Storm Brewing

As soon as they reached the sprawling professional Quidditch pitch, Harry sensed something was wrong. All around them, witches and wizards gathered speaking in near panicked tones, many clutching issues of the morning's Daily Prophet tight in their fists. Exchanging a questioning glance with his best friend, Ron, neither of them caught the troubled look shared between their chaperones. As Amanda hurried them off to their seats, she met her companion's eye meaningfully and forced a jovial laugh at the boy's questions.

"But what's going on?" Ron demanded. He was taller than her now, and towered over her five foot one inch frame, to his immense amusement.

"Munson's out for the game!" she exclaimed, feigning dismay. As Ron swore at the loss of the Canon Seeker, she laughed and cuffed him over the head, knocking his Canon's hat awry, and promptly dragged him towards their seats. Harry trailed along behind laughing, only his eyes betraying his skepticism from beneath the brim of his violently orange cap.

Marcus stayed behind, claiming to go get snacks, and inconspicuously leaned into the nearest conversation.

"… but how could this even happen?"

"No one knows –"

"But surely the dementors would have sensed it –"

"Not if he used a darker magic even than they."

A pregnant hush fell over the speakers, each struck by the horror of the implication.

"Excuse me," Marcus intoned seriously, and in hushed tones so as not to scare anyone, "Would you mind if I borrowed that for a moment?" he asked a curly haired witch, who wordlessly passed him the Prophet and went back to brooding.

His heart froze as he read the headline.

Sirius Black Escapes Azkaban

For the first time in recorded history, a wizard has escaped the high-security wizarding prison of Azkaban. According to numerous memos circulating through the Ministry of Magic, Sirius Black escaped sometime between nine o'clock and eleven o'clock yesterday night. Authorities are unsure as to how Black managed to do this, but now know for certain that Black has retained much of his magical ability, despite having spent the past twelve years under the heavy guard of dementors. The rest is purely speculation. Black was charged with the massacre of thirteen people with one curse directly following the fall of You-Know-Who. The terrible loss can only be defined as the actions of a cornered, desperate man, whose family was well-known for its close ties to Slytherin House and the dark arts. His cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black was convicted, along with her husband, brother-in-law and another, with the brutal torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom, who now reside in the psychiatric ward of St. Mungo's. With a heritage rife with atrocities and the madness brought on by the constant presence of dementors, Black is as unstable as he is deadly. The public is strongly urged to report any sightings directly to the special Floo network set up in connection with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. (cont. pg 3)

Below, a picture of the escapee stared madly through a curtain of long black hair. Marcus remembered the days following the attack; everyone was terrified, terrified that more of You-Know-Who's supporters would follow Black's lead and continue to keep the public in fear. The long arm of the law raided the house and home of every suspected death eater and hunted down those who ran.

Returning the Prophet to the woman, he quickly made his way to his seat just as the match was ready to begin. As he slid in beside Harry, Amanda threw him a quick questioning glance from the other side of Ron. He responded with a small shake of his head.

"Where's our food?"

Harry snorted at his friend's one track mind.

"I'll get it," Amanda immediately said, and took off for the concession stand, and undoubtedly off to find a copy of the Prophet. Harry turned to Marcus.

"What's wrong?" he demanded in a low voice, "What's going on?"

Marcus was always unnerved by Harry's 'older-than-he-really-is' stare, and the vivid green eyes didn't help matters. All the same, he chuckled and turned his nephew's head back towards the game. As usual, it didn't take long for the two boys to be on their feet and screaming as the game wore on. Amanda eventually returned bearing food and the boys promptly began showering the people in front of them with crumbs as they continued their tirade. She turned to yell with them, and did so in her usual boisterous manner, but Marcus saw the faint shadow of fear behind her eyes.

oOo

Any type of meal with the entire Weasley clan was always an energy charged affair. Parties, on the other hand, bordered on insanity. And it was with that thought Minerva apparated to the Burrow and was immediately assaulted by the sounds and smells of the place. Molly was cooking up a frenzy, that much was apparent as the aroma wafted about the house and into the yard where Minerva stood. She heard someone yell for her and she turned. With a small grin, she waved back to the eight mounted Quidditch players. She watched for a few minutes, then went to the house to see if she could help Molly with supper.

