This is a one shot:
Allies or Foe
Harry couldn't help but stare hard at Mrs. Weasley before looking away; giving the impression that she wasn't worth his time. The glance hadn't been unnoticed of course, which gave way to a whole new outcry. Mrs. Weasley, bless her, was a great mother, a good woman, and an even better witch, but Harry couldn't help but think that her sheltering ways were a bit…extensive. He was fifteen, been fighting off Voldemort every single year since he went to Hogwarts and if that wasn't enough, his friends were right there with him. It didn't help that Ron was her son, didn't help at all when the said red headed woman considered both he and Hermione as good as her own, despite their living relatives. He understood perfectly that all she wanted was to protect them…
"Mum" Ron says interrupting the tirade that had begun by several Order members. Mrs. Weasley took a deep breath and faced her youngest son.
"What is it Ronald?" Mrs. Weasley asks. Ron looks at both him and Hermione for support but sighs.
"I think, Mrs. Weasley, what Ron is trying to say is…is that you can be a bit overbearing" Hermione huffed. Ron went a new shade of pink when Mrs. Weasley looked offended by Hermione's brutal honesty.
"I only meant to protect you! If it's so wrong of me to want the best for you three then by all mean-"Harry cancelled her out again before looking elsewhere. So far only his godfather, the headmaster, Snape and Remus hadn't said anything. Snape seemed a bit amused at the land field Mrs. Weasley was displaying to be. They had spent the last twenty minutes trying to put her at ease but at every turn they seemed to hit a landmine. Sirius looked a bit wary, and Remus seemed a bit on edge but otherwise relaxed. Dumbledore…well…Dumbledore was Dumbledore.
"Bloody hell" Ron muttered to him. Harry nodded in agreement. There was something that the three of them had come down here for…they wanted to come clean about some things and also inform the Order of what they were planning so they weren't walking against three different walls; Voldemort and the Ministry was enough, thanks.
"Is there something you wish to say, Harry?" Dumbledore ask as Harry had finally seemed to began shutting down. Mrs. Weasley as well as the other Order members seemed to quiet down as soon as Dumbledore spoke. Harry looked over at the Headmaster with a smirk.
"Well yes, but I'm not sure it'd be such a good idea now…" he admits, sending a fleeting glance at the overly motherly red headed woman.
"Harry, we can't be fighting the Order as well" Hermione points out, Ron nodding his agreement.
"Fighting the Order-"Mrs. Weasley rounded up again, and this time it was nearly the entire Order on their backs. Harry sighed for what seemed the hundredth time in the last half hour.
"I don't believe that's what she meant, Molly, dear" Dumbledore announces, causing everyone to settle down again.
"Now Harry, please, tell us what it is you wish to discuss" Dumbledore respectfully request.
"Fred, George!" Harry calls. As soon as he called them they came, with a roll a parchment of course, with the most serious looks on their faces as well.
"Here you go Harry-"Fred starts.
"Thought you'd be wanting this" George says handing over the roll of parchment.
"Are you sure we can trust them?" Fred asks.
"You know, not to flip their lids?" George finishes.
"There's not much choice now is there?" Hermione snapped, she was a bit testy with all the tension. The twins nodded and sat down beside her.
"There are something's we need to confess to you about, sir" Harry says looking directly at the Headmaster.
"Which are?" Dumbledore asks, taking them seriously. Even Sirius and Remus looked interested.
"Just as you've been playing me…I've been playing you" Harry admits, their gazes locked. Of course, the Order disrupted into chaos the second the sentence left his mouth but Dumbledore seemed to reflect what was said and almost…almost smirked in amusement. So he suspected.
"May I ask how so?" Dumbledore asks, as if asking an opponent how he knew something he shouldn't have. Harry nods.
"Of course. I'll start with my sorting, as well as theirs" Harry says motioning towards Ron and Hermione.
