Summary: Harry thought the prophecy would be the last revelation about his life. But it wasn't. The largest was yet to come. Harry always thought he and Draco Malfoy had nothing in common. But after a hectic summer, they find there's something they do share … their parents.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to
JKR -----
"Did you hear? Dumbledore turned down the Order's plan to capture Bellatrix Lestrange."
It was summer at Grimmauld Place, though the house was so grim it was difficult to tell. Harry had been quiet ever since the Order collected him from Privet Drive. Everyone supposed it was grief and stayed out of his way, except Ron, his mother, who brought food in their room three times a day, and Dumbledore, who'd stopped by on several occasions to speak to Harry alone. No-one else was round when these conversations took place and Harry didn't talk about them. He barely acknowledged anyone's presence. Every time Dumbledore left he looked like it was an effort to appear his usual cheerful self – there was a hint of despair in his eyes, which none were comforted to see.
Ron passed the time playing chess against himself in the same room just to keep Harry company, occasionally making one-sided conversation. This was the first time he'd tried that day. Sometimes Harry just stared into space, other times he'd nod of murmur acknowledgement. This time, he sat up and looked sharply at him, taken aback.
"He did?" It was the first time Harry had properly spoken since he'd arrived, apart from the odd "Thanks," or "Could you pass the salt?". "Why?"
Ron shrugged. "Something on the grounds of being too risky. I heard it from Fred and George this morning. Apparently the Order thinks something's fishy, cos Dumbledore's agreed to much less risky plans than this one."
"Maybe he's just trying to be more careful after what happened to Tonks."
"Maybe. But you know Moody, he's absolutely paranoid, he probably thinks someone's jinxed Dumbledore somehow to get him to stop them attacking the Death Eaters. Apparently they're going ahead tonight anyway."
"What?" Harry said incredulously. "After he said no?"
"Yep." Ron watched his knight being crushed by the queen. "Fred and George don't agree but they were overruled."
"Did anyone else disagree?"
"Well, according to Fred and George, Mundungus objected and got booted out. They left McGonagall out of the meeting from the start – everyone knows she always sides with Dumbledore. And Lupin was reluctant but in the end he agreed there might be something going on." Ron checked with the bishop. "If you ask me, I think they've all got sunstroke."
Harry shook his head slowly. "I can see their point. But Dumbledore would only turn a plan down if he had a really good reason not to. Who's to say he doesn't know something we don't?"
Ron shrugged. "Dunno. Checkmate."
-----
Dumbledore had been seen angry on several occasions before by the Order – the first example that sprung to mind was when Mundungus had left Harry on his own to pick up stolen cauldrons – but with the exception of the few Order members who knew him well, no-one had seen him in a fury like the one that exploded when the Order came back to Headquarters with an unconscious Bellatrix Lestrange.
Harry and Ron, who had heard the shouting, came downstairs to witness the pictures on the walls shaking as Dumbledore raised his voice for the first time, putting them down for going through the mission after he'd expressly said no. Lupin and a few others looked ashamed and helped him carry and lock Bellatrix into a room on the first floor that had nothing in it but a bed.
Dumbledore turned to the rest.
"Remus, stand guard. The rest of you, leave Ms Lestrange alone. If anyone is going to be questioning her it will be me. That is an order." He waited, but no-one objected. With that he sent them off.
Harry and Ron crept back upstairs. Harry collapsed onto the bed and resumed staring at the ceiling. Ron watched him.
"Hermione should be coming tomorrow." He waited. "Harry, are you okay?"
"Oh, fine. I just watched my godfather's murder being taken prisoner. I'm fine."
"If you say so."
-----
"I want to see her," Minerva said quietly. Albus sighed. He knew this was coming.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"No. But it's what I want. Please, Albus."
He considered. "Alastor's on duty now. When Severus takes over, you can see her."
"Thank you," she whispered. Albus pulled her into a hug, forgetting they were in the Grimmauld Place kitchen. They only remembered when Remus interrupted.
"Albus!" he panted. "Moody and some of the others are in Bellatrix's room, they're trying to get information out of her -"
Minerva gasped and Albus' eyes narrowed. "I told them to leave her alone!" He positively stormed out of the kitchen, Minerva at his heels, and followed Remus quickly, who opened the door.
"Expelliarmus!" Albus disarmed the three Order members in the room. Bellatrix was lying panting on the floor. She looked a mess. It was obvious what they'd been doing.
"Out," Albus growled at them. "In the kitchen, now." He turned to Minerva, staring at Bellatrix in shock, and touched her arm gently. "Minerva, stay with her." An unspoken message passed between them.
Albus marched the disgraced Order members into the kitchen, locked the door and turned to them, making no effort to hide the disgust in his face.
"I am shocked." He spoke more calmly now, but his rage was obvious. It was greater than when they had taken Bellatrix in in the first place. "You were using the Cruciatus curse on a prisoner! What sort of people are you? Alastor, I'm really surprised at you. We don't use torture to get information! What makes you any better than the Death Eaters?"
-----
The news travelled quick around the Order that the three members were disgraced and Dumbledore was trying to decide what to do with them. Later came a bigger shock when it was discovered Bellatrix had escaped. Harry looked furious at the news. Dumbledore spoke to him again in private. Later, when people looked in on him, he'd gone back to how he was before she had arrived – silent and deep in thought.
When Hermione arrived the next day, Ron filled her in. She wondered if there was something funny going on, but neither of them investigated the matter.
TBC … AN: