Chapter Two A Missing Horcrux

The scent of flowers drifted up through the window and Harry stood looking out for a moment before placing the book in his trunk, covering it with his Quidditch robes and shutting it. He had both anticipated and also hoped that he would not have to leave before the month was out. But knew that as soon as he spoke to his aunt that it would be the final result and so had made plans for either occasion. He lifted Hedwig from her perch, stroke her feathers and stood at the open window. "Go now," he said. "Go to the Burrow and stay there until I come for you." She blinked at him once, raised her wings and took flight, swooping out into the night sky, a faint white spot against the deep blue darkness. He watched until he could see her no longer and then turned, surveyed the room for the last time and headed out.

His aunt was nowhere to be seen when he opened the front door and closed it behind him. He remembered a similar trip years before when he had inadvertently blown up his aunt and had left the house. This time he knew he would not be returning. He walked a short distance and did something that was also very familiar. He threw out his wand hand and stepped back out of the way. He was not surprised this time by the violently purple-colored bus that careened into the curb.

Stan Shunpike was not on board to greet any passengers. Harry knew that he had been arrested for allegedly involving himself in Death Eater activity. It was sad to realize that Stan had probably not been released yet. Harry pulled his trunk up with him and nodded at the driver. He was relieved to discover that Ernie Prang was still the driver of the Knight bus.

Harry glanced at the contents of the first tier of the bus and noticed that it was empty of occupants, something else he was grateful for. He handed the customary knuts over to Ernie who dropped them in a leather purse, closed the door and tapped his temple. "'WH-R-ARE YOU 'EAHED, 'OY? was how it came out, as if he always liked dropping the first letter of every word he spoke.

"Godric's Hollow," Harry said and crossed his fingers behind his back. He wasn't sure that just saying the words would be enough. Does he know where it is? he wondered.

"Oy?" Ernie asked and Harry repeated his destination more loudly. "Oh aye, 'odrics' 'ollow. "Aven't been there in years. No conductor t'night. Take a bed."

Harry was very aware that he needed to move quickly and actually dove towards the first bed in the bus just as Ernie hit the gas. Riding the Knight Bus was always an experience and Harry found that this was no different. This was no gentle ride and didn't allow for anything but looking for the next handhold or object to cling to, let alone sitting back and reading or enjoying any sightseeing.

In any case, he was not in the mood for sightseeing or reading. He placed a protective foot on his trunk and held on for the journey. He had no idea how long that would be, and considering that he might be the only one on the bus, he thought he might just be the first one off.

"Will it take a long time?" he shouted finally.

"Uh?" Ernie asked and turned and looked at him, completely ignoring the road ahead. "You say 'omething?"

"Yes. How long will it take?" Harry shouted. "Do you have other passengers?"

" Others? Oy don' know, let me see. I'll go check." And before Harry could blink, Ernie was out of his driver's seat and was through the bus and up the stairs to the second tier. Harry was left to watch in horror as the bus drove through London, on its' own and at full speed.

He didn't know what to do; whether to continue to cling to the bed that was sliding from side to side or to try and get to his feet and take the wheel. He was just about to roll over and throw a leg out to stop his constant movement when Ernie came walking through like a sailor on a ship and found his place at his seat again.

"No others," he shouted. "Be there soon."

They were rolling through small villages and here and there he stared out and saw fires and furtive figures running through the dark. He thought for a moment that he might have also seen the winking green of the skull and snake that was Voldemort's sign of death in the sky.

"What's happening?" he shouted as they rounded a bend and zoomed through a pitch black tunnel.

"'You're 'arry Potter!" Ernie mouthed. "There's those that are lookin' fer ye. The world 'as been turned upside down. It's You-Know-Who that's taken over. Nothin's safe now ye see. People are hiding or runnin' fer their lives. They say that you be the Chosen One, come to save our sorry souls." Ernie shook his head and chewed on his rubbery lips. "It's foolish to think a boy kin save us now."

"What about the Ministry? Are they doing anything?" Harry was clinging to a hand-carved bedpost and shouting above the racket of the bus' top scraping the roof of the tunnel and shooting out sparks that rained down on each side of the bus like a shower of gold.

