XXXXXX

Fires lit up the night sky.

Homes, cars, nearly everything in sight had been lit aflame down the row of small suburban houses of Privet Drive. People ran through the street screaming, trying to get away but it was no use. The large number of Death Eaters killed anyone they spotted.

"Avada Kedvera!"

The killing curse was sent off, murdering yet another person as he fell lifeless to the ground. Vincent Crabbe Senior led several Death Eaters as they continued down the street, passing a burning car parked in front of a house, a family of four inside, their bodies charred. The car had been blown up before the husband could even turn on the ignition.

John Avery led another group of Death Eaters that sent a series of spells at a house. The windows exploded and a massive fire started inside. A girl along with her boyfriend quickly ran out the door but both were met with the killing curse. Avery then sent out a curse that blew up the couples sitting car before moving along to the rest of the houses.

Inside house number four, Vernon Dursley was carefully looking out the window in the living room before quickly closing the curtain. He clutched his shotgun in hand as he turned to his wife Petunia, who was staring at him, fear apparent on her face as she trembled. The lights were off in the house, they could only hope that whatever was happening outside, they would think that they weren't home and would be left alone.

"What are we going to do?" She whispered.

"Just stay quiet. We'll wait for them to leave."

"But they're going come in here. We need to leave."

"No they won't. They're caught up with the ones trying to escape."

He was lying but it was the one thing he could think of that would keep his wife calm. Vernon continued to wait by the front door, hoping that no one would come through it.

Upstairs, Dudley was carefully looking out the window of his bedroom at the carnage that was going on outside. The screams from people made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, the smoke from all the fires climbing upwards to the sky. The smell was able to get through his closed window and it made him want to gag.

Suddenly he saw something.

Figures were gliding through the sky. Dark, flying specters. Dudley then watched in terror as he got a better look at them. He had seen them before. The Dementors grabbed anyone they could get a hold of. A woman screamed when she was grabbed a hold of and lifted off the ground and her soul was sucked from her body. After a few moments later she was let go and she dropped to the ground, white as a ghost.

Dudley couldn't look away. He continued watching until suddenly the window was shattered and glass was sent towards his face. He was then grabbed by the throat and pulled forward so he was staring into the lifeless black eyes of Fenrir Greyback.

He yelled out in fear as he struggled but couldn't get out of the man-wolf's grasp as Fenrir snarled then threw the boy out of the window. Dudley landed head first and his neck snapped, the young teenager dying instantly. Both Vernon and Petunia looked up at the ceiling in terror after they heard the noise from upstairs when suddenly the door was kicked in and Bellatrix Lestrange now stood in front of them.

Vernon tried to fire a shot but his gun was knocked from his hands with ease by a spell. The female Death Eater then pointed her wand at Petunia and fired the killing curse.

"Petunia!" Vernon shouted as he watched helplessly his wife slamming against the wall and falling to the ground, dead. Bellatrix then turned her attention back to him and shouted;

"Crucio!"

He then fell to the ground in excruciating pain as he was tortured. After a few moments, Bellatrix took the spell off him and spoke.

"Harry Potter. Where is he?"

"I don't know..."

"Crucio!"

Vernon screamed as the Cruciatus curse was used against him again. She held on to it for a bit longer then last time before finally taking it for air as tears of pain fell from his eyes.

"I'll ask again." Bellatrix stated. "Where is he?"

"I told you...I don't know!"

Bellatrix used it against him again and again before finally putting him out of his misery. After they felt like the damage was done, the Death Eaters and Dementors left and began heading back to Azkaban.

Azkaban Prison. It was a dreaded place, located out in the middle of the ocean. It looked like a prison from hell. And that was exactly what it was, or as close as it could get.

Inside, Lord Voldemort sat in a chair was his pet snake Nagini slithered around his feet.

A few Death Eaters then entered the room as they approached him. They stopped a few feet back and lowered themselves to the ground so they were kneeling in front of him. Bellatrix then bowed her head.

"What was the result?" Voldemort asked.

"No sign of him, my lord." Bellatrix responded.

The Dark Lord's eyes narrowed as he looked past her to another Death Eater that was beside Bellatrix. Sighing, Severus Snape slowly lowered his hood and bowed his head.

"The Order must have moved him sooner."

"They gave you the wrong date?"

The Dark Lord gave out a short laugh.

"Perhaps they're not as trusting in you as you think."

"Perhaps." Snape agreed. "Dumbledore is growing more paranoid by the moment. He is convinced that we have spies within the ministry of magic."

Voldemort smirked.

"Well, he's right about that isn't he?"

He then turned to Walden McNair.

"Bring Lucius to me."

McNair nodded before getting up and heading out of the room. A few moments later he came back in with Lucius Malfoy close behind him.

"You requested me, my lord?" Lucius asked as he bowed his head.

