Harry slept for the better part of the day and awoke only when Ron
burst through the dorm door. "Harry! Wake up, Harry!"
Sitting up groggily, Harry rubbed his tired eyes. "What?" he asked, somewhat irritable for being disturbed when he was sleeping a virtually dreamless sleep. "What is it?"
The fear in Ron's eyes made Harry stop from scolding his friend. "You were right," he said fearfully. "It is You-Know-Who. He's raided the Ministry, him and his Death Eaters. The majority of the Ministry workers," he swallowed hard, "are dead."
This made Harry sit up and take notice. "What about your dad?"
"He wasn't at the Ministry when it was raided," Ron said, relief sweeping across his eyes. "Thankfully. But still, Cornelius Fudge, Ludo Bagman, Kingsley Shacklebolt, all dead."
Another thought struck through Harry's confused mind. "What about Percy?"
Ron went pale. "No one's heard from him yet. But if Fudge was killed, then," Ron's voice trailed off. Harry knew that he and Percy had their differences, but to think that his brother could be dead must be unbearable.
"How did you find all this out?"
Ron swallowed hard. "Dumbledore called Hermione, Ginny and me to his office just about an hour ago. We nearly went mad all day, wondering what this news was. He said that he wanted us who knew about the Order to be the first to hear it, especially directly from him." Ron stopped to take a breath. "And then he told us that he knew Lupin had sent the letter and he wanted us to hear it from him. Then he told us." Ron's face was paler than Harry had ever seen it before and Harry felt the familiar feeling of dread pop up into his throat. Was this the beginning? Or was it the end?
It was nearly seven when the whole school had gathered in the Great Hall for supper, but food was the last thing on anyone's mind. Word had spread rather quickly around the school and everyone was sharing worried glances. More panic spread when Dumbledore failed to appear at the Head Table to give his nightly speech. Instead, Professor McGonagall stood in his place, raising her hands to signal silence.
"I suppose you've all heard the news by now," she said, her eyes steely-cold but her tone trembling with fear. "And I know it's quite frightening, but you must know that the reason Dumbledore is not here is he went to deal with the problem head-on."
Hermione whimpered and Harry glanced at her. She was biting her nails and she, too, was white as a ghost. The other Gryffindor students remained in a mournful silence throughout the meal, none of which were very hungry. In fact, the only house that didn't seem affected by the news of the raid was Slytherin. Draco Malfoy sat, happily chatting with anyone who would listen, about how his father was head of the raid.
"After the Dark Lord only," he boasted. "Other than him, my father organized the entire thing."
"Like that's something to be proud of," Harry muttered. They were standing in a group, trying to push their way through the Hall towards the exit. Malfoy turned when he heard Harry's comment.
"Dumbledore will be next, Potter," he sneered, looking down his nose at him. "And I suspect you won't be far behind. The Dark Lord always hated you."
Fury burned in Harry's eyes as he pictured the fallen Ministry members. As dull as they were when Voldemort first returned, they didn't deserve to die. "He only hated me because I'm his equal," Harry spat, stepping closer to Malfoy. "And don't you ever forget it."
Fear flickered in Malfoy's eyes. He knew of the prophecy; his father had told him all about it. He knew that, when provoked, Harry Potter could be just as vengeful and dangerous as the Dark Lord. Yet, he still managed to glare at him before turning away to brag some more.
"Harry, you should write Lupin and tell him that we've heard the news," Hermione said quietly as they filtered into the hallway. "Let him know that we're alright here."
"Yeah," Ron chipped in. "I've got to send a letter to my parents, ask if they've heard anything about Percy."
Harry stared at his friend. Although his voice was steady, there were hidden tears in Ron's eyes. Harry felt such anger directed at someone that could cause this much pain for such a group. He knew that the end was coming soon, but who would it be that was sacrificed? The prophecy that Harry had heard two years ago stated that either Harry or Voldemort must be killed. They could not both live. One of their lives was drawing to an end. But who would it be in the final showdown?
The very next morning, Ron received an owl from his father saying that Percy Weasley had been among the dead counted for at the Ministry. Upon hearing this news, Ron remained silent throughout most of the day. Harry didn't know what to feel; it was no secret that Percy harboured resentment towards Harry for all that had happened, but Harry never wished him ill. Yet, when it was confirmed that Percy was dead, Harry offered to go to the memorial services with his friend.
"You don't have to," Ron said, his eyes downcast. He had not yet cried, from what Harry knew, but he almost wished he would. It would at least show that Ron was feeling some emotion and was not entirely numb to the events happening around him. "It's just going to be a quiet service at the Burrow."
"How's your mother?"
Ron shook his head. "In a pretty bad state. It was horrible enough when Percy stopped talking to us, but now," Ron's voice trailed off into silence. The two friends sat in the dull quietness of the common room until the late afternoon when Ron announced that he was going to write his parents and make plans to arrive back home. "We might as well Apparate," he told Harry just before heading off to the Owlery to find Pig. "Now that we're of legal age."
"Right," was all Harry said.
Hermione arrived in the common room shortly after Ron left and had heard the news from Ginny. "It's so sad," she said, sitting down heavily in the chair across from Harry. "I never like Percy much, but now that he's gone, I feel really bad." She shook her head as if trying to wash away the memories of Percy.
"I'm going with Ron to the service at the Burrow," Harry said. "Are you coming?"
Hermione nodded. "I already promised Ginny I would."
"How is she?"
"Okay, I guess." She shrugged. "I don't think it's fully set in yet. I met Ron on the way out and he was going to see her after he got back from the Owlery."
It was Harry's turn to nod. The threat of Voldemort had been fading over the past year, but now it seemed like time had never passed. When Voldemort struck, he knew he could strike those closest to Harry and hurt him the most that way. Even though Percy wasn't close to Harry, it was still someone he knew.
