Harry deeply enjoyed the trip to London. The feeling of flying helped him forget the attacks of the Dementors, the resulting hearing, his uncle's attack and the feelings of abandonment he felt due to not hearing from his friends or Godfather. The flight did offer the young Gryffindor a number of distractions besides lifting his spirits. Seeing Mad Eye Moody flying on his unique looking broomstick was a sight. Harry thought the man looked like he was riding a motorcycle. Moody kept leading them through clouds banks to avoid being seen by Muggles. Tonks would loudly voice her protest against flying through clouds saying that they would be drenched.

After several minutes, Harry could see the lights of London below them. By now, he was cold from flying up so high. As they entered London, the ex-Auror led them down the River Thames where Harry almost flew straight into a boat coming towards them had he not seen Tonks veer off to the right. As they neared Parliament, Moody guided them back up and continued towards central London. After a few minutes, they landed in a small gated park across in a square of terraced houses.

"Is this it?" Harry asked as he smelled the nearby garbage.

"No Harry," Remus answered, "we need to wait until the coast is clear." He pointed to the street on the other side of the gate. Harry saw a garbage truck making its way up the street.

Harry saw that the other's were now shrinking their brooms and putting in their pockets. As Tonks shrunk his Firebolt, he saw Moody motion him over while digging for something in his coat pocket.

"Here, read and memorize this," Moody told Harry as he tossed a piece of parchment towards him.

Looking at the parchment, Harry saw the handwriting was Dumbledore's. Looking at Remus with a puzzled look, he received a nod from the former professor. After reading the location of the Order of the Phoenix, Moody set the parchment on fire. The garbage truck had just turned the corner and the street was now deserted. Moody opened the gate and led the group into the street

"I don't get it," Harry said. "What's the Order of-?"

"Not out here Harry," Kinsley cautioned as they stopped in the middle of the street. He and the others were looking up and down the street making sure that they were not discovered.

Looking at the building, Harry's brow furrowed when he saw the housing numbers went from 11 to 13. Through the lit windows of Number 11, Harry could see a couple watching TV while the couple in Number 13 were in the kitchen. The only thing in-front of them was a drain pipe that ran the entire height of the building. Number 12 was absent. "Now what?" he asked.

"Just wait and think about what you read," Remus directed Harry.

Harry did and as Moody tapped the ground with his staff. The two houses on either sides of the drain pipe began to move and separate. Harry saw that the couple inside Number 11 was unaware of the action. In the resulting gap, Harry looked in amazement as anther house suddenly appeared, pushing itself forward before his eyes. As it emerged, its widow appeared and sunk back into the brick and small terraces popped out below them. Harry saw that all the windows were dark. A set of stone steps dropped down before the worn looking black door. The last thing to appear was the small wrought iron fence that sprang-up in-front of the house.

"Alright, in you go, son. Don't go too far inside and don't make any loud sounds." Moody instructed Harry. Cautiously, Harry made his way up the steps to the door and before he could reach for the handle, Remus came up behind him and tapped his wand against the door. The door opened with a creaked and Harry crossed the threshold.

Standing in a long, dimly light, narrow entry hallway, his first thoughts were that he had entered a mausoleum. It was silent and gloomy with an air of neglect to it. Gas lights on the wall allowed Harry to see the walls covered in aged dark grey silk. Aged portraits hung along the walls. A cobweb covered chandelier hung above at the hall's far end. Moody, followed by Remus, Elphias and Emmeline passed him and headed down to a closed door at the end of the hallway. Harry started to follow them and as he neared he heard the muffled voice of Mr. Weasley and it sounded like he was in a heated debate with someone.

"There've been no sightings. No deaths and no proof."

"He almost killed Harry, Arthur." Harry heart lifted as he heard Sirius' own muffled voice. "We all know it even if we can't prove it. Now if that isn't proof enough, what is?"

When Moody opened the door, Harry heard his Godfather's last comment more clearly. After Remus crossed the threshold, the door remained open. Harry could see Sirius sitting at a table with Mr. Weasley on his left and Professor McGonagall behind them. It looked like she was trying to referee her two former students' debate. Remus took a seat to Sirius's right completely unnoticed by the man.

"Yes that's true Sirius but guarding it is more important," the Weasley patriarch countered seriously. "We must trust Dumbledore on this."

"Hmpf!" Harry heard Sirius exhaled loudly. "Was Dumbledore able to protect Harry last year? No. He allowed him to take part in that blasted tournament and we all know what happened despite Fudge's attempts to cover it up! We need to take action now. Cornelius Fudge is a politician first and a wizard second. His first instinct would be to ignore it-"

Harry did not hear the rest of his godfather's statement. As Kinsley and Tonks passed him, she offered him a wink and as a result, she walked right into an umbrella rack which Harry saw was made out of a troll's foot. From the look Kinsley gave her, Harry got the feeling that it had not been the first time the young Auror had done that.

"He's getting stronger and stronger by the minuet," Sirius was now saying with absolute certainty, "which means that we have to act now."

"Shh! Lower your voices," another voice told them. Just Sirius looked towards the speaker, he saw Harry out in the hall. Harry smiled for the first time in days as he saw his Godfather's face lighten upon seeing his Godson. Before either of them could move, Molly Weasley appeared in the doorway blocking their views.

"Harry, dear," Molly said tenderly.

