** Hello at last! Sorry about the long wait. I had this English assignment that took me 4 whole days to do, and yesterday I didn't feel like doing anything except sleeping.
I've decided to wrap it up today – and you'll see what I mean about ruining a character. (Best thing that's ever happened to him really, in my opinion).
Sorry if it's an abrupt ending, I'm not very good at them.
OH, yeah, what do you lot think bios are for? If you really want to know stuff, check there first!!! **
More Pressing Matters – Like Voldemort. Chapter 8 – The Unexpected Death Eater.
Harry stood among the wreckage of his parent's old house, staring at the remains of what had once been a tender, loving place, blackened and destroyed.
**FLASHBACK**
Harry ran through the thousands of people flocking around the desks. He couldn't see anyone he recognised. He stopped and stared around.
Sirius had told him that if he had any problems he should use Floo powder to get to the Ministry immediately. The trouble was, Harry had never been in the building before, and it was somewhat confusing.
For one thing, the place was enormous. Harry could have stood at one end of the entrance hall alone and not be able to see the other side, although that was probably caused by the other visitors pushing and shoving to get to where they wanted, or even to stay upright.
Suddenly Harry saw a black head accompanied by a brown-grey one. Ducking underneath people's arms while still trying to keep them in sight, Harry made his way towards Remus and Sirius.
They couldn't hear him when he called their names. Harry kept moving, noticing that the crowds were slowly thinning as they travelled down twisting corridors and up and down flights of stairs.
Suddenly he lost sight of them. He was just about to give up when he noticed a door to the side of the corridor he was currently standing in. When he moved close to it he could hear voices coming from the room beyond.
Harry knocked nervously on the oak door. A few moments silence and then the door was opened by… Remus.
"Harry!" Remus stood back and let Harry inside. Seated at a huge table were Sirius, Dumbledore, quite a few other Hogwarts teachers, some ministry officials, and an important looking man Harry didn't know.
Sirius stood up. "Harry – what's happened?"
Harry hesitated, wondering where to start. "Is it serious, Harry?" asked Dumbledore. The look on Harry's face seemed to be enough for the Headmaster. He nodded to the important looking stranger.
"This is Reginald Greening, Harry," said Dumbledore. "He's the vice-Minister for Magic. You may not of heard of him… he…ah…"
"I don't get much say in things," growled Reginald Greening. "I do paperwork mostly. But that's not to say I ain't worth my salt, eh Professor?"
"Sit down Harry," said Dumbledore with a smile. "Tell us what happened."
"Calm down Sirius," said Harry as he sat down. "I'm fine, no one's been killed – yet." He told them all about the snake. When he'd got to the bit about the call and the answer that had made him pass out, he stopped.
"Yes?" said Greening eagerly. "What did they say?"
"I… I don't know," said Harry. "I fainted right after, it was like every single snake in the world was inside my head, like we shared brains, there were just so many of them…"
"Well," said Dumbledore. "We shall have to assume that the snakes didn't take Harry's word. We could have a major pest problem tomorrow everyone."
"I shouldn't think they'd make it before tomorrow," thought Harry out loud. "The British ones will, but some of them have to travel from Australia and places like that."
"Australia?" laughed Sirius. "What're they going to do, swim?"
"They'll probably stow away on ships," said Harry seriously. "They're smart, snakes."
"We've got about a week then," said Greening.
**END FLASHBACK**
Harry stood slightly back from the actual house ruins, unwilling to nearly get blown up again.
Sirius would not be pleased if he found out Harry had come back, but Harry had just wanted to get one final look at it before he went back to Hogwarts the day after tomorrow.
Suddenly he heard voices. One sounded oddly familiar. Being very careful not to step on anything and make a noise, Harry made his way slowly around the back of the ruined house.
The muffled voices gradually became decipherable as words.
"This is the place…""Are you sure? He will be angry if you make a mistake."
That second voice had been a woman's.
"I am sure. No one comes here anymore. Potter managed to sneak in the other day but his guardian told father that he was never letting him come anywhere near it again." That voice was so familiar…
"Very well. We leave now. I will notify Him in a few days."
Realising the two people were retreating, Harry poked his head around the corner to try and catch a glimpse of them.
All he saw was a small black figure moving away from him. It looked Diane. Harry sighed. His nerves were jangling. He was pretty sure that the two he had heard talking had been Death Eaters.
The cat looked around, as if checking to see if anyone was watching it. Harry was sure now that it was Colin's cat.
Harry ducked out of sight, he didn't know why, but when he turned around again he saw a faint flash of luminous green in the cat's amber eyes.
There was definitely something funny about that cat.
~
Harry hadn't been able to pluck up the guts to tell Sirius or Remus about his last visit to his parent's old house. Besides he liked it better this way.
So what if Voldemort was there tonight? He wasn't going to jump in and fight him. If it was just a joke, a gang of village kids, then Harry was haring off home to bed.