Ernie pulled out a gold pocket watch, shook it and looked at it with his hands once again off the steering wheel. He then poured a cup of tea from the end of his wand into a fine china cup and pulled out a sandwich.

Harry thought the man hadn't heard the question and was about to ask again when the man turned to him with crinkled red eyes and munched away at his sandwich as he talked. "Got no way to stop 'em. They're running all over the country. I 'ardly stop fer passengers, afraid they'll kill me or make me do sumptin' bad. But I knew it was you; had stopped there once afore you know. Sides, yer safer wit me then wanderin' around on yer own." Ernie turned his head back to the road. "Aye it's become winter in our hearts and the world is coming' to an end."

Harry sat thinking over what he was hearing. The old man suddenly reached down and picked up a paper near his feet and stuffed it into Harry's hands.

"Yeh kin read it fer yourself," Ernie said and leaned back apparently to take a quick nap.

Harry watched the road ahead for a few minutes wondering if it was a good idea for the driver to nap and then decided that the bus was not his problem. He glanced at the headlines of the Daily Prophet and gasped.

The paper had made a decision. The publishers seemed to not want to jeopardize their future and were now printing articles about cleansing the wizarding world of muggle-born witches and wizards or at least reducing their population. New laws were being enacted by the Wizengamot and it looked like new trials were taking place. Familiar faces were paraded across the page in front of his eyes. Cornelius Fudge was being dragged towards a doorway looking for all the world like a crazed man. Delores Umbridge stood to the side looking satisfied and nodding towards the reading audience as if to say that he truly was mad and they were ridding the world of one less crazy politician.

Harry glanced at the other reports and kept shaking his head in disbelief. In just a few days Voldemort had spread his spider's web far and wide. There was even a picture of Lucius Malfoy with the headline: Upstanding Citizen and Pureblood Member of Ancient Wizarding Family Embarrassed: Unjustly Accused and Imprisoned! over his face.

He stared at Lucius who stood with his wife to one side and Draco in front of him.

Harry was happy to see that Draco looked uncomfortable standing with his father's somewhat twisted and malformed hand on his shoulder. The steely eyes of Lucius Malfoy held no warmth and there was a gauntness and severity etched there by the months he had spent in Azkaban. Harry studied the woman beside and slightly behind him. He had seen Draco's mother several times. She had always appeared to have a rather haughty manner. The picture showed him something else now. Her eyes were on her son, not looking straight ahead, and there was fear on her face. He didn't read the article below the picture knowing that he could not stomach whatever it was the paper was trying to force-feed the public.

Instead, his eyes skipped further down until he spotted his own name. He was listed as a fugitive wanted for questioning by the Ministry in connection with Dumbledore's death. He skimmed the words in disbelief.

Harry Potter seen fleeing the scene of the crime was not apprehended when he brazenly attended Albus Dumbledore's funeral the following day out of fear that innocent people and dignitaries coming to pay respects would be harmed. There is every reason to believe that he played a part in the headmaster's death and has subsequently vanished and cannot be located for questioning. Anyone who has had contact is urged to inform the Ministry at once. Do not approach as he may be dangerous.

He read further holding his breath in amazement. Without realizing it, he had been away from Hogwarts less then a week and was now no less than a criminal. Witnesses had been called together to discredit him, and Filches records had been confiscated. Harry read with growing anger, the exploits of his father and friends blown out of proportion and spread across two pages in very tiny print. The very catalogue that Snape had forced him to copy in detention was now a matter of public record and worse; exaggerated beyond reason.

There were people who were being interviewed, which included Delores Umbridge and many of the issues that had been raised over the years, including the fact that a condemned criminal was his godfather, were being dredged up once again for consumption.

He glanced out of the driver's window and listened to Ernie Prang snore as they jumped through the dark countryside with only the lonely headlamps to light the darkness ahead. The paper dropped to his lap and he lay on the rocking, sliding bed around the bus like a skater on an ice pond and felt his anger grow, feeling helpless to do anything about what was happening in the world.

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The Weasley household was in shambles. Usually neat and tidy even with such a large family, Molly and Arthur had convened a meeting with their family, including the twins who now lived on their own over their shop and, the older boys Bill and Charlie. Ron and Ginny were consigned to the end of the table and Fleur sat between Ginny and Bill.

