Harry Potter and the Destruction of Hope

Chapter Two:

'Is it…safe…for us to stay here?' Harry asked, wondering what would happen if more Ministry wizards were to show up.

'As long as you stay in the house, Dumbledore's spell will hold. And he's pretty sure that Fudge won't give us any more trouble.' Lupin added, leaning back in his chair with a relaxed sigh.

'The spell - is it the Fidelius Charm?' Harry asked eagerly, 'who's my secret keeper?'

'The Fidelius Charm!' Moody let out a short bark of laughter at Harry's barrage of questions, cutting off the reply forming on Lupin's lips. 'Dumbledore's got better spells than that for protecting you, lad.'

'There's better spells…?' Harry muttered, paling slightly.

'What Mad-Eye means,' Lupin said, glaring at Moody, 'is that there are improved spells now. Fifteen years ago, no one could break the Fidelius Charm, now powerful wizards like Dumbledore or Voldemort could pluck the secret from a wizard's head.' Sitting forward once more, he spoke softly as Harry stared around the room, blinking back the water in his eyes. 'Lily and Ja…' Lupin began, before his voice trailed off. 'Dumbledore would never have let them come to harm, but Peter, he…he fooled us all.'

'Murdering filth,' Mad-Eye spat, his grizzled face grimacing in distaste. 'That traitor's got a lot to answer for.'

'You haven't found him then?' Harry asked quietly, gazing at the carpet with narrowed eyes.

'No sign,' Lupin remarked, 'although-'

'About that spell,' Mad-Eye cut in, glowering at Lupin with both his eyes.

'What's going on?' Harry asked, looking up to see the stare between the two wizards.

'Can't tell you, Potter,' Mad-Eye replied, now with an eye on Harry while the other stayed on Lupin, 'not until this is over.'

'Until what's over?' Harry demanded, annoyed at Moody continuing to cut him off. 'I haven't heard a thing all summer, and now all this - you have to tell me!'

'We don't have to tell you anything,' Mad-Eye replied, 'not until Dumbledore gives the order.' Harry turned his gaze on Lupin, but the other wizard just shook his head in exasperation and sat back in his chair once more. In the silence that followed, it suddenly occurred to Harry that he had never seen his ex-professors look more exhausted. Even after a full moon, or in Mad-Eye's case, after spending a year in a trunk, they'd never appeared to be more physically drained of energy. Despite the fire in the room, it abruptly seemed cold and unwelcoming.

'It's bad, isn't it?' Harry stated quietly, glancing at Moody's face in time to see a small twitch.

Lupin glanced at Mad-Eye again, but there was no remark from the older wizard. 'It's not as bad as you think, Harry' he said, reassuringly.

'Bloody well is,' Moody muttered under his breath, grunting in discontent.

'Don't worry, Mad-Eye's just feeling more paranoid than normal,' Lupin said, grinning at the other wizard.

'It's not paranoia if they're really after you,' Moody growled in reply, his magic eye spinning crazily. Despite his dark tone, Harry couldn't help but smirk as Lupin's mellow smile returned to his face.

'The Ministry has been making trouble all summer,' Lupin continued, 'they even put a tail on Mad-Eye for a little while.' He added the last part with a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

'I put a tail on him in the end, nasty ferret.' Moody growled, his eye twinkling with delight. Harry laughed out loud as he remembered the form Malfoy had taken when Moody transfigured him.

'Needless to say, they haven't been keeping track of him since.'

'What about you?' Harry asked, knowing that Fudge could easily connect Lupin to Sirius.

'They probably think I'm living in a cave somewhere,' Lupin muttered resentfully. 'I haven't had a job since I left Hogwarts. Some new laws were passed about employing half-humans, and with the anti-werewolf legislation that's already out there…Anyway, they haven't tried following me at all, and that's a good thing - I've been with Sirius for most of the summer.'

'Is it okay to ask where?' Harry said, with a sideways glance at Mad-Eye, but the ex-Auror just let a lopsided grin on his face answer the question.

'He's in London, we can't tell you where yet - but we'll be going there soon I expect.' Lupin glanced up at the clock as he said this, then stood up and moved to the window once more. 'Very soon, in fact.' Drawing his wand he nodded to Mad-Eye and the other wizard stood as well, pulling his wand out to cover the fireplace.

