Harry was in trouble. He knew it the moment he'd popped out in Knockturn Alley. He felt like such a fool. He'd let Malfoy walk right up to him and put that Portkey in his hand. He shouldn't have lowered his guard. But he couldn't think about that right now. The Death Eaters would be after him and he had no wand. He had to get out of here. The Leaky Cauldron. If he could get to the inn Tom the innkeeper would let him use the fireplace. He could floo to Hogwarts and tell Dumbledore what was going on. He poked his head out from behind the brick wall. No sign of the Death Eaters yet. He slipped out of the alley and made his way out into the street trying to blend in. He saw Lucius Malfoy apparate twenty feet away. There was no place to hide so he took his other option. He ran.
"There he is!" Malfoy shouted. Suddenly he was surrounded by Death Eaters. Crabbe and Goyle were closing in on his left. Harry spun around and head the other direction only to spot Rookwood and MacNair several feet ahead of him. There was nowhere for him to go. Suddenly there were several pops and Sirius, Lucy, Remus, Tonks, and Oliver were there.
"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled. They saw him and the Death Eaters behind him. His friends shot their jinxes at his attackers. Lucy was rushing toward him.
"Harry!" she yelled. "Run towards me!" Harry ran towards his sister with everything that was in him. His lungs were bursting as he ran. He reached out toward her, his hands inches from hers. He let out an agonizing scream as he suddenly felt like he was being stabbed in the back with about seven flaming knives. Then the pain stopped and he felt nothing at all.
"HARRY!" Lucy screamed as the jinx from Lucius Malfoy's wand struck her little brother. Harry screamed and his eyes rolled back in his head. His eyes closed and he pitched forward. Lucy caught him as his life less body fell into her arms. She sank to her knees bringing her brother's body with her.
"Harry!" she shouted. "Harry wake up!" She shook his body begging him to wake up. He couldn't be dead. He just couldn't be dead.
"Harry!" she screamed again tears choking her and her screams coming out in painful sobs.
"Harry!" Sirius shouted coming his knees beside them. "NO!" he roared clutching Harry's body to him. Lucy was sobbing hysterically.
"He can't be dead! He can't be dead!" she screamed over and over again. Remus, Oliver and Tonks came up to them at that moment.
"We have to get out of here!" Remus said firmly. He could see the Death Eaters approaching them.
"Sirius!" he snapped. His old friend did not answer as he held Harry's lifeless body in his arms. Remus knelt down and touched Sirius's shoulder.
"Sirius we have to go! Let me take Harry." Sirius made no sign of moving and clung to Harry tighter.
"You've got to let him go Padfoot!" Remus said using the old nickname they used from thier school days.
"Let me take him, Padfoot. That's it, give him to me." Sirius released Harry. Remus stood with Harry and looked down at Sirius and Lucy.
"They're going to need some assistance," he said to Oliver and Tonks. They nodded. Oliver gathered Lucy in his arms and Tonks put her arm around Sirius and they all apparated out.
The mood was somber to say the least. Remus and Tonks sat in the parlor after placing Harry in his bed upstairs. Remus couldn't believe that Harry, his former pupil and dear friend, was dead. He didn't want to believe it. But he knew what he'd seen. He'd watched as Lucius Malfoy sent that curse upon the boy. Sirius and Lucy were both taking it very hard. Sirius had disappeared to the attic with about ten bottles of butterbeer. Remus had not even tried to dissuade Sirius from this action for he knew it was futile. Lucy had collapsed in hysterics and had been taken to her room by Oliver to rest. Ministry officials had taken Bellatrix away. They'd sent word to Hogwarts and the Weasley's. He expected them to show very soon. At that moment he was sitting beside Tonks on the sofa trying to comfort the girl. Several pops were heard as Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, Fred and George Weasley apparated into the parlor. Arthur had brought Ginny, Molly had Hermione, and Charlie had Ron. Tonks ran straight into Bills arms and sobbed against his chest. All looked sad none more than Ron, Hermione and Ginny.
"Where is Harry!" Ginny cried running towards Remus. "I want to see him"
"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Ginny," Remus said gently.
"I want to see him," Ginny said quietly. "Please."
"Please Remus," Hermione said. "May we see him?" Remus looked into the eyes of Harry's oldest friends and girlfriend and saw only pain. He could not deny them thier request.
"We put him upstairs in his room." The three of them turned and went upstairs.
"Where are Sirius and Lucy?" Arthur asked.
