The Traitor's Blood

CHAPTER TEN

McGonagall led Lupin over to the fireplace where he collapsed into one of the old armchairs.

"What happened?" she asked, pouring Lupin a glass of water.

Lupin took the glass with a shaking hand and drank heavily. "It all happened so ... so fast. There were Death Eaters everywhere."

Harry stood completely still, his wand still held out in front of him, as if expecting to be ambushed at any moment.

"Was ..." McGonagall sounded extremely anxious, too. "Was anybody ... hurt?"

Harry knew this was not what she meant; she was really asking if anyone had been killed.

"I ... I ... I don't know," Lupin stammered almost incoherently, his eyes were glazed and unfocused, he seemed very shocked and confused. "We were having a meeting, just a small one, to discuss basic stuff, guard duties and that sort of thing. There was me, Tonks, Shacklebolt, Mundungus, Podmore ..." He looked as though he was mentally ticking them off. "And ... er ..." He looked briefly at Ron and Ginny. "And Arthur and Molly Weasley ..."

"So, what happened? Where are they?" Ron demanded.

"It all happened so fast." Lupin took another deep gulp of his water. "They just appeared, all at once, surrounding us. We began fighting back, but we were outnumbered."

"Then what?" pressed Ron.

"I ... I don't know," Lupin repeated. "I was cornered by three of them. I had no choice but to Dissapperate." He looked desperately at the others, as if asking for confirmation that he had done the right thing. "I Apperated into the street outside. I would have gone back in, but before I had a chance ... the house ... the house was destroyed, reduced to rubble in an instant."

Ron gulped loudly. Ginny sank into one of the worn armchairs. Harry continued to stand silently, his wand now held limply at his side.

"I searched what was left of the house, but there was nothing," Lupin continued. "So I Apperated into Hogsmeade and came straight to the castle. This is the official reserve headquarters for the Order. I was hoping everyone else would turn up here ..."

"So where are they?" Ron shouted angrily.

"Ron!" said Hermione weakly. "Please, Ron, don't panic. They'll turn up."

Ron looked wildly around the room. "They will, will they? How do you know, Hermione? Eh?"

"I'm just trying to help. Worrying won't do us any good." Hermione shrunk into a chair.

"Well, I'm sorry to worry you," said Ron sarcastically.

"STOP ARGUING!"

Ginny was standing up again, her face red with anger, her eyes sharp and watery.

"Sorry," Ron mumbled. "But we have to do something. Maybe they've gone home to the Burrow ..."

"Lupin's right," said McGonagall briskly. "The protocol in this situation is to regroup at Hogwarts. We must wait here for them."

"But what if they've been captured?" Harry finally found his voice.

"We must wait here," McGonagall repeated. "I will call the Order in. We will know more when everyone is here." She crossed the common room to the portrait hole. "I will return shortly. Stay here."

No one spoke for several minutes after McGonagall left the room. Lupin continued to sip at his glass of water, clutching it possessively and avoiding the gaze of the people around him.

Harry wandered over to the window and looked out into the dark grounds. In the faint moonlight he saw the door to Hagrid's hut open. Hagrid's large form emerged from inside and began traipsing across the grass towards the castle.

"Lupin?" Hermione asked gently. "What about Buckbeak?"

Harry turned from the window to see Lupin lower his glass and shake his head slowly.

"He escaped from the bedroom and tried to attack some of the Death Eaters," said Lupin quietly. "He didn't make it."

Harry felt a tremendous weight pressing on his chest when he heard this news. He and Hermione had rescued Buckbeak the Hippogriff from being murdered two years ago. Ever since, Buckbeak had been a close companion to Sirius.

"What about Kreacher?" Hermione asked apprehensively.

"Kreacher disappeared several days ago." Lupin looked slightly angry when he said this.

"He was given clothes?" Hermione sounded excited.

"He doesn't need clothes. Sirius was the last of the Black family. Now that he's ..." Lupin stopped briefly and looked at Harry, who turned back to the dark window. "Now that he's gone, Kreacher does not serve anyone. He is free to find a new master."

"So why was he still at Grimmauld Place when I was there a couple of weeks ago?" Hermione asked.

Lupin sighed deeply. "I think he was reluctant to leave. Several generations of his family have served in that house. And there's still the portrait of Sirius's mother in the hall, which barks insane orders at him as if she was still alive. But we woke up one morning last week and he was gone."

"So, he must've told the Death Eaters where to find the headquarters," Ron said conclusively.

