Author's Note: I forgot in the first chapter to introduce myself. My
penname is Youngblood, and this is my first fic on FanFiction.net. I've
already had this story on a few other storyboards, so please let me know
what you think!
********************* Chapter Two: The Death Eaters
Ron gulped a bit, then said, "We were eating dinner. I had forgotten something upstairs, so I went up to my room to get it. I was in my room when I heard crashing and yelling downstairs. I went to the landing and looked down. I saw those two hooded men downstairs, pointing wands at everyone.
'Where's the boy?' one of them kept demanding. Dad was standing up, and Ginny was crying.
'We don't have a boy other than these,' said Dad, thinking it was me they were after.
'Where's Potter?' they said at last. 'We know you have him here!'
'Harry?' asked Dad. 'He's not here.'
'Stop your lying!' cried one of them, and blasted him with a curse. I ran back upstairs and I grabbed some paper and wrote to you, but then I heard them coming up the stairs. They burst into my room and yelled, 'What are you doing, boy?' I tied the note to Pig's leg, and threw him out the window, but one of the Death Eaters grabbed his leg and started clawing at the letter and at Pig. Pig finally struggled loose and started flying away. The Death Eaters tried to shoot it down with their wands, but he got away. They took me back down to the kitchen and tied me up with the rest of my family and they kept asking where you were. I don't know how long they kept us down there. They kept. they kept hitting Mum, but none of us would tell them anything. Then you came in, and you know the rest." Ron's expression was a mixture of utter loathing for the Death Eaters and terror.
"Ron, this is all my fault," said Harry. "You shouldn't have had to go through this." Ron looked up at Harry and put on a brave smile.
"Its ok, Harry," said Ron. "None of us were going to tell them anything. I would've died first." Harry didn't say anything-- nothing could've expressed his friendship and gratitude for Ron. He just patted Ron on the shoulder, his throat feeling tight.
Just then, the door flew open. Ginny screamed.
"Freeze!" cried a voice from the doorway. When the dust cleared, they saw two Ministry officials standing there, their wands pointed at the Weasleys. Then, they heard Mr. Weasley's voice behind the officials.
"No, no! I told you, they've already gone!" Mr. Weasley squeezed through, followed by the Minister of Magic himself, Cornelius Fudge.
"Well, Arthur, we just want to be sure," said Fudge, brushing the dust off his suit jacket. His voice didn't sound as carefree and aloof as when Harry had last heard it. It sounded worried and even frightened.
"Is everyone alright? Molly?" asked Mr. Weasley.
"We're alright, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley, clutching Ginny to her.
"Harry!" cried Fudge, coming over to Harry and gripping his shoulders. "Are you alright? You're sure? Well..." He let go of Harry. "I'm afraid we'll have to transport you all to a safer destination. From now until when I see fit, you will stay at The Leaky Cauldron-- all of you. Harry and the other one-- Randy, is it? Oh, Ron-- yes, Harry and Ron and the other three will stay until they go to Hogwarts in a week. Personally, I'd rather have Dumbledore watching them right now, but as it is."
Ginny, George, and Fred didn't look as if they liked being referred to as "the other three."
"Mr. Fudge, sir," said Harry, quietly.
"What? Oh, yes Harry?"
"This isn't necessary. I can stay here at the Burrow."
Fudge laughed rather nervously. "No, no, it's not safe here right now, Harry. You must go to the Leaky Cauldron."
In the next hour, the Ministry officials packed the Weasleys' things and shuffled them and Harry into the kitchen.
"Now, Harry, your things will be sent to you very soon," said Fudge. "I've got people at you aunt and uncle's house now, getting them for you. Now be sure to annunciate properly!" He hastily handed them all a handful of Floo Powder and pushed them towards the fire. "I'm sending Ministry Official to look after you once you get there! Off you go!"
********** Harry sighed and put down Quidditch Through the Ages. This was the sixth time he had read it, but Fudge would let neither him nor Ron nor anyone for that matter out of the Leaky Cauldron without a Ministry escort. Fudge had even insisted (to Harry's exasperation and embarrassment) on putting a Ministry official in Harry's room to guard him all the time.
It had been three days since they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. Harry looked over at the official. He was middle-aged, chubby, and balding; he didn't look like he could defend Harry against an angry house elf, let alone Voldemort.
"I wish you wouldn't do that," said Harry to the official, who was trying to fix his wand by making it shoot out slugs. They had landed on Harry several times.
"Well, if I'm going to defend you against You-Know-Who, my wand must be in tip-top condition!" replied the official. Harry sighed again. At that moment, Ron ran in, waving a letter.
"A letter from Hermione!" he exclaimed, plopping down on Harry's bed. "I waited to open it with you."
"Finally!" said Harry. Ron opened the letter and read it out loud:
"Dear Ron and Harry,
I heard what happened, and I am writing to make sure you're alright. How horrible to have Death Eaters break into your house, Ron! Thank goodness they didn't find you, Harry! However did you escape them? Did you hide? Please send word right away to let me know you're alright!
Love,
Hermione'"
"What's she talking about 'did you hide'?" asked Ron.
"I think she thought I was staying with you," replied Harry.
"That's weird," said Ron. He grabbed a piece of parchment and wrote,
Dear Hermione,
We're fine. How about you? You sound... off. And Harry wasn't at my house when the Death Eaters broke in, so he didn't hide anywhere. Are you coming to Diagon Alley soon? We're bored to tears here.