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry acknowledged. He noticed that she had a worn-down look about her. She had small black circles under her eyes as if she had not slept well. There was a slight paleness to her skin which helped set off her red hair. It even looked like she had lost some weight because the sleeves of her yellow dress seemed to hang a little looser on her than they did before.

Quickly, she shut the door and rushed over to him. "Oh, it's so wonderful to see you," Molly said softly as she enveloped Harry in one of her hugs. "Thank Heavens you're all right. We were so frightened when we heard."

Harry had to suppress a groan as Molly tightened her hold on him. The characteristic bone crushing hug she had on him aggravated his bruised ribs and still slightly tender muscles. "It's good to see you too Mrs. Weasley," he said and hugged her back hoping it would cause her to relinquish her hold on him.

Letting go, she held the young Gryffindor at arm's length and looked him over as she did every summer since the summer he had stayed at the Burrow. Chuckling slightly, Molly took his face in her hands and lightly tapped his checks. "I bet you're a bit peaky after the flight dear. But I'm afraid you'll have to wait till after the meeting for dinner."

"About that-"

"Nope. It's for adult only," the Weasley matriarch said cutting him off. "Now I haven't got time to explain. You head upstairs. Ron and Hermione are already up there and they'll explain all right? Good. Second floor, first door on the left, and please be quiet. Up you go," she said motioning to the stairs on her right Molly looked on as Harry began to make his way up the darkened stairwell.

Climbing the narrow stairs, Harry took in his surroundings. The entire house seemed to be narrowed and elongated. Everything looked as if it had been coated in black ink. All the wood work had blackened with age. The wallpaper was peeling off the walls. Mounted along the stairs in the wall were several niches, each one with a glass display case. Each case held a shriveled head of a house-elf. As he reached the first floor, Harry heard a low muttering voice. "Mudbloods, werewolves, traitors and thieves. If my poor mistress knew the scum he let into her house what would she say to old Kreacher? Oh, the shame." He stopped as he saw a very old looking house-elf dressed in an old smock rummaging around inside a closet. Pulling out a small stool, the elf turned and Harry saw he had long bat-like ears, a snout-like nose and long thin arms. His eyes were grey and beady. The house-elf stopped when he saw Harry was looking at him. Keeping his eyes on Harry and with a sour expression, the elf dragged the stool over to a portrait hanging on the wall covered by a drape.

As Harry began to climb the stairs, he heard a low disgruntled female voice coming from behind the drape, causing him to look back.

"Freaks. The very scum and filth of the earth. Not like it was in the days of my fathers."

"There there mistress, Kreacher is here," the elf said in his low bullfrog like-voice as he started to wipe the portrait's lower boarder.

Leaving the elf, Harry continued to the second floor. Harry had just opened the appropriate door and had barely made it across the threshold when he heard a voice cry out "Harry!"

Hermione Granger flung herself at her friend and wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him tightly. Harry squeezed his eyes shut from crying out in pain. "Are you alright? We were so worried when we heard you had been attacked by the Dementors. You have to tell us what happened."

"Hermione, let the man breath," Ron Weasley interjected as he tried to pull his two friends apart. "Hey Harry."

"Hi Ron," Harry answered as he walked farther into the room. As he looked around, Harry felt like he was in a tightly enclosed place. It was a high-ceiling room and it had same elongated feeling like the rest of the house. Harry saw that he could not look out of the windows to the outside. Even the room's furniture and fashioning seemed to follow the house's vertical and blacken aged characteristics. At one time, it would have appeared to have been elegant but now it was covered in layers of dust and in various forms of decay just like the furnishings he had seen in the entrance hallway. Then he saw an owl cage sitting on a small table with Ron's owl Pigwidgeon in it. Before he could even ask, a soft hoot came from top of the wardrobe and something flew towards him.

"Hedwig," Harry exclaimed as the snowy owl settled on his shoulder and nibbled his ear affectionately.

"She's been in a right fit ever since she delivered your letter, mate," Ron said as he showed off his pecked at fingers.

"Sorry about that Ron," Harry replied as he sat down on one of the twin beds. He started to stroke Hedwig's feather and he saw that she was giving him that look of concern.

"We also heard about this hearing at the Ministry too," Hermione began again, her voice filled with worry and disbelief. "It's completely outrageous! I looked it up and you've done nothing wrong. Underage wizards have the right to defend themselves if threatened. They can't expel you for that. It's just completely unfair."

"I know. Feels like there's an awful amount of that going around lately." The last part had been said in an icy tone. Looking-up he saw his two best friends had looks of apprehension on their faces. Harry could feel his anger bubbling deep inside him and he knew it was almost ready to explode. Hedwig must have sensed this for she left her master's shoulder and perched on top of the wardrobe. Harry did not care if he had hurt his friends' feelings; he was going to speak his mind. He wanted answers. "So, what exactly is this place?"

Ron spoke first. "It's the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore started it back when You-Know-Who first tried to take control and he resurrected it now that he's returned. We moved in 'bout the first week of the holiday. Hermione came last week."

"And I take it neither one of you could have found the time to put that in a letter? I've gone for weeks without any word from either one of you or Sirius. Nothing to inquire how I was doing. Not one single scrap of news of what's going on. Nothing. Then I get attacked by a pair of Dementors and my cousin almost get's his soul sucked out and all I get is letters from your dad and Sirius telling me to stay put. That's all. My two best friends don't write to see if I'm even safe!"