'Stand in the hallway for a moment,' he said to Harry, motioning with his magical eyeball. Hypnotised by its stare, Harry did as he was told. When he left Lupin stepped back from the window, keeping the wand aimed there. He glanced at the clock once more, watching the second hand tick closer to the hour, counting down in his head.

'Now!' he said, just as the minute hand jolted forward. From his position in the hallway, Harry could see the fire flicker rapidly, causing shadows to dance over the room. A rapidly spinning form had appeared, pushing the flames aside gently as it began to expand in size. As it grew in size the spinning shape began to resolve itself into a person, their hands clasped at their sides, keeping their cloak pinned to their sides.

'Step back, Potter,' Mad-Eye muttered, nudging Lupin in the back. The other wizard turned round and looked into the fire, his eyes widening in surprise. 'Cover it, I can look out the window,' Mad-Eye growled, 'Potter - Get. Back.' Harry snapped out of his stare at the fireplace, and stepped backward into the hallway, drawing his own wand.

A second later he heard the whooshing sound come from the fireplace, followed by a thump. Harry heard Mad-Eye yell 'Tarantallegra!' A sharp clap echoed through the house, followed by a cloud of dust that drifted into the hallway.

'Bloody hell Mad-Eye!' a woman's voice yelled, and Harry heard a smash of glass a moment later. It sounded like Aunt Petunia's vase hitting the floor. From inside the room he could hear a repetitive tapping, and what sounded like Lupin chuckling quietly. A moment later Lupin stepped out into the hallway, his wand dangling idly from his fingers. His robes were coated in grey dust.

'You can come in now,' he said, glancing back inside the room as a string of curses of the non-jinx variety erupted from the newcomer. 'She's a friend,' Lupin continued with a grin, 'usually.'

Harry followed Lupin back into the room, coughing slightly in the dusty air. The entire room looked as if a grey blanket had been dropped on it, including Mad-Eye, and the witch dancing in the fireplace. If you could call the erratic movement of her feet dancing. 'Just hold still, Tonks,' Mad-Eye muttered, 'I'll remember the counterspell in a minute.'

'Finite' Lupin said calmly, pointing his wand at the witch's feet. They stopped dancing and she fell to her feet, sending up another cloud of dust.

'Mad-Eye, if you ever, ever, do that again…' she stopped when she saw that Lupin's grin had faded.

'Where's Dumbledore?' he asked, offering the witch a hand up.

Taking it she pulled herself upright, shaking herself down to clear the dust. As it fell from her hair, Harry was surprised to see a shocking green beneath the grey layer. 'London, he wanted to be there in case we had any unexpected visitors.' She turned to Harry with a grin, 'He told me you'd taken care of yours already. You can call me Tonks,' she added, 'I already know who you are.'

'Tonks is an Auror - one who believes in Dumbledore's way of thinking,' Lupin explained. Turning back to the young witch he conjured a small cloth from his wand tip, passing it to her as she began wiping the chimney soot off her face. 'What unexpected guests was Dumbledore on about?' he asked.

'You wondered too,' Tonks said, wiping the rest of the dust from her shoulders. 'I think he knew exactly to expect, that's why I'm here instead.' She added the last part with a slightly disgruntled tone that caught Moody's attention.

'He doesn't doubt your abilities to defend yourself,' he said, 'or Sirius, but it's safer this way - for all of us.'

'Not around you,' Tonks shot back with a grin, her tone lightened once more as Mad-Eye turned around with an embarrassed cough.

A large creak from upstairs drew their attention, and Lupin turned to Harry who let out a nod of resignation. 'I'll be back in the summer, yeah?'

'As always,' Lupin said, 'but at least you know we're close by.' Harry smiled in response, pocketing his wand and leaving the other three in the room, well aware of the silent murmurs that filled the lounge after he left.

When Harry arrived on the top floor of the house, he felt a brief moment of confusion when he realised he'd never actually been to see his relatives in their room before. He only made it to the door before it was flung open, revealing Uncle Vernon and a cricket bat. Given the look on his face, Harry wasn't sure whether or not his uncle was still going to swing it at someone, or more likely, him.

'I'm going now,' he said quietly, ready to jump back if his uncle did take a swing at him.

'Have. They. Gone?' Uncle Vernon growled, his eyes glinting somewhat ominously.

