AN: I'm Sorry this has taken so long. Schools been getting to me, and I was debating on where to go from here, but now I think I'm all set. This isn't my favorite chapter, but I want to get to some of the other parts of the story. They'll be a lot more exciting. Here you go.

Impossible Task

Chapter 7: News

Harry sighed and walked back into the room and looked at Ron. Ron gave him a strange look.

"You're making things really hard on my sister, you know that?"

"Of course!" Harry snapped. "You think I don't want to talk to her. You think I don't want to spend time with her? I'm only doing this because I don't want her to die! I can't have her die too."

"I don't want that to happen either mate but she's been really miserable."

"So am I Ron! You know how I feel about her. That's why I have to do this! As mush as I hate it I have to."

He didn't want to explain it all again…Once was bad enough. Ron sighed and shook his head.

"I know what you mean, I just looking out for her."

"So am I" Harry snapped.

He didn't want to be seen as this horrible monster breaking up with a younger girl. He was trying to protect her, if he didn't have to do that he'd have never said anything. They'd still be together and happy.

Ron nodded. "I know you are mate…"

They were quiet for awhile. Harry understood why Ron was being protective, he wanted to be sure his baby sister was happy. But she couldn't be happy if she was dead. It needed to happen.

"Maybe we should just go to sleep. Today's been eventful enough." Ron muttered breaking the silence.

Harry just nodded.

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The next days past without notable event or word on what had happened to Moody. Tonks was back at the Burrow most days with news, or lack of it.

"Anything Tonks?" Mrs. Weasley asked one afternoon as Harry and the other got ready for lunch.

Tonks shook her head and held it in her hands.

"At least they didn't find him dead or something…" Ron muttered.

Tonks sniffed softly. Harry looked at her, something was really bothering her. Every other day the lack of news had been bad, but not this upsetting to her. There was something she wasn't telling them.

"Tonks…" Hermione said putting her hand on Tonk's, clearly noticing the same thing. "Did they find something?"

She shook her head again, not looking up.

"That's the whole problem," she muttered.

"Why?" Harry asked. "Like Ron said, at least they haven't found him dead. There's still a chance he's alive."

Tonks sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"I wish the Ministry had your optimism…"

"What do you mean Tonks?" Ginny asked sitting next to Harry.

He shot a look at her but couldn't send her away. He didn't have the heart then…He wanted her there too.

"The Ministry thinks Mad-Eye's dead," she muttered into her hands.

Harry half stood looking at her.

"They don't have any proof…do they?" he asked quickly.

If they had proof it didn't look good for Moody, and it was already not good.

"No proof other than the fact he's been gone for five days. Nothing past every Death Eater wants him dead. Plus the fact there is no way he could get out on his own. We found his wand at his house, not even he could get away without a wand. Plus he couldn't run even if he managed to get a wand." She stopped shaking her head a look of anger passing over her face. "They made sure he won't get away. We found his peg-leg at his house too…All we know now is that they need him there, and can't let him get away, and use a damn unfair advantage to do it."

They were quiet again, even though Harry was seething thinking of what had happened. His hate for Snape was only getting to be more and more by the day.

But if they do need him maybe they've kept him alive?

Mrs. Weasley sighed softly.

"As true as that may be, as long as they haven't stopped looking for him…"

Tonks sniffed loudly and looked away.

"The thing is they don't want to keep the search going! They think his chances are so slim that they shouldn't do anything. The thing is…they're right. He can't get away and he been there for a week so there is a better chance he's dead…"

"They can't just stop!" Ron said.

"They want to! They shouldn't but they have a point. I'm going to let them leave him to die." she said firmly. "The search hasn't stopped completely, but they're not having as many people on it. I don't know if we're going to find him at all."

Harry sighed sadly. He could tell Tonks did not want to admit that, and for her to made it sound really bad. It was not good. It hadn't seemed good for Moody from the beginning, but it only seemed to be getting worse. Harry just hoped that things would be getting better soon. Moody coming back alive was getting to be bigger and bigger doubt. Things were not looking good for the Order.