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Author: EvieMarie Story: Nothing Fails Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: WIP Reviews: 0 Words: 15,502
Several loud pops and cracks echoed off the stone walls of the basement kitchen and Harry sat up, startled awake by the noise. There was a confusion of shouts and voices surrounding him; it looked as though a number of the Order, and assorted others, had apparated into the kitchen. "There was so many, Albus ..." "We couldn't find them!" Dumbledore, who was standing by the pantry door, interrupted them. "This is not the time for explanation. I want Remus to help me take Bill and Tonks to St. Mungo's. The rest of you," he said, glancing heavily at them all, "get some rest." Harry pushed himself through the crowd. There, held steadily up by Moody, was Tonks. Her skin was pale and her eyes were closed. Next to her, Bill was leaning against the wall, clutching his side and breathing shallowly. Harry's heart shot into his throat. He moved toward the two. "Harry! You shouldn't be down here!" Mrs. Weasley said hurriedly to him, trying to push him toward the door. "I - I fell asleep!" Harry argued, fighting against Mrs. Weasley. "What's going on? Are they - " "They will be all right, as soon as we get them to St. Mungo's," Dumbledore said, stepping toward him. "I want you to wait here, Harry, until we return." Lupin was moving out of the shadows to help Bill and Tonks. Moody leaned Tonks against the wall, then magicked her to the fireplace. Bill, however, pushed Lupin aside, so as to walk on his own, but stumbled and fell roughly to the floor. There was a rush to help him up. "Mum? What's - oh! Bill!" came a small cry from the doorway. Everyone turned to see Ginny running toward them. "Oh, Bill - are you all right?! What happened? Can you-" Mrs. Weasley pulled Ginny gently away from him. Ginny struggled against her, looking panicked. Dumbledore turned to help Lupin in his struggle to take Bill to the fireplace. "Mum, what's wrong -" demanded Ginny further, but Mrs. Weasley interrupted her. "Everything is fine! They're going to St. Mungo's, they'll be all right!" But even as Mrs. Weasley said this, Harry could see her eyes were just as fearful as Ginny's. Mrs. Weasley gripped Ginny's arm tighter, to keep her from running to Bill. "We'll be back with news as soon as possible," Lupin spoke seriously to the group. He threw a handful of sparkling dust into the fireplace, then pulled Tonks into the fire with him. "St. Mungo's!" he shouted. As they swirled out of sight, Dumbledore stepped in after them, Bill at his side. Before he went, however, he said to everyone, "I insist that you all get some rest. Remus and I will return shortly." And then he was gone. There was a moment's quiet, but it was quickly interrupted by the entrance of the rest of the Weasleys and Hermione. They all stopped at the door to gaze on the scene before them. Fred was the first to speak. "Dad? What's happened?" Mr. Weasley looked around at the expectant group, then at the Order. Kingsley Shacklebolt nodded toward him and stepped forward. "I think it would be better to wait until Dumbledore has returned before anything is explained," said Kingsley quietly. His voice was deeper than usual, it seemed to rumble across the room. "A lot has happened, but I am afraid we can only tell you so much, as we barely know what has happened ourselves. Once Dumbledore returns, he can give us answers." "But, I don't understand..." said Ron, staring about them all. Then, suddenly going white, he said, "Wait... no one's been hurt, have they? The Dementors - " "No one has been hurt seriously," said Mr. Weasley. He paused and removed his glasses to wipe them on his robes. "Perhaps you should all sit down..." Harry, realizing he'd been gripping the back of a chair very tightly, turned it around and sank into it. Mrs. Weasley let go of Ginny, but Ginny did not sit down with the rest of the family; instead, she paced the stone floor in front of the fireplace, her eyes very red. Hermione went to Ginny and put a consoling arm around her shoulders. "Where's Bill... and Tonks?" she asked. Moody answered her. "Dumbledore and Lupin have taken them to St. Mungo's." There was an outburst at the table. Mr. Weasley had to put a restraining arm across Fred and George's chests. Moody glanced at them, his magical eye rolling, then started again, "They'll be all right, I assure you, some of our best fighters... Tonks is a little worse off than Bill, but they'll come around." Harry wasn't sure whether Moody was speaking about their current condition or their fighting ability. His heart had stopped