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Chapter 9: Numbness Sets In
Harry felt elated as he woke up very early the morning after Halloween. He had survived the ball with Ginny and everything was going okay. Except for Voldemort, a little voice in the back of his head reminded him. Harry shook his head to clear those thoughts away. He had promised himself that Voldemort would not ruin every bit of happiness he had.
After getting dressed, he went downstairs to meet Ron and Hermione for breakfast. Harry was surprised the two were awake. It was very early for any of them to be up, especially on a Sunday. He remembered with a grin, the way he had found the two curled up on the couch the previous night, but no one else knew that. Harry had heard Ron come to bed later in the night so no one had awoken to find the two together.
During breakfast, Harry received his usual copy of the Daily Prophet, and was startled by the headline on the front page. Harry opened and closed his mouth several times, but it didn't seem to be working properly. He glanced at Ron who was shoving sausages into his mouth at an astonishing rate. Where was Dumbledore? Harry thought scanning the staff table and not finding him there.
"What's wrong Harry?" Ron had finally noticed Harry's odd behavior. Should he tell him? Should he wait for Dumbledore? What was there to do? "Harry? What is it?" Ron was now peering at him in a curious manner and noticed the Daily Prophet dangling freely from Harry's hand. "Is that Skeeter woman at it again?" He asked in a frustrated tone and grabbed the Daily Prophet before Harry could stop him. He gasped at the headline that greeted him and stared. Hermione looked over Ron's shoulder and her mouth fell open. Her voice seemed unable to work as well. Ron just kept staring at the headline that read: Weasley Family Attacked, Resurrected You Know Who Thought To Be Responsible.
Harry's mind wasn't working. He felt like he was stuck in a parallel universe where coherent thought was not possible. He tried to pull himself together for Ron's sake, but he just couldn't. It was only then that he noticed Dumbledore come to Ron's side. Dumbledore took Ron's arm and practically dragged him out of the Great Hall, Harry and Hermione in tow. None of the other Weasleys were present. They were still asleep.
"This was not how I wanted you to find out about this Mr. Weasley. However, news of the attack has just reached me." Ron seemed unable to respond. He had a blank look in his eyes that made him seem empty inside.
"Wha." Ron began to speak, but stopped as his voice cracked. He shook his head and cleared his throat, trying, it seemed, to regain his composure. "What happened? Are they going to be okay?"
Dumbledore sighed and put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "The Death Eaters came and attacked. There was really nothing your parents could do, but Arthur tried to fend them off as Molly ran to escape. Your father cursed about eight death eaters, but in the end there were just to many of them. Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore paused.
"Just TELL ME!" Ron screamed. Hermione jumped. Dumbledore flinched, but nodded his head.
"Alright. Mr. Weasley.your father was killed. You mother was badly injured. She is in St. Mungos now, but she should be just fine. Your father was a courageous man, Ron. He died protecting your mother and everything that the Order of the Phoenix stands for." It looked like Dumbledore had more to say, but before he could get another word out, Ron ran out of the room.
Harry jumped up to follow him, Hermione at his side. This was not a time for Ron to be alone. He needed his friends. Harry and Hermione ran after Ron following him all the way down to the lake. Ron stopped at the water's edge and turned around to face them.
Harry was surprised to see tears streaming down his best friend's face. He didn't really know what to say to him, to make him feel better, to make things okay again. Harry realized that nothing would make things okay again, NOTHING. This was just the first loss of many losses, the first tragic death in what was sure to be a long string of tragic deaths.
Harry looked at Hermione. She was crying too. Her eyes were focused on Ron and she seemed to be speechless as well. Slowly she walked up to Ron and put her arms around him in a comforting embrace. Ron closed his eyes as he held on to Hermione tightly. He buried his tear-stained face in her hair and let out a choking sob.
It seemed like an hour, but in reality was only about ten minutes, when Ron let go of Hermione. Wordlessly, the three made their way back up to the castle. One by one, the Weasleys awoke and heard the news. Dumbledore took them into his office, explained what had happened and let them go. Ginny slept late that day, but when she did wake up, Dumbledore was there to take her aside and explain to her the same thing he had explained three times already.
Harry was grateful that he was near when Ginny was told what had occurred. Ron and Hermione had gone to take a walk, alone. Surprisingly, Harry felt that he understood why they wanted to be alone and he found he didn't mind much. Harry watched out of the corner of his eye as Dumbledore led Ginny out of the portrait hole. After a few minutes, Harry followed and waited outside of Dumbledore's office.
Harry waited for a while and finally Ginny came running out of the portrait hole that led up to Dumbledore's office. She started to run away, when she saw Harry. She stopped in front of him. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, her chin was trembling and she looked ghostly pale.