Lupin shook his head. "Dumbledore is the Secret Keeper for the Order. He is the only one who can reveal the whereabouts of the headquarters."

The portrait swung open again and they all turned to look as McGonagall crawled back inside the common room.

"Are my parents here yet?" Ron asked hastily.

McGonagall pursed her lips, then said quietly, "No, not yet." She turned quickly to Lupin. "The members of the Order are arriving as we speak. I need you to tell them what happened."

"Alright." Lupin got slowly to his feet and led the way out of the common room.

Ron made to follow Lupin but McGonagall put out a long, thin arm to stop him. "You four will stay here," she said.

"No," said Ron forcefully. "I want to know what you're doing to find my parents!"

"Ron, please, just stay here." Hermione had risen from her chair and taken hold of Ron's arm. "I'm sure the Order will do everything they can."

"I'm sorry, Mr Weasley," said McGonagall, "but you are not in the Order. I will keep you informed, but you cannot attend the meeting." She turned and followed Lupin through the hole. The portrait swung shut behind her.

Ron shook Hermione's hand off his arm and continued defiantly towards the exit.

"No." Hermione grabbed hold of his arm again. "It's better if we do as we're told and stay here."

Ron swung around and stared Hermione in the face. "You may not care that my parents are missing, but I do!"

"Of course I care!" Hermione looked extremely hurt. "I just think we should stay here and let the Order take care of things. I mean, what else can we do? We wouldn't know where to start!"

Harry could see that these words had hit Ron hard. There was nothing they could do. Ron stared blankly at Hermione for a moment more before pushing past her and storming angrily up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.

Harry looked around the common room at the two girls. Hermione was still standing near the portrait hole looking shocked and upset. Ginny was still sitting in an armchair near the fireplace with a distant look on her face which reminded Harry strangely of the vague look that was permanently plastered on Luna Lovegood's face.

"Maybe I should ... ?" He did not finish his question or wait for an answer. He would much rather go and check on Ron than attempt to console Hermione or Ginny. He was not very good at comforting girls.

He turned and ascended the stairs to his and Ron's dormitory. He entered to find Ron staring moodily out of the window.

"I'm, er, sure they'll turn up, mate," said Harry awkwardly. This was harder than he had thought.

"That's great," said Ron sarcastically. "Really great."

Harry edged further into the room. "What do you mean?" It was not like Ron to be so short with him. Harry was beginning to wish he had tried his luck with the girls.

Ron turned from the window and looked Harry in the face. "They're not going to just turn up."

"Well, they might," said Harry quietly. He was now feeling very uncomfortable. He had no idea what to say and was sure that whatever he did say would be the wrong thing.

"No, they won't. They would be here by now. Something's happened to them." Ron turned back to the window.

"I ... I'm sorry. I know how you must be feeling ..."

"How do you know?" Ron swung back to face Harry again. "How do you know how I'm feeling?"

"I ... well ... I ... er ..."

"My parents are missing and the stupid Order are wasting time having a meeting about it!" Ron's eyes were wild with anger.

"They have to start somewhere ..."

"JUST SHUP UP, HARRY!"

Harry closed his mouth obediently. He looked quizzically at Ron who continued to glare back at him.

"This is all your fault!" Ron shouted. "I know the Death Eaters are after you! I'm not stupid. They need you for something - that's why the Death Eater in the warehouse didn't kill you."

Ron paused and Harry wanted to say something. But Ron was right and Hermione had said the same thing this morning. Harry opened his mouth then closed it again stupidly.

"And now they're attacking the Order to get at you," Ron continued. "And my parents are probably dead ... and it's your fault!"

Harry felt a horrible, sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. "I ... I don't think your parents are ... d- dead," he stammered.

"How do you know?" Ron demanded fiercely.

Good point. How did he know? He was not sure why or how, but somehow he just knew they were still alive.

"Maybe I should ... ?" He began backing up towards the door.

"Yeah, maybe you should," Ron spat.

Harry turned away and ran out of the room. He was halfway down the dimly-lit staircase when he realised that he did not want to return to the common room to face Hermione and Ginny, and he stopped himself. He slumped against the hard wall and slid down it until he was sitting on the cold stone steps.

This is all my fault, he repeated over and over again in his mind. He felt terrible. Ron hated him and Harry could not blame him. This is all my fault. He closed his eyes and stared hard at the dark insides of his eyelids. This is all my fault.