-1A/N I'm glad that many of you are reading, a lot of people have added me to their alert list's and that's great, but please review. Oh and sorry about the cliffy I left you with at the end of Chapter 8, but I couldn't resist. Enjoy!
Dolores Umbridge paced across the sitting room of her house just outside London. Hatred for that wretched Potter boy consumed her thoughts. How dare he try to fire me, I am a very powerful Ministry official, and Rufus allowing him to speak to me like that, disgraceful. Well I'll just have to resort to more desperate measures to settle this, that'll show them, and when everything is over, I'll be the new Minister, delightful.
Umbridge was lost in her thoughts of her new regime and barely noticed the red-haired man who had appeared out of her fire.
"Oh dear boy you startled me!" Exclaimed Umbridge. "Well? What did he say?"
"I did not speak with him personally, but Severus has informed me that your services will not be required or accepted by the Dark Lord, I'm sorry Madam Umbridge, it was a pleasure working with you…. AVADA KEDAVRA!!!"
Umbridge let out a small scared squeak just before the curse hit her, and her lifeless body fell to the floor. The red-haired man strode to the window and aimed his wand towards the sky.
"MORES MORDE RA!"
The Dark Mark shot up into the sky above the former Undersecretary to the Minister's house.
Harry was shaken roughly awake in his bed in the hospital wing far too soon for his liking. "What's going on?" he asked as he groped for his glasses. "I was having the nicest dream about Gi- err… quidditch, this better be important."
"I can assure you Potter this is something you'll want to hear." Harry was surprised to hear Moody's voice answer him.
"Why what's happened?"
"Umbridge was murdered in her sitting room about an hour after you fired her."
Harry was momentarily elated at the news that one of his least favorite witch's was dead, then his joy was overcome by puzzlement.
"Moody what was she doing at home? I had her arrested for using an Unforgivable Curse on me two years ago, shouldn't she have been at the Ministry or something?"
"Yes she should have, we've been trying to find out why she wasn't, Kingsly said she was taken into the Auror Holding Area by Dawlish, that was the last time anyone saw her, or him for that matter. There's more, the old toad was killed by the Death Eaters."
"Why is that odd? Everyone's being killed by Death Eaters."
"Yes but after everything she did to make your life hell and discredit you and Dumbledore, and ignore Voldemort's return, they ought to have been on fairly good terms with her. We're thinking she was trying to enlist their help to take over the Ministry under her leadership. In the process she obviously found out something she shouldn't have and was killed for it."
Harry took a moment to take all of this in before a disturbing thought occurred to him. "Moody what about Dawlish? He might be working for Voldemort, we always thought he had a spy in the Auror Department, and this makes it look a lot like Dawlish is it."
"Yes we've already thought of that, he'll be arrested on sight if we find him. One last thing, I'm telling you this because I think it would be better for everyone to hear this from you, we were able to get some information on the wand used, it was eleven years old, and had been examined by the security desk in the Ministry, only a few wands fit the information, this was almost certainly the work of Percy Weasly." Moody got up and left, leaving Harry to his thoughts, which were troubled.
Just great, as if I don't have enough to worry about, now I have to tell the Weasly's that their son might be a murderer. Harry thought back to the earlier events of the evening, when Pansy Parkinson had ran into the hospital wing screaming how much she hated him, not that that was news, and trying to curse him, the Weasly children had taken care of that, Ginny in particular had nearly lost control. Pansy had been followed by a near hysterical Narcissa Malfoy, who had tried her level best to curse Harry as well, and had left the school still being attacked by great winged things courtesy of Ginny, nobody seemed inclined to take the hex off her.
Everyone had been utterly shocked when he told them about Bellatrix, Hermione, and Mrs. Weasly nearly fainted, Fred and George and Mr. Weasly simply looked stunned, and Ron had struggled not to yell at Harry for not telling them. Ginny took it best, she merely looked disapproving, Harry was relieved at that for he had been sure that Ginny would hate him after learning he was a murderer.
