Literally I do not care. I'm just going to spew stuff and hopefully it turns out as a coherent story. Should be fun! You get to figure out how this world is different as we go along.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and do not profit from this work.

It had all come to this. As Harry sat at the table with all those people yelling around him he thought about the last few years. This, like the time Hagrid had broke down a door to tell him he was a wizard, was one of those life changing days.

When he went back to Number 4 Privet drive, Harry was restless. He didn't want to sleep. When he did the nightmares came. He didn't know what to do. Cerdic's death still played in his mind's eye, clear as day. He felt guilty. He felt anger and hate. Emotions clouded his days.

He had walked out into the back garden one day when he and Dudley were the only ones home and found his cousin smoking a cigarette.

"You tell Dad and I'll beat you blue." Dudley said eyeing Harry. Wordlessly, Harry had walked over to the table where his cousin sat and picked up the lighter and pack of cigarettes. He lit one and pulled hard. He coughed. Dudley snorted.

"I don't really give a shit Dudley whether you smoke cigs or do crack." Harry said and sat down at the table. He pulled again on the cigarette and felt the harsh smoke filter into his lungs. He exhaled and let the soothing sensation wash over him.

They sat there for a moment.

"What happened?" Dudley asked. Harry looked up.

"What do you mean?"

"No one just does that. That is your first one. What the hell happened to make you do that?" Dudley said pointing with a fat finger at the smoking object in Harry's hand.

"I saw someone murdered in front of me."

Dead silence.

Dudley then shrugged his shoulders and put out his cigarette. He left the pack on the table for Harry.

Now Harry gained a great deal of respect for Dudley in that conversation which was quickly wiped away when Dudley screwed him a few days later by getting him expelled.

Typical.

But Harry couldn't stop thinking. He thought long and hard about what Voldemort's return would mean for him. For his friends. For England. For the world.

What role was he going to take in this? How was he going to shape his future?

And in that moment with all those people shouting around him, trying to make his life decisions for him, he snapped.

Harry jumped to his feet, knocking the chair back onto the floor with a bang, and buried the knife Sirius had given him into the table. Everyone around the table jumped into a stunned silence. The knife sat there quivering. Harry's insides burned with anger. Why did they need to keep him in the dark?

"That's not good enough! I have spent my entire life either abused or in the constant knowledge that I might be murdered tomorrow. Now Voldemort is back and I have a target painted across my chest. We have Voldemort, trying to murder me and my friends, and the Ministry, who is oppressive to any wizard who is not of pure blood. I have been through as much as some of you and more than others. I am not a child anymore. I grew up after I escaped Voldemort in first year. I see some of you are still scared of his name. Well I am not afraid to die and I am ready to fight. I will have my revenge."

The table went silent. But the silence was short lived as Mrs. Weasley fired up again.

"Harry I forbid you-"

"Excuse me, Molly. But I did not realize your name was Lily Evans. I consider you family but do not make the mistake of thinking that I am going to follow your instruction like I would my mother."

Mr. Weasley raised his eyebrows but said nothing. Mrs. Weasley sat down in shock.

"I do not have the time to be coddled like a child. I may be dead before I am 20. For all we know I may be dead tomorrow. Do not do me the disservice of making me feel less than I am by trying to keep me in the dark. Do not coddle me and then let it be too late. I have a right to know what goes on in the war against that monster."

Lupin looked up at Harry and then down the table at Sirius. Tonks was staring at Harry with newfound respect. Kingsley was watching the other people in the room, his steely eyes flitting from person to person.

"Dumbledore has-" began Lupin gently but Harry snapped at him.

"Oh yes Dumbledore. I knew this would come up. Dumbledore told you all that I can't know what happens. But why? You may trust Dumbledore but unless you like being pawns in a chess game then you would be asking yourself why as well."

Lupin raised his hands in defeat. "I will not stop you. It is up to us however to decide whether or not to tell you. It has been a difficult topic already between the members of the Order."

Sirius looked around the table.

"Harry has a point. I am willing to make this argument to Dumbledore myself if I have to. I vote that we tell Harry the truth. All of it. Anyone else in favor?"

There was a murmuring of agreement around the table. Even Mr. Weasley was nodding his head. Mrs. Weasley sank deeper into her chair.

"Go on then. Explain. What's been happening?" Harry said wrenching the knife out of the table and sitting down across from Sirius.

"Voldemort is on the move. That much we know. He has already sent emissaries to the werewolves, vampires, giants, and dementors. He is gathering his old followers. According to Severus, he has been ordering certain Death Eaters brought to him to swear allegiance to him again." Sirius explained.

