DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter. I am in no way affiliated with JK nor any part of the Harry Potter franchise.

Chapter 2: Who's on Second?

"Oy, Harry!" Ron's voice broke Harry's dozing. The boy's head shot up, his wand gripped in his other. He saw Ron's red hair fly up towards him before registering the rest of his best friend. "What're you doing outside?" he asked. "It's raining!"

And indeed it was. It must've started drizzling once Harry had fallen asleep, his clothes were soaked clean through and Harry shivered in the cool morning air. "Thanks for telling me." Harry grunted, getting to his feet and greeting his friend.

"What do you think you're doing outside in the dark?" Mr. Weasley's stern voice came. "And asleep? You-Know-Who could be anywhere!"

You don't know the half of it. Harry thought dismally about what Aunt Petunia had told him. "Yea, I guess I was more tired then I thought I was." Harry mumbled.

"Hello, Harry." Lupin's voice came. Harry smiled at his old professor who looked as tired and haggard as ever. He noticed Tonks leaning against the car behind them, she smiled and waved. The werewolf leaned down, taking one side of Harry's trunk, Mr. Weasley took the other.

Ron clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder. "We're going back home for a bit before we go to the Manner." Ron told him.

"The Manner?" Harry repeated. "Are we sure that's such a good idea?"

"Yea, a whole bunch of 'em checked it out top to bottom. It looks like there's nothing to worry about. Your claim to it stood up." Ron shrugged. "I don't really know the specifics but," he shrugged.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry asked.

"She's due at the Burrow soon, Ginny's real excited..." Ron trailed off and glanced over at his friend. "She's been asking about you, Ginny has." Harry didn't reply, remembering all-too-vividly his experience with the youngest Weasley. Being with her had been some of the best days of his life--but he knew that he couldn't afford them now. "Well?" Ron prompted.

"Well what?" Harry asked."Aren't you going to ask how she's doing?" Ron asked, flushing a little.

"Oh, yea." Harry nodded. "How is she?"

"Heartbroken." Ron replied bluntly. "She gets why you broke up with her--but it doesn't mean that she likes it. Look, Harry, I understand there's a war on--but that doesn't mean that you can't be a little happy."

"Yes it does." Harry said softly, thanking every god he knew when Tonks interrupted their conversation.

Giddy and purple-haired she bounded up, hugging Harry tightly. "How you doing?" she asked with a brilliant smile.

"Alright, you?" Harry asked.

"Pretty good." She cast a glance towards Lupin who was helping Shacklebolt load the trunk into the car. Harry noticed that Mad Eye was sitting in the front, eyeing the whole production.

"How'd you get the car?" Harry asked.

"How'd we get the car?" Tonks exclaimed. "Are you kidding? Now that Voldemort's really back the Ministry is willing to do anything for you again, Harry! I'm pretty sure if we'd asked for an armada of flying carpets they'd run right off to Arabia and get them!"

"Mmm." Harry said grimly.

"Yea, I know, it's got to get a little old, watching them bounce back and forth with you, but hey, when you're on their good side you've got to milk it for what it's worth!" Tonks winked and walked over to Lupin who was shutting the door and laying a hand on his shoulder, smiling.

Harry noticed that Lupin still looked uncomfortable around her, he had to wonder if things weren't going as well as Tonks thought they were. He leaned over towards Ron but he waved him off. "Yea, he's been like that all summer. I think she wants something more then what he's willing to give her." He shook his head. "And he's been locking himself up in his room a lot lately, looking at something in a trunk he keeps under his bed. All I know is that she doesn't like it much." He shook his head. "Fred n' George've got a pool going for how long it'll last before he just gets tired of her and leaves."

"C'mon, lets get going!" Moody called. "We haven't got the best cover, loly gagging out here in the open!"

Ron rolled his eyes and got into the car, Harry looked back up at Number 4 Privet Drive. Lupin clasped his shoulder reassuringly. "I know you're not going to miss this place--but still--a lot of memories live here." He said quietly.