pounding some, but not completely. Ginny was now scrunched in a chair by the fire, Hermione sitting on the arm of it. Moody continued, "You are all aware that Dementors were at Privet Drive. We went immediately to Figg's place, only to find it empty -" "Wait," Harry said, looking around the group."Where's Mundungus?" "Dumbledore sent him somewhere, none of us are exactly sure what he's doing, though -" Mr. Weasley answered. "What's wrong with Bill?" Ginny interrupted from her chair. Her eyes reflected the blazing firelight. "Right," Moody said gruffly, "There were dementors, of course. And Death Eaters. A right bunch of them to tell you the truth -" "Alastor, I do not think they need every detail," Mrs. Weasley spoke sharply from her place at the table. Harry turned in his chair to see her, but found she was hidden in shadow. "I was just telling them what they've got a right to know," Moody growled back, leaning on his wooden leg. "They don't have to know everything!" Molly spat at him, shooting forward so that firelight flooded her face. There was a definite red tinge in her cheeks. "They're young - " "Last I checked -" Fred started. "You left a perfectly good education to open a joke shop?" Molly snapped at him. She turned back to Moody. "I suggest you tell them only what they need to know. That means not inviting them to ask whatever they please, like Sirius -" She stopped suddenly, suddenly looking very pale. There was a pregnant pause. "Like Sirius what?" Harry asked softly, though anger was boiling up inside him. He'd been watching Molly get riled up, it reminded him of her behavior last summer, and he found he'd been almost waiting for her to mention Sirius. Everyone glanced nervously around. Mrs. Weasley's mouth fell open to say something, but then she closed it rather quickly. After a moment, she opened it again. "Harry, dear, you know I didn't mean anything by it..." she trailed off quietly. Harry had never seen her look so uncomfortable. The others in the room shifted uneasily in their chairs. Ron was staring at Harry, his mouth slightly open. "I'm afraid I don't, " Harry replied. There was an odd ringing in his ears. He felt as though something was waiting to go off, something was building inside him. "I only meant -" she continued weakly, but Harry interrupted her. "What? Only meant what? That Sirius was... was a coward? That he was reckless?" At this, Harry shot a look at Hermione. She looked fearfully back, her eyes beginning to glisten. But Harry found he didn't care. He stood up. "Harry, stop it." He turned sharply, only to see Ginny standing furiously behind him, her jaw set. "I know how you feel... we all do. Just stop arguing. Now isn't the time." Her eyes were boring into his. For some reason, Harry couldn't stand to look at them. He turned away. "She's right you know," said Kingsley slowly, "We've all got our hearts in the right places. But what we need now is a good explanation of the night's events." Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips slightly at this, looking uncannily like Aunt Petunia, but she did not open her mouth again. But just as Moody started to tell the story again, the fireplace erupted in flames, first spitting out Lupin, and then Dumbledore. Everyone started speaking to them upon their arrival, but Harry sank heavily back into his chair. His hands were shaking and his scar was aching slightly. He'd almost lost control... in front of the whole Order and the Weasleys, no less. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling suddenly very rude for shouting at Mrs. Weasley. " - soon be well," Dumbledore was saying. There was a collective sigh of relief, and Mrs. Weasley gathered Ginny into her arms. Some were smiling weakly, others collapsing wearily into chairs, but Harry saw Kingsley and Mr. Weasley leading a shaky Lupin out of the kitchen. He watched them for a moment, wondering whether he should follow, when Hermione spoke behind him. "It's almost the full moon, Harry," she said softly. Ron was standing next to her, watching the kitchen door swing shut. "Oh," Harry answered back, recognition crossing his face. Was that why Lupin had looked so exhausted last night? He glanced back at Hermione and Ron. They were watching him carefully. "Er - sorry about earlier," he started guiltily, but Ron shook his head. "Don't worry about it mate," he said firmly. Hermione nodded by his side, opening her mouth, but a voice stopped her. "I would like everyone to please get some rest -" Dumbledore announced calmly. "But what happened?" Fred and George demanded at once. "That will be explained shortly, as soon as I've spoken alone with