'The ones who showed up have gone, my friends have come to take me away -'

'Was that the noise downstairs?'

'Yes, and I'll make sure they clean up the soot,' he added, noting the slight whimpering that had come from Aunt Petunia, who was lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling. 'I won't be home until next summer,' he continued, grateful for the small nod from Uncle Vernon, 'and I wouldn't go downstairs until you've heard all of us leave.'

'It's not those ones again, is it?' Uncle Vernon grunted.

'It's not Fred or George,' Harry replied, suppressing a grin at the memory of Dudley dancing around with a tongue the length of a python hanging over his mouth. 'I'll see you next year,' Harry said finally, turning and leaving swiftly.

'Harry,' his uncle's voice followed him, and Harry turned to see him standing in front of the now closed bedroom door. 'I can't pretend to understand what's going on, but...' The words seemed forced, but Harry knew what he was trying to say.

'I'll watch out for myself, Uncle Vernon,' Harry replied, 'and for the others.'

When Harry arrived back in the lounge the silent conversation between the three adults ceased, but in his slightly bemused state he didn't take any notice or offence at this. 'Everything okay?' Lupin asked, slightly concerned at the young wizard's silence.

'Better than I expected,' Harry replied, 'I think Uncle Vernon would like me back alive next year.'

'We'll keep you that way,' Mad-Eye growled in reply.

'So, we cleaning this place up or what?' Tonks asked, waving her wand eagerly over the room and knocking a second vase from the mantelpiece.

'I'll clean,' Lupin said, 'you and Mad-Eye take Harry to London, I'll be right behind you.'

'Me first,' Mad-Eye rumbled, reaching into a pouch beneath his cloak and throwing Floo powder onto the flames. They had barely changed colour when Moody stumped into them, yelling '12 Grimmauld Place'.

'Where's that?' Harry asked, as Tonks gestured for him to follow.

'I guess you could call it home,' Lupin answered, 'it's one of our safe houses in London.'

'Just yell out the same thing as Grumpy did,' Tonks said with a grin, 'Dumbledore put a fail safe on this conduit, you'll get there.'

Stepping into the flames Harry coughed on the ash that had already built up in the fireplace, remembering just why he hated to travel by Floo powder. '12 Grimmauld Place,' he said, managing not to choke out the words and speak clearly.

Tucking in his elbows he could feel the breeze start as he began spinning, and closed his eyes as the fires began to dance in front of them. After a minute of feeling a strong wind whipping through his hair, Harry felt himself slowing down and hesitantly opened his eyes. The fires in front of him were moving more slowly, and as he stopped in front of the green flames he felt himself tipping forwards. Holding his hands over his head, Harry tumbled forward and rolled to his feet, feeling strong hands grab his arms.

'Up you come, lad,' Mad-Eye growled from one side as they lifted Harry.

'You're looking well,' the other familiar voice said, 'had a good summer?'

'Hi Sirius,' Harry said, looking up into the grin of his godfather before he was pulled into a rough hug. 'I've been better.'

'Death threats from Ron and Voldemort,' Sirius replied, 'I don't know how you cope.'

'I'm afraid you'll have to keep the news until later, Sirius.' Dumbledore rose from the kitchen table and smiled at Harry, 'Good to see you again, I trust your aunt and uncle are well?'

Behind him Harry heard Lupin arrive in the fireplace, 'They will be now,' Harry said with a grin.

'Good,' Dumbledore said, clapping his hands together, 'we should be off.'

'I still say it's a risk,' Sirius replied.

'I've been assured there won't be any dementors present, Sirius, and if there are I'm sure Harry will jinx them for you.'

'I still say you're asking for trouble,' Sirius complained, 'after what he just tried.'

Dumbledore's gaze turned stern and he pierced Sirius with it. 'After what Cornelius just tried he'll be in a mood to listen, and with Harry present I will force him to listen.' Putting his hands on Sirius's shoulders Dumbledore gazed into his eyes, 'He's going to hear the truth, Sirius, I will make him hear the truth.'

'Where are we going?' Harry asked quietly, looking from his godfather to the headmaster.

'I'm taking you to the Ministry of Magic,' Dumbledore replied, 'it's time the world knew about Voldemort's return, Harry, and you're going to tell it.'