Harry stood still in his place for a moment.
"Why did she leave her luggage?" He asked himself.
He began to run a bit more, up to the beginning of Privet Drive when he froze in horror. Stars. Thousands upon thousands of stars littler the sky. Not the normal stars that you see every night, but ones that glowed an eerie green so bright that it was casting a shadow over everything. About a hundred stars formed the Death Mark, a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth, over each house on the drive.
Harry found himself running to his house when he remembered the words that Mr. Weasly told him three years ago.
'Just picture coming home, and finding the Death Mark hovering over your house, and knowing what your about to find inside'
Harry threw the door open.
"Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, Dudley?" He yelled frantically. He knew that it was hopeless but he could always hope. He searched the den and make his way to the kitchen where on the fridge was a piece of torn paper. Harry snatched it up and began to read.
'Dear Boy.
We finally got our summer home up in Magnolia and we decided to just move up there for good. We doubt that you'll live.
-Vernon Dursley'
Harry breathed a sigh of relief and noticed that the goldfishes were dead. He shrugged off the thought and went back into the green light to see how Karrot was.
He opened the door and was in shock. The inside of her house was almost destroyed, the after effects of random curses litter the small entrance way. He walked soundlessly into the living room and saw Karrot standing horror-struck over three dead bodies. He recognized two of the bodies, Thyissa and Yuri, her parents, and the third was a boy who looked about a year older then Karrot was. He had the same midnight black hair that fell to his shoulders as she did and assumed that it was her brother Cyan.
"Karrot?" He asked her, feeling really sorry that she had to see them dead. Karrot didn't seem to have heard him and just kept staring straight a head. Harry decided to shake her gently to see if she would snap out of it. Once he placed his hands on her shoulders, she broke down. Her head plunged for his chest and Harry felt his hands wrap around her. He could feel her small body shaking with tears that she didn't try to hold back. After a few minutes she stopped.
"I'm sorry Harry." She choked out.
"Why? You have no reason to be sorry, sad yes, but not sorry." He reassured her.
"We should really go and check to see if anyone else is alive." She said while heading out the door.
The first eight houses were nothing but misery. But at the ninth, and final, house there was a little girl, Melissa, who was alive. It turned out that she was playing hide-and-go-seek with her sister and was hiding when they came.
Karrot carried Melissa out of the house. She placed her down on the deserted road with Harry and they tried to think of what they should do. The green stars created a shadow on Karrot's face making her look stressed.
"You should really get to some where's safe Harry," Karrot told him, "Like at Ron's."
"But what about you and Melissa?" He asked her as Melissa stroked Snuffles some distance away.
"I'm going to Hogwarts' to tell Akira what happened. I can bring her to Dumbledore while I'm there."
"Should we call the Knight Bus again?" Harry asked with no idea how they could get away from Privet Drive.
"No. I have the Floo Network in my house. We can use that. And Harry, do you think that you could take Snuffles? After all he is your God-Father."
Harry nodded as Karrot picked up the five year old girl and carried her through Karrot's ruined house. Harry and Snuffles waited until Karrot and Melissa disappeared before they went into the emerald fire. Harry approached the fire and threw in the rest of the Floo powder. Harry gripped on to the ribbon Karrot tied around Snuffles neck so they wouldn't get separated. Harry shouted their destination and stepped in. After a few minutes of feeling sick to his stomach; Harry smacked the carpet floor of the Weasley's den.
"Oh Harry darling thank Goodness that you're alright." Mrs. Weasley yelled once he stood up and pulled him into a giant hug.
"I was so worried when I saw the Headline." She sobbed.
"What headline?" Harry choked out as she let go of him. She led him to the deserted kitchen and gave him the Daily Prophet.
'Death at Privet Drive' was in bold black letters on the front page. Underneath was a small picture featuring Privet Drive illuminated by the Death Marks and in the middle of the road; you could barely make out Karrot and himself running to their houses. Harry's eyes lingered down and began to read the article.
"It seemed like any ordinary day as Harry Potter, downfall of our Dark Lord and Head Boy at Hogwarts, and Karrot Toyamatto, Head Girl at Hogwarts, made their way home from their last year at Hogwarts to their homes on Privet Drive. But once they turned the corner, they were proved mistaken.
