Bending the Rules

By Lyra

Chapter one: The Blackest Day

On December 29, every Seventh year Gryffindor boy slept peacefully in their beds. It was a clear and beautiful night, with Orion hanging high in the sky and the crescent moon dangling brightly. Their window blew cool air threw the open shutters chilling the sleeping boys.

"Hey Nev, get that…" the boy farthest from the window mumbled out.

"No, Seamus you get it." said the boy pulling his covers up closer.

"Ask Ron." a boy with a tuff of bright sandy colored hair annoyed.

"Ron you get the window." was his reply.

"It's closest too Harry's bed."

"Harry, get the window." But now, the wind increased and the raptors beat against the cold stone tower. When they received no reply, Ron finally rolled out of bed and shut them.

"Fine! Sleep away! Oh Great Potter make ME get it!" as he passed Harry's bed, he failed to notice the ripped curtains or the green scull patch grinning from its pinned place on Harry's curtains.

---

Hermione was tried of waiting; she'd been up since six-thirty waiting for Harry and Ron too show up. At quarter past seven she was fed up with waiting. Hermione marched up the boy's staircase, and knocked loudly on their door,

'It may be Saturday but breakfast is only an hour long!' she thought to herself.  She rapped at the door once more before rudely walking in and opening the windows, and four post beds. All while yelling

"Up, up, up! You're going too miss breakfast!!" Seamus was the first up, followed closely by Ron muttering about Breakfast, then Dean and Neville headed off too the showers. She sighed inwardly.

"Potter! Up now!" No response.

"Snape's coming!" she tried. No response. Flinging her arms up into the air she walked over and roughly pulled the curtains apart, and let out a horrid scream.

All at once the four boys came running back in fist raised, Ron was first, and he promptly caught Hermione as she fainted, and rushed Seamus too get McGonagall. The old witch arrived steadily fast and nearly passed out herself. She covered her hand with her mouth. Dean fled with Seamus too get the Head master.

---

Arthur Weasley arrived bright and early at the Ministry. A relatively quiet week it had been. He was in no hurry, felt no distress and was totally relaxed. That was until he reached the Ministry, in the grand entrance, panic filled people rushed past him, knocking him left and right. A familiar flash of Red hair passed by.

"Percy!" he screamed catching the red-heads attention. The boy rushed over.

"Thank god you're here dad!" he said relief in his eyes.

"Perc? What's wrong?" he asked rushing. Percy held back a choked sob.

"Fudge's gone dad." He bowed his head in respect for his mentor.

"The-the-the mark was found in his house…" he trailed off. Arthur sighed deeply.

"Percy listen, you go home and tell your mother not too wor-" a short wizard stepped on the counter. He started calling for attention.

"All of you listen!! Shussh!! Quiet!!" finally he took a deep breath and with a "SILENCE!" Everything froze.

"We have a major crisis on our hands, firstly the minister is gone, and in his last will has already declared a new minister. Secondly all field agents report too 'B-52' now." with that all settled down and Percy said a rushed goodbye and appareted away. Arthur made his way to the tunnel and along with seven others disappeared.

---

Dean and Seamus returned with Dumbledore. Both pale visibly. Hermione sat next too Ron on his bed, crying on his shoulder. Dumbledore walked solemnly up too the bed of the boy who lived, and sighed inwardly. He knew what lay in the bed. He had smelt in form the door, he had smelt it before, and this wasn't the last time he would smell it. That salty forget-me-not smell of blood. Before he reached the bed he told the students too leave. Go too their common room, and wait. Wait for the inevitable.

It was an odd scene.  The curtains were slashed and the covers pulled away, the white sheets were smeared with dried blood. But there was no body, nothing occupied the bed. Dumbledore peered curiously at the bed, looked over the sheets, and finally when he could find nothing else, he turned to leave. However, in the corner of his eye, he caught the green scull patch. There it was, grinning up at him from its hap hazardously pinned position.  He plucked it off, and peered over his glasses down at it. Finally he pocketed it, and left.

---

Hours latter everything was cleaned up, Hermione and Ron were sitting on Ron's bed starring at Harry's. Hermione looked his bed up and down. No matter how hard she tried to accept that Harry was missing she couldn't. Something was missing. Missing? Of course there something missing, Harry's missing… she thought bitterly. Ron was having similar thoughts, only as he looked around his best friends side of the room he noticed something, the stupid silver, green eyed dragon Harry'd gotten last year was missing.

"Hey… Hermione? Where is that dumb dragon he had?" Hermione looked around and noticed it missing.

"Maybe it fell of in the struggle?"

"Nah, a house elf wouldda picked it up."

---

Mrs. Arthur Weasley sat at her kitchen table frightened at what had happened. But even more repulsed by Rita Skeeter,

Boy Wonder Missing

Rita Skeeter

On December 29, the wizarding world shall say a final good bye too Harry Potter. Beloved, and Devoted Friend, Harry seemed like the perfect student. But was he? I, Rita Skeeter have discovered the real truth a bought Mr. Potter.

"He always picked fights with Draccy-kins, he always teased us, and he never let up! And just because Dumbledore favors him, we can't say anything a bought It." a charming un named student comments, another had this too say "Potter? Yeah I'd seen him around, he always assumed better than anyone. Always has his head up too high if yer' ask me" said another, but that last comment is the most real of them all, a close friend of Potter had this too say "...he wasn't Perfect…Wasn't nice…was cunning… big-headed…suppose he was Jealous…"

Over the years it appears that Potter had gotten away with too much, a teacher commented that he reportedly "Had a foul mouth, like his father and always made blunders in clas-"

Whatever was left of the paper was gone now, up in flames. Molly Weasley stood with harden eyes watching in the flames as the news paper combust.

---

Draco Malfoy woke up that morning feeling quiet refreshed; He'd just had the most amazing dream about flying.    It was wonderful, especially since he'd been flying with-

"Draco!" Blaise blurted blundering in thought the door.  His cheeks were flushed, he dark blue eyes were squinted together and his hair disheveled.

"Blaise?" Draco raised one eye brow at Blaise who was now catching his breath leaning against a bed post. 

"Draco—Har-(wheeze) Harry's gone."

The effects on Draco were immediate. His shoulders seized up, and his eyes hardened, the quirky smirk on his face faded into a hardened line.

"What?" he yelled diving for the boy and shaking his shoulders.

"He's been abducted, apparently last night… but no one noticed till this morning." Draco stopped shaking Blaise and his mouth opened slightly, his eyes slid shut, and his knees threatened to give way.