(Y/N)'s POV

Kreacher did not return that morning or even that afternoon. By nightfall, Harry was pacing and looked anxious, this did nothing to aid the situation because Kreacher did not return the following day, nor the day after that.

However, two cloaked men had appeared in the square outside number twelve, and they remained there into the night" Death Eaters, for sure," said Ron, as we watched from the drawing room windows.

"Reckon they know we're in here?" "I don't think so," said Hermione, though she looked frightened, "or they'd have sent Snape in after us, wouldn't they?" "D'you reckon he's been in here and had his tongue tied by Moody's curse?" asked Ron.

"Yes," said Hermione, "otherwise he'd have been able to tell that lot how to get in, wouldn't he? But they're probably watching to see whether we turn up. They know that Harry owns the house, after all."

"How do they — ?" began Harry. "Wizarding wills are examined by the Ministry, remember? They'll know Sirius left you the place." "Damn, that means Mums...or my house I suppose, is burned too then" I sighed.

The presence of the Death Eaters outside increased the ominous mood inside number twelve. We had not heard a word from anyone beyond Grimmauld Place since Mr. Weasley's Patronus, and the strain was starting to tell.

We were all restless and irritable, Ron had developed an annoying habit of playing with the Deluminator in his pocket. This particularly infuriated Hermione, who was whiling away the wait for Kreacher by studying The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

She did not appreciate the way the lights kept flashing on and off. "Will you stop it!" she cried on the third evening of Kreacher's absence, as all light was sucked from the drawing room yet again.

"Sorry, sorry!" said Ron, clicking the Deluminator and restoring the lights. "I don't know I'm doing it!" "Well, can't you find something useful to occupy yourself?" "What, like reading kids' stories?"

"Dumbledore left me this book, Ron —" "— and he left me the Deluminator, maybe I'm supposed to use it!" "Well, he's got a point" I reasoned, she scowled at me. "But it is super irritating" I tacked on for Ron's sake and mine.

I too had started developing habits, I kept going to find Bones during lunch and dinner times so I could feed her, then realising she was still with the Weasleys.

I had started checking the time on my pocket watch whenever I had the opportunity, checking my watch against several different ornate clocks in number twelve, I had begun deciphering the watch and its hands, little by little.

I was examining what clock hands correlated to which planet when I heard a crash from downstairs Ron, Hermione and I shared a look and rushed towards the source wands out.

I expected to see Kreacher dragging Mundungus in a sack, that's not what we found, Harry had his wand pointed at a figure that was cloaked in the hallway. I heard him warn the figure "Don't move!"

At the sound of his yell, the curtains hiding her flew open and she began to scream, "Mudbloods and filth dishonouring my house-" We came crashing down the stairs behind Harry, wands pointing, like his, at the unknown man now standing with his arms raised in the hall below.

"Hold your fire, it's me, Remus!" "Oh, thank goodness," said Hermione weakly, pointing her wand at Mrs. Black instead; with a bang, the curtains swished shut again and silence fell. Ron too lowered his wand.

Harry did not, I didn't either, but mostly because of adrenaline and the desire for a fight. "Show yourself!" he called back. Lupin moved forward into the lamplight, hands still held high in a gesture of surrender.

"I am Remus John Lupin, werewolf, sometimes known as Moony, one of the four creators of the Marauder's Map, married to Nymphadora, usually known as Tonks, and I taught you how to produce a Patronus, Harry, which takes the form of a stag."

"Oh, all right," said Harry, lowering his wand, "but I had to check, didn't I?" "Speaking as your ex-Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, I quite agree that you had to check. Ron, Hermione, you shouldn't be quite so quick to lower your defences."

"No sign of Severus, then?" he asked as he ditched the cloak. "No," said Harry. "What's going on? Is everyone okay?" "Yes," said Lupin, "but we're all being watched. There are a couple of Death Eaters in the square outside —"

"We know —" "I had to Apparate very precisely onto the top step outside the front door to be sure that they would not see me." "Harry. Let's go downstairs, there's a lot to tell you, and I want to know what happened after you left the Burrow."

