"I tried the mirror, but you never answered it, so I came as fast as I could. Seems Snape's information was a bit off, the Death Eaters didn't attack until just after midnight." Remus said as he tried to catch his breath. Remus looked up to Harry, pain very evident in his eyes. "Harry, they aren't attacking Diagon Ally or Hogsmead like Snape said the plan was. The Death Eaters are attacking Private Drive. We need to hurry; Arthur is having a hard time getting a hold of Order members."

"ARGH!" Harry screamed as he ran up to his room to get his rucksack, and his cloak. Meeting Ron and Hermione coming down from their rooms, the four of them left in a hurry. He might not have liked his family very much, but they were still family and he would do what he could to keep them safe.

*~~*~~*

They Apparated just down from Number Four, where they met up with the Twins, Arthur, Tonks, and Kingsley. Harry looked around and didn't see any of the other Order members.

Kingsley turned to Harry and said, "We're it. No one else is coming. Molly, Ginny, and Poppy are preparing in Hogwarts infirmary for casualties; but other than that no one else answered the call."

They all looked determined to help where they could. Harry, Ron, and Hermione went off to Number Four; everyone else scattered to help outside.

They crept around the back of the house and made their way to the back door. Peaking in Harry saw his Aunt, Uncle, and cousin surrounded by six Death Eaters. All wearing masks, so they couldn't tell who they were up against. Quickly Harry came up with a plan, and motioned for Ron and Hermione to follow him to the side of the house.

"We need to Disillusion ourselves, and then sneak in and get into positions where we can each try and take out a Death Eater. That will leave three, I hope, for us to take out after they know we're there. Ok? After we're charmed and inside count to sixty, then cast. All set then?" Harry waited for the nods and then cast his spell and slid inside and headed towards the sitting room all the time counting.

‘57...58...59...' "STUPEFY!!!" Harry yelled, and watched as two of the Death Eaters went down; then moved quickly to get behind Vernon's chair. There were curses flying all over the place. Harry knew he had to get to his family; they had no protection. Harry needed to draw the attention to himself, and away from them. He did the only thing he could think of, he taunted the Death Eaters.

"Aren't you all just so brave, going after defenseless Muggles?!? I'm sure it just makes you all feel so much more superior attacking those that can't possibly defend themselves against magic!"

"POTTER! Our Lord will be pleased after all. Here I thought you had taken the cowards way and ran when you figured out we were here. But it seems the loss of Black didn't teach you to quit coming to the rescue of your family." replied Snape.

Harry quickly transformed and he moved out into the hallway and back to the kitchen to try and get closer to Petunia and Dudley. Vernon was to far away from them for Harry to help. After changing back and making sure he was still Disillusioned; Harry continued to position himself near his Aunt and Cousin, hoping his charm didn't fail.

Looking over the Death Eaters to make sure no one was close before he spoke up again, Harry saw Snape stiffen slightly. It was only a second, though, so Harry wasn't sure if he imagined it or not. He didn't worry on it to long though; he had to get their attention again.

"Oh yes, lot good that did dear old Tom that night. He not only lost the prophecy, but he also lost a fair amount of your fellow Death Eaters. So many so he had to send a child to try and kill Dumbledore. How is dear Draco doing these days?"

"Just like the Order is now left to depend on children as well I see. Where is the rest of Dumbledore's little club, hmm, Potter? Did they not feel your family worth saving?" One of the other Death Eaters taunted back, Harry thought it sounded like Amycus, but he wasn't sure.

Harry took the time he was ranting to get behind Petunia and Dudley. He looked over to Vernon and saw that he was already dead; there was no saving him now. He then looked at Petunia and saw that she had been tortured as well, but was still standing at least. Dudley just looked terrified; Harry couldn't tell if they had gotten to him yet or not.

Just then a few more Death Eaters burst into the front door, giving Harry a chance to whisper to his Aunt. "I'm here, don't freak out I'm getting the two of you out of here as soon as I can." She nodded to let Harry know she heard him.

"Give up now, Potter. You're woefully out numbered and out classed. There's no possible way you can escape." Snape sneered.

"You'll find that just like your dear Tom, I'm very snakelike as well. I'll always be able to slither out of tight spots." Harry taunted back. He wasn't sure which side Snape was on, but he was glad Snape didn't know about his Animagus form.

Still trying to figure out what to do Harry spotted a blur of red streak across the sitting room, heading towards his position. ‘Good, Ron's on his way. Now where is Hermione, I wonder?' Harry thought to himself.

All of the Death Eaters had gathered together in the sitting room, it seemed they had revived the two that had been stunned, so that they where in front of their hostages. Not knowing that Harry and now Ron were behind the two Muggles.

