Disclaimer: Many of the characters, thoughts and ideas that are in this fan fiction are not of my own design. Though this story is from my imagination, I realize that this is the property of Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling. This is not J. K. Rowling's work. I also read many FFs and if you see something similar to another work it is entirely unintentional. I have posted this on harrypotter.com as well…. There it is complete and filled with cliffies… hence my screen name Princess of cliffies on the Harry Potter boards I go by the name of rebcschult in case you would like to read it in it's original form…. Also this was written preOotP hence the name…. but I decided after much deliberation and coercion from my on line friends who wanted me to post it here that I would finally do so! I am also writing a year six to follow this year five on the boards, which when I'm finished over there and done editing it I will post here as well…

Becky(rebcschult and PrincessOfCliffiesRCS)

P.S. Please read and review!

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

CHAPTER ONE – NO WAY OUT

"Someone's coming," said a voice suddenly.

Squinting tensely through the dark, two boys, with their arms straight out as if they were pointing at something, watched a figure drawing near, walking steadily toward them between the graves in a churchyard. The figure's face was not visible, but from the way it was walking, one could tell that it was carrying something. The figure was short and wearing a hooded cloak pulled up over its head to obscure its face. As the figure approached the thing, that it held in its arms, became more visible. It looked like it could be a baby.

The two boys glanced tensely at each other then turned back to watch the approaching figure. It stopped about six feet from the boys beside a towering marble headstone. For a few moments the three figures just looked at each other. Then without warning one of the boys dropped what it was that he held in his hand, covered his face, and dropped to the ground, and rolled around as if in great pain.

A cold, high, maniacal voice said, "Kill the spare."

A second voice also high, but screechy said, "Avada Kedavra!"

A blast of green light emitted from the extended arm of the man standing next to the marble headstone. The boy still standing fell to the ground, spread eagle, with a heavy thump, very obviously dead. A scream was heard….

As a teenage boy sat bolt upright in his bed, he realized he was still screaming. Tears flowed freely down his face, as he stopped his screaming. He angrily brushed the tears away and waited to hear the words that he knew were coming….

"HARRY POTTER! Confound it all! There are some people who live in this house who would like to sleep!!! Knock off all that racket!! And if you wake us again you will be locked in your room for a month, bars on the window and all!!"

"S-sorry, Uncle V-vernon!" said the boy shakily, as he continued to sit on his bed. He reached over and picked up his round shaped glasses and turned on his lamp. He wiped away the stubborn tears that refused to stop falling. He raised his knees and put his head down onto them trying, once again, to get the images that haunted his dreams and his very life to disappear.

Once he felt that he had pulled himself together enough, he lifted his black haired head. Beneath his messy hair was a small scar on his forehead shaped like a lightening bolt. His green eyes turned toward the window. There was a slight light beginning to show in the sky to the east. He sighed and said quietly, "Well, I can see that there is no point in trying to go back to sleep tonight."

He got off his bed and reached under it. He lifted a loose board and pulled out several books. One was a small leather bound photo album. He placed it upon his desk and opened it up. On the first page there was a man, with the same messy black hair as the boy looking at the album, and a woman, with auburn hair and the same brilliant green eyes as the boy, standing together holding a little baby boy. The boy smiled as the picture started doing the most amazing thing: the woman and man began waving.

For this was no ordinary boy. He was most unwelcome member of the house that he lived in, that's true. But the house was not the only place he lived. For nine months out of the year he lived at his school. Now to you this may not seem like a very strange thing at all, and normally it would not be. However the school that this boy attended was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And he was a young wizard by the name of Harry Potter.

His name, though frowned at in the Muggle, or non-magical, world of his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon Dursley's home, was known throughout the Wizarding world. He was known as the Boy-Who-Lived. Or the boy who at the age of one-year-old defeated the greatest Dark wizard of his time, Lord Voldemort, whose name witches and wizards still feared to speak. Although He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was defeated, his soul lived on in some diminished, weak, and insubstantial form.

It had only been a few weeks since Harry had returned from his fourth year at Hogwarts. But they had been the longest days of his life. Harry felt that the castle that held his school was more of a home than in the house where he now sat. His aunt, uncle, and cousin Dudley had always made it quite clear how they felt about Harry. They had always thought of him as a freak and treated him as such.