"Yea." Harry replied vaguely. "I guess they do."

And with that he turned around and got into the car next to Ron. As they pulled away Harry glanced back for one more look, the last look he would ever have of this place.

And he was glad.

III

Voldemort sat in a wing-backed chair, his fingers steepled, looking into dark flames of a fireplace, all in all very ominous. He was deep in thought. His plan was slowly falling into place. The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to make sense. And now that the Order had lost their Fearless Leader he was sure that the pieces, for them, were falling apart. He smiled in a self-satisfied sort of way. He was winning.

"You wanted to see me?" his heir entered, looking at him with raised eyebrows.

He stood, smiling and bowing graciously. "Have a seat." he indicated the floor beneath his chair.

The Heir of Voldemort kneeled at his feet, looking up at him, face painted with a disinterested and absolutely self-assured look. "Is there something that you want me to do?"

"Indeed." Voldemort replied. "I want you to get close to Harry Potter this year. Very close. I want him to trust you implicitly in all things, do you understand?"

"Why?" The Heir asked curiously. "He's a rather undisciplined boy, I'd rather not even try. It is disturbing how inefficient he is, and he the boy who once defeated you."

Were it anyone else Voldemort would've killed them for saying such a thing. However, for his Heir, he made a rare exception. "Even so." the Dark Lord drawled. "He is nothing without his friends, you understand. He cannot stand alone, the middle cannot hold."

"I understand." The Heir nodded slowly.

"Good." Voldemort held out a hand to his Heir, who took it and stood. They moved over to the fire, Voldemort standing a little behind his Heir, looking over the shoulder at the flames. "Look." he pointed.

The Heir squinted, barely making out the image of a woman. "Who is she?"

"She is a problem." the Dark Lord replied.

"She will be a definite problem. The raid on the Weasley home tonight will be unsuccessful because of her. She is more powerful then anyone on the Order. I once thought I was rid of her, but I fear that was subterfuge."

"She outwitted you." the Heir said blandly.

Voldemort tensed. "Yes." he admitted. "She has outwitted me. But now I have the upper hand. She does not know that I have this knowledge."

"Then you are going to send more men on the raid." the Heir reasoned.

"No." Voldemort replied. "The raid will go as planned. I wish to see how my Death Eaters stand up to a legend."

"What is her name?" the Heir looked up at the Dark Lord.

"No one knows. No one--but me." he smiled.

III

The Burrow was a veritable beehive of movement. People buzzing around like bees doing this or that. Harry got jostled four times before he even made it through the front door. It looked as though the Weasley Home had been made the temporary headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. A couple of people waved his way before going back to what they were doing, a pretty young woman plowed right into him. "Oh, Christ, I'm sorry." She said, pulling him back to his feet. "Ah, Potter?" she raised her eyebrows. "Nice to finally meet you. My name is Melony Meloy." She shook his hand and gave him a broad smile. "I'll see you around!" and with that she was off.

"What's all the rush about?" Harry asked Ron.

"You know--I don't know." Ron said, furrowing his brow. "People are always running around here--but they never seem to be going anywhere. Nothing big has happened all summer. Its like after what happened--" He glanced at Harry. "You know, after that, You-Know-Who just took a break." He shrugged. "Makes people nervous. They think he's planning something big."

"Of course he's planning something." Moody growled, his magical eye floating around in his skull but his regular one fixed on Ron. "He doesn't stop. He doesn't take breaks. He's got everything to lose--do you think he'd go on vacation?" he raised his eyebrows. "No. He's got something up his sleeve." And with that Moody disappeared into the bustling people.

"He's always on like that!" Ron exclaimed. "Mum's about ready to throttle him, he's always talking about the 'big plan,' whatever that is." He rolled his eyes.

Harry didn't want to say it, because Ron was obviously nervous as it was, but Moody was probably right. Voldemort wasn't about to just 'take a vacation,' if there hadn't been any word then it was obvious something was going on.