"We wanted to write mate. A lot of times. We really did." Ron answered sheepishly. "Only…"

"Only what?" Harry demanded.

"Only Dumbledore made us swear not to tell you anything," Hermione answered, not looking Harry in the eyes.

The answer was like a Bludger had hit him squarely in his stomach. Getting-up, he walked over to far wall and stared at the dull and aged wallpaper. He could not believe what he had been told. "Dumbledore told you that?"

"Yeah he did," Ron replied. "Even when we said all we wanted was to see how you were doing, he still told us we couldn't write. He said that the Post was probably being watched and it wouldn't be safe to have a lot of owls coming and going from here at all hours."

"But that still doesn't explain why he's kept me completely in the dark all this time. Maybe I can help. I'm the one who saw Voldemort return. I'm the one who saw and fought him. The one who saw Cedric die…" Harry tried off, the pain and images returned and he could not deal with guilt at the moment. He turned and looked back to Hermione. "What about these meetings? They obviously have to do with Voldemort. Do you know what they're doing about him?"

"No," Hermione answered. Only Order members can attend meetings. They keep us out and don't tell us what they talk about. Whenever we try to ask, we get told we're not adults and it's not our concern."

"Not my concern?" Harry questioned as he turned back to the wall.

Hermione was starting to get worried about him. She saw his posture had become ridged. His shoulders tensed in anger and his fists balled-up and started to shake. "Harry," she began carefully, "I know you're upset but-"

"I'M NOT UPSET, I'M FURIOUS!" Harry shouted as he punched the wall with his fist, the loud sound frightening everyone else in the room. "FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS I'VE HAD TO FIGHT FOR MY LIFE FROM SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO KILL ME JUST BECAUSE I HAVE THIS FREAKING SCARE ON MY HEAD! I'VE FACED VOLDEMORT THREE TIMES IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS AND LIVED! I SAVED THE PHILOSPHER'S STONE, KILLED A BASLIKS, SAVED YOU," he indicated to Hermione, "AND SIRIUS FROM A HUNDRED DEMENTORS AND THIS PAST YEAR, I MANAGED TO GET PAST A HUNGRAIN HORNTAIL WITHOUT BEING SINGED OR BE DROWNED BY THOSE MEREPEOPLE'S GRIDYLOWS! I'VE EARNED THE RIGHT TO KNOW THE TRUTH!" The need for oxygen was the cause for him to stop. Harry had hit the wall several more times during his yelling resulting in a faint indentation. Turning to face his friends, they saw Harry's face had turned bright red from yelling. He in turn saw that his friends' faces had turned pure white. Neither one made a sound or move. Even hyperactive Pigwidgeon was silent. Hermione and Ron cautiously took a step towards him but he shot them a stern glare that made them stop. After taking in several deep breaths, the young angry Gryffindor found the energy to go on.

"I HEAR FROM NO ONE FOR DAYS, HEARD NO NEWS ABOUT WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON, AND IT'S ALL INTENTIONAL! THEN I GET ATTACKED BY DEMENTORS AND ALL I'M TOLD IS JUST STAY HOME! DO MY OWN FRIENDS PICK UP A DAMN QUILL TO WRITE AND SEE IF I'M OKAY? NO! AND NOW, I FIND OUT THAT THEY'VE KNOW WHAT THE FUCK'S BEEN GOING ON ALL THIS TIME! I'VE EARNED THE FUCKING RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT VOLDEMORT BEEN UP TOO EVER SINCE HE KILLED MY PARENTS AND RUINED MY LIFE! I'M THE ONE WHO'S BLOOD VOLDEMORT USED TO RECLAIM HIS BODY HERMIONE! I'M THE ONE WHO HE TOURTURED REPEATEDLY WITH THE CRUCIATIUS CURSE AND TRIED TO KILL WITH THE KILLING CURSE! I'VE EARNED THAT DESPIT DUMBLEDORE SAYINY I CAN'T FOR MY OWN SAFTY!"

By the end, he had run out of steam. Slumping down onto the nearest bed, he stared at the floor with his shoulders hunched and shaking. Slowly, his skin lost its redness and returned to normal. He could feel the throbbing hand causing him to wince in pain. Harry did not dare to look-up at his friends for fear of seeing their faces wreathed in distress and sadness. He could not blame them if they did. They had no choice since it was Dumbledore who told them they could not write to him. It was the Headmaster's decision to withhold information from him, not his friends.

'Why would he do that to me?' Harry wondered as he thought about the Headmaster's actions. 'Is he mad I wasn't able to save Cedric or keep Wormtail from using my blood? Or because I wasn't able to defeat Voldemort? He told me that he was proud of me but did he really mean it? Is he disappointed with me?'Tears were starting to form in his eyes and Harry clenched his eyes tight to keep them from falling. 'No, don't cry,' he told himself. 'Crying is a sign of weakness. You don't cry. Ever.'

As he fought off tears, Harry heard movement. While keeping his focus on the floor, Harry opened his eyes and saw Ron's and Hermione's feet before him. The next thing he felt was the mattress springs dipping down as they sat down on the other bed. Neither one addressed him for which Harry was thankful. After a couple of moments, the drained Gryffindor looked-up to face his friends. Both wore calm expressions. Deep concern for their friend was evident in their eyes. Their calm and compassionate expressions let him know that. Harry hated seeing their worry for him. He felt he was not worth it. Yet, it filled him with a warm feeling to know his friends cared for his well being.