Harry tried his hardest to try to ignore their taunting, but after what he had just experienced at school, he did not think he could keep up the good front for very much longer. Each year since he had entered Hogwarts, He-Who-Must-Not-be-Named, in what ever form he could, had tried to kill Harry. And this past year had been no different.

The dream he had just been having, was only a very small piece of what had happened to him. Voldemort had had his lackey, Wormtail, kill the other boy, Cedric Diggory, who had been with Harry. And though that was not the worst part of what had happened, it was the hardest for Harry to get over.

On some level he felt it had been his responsibility that that had happened. After all it had been he who suggested that they both take the Tri-wizard cup of the tournament that they had been participating in.

Harry tried to shake those thoughts from his head again. He was trying very hard not to dwell on the fact that Cedric was now dead. But unfortunately, the thoughts about Cedric brought up the rest of the memories about what had happened. The images flashed through Harry's mind:

His scar burning to the point that he retched. Seeing Cedric's dull gray eyes staring out of his dead body. Feeling himself being lifted and dragged toward the marble headstone with the name Tom Riddle written on it. Then being turned around and slammed against the stone. Being tied to the stone. Watching as Wormtail dragged a huge caldron to the foot of the grave and setting a fire beneath it. Picking up what Harry had thought was a baby, and dropping it into the caldron. Hearing the chant that caused the grave at his feet to crack and a trickle of dust to enter the caldron. Seeing Wormtail cut off his hand and put it into the caldron too. And finally feeling the pierce of pain as Wormtail cut his arm to gather his blood all to bring back his greatest foe: Lord Voldemort.

Harry shuddered involuntarily. He tried to put this out of his mind as the sun began to rise. He closed the album and placed it back into the floor beneath his bed. His tummy rumbled and he realized that he was quite hungry. He reached into the hole again and took out a meat pie that one of his best friends, Ron's, mother had made and sent to him, knowing that Harry was barely fed at all while living there at 4 Privet Drive with his aunt and uncle. He ate a small piece very quietly, not wanting to alert Dudley to the fact that he had food in his room. He swore that Dudley had the ears of a hawk when it came to food.

Dudley had been on a diet for the past year, as he was roughly the size of a small elephant. But the diet wasn't working, because every time he smelt, saw, or even heard someone eating food, he was right there and having to eat some too.

Once Harry had finished his small piece of pie he then turned once again to his books. He started flipping through them trying to decide where he should begin to do his summer homework.

He decided on the potion's essay that he had to write about the Veritaserum and its uses. It was for his least favorite professor, Snape, who always seemed to have it out for Harry. He did not really feel like doing that particular essay. But as he had just witnessed what the potion had done, seeing as it had been administered to an intruder who had helped to get Harry to the graveyard a little over a month ago, he figured that it would not hurt to do it now. At least then it would be done and over with.

He sat at the desk until he had written two feet of parchment on the subject. And though Snape had asked for four feet, Harry was not sure how he could get more than that. He supposed that he should look it up in the book, to see if he could find out more information on it. He stretched and continued until he had five feet of parchment. Ha! Beat that Hermione! he thought happily, successfully leaving all thoughts of Cedric and Voldemort behind. He got up and put away his books and homework under the boards in the bed. He returned to the chair at his desk as he began to turn his thoughts to his friends.

Hermione was one of his best friends and she was an insufferable know-it-all most of the time. Though as he thought about her his smile faded. Just before he had come home a couple weeks ago, she had kissed him on the cheek. He hoped beyond hope that that did not mean that she liked him. Harry loved her as a friend, but he had seen how Ron was always looking at her. Whether Ron would admit it to himself or not, it was quite obvious to Harry that Ron had feelings beyond friendship for the girl. He would not stand in the way of that. He just hoped that Hermione would see that too.

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden dull burning sensation in his forehead. His scar was burning again. It grew stronger until Harry fell out of his chair and crumpled into a heap on the floor, clutching his head and writhing in pain. He knew that it could mean only one of two things: Voldemort was either nearby or feeling murderous.