Ron
********************* Chapter Two: The Death Eaters
Ron gulped a bit, then said, "We were eating dinner. I had forgotten something upstairs, so I went up to my room to get it. I was in my room when I heard crashing and yelling downstairs. I went to the landing and looked down. I saw those two hooded men downstairs, pointing wands at everyone.
'Where's the boy?' one of them kept demanding. Dad was standing up, and Ginny was crying.
'We don't have a boy other than these,' said Dad, thinking it was me they were after.
'Where's Potter?' they said at last. 'We know you have him here!'
'Harry?' asked Dad. 'He's not here.'
'Stop your lying!' cried one of them, and blasted him with a curse. I ran back upstairs and I grabbed some paper and wrote to you, but then I heard them coming up the stairs. They burst into my room and yelled, 'What are you doing, boy?' I tied the note to Pig's leg, and threw him out the window, but one of the Death Eaters grabbed his leg and started clawing at the letter and at Pig. Pig finally struggled loose and started flying away. The Death Eaters tried to shoot it down with their wands, but he got away. They took me back down to the kitchen and tied me up with the rest of my family and they kept asking where you were. I don't know how long they kept us down there. They kept. they kept hitting Mum, but none of us would tell them anything. Then you came in, and you know the rest." Ron's expression was a mixture of utter loathing for the Death Eaters and terror.
"Ron, this is all my fault," said Harry. "You shouldn't have had to go through this." Ron looked up at Harry and put on a brave smile.
"Its ok, Harry," said Ron. "None of us were going to tell them anything. I would've died first." Harry didn't say anything-- nothing could've expressed his friendship and gratitude for Ron. He just patted Ron on the shoulder, his throat feeling tight.
Just then, the door flew open. Ginny screamed.
"Freeze!" cried a voice from the doorway. When the dust cleared, they saw two Ministry officials standing there, their wands pointed at the Weasleys. Then, they heard Mr. Weasley's voice behind the officials.
"No, no! I told you, they've already gone!" Mr. Weasley squeezed through, followed by the Minister of Magic himself, Cornelius Fudge.
"Well, Arthur, we just want to be sure," said Fudge, brushing the dust off his suit jacket. His voice didn't sound as carefree and aloof as when Harry had last heard it. It sounded worried and even frightened.
"Is everyone alright? Molly?" asked Mr. Weasley.
"We're alright, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley, clutching Ginny to her.
"Harry!" cried Fudge, coming over to Harry and gripping his shoulders. "Are you alright? You're sure? Well..." He let go of Harry. "I'm afraid we'll have to transport you all to a safer destination. From now until when I see fit, you will stay at The Leaky Cauldron-- all of you. Harry and the other one-- Randy, is it? Oh, Ron-- yes, Harry and Ron and the other three will stay until they go to Hogwarts in a week. Personally, I'd rather have Dumbledore watching them right now, but as it is."
Ginny, George, and Fred didn't look as if they liked being referred to as "the other three."
"Mr. Fudge, sir," said Harry, quietly.
"What? Oh, yes Harry?"
"This isn't necessary. I can stay here at the Burrow."
Fudge laughed rather nervously. "No, no, it's not safe here right now, Harry. You must go to the Leaky Cauldron."
In the next hour, the Ministry officials packed the Weasleys' things and shuffled them and Harry into the kitchen.
"Now, Harry, your things will be sent to you very soon," said Fudge. "I've got people at you aunt and uncle's house now, getting them for you. Now be sure to annunciate properly!" He hastily handed them all a handful of Floo Powder and pushed them towards the fire. "I'm sending Ministry Official to look after you once you get there! Off you go!"
********** Harry sighed and put down Quidditch Through the Ages. This was the sixth time he had read it, but Fudge would let neither him nor Ron nor anyone for that matter out of the Leaky Cauldron without a Ministry escort. Fudge had even insisted (to Harry's exasperation and embarrassment) on putting a Ministry official in Harry's room to guard him all the time.
It had been three days since they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. Harry looked over at the official. He was middle-aged, chubby, and balding; he didn't look like he could defend Harry against an angry house elf, let alone Voldemort.
"I wish you wouldn't do that," said Harry to the official, who was trying to fix his wand by making it shoot out slugs. They had landed on Harry several times.
"Well, if I'm going to defend you against You-Know-Who, my wand must be in tip-top condition!" replied the official. Harry sighed again. At that moment, Ron ran in, waving a letter.
"A letter from Hermione!" he exclaimed, plopping down on Harry's bed. "I waited to open it with you."
"Finally!" said Harry. Ron opened the letter and read it out loud:
"Dear Ron and Harry,
I heard what happened, and I am writing to make sure you're alright. How horrible to have Death Eaters break into your house, Ron! Thank goodness they didn't find you, Harry! However did you escape them? Did you hide? Please send word right away to let me know you're alright!
Love,
Hermione'"
"What's she talking about 'did you hide'?" asked Ron.
"I think she thought I was staying with you," replied Harry.
"That's weird," said Ron. He grabbed a piece of parchment and wrote,
Dear Hermione,
We're fine. How about you? You sound... off. And Harry wasn't at my house when the Death Eaters broke in, so he didn't hide anywhere. Are you coming to Diagon Alley soon? We're bored to tears here.
Ron