I dedicate this chapter to my kittens, Macaroon, Chin-chin, Salem, Truffle, and Tater. Because they sit on my lap while I type. And they're cute. And they purr.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. But Hermione promised to help me get Draco back.
Hermione: I promised no such thing! And you said I would be in the last chapter and I wasn't.
Me: well maybe if you'd read the script…
Hermione: Why should I read the script if I'm not in it?
Me: could we maybe cut this disclaimer a little short? 'cause my sister is gonna want to get on here as soon as jeopardy is over and I want to get as much typed as possible.
Hermione: okay. She owns nothing.
A/N: thank you, Esmee Squalor, for the review, and LordPixel for everything, Now CAN I PLEASE START THE STORY?
Chapter 3: The First attack.
Harry gasped. "An-an attack? Who was attacked?"
"They're explaining on the radio. Come on downstairs" Mala said, panting.
Harry and Ron leapt up and ran downstairs. In the kitchen, Moody, Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley, the Weasleys, and Professor Sielstin were huddled around the radio, listening to the wizard news.
Harry squeezed between Fred and George and listened to the voice issuing from the radio.
"And now I give you Eleanor, who is in Diagon Alley surveying the damage." Harry's eyes grew wide. "Diagon Alley?" he mouthed to Ron, who shrugged. Harry turned his attention back to the radio.
"Thanks, Bob. Well I'm here, right outside Gringotts and I can tell you things don't look too good. About half an hour ago around twenty Death Eaters attacked Diagon Alley. Fortunately this isn't one of Diagon Alley's busiest times, but there were ten fatalities. I have the list here."
The first three names Harry didn't recognize. Then Eleanor announced. "And seven of the ten fatalities were children and teens, getting there school shopping done early. Mary Lodren...Jessie Smith... Jackie Tlaying...Greg Safir...Timothy Evans," Harry hadn't recognized any of these names. But before each name was announced, Harry felt his heart leap into his throat for fear that the next name would be a friend...or a classmate. "Hannah Abott," Eleanor announced. Harry gasped. Hannah had been in his year, in Hufflepuff. He hadn't known her very well, but he had known her...attended classes with her...Harry was so deep in his thoughts that he nearly missed the last name. "Seamus Finnigan."
Ron let out a strangled sound sort of like a yelp. Harry just stared at the radio, shocked. So that was it. Seamus was...Harry couldn't even think the word. The first of his friends to have...Harry was sure that if there had been any others Dumbledore would have told him.
The shield fell down and Harry was left to face all he had been avoiding for the last month. A wave of unbearable emotion swept over him.
"Seamus." Said Harry sinking into the nearest chair. "Seamus. I guess we better get used to it, he won't be the only one, will he." He said dismally.
Ron too sank into a chair. "And we had only just made up." He said, his face in his hands.
"Not really," corrected Harry, "A while ago...but we should have tried to understand him...just because his mom didn't believe us...We didn't have to hold it against him."
"Don't blame yourselves." said George sharply, "he was an idiot about it, and you know it."
"George!" said Mrs. Weasley. "Honestly..."
"Sorry, mum." Said George, hastily. "But they shouldn't be blaming themselves for anything...It's not like it's their fault he died.
"Yeah that's the first time in a while someone's died and it hasn't been my fault." said Harry quietly.
"No Harry, you know I didn't mean-" George started, but Harry cut him off.
"It's my fault Sirius died...if I hadn't been such a prat he would be alive today...and if I hadn't made Cedric take the cup with me he wouldn't have died...and I practically killed my own mother, she died to save me, remember...and all the people who died this summer...I mean I've got to get rid of Voldemort. There's no point in any of you even trying, is there? You can get rid of his Death Eaters but it's got to come down to me in the end. And what have I done to prepare? NOTHING!"
"Harry, you will of course be starting training soon," said Lupin, "That's one of the main reasons you're here, but well, we don't expect a sixteen year old boy to be able to face one of the most powerful dark wizards of all time on his own, even if the boy is highly trained and has special powers. You've got to kill him in the end but we can weaken him up for you first...Make him possible for you to deal with."