Through his pain, Harry got to his hands and knees and crawled to his window. He looked out trying to see if he could see anything. Seeing as how it was light out now, he didn't understand why this would be happening. As far as he knew, Voldemort only attacked or traveled at night. Harry saw nothing, but the pain got so intense that it made him pass out onto the floor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three hours later at noon, Harry was being kicked. "Come on you lazy brat. Get up. Now. I expect you downstairs to help your aunt in twenty minutes!" Harry opened his eyes wearily, realizing that he was in fact still on the floor from when he collapsed. His glasses were a couple feet in front of him. He grabbed them and put them on.

His uncle, a large man with beady eyes and a bushy mustache, turned on his heel and stomped out of the room saying, "If you are going to sleep on the floor, then you don't need a bed. So if I catch you on the floor again, the bed will be removed from your room, as you obviously think that you are too good to sleep on the bed that we have provided for you."

Leave it to Uncle Vernon to take me being on the floor as an insult, thought Harry, shaking his head. He sat up trying to recall what had happened. He suddenly remembered that he had been thinking of Hermione when the pain hit him. Oh no! I hope that doesn't mean that Hermione was the one in danger! thought Harry.

Harry quickly got to his feet and began getting ready for the day ahead. As he worked, he remembered the last words that Dumbledore, the headmaster of his school, had said to him. "Remember Harry, if there are any instances where you experience pain in your scar… I would like to know about it." It wasn't a demand, but Harry knew that it was important to tell him everything. Harry quickly pulled up the loose floorboards and pulled out his quill and ink and a blank piece of parchment. Then he jotted a quick note to Dumbledore.

Dear Professor Dumbledore,

I know that you asked me to let you know if my scar hurt at all. Well, this morning it did. It was pretty bad too. Just a quick note to let you know.

Harry

Harry then ran to the cage, on his bureau, where his snowy owl, Hedwig, was sleeping upon her perch. "Hey, girl. I have a very important letter for you deliver." Hedwig opened one eye and seeing Harry standing there with the small piece of parchment in his hand, she ruffled up her feathers happily. She hooted a soft hoot and then flew out of the cage, landing beside him. She stuck out her leg importantly and nipped Harry's fingers lovingly as he tied the note to it. He opened the window and she flew out, knowing her destination without even being told.

He turned to his door and ran to the bathroom, where he washed up quickly. He dressed and ran down the stairs, just as Uncle Vernon was coming out of the living room to get him. Dudley was not very far behind him peaking around the corner to watch what was going to happen. Dudley loved it when Harry got in trouble, and lived to see him in misery.

"Well, it about time that you showed your freaky little face down here. Now get into the kitchen. Your Aunt Petunia has something for you to do." He turned and walked down the hall, past the little cupboard that had been his home for almost ten years, the ten years before he had found out that he was a wizard to be exact, and continued on into the kitchen.

There his Aunt stood with her back to him. Her long neck was craned as far as it could be, as she was peering out of the window into the neighbor's yard. The door banged shut behind Harry and his aunt jumped. She turned to face her nephew. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she thought that he had purposely scared her. "It's about time you got your lazy bottom down here," she said coldly.

She picked up a large piece of paper from the counter in front of her. She handed it to him saying, "There you are. These are the chores that I expect you to have done by dinner. We have a guest coming tomorrow and I want this place to be spotless. Do you understand what I am saying to you, boy?" She had taken to speaking to him as if his unusualness was due to him being completely and utterly stupid, instead of being a wizard.

Harry nodded. "Who's coming tomorrow?"

Aunt Petunia sighed as if put out by his lack of knowledge. "Mrs. Figg will be coming to tea tomorrow, as we have business to discuss, if you must know. Now get to work."

"What sort of business?" asked Harry defiantly.

"We are getting you a job with her this summer. She needs help, poor woman. She has never been the same since she tripped over her cat and broke her leg four years ago. And well she's getting on in years. She needs some help around the house. So I expect you to do what ever she asks you to. Is that clear?"

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, Ma'am," he said through gritted teeth. Harry set to work on the tasks on the list. After completing only a few chores he realized how hungry he was. He realized that he had missed both breakfast and lunch. And with only that small piece of meat pie that he had had earlier that morning, he felt he needed sustenance. He wanted to go into the house and tell his aunt, but he knew that she would just scoff at him and dismiss him without so much as a crust of bread. He kept working in the back yard.