Once the initial shock resided everyone seemed to agree that no one deserved it more then Bellatris Lestrange, and left it at that, turning their focus instead to Harry's Christmas party, which Ginny had not known about. She looked very happy about spending three weeks at Harry's house, though only Hermione knew why.
Grimmuld Place was hardly recognizable, Dobby had done such a good job of cleaning the house, he had even taken the time to put a small brick wall over Mrs. Blacks portrait. Everyone seemed to find this very funny except for Harry, who could of nothing other then his godfather, wondering through the house, alone and miserable, in the days leading up to his death. No amount of cleaning or redecoration, which the elf had also done, could change the fact that being stuck in this house had made Sirius miserable enough to go charging off to Harry's rescue.
Ginny seemed the only one aware of his sudden unhappiness, and suggested that they all sit down to dinner. Mrs. Weasly was delighted to be told that she would not have to cook or clean or do laundry for the next two and half weeks, though Hermione looked very upset when she found out that Dobby had taken all of these responsibilities. Harry quickly informed her of Dobby's high salary, however, and that cleared things up for Hermione. Ginny, on the other hand, was one of Harry's main concerns, she constantly tried t get him on his own, she always seemed to be passing him in the hall, or sitting in the same as he was, to the point that Harry had taken to donning his invisibility cloak when he wanted to relax.
Harry had not even close to forgotten how stunning Ginny had looked that night, it was almost the only thing he thought about, and the only thing he dreamed about, not even Death Eaters or Voldemort could get his mind off her. He was shocked at the clever way in which she had set everything up, and strongly suspected that Hermione had helped, who else new his favorite foods and would not have told him about Ginny's plans, and had done a remarkable job, if not for Malfoy, Harry was sure he would have lost all thoughts of keeping her safe and demanded that she take him back and forgive him and enjoy a candle-lit dinner with him.
But I couldn't protect her, I broke up with her, and I let everyone know it, and he still went after her. That thought haunted Harry's mind, as he half-tried to convince himself that he could protect her better if she were constantly with him. But he was sure Voldemort had been well informed on what had happened, and that the idea that Harry had been on his way to a very romantic date as a Death Eater tried to murder his girlfriend would only encourage further attacks.
It was two days until Christmas Eve and Harry was in the library under his cloak, looking desperately through the old evil books for any mention of Horcrux's, but was so far unsuccessful. He looked up as Moody and Lupin walked in, but ignored them and continued to read, until he was scared nearly to death by Moody screaming at him.
"POTTER! We're not here for our health, get out of that book and get over here!"
He had forgotten that Moody could see through invisibility cloaks.
"Sorry, sorry, how've you been Remus?"
He went over to sit next to the last of his fathers best friends, and by far the closest thing Harry had to real family, the Dursly's didn't count.
"Oh I've been busy, following Death Eaters mostly, that's why we're here."
"Yeah there's gonna be a big meeting the day after Christmas, nearly all of Voldemort's inner circle will be there, Avery, Not, Crabbe, Malfoy, Snape."
Harry's head jerked up as Moody mentioned Dumbledore's killer.
"Snivillus is going to be there?"
"Yes Harry we thing so." Answered Lupin. "But think about this, do you really want to confront Severus, he's a very powerful wizard, and he wont be alone, ten of the strongest wizards alive will be there, He will probably be there too, I cant imagine why this many are meeting if not to speak with Voldemort. You cant fight them all."
"I know I cant fight them all alone, but maybe a bunch of us could, I'm fussed with most of them, but if we could kill Snape or Malfoy…"
"Too dangerous boy," Growled Moody. "Pick your battles, pick ones you can win. I don't think we can win this one."
"Your right, it is too dangerous, we'll have to think of another way to use this, try to find out why they're all meeting, it might help."
A/Nplease review, please, I'm asking nicely. longest chapter yet, not too much action though, next chapter will be edge of your seat excitement though promise.
