Harry climbed the steps of the squalid house. Hermione was walking across the landing, Harry called out and mounted the steps two at a time towards her. Hermione squealed with joy at seeing him. Harry smiled as Hermione threw her arms around him.
Ron strolled out of his room, grinning at the scene.
"Declan! Harry's here." Ron shouted as he slapped Harry on the back, Hermione was still hugging him tightly. "Let him breathe, Hermione."
"Oh Harry, we've missed you." Hermione said breathlessly, still holding onto his arms.
Declan came running down the steps.
"Nice to see you mate." Declan said, clapping Harry on the back.
They entered an adjacent bedroom with several beds, each of them took a seat. Harry looked at them. Ron had shot up, he was as gangly as ever and his mop of red hair was shorter than last year. Hermione had seemed to have matured even more, every bit a young lady. Declan was taller than Ron, but instead of being gangly, he had bulked out considerably, it looked like his biceps were going to rip out of his shirt.
The silence was broken when Hedwig flew from the other side of the room and excitedly greeted Harry, affectionately nibbling his ear.
"She was a right state when your letters arrived." Ron said, opened his hands to reveal the cuts.
"Sorry, I just wanted some answers." Harry said, only feeling slightly sorry for them.
Declan had cuts as well, the deepest one was on his eyebrow and Harry suspected that it would leave a scar.
"We wanted to give them to you mate." Declan said, "Dumbledore made us promise not you. He thought it would safer that way, he was afraid that our owls would be intercepted."
"There are other ways of communicating." Harry said, absentmindedly stroking Hedwig, he could feel anger in the pit of his stomach raising slowly.
"Dumbledore thought it would safer -" Ron started.
"To keep me in the dark?"
"It's not like that Harry." Hermione said. "He's had people from the Order of the Phoenix tailing you all the time —"
"It is like that! Keep me safe? Have any of you been attacked by dementors this summer?" Harry said sarcastically.
"Dumbledore was so angry when he found out Mundungus had left his post early. I've never seen him so scary." Hermione said in an awestruck voice.
"I'm glad he left." Harry said defiantly, he was lying but so angry to be left out in the cold. He felt isolated, even though he was at last in a room with his best friends.
"You don't mean that." Declan said softly.
"Aren't you nervous about your hearing with the Ministry of Magic?" Hermione asked mildly.
"No." Harry said shortly. "So, do you know why Dumbledore is keeping me in the dark?"
The three of them exchanged glances, as if they had expected this from him. It didn't improve his temper.
'We told Dumbledore we wanted to tell you what was going on,' said Ron. 'We did. But he's really busy now, we've only seen him twice since we came here and he didn't have much time.'
'He could have kept me informed,' Harry said shortly.
Declan glanced at Hermione and then said, 'He didn't want you to know anything.'
'Maybe he thinks I can't be trusted,' said Harry, watching their expressions.
'Don't be stupid,' said Declan, getting annoyed now, Harry was deliberately being difficult.
'Or that I can't take care of myself.'
'Of course he doesn't think that!' said Hermione, giving Declan a warning look, that said "don't start".
'So how come I have to stay at the Dursleys' while you three get to be a part of everything that's going on here?' said Harry, the words tumbling over one another in a rush, his voice growing louder with every word.
'We're not!' Ron interrupted. 'Mum won't let us near the meetings, she says we're too young. Even Sirius won't let Declan in -"
'SO YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE MEETINGS, BIG DEAL! YOU'VE STILL BEEN HERE, HAVEN'T YOU? YOU'VE STILL BEEN TOGETHER! ME, I'VE BEEN STUCK AT THE DURSLEYS' FOR A MONTH! AND I'VE HANDLED MORE THAN YOU TWO'VE EVER MANAGED AND DUMBLEDORE KNOWS IT - 'WHO SAVED THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE? WHO GOT RID OF RIDDLE? WHO SAVED BOTH YOUR SKINS FROM THE DEMENTORS?'
Every bitter and resentful thought Harry had had in the past month was pouring out of him: his frustration at the lack of news, the hurt that they had all been together without him, his fury at being followed and not told about it - all the feelings he was half-ashamed of finally burst their boundaries.
'WHO HAD TO GET PAST DRAGONS AND SPHINXES AND EVERY OTHER FOUL THING LAST YEAR? WHO SAW HIM COME BACK? WHO HAD TO ESCAPE FROM HIM? ME!'
Ron was standing there with his mouth half-open, clearly stunned and at a loss for anything to say, Declan stared coldly as Harry spoke, whilst Hermione looked on the verge of tears.