When he finished he sat down on the garden bench and admired his work. He remembered that he had been sitting in that very spot nearly three years before when he first saw Dobby the house elf. He smiled as he thought of the little house elf, who had almost killed Harry trying to save his life. Harry had saved Dobby by freeing him from his abusive family, the Malfoys. But Harry really didn't want to think about them, as his greatest archenemy at school was Draco Malfoy, a snotty, relentless bully who thought he was better than everyone else was, just because he came from a long line of "pure" wizards. Pushing Draco from his mind, Harry smiled at the thought of seeing the little elf again when he returned to Hogwarts, where the elf now worked.

As he sat there his mind drifted to better places. He wished some how that he would be saved from his family as he had saved Dobby, but somehow he just didn't see that happening. He got up to start working again when his scar once again exploded with pain. He fell to his knees. Through the pain he once again looked around and tried to see if there was any indication of what was causing the pain. Again there was nothing. The pain increased and he retched.

At that very moment his aunt had been looking out of her window to see what he was doing. She ran out the door and started screaming at him for destroying her lawn. She grabbed Harry roughly by the arm and directed him into the house. She shoved him stumbling into his room. "If you want to destroy somewhere, you are most welcome to do it here. But you are banned from going outside until Mrs. Figg needs you." She slammed the door and locked him in the room. He collapsed half onto the floor, half onto the bed.

A few hours later he woke again. His whole body ached as if he had just had the Cruciatus Curse, a curse that cause the victim of it to be in incredible pain, had just been placed upon him. He rolled onto the floor and sat there for a few moments trying to catch his breath. He stood up and went to the window that was now dark. He looked around the neighborhood, though he could not see much but the back yards of several neighbors.

He shrugged his shoulders and sat down at the desk. He stared out of the window for a while and then the dull pain in his scar became apparent again. Suddenly, in the sky over the house right in front of his window, a shape formed. It was a green mark shaped like a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth. Harry knew instantly that this was a very bad sign, as it was the Dark Mark of Voldemort. It was only shot into the sky right after Voldemort or one of his followers had murdered someone in the house that it hovered over.

Harry stood up, knocking over his chair. He went to his window and threw it open. He tried to see something, anything, to tell him what was going on in the house. But all was silent and dark. He watched for a while longer and just as he thought nothing was going to happen, he saw something pass in front of the window, as the curtains moved. He sat silent and low, still watching. He heard a shriek and some maniacal laughter. The window opened and a little girl tried jumping out. She was pulled back into the house and that shriek found his ears again.

Harry knew he needed to act. He couldn't just sit there as the little girl was murdered. He ran to his trunk and grabbed his wand. He knew that he was not supposed to use magic during the holidays due to the Decree for Underage Wizards, but he couldn't just sit there either. He decided that he would just try to explain it to Dumbledore if they questioned him about it.

Harry got out onto the windowsill and reached over to the drainpipe. He knew it wouldn't hold him for long, but he had to try. When he got to the bottom he looked up and thought briefly that he was going to have to find another way back up into his room. He wasn't sure how he was going to do it, but he knew that he couldn't just sit around and wait to see what would happen to the girl. He slunk across the lawn and climbed the fence between the two yards. He jumped down into the other yard and slipped quietly up to the window.

He was about to look inside when he heard a voice come from just on the other side of the window. "I thought you said that he would be here."

"Quiet!" hissed a second voice that he recognized as Draco's father, Lucius. "If he is nearby then we don't want to scare him off!"

"I'm tired of waiting for Potter to show up. I want to kill the girl now."

"Crucio!" There was a yellow flash and a stifled groan emitted from the other man. "Crabbe, you fool! If he is around here, he will now suspect the truth, that this is a trap set to capture him. The Master wants to draw him out of his protection. You know that the Master suspects that he lives in this area. So shut your trap or I will curse you again."

"But we've been doing this all day and he hasn't shown up," whined Crabbe. "We even went to the house of that Mudblood friend of his, just to see if he was staying there with her. I must say it was very satisfying to destroy those filthy Muggles."

"Yes. It's a shame that the Weasleys are a pure blood family. It would be truly satisfying if the Master would let us do away with those Muggle and Mudblood loving fools. I dare say, though, that the Master was very generous to allow us to set an example with them next though. I cannot wait to see the fear in their eyes when we take their youngest two childr – Shh! What was that? Go check outside the window."