"You guys…look, I'm…I'm sorry," Harry said softly. "I've just…it's…it's been a bad couple of weeks.

"It's alright Harry," Hermione replied as she reached over and placed her hand on his. "We understand."

"We do Harry," Ron assured him when Harry gave them a skeptical look. "We get why you're upset and we don't blame you. It's one thing to keep certain things classified but it's-"

Ron did not get a chance to finish his statement. With two loud cracks, Ron's elder twin brothers, Fred and George apparated into the room. Hermione let out a small squeal at their sudden appearance. The twins materialized on either side of Harry, both beaming at him. Harry, who by now was able to tell the two of them apart, saw that Fred was on his right and George was on his left.

"Harry," Fred said with a smile. "It's so good to see you."

"We thought we heard your dulcet tones," George took over, "from all the way upstairs. Probably just like everyone else in 'bout a couple of hundred miles."

Harry's face dropped and felt his cheeks grow red in embarrassment. Fred placed an arm around the young man's hunched shoulders and gave him a comforting squeeze. "It's alright Harry," he assured him in an older brother-type manner. "But just make sure you do let it out mate. Don't bottle it up. It's not good for yah." After a moment of silence, he broke out in a wide grin and added, "And that way, you can get people thinking there's a Banshee loose."

His brother's playful poke at his best friend got a chuckle out of Ron who in turned eared a disapproving glare from the only girl in the room. Even Harry managed to giggle.

"Now then," George began as he reached into his pants' pocket, "if you're all done shouting-"

"Do you guys wanna hear something that's a little more interesting?" Fred finished as his twin pulled out what looked to Harry to be a pair of rubber ears connected by a long string. The twins explained to Harry how their newly developed Extendable Ears work as they led everyone out into the hall to the second floor banister where George lowered one of the ends down to the ground floor so they could eavesdrop on the Order meeting.

As the Extendable was lowered, Ginny Weasley quietly came up the stairs and joined the group to listen in. Upon seeing the only female Weasley sibling, Harry felt uneasiness in his stomach which seemed to grow when Ginny gave him a bright smile. Turning his attention back to the Extendable Ear, Sirius' low voice came through and was joined by Snape's.

They never got the chance to listen to the full conversation. Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, wandered from the doorway to the kitchen and started to swart at the suspended ear. They tried to get Crookshanks to stop, but eventually, the cat managed to tear the ear off and take off with it.

"Hermione, I really hate that bloody cat of yours," Ron bluntly told her. They went to wait in the bedroom where Harry was told all about the twin's newly developed Skiving Snackboxes and fall out between Percy and his family.

"If anyone has a right to know, it's Harry," Sirius told the members of the Order of the Phoenix. "If it wasn't for Harry we wouldn't even know Voldemort was back." After hearing how smooth Harry's retrieval went, Sirius took the opportunity to once again voice his opinion about telling Harry what Voldemort was after. His highly ardent opponent in the matter, Molly Weasley, voiced her objections against it, once again stating that Harry was too young to handle the information. Sirius was well past point of annoyance over the women's constant over mollycoddling. "For Merlin's shake Molly, Harry's not a child,"

Everyone else in the room remained completely silent in the matter, not wanting to become the target of the Weasley matriarch's deadly fury. Even Minerva and Severus, Hogwarts' two strictest educators and Heads of House, knew better than to put themselves before a raged filled Molly Weasley. "Well, he's not an adult Sirius and he's not James either." Molly answered firmly. Her voice was calm but carried much weight. Everyone assumed it was her husband's hand on hers that kept Molly from completely lashing out at the former Marauder.

"Nor is Harry's your son Molly," Sirius shot back. It had been said a little more harshly then he intended but Sirius wanted to get his point across.

"He's as good as one Sirius." Molly did not dither in her statement. Ever since that day at King's Cross when that small boy politely asked her how to get to Platform 9 ¾, Harry had wove his way into her heart. In her eyes, the boy was just as much her son as her six biological ones. She certainly spent enough time fretting over him in as much as she did over Ron and his brothers. And from what she knew of the Dursley's, Molly was certain that Harry did not have the most pleasant of family and living situations. When Harry had spent that first summer with them, she saw how he would watch the interaction of her children with her and her husband and with each other with and saw the longing in those innocent green eyes. Ever since then, she tried to get Dumbledore to allow Harry to come to the Burrow at the end of the school year, but was told that he could not due to the wards erected at Number Four. "Who else does he have?"

"He has me."

"My, how touchingly paternal, Black," Severus snickered from the far side of the table. "Perhaps Potter will grow-up to become a felon, just like his godfather."

"You stay out of this Snivellus." Sirius warned the Potions Master, smirking when he saw the man's face sour when he used the hated nickname which he had bestowed upon him on that very first train trip to Hogwarts. "I don't care what Dumbledore keeps saying about your supposed reformation but I know better."

"So why don't you tell him? Or are you afraid he won't take seriously a man who's been hiding out in his mother's house?" Severus smiled at seeing Sirius glower. He enjoyed seeing his former tormentor seething. After everything he had done to the Potions Master during their schooldays, Sirius was now on the receiving end of experiencing that words could be more hurtful than a stinging hex. "Then again, had you had the foresight to petrify a certain rat and put him under an anti-animagus charms you wouldn't need to hideout at all," he scoffed.