"I was sorted first, of course. When we met on the train, Harry and I had read the school books and knew that the likihood of him actually defeating Voldemort were slim. So we decided that once we got to Hogwarts, we'd investigate further, just to make sure. Ron told us all sorts of stories and facts that he's heard, being raised in the wizarding world and all…It was decided that we'd try to get in the same house…and since Ron wanted Gryffindor, we chose that house. When I was sorted, the hat wanted me in Ravenclaw. We'd argued, of course, because putting me in a different house wasn't really something he was going to do without a really good reason…It only took me two minutes to explain really, then he loudly pronounced me into Gryffindor like I had asked" Hermione says, gaining very shocked looked.
"Right, well, I got Gryffindor pretty easily. The hat was a bit obnoxious though, and let it slip that if you come from a long lineage you're more likely to be sorted into the same house as your family despite the potential to go to a different house" Ron informs. Apparently that wasn't something most knew but was suspected.
"I was sorted last. The sorting hat said I'd be fine in any of the houses (Gaining raises eyebrows from the four heads of house) but the hat seemed to push me for Slytherin. But I practically had to trick the hat into letting me into Gryffindor. Wasn't too hard really, both houses are alike in a lot of ways; besides, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were best friends before they fell out." Harry informs.
"That's impossible." Minerva clutched her heart and sat down. Even Snape seemed to be in as much shock as her. Dumbledore didn't seemed to mind too much, in fact, he seemed even more amused than before.
"Anyway, just to let you know, Hermione didn't go looking for the troll. Hermione had been in the bathroom because someone called her a mudblood, so she never heard the announcement. Ron and I went to go and get her-"
"Why not tell a teacher, Mr. Potter?" Professor Flitwick asks.
"And say what exactly? The troll was supposed to be in the dungeons…not anywhere near the girl's bathroom. But like I said, Professor, the plan was just to get Hermione and go to the Gryffindor common room, not face a fifteen foot troll" Harry answers politely. Flitwick nodded in resignation.
"Anyway, I did jump on the trolls back, Ron levitated the trolls club and knocked him out and Hermione turned out fine. That was the troll incident. The stone is a completely different story. If you'll excuse me for saying this, we thought it was Professor Snape who was trying to steal the stone" Harry admits sheepishly.
"I was trying to protect it you-"
"Yes we know that now, Professor, but at the time we had pretty good evidence to say otherwise" Ron snapped.
"Ronald Weasley" Mrs. Weasley roared, angry and quite shocked at her own son.
"What made you think Severus had anything to do with the stone?" Minerva asks, quite indignant for her colleague and dare she say, friend.
"Well, to start with, there was the quidditch match when someone was trying to hex Harry off his broom. I saw you, Professor, muttering something without breaking eye contact." Hermione says, but continued as she saw Snape about to sneer something "and I know that's the only way to admit a hex…or a counter for one" Hermione says becoming a bit pink, much to the amusement of a couple Order members.
"So, in order to…break your concentration, I may have…set your robes of fire" Hermione says admitting her guilt.
"YOU WHAT?!" Snape roared standing.
"YOU set Snivillus Robes on fire?!" Sirius broke out laughing.
"It's quite an advance charm for a first year" Flitwick mutters under his breath.
"Settle down, settle down. Miss. Granger had made a decisive decision to what she believed was an immediate danger to her friend." Dumbledore states calmly, though Snape seemed to glow with rage.
"By the way Sirius, I've come into contact with some of you pranks during your school year-" Harry starts, staring at his godfather coldly.
"Have you? Brilliant aren't th-"Sirius began.
"I doubt he thinks so" Remus cuts him off, with a pointed look. Harry held no grudge against his 'uncle' for his parts of the pranks, the ones he participated in were actually quite harmless and viewed as funny by the one getting pranked.
"I don't think it's at all funny holding someone upside down in front of everyone and pulling down his pants and holding him up for over half an hour" Harry says. The room seemed to freeze as Harry's magic seemed to act on its own, crackling in the air sharply. Snape seemed to freeze where he sat and his face of color.
