“Commas enable you to breathe, breathing is your friend.”-Stacey, my best friend :-)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or anything in his world…except Ginny’s door sign...
Chapter Two- Good to be Home
Harry landed miraculously on his feet after his journey by Portkey. Remus and Tonks soon Apparated beside him with one loud crack and a small pop. Unfortunately for Tonks, she didn’t notice Harry’s trunk by her feet, and when she took a step forward, she tripped and went crashing into Harry and sent them both to the floor.
Harry groaned as his head hit the floor, his headache was getting worse.
“Sorry Harry!” squeaked Tonks as she scrambled off him and then glared at Lupin who found it all rather funny.
“It' okay,” mumbled Harry as he took his former teacher's offered hand and got back to his feet. Remus then sent Harry's trunk up to Ron’s bedroom, so he wouldn’t have to carry it.
After he regained his balance once again, Harry finally looked at his surroundings. He was at The Burrow. With its walls that could only stand because of magic, the pen which held hens that where currently sleeping, the orchard, and the vegetable patch which was persistently overrun with garden gnomes. He smiled. This was his real home. This was where he belonged.
“Come on…Molly will be having a cow in there…” muttered Tonks.
So he made his way down the long driveway and towards the house he loved most. The kitchen light was on so Mrs Weasley had obviously stayed up to wait to see if Harry was okay. Not that Harry ever doubted she would.
When they were just reaching the door, it swung open, and one Molly Weasley came running out.
“Oh! Thank Merlin you're okay! Not one message in over an hour! I was so worried…” The rest of her words were muffled with sobs as she swept Harry into a rib cracking hug.
“It's okay Mrs Weasley, I’m okay…” Harry tried to comfort her. Crying women always made him uncomfortable. After a few moments Mrs Weasley seemed satisfied that he was in one piece and ushered everyone inside and into the warm. Mr Weasley was stood in the kitchen, and when he saw Harry he stepped forward to shake his hand and clap him on the shoulder. After putting the kettle on the stove for tea, Mrs Weasley sat down, like everyone else, and looked over at Harry.
“Are you sure you're okay, dear?” she asked kindly. When Harry repeated that he was, she looked at him properly and asked, “Do they ever feed you at your aunt’s house? You’re all skin and bones! Are you hungry, dear? I can whip you something up…”
It wasn’t until then that he noticed how hungry he really was, so he said, “Some soup would be great, Mrs Weasley.”
She smiled and got up to put a put on the cooker and finish the tea. “I think you can stop with all this Mrs Weasley business as you’re of age now! Please, call me Molly”
“And me Arthur.”
Harry grinned. “Okay…Molly, Arthur.”
“Yes! Happy Birthday, Harry!” smiled Remus. “I unfortunately left head quarters in quite a hurry, so your present is still there. I’ll come back 'round later to give it you.”
“Hey! It’s from both of us if you don’t mind” Tonks teased.
Remus laughed. Harry hadn’t seen his former teacher this happy in a long time. He even looked younger. Harry smiled. Yes, he mused being with Tonks is doing him good.
Harry was interrupted from his thoughts by Molly placing a cup of tea, a bowl of onion soup and a large slice of bread in front of him.
“Thanks, Molly” said Harry as he started spooning hot soup into his mouth.
“You’re welcome, dear, now eat up.”
“So, what happened? I mean, I know what happened, but how did the Death Eaters know where I was and how did you know that I was in trouble?” Harry questioned.
“Well,” started Remus, “Tonks was on your guard duty tonight so; she was at Figgy’s house-”
“-Yes, and I have to say that your guard duty is very boring when you have to make small talk about cats all night with her, I don’t even like cats!” cut in Tonks.
Remus, Arthur and Harry chuckled and Molly smiled at Tonks' antics. “Yes…well as I was saying,” continued Remus with a smile. “Tonks was on guard. At about-”
“-Quarter past twelve all the street lights in Privet Drive went out, and I heard three people Apparate, so I obviously thought something was up. I sent a message to headquarters and one here saying that Harry will probably be home quite early,” Tonks woman explained.
“So, Moody, Kingsley and Remus Apparated to Figgy’s straight away ‘cause they were at Grimmauld Place so they got my message. We decided that I will go up on my broom to your window, and the other three will go inside. So I fly up and look through Harry’s bedroom window, and there was Harry flying through the air and three Death Eaters in front of him-”
After hearing this, Molly let out a sort of, scream-gasp and started flapping over Harry, checking his head and getting a potion for headaches, which he was grateful for.
“So I smashed the window and stunned one, as Remus, Kingsley and Moody got there and knocked the other two out,” continued Tonks.
Remus then cut in “So Moody and Kingsley took the Death Eaters, who were Bellatrix Lestrange, Crabbe and Goyle, to Azkaban. Nymphadora-”
“Tonks!” She elbowed him in the side.
“So Tonks went to wake Harry, and I went to calm down the Dursleys.”
“And after a goodbye speech that will go down in history, we came here.”
There was a pause where everyone was lost in thought then something occurred to Harry that made him grin.
“What?” asked Remus when he noticed Harry’s smile.
“Bellatrix is in Azkaban”
Remus smiled “It’s where she belongs.”
“Too right!” interjected Tonks.
Harry thought for a second. “Why did Voldemort only send three Death Eaters? I mean, I have the whole Order protecting me, he knows that. Why not send more just to be sure? And why send Bellatrix? She’s one of his most loyal supporters. He won’t be happy with her getting sent to Azkaban!”
Everyone looked thoughtful for a moment. Then Arthur said, “He probably only sent three Death Eaters, one of them being Bellatrix, because he may have thought the Order of the Phoenix will be in disrepair after Dumbledore’s death.”
Harry’s stomach clenched at the mention of his late headmaster. He tried to keep himself from showing it so he said, “So…the Order is okay?”
“Yes, the Order's fine. Minerva is the new leader,” Remus replied.
There were another few minutes of silence where everyone sipped their tea, and Harry finished his soup. Harry soon had to stifle a yawn behind his hand.
“Bed. Now,” stated Molly as she stood up and directed all the empty mugs and plates towards the sink.
Harry complied and bade everyone goodnight. He slowly made his way up the many stairs of The Burrow, pausing outside the door marked with a sign that read: Ginny’s room, stay out or DIE! Harry felt something pull at his heart strings as he watched the picture of a snitch, which decorated the sign, fly around the word DIE!
It’s all for her own good…Harry thought as he continued up another flight of stairs to Ron’s bedroom in the attic. As he opened the door, the sound of Ron’s snores filled his ears and Harry smiled. It’s good to be home. He shut the door behind him, got into bed and promptly fell asleep.
Author's Notes: I apologise for the shotness of these first chapters. From now on, I'm aiming for 4,000 or more words per chapter. Review and tell me what YOU think!
Lisa xxx