Harry didn't know how long they'd been flying. It seemed like to time
at all, before they were landing back down between houses number eleven
and thirteen, Grimmauld Place. Harry closed his eyes and thought about
the address for number twelve. When he opened his eyes, there lay the
house that he'd gotten so acquainted with the summer before. Following
the lead of the others, he walked through the front door and sat
Hedwig's cage on a table near the door. Mrs. Weasley came running up to
him and grabbed him into a huge hug.
"Oh Harry, it's good to see you well and safe." she said soothingly. Ron and Hermione came running down stairs. Hermione hugged him tight.
"We've missed you. We just got your owl! Malfoy! You'd think after his father was thrown in Azkaban, he'd go into hiding to save face." She commented.
"He's not going to be easy to deal with this year. He's out for your head." Ron added.
"He can bloody well try all he wants. He won't get far. I'm not worried about him." Harry told him, some anger in his voice. His friends backed away a bit. Lupin was talking to Mrs. Weasley, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. They kept glancing over at him, cautiously.
"I'm going to bed." he muttered, then went upstairs to the room him and Ron had shared the previous summer. He didn't know how long he laid there in the dark. Ron didn't come up to join him. He was half pleased about it. He wasn't in the mood to be social, nor did he didn't want to talk about his run in with Malfoy in more detail. He'd heard what Lupin had said, but despite that, he still couldn't shake Sirius off his mind. He missed his Godfather. He was one of the only ones who really knew his parents. It made him feel closer to them, and now that feeling had been stripped away. Of course Lupin had been close with them. But it wasn't the same. The words Dumbledore had spoken to him at the end of the school year, lay fresh in his mind. If he'd hadn't gone after Sirius, then he'd still be alive. The invisible person in the painting near the room made mumbling noises as it drifted off to sleep. Soon Harry too, began to drift off.
"That wretched boy. The thorn in my side... Dumbledore. We're back to the beginning!" Voldemort roared furiously. The few Death Eaters that were remaining, fidgeted slightly. If Voldemort was going to take out his anger, they were hoping it wouldn't be on them.
"We'll have to get into the school another way. We have to get close to Harry Potter. I have a plan. The dragon should be up to the task. Yes. We'll use him. Fetch me, Lucius!" He yelled at a near by Dementor, who nodded in reply and drifted off out of view.
Harry woke up. His scar burned deep into his skull. He cried out in pain, waking up Ron, who'd sometime earlier crawled into bed.
"What's wrong Harry?"
"Nothing." Harry mumbled, then turned back over and slept the rest of the night, dreamlessly.
Harry grudgingly crawled out of bed. He'd been laying there thinking again all morning. When Mrs. Weasley came up to fetch him and Ron for breakfast, he told her he wasn't hungry. Now he was hungry, and felt stupid for missing breakfast. Lunch would be soon though. He got dressed and came down the stairs. The house-elf heads had been cleared out. He also noted there was no sign of Kreacher. Maybe he'd been presented clothing? But by who? He had no master left. Maybe that was enough for him to leave the home and search out Voldemort. He made a point of asking the Order later. If Kreacher was still around, he probably knew to stay as far away from Harry as possible.
Ron and Hermione were going through charm books in the den, while Percy sat by them working on something for work. He nodded at Harry when he noticed he'd entered the room. It pleased Harry slightly to know that the Weasley family was yet again whole. Harry sat down next to Hermione.
"About time you came down, we were wondering when you would." said Ron.
"I'm sorry. I just had a few things to sort through. What are you working on?"
"We're studying up on new charms to teach DA. Who knows when Dumbledore will need us again. The more prepared we are, the more of a chance we'll have."
"Mum wrote to Dumbledore. Explaining to him that you're here and why. She's worried about you. Are you all right, Harry?"