Harry," Dumbledore said gravely, catching Harry's eye. Harry looked questioningly back, but Dumbledore had turned his gaze. Everyone turned an eye to Harry. The Weasleys started to ask questions again and it took quite a long time to get everyone out the door. In the end, it was the threat of Moody's wand and Mrs. Weasley's shouting that finally cleared the room. Dumbledore motioned for Harry to come closer and Harry moved to a chair across from him. Before Harry could ask anything of him, however, Dumbledore aimed a blue spell at the kitchen door. "I am afraid this is a conversation we won't want people overhearing," Dumbledore explained, settling down in a seat. He fixed Harry with his blue gaze and continued. "What's happened?" Harry asked immediately. Dumbledore nodded. "There were indeed Dementors at Privet Drive. But it was also a trap, as I'd much suspected. Whomever sent that letter made a mistake when signing it Arabella Figg. You and I both know very well that she is incapable of seeing such creatures." "But who would know to send it here?" asked Harry slowly, trying to understand. "This place is protected, hidden, right?" "Which brings me to my next point," continued Dumbledore. He looked very tired for a moment, then looked at Harry carefully. "In light of your hearing last summer, I believe that certain untrustworthy advisors of Cornelius Fudge -" "The Malfoys?" interrupted Harry, moving to the edge of his seat. "Perhaps," answered Dumbledore, "But the Malfoys were not the only spies within the Ministry at the time. Even now, some linger, the ones who happened to avoid Azkaban. However, I believe that the moment Voldemort was informed Arabella Figg took watch over you during the summers, she became an immediate target." "Target? Is she hurt?" Harry asked quickly, afraid to ask what was really going through his mind. Surely, after seeing her only two days ago, she wasn't dead? "I am afraid to say she has gone missing," said Dumbledore sadly, and he sighed softly. "It appears we could not arrive soon enough. The Death Eaters still do not know where Grimmauld Place is yet, thankfully, but I do not wish you to return to Privet Drive." "I don't understand," Harry said, feeling like his brain was clogged up in information. "If Grimmauld Place could eventually be found out, wouldn't you want me to return - " "I'm very sorry to say that it seems your Aunt and Uncle did not return home last night either," said Dumbledore, shaking his head so that his silver beard glimmered in the firelight. "No," he murmured, seemingly to himself, "we were very unlucky last night." Harry didn't answer him. A sort of numb disbelief was raising the hairs on Harry's skin and he sank lower into his chair. The Dursleys were missing also? To his own surprise, Harry found himself praying they weren't dead. Yes, they had mistreated him, yes they had been cruel, harsh, and so very unkind all these years... but Harry had never wished them dead. The hate he had for them, funnily enough, was not the same sort of hate he had for people like Bellatrix Lestrange. "I would like you to stay here until we have further word on the Dursleys," Dumbledore said softly, watching him. Harry looked up at him and saw that the lines around Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have increased. He looked very old. "Okay," Harry said shakily back, wanting only to lie down and sleep again. He gazed around and noticed the empty fire whiskey bottle from the night before lying on top of the table. "Professor?" he asked. "Will Lupin be all right?" Dumbledore looked up. "Because of the full moon, do you mean?" "Er- yes. I saw him leaving earlier. He didn't look at all well," Harry said, thinking of how shaky Lupin had appeared when he was leaving the room. Dumbledore sighed heavily, and leaned back into his chair. "Yes, I think he will. Professor Snape has thankfully been providing him with Wolfsbane Potion; he will be transforming a week from now, in the attic of this house. And don't worry, " he added amusedly, seeing Harry's expression, "we'll charm the doors. You'll all be perfectly safe." "I had tea with him last night. He looked... worn," Harry said, slightly unsure of why he was telling Dumbledore this. "Yes, I supposed he would," Dumbledore said, surveying Harry over his half-moon glasses. After a moment of careful consideration, he continued, "Last night, Remus was supposed to meet with another werewolf, to persuade him to work with us. You see, Voldemort has been recruiting not only giants and goblins, but dark creatures as well; Werewolves... Vampires. Unfortunately, the man Remus arranged to meet didn't show..." He