"Sirius is in the attic drowning his sorrows in butterbeer. Lucy was taken with hysterics. Oliver is with her now." At that moment Oliver came down the stairs. Remus had never seen the young Quidditch player look so old.
"How is she?" Remus asked the young man. Oliver sighed.
"Asleep," he said. "I gave her a dreamless sleeping potion. She should be out for a couple hours at least"
"My god Remus," Molly gasped. "How did this happen? There was so much protection put on this place, how could the Death Eaters get in here"
"I don't know Molly," Remus said. "I just don't know"
"Perhaps I can shed some light on that subject." They all turned and saw Dumbledore come into the room, followed by a crying McGonagall.
"Albus," Remus said greeting the HeadMaster.
"Remus," Dumbledore said. Upon closer look Remus saw that the Head Master too had tears in his eyes.
"How did the Death Eaters get in?" he asked. "The charms you put on this house were full proof"
"Yes they were," Dumbldore said. "They state that only certain people could enter this house unless they were invited by someone who lived here"
"But only Sirius, Harry, and Lucy live here," Bill said stroking Tonks hair which now hung in limp brown strands. "Surely one of them didn't"
"That," Dumbledore interrupted, "was the mistake we made. We forgot to account for someone." In explanation he stepped aside to reveal Kreacher.
"That house elf!" Fred exclaimed. "He let the Death Eaters in"
"Under orders from Lucy, Kreacher brought this note to me." He held out the note that Lucy had written in the heat of battle.
"I didn't know how it was possible, but of course the answer was staring me right in the face. When we placed the protection charm, we failed to account for everyone who lived here"
"But a house elf could not let strangers into his master's house," Arthur said.
"He could if the person was a member of the family he served"
"Bellatrix," Tonks said.
"Yes," Dumbledore said.
"You tampered with Lucy's wand too didn't you?" Tonks demanded of the house elf.
"Wait," Oliver said. "What's this about Lucy's wand"
"Before the attack Lucy told me her wand hadn't been functioning properly. When I examined it I found out why. Someone," she shot a murderous look at Kreacer, "had removed the unicorn hair"
"Kreacher's been skulking around Lucy's lab too," Oliver said, realization in his voice. He seized the elf by the neck before anyone could stop him.
"You've been tampering with her potions haven't you. That's why she hasn't been able to remove the painting of Sirius's mother"
"Of course," Tonks said. "When he tampered with her wand and her potions, Lucy lost confidence in herself which is why her powers have been off lately"
"Trying to make her lose faith in herself so she wouldn't be able to defend herself when they attacked." Remus said.
"Why did you go after Lucy?" Oliver demanded. "They were after Harry, they knew Sirius and Remus and Tonks and I would be here. Why sabotage Lucy?" Kreacher didn't answer.
"You're not his master, Oliver," Dumbledore said. "He won't answer you"
"He's right," Sirius said from the staircase.
"Sirius," Remus said. "I thought you would be completely snockered by now"
"I got through the first bottle and realized Harry would be ashamed of me"
"How much did you overhear," Tonks asked.
"Enough," Sirius said. "Kreacher, tell Oliver why you've been sabotaging Lucy"
"Death Eaters wanted to hurt the one who betrayed their master. His own flesh and blood that turned against him. Kreacher sabotaged the betrayor's wand so that she would be unable to perform spells. Sabotaging the potions was Kreacher's own idea. Such pride the betrayor takes in her potions. Such distress she felt when she could not make her potions work"
"You little rat!" Oliver growled slamming Kreacher against the wall.
"Oliver," Dumbledore admonished him. "Let him go." Reluctantly Oliver released the elf who quickly scampered away. Sirius sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands.
"This is all my fault"
"Sirius, don't do this to yourself," Molly said. "You couldn't have known"
"But I should have. Dammit, I'm Harry's Godfather. He was my responsibility. James and Lily trusted me to keep Harry safe, that I would never let him be harmed." Dumbledore cleared his throat.
"Would you all excuse us. I would like to speak to Sirius alone." They all nodded. Molly said she was going to put on some tea. Fred and George went up to see Harry. Oliver went to check on Lucy. Tonks went to the basement to do what she could with Lucy's wand. The rest went outside for some air.
"Sirius," Dumbledore addressed the man.
"I failed them Albus," he groaned. "I failed James and Lily. They never should have made me godfather"
"Why do you think they did"
"James and I were best friends," he said. "We were always there for each other. There was no one we trusted more"
"Exactly," Dumbledore said. "James trusted you, and James was not a man who placed his trust on those who were undeserving of it"
"He did this time." Sirius said.