"This is only the beginning. Right now the Ministry denying his return is very useful to him. It will allow him to gain followers without resistance. He is rebuilding the network that mostly fell when he did last time. We have been doing all we can to counter this. We are doing predominantly the same things that he is, sending emissaries, gathering old members, and trying to bring others around to our side. It is difficult due to the Ministry's stance on Voldemort."

Harry moved at that. "What is Fudge doing to counter us?"

"Well he is controlling and using the Prophet to his advantage. He is using it to discredit Dumbledore and yourself. Seeing as you two are the root of this it makes sense to start with you."

"Anything else?"

"He is using the Hit Wizards to keep track of those he knows to be working with Dumbledore. He is also trying to push legislation through the Wizengamot to make it easier for him to track people. New registrations for muggleborns and other creatures."

"Spying on them?"

"Essentially yes."

There was silence as Harry pondered this. Fudge was proving to be a right pain in the ass.

"What else is the Order doing?"

"Well… This is where giving you knowledge is going to cause problems. But we have already decided to go through with it so you may know. Now I am going to need the help of everyone because there are parts of it that I don't know. Inside the Ministry is the Department of Mysteries. This is the top secret department that the Minister himself oversees. This is where they do magical experiments and hide dangerous magical artyfacts. In the department is a room where prophecies are kept."

"Prophecies?"

"Do you remember the prophecy that you told me about? The one Trelawney gave you? Well this is where that prophecy is recorded."

"So why is this important?"

"It is the reason Voldemort came to kill you all those years ago."

Harry's breath hitched. This was something he had always asked Dumbledore to tell him but had always been denied. Now he would finally know."

"Go ahead."

"There was a prophecy made about Voldemort. I do not know exactly what it contains but in essence it pointed that you would be the one to kill him."

Silence. Harry sat back in his seat staring at Sirius. He continued.

"Voldemort did not hear the entire prophecy when he was told about it. It is kept in the Department of Mysteries in the Hall of Prophecy. The Order is taking it in turns to guard the entrance to the Department in case Death Eaters attempt to steal the prophecy."

Harry's mind was reeling. This is why. Because of prophecy. And now Harry knew. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. He saw Mrs. Weasley raise her eyebrows at him. Sirius lit it across the table and Harry took a long drag.

"What does the prophecy say?"

"You will have to ask Dumbledore. He was the one who heard it." Sirius replayed. Harry nodded.

He understood why Dumbledore had kept it from him. But he wished he hadn't. The truth didn't make Harry feel much different. He was still bloodthirsty. He still wanted vengeance. He still wanted justice.

"I'll be sure to ask him." Harry said quietly.

"What can we do to help?" asked Fred. The twins had remained silent and unmoving until then.

"Not much I'm afraid. Most of this cold war is taking place far from Hogwarts. There will be no open fighting until Voldemort comes out into the open," Lupin said from where he sat.

"There has to be something!" George snapped.

"We are fighting a war on two fronts. The Ministry is actively fighting what we are saying and trying to silence us. Voldemort is on the move. There is not much you can do from Hogwarts." Lupin said shaking his head.

"There is something…" began Arthur. "The Ministry is placing someone at Hogwarts and adding more protection to the school. I say protection lightly because he is placing several squads of Hit Wizards at the school to keep Dumbledore under watch. Technically the Ministry can do that and has certain powers over the school. Now that Dumbledore has lost his spot on the Wizengamot he has less influence over legislation regarding the school."

"Why do they want to silence us? If any hint of Voldemort's return was imminent I thought the Wizarding World would be ready to fight back."

"You would think so. But there are several issues. Fudge does not want to lose his grip on power. The only way he can be removed is if the Wizengamot votes him out. As a moderate blood purist himself the pure blood families will not vote him out. He does not want to lose that faction's support. The progressives are few and far between right now since the Wizengamot is still heavily controlled by the older families. England has not had a new shift in government for almost 500 years. And also Harry you don't understand how scared of Voldemort people are. He can kill anyone, do what he pleases, and has a cruel reputation so strong people are unwilling to say his name. He is not some ordinary criminal. He is versed in the Dark Arts and one of the most powerful wizards to ever exist." Arthur finished his speech and Harry took another large drag on the cigarette. His hands had stopped shaking.

This was a problem.

"Fudge has been proven to be very cunning and power hungry." A new voice said.

Dumbledore stood near the door looking around the room. Immediately there was a scraping of chairs as people left the room. Sirius sat in his chair and watched the others file out. They did not want to be here for what might be an explosive argument. Arthur stayed but Molly threw her hands in the air as she walked from the room. Alastor stayed behind as well.