"It was just a prank, Harry. No harm was done" Sirius says trying to shrug it off.
"It hardly seems like a harmless prank to us, mate" Fred says speaking up.
"That wasn't a prank at all" George adds. Both red headed twins looked downright serious.
"Besides, not all your 'pranks' were harmless, were they?" Harry asks glancing at the guilt stricken look on Remus's face before turning back to Sirius.
"I'll admit, some of my pranks weren't so innocent, but people laughed when they saw. Besides, that prank you're referring too was meant as a lesson. He'd been snooping into other people's business" Sirius says, remembering when Snape would sneak around trying to follow them to get them expelled. Harry sighed.
"Nearly getting someone killed isn't the way to teach someone a lesson, Sirius!" Hermione snapped at him.
"Oh, then what would you have me do?" Sirius asks.
"What anyone would do" Ron says as if it was obvious. "Be strategic enough as to not get followed." Ron answers.
"Well, it all worked out in the end didn't it" Sirius scoffed, feeling corners.
"Only thanks to my dad" Harry sighs.
"How do you figure that?" Sirius asks, looking at his godson in betrayal.
"Dumbledore mentioned that my dad saved that kids life…not hard to find out the records when you know where to look" Harry says. "Besides, we've gotten off track. Hermione" Harry says leaning his head in to his hand as he watched Sirius send him shooting looks of betrayal and then glaring daggers at Snape, who seemed a bit shocked behind his stoic mask.
"Right well, after the whole fire incident, and well, you getting bitten, we found out that you knew how to get past fluffy. We tried to go to Dumbledore, but you Professor (looks to McGonagall) said that he was summoned away, and then we tried to tell you that someone was trying to steal the stone, but you assured us that it was safe…" Hermione trailed off.
"The thing is, we came to the conclusion that if someone wanted the stone, it'd be much easier if they were helping to guard the stone" Ron cuts in. " We weren't wrong about that either. Quirrel was help guarding the stone with a troll, how no one put those two together beats me. We got past the trap door, someone already had played a harp and when that stopped, Harry played his flute that Hagrid gave him as a gift. We landed on the devils snare, but got through that because of Hermione. Next came the rough bit with the keys, we all played our part on that, and then Professor McGonagall's chest game, bloody brilliant. I'm just glad I learned the lotus play before I came to school, I barely beat the game with that, knocked me out as I had to be the last piece taken though. (McGonagall couldn't help but feel flattered)" Ron says. The order seemed to be drawn in to their tail.
"Next came Quirrels test, but the troll was already knocked out so we moved on to Professor Snape's. I got about four of the nine bottles figured out but Hermione got it after a minute. We didn't think that I'd be a match to take on a Professor Snape, we still thought it was you, (Snape sneered but his eyes held approval for Hermione for figuring his test out.) so Hermione went back to Ron to go send Dumbledore a letter and to tell Professor McGonagall what's happened while I went forward to try and save the stone…honestly, we thought he was getting it for Voldemort and we really didn't want that. Turns out, I got the stone through the mirror because I wanted it, but didn't plan on using it." Harry says.
"Voldemort tried to sway Harry into giving him the stone by saying that he could bring back Harry's parents" Ron adds, causing Harry and Hermione to glare at him.
"That's impossible" Both Sirius and Snape said at the same time, causing horrified expressions to come out.
"That was our first year. Second through fourth happened in a similar fashion…However, we learned that there was something else going on in second year, when we went down into the chamber" Harry says waving his hand as if their life threatening encounters were something to just shrug off.
"The diary" Dumbledore states. Harry bowed his head in confirmation.
"The diary is…much more than what most seemed to think it was…one of six actually" Harry states looking directly at Dumbledore's shocked expression. It took a few minutes for Dumbledore to regain himself and the questions from the Order to die down.
"How did you find out?" Dumbledore asks urgently.