"Come on out and play Potter, I'd love to start what I finished when we were last at Hogwarts!" Another Death Eater yelled; Harry was quite sure it was Amycus' sister, Alecto. He wondered if she was the one that Snape had stopped from cursing Harry into insanity with the Cruciatus Curse.

Just as Harry was getting ready to cast again, five more people burst into the house; three from the front door and two from the back where the Trio had entered the house. Curses started flying again, and Harry was starting to worry that just maybe they wouldn't make it out alive. There was no way he could protect his Aunt and Cousin from so many curses.

Harry watched as three Death Eaters where stunned, and then Harry heard Snape shouting "OUT! It's time for us to leave. Our Lord does not want to lose anymore of us to this brat! Make sure you grab the stunned along with you! They are not to be left behind to be captured."

Amycus had other ideas though. She sent a Sectumsempra to where she had last heard Harry; it hit Petunia across the chest. Another of the Death Eaters followed her example and cast the same spell at Dudley; luckily Harry was able to knock him out of the way. Then with a pop all of the Death Eaters were gone.

"Harry, we need to get your Aunt and Cousin to Hogwarts! Your Aunt is in serious need of medical attention, and we cannot depend on St. Mungo's. The Order won't be able to keep them safe there." Remus said. "I have a Portkey here from McGonagall; gather together, so I can send all five of you back. We'll stay here and clean up with Kingsley and the Ministry."

*~~*~~*

Pomfrey started working on them almost as soon as they landed in the infirmary. "Who is hurt, and how were they hurt?" Poppy demanded as she was looking over the group.

"Ron, Hermione, and I are fine; My Aunt was hit by Sectumsempra just as the Death Eaters were leaving, though. I'm not sure what she was attacked with before that. Dudley here isn't bleeding, but I'm not sure if he was cursed before we got there. What can I do to help?" Harry said in an amazing imitation of how Hermione sounded when she didn't breathe while talking.

"Just sit back and let me do my work, young man." Just as she was getting ready to levitate Petunia away to get to work, Ron spoke up. "Madam Pomfrey, where is Mum and Ginny? We were told they were here."

"Arthur sent word to Molly, that there wouldn't be many hurt since the Death Eaters were only attacking the Dursley's. He had them go back to the Burrow in case someone tried to get in touch with Arthur." After her explanation, Madam Pomfrey hurried off to tend to her patient.

"Dudley why don't you get up into a bed, so that the matron can look you over after she's got your mom stabilized." Hermione calmly coached the teen as she steered him towards a bed.

Harry just kept pacing, he couldn't just sit by and do nothing. He kept thinking back to when he had used the same spell against Malfoy, and all the blood that had been on and around him. What was the spell that Snape had used to heal Malfoy? Did Pomfrey know it too? And just what was up with Snape anyways? Was he really working for Voldemort? Is that why he never let them know about the attack on his family? Or was there something that they didn't know?

"I'll be right back, guys. I think I know a way to get us some more help. Even if Snape really isn't on our side anymore, we can still learn from him." With that Harry raced out of the infirmary and towards the Room of Requirement. He had a book to collect.

Pacing in front of the door, Harry thought ‘I need to get the book I left in there. I need to get the book I left in there. I need to get the book I left in there.' And the door appeared.

Once inside the room, Harry set off looking for where he hid the Half-Blood Prince's book. He looked around for the enormous stuffed troll, finding it he turned left and walked right past the broken vanishing cabinet; and his world came to a stop. That bloody cabinet wasn't broken anymore was it? That was how Malfoy let all the Death Eaters into the castle and past the wards. The sound that escaped Harry's mouth was almost inhuman. It was filled with pain, and so much anger.

He had to do something about that cabinet, but what? Did he dare try and destroy it? But what could happen when you destroyed a magical item like that? It held a magical portal of sorts. Harry quickly decided not to destroy it; he didn't want to take a chance at destroying Hogwarts after all.

"Incarcerous!" Harry cast causing chains to snake from his wand and wind around the cabinet. After it was tightly secured he transfigured a near by metal goblet into a padlock. He then attached it to the chains and locking it with his strongest locking spell making sure only he could open it. With that problem taken care of Harry hurried off to find the book. Madam Pomfrey might need that healing spell.

*~~*~~*

Once Harry was back in the Infirmary he saw that Dudley was sleeping, he hoped Madam Pomfrey had already had a chance to look him over first. Harry remembered how nasty it could turn out to be when you had to wake Dudley up.

Harry walked over to his Aunt's bed, she looked somewhat better but she wasn't completely healed. The gash from that last curse was still mostly opened, and he could see slight tremors running through her body occasionally. Harry sat down and started searching through the book for the songlike spell he heard Snape use on Malfoy, hoping it was in there.

