A/N: Hello again peeps! Thanks for your support for this story! :D :D :D :D

I would like to thank the following people...

For favorites: Aristanae, FallenThorns, Jade-Serpens, Jashinistgirl1, and Ladymadonna1899.

For follows: Amelie S, Calaminaria, Elodie2109, I Love Being A Bookworm, futureauthor62, and lalasagwania.

Another thank you to futureauthor62 for the second review! Eight e-cupcakes, as promised!

My co-writer, Talon, for showing so much enthusiasm and support for this story.

Thanks so much! Ten e-lollipops to each of you!

Now, on with the chappie!

Mrs. Weasley looked up in alarm as a flash of blue light came from the backyard, followed bu a loud crack. She jumped up and grabbed her wand, advancing cautiously towards the door. All of this wariness was a waste of time, however, because when she swung open the door, she was greeted by the sight of a very disgruntled Harry.

"Harry, dear!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, rushing at him as he picked himself up off the ground, the used portkey sitting on the ground next to him.

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry greeted with a relieved sigh. "How are you?"

"Fine, but how are you?" she asked anxiously.

"Fine," he murmured, but she wasn't convinced.

"Dumbledore told me you might come. You can't be fine, you were kept prisoner in a dark, cold basement for two months! Come, I'll make you something..."

"No, really, I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley-"

"Nonsense, Harry, dear, you must be starving!"

"I ate in Dumbledore's office-"

"You lived off of bread and water for two months! Surely you must have more of an appetite!"

Harry was swept into the house and seated at the table. Once Mrs. Weasley left to make soup and a plate of sandwiches, he was nearly knocked off his chair by a blur of brown curls as Hermione came speeding faster than ever before into the room.

"HARRY!" she practically screamed. "Oh Merlin, you were missing for so long, we thought you'd been tortured or killed, we were worried sick, but now you're alive, and I'm so happy but I just can't believe it! Oh Harry, you look horrible! You're so thin and pale, are you alri-"

"Blimey, Hermione, if you hug him any harder, he WON'T be alright, he'll be suffocated to death! Let him breath!" Ron exclaimed, but he looked like he was about to faint from happiness and relief. Then, he was attacked again, but this time by a flaming red blur.

"Ginny!" Harry gasped. "Dear Merlin, between you and Hermione, Ron's right!" Ginny let go of him, and they looked into each other's eyes for a couple moments, before Ron cleared his throat loudly and moving between them.

"Hey, mate," Ron muttered, looking anxiously at Harry. He looked very tired, as though he had spent many nights without sleep.

Harry was speechless. After not seeing anyone but Death Eaters for the past two months, he was so relieved to see his friends again that he couldn't think of what to say. So, he just beamed weakly at them all. Luckily, they seemed to understand, because they all sat down. They simply sat enjoying each others' presence for a few minutes before the twins bounded into the room.

"We heard screaming," Fred announced. "Was it you, Ronnie-kins?"

"Yeah, screaming like a girl again?" George teased.

"Bet you a galleon he saw a spider."

"It wasn't me!" Ron growled. "It was Hermione!"

It was then that the twins noticed Harry.

"Blimey, Harry! Thought you'd kicked the bucket!"

"Yeah, thought you'd made like a frog and croaked."

"That's not funny."

"Well, you try it, then!"

They then began a hilarious joke-war that had them all entertained until Mrs. Weasley brought in the food.

"So, Harry," George asked through a mouthful of a sandwich. "DID you bite the dust?

Harry snorted in the middle of a mouthful of soup. He then entered a coughing and choking fit.

"Yeah," Harry said through coughs, but he was grinning. "I'm a ghost, coming back to haunt all of your sad lives..."

All of them laughed, except Hermione, who looked down at her soup, looking very pale.

"Really, Hermione, I was joking!" Harry said.

"Nah, mate, it's not about that," Ron informed him, suddenly grim. "She's blaming herself for your capture because she sent you a warning letter, but it didn't reach you in time..."

"Oh, Hermione, is that what you're so upset about?" Harry asked. "I don't blame you at all, really. You couldn't have known that the Death Eaters were going to attack me so soon!"

She gave him a weak smile, before they all went back to eating in silence.

"My Lord," the man said, kneeling on the ground.

"Get up, Lucius," Voldemort hissed angrily. Slowly, his knees shaking, Lucius Malfoy rose.

"You abandoned me," Voldemort said. "You left to hide from Dumbledore."

"I'm sorry, Master," Lucius mumbled.

"I am not that forgiving, Lucius. Surely you must know this."

"My Lo-"

"CRUCIO!"

Lucius fell to the ground, twitching and screaming in pain. The curse grew stronger and stronger, until-

Harry woke up with his scar burning like fire. Panting, he rubbed his forehead, to discover that he was covered in sweat.

"Harry?" Ron mumbled sleepily from the other bed. "You alrigh', mate?"

"Yeah, Ron," Harry muttered, trying to stop his voice from shaking. "Just go back to sleep." The only response he got was a loud snore.

Harry lay awake for a long time, staring at the ceiling. Ignoring Ron's occasional shouts of, "Save me from the spiders, Mr. Unicorn Dude!", he slowly fell into a light sleep.

"You can't keep letting him in, Harry," Hermione exclaimed fretfully. "Especially not now, when he's probably looking for you! You need to start practicing Occlumency again!"

"Alright, alright, Hermione!" Harry relented.

"We all know that you're lying, mate," Ron pointed out.

Harry shot him a glare. Then, he noticed the empty bird cage sitting on the windowsill, and he remembered something.

"Hey, where's Hedwig?" Harry asked. Ron and Hermione's reactions were simultaneous- they both grew very tense suddenly and paled, fidgeting nervously.

"I'm really sorry, Harry," Hermione, who had tears in her eyes, whispered.

"Why?" Harry asked, also tensing up, looking at both of them fiercely. A bad feeling was growing in the pit of his stomach. "What's happened to Hedwig?"

"Well, when the Order went to your Aunt and Uncle's house to look for you, Hedwig was..." Hermione continued quietly.

Harry felt his eyes grow wet, and a burning feeling rose in his throat.

"They think the Death Eaters..." Ron muttered, not meeting Harry's eyes.

Harry stood still for a couple of moments. Ron and Hermione braced themselves for the explosion.

Harry let out a loud roar, making Ron and Hermione jump, then ran rampage around the room, kicking and knocking over things. Then, he stopped at the wall, kicking it repeatedly.

"WHY- IS- THIS- HAPPENING- TO ME?!" He yelled, saying a word after every kick. "I'VE- LOST- TOO- MUCH..." He slumped against the wall, burying his head in his arms and crying two months' worth of tears. "Hedwig," he sobbed.

A/N: I am sorry! I had to make Hedwig die... again, same reason as Moody's death. It killed me to write the last part of this chapter, ripped me apart. So you better like it! (no, not really. but I did go through a lot writing it for you)

PLEASE review so I can feel better!

More coming soon...

-Breeze