And if it was Death Eaters, Harry was haring off home to tell Sirius, who would be too worried about Voldemort to get mad at Harry.
The first thing Harry noticed when he stepped silently out of the door was Diane the cat.
She was running back towards Colin's house.
Harry ran round to the back of Colin's garden fence and climbed it, narrowly avoiding the dustbins, and ducked behind the lawnmower just in time to see Diane transform.
I'm having a bad few years with Animagi, thought Harry. I should lodge a complaint. They aren't nearly close enough to having registered all of them.
Diane was in fact a tall woman with long blonde hair. Her eyes glowed green slightly as she turned, as if startled. Harry ducked.
He couldn't see it, but the woman smiled. Pulling out a wand, she yelled a curse.
The lawnmower exploded. Harry stood up.
"Mr. Creevy won't be too happy about that," said Harry offhandedly. "You blowing up his lawnmower and all."
"Is that what it is?" said Diane the cat/woman carelessly. "Muggles are so silly aren't they? A simple severing charm does it in seconds."
All the time her wand was on Harry. He knew that he'd never reach his own wand in time.
"Mother?" said a voice from the back door of the Creevy's house. "Is that you, Mother?"
"Yes dear," called Diane without looking around. "Come and see what a big fish I've caught."
Harry gaped as Colin turned the corner.
He laughed when he saw Harry. "Aren't you nosy, Harry?" he said.
"Colin!" exclaimed Harry. "What's going on?"
Colin only laughed even harder. "This is my Mother Diane, Harry," he said. "A waste of hard work really," he added to the cat woman.
"W…what do you mean?" said Harry, although he thought he knew the answer.
"I've tried so hard Harry," said Colin, his eyes as cold and evil as his mother's. His voice wasn't squeaky anymore, which must have been why Harry hadn't recognised his voice the day before.
"Following you around at school all the time, did you really think I liked you? Do you have any idea," he went on, shaking as if he'd been wanting to tell Harry this for a very long time, "how hard it is to speak falsetto when your voice is breaking?"
He put on a squeak. "Oh, Harry! Will you let me have a picture Harry? Will you sign it? Please don't leave me on my larry Harry. I really hope you do well in the tournament Harry… As if," he added in his normal, deeper voice.
Harry was shocked. Out of all the people to be Death Eaters… Colin?
But there was no backing out of it now.
"What about your Dad?" asked Harry.
"He doesn't know," said Colin. "He still thinks she's dead."
"That's sick," said Harry. "Deceiving your own father…"
"I'll do what I like, thank you," said Colin. Slowly, he drew out his wand. "Let me help you Mum," he said. "I've waited a long time for this."
"Don't you dare!" exclaimed Diane, turning to look at him. "This one's for… wait? Where is he??!!"
Harry had vaulted the fence as soon as she'd turned. Running flat out, he blasted red sparks into the air at intervals, aware of Colin and his mother climbing the fence behind him.
For the first time, Harry was very glad that he lived so close. He leaped at his own fence when he reached it.
His hands scraped painfully on the top of the wood. This fence was much higher than the Creevys'.
Pulling himself up inch by painful inch, Harry managed to haul himself over it just in time to prevent himself from getting hit by a Stunner that smashed into the wooden slats just as he fell straight on top of the closed dustbin.
Remus was there, no doubt alerted by Harry's sparks, which had made a hell of a lot of noise.
"Where's Sirius?" asked Harry, panting, as more Stunners hit the fence.
"Contacting Dumbledore," said Remus. "Harry, are you all…"
But he was cut off as the fence he had built with his own two hands blasted apart in a shower of splinters. When Harry whirled around, he saw Colin and Diane standing triumphantly with their wands pointed at the two of them.
"Get out of it Lupin," said Colin with a sneer. "Move, and if you're lucky you'll live to see tomorrow."
Harry very much doubted that Colin meant that. About Remus living, anyway.
Alastor Moody and Professor Dumbledore apparated right on top of Colin and his mother.
"Up you come my lad," said Dumbledore, grabbing Colin by both arms and forcing him to let go of his weapon.
Moody had Diane Creevy at wand point.
Sirius skidded onto the scene seconds after about twenty people had materialised in Remus' garden. All of them were very shocked at the sight that met their eyes.
Harry didn't care. Let someone else work it out for a change. He had his own problems.
As Sirius came running towards Harry with a look of both anger and concern, Harry tried to smile. He had survived. Everything could be a lot worse.
THE END
**Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, but what else could I end it with eh? Aliens invading? Actually that might not be such a bad idea… ahem. Anyway. Hope you like the ending.
READ THIS. IT'S IMPORTANT.
I'm starting something new now. It's a kind of reader's choice thing, you know? Harry messes about with a time turner and ends up in his Father's time. You get to pick which characters go after him! It won't be up for a week though - I'm on holiday!!! – I love half term! - Please tell me what you think of this idea. I'll try and give it a good ending once we run out of characters.
Love Laterose. (But not for the last time! Muahahahahaha!)