Forgive me for taking so long to update. I like to edit my chapters quite a bit so none of the horrendous grammar mistakes that are in the first draft remain and I can add more detail. I have Just read the Half-Blood Price but since I got my ideas for this story before I read HBP, Try to make it fit a bit with the sixth book but it will not be the same. I will try to be faithful to the cannon.

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The Serpent and the Phoenix

Chapter Three

"We're Moving!"

The next day Hermione joined the Weasley's for breakfast. The orphan had not seen anyone but Ginny or Mrs. Wealsey before then. The kitchen fell quiet when Hermione entered and all eyes were on her. This made her feel worse about her current situation. All the Weasleys seemed keen to make sure they gave Hermione a sympathetic hug; Even Bill and Charlie, who were visiting to help celebrate the end of term, gave her a hug.

Porridge was the main item on the menu. When Hermione sat down she noticed that Harry was already sitting at the table, watching her. She sat down next to him sure that he would not pester her about anything at that moment and they both ate their porridge in silence as they listened to the conversation around them.

No one mentioned what had happened to Hermione's parents, or any other attacks for that matter.

After a while Harry pushed his bowl of half-eaten gray porridge aside and looked at Hermione with sympathetic interest. He took a deep breath and paused a moment before asking, "Are you alright Hermione?"

"No," replied the bushy haired girl as tears filled her eyes, "now I know how you feel."

Harry looked at her and awkwardly patted her on the shoulder to try and comfort her. Hermione fully appreciated that she had someone who understood exactly what she was going through.

"You will need your friends with you," said Harry comfortingly.

"Yeah, me and Harry will always be here for you," added Ron through a mouth full of toast, spraying Harry's cheek with crumbs. He was sitting on Harry's other side. "Mum and Ginny always say that chocolate makes them feel better so Harry and I ordered the best chocolate money could buy by owls post. It just arrived for you."

Ron presented Hermione with four large golden boxes of chocolate. She opened the bow to see the brown, creamy surfaces of the delicious morsels.

"Thanks," replied Hermione weakly.

Mr. Weasley saw that everyone was nearly finished their breakfast so he stood up and cleared his throat for silence. "I know the last thing you need is more bad news," he began in a business-like manner, "but since we are now a target of you-know-who, Dumbledore thinks that it is best that we move to headquarters until he is destroyed."

"And I agree with him, " added Mrs. Weasley firmly. "And Harry dear, Dumbledore wants you to stay with the Dursleys while we move and settle in, you'll be safe and out of the way there."

"What," gasped Ron, "We're moving?"

Harry looked appalled. "But I hate it there!" he yelled crossly.

"Yes, we are moving for the time being, end of story. Harry, at the Dursley's there you will be safe. Remus, Moody, and Tonks will escort you there and explain everything to you Aunt and Uncle. It won't be as bad as last time, Tonks will stay with you and act as your body guard," explained Mrs. Weasley.

"Fine," replied Harry resigned for the worst.

"I still don't want to move," grumbled Ron into his cup of tea.

"With that over with I want you to start packing once you have finished breakfast."

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Hermione sat at the end of Ginny's bed watching her pack. Ginny was carefully trying to fit all her possessions into a trunk and a muggle backpack. Even though the Weasleys were poor they still had manage to collect many odd trinkets over the years.

"I never thought I would have to leave this place and go into hiding," said Ginny gloomily, struggling with a pile of robes that refused to fit in her overflowing trunk.

"At least you still have your family," mumbled Hermione sitting on the lid of the trunk so Ginny could close it.

Ginny fell silent at this and occupied herself with collecting up all her hair bands and putting them in a bag. After a while she decided it was safe to speak again. "It is so dark and dingy at HQ, do you think we will ever get used to living there?"

"You'll have too, Voldemort isn't going to disappear any time soon." The cynical tone in which Hermione said this made Ginny uneasy. It was as if she thought that Ginny's problems were nothing and she had no right to complain.

"Hurry up Ginny," Called Mrs. Weasley from the bottom of the stairs, "Tonks and Kingsley have ministry cars we can ride in."

Ginny and Hermione navigated their way down the creaky stairway with Ginny's trunk, backpack, pillows, and blanket. Fred was at the bottom of the stairs packing iron pans into a wooden crate and looking questioningly at his father.

"How did they get them?" asked Fred with a frying pan in one hand.

"Well, we –err- borrowed them without permission," stammered Mr. Weasly running his hand over his head. "So lets get our stuff in and return them before they are missed."

"Nice to see our father finally letting loose from the law, isn't it Fred?" asked George walking past levitating two chairs and a couch in front of him.

"Most certainly," replied Fred placing the frying pan in the crate.

"Just help pack and get these boxes into the car!" snapped Mrs. Weasley as she directed silver ware into a brown box using her wand.

"Yes Mother," said Fred in an overly polite way before moving the trunks and boxes out of the kitchen and into the cars waiting outside.

Well, thought Hermione, this will be my first time at 12 Grimmauld Place without Sirius. The thought neither comforted her nor saddened her. After her parents' deaths, the death of Sirius had become just a fact with no more importance than one in a textbook.