Chapter Four
-Disaster Strikes-
"My lord, everything is ready; Potter suspects nothing," a cold, squeaky voice said.
"Well done, now…" the tallest man turned his attention to a small crystal on a table. "For the important part of my plan," the man in black robes smiled evilly as he placed his hand on the crystal, when he drew it back there was a face in it. The person was screaming soundlessly; his features were old and ancient.
"This is the Muggle fool Malfoy disposed of," Voldemort said, he took the crystal in his hand and threw it hard against the wall. A misty image of Ernie Trout appeared and faded away into the atmosphere. "Give me Black's!" Voldemort roared at Peter Pettigrew.
"Lord… Black's did not show up," Peter squeaked, terrified. "I'm- I'm sorry, my lord."
Voldemort raised his wand at Peter, who tried to shield himself. "You fool, I told you to make sure Black was dead!"
"He is lord, be assured, Black is dead!" Peter said, putting his arms down slowly. Voldemort crossed the room to where a pile of crystals lay, each one with their own small face. He took one in his hand and showed it to Peter who gave a small choke like gasp. The person inside the crystal had fiery red hair and bright green eyes.
"I want Black's soul, and if you don't get you can be assured you will be joining him!" Voldemort cried, as he flung the crystal at Peter, it smashed at his feet and a ghostly image of Lily Potter faded away just as Ernie Trout had done.
"I will get it, I promise lord," Peter said, frantically.
"Good, Wormtail, good," Voldemort sneered, he looked down at a crystal he held in his hand. "What they say is true," he added.
"What is my lord?" Peter asked, still shaking.
"Potter looks extremely like his father," the man replied, before shards of crystal fell to the ground, James Potter's image dissolving like those before him had done.
Harry awoke, his scar throbbing with pain; he expected to see Ron asleep beside him but instead he saw the closed eyes of a Hippogriff, he must have fallen asleep next to Buckbeak. His mind was still on his dream, and although he knew a lot of his dreams were something Voldemort had perhaps wanted him to see, he knew, somehow, Voldemort hadn't him to see that one. He thought about those crystals Voldemort had been destroying… what were they? Why did Voldemort want them? His neck felt stiff from where he had fallen asleep awkwardly on Buckbeak. He clambered to his feet; his tiredness had not been dispelled by his short sleep. He suspected he had only been there for perhaps two hours, probably less.
Harry could hear voices outside as the door creaked open slowly, in the hallway light he could make out Hermione's face.
"Harry, are you alright?" she asked, worriedly, she was in a periwinkle blue nightdress and Harry could see the bottom of her pyjama trousers protruding from underneath it. "We heard somebody shout and it came from here," she explained, her bushy brown hair was knotted at the back so it seemed she had been tossing and turning in her sleep.
"Yeah, I'm fine, nobody shouted," Harry replied, his scar still very painful.
"Did you fall asleep?" Hermione continued, holding up a candle in a glass so she could see him as she and Ron walked in.
"Er, well, I think so," Harry replied, lamely.
"We couldn't sleep," Ron explained, "Hermione said her room was too cold and I have this annoying owl hooting right outside my window." Hermione was sat next to Harry now, as Buckbeak slept silently. Ron joined Harry on his other side, so the three sat in darkness save from the little light the candle was giving.
"Harry, we're really worried about you, you don't have to keep Buckbeak if you don't want to," Hermione told him, putting the candle in the middle so they all had equalled light.
"No one's forcing you," Ron chimed in.
"I think I'm going to keep him, I can't very well send him back to Hagrid because Malfoy will try and get him executed again," Harry replied, sadly.
"Little git; bet he had a right tantrum when his dad got sent to Azkaban," Ron growled. Harry nodded, he was still thinking about the dream, should he tell Ron and Hermione about it or not? "Remember when we knocked that troll out in first year?" Ron asked.
"Yes, what about it?" Hermione replied, frowning.
"Nothing, I just wondered if you remembered it," Ron said, as Buckbeak gave a large yawn.
"As if we could forget," Harry smiled, the memory playing on his mind. When he saw Buckbeak yawn it made him incline to yawn as well, and he saw Hermione hold one back. "Hermione, have you ever heard of these crystal balls that… have people's soul in them, dead people's souls?"
Hermione and Ron exchanged looks cautiously, "no, I haven't," Hermione replied eventually. "Is there even such a thing?"
"I guess," Harry said, absently. Buckbeak stood up behind the three and started to eat a rat bone happily. Ron watched in disgust as Hermione held the candle up to see what the Hippogriff was doing.