"Hello, Minerva," the younger woman greeted cheerfully as Minerva entered. Before she could open her mouth to offer help, Molly waved her away, "I've got everything under control. Ginny's upstairs, she's a bit put out because the boy's wouldn't let her play, nothing new of course," she huffed, indignant on her daughter's behalf. Know she would get nowhere trying to stay in the kitchen, Minerva headed to Ginny's room.

As she reached the second floor landing, she felt a strange hum of energy coming from the young girl's bedroom. 'Put out' apparently did not fully encompass Ginny's ire.

Cautiously opening the door, she found Ginny seated on her bed reading furiously from an old Defense Against the Darks Arts book. Sighing softly, she took a seat next to her and grimaced as the bed springs squeaked.

"Prats," she heard Ginny mutter as she leaned into Minerva's side.

"I know, girl-child," Minerva replied, resettling her arm so she could smooth Ginny's red locks.

"I mean, I know they're prats, but can't they just once put aside their prat-ness and let me play – I'm really pretty good," she railed dramatically, and Minerva had to stifle a grin. Out of all the Weasleys, her favorite would always be Ginny. Most likely the poor girl was completely stifled by the two women in her life, and that situation had only escalated in terms of over-protectiveness after the events of the previous year. Her arm unconsciously clenched about Ginny's shoulders as she remembered.

After calling the teachers to the staff room and telling them the news, she slowly made her way to the Gryffindor common room to tell her brothers. Why Ginny? Why sweet, charming Ginevra Weasley? A pureblood. Blood traitor perhaps. What other reason could there possibly be? She had become terribly withdrawn this year. Perhaps it had something to do with her new, confusing crush on Harry – a boy she'd known all her life, but still a boy, and she a girl. It had become progressively worse with each attack and each month. Maybe she knew it had been hunting her. Maybe she had been scared all this time and she, Minerva had done nothing to help her.

Smoothing invisible creases from her robes with trembling hands, she faced the portrait of the fat lady and spoke the password. The boys came quietly as she led them to her office. Perhaps they sensed something wrong – perhaps they already knew. "I don't know how to tell you this, boys," she said quietly as she shut the door behind her, "Ginny has been taken." Their reactions were painful to watch. Ron bowed his head and bit his lip, forcing tears back behind his eyes. George gripped Ron's shoulder as his own eyes glistened, Percy swayed on his feet and his pale face turned grey, and Fred clenched his jaw to keep from saying something bitingly angry he would regret. She had not given a second thought to including Harry in this meeting, but the grimness in his eyes and the stubborn set of his chin alarmed her. He was a boy who took action, so much more like the man his father had become than he'd any right to be. After forced words of condolences and silent hugs of comfort, she walked the boys back to their common room.

She sent for Molly and Arthur, and in less than an hour, the three of them grouped together in her office, silent tears working their way down Molly's distraught face. The tea on the table before them cooled rapidly as the sun descended and turned the sky a glowing shade of orange and red. Staring into the fire in a sort of grim daze, Minerva missed the opening and closing of her office door. So caught up in her own thoughts of guilt and regret, she did not notice the silent comforting hand the newcomer placed upon the parents' shoulders. As the comforting hands placed themselves upon her own shoulders, she started, then closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to fall. Turning wordlessly, she wrapped her arms around Albus' neck and breathed in his scent, whispering apologies for failing even as he firmly shushed her.

Nearly two hours later found the group in much the same position, the two teachers standing beside the fireplace, trying to gather the warmth from the outside to compensate for the ice cold within. Suddenly, Albus' head shot up and his eyes narrowed slightly in concentration. Minerva looked at him with a question in her eyes, and was sent over the edge of confusion as his face broke into a wide grin and his eyes twinkled merrily as he looked towards the door. A few minutes later, the door opened, and Minerva nearly fainted.