We descended into the kitchen. Lupin pulled a few butterbeers from beneath his travelling cloak and they sat down. "I'd have been here three days ago but I needed to shake off the Death Eater tailing me," said Lupin. "So, you came straight here after the wedding?"

"No," said Harry, "only after we ran into a couple of Death Eaters in a café on Tottenham Court Road." Lupin slopped most of his butterbeer down his front. "What?" We explained what had happened; when we finished, Lupin looked aghast.

"We wondered," said Hermione tentatively, "whether Harry could still have the Trace on him?" "Impossible," said Lupin. Ron looked smug, and Harry felt hugely relieved.

"Apart from anything else, they'd know for sure Harry was here if he still had the Trace on him, wouldn't they? But I can't see how they could have tracked you to Tottenham Court Road, that's worrying, really worrying."

He looked disturbed, "Tell us what happened after we left, we haven't heard a thing since Ron's dad told us the family were safe." "Well, Kingsley saved us," said Lupin.

"Thanks to his warning most of the wedding guests were able to Disapparate before they arrived." "Were they Death Eaters or Ministry people?" interjected Hermione. "A mixture; but to all intents and purposes they're the same thing now," said Lupin.

"There were about a dozen of them, but they didn't know you were there, Harry. Arthur heard a rumour that they tried to torture your whereabouts out of Scrimgeour before they killed him; if it's true, he didn't give you away."

I had a feeling of bittersweet gratitude, I never liked Scrimgeour much, but if what Lupin said was true, the man's final act had been to try to protect Harry. And I had immeasurable respect for that.

"The Death Eaters searched the Burrow from top to bottom," Lupin went on. "They found the ghoul, but didn't want to get too close." "They interrogated those of us who remained for hours. They were trying to get information on you, Harry, but of course nobody apart from the Order knew that you had been there."

"At the same time that they were smashing up the wedding, more Death Eaters were forcing their way into every Order-connected house in the country. No deaths," he added quickly, forestalling the question, "but they were rough."

"They burned down Dedalus Diggle's house, but as you know he wasn't there, and they used the Cruciatus Curse on Tonks's family. Again, trying to find out where you went after you visited them. They're all right — shaken, obviously, but otherwise okay."

"The Death Eaters got through all those protective charms?" Harry asked, "What you've got to realise, Harry, is that the Death Eaters have got the full might of the Ministry on their side now," said Lupin.

Forgetting about the others, the question I had been dreading having to ask since the attack flooded out of my mouth. "What about my dad?" I asked with upmost urgency. His expression was dejected at best.

"Truthfully, I don't know. But if Kingsley was able to warn us, It would make sense to assume his protection for your father will hold...other than that..." he trailed off, a grim reminder that nobody could say my father was safe.

"They've got the power to perform brutal spells without fear of identification or arrest. They managed to penetrate every defensive spell we'd cast against them, and once inside, they were completely open about why they'd come."

"And are they bothering to give an excuse for torturing Harry's whereabouts out of people?" asked Hermione, an edge to her voice. "Well," said Lupin. He hesitated, then pulled out a folded copy of the Daily Prophet.

"Here," he said, pushing it across the table to Harry, "you'll know sooner or later anyway. That's their pretext for going after you." Harry smoothed out the paper. A huge photograph of his face filled the front page.

He read the headline over it: 'WANTED FOR QUESTIONING ABOUT THE DEATH OF ALBUS DUMBLEDORE' Ron and Hermione gave roars of outrage, but Harry said nothing.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Lupin said. "So Death Eaters have taken over the Daily Prophet too?" asked Hermione furiously. Lupin nodded. "But surely people realise what's going on?" "The coup has been smooth and virtually silent," said Lupin.

"The official version of Scrimgeour's murder is that he resigned; he has been replaced by Pius Thicknesse, who is under the Imperius Curse." "Why didn't Voldemort declare himself Minister of Magic?" asked Ron.