"I think you've heard this enough times already Harry, but are you sure you're alright?" Hermione asked, as Buckbeak lay restlessly down again.
Harry had heard it enough times, but this time he really didn't know how to answer, "I'm not too sure Hermione."
The next morning when the sun rose and the candle in the room had blown out Harry awoke again, Ron has fallen asleep against Buckbeak and Hermione was laying on the carpet sound asleep. Harry had had enough of rude awakens by various members of the household and was now climbing to his feet, realising he had slept in a pair of jeans and top whereas both Ron and Hermione were in pyjamas. He left the two asleep, deciding it was best and started towards the pine door, no sooner had he put his hand on the door handle when Hermione too stood up, stretching.
"Remus wants to see you as soon as you wake up Harry," she told him, "you better go." He nodded in thanks and left the room, heading down towards the kitchen where he presumed Remus would be.
"Wotcher Harry," Tonks smiled, colour had come back to her young face and today her hair was long and chocolate brown. She and her father sat around the kitchen table where Harry's unopened presents lay.
"Morning, do you know where Remus is?" Harry asked as Tonks waved her wand and a pile of buttered toast appeared on a plate on the table.
"He should be along soon, he doesn't have lay ins often," Tonks explained, "I have to be at Grimmuald Place at nine," she looked up at the ticking clock. "So has Remus, he leaves for the mission today."
"Where's he going?" Harry asked, as he sat down and Ted offered him some toast, which he gladly took.
"Some part of Wales; I wouldn't ask him why he's going, mind you, he's very touchy about it." Tonks took a bite out of her toast as someone came down the stairs of Manovulo Mansion. It was Remus dressed in black robes.
"Good morning Harry, I see Hermione passed on my message." Remus smiled as he took some toast Tonks was holding out to him.
"Good morning Professor," Harry said, before stopping himself.
"Call me Remus, Harry, I'm no longer your Professor and unless you haven't noticed, I haven't been for two years now." Harry grinned over at the werewolf and took a second piece of toast.
"What did you want to talk about to me?" Harry asked.
"Well, the reason you came here, Harry, the werewolf that attacked you in Magnolia Crescent on Wednesday, well, what we believe to be a werewolf."
"It sure felt like one, if I hadn't of caught my coat on a bush I would have been of fine!" Harry complained, though light heartedly.
"First, may I say a well done for saving Piers Polkiss and Dudley Dursley, if you had not of warned them they would have been dead," Remus continued.
"What a shame that would be," Harry growled, thinking of his Muggle cousin and his stupid friend.
"Come now Harry, you saved lives that day," Remus said, smiling, "I have had Arthur Weasley check with the Ministry and it seems no werewolves reside anywhere near Privet Drive, or, of a matter of a fact, Surrey."
Harry looked up from his toast, "I think the werewolf was my cousin, Maisy, my Aunt Marge said she was bitten; it could have been by one of her dogs or by a werewolf, Marge is Muggle so she wouldn't be able to tell the difference."
"Now don't you think she would have noticed when every full moon her daughter transformed into a werewolf?" Remus asked, as he conjured some tea for the both of them.
"Not if it happened recently," Harry replied, smiling a little at his own idea.
"That would explain why she wasn't on the register, there are very little Muggle werewolves in England, Harry, and if this really was a werewolf chances are it would have been a witch or wizard." Remus continued.
"Remus!" Tonks said, as she stood up, Harry glanced at the clock on the wall; it was now five minutes till nine o'clock.
"I'm sorry we couldn't figure this out Harry, and I hope you don't suspect me as a Supporter still..." he flashed Harry a smile and nodded to Tonks, who waved at Harry before apparating with a 'pop' out of the Kitchen. Remus looked up at Harry then without another word followed Tonks' suit and apparated from the Kitchen. Ted Tonks stood up and made his way to the sink when there were two more pops. Harry looked up from his toast and frowned as Ted Tonks stumbled backwards.
"Morning Harry," Fred Weasley smiled, before sliding into a seat at the Kitchen table and grabbing some toast.
"We trust you slept well," George added as he too took a slice of buttered toast.
"Wish people would stop apparating in and out of my kitchen..." Ted said, obviously annoyed.
"He didn't though did he?" Fred asked, as he watched Ted walk slowly out the Kitchen.
"Did he sleep on nails or something?" George smirked. The twins were amused by Harry's vague shock at them apparating in suddenly, they both took the liberty in waving their hands and clicking their fingers infront of Harry's face.