"Ginny!" The scream was Molly's as she rushed to her daughter, Arthur running after her. Minerva was too shocked to move, her eyes locked on Ginny's rumpled state. She was nearly too shocked to breath, but took deep breaths as she leaned against Albus. On a second thought, she turned her gaze to Ginny's companions and nearly fainted all over again. Harry and Ron sheepishly stood in the doorframe and she could tell her son was waiting for an apocalyptic explosion from her.

It had taken much explanation and later a stiff drink to fully comprehend what had happened. How lucky they had been. Yet, she found herself musing, not for the first time, was it really luck? Or was Harry indeed endowed with a larger capacity for trouble and heroism than she had ever imagined? Ginny's loud sigh beside her brought her back to the present. The corner of her mouth twitched upward as she considered the young girl beside her.

"What?" Ginny asked candidly.

Minerva grinned and winked, "Nothing, girl-child, let's go see if supper is ready." The young witch was not convinced, but gave an inward shrug and followed her aunt and confidant downstairs.

oOo

As soon as they had arrived at the Weasley's, Ron and Harry ran off to the paddock to find Fred and George. If anyone knew what was going on, they would. Unfortunately, Charlie, Bill, and Remus were there as well, and as Amanda joined them, there was no opportunity to corner the twins to see what they knew. George, however, was a perceptive young man, and catching Harry's eye as the young boy gained altitude on a rather rickety broom, winked silently assuring him they would talk later.

Harry grinned at George's wink, and looked around to catch Ron's eye. There was never any speculation on who among the Weasleys was his closest friend – Ron had been and no doubt would always be his best friend, but at the same time, it was useful to have almost the same closeness with Fred, and especially George. It scared him sometimes, that George seemed to know everything. He was sure Fred knew at least as much as his twin, but only on rare occasions offered up information freely, even to his own kin. Ron, on the other hand, seemed perfectly content to remain oblivious to much of what was going on around d him. He led with his heart, but was happy to follow the heads of others.

A loud whoop brought Harry out of his reverie and he made a disgusted face at his own meandering thoughts. Fred just scored and was now being a complete wally about it. Well, vengeance would be sweet he thought with a mischievous grin, and banking right, looped Fred to regain possession of the quaffle.

They touched down nearly an hour later and Mrs. Weasley's command brought them to the backyard where friends and family sat along a bowed table, heavily weighed down by piles and bowls that smelled like edible heaven. Inconspicuously making his way to George's side, Harry slide into the seat Fred was about to take and grinned innocently. Fred's reflexive, and painful, jab in his ribs warranted retaliation, and a half-hearted tussle broke out, only to be stopped by Molly Weasley's snapping bark, "Sit down and behave yourselves!" It was no less intimidating coming from the other end of the table, and the two boys grinned at her as they took their seats.

Fred sat at the head of the table with Harry at his left and Ron at his right, and only realized just how horrible a position he was in as he looked up and saw his mother glaring at him from the other end of the table. Ducking behind a conspicuously large heap of dinner rolls, he muttered darkly, "You wait – I'll get you for this."

"Don't be silly," Harry retorted evilly, "Ma will dock points whether we're in the school or not."

George cut off Fred's train of thought quickly, before bloodshed, explaining, "Harry needed to talk to us, doesn't know what's up yet."

"Doesn't he?" Fred grinned, "Sorry, mate, don't know a thing myself."

At Harry's muted disbelief, George cut in, "He's only almost right," he amended with a look at his twin, "We don't actually know much, and what we do know doesn't make any sense the way they're carrying on," he ended with a head jerk down the table towards the grownups. Covertly making sure everyone else was otherwise occupied, George nodded for Fred and Harry to do the same.

And so, leaning forwards and laughing as they scooped generous amounts of Shepherds pie and potatoes onto their plates, the twins alternated their explanations so as to make just enough noise to not be heard clearly, but not so much as to be obvious.