"I'm fine." was all he managed to say. He sat back and relaxed into the couch. He wanted to tell them about his dream, but it would lead to more discussion on the topic he liked the least. He'd wait until he could talk to Dumbledore. He got up and walked around the house. It was a lot different than the last time he was there. It was friendlier. The order had found a way to remove Mrs. Black's painting, so that there was no longer any screaming when they went down the corridor. The tapestry had been removed and a map of the world replaced it. To an ordinary stranger, there were no signs that anything evil had ever lived there. It made him feel a bit better, but he still wished his Godfather was there.
Dumbledore came that night to dinner. This signified that there would be a meeting of the order tonight, and the others would be arriving shortly. He walked over to Harry and smiled.
"It seems you've given your Aunt and Uncle a bit of a fright. Good show." was all he said, then took his place at the dinner table. Harry joined in between Ron and Hermione. Soon there were nine people sitting around the table in the kitchen. Lupin returned with Tonks from a secret mission for the Order. Moody came down at the smell of Mrs. Weasley's cooking, what he'd been up to was Harry's guess, but thought it was also for the Order. And lastly they were joined by Professors Snape and McGonagall. Harry leered at Snape, who gave him a weak smile, which still came out as a sneer. Harry wondered where Mr. Weasley was. When they'd all finished eating, they sat around to discuss the latest news.
"Due to the recent events, I have made a firm decision that some changes should take place. The three of you, even though underage, may have the privilege of joining us in this meeting. It may become very useful to have you knowledgable." Dumbledore stated, as Hermione, Ron, and Harry stood up to leave. They sat back down. Everyone was quiet until at last someone spoke.
"Despite our efforts over the last couple of months, Voldemort still has a great number of his followers. It seems that Azkaban can no longer be a safe place. The dementors as well know have turned to Voldemort, vile creatures they are. A number of the prisoners have managed to escape." Moody told them. Everyone nodded in agreeance. Harry presumed he'd said this for his sake. He'd still been trying to get whatever news he could from the Muggle papers, but it was to no avail. Moody started to go on, but Harry thought it was relevant to interrupt.
"I had a dream about it last night." he blurted.
"A dream?' Dumbledore asked.
"Voldemort wants to try and find another way into the school. He mentioned a dragon, and he sent for Lucius Malfoy."
"Then Lucius is out of Azkaban." Dumbledore commented with slight sadness in his voice.
"Well it was just a dream." Percy stated, but stopped, noticing the look on his mother's face. He looked back down at the table.
"Well, Harry? Was there any more?" Moody questioned.
"No... that was it." Harry felt a bit foolish. He wished he had more to tell. He knew his dream wasn't anything the Order wouldn't already know by now. Moody just nodded.
"I find it very peculiar he asked for Lucius, specifically." Percy commented.
"He's one of Voldemort's most loyal. He's his right hand man. I'm sure he felt that Lucius was the only one who could do the job, and do it right." Moody replied irritably. It seemed that the order was still holding a slight grudge on Percy for the way he'd been acting the year before. Ever since the incident at the ministry, one by one more people began to believe Dumbledore to be not as crazy as they had believed. Percy'd returned home to make amends with his family, and wanted to help the best he could. But that didn't stop the elders of the order from being suspicious of him.
"Draco... dragon..." Hermione muttered.
"I'll be keeping a watchful eye on young Malfoy through out the year, Miss Granger. Don't you worry about it." Dumbledore stated with a gleam in his eye. He knew what she was thinking, even though she didn't voice it.
"Another problem we have, is that Voldemort has gotten a hold of the rest of the prophecy. He now knows that he is bound to Harry's fate. He will be trying to find a way around this, and as quick as possible." Lupin informed them.
"The ministry is on that, although it shall take a bit of time. There are still several trials to go through." Percy said immediately.
"What good is a trial? They'll be locked up in Azkaban and free with in a matter of hours!" Ron exclaimed.
"We have other prisons, Mr. Weasley, other than Azkaban, with other guards than dementors. Ones dared not spoken of. Those found guilty now will be sent there." Dumbledore assured him. It went on for about an hour. They discussed possible plans that Voldemort might use to get into the school and where else to look for information. Snape was still spying, but as of late, Voldemort trusted him less, and spoke little to him of the plans. Harry took some joy out of the thought of Snape being rather useless at the moment, it was unlike the claims he'd made on Sirius. A taste of his own medicine. After the meeting adjourned, they were dismissed off to bed. Harry was too tired to discuss it with Ron, and fell into a deep sleep quickly.