Harry crouched just outside under the window with his hand over his mouth. He had gasped at hearing what they were planning. He knew that he was in a very exposed place just under the window, but he didn't want to run knowing that that would surely draw attention to him. He just sat there and prayed, cursing himself for not remembered to bring his father's invisibility cloak.

Harry looked up and, sitting very still as flat against the wall of the house as he could get, watched as a hooded head stuck itself out the window. Harry caught his breath, afraid to even breathe. The head looked to the left. It looked to the right. Then it scanned the entire backyard. It seemed to hang there above Harry for an eternity. When it didn't see anything it pulled back into the house. "Sorry, there wasn't anything there, Lucius."

"Well, I believe we have waited long enough. He is obviously not in this area. We will have to move onto the next suspected area. Kill the girl. We cannot leave witnesses."

Harry was just about to jump up to stop them, when he heard the words that he was dreading to hear, "Avada Kedavra." Then there was laughter followed by two faint pops. He knew they were gone. He stood up cautiously and looked in through the window. The sight that met his eyes, made him cry out. In the middle of the room that he could see into had four people lying with the same vacant expressions on their faces that Cedric had had. Three adults, probably little girl's mother, father, and what looked like her grandmother, and of course the little girl.

He climbed into the window and sat on the floor weeping. Another family that had lost their lives all because of him. Suddenly Harry heard the front door fly open and Harry stood up with his wand extended. Tears stubbornly continued to fall as two men, obviously wizards, as they were cloaked and had wands in their extended hands, came around the corner to where Harry was standing guard over the bodies.

They looked at each other and stepped into the light. They wore upon their cloaks the emblem of the Ministry of Magic. Harry looked up into the eyes of….

"Mr. Weasley! What are you doing here?"

"I'll get to that in a minute. I think the more poignant question is: What are you doing here?"

"Well, sir, I live right over there, as you know," said Harry pointing to his aunt and uncle's house. He then proceeded to explain what had happened, including everything that he had heard up to the attack on Hermione's family. But before he got to the last part of the conversation that he had overheard he got choked up with emotion. "Sir? Is it true? Did they actually attack Hermione and her parents?"

Arthur Weasley's balding red head fell to his chest, not wanting to meet the eyes of the boy.

"No! No!" yelled Harry, the tears falling down his face anew.

"Harry, it's not like that," said Mr. Weasley quietly.

"Then what is it like?" Harry started stepping back, forgetting the four bodies were still there on the floor behind him.

Mr. Weasley grabbed Harry's arm before he fell onto the bodies. He pulled him into a hug and brought him into the next room. As he left the room he told the other ministry official to call in a clean up crew.

Mr. Weasley and Harry sat down on the couch. Arthur Weasley swallowed hard and looked into Harry's eyes before he began. "Harry, the Death Eaters did attack Hermione's family's home. That's true…." He paused seeing the tears well up in Harry's eyes. Harry tried very hard to blink them away. "But they did not kill Hermione. Only her parents. However…."

"Where is Hermione?"

"Harry…."

"Please Mr. Weasley. Just tell me."

"Harry, we don't know where she was. She was not at the house when it was attacked. We're not sure if she was taken or…." Mr. Weasley stopped not wanting to say what he feared.

Harry thought for a moment. He remembered something about Hermione going away somewhere…. "Mr. Weasley, she was supposed to go and visit Victor Krum this summer…. You don't suppose…"

"Hold that thought, Harry." He walked into the other room. Harry followed to the doorway and listened to what he had to say. "Jonathan, I think I might have just gotten a lead on where Miss Granger is…. When I am finished talking to Harry here, I'm going to go to follow up on that lead. If I find her then I will do the unfortunate task of informing her about her parents. Please finish up here and do the necessary alterations. Meanwhile I am going to bring Harry back to his home to finish our conversation."

"Yes, sir."

He walked back into the room where Harry was now sitting on the couch again. "Harry, I think it might be best if we continued this conversation elsewhere. Come here and hold on tight." Mr. Weasley held out a small piece of paper. The piece of paper turned out to be a portkey. Harry felt the familiar pull in his stomach. They landed hard and Harry toppled over. When he looked up he found himself in the familiar surroundings of The Burrow, the Weasleys' home.

"I thought you were taking me back to my home…"

"I thought it best if my partner did not know exactly where I took you…. There has been some speculation that there could be spies in the Ministry already."