"THAT'S IT SINVELLIUS, YOU SLIMY GREASY-HAIRED DARK ARTS TOADYING COWARD!" Sirius shouted as he jumped out of his seat, his wand pointed squarely at Severus' chest.

Severus wiped his wand out in an instant and had it pointed directly at Sirius. But just as suddenly as the two rivals were poised to hurl the first hex, a voiced cried out, "Expelliarmus!" Both wands flew out of their hands and in to the grip of Molly Weasley whose face was filled with fury. Before either man could say a word, they were pushed back into the seats by a swipe of her wand and found they could not get up or open their mouths. "That's enough out of both of you," Molly loudly scolded, reminding the Potions Master and his colleagues of the Howler she had sent her youngest son on his first day of his Second Year. "Now I don't care how old you are, but if you two don't break it up now and act your actual ages and not your shoe sizes, I'll tan both your hides right here and now! Do I make myself clear?"

Both men could do nothing but reluctantly nod their heads, embarrassed to have been scolded like little children. It was one thing to be scolded by Minerva, but the Transfiguration was as docile as Fang when compared to a fuming Molly Weasley.

"Thank you, Molly," Dumbledore said as she lifted her charms and returned the taken wands. "Sirius, my decision in this matter is final. Harry cannot know anything about the Prophecy or Voldemort's desire for it. The danger to him is far too great. Should Voldemort learn of the link between him and Harry, he will take the opportunity to exploit it and ravage Harry's mind. I also believe that should that occur, Voldemort might try to possess Harry and use him as a possible means of attacking me or somebody he cares about." The aged wizard gave a significant look at the younger wizard with his last comment. "By distancing myself from him, I hope Voldemort will be less tempted to utilize it."

"And there you go again Albus," Sirius interrupted. "Talking about Harry like he's five years old and not the fifthteen year old he's going to be. Harry has been through more than anyone else in this room when it comes to Voldemort! And as such, he should be told the truth and-"

"For God's sake Sirius, enough already!" Remus shouted, stunning both his friend and the other people in the room. Sirius just looked at the former Defense professor, aghast by his tone. After a moment, Remus looked upon the animagus empathically. "Padfoot, please. Let it go. There's nothing more you can do."

Sirius did not argue. He merely nodded and folded his hands on the table. Discreetly looking around the table, Severus saw that several others shocked by Remus' sudden and out of character outburst. Nymphadora Tonks particularly looking at the wolf with worry. The outburst had not totally taken the Potions Master by surprise. Severus could see the man was showing the early effects of the eventual transformation that was a few days away. He looked more tired and older than usual and due to the growing wolf characteristics, he was also prone to violent outburst. But Severus wondered if his worn-down appearance had not been by accelerated what he saw in the cupboard back at Privet Drive.

"Sirius," the Headmaster began, addressing the dismayed young man. "I know you only have Harry's best interest at heart, but I feel this is the best course for now. I am working on a possible way of dealing with the connection between Harry and Voldemort, but there is one final detail I must work out before I can suggest it. I hope you understand that I don't want to add to the already overwhelming load that dear boy has to deal with." Sirius just nodded in agreement and went back to looking at his folded hands. "Good. Now, about the prophecy, I've come up with a solution that I believe will help guarantee its safety."

Albus went on to describe how Order members who did and did not work in the Ministry would help in guarding the prophecy. They would rotate shifts among each other so as not to draw attention to themselves. If needed, they would explain their presence to any of Cornelius Fudge's prying Ministry officials that they were working late to catch-up on paper work. Each member would patrol the Department of Mysteries and check on the prophecy in the Hall of Prophecies. Albus also said that he had instructed the portrait of former Headmaster Everard to keep watch at the Ministry as well. After they had discussed the details of the watches, Albus asked if anyone had any other questions. Remus was tempted to ask about his worries about Harry, but he knew that despite it being important, an Order meeting was not the correct place to bring up the subject. He also knew that due to his transformation, his concerns would have to wait till after the full moon when he had the both the physical and mental strength to confront the issue. But one thing he was certain of was that before he spoke to the Headmaster and Sirius he was going to have a talk with the enigmatic Potions Master.

With the conclusion of the meeting, Dumbledore took his leave and Molly asked if anyone was staying for dinner. Most everyone including Minerva politely declined the offer. Kingsley, Tonks, and Alastor said they would stay while Severus did not reply as he busied himself with some pieces of parchment he had brought. Molly went to call the children down and as the remaining Order members made their way out into the hall, the Potions Master remained behind, earning a glare from Sirius. Severus was about to venture out into the hall when he heard Arthur addressing Harry. Keeping himself out of view, he saw the boy be reunited with the Mutt.

"Harry Potter." Sirius smiled. He held his arms open and asked in a teasing tone, "What? No hello for me?"

"Sirius," Harry said and ran into the open arms of his godfather.

While Sirius led Harry down to the kitchen, Remus stayed behind in the dining room. Severus was standing by the window, deep in thought. It was not hard to figure out what the man was thinking about. He had seen the reaction on his face as Sirius and Harry had embraced. Remus was positive that he saw a mixture of guilt and envy in the onyx eyes.

"I do hope you decide to stay for dinner, Severus," Remus said, bring the man out of his thoughts.

Severus turned and glared at the werewolf. "I highly doubt my dining plans are of any of your concerns, Lupin."

