Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Co. not mine. Ally and Weldon mine...........so there we go.

A/N: Here is the next chapter. You can now find out why they were crying. No people to thank again.........oh well.........you know the drill........enjoy the chapter and try to review please.


Chapter Nine

Harry sat on a chair in front over Professor McGonagall's desk. Hermione and Ron were sat on either side of him. He gripped onto their hands with all his might. Harry saw that Fawkes was still here, happily sleeping.

Harry felt as though his ribs were broken again and he couldn't breathe. His head was banging from all the information he had been given. He wanted to run, scream, anything, just to make it not true.

Hermione's parents......dead.

Ginny Weasley........dead.

Arthur Weasley........dead.

Tonks..........missing.

Remus Lupin...........missing.

Bill Weasley........missing.

Charlie Weasley.........missing.

The muggles on Harry's street that he had just left........most of them dead.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why didn't you tell Ron and Hermione sooner? Did they not deserve to be at their funerals?" Harry was struggling to keep his voice from breaking. Hermione was sobbing hysterically again, leaning in to Harry. Harry kept a firm hold of both of his friend's hands. This was all his fault, he should have just let Voldemort kill him. He wouldn't be killing everyone he had come to call family.

"We have found something very incredible linking you and Voldemort. We needed to keep you safe so that we could be sure of it." Professor McGonagall explained. Harry just stared at her, silent tears falling down his face. She continued. "If we had told you then you would have come out of hiding, risking yours, Hermione's and Ron's lives."

Harry looked at her waiting for her to explain what the link was. She didn't continue. Harry looked around at the three Weasleys behind him. Fred and George's mischief had disappeared from their eyes. Mrs. Weasley was sobbing quietly into her handkerchief.

"Well.......what's the link?" Harry urged, forcing back a fresh wave of tears.

"I can't tell you yet. We're not completely sure on the information we have found. Albus had talked about it but we were never sure till we found a diary he kept about you."

"Here we go again. Dumbledore stopped telling me things I need to know because he thought he was protecting me. Look where it got him." Harry was starting to raise his voice. Hermione pulled at his hand to keep from going any further.

"Harry, we really need to be sure of this link before we give you the information. It really is a matter of life and death. If we tell you now, you'll be brash about it and do something you'll regret in revenge for those you loved. Just give me some time, that's all I ask of you."

"Fine." He huffed. "Where are we going to stay though?"

"A classroom has been set up as a temporary bedroom. It's on the fifth floor. I'll take you now. You'll have to say goodbye to Molly, Fred and George. They have to be getting back to Grimmauld Place." Harry stood up with Hermione and Ron. They all hugged each other and Harry, Ron, and Hermione all followed Professor McGonagall out of the office, leaving behind the three Weasleys.

"Why can't we go back with them?" Harry asked as the walked down the corridor.

"It's safer for you here."

They walked to their makeshift bedroom in silence. Every once in a while, Hermione's sobs broke the silence.

As they walked in, they saw three beds with their trunks at the end of them. There was a small table with three squashy chairs around it by the fireplace. It looked warm and comforting but it didn't feel it.

"Ally will be here soon with some food for you." Professor McGonagall told them as she walked out, closing the door behind her. They all looked at the door blankly. Harry could feel a lump start to form in his throat. He felt Hermione slide down to her knees and break down into a fresh wave of hysteria. Ron and Harry fell down beside her and gripped on to her. They all hung onto each other desperately, crying into each others arms, hoping for some peace.