The house had been searched by Ministry wizard's looking for information on the whereabouts of Harry Potter and for anything that they might use to blacken the good name of Arthur who had been suspended from his job because of rumors of his having been a member of some underground organization involved in illegal activities against the Ministry.

The informants had not given a name and so the words, 'Order of the Phoenix' had yet to reach public ears, but many of the members were being harassed, rounded up and shipped to Azkaban or held awaiting trial. Everyone at the table knew that the rumor had probably been created by none other than Severus Snape. Once he had killed Dumbledore it was not beyond their imagination for him to betray the Order and every member in it.

Hedwig had arrived earlier and there was no message tied to her leg and so they were assuming the worst and the mood at the table was anything but cheery.

"We're all going to have to go into hiding for a short time until it's safe," Arthur was saying. That brought a roar from the twins who couldn't afford to close shop, from Fleur who wanted to carry on with her wedding plans and from Ron and Ginny.

He held up his hands and waited for his family to quiet while Molly shot disapproving looks at them all. "It's my understanding the Number 12 Grimmauld Place may be a safe place to stay. Those of you who wish to go there may. We're taking Ginny there and you may join us if you wish. Since you are all of age I cannot force you to go."

"Is it safe there?" Bill asked. "Snape knows about it."

"Dumbledore was the secret-keeper for the Order. He left Remus with instructions in case of his death," Arthur said and coughed into his fist. He seemed to be struggling with his fear and was being much more direct with his family then usual. "We'll be safe there and perhaps can begin to plan to fight back. I know that I will feel better knowing that all of you are within arms reach. So many are being taken and...and I can't fight if I know that harm will come to any of you." He suddenly collapsed in a chair and held a hand over his eyes.

Molly reached over and laid a hand on his arm knowing immediately that he was overwhelmed. She looked at her family and for the first time in such a situation, remained silent.

They all waited for a few minutes and then Charlie was the first to speak. "I think that it might be a good idea. However, I think that it would be best for me to return to Romania and see if I can drum up some help there. I'll be safe out of the country. Bill still needs to recuperate and needs to rest. I can't decided for any of you but I'm not backing down and letting He-Who-Must... Aghh, Blimey!" he grunted and spit the last out, "...Voldemort win! If we stop now, he'll take over. We've got to find a way to stop him."

Bill was nodding as he listened and he stood and Fleur stood a moment later. "We will do this too," she said quietly and hugged his arm to her.

"Darn right!" the twins said in unison.

"There's plenty of people that we can talk to. Lots of mates from school and customers," Fred said.

George nodded along with his brothers words. "It's scary because people are afraid and thinking that there's no one to stop him. The Ministry has turned coat. So it's up to us. We have to be the new Order of the Phoenix, dad. You're running out of soldiers."

Ron and Ginny were the last on their feet. Ron spoke first, "Harry is my friend. We all know that he's innocent and that they are trying to make him the villain so that Vol..."

Ginny punched him in the ribs to force the words from his mouth, "...Voldemort can get to him. He wants to kill him in the worst way. He needs our help and I'm gonna give it to him. He'll come to Grimmauld Place if he's in trouble because he doesn't have anywhere else to go. I wanna be there if he does. And I'm old enough to be a member of the Order. It's time you let us fight."

Ginny walked to her father and touched his shoulder. His worried face turned up towards hers. As his only daughter she carried favor with him. "You can't stop this war, dad; not all by yourself. We'll go with you to No# 12 Grimmauld Place if you let us help. We've got to find Harry and protect him. If he gets hurt...or dies," she paused and took a breath, "then all is truly lost."

Arthur looked at them all and finally nodded. Molly threw her arms around his neck and sobbed quietly, while the family stood around the table looking at each other glumly.

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Remus Lupin walked in the shadows of the street which was empty of shoppers. It was early in the afternoon and many of the shops were closed. The fear that had invaded the rest of Britain had intruded on Diagon Alley. He stood quietly at the junction between Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley and then slipped down the street into the more fetid, claustrophobic street.

There, the shops were not closed. On the contrary, it seemed that they were open for a holiday. Witches and wizards of every variety and walk-of-life prowled the filthy street and inhaled the odors of decay that emanated off the sooty brick walls and smeared, dusty windows.