"Yes, Lucius. Tomorrow you are going to the ministry, and this is what you're going to do..."

XXXXXX

"Nice job, James!"

"Avada Kedvera!

Slowly opening his eyes that morning, Harry woke up in the room he was sharing with Ron at the Burrow. He had arrived here two days ago, Hermione arrived a few days before him and they were going to be spending the remainder of the summer here before heading back to Hogwarts. Sitting up in bed, he rubbed his eyes before reaching over towards the nightstand, picking up his glasses.

Harry wanted to spend the last few days of summer with his friends, just try to enjoy himself. Not to think about what happened to Sirius, or the prophecy. Or what awaited him when he arrived back at Hogwarts. He knew something did, he just wanted to put it out of his mind as long as he could.

"Harry."

He looked over and saw that Ginny had stuck in her head in the doorway.

"Breakfast is ready. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah. I'll be down in a minute."

Quickly changing into his clothes, Harry went downstairs to join Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley at the table in the kitchen. The great aroma of Mrs. Weasley's cooking filled the air as he took a seat next to Ron as he seemed to be in a rather heated discussion with Hermione, neither one seemed to notice him as he took a seat.

"I don't understand what we're thinking going back to Hogwarts in the first place." Ron said.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"How can we even think about going back to school with all that's going on? Don't you read the Daily Prophet? There have been attacks almost every week."

"Because Hogwarts is part of our childhood. We can't let the Dark Lord take that away from us too. If we stop going then he'll succeed in what he's trying to do…live in fear. We can't do that."

Ron rolled his eyes as he muttered 'childhood' under his breath. Hermione sighed and turned to Harry.

"Don't you agree Harry?"

"I uh...I don't know." He muttered. Honestly, he could see where both Ron and Hermione were coming from and didn't want to take sides.

"Fear is the Dark Lord's greatest weapon." Hermione continued. "When you say his name most people flinch. If we change our lives because of him then he has already won."

"Hermione is right." Arthur added as he took a seat. "You all are still children. You deserve to finish out school before you worry about what's going on out there. And Hogwarts is safe. You-know-who and his followers can't get in there."

Molly then sat a plate with eggs and few pieces of bacon in front of Harry who smiled at her with gratitude as she then sat down next to her husband. The things going on out there with the Dark Lord and his followers was really the last thing she wanted to discuss right now.

"Why don't we talk about something else?" She asked. "Did you know that Fred and George have their joke shop up and running, Harry?"

"Did they?"

"Yeah." Ron smiled a little. "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes is what they're calling it."

"We'll have to go see it before school starts." Harry responded.

Hermione stared at Harry for a moment after he said that, the complete lack of enthusiasm in his voice. She knew that he was keeping a lot inside, keeping something from them and to be honest she was worried about him. She wished he would tell them what was going on with him. She knew it had to be hard, with what happened to Sirius...

"There is also a new Minister of Magic." Ron added, knowing his friend would probably want to know about it. "Is name is Rufus Scrimgeour. He's taking over since Fudge stepped down."

"And we're all hoping he does a better job with things than the previous administration did." Arthur said before taking a sip of coffee.

"I can't see how he could be any worse." His son then muttered.

"Hello, family!" A voice then yelled.

The all turned as Fred and George had come through the front door, both with big grins on their faces.

"What is it with all of you?" Fred asked as he looked at them all. "It's a beautiful day out but you're all cooped up inside looking like your getting ready to be buried six feet under."

"We just woke up, Fred." Ginny responded.

"Well, chop-chop. You know our shop just opened don't you?" George asked. "You've got to come see it."

"Ron told us." Harry said. "Congratulations you guys."

"As soon as they're done eating they can go." Molly spoke.

"If we go we get something for free right?" Ron asked.

"Wrong." The twins answered simultaneously.

When they all finished their breakfast they used the fireplace to head to Diagon Alley. They all stood outside the address of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and Harry couldn't help but grin when he saw a giant head of Fred...or George on top of the building raising a top hat over and over again as they turned on all the devices that made the store start running. He along with Ron walked down the isles and gazed at all the items they were selling, everything from Nose Biting Tea Cups to Ton Tongue Toffees and everything in between. There were four or five different kinds of trick wands, and several huge crates marked as Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs.

The last made Harry smirk as he recalled those very same fireworks causing all kinds of mayhem for Delores Umbridge, speaking of whom had her own little doll that kept repeating the phrase 'I will have order.' Just seeing her again made him want to smash them. Hermione and Ginny went to have a look for themselves at the love potions and other items more featured for girls.

As soon as they had a look around for themselves, the twins opened the doors for the public and people inside, mostly kids and teenagers began filing in and the store soon became a mad house.

"What do you think?" Ron asked.

"Excellent." Harry responded. "You know I'm sure they'll need help soon. If you want a job-"

"Oh no. They tortured me enough over the years, I couldn't imagine what it'd be like working for them."