"Oh Harry, it's good to see you well and safe." she said soothingly. Ron and Hermione came running down stairs. Hermione hugged him tight.
"We've missed you. We just got your owl! Malfoy! You'd think after his father was thrown in Azkaban, he'd go into hiding to save face." She commented.
"He's not going to be easy to deal with this year. He's out for your head." Ron added.
"He can bloody well try all he wants. He won't get far. I'm not worried about him." Harry told him, some anger in his voice. His friends backed away a bit. Lupin was talking to Mrs. Weasley, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. They kept glancing over at him, cautiously.
"I'm going to bed." he muttered, then went upstairs to the room him and Ron had shared the previous summer. He didn't know how long he laid there in the dark. Ron didn't come up to join him. He was half pleased about it. He wasn't in the mood to be social, nor did he didn't want to talk about his run in with Malfoy in more detail. He'd heard what Lupin had said, but despite that, he still couldn't shake Sirius off his mind. He missed his Godfather. He was one of the only ones who really knew his parents. It made him feel closer to them, and now that feeling had been stripped away. Of course Lupin had been close with them. But it wasn't the same. The words Dumbledore had spoken to him at the end of the school year, lay fresh in his mind. If he'd hadn't gone after Sirius, then he'd still be alive. The invisible person in the painting near the room made mumbling noises as it drifted off to sleep. Soon Harry too, began to drift off.
"That wretched boy. The thorn in my side... Dumbledore. We're back to the beginning!" Voldemort roared furiously. The few Death Eaters that were remaining, fidgeted slightly. If Voldemort was going to take out his anger, they were hoping it wouldn't be on them.
"We'll have to get into the school another way. We have to get close to Harry Potter. I have a plan. The dragon should be up to the task. Yes. We'll use him. Fetch me, Lucius!" He yelled at a near by Dementor, who nodded in reply and drifted off out of view.
Harry woke up. His scar burned deep into his skull. He cried out in pain, waking up Ron, who'd sometime earlier crawled into bed.
"What's wrong Harry?"
"Nothing." Harry mumbled, then turned back over and slept the rest of the night, dreamlessly.
Harry grudgingly crawled out of bed. He'd been laying there thinking again all morning. When Mrs. Weasley came up to fetch him and Ron for breakfast, he told her he wasn't hungry. Now he was hungry, and felt stupid for missing breakfast. Lunch would be soon though. He got dressed and came down the stairs. The house-elf heads had been cleared out. He also noted there was no sign of Kreacher. Maybe he'd been presented clothing? But by who? He had no master left. Maybe that was enough for him to leave the home and search out Voldemort. He made a point of asking the Order later. If Kreacher was still around, he probably knew to stay as far away from Harry as possible.
Ron and Hermione were going through charm books in the den, while Percy sat by them working on something for work. He nodded at Harry when he noticed he'd entered the room. It pleased Harry slightly to know that the Weasley family was yet again whole. Harry sat down next to Hermione.
"About time you came down, we were wondering when you would." said Ron.
"I'm sorry. I just had a few things to sort through. What are you working on?"
"We're studying up on new charms to teach DA. Who knows when Dumbledore will need us again. The more prepared we are, the more of a chance we'll have."
"Mum wrote to Dumbledore. Explaining to him that you're here and why. She's worried about you. Are you all right, Harry?"
"I'm fine." was all he managed to say. He sat back and relaxed into the couch. He wanted to tell them about his dream, but it would lead to more discussion on the topic he liked the least. He'd wait until he could talk to Dumbledore. He got up and walked around the house. It was a lot different than the last time he was there. It was friendlier. The order had found a way to remove Mrs. Black's painting, so that there was no longer any screaming when they went down the corridor. The tapestry had been removed and a map of the world replaced it. To an ordinary stranger, there were no signs that anything evil had ever lived there. It made him feel a bit better, but he still wished his Godfather was there.
