Chapter 48: Guilty

Everyone was talking loudly as Harry entered the Great Hall for breakfast. He spied Hermione at the Gryffindor table, as soon as she saw him she jumped up and ran over to him, a copy of the Daily Prophet clutched tightly in her hands.

She reached him breathless and shoved the paper into his hands, "Look!"

Harry looked down at the paper. The headline blared: Two Weasleys killed! Deatheaters arrested!

Voldemort set up an attack yesterday night on the Weasley family. The Weasley family is best known for the mischievous twins, Fred and George, who started the worldly popular joke shop, Weasley Wizarding Weazes. Fred Weasley was the first to fight off the Deatheaters bravely. His older brother Bill followed him into battle. The Deatheaters were ruthless and killed the two without mercy.

Two Deatheaters have been arrested with the charges for the murder of Fred and Bill Weasley. Both are professors at Hogwarts of Witchcraft and Wizardy. Could this have been trouble for young Harry Potter if the two weren't arrested? The two confirmed Deatheaters are Severus Snape, the Potions Professor, and Faith Black, the Divination Professor and wife of Sirius Black the only man to escape from Azkaban and recently discovered innocent from Deatheater charges. Faith and Severus have been taken in for questioning…

"This is ridiculous!" Harry raged as he threw the paper onto the floor. A picture of Severus and Faith being carried away stared up at him from the floor. Severus was being held tightly as he shouted and tried to run off. Faith was being carried by her hands and feet as she kicked and screamed silently at the camera. Harry looked up and watched as Dumbeldore stared down at the Daily Prophet white with rage. He slammed it down on the table and began talking stiffly with McGonagall. After another minute or two he stood up and called for silence. The Great Hall went silent and listened eagerly for what Dumbeldore had to say.

"I'm sure you have all seen the Daily Prophet," Dumbeldore started. " It appears two of our teachers are not here, but they will be back. The accusations against Professor Snape and Black are false. The Ministry has been wrong before on their accusations of Deatheaters and they are wrong now. Rest easily knowing that you are still safe in this school,"

Harry was nearly knocked over as Hagrid came running into the Great Hall.

"Dumbeldore!" He shouted. Dumbeldore looked at Hagrid. Hagrid motioned wildly for Dumbeldore to come outside. Dumbeldore rushed to follow Hagrid, McGonagall was at his heels. Harry and Hermione shared a glance and then followed after them.

As they reached the grounds there was a loud click noise and several shouts of "Dumbeldore! Dumbeldore!" Harry and Hermione stared in amazement as several reporters flashed pictures of Dumbeldore and screamed questions at him. They continued to throw questions as Dumbeldore stood there calmly until a reporter noticed Harry and Hermione standing in the back.

"Hey!" he shouted, "Hey, Harry Potter! Over here! Was Black a good professor? How about Snape? They ever treat you wrong?" he began throwing questions left and right as other reporters began pleaded for Harry's attention. Harry stood there dumbstruck.

"I didn't kill anyone!" Faith screamed as Fudge entered the room slowly. She had been sitting in the same small room for hours now.

"Sure you didn't, and Voldemort is just some dandy man come to save us all right?" sneered Fudge as he paced around Faith.

"Don't get smart with me Fudge," Faith growled.

"I'll get smart with you whenever I so choose. Maybe if you weren't a Deatheater then you wouldn't have to handle me!" roared Fudge as he got an inch from Faith's face.

"I won't have to handle you as soon as I get out of this chair," Faith muttered as she pulled against the large metal straps that held her arms down. They had already cut into her wrists and dried blood was beginning to stain the silver metallic edges. Fresh blood was slowly trickling down her hand and the arms of the chair.

"Is that a threat?"

"Yes,"

"Threats won't get you anywhere. I'm not afraid of you and your kind"

"Is that right? Is that why you shiver every time the name Voldemort is mentioned? Is that why you shudder and turn away whenever his mark comes before you?" Faith spat angrily. It wasn't exactly helping her case, but she was angry.

"Are you confirming your alliance with him then?

"No!"

"Doesn't matter…you've already been found guilty,"

"What! Don't I get a trial?"

"I have two witnesses that say you are in fact a Deatheater," Fudge smiled.

"Who?"

"I'm withholding their names. Now I think a life sentence sounds in order. To Azkaban," Fudge nodded smugly and Faith let out a yell.

"This is bullshit!" Sarah seethed as she threw down a copy of The Daily Prophet Update. The Headline declared simply: Deatheaters taken to Azkaban for life. She sipped nervously on a cup of tea while sitting in the kitchen of Tera Manor. She glanced nervously at The Daily Prophet that had arrived earlier this morning. The one telling how Fred and Bill had died and Severus and Faith had been arrested.

