Chapter Two – One of life's little mysteries

A hooting owl flying around his head rudely awoke Ron.

'I see you feel better' he mumbled to it while trying to put his pillow over his head, although he could no longer see Pig, he could very well hear him. After a few minutes Ron gave up sleeping and sat up roughly in bed. This caused the owl to get even more excited, and then he flew into a small window before becoming dazed and landing on his perch. His perch consisted of some books that had never been opened.

Ron glared angrily at it, before standing up and reaching over to the bottle containing some medicine for his owl. He was under strict instructions that from the pet shop owner to give the owl all the medicine until it was finished. Ron picked up Pig. With his fingers either side of Pig's head to keep him still, he spooned a small amount of the mixture into the small bird's mouth. The bird barely noticing left his owners rasp to fly up to a top shelf, where he put his head under his wing.

Ron shook his head as he struggled to come to terms with how many mood swings his bird had had in such a small space of time. His hair stuck up on ends, and his stripy blue pyjamas were becoming noticeably small o his 6 ft height. He grabbed some trousers and a t-shirt and struggled into them. He made his way down the stairs and stood in front of the clock. His mother was at home, as was Ginny but apart from that everyone was at work.

He made his way into the kitchen and sat down on one of the wooden chairs. He grabbed a piece of warm toast and just started to butter it, when he heard a car pull up in the driveway.

Taking his toast in one hand, he walked through the wooden door past the blossoms of honeysuckle above him just in time to see his mother greeting a cluster of aurors. A smile plastered his face when he saw his best friend looking slightly stiff getting out of the car.

He took long strides until he reached his friend and grabbed him into a manly hug. He released his friend and took a bite of his toast.

'Aya mate, 'ow you?' Ron said while chewing on his breakfast.

'Really Ron, do eat with you mouth closed, and take Harry inside where you can talk over breakfast.' Molly said after watching the interaction between her son and his friend.

Harry walked down the cobbled steps, with moss covering certain parts and through the door. He sat next to Ron and smiled as Molly who had just appeared behind them went to the cooking pan, and switched it off. The smell of bacon, sausages, eggs and mushrooms had already aromatically filled Harry's nostrils and he realised he hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday. He eagerly waited while Molly placed a large helping of everything on his white chipped plate. He grabbed his fork and knife along with Ron and started gulping the food down.

Molly looked at them for a few moments before looking at the aurors who where standing awkwardly in the doorway, except Remus, Tonks and Dung, who had already sat down. She turned to the aurors

'Come in, come in, you don't have to stand there. I'm sure you're all hungry sit down and I'll get you all something to eat, none of you are vegetarian are you?' Molly said worriedly wondering what she could get them if they were. But her prayers were answered when they all replied that they loved meat.

As they walked in and made themselves comfortable, she turned to Ron and Harry.

'You boys can go and finished your breakfast outside if you like, it's a lovely day, just hang on you can finish this lot so I can start a new batch for our visitors. She grabbed the pan and placed a bit more of everything on their plates. Once they had walked out the door, she switched the pan on again and then turned to the aurors.

'So are you ready for the meeting, everyone should be here in a few minutes.' Molly said while a sizzling drowned out her voice.

'Wonder what that was all about' Said Harry, 'it's obvious that your mum just wanted to talk to the aurors without us there.'

Ron nodded his head while taking another big bite out of his sausage.

'You won't guess what I found out on the way here. Fudge was killed.' Harry said. Ron choked on his mouthful and whacked his chest, once he had calmed down; he looked at Harry with watery eyes and an unbelievable expression.

'What'

'I know, and they haven't even told anyone yet, only a few aurors know about it. What I'm worried about is, if there is no longer a minister of magic, who the bloody hell is running the ministry.' Harry replied. 'God we would do such a better job if we ran the ministry. They can't seem to get anything right. It frustrates me so much' Harry said while grinding his teeth.

'Come on, I think that we should listen in on what they're talking about. Fred left me a whole box of goodies as a leaving present, just so mum wouldn't forget about them, its up in my room. Let go round the back way, we obviously can't go through the kitchen.' Ron told Harry while they finished off their breakfast.

