***

Chapter Ten

***

Rain poured over the small wizarding settlement. A few dozen American mediwizards and Aurors were about, knocking on doors for information and searching through the rubble of the late Virginia Weasley's residence.

Sirius appeared in the middle of the scene with a soft pop.

"Who the hell are you and what do you think you're doing?" Yelled a witch, who seemed to have been looking through the ruins nearby. "Don't you know the law?"

Sirius stiffened, he wasn't used to getting yelled at by cute, but tiny little witches. "I'm from Britain, actually, if there's any laws I don't know-"

She stormed up to him and glared up at his face. There was at least a foot difference between them. "The law that states, 'No Apparating within five miles of a site with a high Dark Magical aura.' It's international!"

"Wh- what d'you mean?"

"Why the hell are you here if not to investigate the Weasley murders?" She shrieked. Sirius wondered to himself how someone so little could hold so much air in their lungs before her words hit him.

"I- you mean… The Weasleys were murdered then?"

"Yes! Do you mind telling me who in God's name you are?"

"Er, Remus Lupin, of the British Ministry of Magic." Best not to tell her his name, as he was still internationally known as a convicted murderer and whatnot, "Do you know… how many of the Weasleys were here, at the time…?"

"We've found three bodies so far." The witch seemed to have calmed down, and spoke with deep regret. "Arthur Weasley, his wife Molly, and his mother Virginia. The Dark Lord was gone by the time anyone knew what had happened."

Sirius furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "Wait, only Molly, Arthur, and Virginia? I happen to know that Arthur's four youngest children came to this house with them."

"Well we haven't found them." She glared at him, as if daring him to say she did any less than what anyone could in finding the Weasley children. "The chances they could have escaped are phenomenally small, you must know that Mr. Lupin?"

"Yes. I know. Quite agree… however, I must be on my way." Damnit, how will I explain this to poor Harry? He started to back up, but she glared threateningly at him.

"No Apparating. Five miles." She said through gritted teeth.

"Right, I know, I know." He looked around. To the east was a road. "I'll just be going then." A walk wouldn't be too bad.

***

Only ten miles away, in Brooke and Halie's room, Ginny Weasley sat braiding her long scarlet hair, crying silently to herself, for many reasons. One was Fred. He'd made her realize the sickening truth- they had no means to go back home. She knew it had been unintentional, but only the mentioning of the Burrow… she sighed and closed her eyes, not daring to let the tears fall. Second, was how weak she'd been. Just the thought of how she'd overreacted at breakfast made her feel nauseous. She was the youngest, she was the only girl. Why, every time she tried to get a little equality, did she always blow her self farther away, to be more emotional? More immature?

Pitiful worries and woes—how her brothers tease her, how she had to come to school with secondhand robes and books, how… how she didn't think famous, good, great Harry Potter would ever like her…

A disembodied voice, like a memory from a dream of a memory, sifted into her thoughts.

Who was that?

'What am I going to do? I think I'm going mad…. I think I'm the one attacking everyone, Tom?'

The same voice… mocking… her… Tom.

Tom Riddle.

Second year…

The chamber…

Voldemort.

She sobbed again, then pushed her head into the pillow, praying that no one came in. After a few seconds she raised her head slightly and glanced out the window.

That man was wearing wizarding robes.

***

"Hermione?" Remus tapped on the locked door of the two-story house he'd been told was home to the Grangers. "Mr. Granger?" He stood there for a while, waiting. "Bloody good." He glanced around and finally decided to look in the large picture window…

Draco Malfoy sat asleep on the living room couch. Remus tapped the glass. The boy stayed still.

Taptaptap.

He twitched very slightly.

TaptapTAPTAPTAP.

He rolled over.

TAPTAPBAMBAM.

He sat up and glared as he looked around. Remus gestured towards the door and Draco nodded sluggishly and went to open the door. He wasn't great on security.

"'Lo?"

"Draco? You've grown."

"Who're you?"

"I'm your old teacher, Professor Lupin. Hermione asked me to help you?"

"Ah. That's nice." He went back to the couch.

Lupin stared. "Where's Hermione?"

Draco stared back. "Oh, she's in the shower."

The man cocked an eyebrow. "And her parents?"

"Work." Draco just now noticed his expression. "I- I haven't tried anything."

He didn't sound convincing.

A door at the end of the hall opened. Hermione peeked over in the direction of the couch. She couldn't see Lupin from her point of view. When she was sure Draco wasn't looking, she dashed silently from the hall towards her bedroom clad in a big green towel, and a foot away from the door she screamed in surprise as she finally noticed Remus. He'd only now noticed her too.

"P-P-Professor!" She sputtered before dodging into the room without another word.

Lupin cocked an eyebrow again, and Draco patted the cushion next to him. "Wanna watch the television while we wait for her then? It's fun."

***

Mmm. Short. Not too much plot… just a lot of cliffhangers. But that's how we like it, isn't it? Shortshortshort… I'm running out of ideas, I think it might be over soon. *sob* This is my favorite fic I've written.

Awww! People are still listening to my babbles!

Thanky Spanky to: Lavender, Fyredra, Dasani (bes ore-ij-en-ul and smert), RebeccaSL8, Caswy, Jasmine Shragen, Emaeleigha (yay!!), FireballFlier (poor sick thing!), Mayleesa, oreo of love (I- I'm sorry… *shifty eyes*), G*Ness (mmm), porkypop, li-chan and badgrrrl!!

You guys are… spifferific!