looked steadily at Harry. "We are afraid he's joined forces with Voldemort." Harry sat quietly, gazing at a spot on the table. After a long silence, he said, "Erm... Professor?" "Yes?" said Dumbledore. "Well," Harry said awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable. "Why are you, er, telling me all this?" He looked expectantly up at the old Headmaster. Dumbledore studied him for a moment. "It is not... wise, to repeat the mistakes of last year," he said finally. Harry nodded, looking back down at his hands. Time had certainly passed since that night in the Department of Mysteries... and yet, sometimes it felt just as raw and cold as though it happened only the day before. Harry brushed the hair off his forehead and sighed. Never a free moment, he thought wearily. Dumbledore looked at him for another long minute but Harry had nothing more to say. Exhaustion, it seemed, had gotten the better of him. Eventually, Dumbledore stood, Harry mirroring this action. "I will explain everything to the others," said Dumbledore quietly. "If you would prefer, I'll tell them to let you rest for awhile?" Harry nodded. "Very well," said Dumbledore, striding to the door and removing the spell. The door swung open. "I shall see you soon, Harry," Dumbledore said, before striding out, leaving the door agape behind him. Harry stood in the middle of the room for a moment, gathering his thoughts, then slowly, he scooped as many presents as he could into his arms. Making sure he'd gotten everything he could carry, he left the drafty basement kitchen and traipsed up the stair case. When he passed Hermione and Ginny's room, a number of voices met his ears. From what little Harry could hear, it seemed Fred and George had used another one of their pranks, perhaps to lighten everyone's mood. Shaking his head and smiling slightly, Harry strode to his and Ron's room, dumped his presents on Ron's bed, then collapsed on his own. He lay sprawled on the bed, watching sunlight creep it's way across the ceiling. As he turned over, his eyes drooped shut. He was standing in front of the archway. The veil fluttered and swayed, sweeping towards him. Harry stepped closer. There were soft whispers. Harry leaned his head to the side, straining to hear them. The whispers grew louder. Harry moved closer, his skin brushing the folds on the veil. It felt cold against his fingers, but smooth, like snake skin. The whispers were pounding in his ears, swirling through his mind. But he could not make out their words.... So, he did what seemed logical, and stepped through the veil. "NOOO!" Harry shouted, starting up from his place on the bed. He was drenched in icy sweat; his clothes clung to his skin, hair was damp. He gasped slightly, and took a deep breath. It was just a dream... Harry shook his head roughly, rubbing his fingers, trying not remember the feel of the veil against his skin. Slowly, Harry stood up and put his glasses on. Still breathing shallowly, and slightly unaware of what he was doing, he moved toward the gifts on Ron's bed. His hands rummaged through them, shoving them apart... Shakily, finding what he wanted, he pulled the Dream Arrest from it's box. He took another deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Let's hope this works," he murmured. He pulled out his wand and touched it to his head, which suddenly felt like a foolish thing to do in this state. But against his best wishes, Harry tried to remember the dream. It wasn't difficult. The cold... the whispers... Carefully, he pulled the wand away from his head. To his surprise, a shining strand of bluish light clung to it. He moved it toward the Dream Arrest. But as the strand tumbled down, it didn't swirl and twist in the depths of the bowl. It vanished. Harry gazed into the Dream Arrest, trying to see inside. He prodded the shining white liquid with his wand, waiting for a reaction. Nothing happened. Frustrated, Harry repeated the process. He held his wand to his temple, remembered the dream, pulled the strand away. Still, the dream refused to stay. Why wasn't it working? His bedroom door creaked open. Harry looked up, but the moment he saw who was in the doorway, his anger seethed and boiled to the surface. He leapt from his spot on the bed and strode to the door. "It's the Potter boy come back, " said the house elf gleefully. A/N: Dun-dun-dun. It's sort of an early holiday present, huh? Thank you again, to all who review. And a special thanks to my beta, for fixing the usual errors, and mom (ha) for helping me figure out what would be in this chapter! :) Happy reading, happy reviewing.
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