Disclaimer: As always, I do NOT own the characters, the places or anything else you could recognize from the books. They all are the property of our dear goddess J.K.Rowling. Neither do I write this story for personal profit. I only write this to make the waiting for book 5 a little bit more interesting for the people reading this. BTW, I DO own the plot of this story.

A/N: Well, what can I say, Thank you so much for reading this. And for reviewing. All of you. Every time I recieve a review, it just makes my day. Because it means that there are people reading this. And that means, that I'm not writing the story just for me. I just love reviews. *stands up and hugs anyone who has EVER reviewed her story* Special thanks go to my wonderful beta Luinthoron (*waves*) for correcting the little typing errors that had slipped in (the ones he found). I haven't heard from my second beta, Puzzler, tough. I sent her the chapter almost a month ago, but I decided I won't wait for her reply anymore. So I just apologizs for the possible errors in writing and grammar. You see, neither Luinthoron nor I speak English as our native language. Puzzler is the one who does.


--Altair



Chapter eight: Preparations

"You wanted to see me, my Lord?" Arthur Weasley had apparated to the Riddle house.
"Oh, yes, Arthur, my friend, I've been waiting for you. I take it you recieved my Message?"
Arthur Weasley nodded. He wouldn't have come this early as if not for the Message. He had been at the Ministry, working, when he had gotten the Message. It wasn't as if Lord Voldemort could have summoned him for he didn't have the dark mark. But the Dark Lord had an another way for contacting him. And this was the Message. Arthur would recieve an owl. A letter. No-one would suspect anything, as he recieved many letters each day. The letter himself wasn't important. Sometimes it would be just an empty sheet of parchment, sometimes it would be an owl Lord Voldemort's people had catched and read already, sometimes it would look like a letter from home. No, the letter wasn't important. The owl was. An owl with a black ribbon around it's neck. It ment that that Arthur had to apparate to the Headquarters as soon as he could.
"Yes, my Lord. But you shouldn't have risked. I would have come later anyway."
The Dark Lord looked up from his goblet and stared into the fireplace once again. He looked thoughtful.
"Maybe I shouldn't have. I know that your cover means too much to our side to risk it, but it seemes that you have forgotten something."
Arthur looked puzzled. What could he possibly have forgotten? He looked at his Lord, but he didn't say anything. He just kept thinking, trying to figure out what it was Lord Voldemort was talking about. But the Dark Lord didn't give him much time to think.
"The full moon," he said. "It's today. We need to prepare for the attack. I need all the informations about the boy's family and their 'guardians' you can get. I need you to go to Dumbledore and try to get as much as possible out from him."
The full moon! How could Arthur have forgotten about that?! He had looked forward to the attack for so long, how could he have not thought about what date it was going to happen?!
"Yes, my Lord!"

In the Dursley's house, there were other problems to be dealed with. And the main problem seemed to be, what to do with the wolf in Remus while he was transformed. They couldn't possibly just let a werewolf loose in the house, not to speak on the neighbourhood. But what to do with him then? Well, that was the problem Harry, Sirius and Remus had to solve, since the Dursleys tried to come up with a solution for a problem of almost same importance - how to get all the wizards here out of their house?
The first trio of them was interrupted by someone no-one had been expecting. Harry's eyed grew wide as he saw the dark haired man standing in the doorway, eyeing them.
"Professor Snape!" he exclaimed in pure horror.
Sirius and Remus turned to face their sworn enemy from their schooldays. He seemed so out of place, staying in the doorway in the Dursleys' neatly kept Muggle house, carrying a bottle of what seemed to be some sort of a potion, Harry couldn't help but grin. Both 'bodyguards' seemed to have lost their tongues. Snape just stared at the three of them.
"Well, I must say, I have always thought that you had no manners at all, Potter, but do you let all of your guests just stand at the doorway without calling them in, or is it just because it's me?" Professor Snape sneered.
This brought the trio back to their senses. Harry blinked and looked at his teacher. He really wondered what this man was doing here, but he thought better than to ask.
"You can come in, I guess," Harry said in the same time when Sirius stood up quickly and yelled "Don't you dare to speak to my godson like that, you slimy git! Who did invite you anyway?" Remus seemed to remain relatively calm.
The Professor entered the room.
"Well, Black, I can answer your question easily. It isn't as if I had a choice, you know. If it would have been for me, you'd have a really interesting night tonight, you know, babysitting a werewolf..." Sirius lunged forward as if to strangle Snape, but he was brought back to his seat by four arms, belonging to Remus and Harry. "I see, at least the werewolf knows what's good for him," Snape continued, but not before he had made a few steps backwards, out from Sirius' reach. "You see, Dumbledore was a little concerned about what could happen if the werewolf wouldn't behave himself, so he asked me to bring him some fresh Wolfsbane Potion. But, of course, if you're not interested..." he turned to the door as if to leave. Harry, Sirius and Remus stood up with a start. Snape turned to face them again. "Well, I thought so," he said.