"It doesn't make sense. It says here that there were two witnesses that say they were Deatheaters," Remus grumbled, "But it doesn't say who. For all we know there could be no witness,"

"I'm leaving," declared Sirius grabbing his jacket off the kitchen counter.

Sarah looked up from her tea as Catherine gave a wail from the other room, "Where are you going?"

"Azkaban," he stated with a determined look as he grabbed his wand and apparated away.

"Hermione…do you think that everyone still has those coins for our Dumbeldore's Army?" Harry asked as they sat in the Gryffindor Common room. Hermione flashed out of her grim expression momentarily

"I don't know…" she trailed off.

"Do you," Harry stopped and thought, "Do you suppose you could make it so the coins said emergency meeting tonight?"

"Harry," Hermione sighed, "I don't know what good that would do. I'm sure most of them have discarded their coins all together. Dumbeldore's Army is finished. "

"Just…please can you?" pleaded Harry. Hermione sighed and looked down at her hands. She looked up and nodded, "Ok,"

"The Order is in shreds," Remus muttered softly as he entered Grimmuald Place slowly. He, Mad-Eye and Tonks had decided to check through the house to make sure there wasn't any Order papers left over.

"A good amount of us have dropped out," Tonks agreed grimly. Mad-Eye muttered something about Constant Vigilance. The three walked through the house just observing at first. The drapes were torn to shreds and hung loosely of the skeleton like windows. Tables and chairs were overturned. Remus wondered if they were from the fight where Bill and Fr- no. He wouldn't think about that. Remus walked upstairs and saw blood splattered on the steps. He shut his eyes and decided to just climb the stairs. He entered the library where they kept a lot of information on the Order. The library had papers strewn everywhere. There was ash on the floor where some had been burned. The large rug that had once lain grandly on the floor was now in ribbons. Arthur appeared to have gotten all the paperwork out of the room either that or Voldemort had it.

Remus wandered away from the room and walked aimlessly. It seemed as if his feet had a destination of their own. Within minutes he found himself in Faith and Sirius's bedroom. He wondered what had driven him here.He looked around the room. The large four poster bed was against one wall, the sheets still rumpeled, Faith and Sirius never believed in making a bed. The closet was empty, as was the bureau. Lying on one of the night stands were several picture frames. One in particular caught Remus's eye. It was a simple picture of Faith and Sirius standing in a park; there was a large flight of birds behind them. It had only been taken a few weeks ago…but for some reason he was drawn to it. He shrugged it off and pocketed the photo.

A skittering noise sounded behind him. Remus turned around in time to see a dark shadow flutter in the hall. Acting quickly he ran out of the room, wand raised. Pointing it down the hall he yelled

"Stupefy!" A blast of red sparks bounced off the wall. He could hear a commotion as the shadow ran downstairs and Tonks stumbled after it. Remus ran downstairs and saw Tonks bent over, out of breath.

"It…was…K-Kreacher," she wheezed. Kreacher? What was Kreacher doing in the house?

Harry and Hermione sat in the room of requirement. Their eyes were constantly fixed on the door and Harry ran a hand through his hair nervously. The click of the door opening echoed off the walls. Harry and Hermione looked up as Neville, Luna, Cho, Lee Jordan and Seamus walked into the room.

"Heard there was a meeting…"Seamus trailed off.

"Two professors are gone," Cho said sadly.

"My aunt was attacked last week," Lee Jordan mourned.

"Voldemort is getting…powerful," Luna said. It was the first time Harry hadn't heard her use her dreamy tone. Her voice was filled with something else. Fear? Determination? Rebellion? Curiosity? He didn't know, but whatever it was gave him chills.

"I told the reporters that Snape and Black were the best professors ever…even if Snape is an old git that failed me last year," Seamus muttered.

"How can we help?" Neville inquired strongly. Harry felt his heart soar. Maybe. Just Maybe. There was hope after all.

"They won't let me into Azkaban," raged Sirius as he came back to Tera Manor.

Sarah looked up as she placed Catherine back into her bassinet, "Why?"

"Fudge says that since I've escaped from Azkaban, I can't go near her or Severus," He seethed as he stormed into the kitchen. At that moment Remus returned.

"I mean, yeah I'd tell her how to escape. She won't figure it out right away though! I mean look how long I was in there. I was always determined to get out…but I could never figure out how!" Sirius babbled as he paced from room to room, throwing his hands up in the air.

"She is not stupid…but who knows how long it will take her to figure out that she needs to turn into an animal to get out of there!" He grumbled, "How am I supposed to get it through to her without them noticing?"

Remus remembered the picture in his pocket. He took it out slowly and gazed at the flying birds in the background. 'Free as a bird'

"I have an idea," he said calmly.