As Fred laughed with Ron, George leaned over Harry to grab the gravy, "All we know for sure is that Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban last night and no one's been able to catch him."

"They've even got the dementors after him, if what we heard from dad's conversation with Dumbledore is right," Fred elaborated as George picked up the conversation with Ron. Know this tactic well, Ron met Harry's eye and couldn't fully disguise his hurt at his best mate conspiring without him. In response, Harry nodded minutely and mouthed later, and Ron immediately perked up, taking George's role and entertaining Ginny and Charlie, who was beside George.

"They didn't say dementors exactly, but they were talking about the ministry allying itself with the 'darkest of creatures' or sommat like that," George stated. "Anyway, I don't think that's what all the secrecy's about," he added with a meaningful glance at his twin.

Dropping his voice even lower and leaning closer while surreptitiously maneuvering the still heaping bowl of mashed potatoes to block much of the view from the other end of the table, Fred went on, "Everyone's been so tight-lipped about this. Won't tell us a thing. At first, we thought they were just trying to protect us, not letting us know he was on the loose, but that doesn't quite fit."

"Why hide something that's all over the papers anyway?" George pointed out seriously.

"Exactly," Fred nodded, "I think they're hiding something about him."

"It's got to be something not widely known, otherwise that would be in the papers too," George continued thoughtfully.

"I think it's something to do with his family? Mum mentioned it this morning, something like 'What else can you really expect from that family?' But that makes no sense either. We all know the Black family was deranged, all of his cousins are either dead, in Azkaban, or married to other purebloods."

"Maybe it has something to do with what got him landed in there in the first place," Harry thought aloud, "What was it exactly anyway?"

"The Prophet says he blew apart a street and killed thirteen people with one curse, including one wizard," George supplied.

A thoughtful silence descended upon them, and Charlie, who had heard their voices, but not what was said, quipped, "You lot aren't scheming again are you?"

"Of course we are," Fred answered with a grin, picking up his persona as a prankster with gusto, "It's what we live for."

Later that night, after Harry whispered his conversation with the twins to Ron, they lapsed into a similar thoughtful silence. Staring up at the violent orange ceiling of Ron's room, Harry tried to wade through the puzzle pieces that were currently jumbled together, with only one certain piece: Sirius Black, a murderer, escaped from Azkaban prison. Supporter of You-Know-Who? Possibly. Mad? Probably. But if he is mad, how did he manage to escape? Questions yielded to more questions and Harry was soon left with twelve times more questions than he had started with.

"Harry?" Ron asked the room quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think this has anything to do with you?"

Harry sat up immediately, scattering his blankets, "I don't think so. Not that I know of, anyway. Why?"

"No real reason, I suppose," Ron mused, "It's just that most things involve you one way or another."

oOo

AN: ok… um….. sorry for the wait…. Please don't kill me… and please leave reviews ) ok really: I kind of lost interest for a little while (ok, a year) – t'was weird. I just wasn't feelin' the story at all (haha – I know there are other ppl out there who'll leave "I'm not feelin' the story either. It SUX" reviews. But anyway.) And THEN real life popped up and I beat my GPA into submission – feels good to do the 4.0 on a whole year mwuahaha. Anyway – that's what kept me. I'll REALLY try not to make you wait that long for the next chappies, but I don't want to half-ass this one and just put SOMETHING out. I did that on the last one, and I really don't like some of the chapters. . . half the time it doesn't even seem like I had a direction at all. :sigh: SO. I will not be posting abject crap. ) I'll be working on psychological development and I really want the things that happened in the book to happen here in a believable way. . . especially Harry and Snape – so look forward to the deterioration of their relationship as presented in the first one. ) FINALLY, I want to thank the AWESOME people who left me a truck load of reviews for this! I LOVE YOU ALL! lol – it was the reviews that eventually dragged me back ) I don't want to let you guys down! Hope you like this chappie! Ok – I'm done. )