"I was impressed, sir, that you managed to destroy all the book's on it. Even in your own library." Harry says, his face blank of any emotion.
"You broke into the Headmasters library?!" McGonagall gasps, like many others.
"Hermione couldn't find any information out at Hogwarts thanks to that, nor did Ron know anything about it…dark magic has been socially outlasted after all. Not even Tom Riddle could find anything, he had to go through Slugghorn and he barely managed to convince the man to do that" Harry continued. Dumbledore seemed to go deathly pale.
"Have you known all this since second year, Harry?" Dumbledore asks, he dearly underestimated the child in front of him.
"No, since third. Hermione managed to go through Krum to find out for me. Ron even found out about the prophecy too…why do you think we took Trelawney's class?" Harry asks, scrunching his nose up at the reminder of the old woman.
"What do you plan to do" Dumbledore asks.
"I'm assuming you planned to inform me of all this when I reached year sixth or when it couldn't be put off anymore?" Harry asks. Dumbledore, remarkably, nodded. Harry grinned for once.
"It seems that everything will work out then." Ron mutters seemingly relieved.
"The plan is simple…we've created an army and have been training for quite some time…you should be honored that everyone decided to call it 'Dumbledore's Army' or the D.A for short. We've planned all along to assist you, but that plan has changed somewhat." Harry admits. Dumbledore seemed to feel a bit at ease, knowing that Harry was still willing to fight and not become like Tom.
"No! You're just children, let us handle these things!" Mrs. Weasley snapped, standing and putting her hands defiantly on her waist.
"Sorry, Mrs. Weasley, but this isn't up for debate." Harry says glancing at her.
"Honey, let's hear them out" Mr. Weasley spoke for the first time, he looked willing to listen at least.
"NO!-"However before Mrs. Weasley could continue, it was Ron who spoke up.
"Mum, you say we're children, but we're a year away from adulthood and even less away from fighting in a war to defend ourselves against Voldemort. We can't just sit back and let you 'adults' handle thing, especially not if you plan on doing what you did in the last war. Our plan is good, and to be quite honest, probably going to be more effective that this bloody Order." Ron says standing up.
"How dare you-"
"Just runts-"
"Ignorant fools, the lot of-"
"Oh shut up" Hermione snapped, silencing the Order once more. No one's heard her talk like that to an adult before.
"How dare we? Yes we dare to stand and fight, not just cower in our homes. Just runts? I'll have you know that I've scored 112 point just in my third year, Ron's a strategist and Harry has been teaching the D.A up to their seventh year and everyone is now advancing, so there goes the ignorant comment as well" Hermione roared.
"…Here you are Harry" Fred says gulping at Hermione as he handed the parchment over. Harry took it and handed it over to Dumbledore.
"What is this?" Dumbledore asks taking it.
"It's…locations and names. Some are bases and others are safe houses. The names are sorted into by squads. There are six companies. The twins run the 'special forces' if you want to call them that, they are pretty much responsible for ambushes, scouting, traps, so on and so forth. Draco runs the company for intelligence, mostly made up of Ravenclaws and Slytherins though. Neville runs the Herbology and medical Corp, responsible for supplying those who can brew well, and running the make shift hospitals. We've got a search and rescue Corp as well, run by Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan. They're surprisingly strict as hell though. Then there's the ward department. They take care of warding our bases and safe houses. They do other stuff as well, but it's not important now, that's run by Luna. She's bloody wicket with Ruins. The last company is Oliver's…our…assault soldiers if you will. They'll be attacking D.E meetings and doing frontal assaults." Harry explained. Immediately their plan was criticized by the members of the Order.
"What of you three?" Remus asks.
"Hopefully we'll be working with Dumbledore…on a different matter." Harry admits looking at his uncle before turning to Dumbledore.
"What different matter?" Professor Sprout asks.
"It seems you know how to kill them as well" Dumbledore says stroking his beard in thought.