"I would not have chosen this way for you to find out Harry." Dumbledore said as he walked to the table and sat down. Harry laughed as he tapped his cigarette into the ashtray on the table.

"I hope you don't mind." Harry said looking back up at the headmaster.

"Now you know. There isn't anything I can do to change that. My hand has been forced though. I am disappointed in the other Order members for not following my instructions." Dumbledore said putting his hands together.

"Don't blame them. It is what it is and each of those people would give their life for you." Sirius objected.

"You are right Sirius. What is done is done." The old wizard replied. There was a period of silence.

"What now?" Harry asked.

"I will have to impart certain information to you now that I previously would have left out until you were older."

"See that's what I am talking about. Why wait?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Apparently not."

Silence again.

"During this year I will tell you what I know about Voldemort and give you the skills to hold your own. You need training to become a part of this war. I won't let you go out unprepared."

"Thank you." Harry said inclining his head.

Dumbledore looked down the table at home for the first time full in the face. Harry got the impression, like always, that he was being x-rayed. Then Harry realized that in a way he was. Harry felt a slight knock on his magical field. A small incision so small Harry wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't been thinking about being x-rayed.

"I don't know what you are doing Dumbledore but I don't like my privacy being invaded." Harry snarled.

Dumbledore smiled.

"You felt that?"

"I did. Now stop."

"With no training that is very impressive."

"Well at least we have something to work with." Harry said and strode from the room.

The others waited until he had left. When the door closed Dumbledore sagged his shoulders.

"He is going to be consumed by his anger. He won't stop."

"Good." Sirius said.

"I tried to shield him so he could grow up as normally as possible. But I fear that I might have done more harm than good."

"Dumbledore, I won't gloat, But yes. I know you had your reasons. Now we can only move forward."

"Thank you, Sirius."

The next week passed quickly for Harry. He was busy helping the others clean out Number 12. There was all sorts of weird and whacky things in the house. A series of Doxies in the curtains of the drawing room, a closet full of dark artyfacts, and a cabinet that held a very angry Kneazle.

When Order members came by Harry would sneak out and join them to listen in on their conversations. He did a lot of listening and only asked questions when it was necessary.

He learned quickly about the trouble they had been having- "Robards is following me everywhere. Scrimgeor must have put him up to it. I swear if he keeps it up I am going to jinx him-" Tonks was saying.

Lupin looked worse for wear every time Harry saw him.

"I have been among the werewolves again.. I am trying to convince them to turn to Dumbledore's side. Our side. But it is difficult. I am considered an outcast for carrying a wand and living with normal people. The clans that do listen are smaller clans with more hope than the larger ones led by Greyback and his ilk."

A new face turned up every now and then and Harry enjoyed meeting the members of the Order that he did not already know. There was a wizard, Darius Thatcher, from the Department of International Cooperation who worked as their foreign diplomat within the Ministry. Thomas Enslow who worked with the criminal underground to get supplies, information, and other odds and ends that the others in the Order could not get. Thomas was a decent sort. He didn't have the swagger of criminality that Dung did. He simply just knew where to get things because he was a curious sort. Definitely someone that would be useful to anyone with plans like the Order's. Or Harry's.

One person who interested him was a woman who seemed to be in her mid-thirties with pale skin and black eyes. Her atmosphere betrayed her age. Lauren McAllister would have been beautiful if it wasn't for her scary smiles. Her smiles never reached her eyes.

"My kind are the same as the werewolves. It is hard to convince the others after so many years of being persecuted by the Ministry. Dumbledore has always been an ally but he does not promise the power that Voldemort does."

Harry learned a great deal about the affairs of the magical community. There seemed to be a great deal of prejudice even in the Ministry. Apparently it was a fantasy that the Ministry was wholly better than Voldemort. It seemed to be a choice between being blown up or slowly poisoned.

There was no real representation within the Ministry. The older families controlled the legislation because they had been in the Wizengamot for many years. They also were the ones with the most money so even if they were not on the council they were able to influence the legislation passed with gold. According to Arthur and the others who worked within the Ministry, corruption was rampant. It seemed that witches and wizards went along with what they had in government because it made no sense to the everyday person to bother with fighting what was wrong. It was easier to keep your head low, accept the bag of gold, and just move on with your life. Meanwhile the people that the Ministry had been marginalizing for years were gathering at the meetings of Voldemort, getting ready to fight the Ministry.

Ironically this made no sense either because Voldemort hated the people that fought for him as much as the Ministry did. He just had the sense to see that he could use them against the Ministry.

Ron and Hermione got the prefect's badge. Harry didn't mind. He would be a terrible prefect. He had broken so many rules at Hogwarts and did not plan on stopping.

