Lucy Riddle and the Boy Who Lived

The Clean-Up Crew

Chapter Fourteen

There was only a week left of the holidays, and Lucy wanted to do something fun with that time. Though there wasn't much to do, — they weren't allowed to leave Grimmauld Place — there was plenty of cleaning up to do.

Mrs. Weasley had sent two teams to clean up the house. One was with Mrs. Weasley, Fred, George, Ginny, and Kreacher, though he was reluctant to go with the "blood traitors." The other was Sirius Black, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Lucy.

Lucy's group headed to the attic and the top floor, the others to the main and second floor. First they had to clean up what the hippogriff, Buckbeak, had all over the floor. There were bones and dung. Luckily for the girls, they had to pick up the bones; the boys had the revolting job of scooping up the latter.

"Can you tell us about the Order?" Harry asked his godfather who was busy trying hard not to touch the disgusting brown stuff.

"Uh . . . not now," Sirius replied. He wasn't completely sure he could trust Lucy. The lot living in his household didn't know much about her except the Golden Trio, though they refused to say anything about her unless Lucy gave them permission.

"I can tell you; I know a decent amount of information," Lucy suggested.

"And how would you know? Not to be impolite."

"My family knew a lot."

"And who is your family exactly?"

"Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, and Antonin Dolohov."

Sirius Black whipped out his wand faster than light itself. He pointed his wooden wand at Lucy's heart. The others are surprised at his reaction. "What did you say?"

"Sir, let me explain —"

"No, there is nothing to explain! Do you know who they are?"

"Yes, they're my family. But here me out—"

"Leave!" Sirius Black shouted at the top of his lungs. "Leave my house. NOW!"

Lucy didn't know what to do. She didn't know whether or not to leave or stay rooted in her spot. There wasn't time for her to decide when footsteps pounded on the stairwell, four people emerged from the wooden door. There were three men and one woman, her hair a bright pink.

"What's going on?" a man asked, one magical eye was moving everywhere.

Sirius seethed, "Her."

He was pointing at the poor girl who was frightened nearly to death and appeared snow-white. She didn't know what would happen to her if the others knew about her family. They might have the same reaction as Harry's godfather, and the result may end up fatal.

"Sirius, point your wand down." A weary-looking man with a mustache was prowling slowly towards her, keeping one hand between the two. He faced Lucy. "Don't worry; I won't hurt you. My name is Remus Lupin."

"I'm Nymphadora Tonks, but just call me Tonks!" the woman cheerfully said over his shoulder. "Oh, that's Mad-Eye" — she pointed at the man with the magical, moving eye — "and over there is Arthur Weasley."

She knew the flaming-red hair anywhere.

"Hello, Mr. Weasley, Tonks, Mad-Eye, Remus," she answered weakly.

She hadn't moved a muscle and noticed the worried looks on the Golden Trio's faces. Lucy felt like she was going to faint, having too much pressure on her shoulders. "I-I just want to explain something really quick."

"Go on," Mad-Eye said as softly as possible, trying hard not to scare the girl.

"Don't try to kill me, okay?"