"I'm a bit ambitious, sir, call me a Slytherin." Harry shrugged.
"Draco is working for you?" Snape asks, well, demands.
"Not for, no, with. So is Mrs. Malfoy, she's given us a safe house that Lucious doesn't know about. I've taken the dark mark off of her and Draco. I can take your off as well, if you'd like" Harry asks. Snape jaw dropped, so unlike the professor really.
"I still need him for spying" Dumbledore interrupts.
"Actually no you don't" Harry counters, gaining both man's attention.
"To be brutally honest, manipulating Professor Snape to spy for you in return to providing protection for my mum was not the best way to get Professor Snape to do so. I don't care for it all…in fact, I almost damn near attacked you when I found out" Harry admits, his face becoming stone serious. Even the Order gave Dumbledore looks. Dumbledore just looked grave.
"I apologized for how it must have looked, Harry-"
"No…you're quite glad that Professor Snape went along with you. You knew he'd do anything to protect my mum, and you used that to your advantage. Had you not come to regard the Professor as something more akin to a son, I would not hesitate to duel you…after all, you do hold the elder wand, do you not" Harry finishes with a smile. Now everyone was gaping, side the members of the D.A, in which they know everything.
"But regardless. Professor Snape won't need to return to spying. It useless for him to. Voldemort already knows that he'd double spying for you…" Harry informs.
"How do you know?" Dumbledore asks, not willing to lose his advantage over Tom so easily.
"…You're going to have to learn to take my word on things, I don't tend to waste time proving myself every time I tell you something. On one hand, you can not believe me, send the Professor back and when he doesn't come back and you find out he's dead, I can say I told you so, or on the other hand, you can just believe me and take the precaution and not send him back." Harry states. Dumbledore and Harry seemed to being in a staring match, one where Dumbledore lost his twinkle and Harry was showing his Slytherin side.
"Well, this is uncomfortable" Sirius exclaims. Everyone nods their head in agreement.
"Why are you hesitant to tell me how you found out, Harry" Dumbledore finally asks.
"How I found out isn't any priority nor business of yours. Besides…I need to be on equal or superior footing if I'm to work with the Order. You are a very powerful wizard, and I don't intend of misjudging that. However, where you lack in numbers, I more than make up for. I don't need an alliance with you, I'm simply trying to use my resources as I see them." Harry informs, rather boldly.
"Also, we don't want to be having to look out for Order members and regarding them as enemies. You know, like we will the ministry and the D.E" Hermione adds.
"To be grave, what makes you think I can't put a stop to your army now? I have this list of locations and people…It wouldn't be too hard to find them and…sway them" Dumbledore asks.
"…It that your answer, then?" Ron asks, exchanging a glance at his brothers. Dumbledore sighed.
"The question was never if you could, nor has it been of would…The question has been, can we trust you to be our safe keeper. What you hold in your hands is a blank sheet of parchment. I've given you only five companies worth out of Britain, never mind the other countries. The American Art of Magic has been extremely helpful on their end with providing recruits and paying for finances. Imagine what other countries are doing. You've led the last war…you've had your chance before Tom made those Horcruxes and fulfilled the duties of the prophecy…." Harry answered bluntly.
"Sorry to say it sir, but you have the option of fighting alongside us, or becoming part of the problem." Ron says.
"How dare you, Mr. Weasley, talk to the head master like this?"
"How could you think that you can do any better?"
"You have this planned all out…why would you choose me as your safe keeper and not your godfather or Remus…or even Molly or Arthur?" Dumbledore asks, feeling his age. Harry stood up from his chair and leaned over to whisper in the old man's ear. The Order became silent, trying to hear.
'Because I am the last and seventh Horcrux. I need someone who will let me die. Besides, I trust you completely.' Harry whispered. Dumbledore bowed his head in sadness. So, Harry knew and was willing to accept his fate?
"I see, Harry. I never wanted-…" Dumbledore shook his head.