Lupin laughed. "He doesn't need to, Ron. Effectively he is the Minister, but why should he sit behind a desk at the Ministry? His puppet, Thicknesse, is taking care of everyday business, leaving Voldemort free to extend his power beyond the Ministry."

"Naturally many people have deduced what has happened: There has been such a dramatic change in Ministry policy in the last few days, and many are whispering that Voldemort must be behind it. However, that is the point: They whisper."

"They are scared to speak out, in case their suspicions are true and their families are targeted. Yes, Voldemort is playing a very clever game. Declaring himself might have provoked open rebellion: Remaining masked has created confusion, uncertainty, and fear."

"That's fine...sparks on the kindling still makes fire eventually right?" I said hopefully, Lupin nodded optimistically, but Harry moved on, oddly pessimistic. "And this dramatic change in Ministry policy," said Harry, "involves warning the Wizarding world against me instead of Voldemort?"

"That's certainly part of it," said Lupin, "and it is a masterstroke. Now that Dumbledore is dead, you — the Boy Who Lived — were sure to be the symbol and rallying point for any resistance to Voldemort."

"But by suggesting that you had a hand in the old hero's death, Voldemort has not only set a price upon your head, but sown doubt and fear amongst many who would have defended you."

"Meanwhile, the Ministry has started moving against Muggleborns." Lupin pointed at the Daily Prophet. "Look at page two." Hermione turned the pages with much the same expression of distaste she had worn when handling Secrets of the Darkest Art.

"Muggle-born Register," she read aloud. "The Ministry of Magic is undertaking a survey of so-called "Muggle-borns," the better to understand how they came to possess magical secrets."

"Recent research undertaken by the Department of Mysteries reveals that magic can only be passed from person to person when Wizards reproduce." "Where no proven Wizarding ancestry exists, therefore, the so-called Muggle-born is likely to have obtained magical power by theft or force."

"The Ministry is determined to root out such usurpers of magical power, and to this end has issued an invitation to every so-called Muggle-born to present themselves for interview by the newly appointed Muggle-born Registration Commission."

"People won't let this happen," said Ron. "It is happening, Ron," said Lupin. "Muggle-borns are being rounded up as we speak." "But how are they supposed to have 'stolen' magic?" said Ron. "It's mental, if you could steal magic there wouldn't be any Squibs, would there?"

I was dizzy, partly from shock and partly from disgust that normal people could ever believe this. I collapsed into a chair. I never thought everyday people were capable of something like this...I'd never been so ashamed to be a wizard.

I couldn't even hear the rest of Lupins explanation about the new regime. I was too clouded by my own thoughts, to shocked and sickened to listen to any more. We were all appalled. Lupin hesitated. "I'll understand if you can't confirm this, Harry, but the Order is under the impression that Dumbledore left you a mission."

"He did," Harry replied, "and Ron, (Y/N) and Hermione are in on it and they're coming with me." "Can you confide in me what the mission is?" "I can't, Remus, I'm sorry. If Dumbledore didn't tell you I don't think I can."

"I thought you'd say that," said Lupin, looking disappointed. "But I might still be of some use to you. You know what I am and what I can do. I could come with you to provide protection. There would be no need to tell me exactly what you were up to."

"And what are we for? Decoration?" I said, trying to pull myself out of my stirring horror of thoughts. "And besides, none of us go ballistic and turn into a ravenous monster during the full moon" I argued, "No offence, it's just pretty important."

Harry seemed to consider the offer, Hermione, however, looked puzzled. "But what about Tonks?" she asked. "What about her?" said Lupin I had the sudden urge to knock his lights out. "Well," said Hermione, frowning, "you're married! How does she feel about you going away with us?"

"Tonks will be perfectly safe," said Lupin. "She'll be at her parents' house." There was something strange in Lupin's tone; it was almost cold. There was also something odd in the idea of Tonks remaining hidden at her parents' house.

"Good luck telling her that mate" I scoffed, but something didn't sit right with Lupin, his thoughts were jumbled and manic right now. But why? Hermione picked up on it too "Remus," she said tentatively, "is everything all right . . . you know . . . between you and —"

"Everything is fine, thank you," said Lupin pointedly. Hermione turned pink. "You're lying." I said as a fact. He glared at me, actually glared at me, not a frown, not a disappointed look, a spine-chilling glare for exposing him.