He walked unnoticed by the occupants and shoppers. He was, after all, one of them and accepted by them. He moved quietly and without encountering anyone until he spotted the shop. Before entering, he studied the faces of the few that loitered nearby. There was a filthy vagabond who sat on the cobblestone of the street and slept in his own filthy clothes, head down on crossed arms. He recognized one of the women who strolled up the street and who did her business on the street. There were several squibs who frequented Knockturn Alley always in search of someone who would perform magic for them for one reason or another. There was no one of great interest and no one who took an interest in him.

Remus ducked his head and stepped in through the door. The inside had the standard appearance of a bookshop, although the titles of the books on the shelves indicated that it delved into the Dark Arts in the biggest way. A goblin by the name of Quag looked up from the counter and a very tall wizard who had been talking to him also looked up. The wizard recognized Lupin and nodded towards a curtained door.

Remus glanced down the aisles as he walked past the rows of book shelves and saw that the only occupants in the outer room were the bookstore owner and the goblin. He head the faint tinkling at the door and knew the goblin had gone.

The inner room that he stepped into was more like a closet then an actual room. It was filled ceiling to floor with shelves that held a different variety of objects. There were still books on the shelves; books he knew to be of tremendous value and very, very dark and horrible. Some of these were covered, not in leather, but in human skin. Some of the books mumbled incoherently and some were sealed with heavy locks and wax. He ignored these and studied other artifacts that were accumulating dust on the shelves. He even spotted the family crest of the Black family amongst the clutter.

The tall wizard came through the curtain a minute later. He was rather stork-like in appearance and movement. His nose was that of a bird, beaky and long with a hump in the middle. He was very thin and lanky and arranged himself in a chair before Lupin and crossed his extraordinary long legs and folded his long pale fingers together in an attitude of attentive listening.

"What can I do for you my friend," he asked.

Lupin struggled not to smile. He knew that to do so was dangerous; but it always amused him to talk to Bird, because the name was so apt. "I've come with some things to sell. I have some items that I would like to dispose of for a little spending money." He was not about to let on that he needed the money desperately in order to bribe people at the Ministry and at Azkaban to release friends of his or that the items he was selling came from the Black estate and from Dumbledore.

The man smiled and uncrossed his legs. "You've never been a customer of mine Remus, although I am not surprised that you are here. You've always acted rather high and mighty for our kind I must say. Arrogance is not a becoming character trait in this environ and hardly suits a werewolf, now does it Lupin? There have been rumors you know. I've heard that Grayback Fenrir is very interested in finding you; as are others."

Remus studied the man, now completely sober and not feeling amused at all. "You'll either buy these items from me or you won't. I think that there will be interested dealers once word gets out that I have them. I can always go to Borgin and Burkes." He knew that dropping the name would rile the store owner who was always in competition for valuable stolen goods or dark items.

The thin hand waved at him. "No need. We are friendly here and very discreet." What he was saying was that he would not pass the word that it was Lupin that had brought in merchandise; and yet Remus knew that word would spread almost before he let the door close behind him.

With little hesitation he lifted a valise onto the desk and waved his hand. The lid opened to reveal an object setting in a purple velvet-lined case. Bird leaned forward and looked at it and then leaned back, his eyes were now crackling with delight, the rest of his face was stone-like; he was wearing his poker-face.

"Very interesting, Lupin. Where did you get it?"

"I thought you said you would be discreet," Remus said.

Bird nodded and Lupin saw a mild trembling in the fingers as if they itched to touch the object. "Does it belong to HIM?" he asked.

Remus nodded. "It will be of great value to someone. Of course, the Dark Lord searches for it even now." He added the rest for good measure knowing that to be caught with it in one's possession would mean certain death. To have it and know that it belonged to Voldemort- was treasured by Voldemort- added to its' intrinsic value.

The thin white fingers hovered over the object and then were withdrawn. The man smiled and nodded and the case closed. " I am assuming you have provenance?" Remus nodded in response. "Very well. Let us talk."

Twenty minutes later Remus stepped out of the shop. He could not have known that the object that he had just sold, that had lain dormant in the Black mansion for over seventeen years, held the Horcrux that Harry sought to destroy.