"I know, so does the D.A, that's why we named ourselves after you. It takes a strong man to do this, and an even stronger man more, to regret it. That will be you, sir, when the war has ended." Harry says solemnly, knowing that the man he considered as a grandfather was eaten by guilt and sorrow.
The Order Watched as Dumbledore bowed his head.
"This is not how I wanted this to go, Harry. I kept what I could from you so that you could have a relatively normal childhood for a long as possible" Dumbledore tried to explain. Harry smiled softly.
"To be honest, that was never going to happen. Leaving me with the Dursley's was a bad mistake. I believe it was Hermione who told me it was called abuse…My aunt tried to get my Uncle to 'stomp the magic out of me'." Harry sighed. He heard the sharp intakes of breath and Dumbledore, his head of house, Molly, Lupin, Sirius and Snape all looked murderous.
"Hardly matters now…do you realize that my boggart was Tom Riddle…how afraid I was to turn out like him…and to be honest again, it was damn near close if these two hadn't saved me, and then everyone else. " Harry admitted. Now surprise and wariness edged into the Order.
"I believe we have ourselves an alliance?" Ron spoke up. Dumbledore nodded.
"I will assist you in all the ways that I can." Dumbledore agreed, his magic verifying his words. Harry grinned.
"Great. We'll need to get started right away. But first, Professor Snape, I'll need to see your mark if I'm to remove it." Harry says. Snape looked at him warily and a bit untrusting, but rolled up his sleeve. Everyone shot him looks for it, but the D.A members present glared at those who seemed to sneer.
"And how do you plan on removing it, Mr. Potter?" Snape asks. Harry looked at him in the eye.
"My wand is Riddle's brother. He influenced his with dark magic, while I will nullify it with light magic." Harry explained tapping his wand onto the dark mark.
"Light magic?" Tonks couldn't help but asks, while Snape braced himself for any pain. Harry smirked.
"No need to worry, Professor, it won't hurt. I've already removed several dark marks off of my D.A members. All seemed to have a better attitude once it was removed." Harry says to his Professor and he began. The dark mark literally faded away. Snape stared at his arm, as did the rest of the order and Dumbledore.
"As for your question, Tonks. Light magic is…in a sense…love, or some other positive feelings." Harry explained. Snape raised an eyebrow at him.
"You love Snape?" Sirius asks baffled. Harry grinned.
"Well, my mother did name him my second Godfather" Harry says shocking everyone present, Snape more so than anyone, even Sirius. Dumbledore looked pleased though.
"Well, congratulations, Severus" Minerva smiled warmly at him.
"That's not all, my mother also names two godmothers. Your one of them professor…" Harry announced to the stern Professor. Now it was her turned to be shocked.
"Who's the other, if I may ask?" Remus asks hesitantly. Harry grinned at him.
"Alice Longbottom…" Harry answers. "And by all means Remus, you're as good as my uncle, you have every right to my life" Harry adds. Remus smiles, pleased to note that Harry felt him as family.
"I can't believe Snape is also your godfather" Sirius says.
"Yes well, we really must be going. We'll visit as often as we can." Hermione says standing.
"Yes, we have things to find" Ron agrees.
"Blood awful-"Fred started
"Things, but none the less" George finishes. Harry tuned to the headmaster, who had risen from his seat.
"Are you ready, old man?" Harry grinned as he called Dumbledore old. Dumbledore smiles humorously, but nods.
"I believe I am, Harry" Dumbledore answers with a mad twinkle. Harry holds out his hand to the man.
Snape grabbed onto Harry's shoulder but didn't look at him. Harry grinned and states cheekily.
"Over protective godfathers, I swear" just as Dumbledore grabs his hand and they all apparate.
The order was left standing their in shock.
"I thought you couldn't apparate to or from this house?" Sirius turned to Moody, who had a surprised expression.
"Watcher veteran, CONSTANT VILLIGANCE!" Tonks yelled. Sirius turned to his cousin and they broke out laughing.