There was another pause, an awkward and embarrassed one, and then Lupin said, with an air of forcing himself to admit something unpleasant, "Tonks is going to have a baby." "Oh, how wonderful!" squealed Hermione.

"Excellent!" said Ron enthusiastically. "That's great news!" I said happily, "Congratulations," said Harry. Lupin gave an artificial smile that was more like a grimace, then said, "So . . . do you accept my offer? Will four become five?"

"Not bloody likely, you have a wife and a kid on the way." I said, shaking my head. Then I understood his urge to leave, I was stunned, "You're trying to run away." he glared at me again and passed over the comment.

"I cannot believe that Dumbledore would have disapproved, he appointed me your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, after all. And I must tell you that I believe that we are facing magic many of us have never encountered or imagined."

"No." I said firmly. The others looked at me, Harry spoke slowly. "Just — just to be clear," he said. "You want to leave Tonks at her parents' house and come away with us?"

"She'll be perfectly safe there, they'll look after her," said Lupin. He spoke with a finality bordering on indifference. "You just said the Death Eaters have already been there, how is that safe!" I said, my anger rising.

"Harry, I'm sure James would have wanted me to stick with you." "Well," said Harry slowly, "I'm not. I'm pretty sure my father would have wanted to know why you aren't sticking with your own kid, actually." Lupin's face drained of colour.

"You don't understand," said Lupin at last. "Explain, then," said Harry. Lupin swallowed. "I — I made a grave mistake in marrying Tonks. I did it against my better judgement and I have regretted it very much ever since."

"WHAT!" I spat with unbridled rage. Harry held up a hand to stop me. "I see," said Harry, "so you're just going to dump her and the kid and run off with us?"

Lupin sprang to his feet: His chair toppled over backward, "Don't you understand what I've done to my wife and my unborn child? I should never have married her, I've made her an outcast! I've given her a cursed life"

If you had told me four years ago that I'd be punching my Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in the mouth, I would have said 'Yeah, sounds like me' but it was still weird to be doing it. At least it would have been, if he hadn't deserved it so much.

He collapsed to the floor, his usually frail body looking even more worn then ever, but I didn't care "Yeah, but even if it is. It's a cursed life with you! You stupid old man!" I tried to stress that this was what she wanted the most.

This was what made her happy, and as far as I was concerned, Nymphadora Tonks deserved all the happiness in the world and Remus Lupin being a cowardly worm wasn't going to get in the way of that.

"You think she doesn't deserve what you've done to her, truth is, you don't deserve her. She doesn't care you're a werewolf. Don't you understand? Out of everyone, everyone she could have given her heart to, she gave it to you, and you dare to throw it back in her face like this! You utter disgrace."

"You don't deserve her love if you would ever even consider disregarding it like that, and putting her and the baby in that much danger" Lupin scrambled to his feet and kicked aside the chair he had overturned.

"You have only ever seen me amongst the Order, or under Dumbledore's protection at Hogwarts! You don't know how most of the Wizarding world sees creatures like me!" I scoffed.

"I know you think that the world sees you as a horrifying monster. But right now, you're being a pretty horrifying man." I spat at him as his expression turned from pain to offence, but  he continued making his point.

"When they know of my affliction, they can barely talk to me! Don't you see what I've done? Even her own family is disgusted by our marriage, what parents want their only daughter to marry a werewolf? And the child — the child —"

"My kind don't usually breed! It will be like me, I am convinced of it — how can I forgive myself, when I knowingly risked passing on my own condition to an innocent child? And if, by some miracle, it is not like me, then it will be better off, a hundred times so, without a father of whom it must always be ashamed!"

"Remus!" whispered Hermione, tears in her eyes. "Don't say that — how could any child be ashamed of you?" "Oh, I don't know, Hermione," said Harry. "I'd be pretty ashamed of him."