Harry had taken to reading books in his free time that Sirius had recommended. A few here and there proved to be boring but many were highly informative about how battles worked or how magic could change depending on your environment. Several described tactics that would be useful to him. It was almost as if Sirius knew what he was planning on doing or was trying to influence him.

The trip to Diagon Alley came the day after their celebration of Ron and Hermione and only a few days before they returned to Hogwarts. They took the Floo to the Leaky Cauldron with several Order members along with them. Harry had protested this. Voldemort was not going to murder him in Diagon Alley.

"Voldemort and his followers are not who we are worried about in Diagon Alley." Moody told him. That had shut him up very quickly.

Luckily the chosen person to follow him and the others around was Tonks. It was like having an older sister with them. They flitted from shop to shop buying what they needed for school. Ron later ducked away to buy a new broom as a reward for becoming prefect. He reappeared an hour later holding a long package and looking very proud of himself.

It was reaching into the late afternoon. Molly had gone home with Ginny and Moody while Arthur had stayed behind to make contact with a few sources in Diagon Alley. Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Tonks walked aimlessly around, laughing and talking. They didn't really pay attention to where they were walking and found themselves deep in Diagon Alley closer to Knockturn Alley then they would like. They cut down a side street and stopped at the spectacle that faced them.

Across the alley and on the next street was a massive painted mural. It showed a large and beautiful phoenix breathing fire on a collection of family crests. The mural was obviously magic as the flames from the phoenix flickered across the M. The phoenix beat its wings every now and then. Words next to the painting in spiky red streaks read: Power to the People. Revolution is in the air.

"Are things really this bad?" Harry asked.

"Diagon Alley is one of the most concentrated areas of wizardkind. Specifically the lower class people who are majority half-bloods and muggleborns. All manner of people live here. These are what you might call the beginning of the slums. The government is controlled by the rich and purebloods. So there has been a lot of civil unrest recently. Supposedly after You-Know-Who was defeated the first time the Ministry was going to become less prejudiced but that hasn't happened. People feel like the government is failing. Which it is." Tonks said looking at the mural.

Harry shook his head and turned around to look down the street. People were staring at him like they had been all day but it was not the same. In the nicer parts of Diagon Alley he had received whisper, insults, pointing, even laughter a few times but here there was more of a hopeful look to the people. A middle aged man walked by Harry and put his arm across his chest with his fist over his heart. He inclined his head to Harry.

Harry didn't know what to do so repeated the gesture to him. The man smiled and moved on. A young girl was staring at him from a shop front. She quickly hid herself when they made eye contact. A woman came up and looked out and saw Harry. She eyed him and his scar for a moment before nodding at him then turning away.

Harry walked down the street with the group looking around at the people in the streets. They didn't stop to make fun of him or insult him. They simply watched as he walked past. He did not understand. Was this more of the same? People staring at him because they thought he was mad?

They stopped in a square. Many people stopped, all turning to look at Harry. Harry felt uncomfortable. Why were all these people looking at him? Many did the same gesture as the man had done. Other simply raised a closed fist to him. He looked around and saw all eyes were on him.

He raised his fist as well. Some smiled. Some nodded. Some did nothing. The crowd went back to its moving like nothing had happened.

Harry needed a cigarette.

When Harry got back to Grimmauld Place, he went straight to the dining room where he knew Sirius would be sitting. He walked in and sat across from his godfather who looked up at him.

"Something up?" Sirius asked looking at Harry with concern.

"Something happened in Diagon Alley." Harry said. He related the events of the day to Sirius. Sirius leaned back when he was done and reached into his pocket for a cigarette. Harry took one when it was offered and leaned back, lighting it with his wand.

"No one has told you a great deal about your parents have they? I have been so focused on staying out of the Ministry's hands and making sure you are still alive that I haven't had time to discuss them with you. You must have questions… Well I guess that's where it all begins. With your parents."

"How so?"

"The members of the Order of the Phoenix were more than soldiers. And the Order of the Phoenix was more than just an army. We were a political movement founded by Dumbledore. He decided to create the Order a few years before the rise of Voldemort to pushback against old ideology. He founded it to push against the old supremacist values of the purebloods and push for a more open society. Our goal was to promote equality between wizards and to eventually, just maybe, unite the wizard and Muggle worlds. We have so much to learn from one another. But we have sometime before that happens. After our formation, we became an anti-Voldemort group because he was a massive threat to everything we have accomplished. Your parents were more than soldiers. Your parents were more than regular people. They were a pair of the most well known and outspoken revolutionaries. They spoke in front of the ICW, they fought Voldemort multiple times, and touched people in a way you can't imagine. Everyone knew their names and everyone knew their faces. They were the icons of a generation like Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Except less… dark than Grindelwald. Like Dumbledore they were a symbol of hope. They were there to remind those who had been shunned that we had not forgotten them. And a symbol for renewal."