"Oh.Harry.I..I..just." Harry put a finger to her lips.
"Shhhh. You don't have to say anything." He embraced her warmly and she collapsed in his arms. Her body shook as she sobbed relentlessly and Harry whispered comforting words in her ears. An hour passed slowly and Harry felt tears began to make their way down his cheeks as he listened to Ginny cry her soul out. In a way, it felt like losing his parents again except on a much larger scale. He tried to think of Mrs. Weasley. At least there was something to be thankful for. She was still alive and well.
A few hours later, Harry and Ginny went back to the common room to find Fred, George, Ron and Hermione all sitting around the fire. They weren't talking, just contentedly enjoying the fact that they had each other for support. Harry and Ginny joined them.
"I will need to see all of you in my office." Harry jumped, startled. Dumbledore was standing behind them, a pained expression on his face. They followed him to his office and for the second time that day, Harry entered the beautiful circular room that he now associated with bad news.
"All of you will be going to the Weasley house tomorrow. Mr. Potter, Miss Granger." He said with a nod at the two of them. "You will be going there as well. I know you were very close to Arthur and I'm sure you are worried about Molly." He turned back to the Weasleys. "Your Aunt Denise will be the one taking care of you. You will be staying for a week. During this time, you will attend your father's funeral, visit with your mother, and take care of anything that needs to be done. If any of you need more than a week, just let me know and it will be taken care of. Questions?" Dumbledore scanned the room.
"Er.how are we getting there?" Harry asked. "All of you will come to my office tomorrow after breakfast and you can use floo powder and my fireplace. Harry nodded and Dumbledore dismissed them. When they returned to the Gryffindor common room once again, they all decided to go to bed. There was nothing to say and nothing to do.
Harry lay in bed for hours, unable to shake off the tragedy that occurred and the guilt that came with it. This was HIS fault. The Weasleys were targeted because of him. Had the rational part of his brain been working, Harry would have realized that the Weasleys were targeted for being members of the resistance which Harry now knew as The Order of the Phoenix, but all Harry could do was blame himself. Was everyone close to him going to be hurt? Would Ginny and Ron suffer more losses because of their friendship with him? Would Hermione become a target as well? Would Voldemort continue to hurt those closest to him until he was dead? All these questions swirled around Harry's mind as numbness set in.
Chapter 9: Numbness Sets In
Harry felt elated as he woke up very early the morning after Halloween. He had survived the ball with Ginny and everything was going okay. Except for Voldemort, a little voice in the back of his head reminded him. Harry shook his head to clear those thoughts away. He had promised himself that Voldemort would not ruin every bit of happiness he had.
After getting dressed, he went downstairs to meet Ron and Hermione for breakfast. Harry was surprised the two were awake. It was very early for any of them to be up, especially on a Sunday. He remembered with a grin, the way he had found the two curled up on the couch the previous night, but no one else knew that. Harry had heard Ron come to bed later in the night so no one had awoken to find the two together.
During breakfast, Harry received his usual copy of the Daily Prophet, and was startled by the headline on the front page. Harry opened and closed his mouth several times, but it didn't seem to be working properly. He glanced at Ron who was shoving sausages into his mouth at an astonishing rate. Where was Dumbledore? Harry thought scanning the staff table and not finding him there.
"What's wrong Harry?" Ron had finally noticed Harry's odd behavior. Should he tell him? Should he wait for Dumbledore? What was there to do? "Harry? What is it?" Ron was now peering at him in a curious manner and noticed the Daily Prophet dangling freely from Harry's hand. "Is that Skeeter woman at it again?" He asked in a frustrated tone and grabbed the Daily Prophet before Harry could stop him. He gasped at the headline that greeted him and stared. Hermione looked over Ron's shoulder and her mouth fell open. Her voice seemed unable to work as well. Ron just kept staring at the headline that read: Weasley Family Attacked, Resurrected You Know Who Thought To Be Responsible.
Harry's mind wasn't working. He felt like he was stuck in a parallel universe where coherent thought was not possible. He tried to pull himself together for Ron's sake, but he just couldn't. It was only then that he noticed Dumbledore come to Ron's side. Dumbledore took Ron's arm and practically dragged him out of the Great Hall, Harry and Hermione in tow. None of the other Weasleys were present. They were still asleep.
"This was not how I wanted you to find out about this Mr. Weasley. However, news of the attack has just reached me." Ron seemed unable to respond. He had a blank look in his eyes that made him seem empty inside.
"Wha." Ron began to speak, but stopped as his voice cracked. He shook his head and cleared his throat, trying, it seemed, to regain his composure. "What happened? Are they going to be okay?"