Dumbledore came that night to dinner. This signified that there would be a meeting of the order tonight, and the others would be arriving shortly. He walked over to Harry and smiled.
"It seems you've given your Aunt and Uncle a bit of a fright. Good show." was all he said, then took his place at the dinner table. Harry joined in between Ron and Hermione. Soon there were nine people sitting around the table in the kitchen. Lupin returned with Tonks from a secret mission for the Order. Moody came down at the smell of Mrs. Weasley's cooking, what he'd been up to was Harry's guess, but thought it was also for the Order. And lastly they were joined by Professors Snape and McGonagall. Harry leered at Snape, who gave him a weak smile, which still came out as a sneer. Harry wondered where Mr. Weasley was. When they'd all finished eating, they sat around to discuss the latest news.
"Due to the recent events, I have made a firm decision that some changes should take place. The three of you, even though underage, may have the privilege of joining us in this meeting. It may become very useful to have you knowledgable." Dumbledore stated, as Hermione, Ron, and Harry stood up to leave. They sat back down. Everyone was quiet until at last someone spoke.
"Despite our efforts over the last couple of months, Voldemort still has a great number of his followers. It seems that Azkaban can no longer be a safe place. The dementors as well know have turned to Voldemort, vile creatures they are. A number of the prisoners have managed to escape." Moody told them. Everyone nodded in agreeance. Harry presumed he'd said this for his sake. He'd still been trying to get whatever news he could from the Muggle papers, but it was to no avail. Moody started to go on, but Harry thought it was relevant to interrupt.
"I had a dream about it last night." he blurted.
"A dream?' Dumbledore asked.
"Voldemort wants to try and find another way into the school. He mentioned a dragon, and he sent for Lucius Malfoy."
"Then Lucius is out of Azkaban." Dumbledore commented with slight sadness in his voice.
"Well it was just a dream." Percy stated, but stopped, noticing the look on his mother's face. He looked back down at the table.
"Well, Harry? Was there any more?" Moody questioned.
"No... that was it." Harry felt a bit foolish. He wished he had more to tell. He knew his dream wasn't anything the Order wouldn't already know by now. Moody just nodded.
"I find it very peculiar he asked for Lucius, specifically." Percy commented.
"He's one of Voldemort's most loyal. He's his right hand man. I'm sure he felt that Lucius was the only one who could do the job, and do it right." Moody replied irritably. It seemed that the order was still holding a slight grudge on Percy for the way he'd been acting the year before. Ever since the incident at the ministry, one by one more people began to believe Dumbledore to be not as crazy as they had believed. Percy'd returned home to make amends with his family, and wanted to help the best he could. But that didn't stop the elders of the order from being suspicious of him.
"Draco... dragon..." Hermione muttered.
"I'll be keeping a watchful eye on young Malfoy through out the year, Miss Granger. Don't you worry about it." Dumbledore stated with a gleam in his eye. He knew what she was thinking, even though she didn't voice it.
"Another problem we have, is that Voldemort has gotten a hold of the rest of the prophecy. He now knows that he is bound to Harry's fate. He will be trying to find a way around this, and as quick as possible." Lupin informed them.
"The ministry is on that, although it shall take a bit of time. There are still several trials to go through." Percy said immediately.
"What good is a trial? They'll be locked up in Azkaban and free with in a matter of hours!" Ron exclaimed.
"We have other prisons, Mr. Weasley, other than Azkaban, with other guards than dementors. Ones dared not spoken of. Those found guilty now will be sent there." Dumbledore assured him. It went on for about an hour. They discussed possible plans that Voldemort might use to get into the school and where else to look for information. Snape was still spying, but as of late, Voldemort trusted him less, and spoke little to him of the plans. Harry took some joy out of the thought of Snape being rather useless at the moment, it was unlike the claims he'd made on Sirius. A taste of his own medicine. After the meeting adjourned, they were dismissed off to bed. Harry was too tired to discuss it with Ron, and fell into a deep sleep quickly.