"There you are Harry, we were getting worried." Hermione said.

"Yeah mate, I see you have the book what took so long?" asked Ron

"I came across a bit of a surprise while I was looking for where I hid the book. I want you, Hermione, at least to go back with me later. We might want to take Professor McGonagall with us as well. I found the cabinet Malfoy used. It was still in there, no one had done anything about it." Harry said, trying to keep himself calm. "For all we know Death Eaters or worse Voldemort could be wandering around in the castle right now."

"Bloody Hell mate, your not serious are you?" said Ron.

"I'll go get Professor McGonagall so you can tell her Harry. You better put that book away when she gets here though. Her, Remus, and Kingsley where in here while you were gone; and they weren't very happy with Snape. They seemed to wonder if Dumbledore was right about Snape or not. But when they saw us they decided to take their talk to her office. If she finds you with his book she might just take it away and if he isn't on our side that might be the only way we can learn the block he used against you." Hermione said.

Harry looked up stunned. ‘So they were wondering the same things I am for once.' Harry thought, and then nodded and said, "Ok you do that. She needs to know about that cabinet. I'll keep looking for the healing spell. Ron you be on the look out. We can't afford to loose this book, not now."

Harry had just snapped the book shut and stuffed it in his pack when the Infirmary doors opened to admit Hermione, closely followed by Professor McGonagall, and Remus.

"So what is this about the vanishing cabinet Mr. Potter; and just why where you in the store room?" Minerva asked.

"Oh...uh...you see, I saw lots of books in there once when I was looking for Malfoy last year. And I was hoping to find one on healing that might be able to help my Aunt. Then I found the cabinet and figured you should know right away, so I quit my search and came back to get you. Hermione was kind enough to volunteer so I could stay here with my family." Harry replied doing his best to look sincere.

She wasn't fooled, but let it drop in case it dealt with Harry's mission from Albus. "Very well, Mr. Potter do you think you can show us now?"

"Sure follow me; it's in the Room of Requirement." Harry replied getting up and heading towards the door.

*~~*~~*

The five of them were standing in front of the overly secured cabinet. Hermione, Remus, and Minerva all had small smiles on their faces. It seemed Harry wanted to make sure everyone was safe!

"I didn't dare destroy it. I had no idea what would happen since it's a portal of sorts. I might be rash and rush into things, but even I knew that could be bad." Harry explained. "So I made sure no one could get in."

"Well done Mr. Potter. Now if you could remove the chains, I'll shrink it and keep it in my office. No one will be able to access the school if they can't fit through on this side." Minerva said.

At her nod Harry removed the lock and chains, and Minerva shrunk the cabinet and took it with her. They all headed off in different directions, Minerva and Remus towards her office, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione off to the infirmary.

Just outside the doors they ran into Madam Pomfrey who had her hands full of potion vials. "Oh there you are Mr. Potter. I'm sure you'd like an update on you Aunt and Cousin?"

"Yes, ma'am, how long are they going to need to stay here?" Harry asked.

"Well, your Aunt is still in very bad shape. I'm having a hard time getting that wound to close. Professor Snape already had Mr. Malfoy healing by the time I got to him, and I have no idea what spell or potion he used then. I was just in the old potion stores hoping to find something that looked helpful. I brought some potions up with me, but with her being Muggle it will be slow going. As for your cousin, he was in shock. I can't tell if it was just from the stress of all that happened, or if it was a combination of stress and curses. I have him in a healing sleep. I'll wake him in a few days to see how he responds then."

"So you're not sure how long they will be here then? Hmm, well that will give me a while to figure out where to put them anyways. I'm sure they won't want to go back to the house for a while; at least I'd hope not. Do you know what will happen to Uncle Vernon's body? I'm sure Aunt Petunia would want to take care of the funeral herself." said Harry.

"The Ministry should keep it until you can claim it. With it being your family attacked, I'm sure Scrimgeour will want to do his best to keep you on his good side." Hermione said.

"Yeah mate, especially with him wanting to use you. Or at least your image," Ron added.

"Ok, well we will leave you to your job then; and Madam Pomfrey, thank you for your help. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help!" Harry said, and then turned and walked out of the infirmary.

"Ok guys, let's head home. We need sleep." Harry said right before he tripped over something in his path. Looking around for what caused him to trip, he saw a very excited Dobby.

"Harry Potter Sir needs to hurry home. Kreacher is there causing troubles. He heard you were here and started talking about saving his Mistress' things. Dobby tried so hard to stop him Harry Potter, and tell him that you were his Master now. But he just left. Oh hurry home, sir." Dobby said as Harry got up, with Dobby pushing him towards the door.