"If the new regime thinks Muggle-borns are bad," Harry said, "what will they do to a half-werewolf whose father's in the Order? My father died trying to protect my mother and me, and you reckon he'd tell you to abandon your kid to go on an adventure with us?"

"How — how dare you?" said Lupin. "This is not about a desire for — for danger or personal glory — how dare you suggest such a —" "I think you're feeling a bit of a daredevil," Harry said. "You fancy stepping into Sirius's shoes —"

"Harry, no!" Hermione begged him, but he continued to glare into Lupin's livid face. "I'd never have believed this," Harry said. "The man who taught me to fight dementors — a coward."

Lupin drew his wand so fast that Harry had barely reached for his own; there was a loud bang and he felt himself flying backward as if punched; as he slammed into the kitchen wall and slid to the floor, Lupin turned to leave.

I didn't let him, I pressed my wand to his chest and used a knockback jinx to make him fly back just as Harry had. As much as I respected Lupin as a person, this I couldn't stand for, before he got to his feet I had punched him twice in the face.

Ron had to tackle me off him as Hermione shrieked and shouted "STOP!" but it fell on deaf ears. Lupin staggered to his feet and spat some blood on the floor, then he simply turned away as if nothing had happened as Ron fought too keep me restrained.

I called out to the tail of Lupin's cloak disappearing around the door "Go find a hole to crawl back into you sad, pathetic, excuse for a man. It's what you deserve, you coward!" "Remus, Remus, come back!" Hermione cried, but Lupin did not respond.

A moment later we heard the front door slam. "Harry!" wailed Hermione. "How could you?" "It was easy," said Harry. He stood up; he could feel a lump swelling where his head had hit the wall. He was still so full of anger he was shaking.

Ron turned to me "You shouldn't have said that stuff to Lupin, either of you" Ron told Harry. "He had it coming to him," said Harry. "Parents," said Harry, "shouldn't leave their kids unless — unless they've got to."

I nodded firmly, still shaking with anger and frustration that Lupin, a man I respected, would ever belittle Tonks' love for him like that by blaming his failures as a father on him being a werewolf.

"I can't believe you two are defending him, he's a mess, he deserved every word of that, might finally knock some sense into him." Hermione shook her head. "Don't you understand. He scared, he's probably still processing the fact that he's going to be a father. He isn't thinking clearly."

"I understand completely, but Harry, Ron, If I ever act like that, you have my permission to knock some sense into me, not that I ever would" I mumbled, they still seemed uncertain. Harry seemed to regret his words, "But if it makes him go back to Tonks, it'll be worth it, won't it?"

About an hour later, as I was just getting over my anger when a new source of it arrived, a deafening crack echoed around the kitchen. Followed by a mass of struggling limbs that had appeared out of thin air.

But I saw not one house elf, but two, I immediately thought it was Winky, but in fact, Dobby the house elf had arrived with Kreacher. Kreacher disentangled himself and, bowing low to Harry, croaked, "Kreacher has returned with the thief Mundungus Fletcher, Master."

Mundungus scrambled up and pulled out his wand; Hermione, however, was too quick for him. "Expelliarmus!" Mundungus's wand soared into the air, and Hermione caught it. Wild-eyed, Mundungus dived for the stairs.

I grinned madly "Afternoon Dung. Pilfered anything valuable lately?" I said as me and Ron tackled him and as he struggled to get free. I punched him in his crooked nose. Mundungus hit the stone floor with a muffled crunch. Then Dobby began to explain his involvement.

"Dobby was only trying to help. Dobby saw Kreacher in Diagon Alley, which Dobby thought was curious and then Dobby heard Kreacher mention Harry Potter's name. And then Dobby saw Kreacher talking with the thief Mundungus Fletcher-." he explained excitedly.

Dung looked genuinely taken aback. "Me a thief? "-You foul little..." Ron spoke up, "You're a thief, Dung, everyone knows it." I punched Dung again as Dobby greeted Ron fondly. "Mr. Weasley. So good to see you" "You too, wicked trainers" he said, gesturing to the little shoes on Dobby's feet, which where admittedly quite adorable.