"Approximately ten minutes before they got to their houses, Death eaters killed everyone that lived on the Muggle street. A little girl who was playing a Muggle child's game with her sister was hiding when the Death Eaters came to her house and survived.
"Unfortunately, Karrot's parents, Yuri and Thyissa Toyamatto, both from the Muggle Defense team from Japan, were killed. Her brother, also of the Muggle Defense team, was killed trying to save the little kids on the street by ushering them down into the basement and using a powerful locking spell to insure their safety, but failed.
"We are not sure what happened to Harry, Karrot, and the little girl, but we all hope that they are safe.
"-Article written by Trevor Daniels"
Mrs. Weasley laid down a plate full of eggs and bacon in front of Harry. "Where is Karrot and the little girl?"
"Karrot went to tell Akira what happened and she took the girl to Dumbledore with her." He said as he poked at his food.
"Where is everybody?" Harry asked Mrs. Weasley; just noticing that he was the only one at the table.
"They're all asleep. Mr. Weasley and Percy went in to work once the Prophet came. They're going to have to do a lot of memory changing on any Muggle who saw the marks." She said with a small smile. "Ron and the others should be awake in the next hour."
Harry sighed as he gave Snuffles some bacon off of his plate. This was not the best way to start summer vacation.
~*~
Harry awoke a week later to something tapping on his head. He wearily opened an eye and saw Karrot's Snowy owl , Aero, on his chest trying to wake him up.
He slipped the package off of her leg and she took off out of Ron's upstairs' window. He carefully opened the package and read the note.
???
Dear Harry,
We finally got everything sorted out. Me, Karrot, and our two Grandmas buried Mom and Dad today. Things are starting to look up a bit. Underneath this not you should find a black rectangular box, if you tap it and say 'Candio Véo' (Pronounced Candie-oh Veh-oh) you should be able to see what going on today. We had it set up so you could.
- Akira
???
Harry took the box out as Ron got out of his bed. He said the words while tapping on it and a screen appeared. The two sat down in interest. The screen grew a bit wider and you could see the inside of a small house.
A girl with a white painted face, hooded eyes, purple eye shadow, and a lovely outfit that looked like a cross between a kimono and a dress came out.
"Who is that?" Ron whispered to Harry.
"I don't know. She might be one of Karrot's cousins. She looks around 16."
"Grandma," the girl called, "Do you know where my other shoe is?"
Harry mouth hung open. "That is Karrot."
"What happened to her? She looks so different and beautiful."
"It's by the door with Little Brother." Akira's voice came from the sofa.
"Little Brother?" Harry asked Ron with a raised eyebrow.
"It's our dog." Akira said while facing the boys.
"You could hear us?" Ron said loudly.
"Yep, see you too. As for what happened to Karrot; she's in the Matchmaker ceremony today. She has to wear that outfit. Tradition."
"What's the Matchmaker ceremony?"
"It's when the Chinese girls go to a Matchmaker to get paired up with husband for them to bring honor to the family. But she doesn't want to because I didn't."
"Why didn't you go?" Ron asked her right away.
"I wasn't chosen to go. Besides, you can't make a newly Wed go to get a husband."
"You're married?" Harry said with a lot of surprise in his voice.
"Yep. I am now, Akira Silica Toyamatto Lupin."
"Congratulations." Ron said in a unusually cheery voice for the morning.
"Little brother you get back here with my shoe right now!" Karrot yelled as she chased a small dog carrying a small black shoe.
"Little Brother!" She yelled again as she chased him in the opposite direction. Little Brother ran back the other way and Karrot leapt across the hallway tackling him; creating a loud crash.
"Harry," Karrot said while coming back in to view; putting on her finally retrieved shoe. "Go to the fire place. I'm going to Floo you a package but don't open it until you get back to Ron's room. OK?"
"Yeah, I'll be back in a minute."
About two minutes later Harry was sitting on the bed reading a letter from Karrot before he opened the box.
???
Harry,
This is something that I saw when I was searching the houses and thought that you would like it.
- Karrot
???
He carefully opened the parchment wrapped box to take out a glass jar containing a scrawny looking rat with a finger missing on his front right paw.
