Part 6. - Escaped.

Harry fell on his knees with a thud, looking up he saw the familiar surroundings of the Burrow. He stared at the room thinking how good it was to be back here, with the Weasleys. With a thud his attention came back to the matter at hand, Ron had just crashed headlong into him as he came out the fire. They both lay in a crumbled heap blocking the fire for Fred and George to get through. Harry and Ron looked at each other both trying to get up and move from the entrance. With a sudden crack Fred and George appeared in front of them.

George was looking around the room with unrest gathering on his face. "What's up? We tried to use the fire but." he tailed off as he saw the crumbled mess of Ron and Harry on the floor in front of the fire. "This would be why then." Fred said. "Mum!" George called looking around to find her now the minute's confusion had been sorted.

Mrs Weasley came hurrying into the room giving each one in turn a hug. Both Harry and Ron had only just got back up on their feet when Mrs Weasley's hug came upon them nearly knocking them back onto the floor.

"What's happened?" Hermonie asked her. "We received a message from Azkaban saying that unauthorised wizards and witches were trying to gain access inside." "Why didn't they just apparate?" Harry said confused. "You can't apparate inside Azkaban. Imagine how easy it would be to break into or escape from if you could. Same with the flue network, Azkaban has no fires to ensure that it is hard to break into or escape from." Ron said knowingly. Then looking around at the shock on the rest of their faces added, "I can read you know."

Harry felt a sudden sense of stupidity. Of course it would be stupid to allow the flue network and apparition inside a prison.

"But how?" Harry added. "We don't know, brooms perhaps. Dumbledore created a port key straight away to go after them. We haven't heard from them since."

It was at least 2 hours before any news came about the break out. During that time countless numbers of cups of tea were made, a number of books lay open at odd pages where they're readers had thrown them down in exasperation, unable to read. Ron and Harry had a game of wizard chess half started on a table in a corner. The men kept shouting such things as, "Come on, let me at him" and "You can't just leave us here."

Just as Mrs Weasley was about to go and make another batch of tea then fireplace glowed and Arthur Weasley came spinning out of it, he had a long cut down his left arm and another cut along his left cheek.

"Arthur!" Mrs Weasley said running up and hugging him. "It's okay, Molly dear." "What happ.are you alright?" She said looking anxiously at his cuts. "I'm fine, we managed to stop a few of them escaping." "A few?" George added. "Yes George, mostly they escaped. You know who." He tailed off. "What about everyone else?" Harry added, "Lupin?" "Mostly we came off unhurt, there were however some casualties." "What? Who?" They all chorused. "Kingsley tried to take on a few of them, couldn't tell who with their masks on. He got a nasty jinxs against him and has to go for a brief spell in St Mungo's. He should be out within the week. Diggle however," His voice became softer, "well he, when we arrived everyone hurried off to see what was going on. He , well, he went with Kingsley, Kingsley was taking on three Death Eaters, and well, Diggle found himself against you know who, didn't last 10 seconds." He broke off. Every person in the room's face sank, not knowing what to say. "He's been taken by the rest of them." "Where?" Hermonie asked rubbing tears away from her eyes. "They're taking him to his home, to be buried."

There was silence for at least 5 minutes after this was said. No one wanted to speak. Harry remembered Diggle, he didn't exactly know him, but he remembered him ever since before he went to Hogwarts. All the same, he felt sickened by his death. Voldemort. He had done this again. Another family he could add to his tick list saying that he'd destroyed its any chance of happiness.

At last Mrs Weasley spoke, "Arthur dear, we should really get you sorted out, you look a state." "I suppose so, are you going to be alright?" He asked to the rest. There was a mumble and "Yeah", "Sure" and "Fine" could be heard coming being spoken. "Bill and Charlie are coming back soon." He added to them.

They all shrugged. Ginny picked up a book that was laying on the floor but obviously not reading it, for one, the book was facing the wrong way and upside down, for two, she hadn't noticed this. Fred and George had gone over to the corner to work on some order forms for their shop to take their mind off the event. Hermonie had settled herself in a chair stroking Crookshanks looking at the ceiling. Ron and Harry had gone back to their game of chess, in which they both had made some immensely stupid moves.

End of Part 6.