"I think we killed him," George joked, as Harry pushed their hands away.
"Where- where did you two come from?" Harry asked, his toast forgotton for the time being.
"Diagon Alley of course," Fred said as if it was obviously. He shook his head at his twin as if Harry had asked a very silly and needless question. "Bet you had fun the rest of the year with Umbridge."
"Yeah, it was a riot," Harry said, dully.
"This'll cheer you up, happy birthday," George joked, putting the Daily Prophet on the table and turning it around so Harry could read it. 'Late night break-in at the Ministry results in 5 Death Eaters captured,' Harry read silently.
"Why were they trying to get in?" Harry asked, frowning.
"No one knows," Fred replied, as he bit into some toast.
"That's why the Aurors are having a 'chat' with them, shall we say?" George said, looking at Harry as if the whole thing was a joke. "They'll get it out of them, no worries." The three turned to look at the door where Ginny Weasley was standing, beaming happily at her brothers.
"Where did you go after...?" she trailed off, knowing they knew what she was about to say. The twins again exchanged looks, both shaking their heads this time.
"Diagon Alley," they replied, in unision. If Harry hadn't known the twins as well as he did he would of found this feat quite extraordinary, but as he did know them he wasn't bothered. Ginny didn't seem to know whether to hug them or stay standing at the doorway but in the end she awkwardly took her two brothers in a hug.
"Mum didn't die without us did she?" Fred asked, in mock worry.
Ginny laughed as she too took a seat, "don't flatter yourselves; she's been coping fine."
"Has Percy sent her any letters yet? Any really long two-foot apology letters?" George asked. Harry looked between the three, finding this more of a family moment he was about to get up and leave when Ron and Hermione appeared at the Kitchen doorway, both bickering endlessly.
"For goodness sakes Ron, it's S.P.E.W and no, I haven't asked Vicktor to join yet!" Hermione said, waspishly.
"You could make him co-founder or something," Ron said, as he walked into the Kitchen, he stopped when he saw his brothers; unlike Ginny he didn't rush and hug them he just grinned broadly.
"The Leaky Cauldron kick you out?" he asked.
"Old Tom went off the handle for a couple of explosions on the stairs, honesty, one months ban!" Fred complained, smiling back at his brother. "Seen the paper?" he asked, handing it to Ron. Ginny and Hermione leaned over to read too.
"What were they trying to break in for?" Ron asked, "they were basically putting themselves in obvious danger anyway with the Order on guard twenty-four-seven." Harry thought back to his dream, when Peter had been asking why Voldemort would risk his followers for something valuable and he smiled. It was definitely starting to make things look brighter, he didn't even wonder why the Death Eaters were trying to get in he was just glad they had been caught.
"Some will get scared now that they will be caught too," Hermione said, suddenly, making everyone look up at her, "so pretty soon he won't be left with many followers; only the ones afraid of death and those stupid enough to put themselves at risk."
"Which means he'll still have a lot of followers, but atleast we know they're all dumb." Ron grinned. "We can confuse them with one of Hermione's fifty foot essays while we stun them." Fred, George, Ginny and Harry smirked but Hermione crossed her arms angerily but didn't reply. The door opened again and Molly and Arthur Weasley walked in. Molly looked shocked at the sight of her two sons sitting at the Kitchen table.
"How on earth did you know we were here?" Molly asked as she walked towards them.
"Nice to see you too mother," Fred grinned. "Ron sent us an owl a few days ago," he explained. Arthur suddenly clapped his hands together, surprising them all.
"Right, we better get going Molly," he said, as his wife turned to face him, an accusing look in her eye. "Now Molly, I have nothing to do with this," he told her, as his wife turned back and he shook his head violently at Fred and George over her shoulder.
"Well?" Molly asked; they'd be a lot of shouting if Fred and George did tell their mother their father had owled them numerous times, just about enough to keep the rest of the castle residents awake.
"Nah, dad didn't even know where we'd gone," Fred replied as his twin agreed. Harry smirked as he saw Arthur's relieved face.
"Come on Molly," said Arthur, cheerfully. "We're going to Diagon Alley, want to come Harry? Ron? Hermione?" The three exchanged gleeful looks and agreed to tag along. Harry was about to get up when Crookshanks, Hermione's cat that looked like it had a squashed face, jumped up to his lap and curled up.
"Oh, I haven't fed Crookshanks," Hermione said, picking the cat up before it made claw like holes in Harry's trousers.