"But Professor Dumbledore, he's a werewolf!"
Arthur Weasley was sitting in the Headmaster's office and trying to convince him to call Lupin off duty for the full moon. To his disappointment, he hadn't had much luck.
"I know, what he is," the Headmaster said, smiling. "I knew even before he started at Hogwarts as a pupil."
"But, it's not safe!" Arthur exclaimed. "You have to think about Harry! You hav to think about his family! You can't risk the lives you were to protect by leaving them with a werewolf on the night of full moon!"
"Arthur, please. You know as well as I do, that I would never put Harry in danger! He has his godfather there to look after him. And it's not like Remus would attack someone. I already sent Severus to bring Remus some Wolfsbane Potion. He'd be totally harmless!"
"You trust Severus Snape with a potion for Remus? When Remus is guarding Harry? AND you send Snape to the house of these Muggles? Gods, Albus, Snape hates Remus even more than he does hate Harry! What if Snape 'accidentally' switches some of the ingredients of the potion and ends up poisoning Remus?!"
Professor Dumbledore looked at Mr. Weasley with surprise in his eyes.
"Arthur," he said with a fading smile, "I know, you are worried abot Harry's safety. Only a few people care for him like your family does. But he would never do anything to put Harry in danger. He is as worried about Harry as we are. Give him a chance, Arthur. If I can trust Severus, don't you think, you should try to, too?"
Arthur just stared at the Headmaster blankly.
"How can you trust him, Albus? Now, that the You-Know-Who is back? According to what Ron told us, back when he was only in his first year, Snape had tried to kill Harry twice! Both times during Quidditch games! He used to be a Death Eather, Albus! What if he wants You-Know-Who to take him back as his servant? Letting Harry Potter getting killed by a werewolf would be a perfect occation, don't you think?"
"Arthur, please. Severus would never put a pupil in danger. That's out of question. And, I am perfectly aware of what happened in those Quiddich games. Young Ron, as it seemes, has forgotten to set things right at home. It wasn't Severus who tried to kill Harry, you see? You may remember, that our Defense Professor Quirrell passed away that year? It is not like me to speak ill from the dead, but it was him who tried to kill Harry. It was, if I may add, on Voldemort's orders."
Arthur shuddered as the name of the Dark Lord was spoken. He wasn't afraid of his Lord. It was, to be exact, quite the opposite. But he had to pretend, he was, in means of conspiracy.
"Please, Albus, could you PLEASE not say that name?" he pleaded.
Dumbledore looked sternly at the man sitting oposite him. He had hoped that at least Arthur would be brave enough to say the feared name. Arthur, who had always fought against other wizards, trying to protect the Muggles, getting no appropriate credit for his doing after all. Arthur, who had been a Gryffindor for his outstanding pride and bravery. Where was all of his prised Gryffindor bravery? On the other side, he couldn't blame him for not wanting to hear the name. There was too much darkness going with the name.
"If you are afraid even from a name, how will you ever fight Voldemort if you happen to stand in front of him?"
'Well, that's simple,' Arthur thought sarcastically. 'I stand in front of him at least once a day and I have, to be honest, no intention to ever attack him and stab him in the back,' but what he said, was "Well, I pray every night to make sure I'll never have to find out."