"True, but I have a feeling you may have your own reasons for joining us. Just as you had your own reasons to be in Harry's bedroom earlier this evening."

The casual way Lupin had revealed his knowledge of the Head of Slytherin's presence at Number Four stunned Severus. He was half expecting the wolf to demand to know why he had been there. Yet he as acting as if he was talking about something completely normal, such as the different types of racing brooms.

"I once told Harry that his mother had a way of seeing the beauty in people when they especially couldn't see it themselves. I'm not blind Severus and even without my wolf heightened senses, I could see what James and Sirius couldn't. I think I know why you were there and I would like the chance to discuss it with you once the full moon had passed, privately of course. And rest assured, I won't tell Sirius about you being there. I just don't have the strength to restrain him at the moment." The last comment was said lightheartedly, a contrast to the tried looking appearance of the speaker. Before walking out into the hall, Remus turned back to the Potions Master and added, "I do hope you come. Harry's going to have questions and there'll be answers he can't be given. Sirius, I fear, sees James when he looks at Harry and will try to challenge Molly's views of him. Perhaps, it would be in Harry's best interest if a more…realistic voice of reason were there to help him see the true dangers the Order faces concerning Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Maybe even, a voice that would think the same as Lily would in this matter?"

With that, the haggard wizard left, leaving a stunned and shaken Severus Snape behind. He had not pushed the issue of his relationship with Lily or his being in Potter's bedroom any further and admitted that he too had uneasy feelings about the boy's home life and wondered what he thought and feared. Severus thought about the last words spoken to him and concluded they were correct. He heard his stomach rumble and despite already having had a light supper, Severus finally chose to accept the Weasley Matriarch's invitation to dinner.

'Oh what a shock for Black,' he thought gleefully as he descended the stairs. 'I hope the Mutt falls out of his chair and brings everything on his side of the table the down with him.'

By the time Severus entered the basement kitchen, everyone, with the exception of Molly, was seated at the long kitchen table. He saw Tonks was entertaining the young Weasleys and Little-Miss-Know-It-All-Granger with her Metamorphmagus abilities by transforming her facial features. She even had Kingsley amused. Down at the other end, it appeared Potter was having a conversation with the Weasley patriarch, the Wolf and the Mutt. Moody was standing behind the Mutt, leaning on his staff. The boy had just asked his best friend's father a question when out of the corner of his eye; he saw Severus standing in the entrance to the kitchen and whipped his head towards him.

"Harry, what is it?" Sirius asked then looked to see what had captured his godson's attention. "Snape," he said drawing everyone else's attention. Harry saw that both his friends and the other adults were surprised to see the man.

"Severus," Molly exclaimed as she wiped her hands on her apron, "My, what a surprise this is. Come in, come in. Supper will be ready in a few minutes."

"Thank you Molly," Severus said after she had guided him to the table and instructed Ron and the twins to move down some so their Potions Master could seat next to Remus who offered the man a smile. He received a curt nod in response. Looking across the table, he once again found himself looking into emotional emerald eyes.

Harry looked at the wizard with a mixture of fear and worry. Ron had told him earlier that Snape had never stayed for dinner after meetings. So why was he here now? The young Gryffindor was suddenly gripped by the fear that Snape was going to tell everyone in the room about the condition his uncle had left him in. Harry could feel his stomach twisting in knots at this thought and looked down as he braced himself for what was surely to come. But no remarks were made. The only words that came from Snape were a thank you as Kinsley handed him a glass of ale. Hesitatingly, Harry lifted his eyes and dared to look into the onyx eyes. Snape must have sense how he was feeling because his professor caught his student's attention with a look of assurance that he was not going to say anything.

"Well Harry," Mr. Weasley said getting Harry's attention, "to answer your question, Elphias told us a very peculiar piece of information the other day. It seems that your hearing in the Ministry is to be before the entire Wizengamot rather than with Amelia Bones, Head of Magical Enforcement which is usual."

"But I don't understand," Harry said. "What does the Ministry for Magic have against me?"

Harry noticed that the kitchen had become silent. His friends had stopped laughing with Tonks and her face returned to her normal appearance. Mr. Weasley had a glum expression on his face. Kinsley's smile gave way to a grave expression. Even Mrs. Weasley had stopped chopping the cauliflower. Only Remus and Sirius had not adopted such grave expressions. Both men had looks of mild apprehension. Harry also thought that he also saw sadness in their eyes.

Moody looked to Kinsley and instructed, "Go on. Show him. He'll find out soon enough."

Tonks handed Kinsley a folded issue of the Daily Prophet. The Auror unfolded it and held it open for the Boy Who Lived. The headline first read, The Boy Who Lies? It then changed to Minster Says All Is Well. The picture underneath also changed, from Harry to the Minster for Magic.

"He's been attacking Dumbledore as well," Sirius said as Harry stared at the image of a smug looking Cornelius. "Fudge is using all his power, including his influence at the Daily Prophet to smear anyone who claims the Dark Lord has returned."

"But why would the Ministry think I'm telling lies? Dumbledore-"

"You've hit the nail on the head Harry; Dumbledore," Remus said. "Simply put Harry, the Minister believes that Dumbledore is after his job."

"But that's insane. Nobody in their right mind would-"

"And that's exactly the point Harry. Fudge isn't in his right mind. It's become twisted and warped by the fear of Voldemort's return."

