THAT confrontation between Sirius and Molly at the start of Order of the Phoenix. Given nothing more came of it in that the two never had another row on page I wondered. I wanted to look at how the series might have changed if it did not happen that way. This is my offering on that scene.

"What have you ever done for him?" Molly shrieks across the table as soon as she returns from forcing Ginny up the stairs and before Sirius can ask Harry what he wants to know. Harry frowns. They had had this debate surely? Arthur roughly pulls Molly into a seat and waves his hand but his godfather answers anyway.

"Escaped from an inescapable prison to keep him safe but I didn't realise this was a dick measuring contest or I would have brought my tape." Sirius states flatly across the table. Hermione gasps and George drops his goblet to the floor with a clatter.

"You went after Pettigrew before Harry. Twice."

Sirius stares for a moment before taking a long drink from his goblet and turning his gaze to Harry for a second. The boy is staring at him with bright eyes, head dizzy with the mixture of emotions that are surging through him. He cannot quite grasp that people are fighting over him because they care so much.

"In both situations Harry was never going to be safe until Peter was out of the picture. We both know The Dark Lord's fall was not enough to keep children safe from his death eaters and I was not going to take that chance with Harry. Hiding with children behind wards had already failed us. Action was needed. I did my best."

Harry gets the impression that everyone else in the room knows something that he, Ron and Hermione don't. Something important and, by the looks on their faces, horrible.

"It is not your decision, Sirius."

Sirius' lips curl. "I think you will find it is entirely my decision. Just as it will be Hermione, Ron and Harry's decision to tell Ginny everything before the night is out. No one wants to make children part of a war, Molly, but the war has come for them regardless. They need to know how to fight it."

Molly looks close to struggling to breathe she is so outraged and though Harry agrees entirely with his godfather he does understand Molly Weasley's attempt to shelter them.

"I want to fight." Harry states, feeling a rush of affection when he notes his best friends nodding out the corner of his eye. "But, I need to know how. Sirius is right we need to know. I mean, dementors just turned up in my muggle neighbourhood. That doesn't seem right does it? What if I didn't know the charm? What if it was not strong enough?"

It seems to give his friends strength because Hermione chimes in next to him, staring defiantly at Molly over the old oak table. "What if they come for my parents? I've been reading about before. They used to kill muggleborn's parents while they were in school or attack them in the holidays with large groups. I have to know how to defend them."

"Hard to pretend Bill is not in danger of being killed if he asks the goblins the wrong questions about being allies isn't it?" One of the twins notes grimly. Harry notes that it is probably the longest sentence he has heard one of the twines say without the other cutting in. It shows how serious they are and reduces Molly's beat red face to white in an instant.

"The kids are right. They are no kids." Moody barks from the corner. "It is foolish if not dangerous to pretend they are. Maybe you are right, Molly. Sirius has not been there for Harry in person so much as you have but perhaps in this instances it gives him more perspective, eh?"

"I'm trying to protect him, Molly. All of them. I know you love them all and I would never question that. I cannot thank you enough for the care and love you have shown Harry." Sirius states quietly but firmly. "When they first met me. When they thought I was guilty of the crimes I went to prison for both Hermione and Ron, on a broken leg I might add, stood in front of Harry and told me that if I wanted to kill him then I would have to kill them too. They were thirteen years old. Well, come to think of their birthdays I'm sure they were fourteen but you get my point."

"Their innocence is gone." Kingsley says from his end of the table, somewhat horrified at the fact.

"I mean, I had to kill my teacher in my first year at school so?"

"And we were with him right till the end on that one. Hermione was the one that ran, literally, into Dumbledore to get help!" Ron snaps at the table at large.

Everyone other than the trio seems alarmed at that and Ron launches into a rundown of their first year which is swiftly followed by Hermione recounting their second. Their third year at Hogwarts is better known and their fourth common knowledge by the Order.

"Worse than I thought." Fred states harshly.

"Ridiculous considering this was before Moldshorts was back." George adds.

"See!" Molly snaps a moment later. "If they cannot be mature about it then they should not be here."

"I resent that!" George bites back, eyebrow raised in defiance at his mother.

"You won't use his right name, Voldemort, and I am not going to call him Lord-"

"Of anything!"

"It wasn't you who was taught by him mum!"

"Or who was to think about the times you should have spoken to your sister cause he was possessing her!"

Moody laughs in the corner and raises his goblet towards the group of teens. "They have you there."

"What do you want to know, Harry?" Remus inquires quietly, meeting the other adults eyes before Harry's.

Harry turns to Hermione, as does Ron. She turns to Moody. "What do we need to learn? I think we have the constant vigilance part down."

"Learning to know who is a right git would help" Ron mutters and Sirius glares at Molly to stop her biting back. Ron notices. "The only places he didn't go after was Hogwarts right? Well what happens when we don't stay there mum? We throw our prefect badges at him?"

" He killed Fabien."

"And Gideon."

"Because they fought for what's right."

"And we will do the same."

"So stop being pillocks."

"And treating us like kids."

"Even if some of them are."

"And make sure we don't follow them."

"Into shallow graves."

"Cause we've got too much to do."

"To fall to that snake faced git."

"I agree with everything they said." Harry states in bewilderment, bursting with pride at his friends. He hardly knows Ginny yet he knows without a doubt she would agree with every statement.

"This house will never show the trace, Harry. I will be showing you magic while you are here. Magic to try keep you alive. Hermione is here with her parents' permission so I acknowledge she may join you. Any more of your friends may do the same." Sirius adds a moment later and before any of the other Weasley's can comment Arthur does.

"If you would take my four, Sirius."

"Of course, Arthur."

"I will also train them when I am free." Remus adds carefully.

"Defence is your specialty yes?" Molly queries.

"The most important things to know and the first they will be taught by Sirius or myself I promise you." Remus placates as the rest of the Order looks on. She nods and then finally relaxes into her chair.

"So, I still need to know what Voldemort is doing? Why is no one doing anything?"

"Come on, Harry. Let this be lesson one. Someone has spoken against Voldemort. Who?"

Harry stares at his godfather and feels the rage build as the answer doesn't come. The whole Order is looking at him! Just as he is about to explode he feels Hermione's elbow against his own.

"Dumbledore. The Prophet."

"Lesson one is concluded. Can I assume Molly that you will have them fed by 9 tomorrow and I can begin lesson two?"

Molly looks heartbroken for the childhood long in shatters. She nods and sends them to bed as the meeting ends.