Dark AIAOY 5

Chapter 2

Rebecca couldn't remember such a perfect dinner.  Tucked between Fred and George, surrounded by so much happiness and conversation, no.  There might not have been such a perfect dinner before.

"I have a question."  Rebecca asked, looking to the one adult to crash the children end of the table.  "What are we supposed to call you if not Nymphadora?"

Nymphadora looked up from her plate, laughing.  "Tonks works."  Tonks transformed her face so that her nose was turned up in a pig's snout before lowering her face to her plate and snorting.  Rebecca turned to Fred amazed and thrilled, filling Fred with the same.

Harry sat himself closer to the adults as the laughter of the others spilled over.  Arthur turned the expulsion he was reading towards Harry and underlined the section that had him intrigued.  "This is interesting...it says here that your trial is supposed to be before the entire Wizengamot."

"I don't understand."  Harry shook his head.  "Why is the Ministry so against us?"

Rebecca looked around the table as Harry's questions brought about pursed lips, wide eyes, and a heavy silence.

"Show him."  Moody said from where he stood, his tone dark.  "Show both of them.  They'll find out soon enough anyway."  Kingsley picked up the copy of the Daily Prophet from in front of him and handed it to Harry who skimmed the title page quickly.

"What does it say?"  Rebecca asked from her chair.  When Harry continued to read and not answer her, she stood up and tried to take her hand from Fred's to read it for herself.  "Harry?"  Rebecca repeated.  Fred let go of her hand with a hurt look, hurt because there was nothing he could do to get rid of this for Rebecca.

"The Boy Who Lies and the Girl Who Follows?"  The cover of that day's Daily Prophet was adorned with a picture of Harry glaring at the camera, Rebecca at his side before one of the events of the tournament.  They both looked angry and, without the context of the year before, like trouble.

"He's been attacking Dumbledore as well."  Sirius folded his hands in front of him and looked at his godchildren.  "Fudge is using all his power, including his influence at the Prophet, to smear anyone who claims the Dark Lord has returned."

Molly shot Sirius a warning look, telling him not to tell the children anymore.

"Why?"  Rebecca asked, reading some of the article over Harry's shoulder.  "Why would he do that?"  

Tonks watched Rebecca curiously as she took the paper Harry was finished with and balanced it with one hand so the other could squeeze Harry's shoulder.

Remus spoke carefully.  "The Minister thinks Dumbledore's after his job."

"But that's insane!"  Harry exploded, too much being said and not said.  "No one in their right mind could believe Dumbledore-"

"Exactly the point."  Remus interrupted, leaning back in his chair.  "Fudge isn't in his right mind.  It's been twisted and warped by fear.  Fear makes people do terrible things.  The last time Voldemort gained power, he almost destroyed everything."  The adults around the table glanced away from each other, the horrors of the war they'd grown up in coming to the forefront of every one of their minds.  "Now he has returned and I'm afraid the Minister will do almost anything to avoid facing that terrifying truth."

Rebecca handed the paper back to Kingsley and patted Harry's shoulder one more time before walking back to her chair, disturbed by the fact that the article painted her as some blind-follower to Harry--doing anything he said and having no thoughts on her own.

Sirius' voice filled the silence left behind by Remus' statement.  "We think Voldemort wants to build up his army again.  Fourteen years ago, he had huge numbers at his command.  And not just witches and wizards, mind you.  No, he had all manner of dark creatures."