"BUT HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KILL HIM?" Harry shouted. "I CAN'T EVEN DO AN AVADA KEDAVRA CURSE AND THAT DOESN'T WORK ON HIM REMEMBER? IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE TO KILL HIM? BECAUSE I'VE GOT TO! I CAN'T JUST STUN HIM AND SAY 'THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH' AND WALK AWAY. I HAVE TO KILL HIM!"
"Harry, calm down." said Mr. Weasley. "There are ways to kill him, and when we eliminate all the Death Eaters he'll have lost a lot of his power. Right now you just have to stay safe and train as hard as you can. 'Cause you're our only hope. If we lose you there's not much we can do."
"Now, Harry," said Lupin, "why don't you go upstairs, relax-"
"He's got to eat something!" Mrs. Weasley protested.
"I'm not hungry." Harry said stubbornly, through clenched teeth.
"Harry, just get some sleep, and we'll discuss your training in the morning." Said Mr. Weasley.
Still seething, Harry turned on his heel and strode out the door. He stomped up the stairs. It was always the same thing, he thought. Just sit there and be good and let the adults take care of it. Harry wondered when they were going to realize that he wasn't a child anymore.
He kicked open the door, and not bothering to close it after him he sank, fully clothed, onto the bed. Sleep wouldn't come. He didn't know how many hours he lay there before he finally drifted off.
When he woke up, he wasn't sure where he was. Then it all came rushing back to him. The new headquarters...Seamus dead...and he was supposed to start training. He glanced at his watch. Nearly eleven...how had he slept that late? Then he realized it must have been after midnight when he fell asleep. He quickly got up and hurried downstairs.
He peeked into the kitchen. It was empty except for Mrs. Weasley. When she saw him she said with a forced cheerfulness, "Good morning, Harry! Everyone's eaten already, but I've kept your breakfast warm. "She handed him a plate.
"Er...thanks." said Harry. He ate quickly and said, "Where is everyone?"
"Well there's an order meeting going on...I offered to wait for you to get up...Everyone else is outside...The door is right behind the stairs, you can't miss it."
"Right." Said Harry. "Thanks, Mrs. Weasley." He hurried out of the kitchen and through the door outside.
There was a large yard, completely surrounded by trees. Ron, George, Fred, Ginny, Mala, and the other kids Harry had seen the day before were scattered about, on chairs, or on the ground. It seemed as if they were having a meeting of some sort. Nobody seemed very happy to see Harry. Ron greeted him, "Hi Harry," and Ginny said, "Morning," gloomily and Fred nodded, but apart from that nobody even looked up.
Harry sat in a vacant seat next to Ron, and for a moment they all just sat in silence. Then Ron said so suddenly that Harry jumped; "Harry this is Gabi," he indicated a brown haired girl about their age, "Amy and Marissa," twin redheads a little older then Harry, "Jared," a black haired boy of about twelve, "Brett," a blond boy about eight, who looked suspiciously like a younger version of Draco Malfoy, but without the usual sneer, "Jamie," a black-haired girl about five, "and Chrissi." A blond haired girl about ten. Harry remembered what Lupin had said about kids whose parents had been killed in death eater attacks, and figured these must be the kids.
"I've told everyone about the prophecy," said Ron.
Harry raised his eyebrows. "Everyone? Let's just announce it to the whole world, why don't we."
"Look, Harry." Said Ron. "Fred and George already knew. They're in the order now,"
"Right." said George winking. "we're the official representatives from the order, we are."
"and Mala knew...and it's not like you didn't shout it to the whole household, last night...and I figured you'd tell everyone anyway."
"Right." said Harry. "Thanks." Ron looked surprised. But it wasn't, Harry thought, like what Ron had said wasn't perfectly true.
"And we think-" Ron started but was cut off.
"Hi, guys." Said Hermione from the doorway, and Harry gasped. Because Hermione looked totally different. Her bushy brown hair was smooth and shiny, her face was lightly made up, and she was wearing a flattering blue sundress. Harry found that he couldn't tear his eyes away from her...
A/N So that was the third chapter. (Nooooooo, really?) Please R&R. Or since you've already R'ed than just R. Yeah. and I know that the whole Hermione thing has been done a million times. But really, she's fifteen,(sixteen?) isn't it about time she started to grow up a bit?
