Wow guys thanks for the feedback :D
I finally got 20 reviews! *dies*
Yeah I was also thinking that my chapters were waaayy too short, so I'll make em HEAPS longer :D
All better now? :)
N sorry for the delay - skool and stuff *grumbles*
~*~*~*~
Chapter 9 - Morning Drinks and The Malfoy Manor
It was morning.
On a bed in the hospital wing, Harry Potter opened a bleary eye.
"AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
"Harry! Harry! It's OK! It's just Remus!"
Harry relaxed back against his pillow. "Sorry" he said "but you just look like a smudge without my glasses."
Remus smiled and handed Harry his glasses
"Thank you" he said, struggling to sit up.
"Here - have a hot chocolate"
Harry wrapped his hands around the mug. It felt nice against his fingers.
Remus took a seat, and they sat in silence for a few minutes, sipping their drinks.
"Remus?" Harry asked suddenly "Do you know a man named Peter Pettigrew?"
Remus choked on his hot chocolate, eyes wide.
"Sorry - I didn't mean to upset you!" Harry said hurriedly.
"No, no its quite alright Harry, it was just a bit of a shock."
"So you know him?"
"Ah - yes. He was one of my . friends at school."
Harry nodded, and Remus took another sip.
"So. why was he in a prison cell?"
This simple question caused Remus to spray his mouthful of hot chocolate all over Harry's clean, white sheets.
Madam Pomfrey gave him a reproachful look and cleaned the sheets with a wave of her wand.
Remus seemed lost for words.
"He - um - he - oh - er - "
"He said that he betrayed my parents to the Dark Lord."
Remus gave a strangled cry, and the mug slipped out of his grasp, shattering on the ground.
He ignored Madam Pomfrey's shouts of 'REALLY! Remus Lupin this is a HOSPITAL WING!!" and boggled at Harry.
"How did. how did you know that?" he whispered hoarsly.
Harry shrugged in reply
"He told me."
Remus' mouth was hanging open "Huh?"
"I had a dream last night, like the one I had about you. But this time, Peter could see me."
Remus just stared
"Well, when I got there he was sobbing about some people, called Lily and James. where they my parents?"
Remus nodded dumbly
"Anyway, he was really sad and he told me that he had betrayed my parents to the Dark Lord, but then a man came in with black robes and a white mask and blasted away the bars. Then he asked Peter if he wanted to rejoin the Dark Lord and Peter said he'd rather die."
Remus was still staring, his mouth hanging open.
"And. and then the man said 'too bad!' and made him go in a trance and he did what the mean man wanted and went to join the others outside.
That's when I woke up." Harry finished.
Remus was still staring at Harry. *I don't think he believes me* he thought sadly. *there has to be a way, maybe something in the news? A newspaper!*
"Remus? Do wizards have a newspaper?"
Remus blinked twice before the question registered
"Oh. yeah. I'll be back." he wandered out of the hospital wing.
Three minutes later, Remus wandered back in, with an unopened news paper in his hand.
Harry took it and unfolded it. The words "The Daily Prophet" were emblazoned across the top.
He lowered his gaze to the main article.
"Remus, was that prison called Azkaban?"
"Yeah."
Harry sucked in a breath as he read the headline.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
FORTRESS OF AZKABAN RAIDED
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Under the title was a picture of the fortress with a dark skull floating above it in the sky.
*It looks evil* Harry thought
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"The Ministry of Magic was sent into chaos last night, when to guards apparated from Azkaban, and informed Minister Fudge that the fortress had been raided.
Auror teams were immediately dispatched to the prison, and were able to apparate directly, as all the wards had been taken down immediately before the attack.
"Death Eaters attacked the prison." Benjamin Sphike, one of the two remaining guards, informed us. "I do not know how the wards where taken down, but is suspected that one of the guards was not loyal to the ministry of magic."
The bodies of 3 guards were found one of the cells, but 4 have been announced missing.
"The dementors were gone when we arrived," Auror Ernie Shingleton tells us, "as well as all of the prisoners."
There has been much speculation of what this attack could indicate. Why were the dementors gone? The prisoners can be controlled bu the Unforgiveable Imperius Curse, but Dementors cannot. Why would Death Eaters stage this attack? They were gathering followers, but for what purpose? What do we do if You-Know-Who finally regaining his lost power?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Look at this Remus." Harry said "
Remus took one look at the newspaper headline and yelled.
"God Almighty!"
"REMUS LUPIN I HAVE PATIENTS IN NEED OF CARE!"
"I have good reason to shout Poppy!"
Remus finished reading the article, and pale-faced, handed it to Madam Pompfrey, who screamed like a banshee.
"Told you so" he muttered.
Harry giggled.
___________________
Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk, his morning coffee beside him. He had had the most wonderful two days! For two days he had severed all contact with anyone on Ministry of Magic business. That meant no Fudge pelting him with owls, no silly little Umbridges simpering on about how his school should be run, no Lucius Malfoys to be forced to talk to. life was good.
He had just finished writing a letter to his niece, when an owl swooped in, dropping a copy of the Daily Prophet on his desk. Dumbledore settle himself more comfortable in chair and sipped his coffee. He unfolded his newspaper, wondering if he'd missed anything. *Probably not* he thought.
His sparkling blue eyes skimmed down to the first headline, and he leapt out of his seat, spilling his coffee all over the newspaper.
Dumbledore stared at the newspaper in horror, until he reached the end of the article.
Suddenly, his face went back to normal, even though his eyes were grim.
"Darn," he said, "that was good coffee too."
All over the countryside, owls were swooping in with the latest version of the Daily Prophet.
And all over the countryside, the latest version of the Daily Prophet saw some interesting things.
Mugs were dropped, coffee and tea were splattered on the front page (with an exception here and there of soggy cereal), people shrieked and swore, others fell off chairs, dropped their spoons, or had to be whacked on the back a few times, after they choked on their toast.
However, a few found this ordeal very amusing.
Lucius Malfoy snickered as he read the last paragraph.
"Well DUH!" he said
His son Draco Malfoy ambled into the room for breakfast.
"What are you reading Father?" he asked, trying to sound polite.
"None of your business, you filthy useless lump!"
Draco's angelic smile vanished into a sad expression.
"Sorry, Father" he said softly "I didn't mean to be rude.."
"Well you were," Lucius snarled, "I don't know why I even bother keeping you in this house. Your mother and I would be better off without you. And don't call me father! I will not have a son as incompetent as you!"
Draco looked at his father dejectedly. No - not his father anymore. He didn't have a father. He could feel tears in his eyes, and his father turned to look at him, as one coursed down his cheek.
Lucius rolled his eyes. "Yeah that's right you little wimp, go and cry." he sneered. "Get out of here! You disgust me!"
Draco wiped away his tears, and fled outside into the garden, and over the wall. Lucius had told him to get out, so he was getting out.
There was nothing for him here, but a mean man who called him names, and an evil lady who slapped him every chance she got.
He was leaving.
Yay! Baby Draco! 1, 2, 3 - Aaawwwwww...
That was longer :D
Go me!
Btw - bluesnow5 person, whoever you are, I am deeply honoured to be on your favourite authors list :D
And someone else put TE on their fav stories list - I forget who but thankyou thankyou!
WOOHOO!
I luv you all!
Lol :P
Nxt chapter - find out more about Draco, Peter rocks up again, um um what else? Oh yeah, and Harry gets to meet Sirius! :D