Mr. Weasley sat down on the couch. Harry got up and sat next to Mr. Weasley and they continued their conversation. "So as you were saying, Harry…."

"Well, I remember that Hermione was invited to Victor Krum's place for the summer. I don't remember when she was supposed to leave, but…"

"That's as good a place as any to begin. Now what else can you remember about tonight."

Harry finished the story forgetting one crucial piece until the last moment. "Mr. Weasley! I just remembered that there was something that I forgot to tell you in the conversation between Mr. Malfoy and Crabbe!"

"What is it Harry?" asked Mr. Weasley anxiously, hearing the panic in Harry's voice.

"They are supposed to be coming here to take Ginny and Ron!"

Mr. Weasley got up and, grabbing Harry's arm, pushed Harry in front of him to the stairs. They ran up the stairs together to Ginny's room. "Wait here," he said as he opened the door and checked on his youngest child. Harry could hear Mr. Weasley talking to her, "Ginny! Get up now. You're in danger."

Ginny replied sleepily, "What are you on about, Da? It's almost midnight."

"Get up, Ginny. You are in danger."

Hearing the urgency in her father's voice she sat up, "What?"

"Just get up and dressed. Now! Then join me in Ron's room."

He came out of her room and he and Harry ran up to Ron's room. They entered Ron's room and the conversation that ensued there was eerily similar to the one that Harry had just overheard moments before at Ginny's room. Harry and Mr. Weasley waited outside of Ron's room. A few moments later Ginny, not realizing that Harry was there on the other side of her father, joined them. She had a great case of bed head hair. With her red hair it almost appeared like there was a fire frozen on her head. Harry, despite himself and the current bad situation, had to snort to himself. Mr. Weasley looked down at Harry and smiled himself.

A few moments after that Ron emerged from his room, looking completely disoriented and disheveled. He too did not notice that Harry was there. They all trampled quickly down the stairs, effectively waking every other person in the household. When they reached the kitchen, it was at that moment that both Ron and Ginny realized that Harry was standing next to their father.

Ginny's expression was that of horror. She quickly ran her hands through her hair and sat with her eyes downcast, her face turning as red as her hair, which looked only partially less flyaway than a few moments before. Harry tried really hard to keep from laughing. He knew that he wouldn't like to be seen after being rudely awoken in the night either.

They then began their conversation in earnest. Mr. Weasley explaining everything that Harry had told him to the other two. Shortly they were joined by the rest of the family that had been woken by their stampeding down the stairs. Harry and Ron were both obviously trying to hold back their emotions. Ginny had very obviously been crying.

Mrs. Weasley stormed into the room. "What is going on here? Arthur? What are you doing home? I thought that Ministry was sending you out on some more of those raids tonight?" Then realizing Harry was there, she threw a questioning look at her husband as she ran over and hugged the boy that she had somehow started feeling like was truly part of her family. "It is good to see you, Harry, dear." Harry fought hard against his raging emotions. As she let him go, she turned to her husband with her arms crossed waiting for an explanation to her previous questions.

Mr. Weasley sensing his wife's apprehension began, "Yes. Well, those raids turned out to be something quite different. But I will explain all of that to you later. Right now I need your help Molly. Percy, I leave you in charge here."

They all watched as the Weasley parents left the room. Fred, George, and Percy looked quizzically to Ron, Harry, and Ginny, none of whom would speak. The three of them just shared looks of sadness and fear. A few moments later Molly and Arthur returned they put a Daily Prophet newspaper in the center of the table. "If you would all please touch this newspaper, everything will become apparent to you in a few moments." They all touched the newspaper, unquestionably.

Just as they began to feel that familiar pull behind the navel, there was a huge explosion. When the landed on the ground in a heap they quickly got to their feet and looked around. The first thing that they noticed was that Mr. Weasley and Percy were not among them. Harry looked around and realized that he did not have a clue as to where he was.

"Where are we?"

It was Fred that answered. "At the Ministry of Magic, in my dad's office. But why are we here?"

"Come on sit down everyone. I'm sure that your father will be along shortly. We don't want to alert others that we are here. So please be quiet." She pulled Harry into a wonderful hug and then directed him to the couch in the office to sit. When Mr. Weasley and Percy failed to show up after a few minutes, Mrs. Weasley got up and started pacing. After a few minutes of her pacing and she glanced at her watch. She sighed, "I'm afraid I need to go and see what is taking your father so long. Sit tight. I'm going to check out the situation. I'll be right back." She disapperated with a faint pop.