"Why did she leave her luggage?" He asked himself.
He began to run a bit more, up to the beginning of Privet Drive when he froze in horror. Stars. Thousands upon thousands of stars littler the sky. Not the normal stars that you see every night, but ones that glowed an eerie green so bright that it was casting a shadow over everything. About a hundred stars formed the Death Mark, a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth, over each house on the drive.
Harry found himself running to his house when he remembered the words that Mr. Weasly told him three years ago.
'Just picture coming home, and finding the Death Mark hovering over your house, and knowing what your about to find inside'
Harry threw the door open.
"Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, Dudley?" He yelled frantically. He knew that it was hopeless but he could always hope. He searched the den and make his way to the kitchen where on the fridge was a piece of torn paper. Harry snatched it up and began to read.
'Dear Boy.
We finally got our summer home up in Magnolia and we decided to just move up there for good. We doubt that you'll live.
-Vernon Dursley'
Harry breathed a sigh of relief and noticed that the goldfishes were dead. He shrugged off the thought and went back into the green light to see how Karrot was.
He opened the door and was in shock. The inside of her house was almost destroyed, the after effects of random curses litter the small entrance way. He walked soundlessly into the living room and saw Karrot standing horror-struck over three dead bodies. He recognized two of the bodies, Thyissa and Yuri, her parents, and the third was a boy who looked about a year older then Karrot was. He had the same midnight black hair that fell to his shoulders as she did and assumed that it was her brother Cyan.
"Karrot?" He asked her, feeling really sorry that she had to see them dead. Karrot didn't seem to have heard him and just kept staring straight a head. Harry decided to shake her gently to see if she would snap out of it. Once he placed his hands on her shoulders, she broke down. Her head plunged for his chest and Harry felt his hands wrap around her. He could feel her small body shaking with tears that she didn't try to hold back. After a few minutes she stopped.
"I'm sorry Harry." She choked out.
"Why? You have no reason to be sorry, sad yes, but not sorry." He reassured her.
"We should really go and check to see if anyone else is alive." She said while heading out the door.
The first eight houses were nothing but misery. But at the ninth, and final, house there was a little girl, Melissa, who was alive. It turned out that she was playing hide-and-go-seek with her sister and was hiding when they came.
Karrot carried Melissa out of the house. She placed her down on the deserted road with Harry and they tried to think of what they should do. The green stars created a shadow on Karrot's face making her look stressed.
"You should really get to some where's safe Harry," Karrot told him, "Like at Ron's."
"But what about you and Melissa?" He asked her as Melissa stroked Snuffles some distance away.
"I'm going to Hogwarts' to tell Akira what happened. I can bring her to Dumbledore while I'm there."
"Should we call the Knight Bus again?" Harry asked with no idea how they could get away from Privet Drive.
"No. I have the Floo Network in my house. We can use that. And Harry, do you think that you could take Snuffles? After all he is your God-Father."
Harry nodded as Karrot picked up the five year old girl and carried her through Karrot's ruined house. Harry and Snuffles waited until Karrot and Melissa disappeared before they went into the emerald fire. Harry approached the fire and threw in the rest of the Floo powder. Harry gripped on to the ribbon Karrot tied around Snuffles neck so they wouldn't get separated. Harry shouted their destination and stepped in. After a few minutes of feeling sick to his stomach; Harry smacked the carpet floor of the Weasley's den.
"Oh Harry darling thank Goodness that you're alright." Mrs. Weasley yelled once he stood up and pulled him into a giant hug.
"I was so worried when I saw the Headline." She sobbed.
"What headline?" Harry choked out as she let go of him. She led him to the deserted kitchen and gave him the Daily Prophet.
'Death at Privet Drive' was in bold black letters on the front page. Underneath was a small picture featuring Privet Drive illuminated by the Death Marks and in the middle of the road; you could barely make out Karrot and himself running to their houses. Harry's eyes lingered down and began to read the article.
"It seemed like any ordinary day as Harry Potter, downfall of our Dark Lord and Head Boy at Hogwarts, and Karrot Toyamatto, Head Girl at Hogwarts, made their way home from their last year at Hogwarts to their homes on Privet Drive. But once they turned the corner, they were proved mistaken.