"Fear?"

"Yes, Harry," Mr. Weasley answered. "The panic You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters caused in the first war showed how inadequate the Ministry was at keeping the peace. Therefore, after he vanished, the ministry did everything possible to ensure the calm. They've kept it that way for the past decade and a half. Fudge has built much of his reputation on this and saw that any possible threat to it was dealt with swiftly. Unfortunately, that led many to believe the Dark Lord was gone for good and they would never need to face the possibility that he would ever return The Minster is greatly afraid of losing the peace the Ministry has created."

"Voldemort nearly succeeded in destroying everything we hold dear the last time he gained power," Remus said somberly. "With his return, the Minster is doing everything possible to avoid facing the awful truth."

Sirius saw his godson's forehead furrow as he took in the information. He knew Harry needed to know the current situation and decided to take over the course of the conversation. "Do you remember what I told you of what it was like back when Voldemort was all powerful? How the ministry was completely overwhelmed by deaths, attacks, abductions and the uncertainty of who was and wasn't his followers? By admitting Voldemort was back would mean Fudge and the ministry would have to face those daunting challenges all over again. Therefore it's just easier to believe that the Headmaster is spreading around lies in order to usurp his position."

"Mister Potter," Snape's silky voice broke through, surprising everyone, "surely you recall how the Minster acted in the Hospital Wing that night when you told him the Dark Lord had returned and of the Death Eaters you identified? He made excuses after excuse for everything trying to avoid the issue. Nothing short of seeing the Dark Lord for himself will make the man except the truth. "

"Professor Snape is right," Mr. Weasley exclaimed. "The Minister has a considerable majority of Ministry officials on his side. It would take a drastic thing to make him move even an inch on the matter. And by then, it may be too late."

The words of the patriarch hung heavy in the air. Many looked down and stared at their place settings. Harry saw that the only one not hanging their head was Professor Snape. Instead, the man had a look that was hard to read. It was like a mixture of trepidation, sadness and resentment. Harry was about to ask his next question when Mrs. Weasley announced that supper was ready.

As the meal got underway, the atmosphere of the room gradually lightened. Various conversations began and everyone started to relax and enjoy themselves. Harry noticed that his Potions Professor did not take part in any of the conversations. He sat and ate his food quietly. Severus however did keep a discrete eye on Harry. While he was glad the boy did eat his food, he saw that he only took small portions at first. Molly apparently saw this and spooned several larger portions onto his plate despite his objections. When she made a comment about how skinny he was and what his relatives were feeding him, Harry became tense and mumbled a response about that his aunt still had the family on same diet as his cousin. The spy noticed the Boy Who Lived was mainly pushing his food around on his plate and he recalled the dinner scene he had witnessed in Number Four. Even if there was truth in his cousin being on a diet, Potter received smaller potions then his cousin had. But he noticed when the boy felt Molly's eyes on him, he would take a couple more of bites of food.

Once the dinner plates had been removed, Mrs. Weasley brought out dessert. Harry managed to eat the crumble and custard but declined a second helping. Ron, on the other hand, took second and third helpings, much to Hermione's and Ginny's shock.

"Something on your mind Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked when he saw the baffled look on the boy's face.

"Yes," he answered. "If Voldemort's out there recruiting and Fudge is telling lies, how are you able to convince people otherwise?" Harry looked at each of those seated around the table, individually.

"Many members were part of the first Order of the Phoenix and believed the Headmaster's assurance that the Dark Lord would return," Remus explained. "Newer members like Kinsley and Tonks," he indicated each with a nod of his head, "trust Dumbledore's and your accounts. They see the truth behind Fudge's actions Harry. Like Voldemort, we've been doing our own secret recruiting, but we have to do so even more secretly. Otherwise, people like Arthur, Kingsley, Tonks and others will lose their jobs and possibly end up in Azkaban. And we need contacts in the Ministry because Voldemort will have his own spies."

"Alright," Harry responded slowly. The answer made sense but he could not help but wonder why the majority of the Magical World would believe a man and government that were so corrupted and inefficient rather than the man who they all considered to be the greatest wizard in the world and the boy they saw as a hero "Since the Ministry doesn't believe Voldemort's back, what's he been up to? According to the Muggle news, there hasn't been any strange events or anything. Why hasn't he tried to do anything?"

Remus looked to Sirius and the other Order members before clearing his throat. "That's because he can't, otherwise he would draw attention to himself. As of now, he has nowhere near the forces he once had. You said there were only eight Death Eaters that returned to his side that night, including Peter. And there's no way he can try to take on the Ministry with just nine Death Eaters." Remus had chosen not to tell Harry of the new recruits the Dark Lord gained in the last twenty-four hours.

"So we believe Voldemort's focusing on rebuilding his army again," Sirius told his godson. "Fourteen years ago, he had huge numbers at his command. They included witches, wizards and all kinds of dark creatures. He's doing so quietly especially among those who feel they've been mistreated and discriminated against. Even with the Ministry not believing he's back, he still can't do anything that would attract attention to himself. And like we said, we believe he's starting to install his spies in the Ministry. But gathering followers and information isn't the only thing he's interested in," Sirius interjected suddenly.

Again, Harry felt the atmosphere of the room change. Moody had cleared his throat just as Sirius had spoken. Harry saw several Order members become uneasy by their colleagues' statement. Mrs. Weasley looked especially displeased with his action. But Harry did not have the time to worry about why. He turned to his godfather, hoping to get a more detailed answer to his question.

