Headquarters

Harry was shocked at what he saw. "Where are we?" Snape turned at stared at him. His eyes boring into Harry's. "We're at headquarters Potter. And do I need to remind you to address me as sir?" Harry ignored the comment and stared at the house in front of him. It seemed it had survived a great fire and had been recently rebuilt. On one side it read The house of Gaunt. Harry mouthed the words. "Why do we have to use here as headquarters, sir. Snape gave Harry his usual smirk as though he were far higher than Harry. "Well as you are no doubt aware the house of Black, without descendants as of the end of last year..." He gave Harry a few moments no doubt to remind him of the trouble he had caused and what had happened. "The house has fallen into the hands of Miss. Lestrang." Harry gave a jolt at Snape. "IT'S WHAT!" "Mind your tone Potter. Yes. Miss. Lestrang as the next in line of the Blacks -though she may not be one by name- has inherited it. However we have salvaged some things and... as the house elf was unwilling to go with us we... let him go to join his family." Snape gave that smirk again. Harry thought back. Hermoine would likely be devastated. Harry on the other hand... Kreacher had betrayed Sirius and led him to death. "He deserved it." "Ah, you have a more sinister side after all Potter. Something I wouldn't have expected from you..." Snape walked up to the door and flicked his wand. A colorless gas appeared at the door and Snape said: "Severus Snape, Potions master, Order of the phoenix." The gas changed to a green streaked with silver. Then Snape, as though dreading what he had to do muttered swiftly: "I love Butterbeer." The gas vanished and a series of clicks occurred and the door opened. "I will be seeing you at school Potter." And with a crack Snape disapparated. Harry entered the house uncertainly. He heard footsteps approaching. Mrs. Weasley came around a corner. "Oh Severus I'm glad to see you..." She looked at Harry. "Harry! We didn't know you were coming so soon. Oh you look so thin you poor boy-" "HARRY!" Harry was knocked off his feet as Hermoine pounced on him hugging him tightly. "How have you been? Ron'll be happier than he's been in days." "Thanks Hermoine. How is Ron?" Hermoine stopped. "Well, he'll be happy that you're here Harry but... I keep telling him to let go of it but he won't... Well you'd better go see him anyway." She skipped off down the hallway. Mrs. Weasley smiled warmly at him before going off herself. Most likely to cook lunch or the like. Harry moved of into the house wondering what upset Ron... He hoped it wasn't anything truly horrible...

After going through several rooms of the house he finally came to a room with a poster of the Chudley Cannons passing a quaffle between them. Harry grinned. This was Rons' room alright. He opened the door and a mane of red hair rose over the edge of one of the beds. "Harry! How've ya bin mate?" Harry let out a relieved sigh. Apparently Ron was just fine. "Hi Ron." Then Harry noticed that there was a strange absence of noise in the room. He tried to figure out what it was then found it. "Hey Ron. Where's Pigwidgeon?" Ron stopped. "Pig, well he just...died. Harry was shocked. "What happened?" Well, y'see when we had just made this place headquarters. A couple of Death eaters came round. They saw Professor Lupin and dad out front and they're obviously well known order of the phoenix members aren't they? Anyway there were three of 'em and it was night. So I was just letting Pig out." "How'd you know they were death eaters Ron?" Ron gulped. "Because we both met one of 'em. You know the one, Avery. So anyway they were sneaking up to them and I guess Dad and Lupin were to busy to notice so I yelled. They looked up and shot the Avada Kedavra at me. Harry stiffened. If there was a most cruel thing a Death Eater could do to someone it was the Avada Kedavra. He went back to listening to Ron. "Luckily it was dark so it missed, incinerated the windowsill but it missed. Then pig went nuts and attacked one of 'em. Dad and Lupin were already getting out there wands. They shot a couple of stunners. Lupin was hit by a freezing charm. Then Tonks and Kingsly got out and joined. By then the Death Eaters thought Pig was a bit of a pest so they just..." Ron looked lie he was on the verge of tears. "They just pointed up they're wands and blasted him." Harry felt upset about it too but still... "So what happened Ron?" "Well Kingsly pulled off an

Avada Kedavra and killed one of them. The other two were stunned." They're in Azkaban right now." "Luckily I don't think we're going to have ter worry 'bout that happenin' again now. Harry turned around. "Hagrid!" "Hello Harry." Dumbledore told me you were comin' so I thought I'd come 'round ter see ye! An' I thought I could introduce ye to one o' your new teachers this year." A hooded figure stepped out from behind Hagrids massive form. "Hello Mr. Potter."