"Can't it eat rats or something like normal cats?" Ron asked, as the cat in question hissed at him as Hermione passed.
"Tonks said she had cat food in one of these cupboards," Hermione continued, ignoring Ron, "but I can't remember which one." The first cupboard opened in a cloud of flour and dust causing the people nearest to cough continiously.
"Here it is," Hermione said, inbetween coughs. She pulled a tin of cat food down from next to a bag of table salt and opened it up, the room filled with the strong stench of chicken and tuna.
"I'm never getting a cat!" Ron complained as his coughing ceased.
"Only too right you're not," Molly replied, thinking of the bills a cat would toll up. "It would eat more than us."
"If it's anything like that cat it would eat us!" Ron joked as the foul smell drifted away. Hermione threw Ron a glare as she put Crookshanks down infront of the bowl and turned back to the group, who all seemed to think the smell of cat food was something they'd rather forget.
"Alright, are we ready?" Arthur asked, he wondered if there was anyone else who had accidently forgot to feed their pets.
"I think so," Mrs Weasley replied, getting her bag and putting it on her shoulder. She took some powder from a small green vase and threw it into the fire. "Diagon Alley," she said clearly as she stepped in and in seconds she was gone. The rest of the group followed suit save Fred and George who both proudly apparated to Diagon Alley.
It was only when Harry heard a soft and recognisable voice did he look up from brushing soot form his jeans. Mrs Weasley was heavy in conversation with Pandora Hevil, who had about a dozen potions stacked up in her arms; Mr Weasley was eyeing the two woman cautiously, he seemed weary of Pandora.
"Good afternoon, Mr Potter," she said, smiling coldly. Since Harry's accusation against her they had reverted to using last names. Harry was about to reply when someone hurried up to Pandora; he was a tall boy with a lopsided grin and a small beard.
"Here you go Aunt Pan," he said, putting the huge boxes of potions down on the ground beside Pandora. "Hey," he muttered gruffly at Mrs Weasley, as if he had only just noticed her. "Jack Abercrombie, pleasure," he said holding his hand out to her.
Mrs Weasley took Jack's hand and shook it, "nice to meet you Jack," she replied. Jack's eyes scanned the twins then the trio, and he moved towards them. He came to a stand-still infront of Hermione and grinned as if he had just won the Wizard Lottery.
"Hi," he smiled, holding his hand out to her. Harry saw Ron roll his eyes and step away towards his parents. When Hermione took Jack's hand he practically beemed at her and she smiled nervously.
"Hello," she said, trying to sound as if she was vaguely intrested in him. "I'm Hermione Granger," she told him.
"I know you, you were in your third year when I left," Jack said. Pandora stepped forward and pulled her nephew back beside her with a warning glare.
"Jack is my nephew, his brother and sister, Euan and Maria, are around here somewhere..." Pandora said, looking around her as if she half expected the two children to pop out of nowhere. "Jack's finished Hogwarts and Euan is just about to start his second year, Maria is the youngest; she'll go to Hogwarts next year." Jack was still looking over at Hermione's direction a little too obviously and neither Pandora or Ron looked too pleased. Harry listened to Pandora in shock; so Euan and Maria were related to her? Did they find out about the Werewolf attack from her? Why would she tell them they listed Remus as the top suspect if he was her friend? So many questions ran through Harry's mind as Jack said a hurried goodbye and left with the crate in his arms.
"What a strange kid," Ron said under his breath as Jack left; apparently Pandora heard him because she gave him a cold glare.
"It's nice to see you again Molly, have a good day, goodbye," Pandora said swiftly before turning on her heel and walking away with the potions clustered in her arms.
Mrs Weasley gave her youngest son a glare too and she walked off down Diagon Alley, her family and friends hurrying along behind her trying to keep up as she strode along. She didn't look very pleased at all at Ron, or any of the others for that matter; it was as if she was taking her anger with Ron out on everyone else. She walked into Flourish and Blotts, the group behind almost running to catch up. There was a lot of shoppers that day, infact, Diagon Alley was more packed than Harry had ever seen it before; people trying to catch the sales, he guessed. There was a lot of sales on at Flourish and Blotts, mostly on the books that didn't meet the Witch Weekly's bestseller list. Harry picked up a book on Defensive Magic, flicking through it he already discovered that it was full of intresting facts
"Defensive Magic and it's uses?" Ron read over his friends shoulders. "Could be useful for," he lowered his voice drastically, "the DA."