'BUT WHY SHOULD I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON? WHY SHOULD ANYONE BOTHER TO TELL ME WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING?'
'Harry, we wanted to tell you, we really did - ' Hermione began.
'CAN'T HAVE WANTED TO THAT MUCH, CAN YOU, OR YOU'D HAVE SENT ME AN OWL, BUT DUMBLEDORE MADE YOU SWEAR - '
'Well, he did - '
'FOUR WEEKS I'VE BEEN STUCK IN PRIVET DRIVE, NICKING PAPERS OUT OF BINS TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON - '
'We wanted to - '
'I SUPPOSE YOU'VE BEEN HAVING A REAL LAUGH, HAVEN'T YOU, ALL HOLED UP HERE TOGETHER - '
'No, honest - '
'Harry, we're really sorry!' said Hermione desperately, her eyes now sparkling with tears. 'You're absolutely right, Harry - I'd be furious if it was me!'
Harry glared at them all, Ron look shocked and Hermione looked upset, it was only Declan who glared straight back. Harry was still breathing deeply, then turned away from them again, pacing up and down. Hedwig hooted glumly from the top of the wardrobe. There was a long pause, broken only by the mournful creak of the floorboards below Harry's feet.
"Are you done?" Declan asked softly, Harry stopped his pacing and turned to look Declan, surprised by the ferocity in his expression despite his soft voice.
"Declan, don't." Hermione said, putting a hand on his chest, in normal circumstances this would have made Declan stop, whenever Hermione touched him, he would consider first but he was too far gone. Harry had made Hermione cry, and Declan was not okay with that.
"No he has to hear this. He's had his say." Striding around Hermione so he was closer to Harry who was a little shocked and took a step back, he'd never seen his friend so angry at him. "When did you become so big headed? Huh? When did that happen? Is that what happens when we leave you alone for a month? You become this arrogant arsehole."
"Dec." Ron said uncertainly, but Declan ignored him.
"You really think you could have done any of that on your own? We helped you get the sorcerer's stone! Ron and I got knocked out so you could keep going! If it weren't for Hermione being petrified you would never have figured out how to get into the chamber of secrets! Ron had to tell you how to open the door, you just stood there like an idiot. You want to talk about skin? Do you?"
"Declan please." Hermione knew what was coming but could not stop it as Declan took his off and turned his back to Harry. There were three great, long and jagged scars from his right shoulder to his left hip.
"You're not the one with a huge big scar on his back! You weren't the one scared to death that you'd may be a werewolf, worrying for months and months!" Declan turned back to Harry, he had tears in his eyes, he was so angry. "I saved your skin Harry as much as you saved mine from the dementors."
Harry took another step back, lowering his gaze, but Declan wasn't finished with yet.
"Every step of the tournament, you had help from somewhere and every single step, the three of us were there with you and supporting you as much as we could. Do you think we wouldn't have wanted to be there when you faced Voldemort? We would do anything to save Diggory and to save you from suffering again at the hands of that lunatic. But we weren't there, but that doesn't mean we don't understand Harry."
Declan took a breath, then softened his voice, though his heart was still pounding with anger.
"We'll always be with you Harry, always. We are not laughing behind you back, the thing we do behind you back, is worry about you, that's all we do. We just want to know your safe! So we followed Dumbledore's order because he told us that would keep you safe. So, how about you get your head out of your arse!?"
Declan didn't say anything else as he strode out the room. Hermione looked between Harry and the door, she chose to quickly follow Declan.
...
There was an awkward silence as Ron and Harry stood there.
"What is this place anyway?" Harry asked softly to Ron.
"Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix," said Ron at once, as though he was scared that Harry was going to blow up again.
"Is anyone going to bother telling me what the Order of the Phoenix — ?"
"It's a secret society," explained Ron, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Dumbledore's in charge, he founded it. It's the people who fought against You-Know-Who the first time."
"Who's in it?" said Harry, putting his hands in his pockets.
"Quite a few people, we've met about twenty of them," said Ron, "but we think there are more."
Harry stopped asking questions, he sat next to Ron and sighed. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, mate." Ron said, clapping him softly on the back. "I'm not surprised you were frustrated, I would be too."
"I didn't have to say all those other things." Harry murmured, ashamed of himself. "I would never take any of you for granted."
"You just needed a reminder," Ron said with a sly grin. "And I think Declan gave you one that will last a lifetime."
"Oh it will." Harry said with a small smile of his own, he cleared his throat. "I never knew his back was that bad."
"I think he lessened it for Lupin and us. Didn't want us to worry. Hermione was the only one who knew."
...