…blah blah blah.
I didn't go for a prologue or any introductory scenes because I just didn't feel repeating too much of PoH here. Hopefully this chapter was an ok one to start off with.
A special thanks to Catherine for helping me out with certain stuff for this story.
I am posting this under the Harry/Tonks section since Tonks will occupy a huge portion of this story in some way or the other. How? Sorry…can't say that right now but Tonks will be a big factor for Harry and this story.
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