Sirius paused for a moment. He was looking off into the corner of the room but not really seeing it. He simply started into recollecting his past and thinking about what might have been. But he broke himself from his reverie and began to speak again.

"They were also some of my best friends. I would have gladly given my life for them. And they would have done so for me… There you have it though. That is why people look at you like that. Because you have the legacy greatest witch and wizard of a generation and also of destroying the most powerful Dark Sorcerer of the age."

Harry sat in stunned silence. The cigarette was still smoking from where it lay in between his fingers. He thought about it. More responsibility on his shoulders. But wasn't that part of it? If he wanted revenge for himself why not take revenge for everyone else. What would people expect of him?

"Don't let that get to you though." Lupin said as he stepped out from behind the door.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked surprised by this sudden entrance.

"Your parents did have their faults. Don't look at me like that Sirius. He deserves to know." Lupin said as Sirius glared at him.

"Harry your parents were amazing people. But do not think that them and the Order were the best people during the war. We committed numerous atrocities in the name of freedom. We could not shy away from violence. We had to stand and fight. Somethings we had to do out of necessity. I will not elaborate but know that war brings out the darkest demons in all of us."

Harry nodded. He sat in silence slowly drawing on his cigarette thinking about what Sirius and Lupin had told him.

The day they left for Hogwarts was the same level of chaos and confusion as it always was. Quickly things were packed and last minute possessions were thrown hastily into large trunks. Harry was pretty much packed and ready to go. He dodged the Twin's trunks as they hurtled down the stairs and winced as he heard someone yelp on the bottom landing.

Finally the group was ready and they managed to file out the door. On the street outside they ran into Tonks who was standing on the sidewalk with bright blonde hair. She tossed her cigarette and fell into step next to them. After a few moments they heard a door open and then a series of loud barks as a big shaggy black dog charged out after them.

Harry laughed as the dog jumped onto Harry before running in circles, trying to catch its own tale. Molly hissed something at Sirius who simply barked at her and continued frollicking. She rolled her eyes and kept on walking. When they reached the next street Molly stuck out her wand arm and with a bang a large purple bus popped into existence in front of them.

The bus ride was chaotic as always. Harry watched Sirius play around on the bus while he sat laughing. This was the first time Sirius had gotten out of the house in months. It was freedom for Sirius. The large dog yapped at passengers and laid its head on Harry's knee.

Getting through the station was no problem. They reached Platform 9 ¾ and slid through the barrier as muggles on either side of them looked right by. Harry, Ron, Hermione, hurried onto the train with their trunks and quickly found an empty compartment. They stowed their luggage before returning to the platform.

Students everywhere were saying goodbye to their parents and relatives. Harry spotted Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, their fellow Gryffindors, as well as Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell. Several people waved to him but the majority of people stared and whispered behind their hands. Harry ignored them. He knew what they were saying. He held his head high and kept walking. He saw the black dog off to the side of the group. It turned around and walked into a waiting room near the platform.

"I'll catch up with you guys… Go on." Harry said and followed the dog into the room.

As Harry closed the door behind him, Sirius transformed back into human form and waved his wand at the door, locking it.

"I had to see you off. I couldn't let you go without a proper goodbye. And some advice." Sirius said reaching out for Harry and pulling him into a hug. They stood there for a few moments. Finally Sirius released him but kept his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"This is going to be a tough year. Write to me. I'm here if you need me." He said. Harry nodded without speaking. There was a lump in his throat.

"I wanted to give you something. It belonged to your father. He gave it to me a few nights before he died because he told me I needed it more than him. I left it in a safe house after his death. I picked it up when I stopped there on my travels." Sirius said. From his pocket he pulled out a muggle lighter. It was scratched and battered. On one side it was perfectly smooth. On the other was an engraving. It read:

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

"Why this engraving?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. Your dad never told me." Sirius replied, shrugging his shoulders. Harry stood there for a moment turning the lighter over and over. He flicked the lighter open and sparked it. It lit up.

"You will never have to care for it. The lighter will always burn. Unless it's destroyed. But your dad layered enough enchantments on it that most things won't destroy it. Only scar it."

"Thanks, Sirius." Harry said pulling his godfather into a hug.

They heard the whistle from the train. Harry looked up at Sirius.

"What advice did you have for me?" he asked. Sirius smirked.

"Give them hell."

End Chapter 1