THE TERRIBLE NEWS
DUMBLEDORE IS DEAD!!!
The headline screamed at Harry as he scanned the paper that had just been delivered by owlpost. Harry thought out loud, " No. No. This can't be possible. It has to be a trick of some kind to throw Voldemort off. To maybe come out of hiding. Yeah, that has to be it."
The article read," Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft died yesterday of an apparent heart attack, The Ministry of Magic announced today. Dumbledore, to some the greatest wizard in 500 years, was reportedly 110 yrs. old. He was responsible for the defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named last June. Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge said,' The loss of Albus Dumbledore is a sad blow to all who stand against You-know-who.' It is not yet known who will be appointed the new Headmaster of Hogwarts."
"I wonder what Ron and Hermione think about this?" Harry wondered.
Thinking about it, Harry wondered why Ron or Hermione hadn't informed him before he read it in the paper first. His anger quickly ignited, realizing that once again he was out of the loop.
Harry decided to send Hedwig to Ron with a scathing note about this information not being telephoned, or even owlposted to him.
Unfortunately, Hedwig was out hunting, leaving Harry fuming with no one to vent on. It wasn't any fun having only his idiotic, obese cousin Dudley to taunt. Dudley had heard last year at the train depot when Harry had got back from Hogwarts, that if Harry had any problems with his "family", the Order of the Phoenix would take care of the "problem".
As Harry thought about the loss of Dumbledore, he realized that he was now wide open to attack by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Quickly he wrote a note to Ron.
Ron,
I've got to get out of here. When Voldemort finds out the Professor is dead, as I'm sure he already does, he's going to come for me. Tell your parents to do the Floo Network so I can come to the Burrow, or to Headquarters. Hurry!!!
Harry
Now all Harry could do was wait for Hedwig to get back. Suddenly he heard a bellow from downstairs. It could only have been his Uncle Vernon making that noise as only he could.
"Boy!! Get down here this instant!!"
Harry didn't feel like it , but he knew that tone of voice. He must have done something to piss his uncle off again, though he couldn't think what it could be.
When he got down to the living room, he saw what it was.
Mad Eye Moody, Tonks, and the rest of the Order were standing in the living room waiting for him. Uncle Vernon looked at Harry with disdain.
"See? The boy is just bloody fine. So what are you all here for? Eh?"
Moody replied, "I suppose you don't know about Dumbledore having passed on, do ya?"
Uncle Vernon said, " Who? That old fool at that school of your kind finally kicked the bucket?"
"PETRIFICUS TOTALLIS!"
Uncle Vernon, a look of shock on his face, fell to the ground with a crash.
"How dare you say such a thing about the greatest wizard to have lived in the last 500 years?!" Moody raged at him.
The rest of the Order looked as terrified as Uncle Vernon did.
"Alastor, relax! He doesn't know what he is saying!", Remus Lupin said as he grabbed Moody to make sure he didn't do anything else.
Moody just looked at Uncle Vernon like he was a Death Eater, and deserved to go to Azkaban..
"Yeah, well, he should watch what he says when it concerns the late Albus Dumbledore!"
Harry was looking on with what would be amusement at seeing Uncle Vernon getting his comeuppance, but he was too depressed to do more than smirk a little.
Tonks saw Harry on the stairs and said " Come along Harry, get your things packed. You're going to Headquarters. With Albus dead, you're not safe here anymore."
Then Harry broke down and cried out, " So it is true! Professor Dumbledore is dead!"
Lupin released Uncle Vernon from the spell, and then went over to Harry. He took him by the shoulders and gave him a hug.
"Harry, I know how much he meant to you, and to me also."
All the wizards and witchs there agreed with his assessment.
Lupin went on," You meant more to him than you can possibly realize. He knew his time was coming so arrangements were made to take care of you."
At this Harry cried all the harder. He didn't care that Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and his cousin Dudley were all standing there looking triumphant.
"So this means the boy won't be coming back here anymore?" Aunt Petunia exclaimed happily.
"Yes, he will no longer be a bother to you."
"Oh, that is wonderful news," Uncle Vernon said as he slowly got up off the carpet.
Then Moody said ominously, "Well, Muggle, Voldemort doesn't know that, so don't be surprised if you and your 'fine' family don't wake up one day!"
At the news he wouldn't be coming back to Privet Drive, Harry's sniffles lessened.
"I won't be back Uncle Vernon, you can bet on that!"
Then Dudley piped up,"Yeah, I'll bet you will be back."
Harry just turned around and went back up the stairs to gather his stuff.
Tonks said,"I'll help him. I know where to go."
When they got to Harry's room, Harry couldn't concentrate on what he needed to do. Tonks just took out her wand, and almost dropping it, cast a spell to gather up Harry's belongings.
"Harry."
"What?"
"He really cared deeply for you, you know"
"I know"
"Look Harry, this is hard for you, I know. I just want you to realize you have a lot of friends who care very much for you. Just look at the Weasley family. When Molly heard about Albus, she instantly insisted that you come to the Burrow. But Alastor--"
Harry looked as if he would explode,"If she knew before "The Daily Prophet", why didn't they tell me?!"
Tonks tried to calm Harry down, "She wanted to but you know that owls can be intercepted by the Death Eaters! They would know where you are, and then where would you be?"
"I'd be with my parents and probably a lot happier than I am right now!"
They heard pounding on the stairs and Lupin was there.
"What's going on in here? We've got to get going!"
"Alright, I'm going. Stop rushing me!"
Lupin just looked at Tonks and she shrugged her shoulders.
Well, that's the first chapter, I know it's short, but the next chapters will be longer and more action-packed. Please review,
--Demented Rick