Venus

55- Attacked

"Banned?" Angelina demanded. The whole team (minus Ron who hadn't been seen since the match) were sat around the fire in the Gryffindor common room that evening. Ginny, Hermione and Mali were sat there too. "No seeker, No beaters and one Chaser down, what on earth are we supposed to do? And banning Fred and Venus when they didn't even do anything!"

"It's not my fault I didn't," growled Fred, "I would've pounded the little scumbag to a pulp if you hadn't been holding me back."

Venus stared at the flickering flames dejectedly. Umbridge's excuse for banning Venus, was that she would have attacked Malfoy if Madam Pince hadn't broken the fight up. As far as Venus was concerned that was a rubbish excuse and just Umbridge's reasoning behind the vendetta she seemed to have against Venus.

"I'm going to bed," grumbled Venus, she knew that she needed all the sleep she could get as the next night was the full moon.

********

It wasn't long before the Gryffindor team got new members. Ginny took Harry's place on the team, two boys named Andrew Kirk and Jack Sloper replaced the Weasley twins and Alicia Spinnet replaced Venus.

********

"Miss Weasley, Miss Black-Weasley. You've got to get up." Venus felt herself being shaken awake.

"What?" Venus rubbed her eyes.

"Your father, he's been attacked; we've got to get you to the Headmaster's office." McGonagall said anxiously.

Venus swung her legs out of her bed and shoved her feet into the boots she kept beside her bed and pulled on a cardigan over her pyjamas. She and Ginny hurried after McGonagall out of the dorm.

Fred and George were waiting in the common room. McGonagall ushered all of them through the corridors and into Dumbledore's office.

"Harry?" Ginny asked as soon as they walked in, "what's going on? Professor McGonagall says that you saw dad get attacked-"

"Your father has been injured in the course of his work for the Order," Dumbledore said, "he has been taken to St Mungo's Hospital I am sending you back to Sirius' house, which is much more convenient for the hospital than the Burrow. You will meet your mother there."

"How are we going?" asked Fred, "Floo Powder?"

"No. The Floo Network is being closely monitored, you will be taking a portkey." Dumbledore gestured to a rusty kettle on his desk, "we're just waiting for Phineas Nigellus to report back... I want to ensure that the coast is clear-"

There was a flash of white gold flames in the middle of the room, it left behind a single golden feather.

"That's Fawks's warning," said Dumbledore, "Professor Umbridge knows that you're out of your beds... Minerva go and head her off-" McGonagall was gone before Dumbledore could finish.

"-he says he'll be delighted." Phineas Nigellus had walked into his empty portrait. "My great great grandson has always had an odd taste in house guests."

Dumbledore gathered them all around his desk and the portkey whisked them away.

"Here they are back again, the blood traitors and halfbreed brats. Is it true that their father is dying?" Kreature was in the kitchen murmuring as Venus tried to get her bearings.

"OUT!" roared another voice. Sirius had emerged into the kitchen, his hair was unkempt and he had a wiff of stale alcohol about him, he also had an anxious expression on his face. "What's going on? Phineas Nigellus said Arthur has been injured-"

"-ask Harry," said Fred.

"Yeah. I want to hear this for myself," said George.

Harry launched into the story of his vision and how he had seen Arthur be attacked by the snake.

"No." Venus shook her head, not wanting to believe Harry's story. Arthur couldn't have been attacked, it wasn't possible.

"Is mum with him?" Ron asked.

"She probably doesn't even know yet, I expect Dumbledore is telling her as we speak," said Sirius, "the important thing was that we got you out of there before Umbridge could interfere."

"We have to go to St Mungos!" Ginny said urgently, "Sirius can you lend us clothes or something?"

"You're not going anywhere, if you lot go tearing off to the hospital the moment it happens- it would draw attention to the fact that Harry is having visions," said Sirius, "do you have any idea what the ministry would do with that information?"

"Somebody else could've told us!" Venus insisted, "we could have heard it somewhere else other than Harry."

"Like where?" Sirius asked, "your dad was injured doing work for the order, that's already fishy without his children showing up the moment it happened, you could seriously damage the Order's-"

"-we don't care about the bloody order!" Shouted Fred, "It's our dad dying out there!"

"Your father knew what he was getting into when he signed up for the order- there are some things worth dying for."

"That's easy for you to say, stuck in here!" George yelled, "I don't see you risking your neck!"

Sirius' face went ashen, "look I know it's hard, but we've all got to act as though we don't know anything yet. We've got to stay put, at least until we hear from Molly that's all. All right?"

Venus and Ginny sank into chairs. The twins glared at Sirius for a moment longer and then settled down on either side of the girls.

"Okay, come on, let's all... have a drink while we're waiting. Accio Butterbeer!" Half a dozen Butterbeers flew towards them and distributed themselves amongst the group.

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~Em xx