"Approximately ten minutes before they got to their houses, Death eaters killed everyone that lived on the Muggle street. A little girl who was playing a Muggle child's game with her sister was hiding when the Death Eaters came to her house and survived.
"Unfortunately, Karrot's parents, Yuri and Thyissa Toyamatto, both from the Muggle Defense team from Japan, were killed. Her brother, also of the Muggle Defense team, was killed trying to save the little kids on the street by ushering them down into the basement and using a powerful locking spell to insure their safety, but failed.
"We are not sure what happened to Harry, Karrot, and the little girl, but we all hope that they are safe.
"-Article written by Trevor Daniels"
Mrs. Weasley laid down a plate full of eggs and bacon in front of Harry. "Where is Karrot and the little girl?"
"Karrot went to tell Akira what happened and she took the girl to Dumbledore with her." He said as he poked at his food.
"Where is everybody?" Harry asked Mrs. Weasley; just noticing that he was the only one at the table.
"They're all asleep. Mr. Weasley and Percy went in to work once the Prophet came. They're going to have to do a lot of memory changing on any Muggle who saw the marks." She said with a small smile. "Ron and the others should be awake in the next hour."
Harry sighed as he gave Snuffles some bacon off of his plate. This was not the best way to start summer vacation.
~*~
Harry awoke a week later to something tapping on his head. He wearily opened an eye and saw Karrot's Snowy owl , Aero, on his chest trying to wake him up.
He slipped the package off of her leg and she took off out of Ron's upstairs' window. He carefully opened the package and read the note.
???
Dear Harry,
We finally got everything sorted out. Me, Karrot, and our two Grandmas buried Mom and Dad today. Things are starting to look up a bit. Underneath this not you should find a black rectangular box, if you tap it and say 'Candio Véo' (Pronounced Candie-oh Veh-oh) you should be able to see what going on today. We had it set up so you could.
- Akira
???
Harry took the box out as Ron got out of his bed. He said the words while tapping on it and a screen appeared. The two sat down in interest. The screen grew a bit wider and you could see the inside of a small house.
A girl with a white painted face, hooded eyes, purple eye shadow, and a lovely outfit that looked like a cross between a kimono and a dress came out.
"Who is that?" Ron whispered to Harry.
"I don't know. She might be one of Karrot's cousins. She looks around 16."
"Grandma," the girl called, "Do you know where my other shoe is?"
Harry mouth hung open. "That is Karrot."
"What happened to her? She looks so different and beautiful."
"It's by the door with Little Brother." Akira's voice came from the sofa.
"Little Brother?" Harry asked Ron with a raised eyebrow.
"It's our dog." Akira said while facing the boys.
"You could hear us?" Ron said loudly.
"Yep, see you too. As for what happened to Karrot; she's in the Matchmaker ceremony today. She has to wear that outfit. Tradition."
"What's the Matchmaker ceremony?"
"It's when the Chinese girls go to a Matchmaker to get paired up with husband for them to bring honor to the family. But she doesn't want to because I didn't."
"Why didn't you go?" Ron asked her right away.
"I wasn't chosen to go. Besides, you can't make a newly Wed go to get a husband."
"You're married?" Harry said with a lot of surprise in his voice.
"Yep. I am now, Akira Silica Toyamatto Lupin."
"Congratulations." Ron said in a unusually cheery voice for the morning.
"Little brother you get back here with my shoe right now!" Karrot yelled as she chased a small dog carrying a small black shoe.
"Little Brother!" She yelled again as she chased him in the opposite direction. Little Brother ran back the other way and Karrot leapt across the hallway tackling him; creating a loud crash.
"Harry," Karrot said while coming back in to view; putting on her finally retrieved shoe. "Go to the fire place. I'm going to Floo you a package but don't open it until you get back to Ron's room. OK?"
"Yeah, I'll be back in a minute."
About two minutes later Harry was sitting on the bed reading a letter from Karrot before he opened the box.
???
Harry,
This is something that I saw when I was searching the houses and thought that you would like it.
- Karrot
???
He carefully opened the parchment wrapped box to take out a glass jar containing a scrawny looking rat with a finger missing on his front right paw.