Lord Voldemort sat in his blood red chair when Arthur arrived. He looked at his Lord, wondering if the other man ever leaved his seat. Ever since he had come here since Lord Voldemort's rebirth, he had found his Lord sitting in the same position, holding the same glass filled with the same intoxicating liquid (also known as brandy), staring at the flames in the same fireplace. Arthur watched him, trying to figure out what was it that gave his Lord the power He had. Well, he knew what it was in his case, but he couldn't quite picture every single Death Eater to share the same kind of bond that he had wit Him, the bond that had made him join the Dark Side and had made him the man he was today. Because Arthur, as a former Gryffindor, hadn't even known he had a dark side, before he met Lord Voldemort. He had alwas been a great supporter Dumbledore's and he, too, had been on the hunting list of the Death Eaters. That all had changed when...
"I see you're here"
Lord Voldemort's voice pulled Arthur back to reality. He was, once again, standing in the darkest corner of the dim lighted room, his Lord talking to him.
"Yes, my Lord, and I have news about the guards of the Potter boy."
"Very well," the Dark Lord said, tasting his drink. After a long moment, he added: "You may continue."
Arthur looked at his Master. How was he going to take the news about the werewolf staying at the Dursleys', he wondered. But then again, his Lord might find it just made things a little more interesting...
"It's the werewolf," he sighed. "He's been given the Wolfsbane Potion..."
He couldn't finish his sentence. Lord Voldemort cut him off.
"I see. A lovely pet werewolf for lonely nights," he sneered. "Well, we are going to make sure, this night isn't going to be lonely. That's why we're going to go and visit them. I'm sure, they'll be overjoyed to have some company..."

"Well, the best place would still be the cupboard under the stairs," Remus stated. He had made up his mind days ago, but Harry, remembering his own years down there, was not happy with the thought.
"I already told you why I think that it's not a good idea," he said.
"I know, you had to live there most of your life, but it would be safe. You could lock me up in there. And I already inspected the room. I know, I wouldn't have much space, but your old bed is still there, so it would be at least comfortable..."
"I still don't like the thought of you being locked up down there. There has to be another way! There just has to be!"
Sirius, who hadn't said a word for about half an hour, looked worried at his godson. He could understand Harry's feelings. If Remus would have insisted to be locked up in his old cell in Azkaban, he would have reacted the same way. But he also understood Remus' motives. And the cupboard under the stairs seemed to be the only solution for their problem.
"Harry, please," he said. "If Moony says it's OK, then it's OK. Don't you see, that he only wants to make sure you're safe? He'll be fine, I promise."
Harry looked at his godfather, eyes full of wonder. How could he say something like this? Surely he knew that there was nothing worse than being locked up down there! But they were two against one. It was decided.

"You wanted to see me, my Lord?"
A man had appeared in the doorway. The Dark Lord didn't even have to turn around and look at him to be sure who it was.
"Oh, yes, Wormtail, my cowardly servant. You'll be able to prove your loyalty for me tonight."
"To-tonight?" Peter Pettigrew stuttered.
"There will be an attack on Muggles. I want you to go, too," Lord Voldemort said.
"M-me?"
"Yes, you. You haven't participated in any attacks since I came back. It is time, that this will be corrected. You will go tonight. You know, what will happen, if you don't?"
"M-Ma-Master?
Lord Voldemort's eyes seemed to burn with anger. He stood up, turned and rised his wand.
"Crucio!"
The Dark Lord watched Wormtail jerk in agony. The screams of the now useless former spy being music to his ears. Then he took the curse fom him.
"That was nothing compared to what will await you if you should disobey my orders!"
"Y-yes, m-my Lord..."

They were sitting in the living room. All the three Dursleys, Sirius and Harry. The Dursleys, having still not coming up with a way to get rid of the wizards, had decided to play along 'til they'd find something. So they tried not to offend them and just sat there, watching TV.
They had been sitting there for a few fours now. There was tension in the air. No-one had said a word for hours. Even the wizards didn't have a conversation for they were both too concerned about Remus in the cupboard. The moon had come out sooner than expected. It was only thanks to the Wolfsbane Potion, that he hadn't attacked anyone. Sirius had transformed and led him to the cupboard, making sure no-one was bitten. The Dursleys had been shocked for life, for the moment living in the fear that the wizards could let the werewolf loose on them if they'd do anything.
The 'cozy family evening' was interrupted by someone knocking on the front door.
Someone wanted to be let in.



A/N: Cliffhanger! I've always wanted to write a cliffhanger! Don't be too hard on me with that one, please? Just because you may not like cliffhangers doesn't mean that I don't. I love them! Even if it isn't a real one (as Luinthoron says...)
Please, review!