"We believe that Voldemort is after something-"

"Sirius," Moody interrupted in a warning tone.

"Something he didn't have before."

"You mean like a weapon?" Harry suggested before Mrs. Weasley swooped in and put an end to the conversation.

Imploringly, Harry looked to his godfather, and Sirius then got into a heated debate with Mrs. Weasley about Harry still being a child and not a member of the Order. Harry instantly said he wanted to join the Order, but Mrs. Weasley shoot him down. Sirius came to his defense and repeated what he had said about Harry facing more than any other Order member.

Severus knew that Molly's refusal would only increase Potter's desire to join the Order. His godfather's encouragement was only adding more momentum to the argument. An end was needed and he determined to bring it about now. The Mutt and Molly continued squabbling instead of allowing the issue to be resolved. Clearing his throat, he rose to his full height and leaned in towards Harry, his onyx eyes looking directly into the emerald ones.

"Mr. Potter," Severus addressed him with absolute authority. "You have no idea of the true level of magic the Dark Lord possess. What you witnessed firsthand just a few weeks ago is but a mere fraction of his power. The abilities he possesses are beyond your level of compression and skill. His Death Eaters are trained in the deadliest of Dark Arts and have no qualms about prolonging torture or death. Many relish it. The Dark Lord himself views torture as a means of relaxation. A mere teenager hasn't the slightest chance of survival against a fully trained Death Eater. The fact you've survived the Dark Lord as many times as you have can't help you. You are still a child, in school, and already fall victim to a reckless hero complex which has placed you in more harm in the last four years than any other student. It will only place you in more dangerous situations and then the Order will have to come to your rescue. The Order of the Phoenix is comprised of fully trained adults and that is final. You might as well get the foolish idea out of your head right this instant and not bring it up ever again."

Remus felt like smiling while Sirius looked like he was ready to punch on the man for talking to his godson in such a manner and right in front of him. Yet Remus knew Harry needed a strong voice to tell him how dangerous it was for the Order members. And Harry did have the same streak for overlooking dangerous situations just like James.

"I think that's enough talk and it's time for bed," Molly declared in a firm voice.

Harry looked to Sirius and received a small wink. "Molly's right Harry, it's late and you've had a busy day. We'll talk in the morning."

Nodding, Harry said goodnight to everyone and allowed himself to be ushered upstairs by Mrs. Weasley along with Hermione and the Weasleys siblings. Kinsley and Tonks both said they would also take their leave. Moody grumbled that he would be leaving as well. Giving Sirius a pointed glare, the former Auror limped over to door being held open form him by Mr. Weasley who offered to walk them out. Once the door closed, the three wizards were alone.

"Don't ever speak to Harry like that again in my presence Snape," Sirius warned venomously.

"I will if I feel it necessary to make him understand the danger of being in this Order clear Black," Severus snapped back as he crossed his arms across his chest. "Which is more then I can say for you, despite your earlier claims of looking out for his best interest. You were all but encouraging him to press for membership. Well, somebody had to tell Potter that this isn't a game of Gobstones. There are serious consequences to one's actions."

There was no denial the guilt that had overcome the man's face with these words. Remus clearly saw it, but Sirius was too blinded by his resentment to see it. "I highly doubt this new found concern for Harry's well being is a recent development as you claim."

Severus looked at Sirius with a look of annoyance and aloofness. "The last thing I need is to hear is the Headmaster going off because his beloved Golden Boy got hurt because he ran off to face Death Eaters or the Dark Lord because he wasn't given strict boundaries. But since you're now spending all your time at home, you have ample time to play babysitter." The last statement was laced with mockery

Sirius was fuming. He hated that Snape was continually poking fun at his current situation. He could feel Remus' hand on his shoulder but he still felt the urge to hex the man just as he had back in their youth. "If it wasn't for the fact I'm kept a prisoner in this house," he emphasized the word, "I would be out there doing a lot for the Order. Fugitive status or not."

"You're right Black," Severus answered. "I'll go and tell the Headmaster that you should be allowed to undertake missions for the Order. After all, that's far more important than spending time with your only godson who up until two years ago, didn't even know you existed. I mean, you both have had so much quality time together since then." With that, Severus swept out of the kitchen in his characteristic manner with robes billowing behind him. Sirius let of a huff and rubbed his forehead.

"He does make a valid point Padfoot," Remus calmly said. Noticing his stunned expression and sensing a forthcoming verbal argument, Remus quickly added, "But you are Harry's godfather and his safety is your responsibility and you only want what's best for him. I know that's why you want him to know the complete truth about everything."

The last heir to the Black family sighed and let his shoulders slumped. "I'm going to bed Moony. I'm too tired to think about Snivellus anymore tonight."

"Alright, goodnight Sirius," Remus said.

Sirius patted him on his shoulder and walked up out of the kitchen. Remus sighed and collapsed into a nearby chair. The entire evening had been exhausting and it had taken its toll on him. Remus was already feeling worn-out due to his forthcoming transformation. Yet, it did reveal several revelations. Now, he was positive that Severus cared more about Harry then he so far had let on. And for the first time, Remus wondered about the future that might have been had that day by the lake fifth year had not occurred and Harry's father would have been the lone Slytherin his mother had been friends with all those years ago.