Dumbledore sighed and put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "The Death Eaters came and attacked. There was really nothing your parents could do, but Arthur tried to fend them off as Molly ran to escape. Your father cursed about eight death eaters, but in the end there were just to many of them. Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore paused.
"Just TELL ME!" Ron screamed. Hermione jumped. Dumbledore flinched, but nodded his head.
"Alright. Mr. Weasley.your father was killed. You mother was badly injured. She is in St. Mungos now, but she should be just fine. Your father was a courageous man, Ron. He died protecting your mother and everything that the Order of the Phoenix stands for." It looked like Dumbledore had more to say, but before he could get another word out, Ron ran out of the room.
Harry jumped up to follow him, Hermione at his side. This was not a time for Ron to be alone. He needed his friends. Harry and Hermione ran after Ron following him all the way down to the lake. Ron stopped at the water's edge and turned around to face them.
Harry was surprised to see tears streaming down his best friend's face. He didn't really know what to say to him, to make him feel better, to make things okay again. Harry realized that nothing would make things okay again, NOTHING. This was just the first loss of many losses, the first tragic death in what was sure to be a long string of tragic deaths.
Harry looked at Hermione. She was crying too. Her eyes were focused on Ron and she seemed to be speechless as well. Slowly she walked up to Ron and put her arms around him in a comforting embrace. Ron closed his eyes as he held on to Hermione tightly. He buried his tear-stained face in her hair and let out a choking sob.
It seemed like an hour, but in reality was only about ten minutes, when Ron let go of Hermione. Wordlessly, the three made their way back up to the castle. One by one, the Weasleys awoke and heard the news. Dumbledore took them into his office, explained what had happened and let them go. Ginny slept late that day, but when she did wake up, Dumbledore was there to take her aside and explain to her the same thing he had explained three times already.
Harry was grateful that he was near when Ginny was told what had occurred. Ron and Hermione had gone to take a walk, alone. Surprisingly, Harry felt that he understood why they wanted to be alone and he found he didn't mind much. Harry watched out of the corner of his eye as Dumbledore led Ginny out of the portrait hole. After a few minutes, Harry followed and waited outside of Dumbledore's office.
Harry waited for a while and finally Ginny came running out of the portrait hole that led up to Dumbledore's office. She started to run away, when she saw Harry. She stopped in front of him. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, her chin was trembling and she looked ghostly pale.
"Oh.Harry.I..I..just." Harry put a finger to her lips.
"Shhhh. You don't have to say anything." He embraced her warmly and she collapsed in his arms. Her body shook as she sobbed relentlessly and Harry whispered comforting words in her ears. An hour passed slowly and Harry felt tears began to make their way down his cheeks as he listened to Ginny cry her soul out. In a way, it felt like losing his parents again except on a much larger scale. He tried to think of Mrs. Weasley. At least there was something to be thankful for. She was still alive and well.
A few hours later, Harry and Ginny went back to the common room to find Fred, George, Ron and Hermione all sitting around the fire. They weren't talking, just contentedly enjoying the fact that they had each other for support. Harry and Ginny joined them.
"I will need to see all of you in my office." Harry jumped, startled. Dumbledore was standing behind them, a pained expression on his face. They followed him to his office and for the second time that day, Harry entered the beautiful circular room that he now associated with bad news.
"All of you will be going to the Weasley house tomorrow. Mr. Potter, Miss Granger." He said with a nod at the two of them. "You will be going there as well. I know you were very close to Arthur and I'm sure you are worried about Molly." He turned back to the Weasleys. "Your Aunt Denise will be the one taking care of you. You will be staying for a week. During this time, you will attend your father's funeral, visit with your mother, and take care of anything that needs to be done. If any of you need more than a week, just let me know and it will be taken care of. Questions?" Dumbledore scanned the room.
"Er.how are we getting there?" Harry asked. "All of you will come to my office tomorrow after breakfast and you can use floo powder and my fireplace. Harry nodded and Dumbledore dismissed them. When they returned to the Gryffindor common room once again, they all decided to go to bed. There was nothing to say and nothing to do.
Harry lay in bed for hours, unable to shake off the tragedy that occurred and the guilt that came with it. This was HIS fault. The Weasleys were targeted because of him. Had the rational part of his brain been working, Harry would have realized that the Weasleys were targeted for being members of the resistance which Harry now knew as The Order of the Phoenix, but all Harry could do was blame himself. Was everyone close to him going to be hurt? Would Ginny and Ron suffer more losses because of their friendship with him? Would Hermione become a target as well? Would Voldemort continue to hurt those closest to him until he was dead? All these questions swirled around Harry's mind as numbness set in.