Sitting up groggily, Harry rubbed his tired eyes. "What?" he asked, somewhat irritable for being disturbed when he was sleeping a virtually dreamless sleep. "What is it?"
The fear in Ron's eyes made Harry stop from scolding his friend. "You were right," he said fearfully. "It is You-Know-Who. He's raided the Ministry, him and his Death Eaters. The majority of the Ministry workers," he swallowed hard, "are dead."
This made Harry sit up and take notice. "What about your dad?"
"He wasn't at the Ministry when it was raided," Ron said, relief sweeping across his eyes. "Thankfully. But still, Cornelius Fudge, Ludo Bagman, Kingsley Shacklebolt, all dead."
Another thought struck through Harry's confused mind. "What about Percy?"
Ron went pale. "No one's heard from him yet. But if Fudge was killed, then," Ron's voice trailed off. Harry knew that he and Percy had their differences, but to think that his brother could be dead must be unbearable.
"How did you find all this out?"
Ron swallowed hard. "Dumbledore called Hermione, Ginny and me to his office just about an hour ago. We nearly went mad all day, wondering what this news was. He said that he wanted us who knew about the Order to be the first to hear it, especially directly from him." Ron stopped to take a breath. "And then he told us that he knew Lupin had sent the letter and he wanted us to hear it from him. Then he told us." Ron's face was paler than Harry had ever seen it before and Harry felt the familiar feeling of dread pop up into his throat. Was this the beginning? Or was it the end?
It was nearly seven when the whole school had gathered in the Great Hall for supper, but food was the last thing on anyone's mind. Word had spread rather quickly around the school and everyone was sharing worried glances. More panic spread when Dumbledore failed to appear at the Head Table to give his nightly speech. Instead, Professor McGonagall stood in his place, raising her hands to signal silence.
"I suppose you've all heard the news by now," she said, her eyes steely-cold but her tone trembling with fear. "And I know it's quite frightening, but you must know that the reason Dumbledore is not here is he went to deal with the problem head-on."
Hermione whimpered and Harry glanced at her. She was biting her nails and she, too, was white as a ghost. The other Gryffindor students remained in a mournful silence throughout the meal, none of which were very hungry. In fact, the only house that didn't seem affected by the news of the raid was Slytherin. Draco Malfoy sat, happily chatting with anyone who would listen, about how his father was head of the raid.
"After the Dark Lord only," he boasted. "Other than him, my father organized the entire thing."
"Like that's something to be proud of," Harry muttered. They were standing in a group, trying to push their way through the Hall towards the exit. Malfoy turned when he heard Harry's comment.
"Dumbledore will be next, Potter," he sneered, looking down his nose at him. "And I suspect you won't be far behind. The Dark Lord always hated you."
Fury burned in Harry's eyes as he pictured the fallen Ministry members. As dull as they were when Voldemort first returned, they didn't deserve to die. "He only hated me because I'm his equal," Harry spat, stepping closer to Malfoy. "And don't you ever forget it."
Fear flickered in Malfoy's eyes. He knew of the prophecy; his father had told him all about it. He knew that, when provoked, Harry Potter could be just as vengeful and dangerous as the Dark Lord. Yet, he still managed to glare at him before turning away to brag some more.
"Harry, you should write Lupin and tell him that we've heard the news," Hermione said quietly as they filtered into the hallway. "Let him know that we're alright here."
"Yeah," Ron chipped in. "I've got to send a letter to my parents, ask if they've heard anything about Percy."
Harry stared at his friend. Although his voice was steady, there were hidden tears in Ron's eyes. Harry felt such anger directed at someone that could cause this much pain for such a group. He knew that the end was coming soon, but who would it be that was sacrificed? The prophecy that Harry had heard two years ago stated that either Harry or Voldemort must be killed. They could not both live. One of their lives was drawing to an end. But who would it be in the final showdown?
The very next morning, Ron received an owl from his father saying that Percy Weasley had been among the dead counted for at the Ministry. Upon hearing this news, Ron remained silent throughout most of the day. Harry didn't know what to feel; it was no secret that Percy harboured resentment towards Harry for all that had happened, but Harry never wished him ill. Yet, when it was confirmed that Percy was dead, Harry offered to go to the memorial services with his friend.
"You don't have to," Ron said, his eyes downcast. He had not yet cried, from what Harry knew, but he almost wished he would. It would at least show that Ron was feeling some emotion and was not entirely numb to the events happening around him. "It's just going to be a quiet service at the Burrow."
"How's your mother?"
Ron shook his head. "In a pretty bad state. It was horrible enough when Percy stopped talking to us, but now," Ron's voice trailed off into silence. The two friends sat in the dull quietness of the common room until the late afternoon when Ron announced that he was going to write his parents and make plans to arrive back home. "We might as well Apparate," he told Harry just before heading off to the Owlery to find Pig. "Now that we're of legal age."
"Right," was all Harry said.
Hermione arrived in the common room shortly after Ron left and had heard the news from Ginny. "It's so sad," she said, sitting down heavily in the chair across from Harry. "I never like Percy much, but now that he's gone, I feel really bad." She shook her head as if trying to wash away the memories of Percy.
"I'm going with Ron to the service at the Burrow," Harry said. "Are you coming?"
Hermione nodded. "I already promised Ginny I would."
"How is she?"
"Okay, I guess." She shrugged. "I don't think it's fully set in yet. I met Ron on the way out and he was going to see her after he got back from the Owlery."
It was Harry's turn to nod. The threat of Voldemort had been fading over the past year, but now it seemed like time had never passed. When Voldemort struck, he knew he could strike those closest to Harry and hurt him the most that way. Even though Percy wasn't close to Harry, it was still someone he knew.