Harry considered this, the book had a lot of amazing spells in it and it was on sale... It was 10 Galleons in all, not a bad price for such a thick book.
"You're right," he said back before slipping the book under his arm with the intention to buy it.
"Oh great," Ron moaned, Harry followed his gaze up the aisle of Dark Art books and saw Draco Malfoy with his mother. Obviously remembering his father's last encounter with any one of the Malfoy's Ron tried to move his father away from view of the aisle but it was far too late, Draco had spotted them and was grinning broadly.
"Why if it isn't Potty and the Weasel," Draco smirked. "I see your in the sales department Weasley, isn't that too expensive for you?" Draco's lip curled into a cruel smile as Ron turned a very deep shade of red.
"Shut up Malfoy," Ron growled as Fred and George came over, both looked ready to hex Draco if necassary.
"Is this git bothering you Ron?" Fred asked, clenching his teeth. He seemed more intent on looking for an excuse to hex Malfoy than helping out his younger brother at the moment.
"It's alright," Ron said, "he was just going."
"Oh, was I?" Draco asked, he saw Fred and George's wand, and he just smiled. "Going to hex me then?" he asked as his mother walked over. She had a vacant expression on her face, as if she wasn't entirely sure why she was in the shop to begin with.
"Come on Draco," she said, looking down her nose at the Weasley's and Harry.
"Hold on mum, I'm just have a discussion with Weasley," Draco told her, she nodded as if she was neither proud nor embarassed by this and again she went back to searching the shelves.
"How's daddy doing all locked up in prison?" Harry asked. "Making nice with the Dementors?"
"You better watch your back back, Potter," Draco growled. "The Dementors aren't going to stick around, and when they're gone... then we'll see whose making the wisecracks then."
"Right," Harry retorted, angerily. "Let me know when the Dementors leave, will you?" He aked, sarcastically.
"So you can what Potter? So you can cower underneath a table? Or maybe you'll set some cushions out for you to faint on," Draco joked. There was a flash of light, quicker than Harry had ever seen. He looked at Fred and George, who both still had their wand tips facing the floor, Ron's wand was tucked away in his pocket and no one else was around. Harry looked down at his own wand and picked it up from the back pocket of his jeans, the tip was glowing profusely as if it was metal that had just been in extreme heat. Draco was sitting on the floor, his hands over his mouth. It seemed however Harry had cast the spell it had been effective enough to send Drac flying back a few feet and make him belch up slugs in the middle of the book shop.
"That is disgusting," Ron said, not even registering that was what Hermione and Harry had witnessed three years beforehand when he had had the same spell cast on him accidently by his backfiring wand.
"Come on," Harry said, a hint of urgency in his voice; he couldn't believe it, again he had used magic out of school... surely this would be the last time they would let him off for doing so. He expected the owl from the Ministry to fly down any minute now, but it didn't come; he even looked out the window, staring for minutes just waiting for the letter. Maybe he had been automatically expelled from Hogwarts, or maybe Dumbledore had been informed and he was fighting Harry's case... again. As much as Harry detested Albus Dumbledore for keeping secrets from him he had to admit, the man had pulled a lot of rabbits out of a hat to save Harry more than once.
"What are you looking for Harry?" Hermione asked as she came along, two thick books in her arms.
"What- oh nothing," Harry replied, spinning around and going over to an aisle to pretend to look for books. He was deep in though and the anxiety of not knowing whether or not he was in trouble or expelled made it impossible to put the thought to the back of his mind. Maybe he'd go to Azkaban, maybe he'd be put in a cell right next to Lucius Malfoy, maybe he'd have to live off Azkaban prison food for six months.
"Harry?" Hermione asked. "I know you're not looking at books," she told him, looking down at the book Harry was holding open absently in his hands.
"What? I am too," Harry declared.
"Oh really?" Hermione asked, she took the book off Harry and turned it the right way round. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"
"Positive," Harry replied dryily; he was sick and tired of people's constant questions on his well-being, couldn't they see he was perfectly fine? The truth was Harry didn't feel fine, infact he felt like his stomach had twisted so badly it created a strange sensation inside, and it was as if his heart had slowed, making him gasp for breath. The want to know what was happening was unbearable, he moved the aisles and looked absently at the titles of books, not at all registering them.
"Now I know something is wrong," Hermione said, pointing to the title of the certain group of books Harry was peering at; 'Dark Arts.'
"You're right, something is wrong," Harry replied, but he didn't elaborate, instead he crossed to the window, peering out and waiting still.
