Nico di Angelo and the Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 1: Return to Hogwarts: Part 1

Dudley Dursley had been killed in the dementor attack. Harry had tried to feel guilty-he knew it was his fault, he hadn't been able to conjure a patronus since Nico had died. He only felt numb. Numb like he had been for months. He was lucky he had managed to run, lucky that he had encountered Nymphadora Tonks, who had supposedly been watching over him.

Uncle Vernon had expelled him from Number 4 Privet Drive. He had yelled at Harry, saying he had killed his son. Aunt Petunia had done nothing. She'd just sat in a chair and cried. Harry felt like doing that.

He'd been trying to learn of the news, but shock had taken over his life. He was like a barely functioning child.

Harry and Tonks had taken the Knight Bus to the Burrow, Harry using a Polyjuice Potion to remain undercover. Lies. All lies. Lies so that he could survive. The Ministry thought he was mad-they were right. But not in the sense that Voldemort had not returned. He had returned. And he was far more powerful than before. Far more powerful than Harry had expected.

Harry had spent the rest of the summer finishing his homework. Hermione had been surprised by the amount of effort he put in, but it wasn't like he had anything else to do. Ron had managed to convince him to play some Quidditch a couple times, but overall the three of them were worried, trying to find news, trying to figure out what the Ministry was thinking.

Hermione threw the paper on the floor. "What an idiot."

Ron nodded. "Fudge?" There really wasn't much question-the two of them had been seething at Cornelius Fudge for the entire summer, ever since he had said Nico's death was an accident.

Harry leaned his head backwards. "We're leaving for Hogwarts tomorrow. Maybe we can talk to Dumbledore."

"About what? He already knows, and Fudge thinks he's a loony."

Harry sighed and made eye contact with Hermione. "I'm going to bed."

She nodded. "We all should. It's getting late."

Harry rose, stiff from sitting so long. He made his way up the stairs and flopped in bed. Alas, he stayed away for a long while.

He'd been drifting in and out of sleep when Ron threw a pillow at his head. "Wake up, mate. Mum's saying we're going to miss the train."

The house was bustling with people running up and down the stairs, trying to rush and finish packing.

Hermione hurried into Ron's bedroom just as Harry was closing his trunk. "Mad-Eye's complaining that we can't leave unless Sturgis Podmore's here, otherwise the guard will be one short."

"Guard?" said Harry. "We have to go to King's Cross with a guard?"

"You have to go to King's Cross with a guard," Hermione corrected him.

Harry nodded slowly. He knew the danger all of them were in. Just last night, Voldemort had blown up a journalist's house. The news claimed it was an accident-the stove was left on.

Hermione looked at her watch. "But if we don't leave soon we're definitely going to miss the train..."

"WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!" Mrs. Weasley bellowed and Hermione jumped as though scalded and hurried out of the room. Harry seized Hedwig, stuffed her unceremoniously into her cage, and set off downstairs after Hermione, dragging his trunk.

"Harry, you're to come with me and Tonks," shouted Mrs. Weasley. "Leave your trunk and your owl, Alastor's going to deal with the luggage." She wrenched open the front door and stepped out into the weak September sunlight.

"Where's Tonks?" Harry said, looking around.

"She's waiting for us just up here," said Mrs. Weasley.