Disclaimer: If you know 'em and love 'em, I didn't create 'em.
A/N: Did I mention this was Harry's fifth year?
A shadow darker than night stole through the yard of a house near Ottery St. Catchpole. The house was crooked, held together by magic.
The cloaked Death Eater entered silently. He tiptoed up the stairs. According to Lord Voldemort, he was only to kill the boy who was a close friend of Potter's. The other family members didn't stand in the way at the moment. But he had to find the boy's room first.
Opening a door, the Death Eater was greeted by a low moan. Chains scraped across the floor as a ghoul approached him. The Death Eater had gone too far. This was the attic. He turned and crept back down the stairs.
At the bottom, there was a door he hadn't noticed earlier. Peering inside, an angry hooting startled him. There was a rustling of wings, then the Death Eater was being attacked by tiny talons and a sharp beak. He yelped.
"Who's there?"
Damn. The boy was awake. And the bird's incessant noise was beginning to waken the rest of the family. He turned to leave, warding off the tiny owl with an arm. It would be impossible to kill the boy now and still be able to DisApparate. Perhaps he could find a corner to stand in until all the family was in the boy's room. Then he could DisApparate.
Slipping through the doorway, the Death Eater bumped into an angry Arthur Weasley.
"I think you're in the wrong house." Cords sprang from Mr. Weasley's wand and the Death Eater was bound, unable to move.
The next morning found Harry in Dumbledore's office once again.
"Sir?"
"Harry, last night a Death Eater attempted to murder you friend, Mr. Ronald Weasley."
Harry sank weakly into a chair. "Is he alright?"
"Yes, fortunately. His owl saved him by making a most horrid racket and waking everyone."
Harry smiled; he couldn't help it. The thought of tiny Pig hooting his lungs out and attacking a Death Eater was amusing.
"Of course, the Weasleys can no longer stay in their own home. Therefore, the entire family will sat at Hogwarts until a more permanent hiding place is found."
"Sir, where will they stay? I mean, there's six of them!" Harry felt stupid for asking, but he had to know.
"Actually, Harry, all nine of the Weasleys will be staying here. Percy, Charlie, and Bill are now in danger as well. As for housing them, I do believe that four of the Weasley children still attend Hogwarts?" Harry nodded. "They will stay in their dormitories, of course. As for the rest of the family, Professors McGonagall and Flitwick are turning some of the empty classrooms into apartments for them."
"Um...Professor? If Voldemort has already tried to kill Ron, won't he send a Death Eater after Hermione? Shouldn't she and her parents come here, too?"
"Yes, Harry. Miss Granger will be arriving later today, with the Weasley family. Her parents will be hidden in Diagon Alley."
"Why can't they come here?"
"Some areas of the wizarding world are more available to Muggles than others, Harry. To bring the Grangers to Hogwarts would be extremely difficult. However, hiding them in Diagon Alley until a more suitable place is found will be relatively easy."
"When will everyone get here?" The sooner Ron and Hermione were at Hogwarts, the better Harry would feel.
"They shall arrive this afternoon, I believe. I suggest you inform the house-elves." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "I would go myself, but they seem to become nervous when I speak to them. Perhaps it has something to do with Dobby. I do not believe they approve of him receiving pay."
Harry grinned. "I think that's an understatement, Professor."
Harry left Dumbledore's office and walked through the corridors until he reached the kitchen entrance: A painting of a bowl of fruit. He tickled the pear and stepped through when the painting swung aside.
"Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby the house-elf ran up to him and hugged him. Poor Harry was almost bowled over from the force of it.
"Oof! H'lo, Dobby." Harry wheezed.
"What brings Harry Potter to the kitchens, sir?"
"Professor Dumbledore wants you to get the other Gryffindor dormitories ready, as soon as possible, for some students who are coming to Hogwarts early. And some of you will also need to help Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick turn classrooms into apartments for my friend Ron's family, if you can."
"Oh, we will, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby paused a moment, as other house-elves left the kitchens. "Did sir just say his Wheezy would be coming to Hogwarts early, sir?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Because, sir, Dobby wants to thank him for his new clothes, that he sent to Dobby over the summer, sir."
Harry now noticed that Dobby was wearing the sock Harry had given him, and children's shorts, but also a shirt that looked familiar.
"I'll tell him, Dobby. How's Winky?"
Dobby's face fell. "Winky is gone, sir. She left shortly after the end of school last year, sir, and is working for free with a new family last Dobby hears, sir."
The remaining house-elves apparently thought Dobby had conversed with Harry long enough. They crowded around him and began to gently push him to the door. "I'll see you later, Dobby!" Harry called right before he was standing in the corridor again.
He stared at the closed portrait. 'Winky and freedom are still taboo. Wonder what Hermione'll think of that?' Harry mused. He stood for a moment, then set off for the Entrance Hall to see if the Weasleys and Hermione had arrived.
A/N: Well, that's Ch 2. Ch 3 may be a while, because I've been ignoring Dark Times while doing this. So I'll post Ch 3 once Ch 10 of that is up.