Dung began to stir again. "Wha've I done? Setting a pair of bleedin' 'ouse-elfs on me, what are you playing at, wha've I done, lemme go, lemme go, or-" "You're not in much of a position to make threats," said Harry.

He threw aside the newspaper, crossed the kitchen in a few strides, and dropped to his knees beside Mundungus, who stopped struggling and looked terrified. Harry pointed his wand deliberately at Mundungus's nose.

"Kreacher apologises for the delay in bringing the thief, Master," croaked the elf. "Fletcher knows how to avoid capture, has many hidey-holes and accomplices. Nevertheless, Kreacher cornered the thief in the end."

"You've done really well, Kreacher," said Harry, and the elf bowed low. He added, "You as well Dobby" who let out a little squeak. "Right, we've got a few questions for you," Harry told Mundungus.

"And you better answer him Dung, I still have to pay you back for Mad-Eye and you still have plenty of fingers" I said, grabbing his right index and showing him how easy it would be to snap it.

"I panicked, okay? I never wanted to come along, no offence, mate, but I never volunteered to die for you, an' that was bleedin' You-Know-Who come flying at me, anyone woulda got outta there, I said all along I didn't wanna do it —"

"For your information, none of the rest of us Disapparated," said Hermione. "Well, you're a bunch of bleedin' 'eroes then, aren't you, but I never pretended I was up for killing meself —" "We're not interested in why you ran out on Mad-Eye," said Harry, moving his wand a little closer to Mundungus's baggy, bloodshot eyes.

"We already knew you were an unreliable bit of scum." "Well then, why the 'ell am I being 'unted down by 'ouse-elves? Or is this about them goblets again? I ain't got none of 'em left, or you could 'ave 'em —"

"It's not about the goblets either, although you're getting warmer," said Harry. "Shut up and listen." "When you cleaned out this house of anything valuable," Harry began, but Mundungus interrupted him again. "Sirius never cared about any of the junk —"

There was the sound of pattering feet, a blaze of shining copper, an echoing clang, and a shriek of agony: Kreacher had taken a run at Mundungus and hit him over the head with a saucepan.

I laughed heartily at the sight, "Call 'im off, call 'im off, 'e should be locked up!" screamed Mundungus, cowering as Kreacher raised the heavy-bottomed pan again. "Kreacher, no!" shouted Harry.

Kreacher's thin arms trembled with the weight of the pan, still held aloft. "Perhaps just one more, Master Harry, for luck?" Ron laughed. "We need him conscious, Kreacher, but if he needs persuading you can do the honours," said Harry.

"Thank you very much, Master," said Kreacher with a bow, and he retreated a short distance, his great pale eyes still fixed upon Mundungus with loathing. "When you stripped this house of all the valuables you could find,"

Harry began again, "you took a bunch of stuff from the kitchen cupboard. There was a locket there." "What did you do with it?" "Why?" asked Mundungus. "Is it valuable?" "You've still got it!" cried Hermione.

"No, he hasn't," said Ron shrewdly. "He's wondering whether he should have asked more money for it." "More?" said Mundungus. "That wouldn't have been effing difficult . . . bleedin' gave it away, di'n' I? No choice."

"What do you mean?" "I was selling in Diagon Alley and she come up to me and asks if I've got a license for trading in magical artifacts. Bleedin' snoop. She was gonna fine me, but she took a fancy to the locket an' told me she'd take it and let me off that time, and to fink meself lucky."

"Who was this woman?" asked Harry. "I dunno, some Ministry hag." Mundungus considered for a moment, brow wrinkled. "Little woman. Bow on top of 'er head." He frowned and then added, "Looked like a toad."

"Oh, and the news just gets better" I muttered. "So, I told'ya what yeh wanted. You'll let me go now..." Mundungus said Hopefully, I looked to Harry for confirmation, he shrugged.

"Sorry Dung, but I still don't like you." I said, breaking his finger, he began to squeal in agony. Then with a resounding 'CLANG!' he was rendered unconscious with a saucepan.