Ron and Harry crept through the house, up the rickety stairs and into Ron's bedroom. Ron got down on the floor and lifted his sheet, which was covering the gap between his bed and the floor. His hand darted in and pulled a cardboard box out. He started to rummage around and finally pulled out a pair of extendable ears.

'Gotcha, come on, hopefully we haven't missed the best bits yet.' Ron said while shoving the box, unceremoniously back under the bed.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs and the kitchen door, Ron placed the ears under the door and put the earpieces near his and Harry's ears.

They were both relieved when they realised that Molly hadn't placed a sealing charm on the door, and they were able to hear everything that was going on.

Knives and forks could be heard against the plates as people polished off their breakfast.

'I take it that we all agree, but that doesn't really matter what we need is evidence, information. Without that then we could all agree on anything, but it wouldn't matter we need information.' Said Clyde.

'I would have to agree, Severus have us got us any more information.' Dumbledore asked to one of his most trusted friends.

'Yes Albus, I have found that the Dark Lord has recently recruited a lot of half breeds and his numbers have all in fact doubled since our last meeting. It seems that these are the easiest to turn.' Snape stopped when Remus started to growl. He was silenced when Tonks gave him a harsh look and slap on the chest. But he narrowed his eyes as Snape continued his speech.

'The Dark Lord seems to have had an ego boast and given them the freedom to go on a killing spree, what's unusual is that he hasn't been taking part, he's been sitting on the side lines. I think that he's getting some plan worked out in his head.'

'Well at the moment I think we need to concentrate on the increased numbers turning to the dark side, and also this matter about Cornelius being killed.'

'Is it too late to do something on the numbers thing, if they have already turned, do we have time before the war to try and turn all the half breeds back?'

'WHAT, What do you mean, is it to late. Who cares do you think we have any other option.'

'Calm down Molly,'

But Molly wasn't listening, 'And what did you say about before the war, the war is here, we're in the middle of it.' Molly was screaming at the auror that said the comment. He recoiled in his chair as Molly ranted onto him.

'Molly calm down, this is the last thing needed. We need to work together. Now as you all know about Cornelius then we all know that the position for minister is open. We can use this to our advantage. Can the laws, do something we can think about it in more depth later, but until then I think we should suspend this meeting until someone has removed the two young men listening to our meeting outside the hallway door.' Said Moody.

Harry and Ron had been getting more and more absorbed into the debate, until Moody had mentioned them standing there and listening. They scrambled up and leaped up the stairs.

At the same time Ginny was making her way down the stairs rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She gasped when she collided with Harry and Ron. They all fell the few stairs and landed in a heap at the bottom.

The boys groaned when Molly almost tore the door of its hinges. 'We're in trouble now' Ron said when his mum saw the extendable ears lying on the floor.

Molly's ranting could still be heard throughout the house, and it shook with each syllable of her lecture. Once she had let them go they made it up to Ron's bedroom and fell on their beds.

'Well that went well, I think' Ron said.

'I didn't think she could shout so loud.' Harry said while rubbing his ears.

'Yes well you haven't lived with her for 16 years. You kind of get use to it. But at least now she isn't screaming at us for any particular reason. She's kind of focused her energy towards the older lot. She's been pestering them to get married and have children. You might have noticed that's why there aren't really any more people here. Bill, Charlie, Fred and George have all deserted us for this time. The twins come back only for food. But the conversation goes to children almost the second they've entered. I'll be free of that for maybe a few years then I'll probably have to go. I can't stand children.'

Harry chuckled and asked Ron a question 'So when is Hermione getting here?'

'Should be this afternoon, some time I dunno exactly when though.' Just then Pig seemed to have woken up from his sleep up on the roof and started to hoot and zoom around the room.

'Merlin, this bird, its gone mad, completely bonkers.' Ron said gritting his teeth and standing up trying to grab the bird. Pig flew straight at Harry, and he had to dive out the way so he didn't get a bunch full of feathers in his mouth. Then just as suddenly Pig changed course of direction and flew straight out the open window.

'Has it been like that the whole summer?' Harry asked as they both stared as Pig flew straight up to the roof of the house.

'Yep pretty much, he was fine the first few weeks and then suddenly he changed and now he has worse mood swings than when women get their women problems.' Said Ron shaking his head in disbelief. And with that they headed downstairs for lunch