They all stared at each other. Fred and George decided that they couldn't take the suspense any longer. They told Ron, Harry, or Ginny had better start speaking up or they were going to put some Canary creams into their food when they weren't looking. Ron and Ginny looked at Harry, who sighed and began the story all over again, quietly.

Just as he was getting to the part about Hermione, there were three pops that made them all jump. They looked up and saw Mr. Weasley stumble and fall to the floor. Percy was standing there white as a ghost with his mouth opening and closing like a fish. There was a little blood running down his cheek.

Mrs. Weasley bent down to tend to Mr. Weasley. She sat him up against the desk. They all realized why he had fallen. His leg was broken. The five who had been sitting in the office were looking on with horror. They watched in much anticipation as Mrs. Weasley went to the bottom drawer of her husband's desk and pulled out an emergency kit. She opened it up and pulled out his spare wand. She handed it to him and he fixed his leg.

By the time he had finished fixing his leg, Percy had sat down on the floor against the wall opposite from them, still looking like a fish. Ron finally decided that it was time to break the silence, "Da? What happened?"

"The Death Eaters attacked our house. They were there to get you Ron, and Ginny, in an obvious attempt to get to Harry. Unfortunately since Ron and Ginny were not there, they decided that the next best way to send a message to us was to… destroy the house." He said the last bit with a catch in his voice.

"What?" was echoed around the room from the five who had not known what had happened.

Mr. Weasley stood up and walked gingerly toward Harry. "I'm afraid we won't be able to have you over this summer, as it will take us the rest of the summer to rebuild The Burrow," he said as he put his hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry looked up and saw tears in the older man's eyes. "Come on Harry. I'll need to take you home, now."

"Mr. Weasley wait…. Why were you at the house behind the Dursley's anyway? I thought that you were the Head of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. Why were you responding to a call about a home being invaded by Death Eaters? I thought that that was supposed to be another department's job."

"You are absolutely right, Harry. It should be the responsibility the Officials from the Unspeakables or the Improper Use of Magic Offices. But with Fudge in complete denial that You-Know-Who is back…. Well, let's just say that he is finding ways to explain away what has been happening. The reason that I was there tonight was because Fudge believed that one of the "former" Death Eaters had charmed a clock to put out the Dark Mark at a certain time right over the house." Harry made a face that said that he highly doubted that that was the case. "I know. I didn't believe it either, but…. Anyway, I believe that you should be getting home now, Harry." Mr. Weasley walked over to his desk and started shuffling through the bits of parchment on the desk.

"Mr. Weasley," said Harry quietly, "Where are you going to stay while The Burrow is being rebuilt?"

Mr. Weasley looked up and about the room, knowing full well that he would find several other faces anxious to find out the answer to that question. "I'm not really sure at the moment, Harry. But don't you worry about us. We'll manage."

Mr. Weasley took a piece of parchment from his desk and muttered an incantation. He disapperated for a moment and then was back with the usual pop. Mrs. Weasley came over to Harry and gave him one final hug. As she did she whispered into his ear, "Stay safe, Harry. Don't do anything stupid. We'll see you soon." Harry smiled and said his good byes to everyone.

Mr. Weasley handed the parchment to Harry and Harry felt the pull at his navel for the third time that day. He landed softly in his room. He looked at the paper in his hand. He noticed a little note on it in Mr. Weasley's scrawl.

If we can manage it, Harry, we will find a way to get you out of there. But other than that I cannot promise anything.

Harry let the paper flutter out of his hands to the floor. He threw himself onto his bed. The emotions that he had been fighting from the moment that he had found out about Hermione's parents took over. His anger and sadness caused burning hot tears to fall into his pillow. Despite the promise from Mr. Weasley's note, Harry knew that there was no way out of his uncle's house now. He was just going to have to stick it out for the rest of the summer.

He knew that he needed to be quiet, but he just couldn't help himself. He let out a long primal scream deep into his pillow and bed. He just hoped that it wouldn't wake his uncle. He didn't know how long it lasted, but when he was done he fell asleep, being thoroughly worn out by it.