Disclaimer: Not mine
Chapter Thirty-Five: Lots of Revelations
"Oh, no." Harry gasped. "Come here."
Albus and Severus hurried to the window. Six Death Eaters were in the street just outside Grimmauld Place.
"Can they actually see us?" Severus asked Albus.
"Not unless- " Albus started to answer but was cut off when one of the masked people crossed the boundary that should have prevented the house from being seen. Alarms were suddenly blaring throughout the house.
"Harry, get in the kitchen now." Albus ordered.
"But-"
"Now, Harry."
Harry raced out of the room and down the steps. As he reached the first floor landing, he caught up with Ron.
"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked.
"Already down there." Ron answered.
The stairway leading to the kitchen was in an uproar. The adults were trying to get up to handle the situation; Harry, Ron, and Ginny, who had just met up with them, were trying to get down.
As they entered the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley thrust a jar of floo powder at them.
"Remember, it's 'Hogwarts, Headmaster's office.' You go first, Ginny." Mrs. Weasley ordered.
Ginny entered the fireplace and threw down her powder. She repeated what Mrs. Weasley had said, but nothing happened.
"Try again." shrieked Mrs. Weasley, handing her the jar.
Again, Ginny tried, and nothing happened.
"Are we still connected?" Hermione asked.
"We should be. Albus wouldn't disconnect his office from headquarters." Mrs. Weasley answered.
Above them, a large bang was heard, followed by a scream and a thump.
"You could make a portkey." Hermione suggested.
"I can't. I've never managed one." Mrs. Weasley said, almost crying.
"It's okay, mum. We've faced this before. We'll be fine." Ron said, hoping to calm his mother. The last thing any of them needed was for an order member to be in hysterics while headquarters was being attacked.
They heard another loud crash and then voices filled the air. Voices that did not belong to any of the occupants of the house.
"Check the basement." one yelled.
"Harry," whispered Ron. "Is You-Know-Who here? Can you feel him?"
"I don't know, Ron. I don't think so, though. I didn't see him with the others." Harry said. "Come on. We can't stay here."
All the teens pulled out their wands. The crept to the door to listen to the footsteps on the stairs. Ginny pulled her mother along with her, as Mrs. Weasley seemed to be having difficulty functioning.
When the door opened, all four students whispered spells. The lone Death Eater fell, having been both stunned and petrified. Harry reached down and pulled off the mask to reveal MacNair.
"Leave him." he said, as he lead the others up the stairs.
They emerged in the Entrance Hall, finding two Death Eaters laying on the floor. Both had been restrained to prevent them from escaping.
"There were only six." Harry whispered. "That means only three are left."
"Must find someone. Get a portkey." mumbled Mrs. Weasley.
"The door's right there. We could just go, if we wanted to." Ginny said.
The house was completely silent, and that didn't make sense. It seemed as though some noise should be coming from somewhere.
The four teens tiptoed to the staircase, giving Mrs. Weasley little choice but to follow. When they reached the second floor landing, another loud crash and thud was heard. One of the bedroom doors opened, causing all to point their wands at it. Professor McGonagall emerged, looking quite triumphant.
Upon seeing her students, her eyes widened. "What-"
"The floo connection was cut." Hermione whispered.
"Make a portkey." commanded Mrs. Weasley.
Minerva cast a glance around the hall for something that could be used as a portkey. Just as she was bending to pick up an abandoned shoe, they heard a scream. All thoughts of portkeys were driven from their minds. They raced to the room Harry had left only minutes earlier. Entering, he saw that Albus had left; Snape was still there, however. Lucius Malfoy was with him.
Snape had obviously been held under the cruciatus curse. He was still shaking and breathing heavily. He was also currently unconscious.
"Oh, more visitors. How lovely." drawled Lucius. "I will get to you all later. Right now I want to have fun here with the spy."
No one knew what to say to that. It had been assumed that Snape was being very careful so as not to be found out.
"What makes you think he is a spy?" Harry asked. "I think he is a-"
"Save your breath, Potter." Lucius interrupted. "I have asked him and he fully admitted it."
Professor McGonagall, Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Hermione and Ginny all looked shocked.
"Oh, bloody hell." Harry said with comprehension dawning horribly. "The damn truth serum."
"What?" asked five very confused people.
"What are you talking about, Harry?" asked Minerva again.
"We took a truth serum. We were talking to Albus and we didn't have time to take the antidote."
"Interesting." Malfoy said. "I am ever so curious to know why you are referring to your esteemed headmaster by his first name. Now you said 'we took a truth serum.' Hm, how very interesting."
Harry realized his mistake far too late.
"Harry, leave the room." ordered McGonagall. "Go now."
Harry turned quickly to leave, dreading all the things Malfoy could force him to reveal. Before he could make it to the door, Malfoy shouted one of the worst things he could have asked.
"What does the prophecy say, Potter."
Knowing what was happening but not being able to stop it was one of the worst feelings Harry had ever had. He turned again, and began reciting it. He had said everything Voldemort had heard the first time when he was hit by a spell. His lips were still moving, but nothing was coming out. Minerva had used the silencing spell on him.
He glanced at his friends and saw a variety of looks on their faces ranging from curiosity to hurt. He knew he should have told them before, but he just couldn't. Now he would be forced to, and they would be angry with him for waiting so long.
Lucius and Minerva were duelling. She was quite spry for someone her age and within minutes, Lucius was petrified.
"Snape." Ginny said. "Is Snape okay?"
Minerva walked over to her colleague and bent over him.
"He will be." she answered. "He needs Madam Pomfrey, though."
"Only one left." Harry said. "There should only be one more."
"Albus has one." Minerva said.
"Then they're all accounted for." Hermione said, relieved.
"Why is he holding one? Who is it?" Harry asked.
"I am not sure I am the one to answer that, Harry." his professor responded. "Let's go check on the other order members and look for Poppy. She should still be here."
Remus was the first person they met.
"Everyone okay?" he asked.
"Fine. Do you know where Poppy is?" Minerva asked.
Remus glanced at Mrs. Weasley, who still looked disoriented. "She's tending to Fred." he whispered.
Minerva shot him a look, to which he answered "Don't worry. It's not serious."
"Professor?" Hermione asked. "How could someone find us? Professor Dumbledore is the secret keeper; he wouldn't have told. And what about the floo connection. Doesn't that mean that the person who did this-"
"Miss Granger." Minerva snapped, instantly regretting it. She forced herself to use a gentler tone "There are ways around the Fidelius Charm. They are complicated, and would have to involve a member of the Black family, as they knew everything there was to know about this house before Dumbledore placed it under the charm. And yes, the person who disconnected the floo would have to have connections at the ministry and be in the order."
"How many people meet that criteria?" asked Ginny.
"Just one." answered Minerva, unsure of whether she should divulge that information. It would lead the teens to jump to conclussions.
"Tonks?" Harry asked incredulously. "Tonks wouldn't do that."
As they approached the sitting room, voices could be heard. One could easily be identified as Professor Dumbledore's. The other was a woman's, but definitely not Tonk's. She was crying and quite obviously in distress. The door opened and there stood Narcissa Malfoy.
A/N: Before you flip, I have not forgotten what Snape said about her in a previous chapter. It will all work together. Please trust me. Also forthcoming is the explanation of why Tonks did not fit the criteria, as it appears she would. Thanks for all the reviews. I feel so loved. Please keep it up:)