3 Grimmauld Place.

"Harry!" Hermione shrieked as she launched herself at him. Never had Harry been so glad to see his friend and returned the hug with equal measure. A memory of her being hit by that deep purple curse flashed through his head, and his chest constricted in pain at the memory.

"Ron, Ron he's here. Harry I've looked it up and they can't expel you for defending yourself with magic. The Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage …"

"I know Hermione I know, but this isn't about being reasonable is it? I've been reading the Daily Prophet," Harry interrupted.

"Let him breathe Hermione," Ron said with a broad grin. "Bloody hell Harry you must have grown six inches."

"No I suppose it's not," Hermione answered standing back and looking at him more closely. "Ron's right you really have shot up."

"In more ways than you can imagine. It's …" He wanted to say so much seeing them alive and well in the flesh brought back all the anguish he had felt, but the words stuck in his throat.

"Oh you must be so angry with us not telling you anything Harry but we promised not to and well…"

"I understand Hermione you were told to keep me in the dark. I don't like it, but I understand."

"We didn't want to mate honest, but Dumbledore made us promise," Ron said looking anxious.

"As I said I understand, but I don't think you should make promises like that from now on," Harry said. "Oh Hermione before I forget. I've got your potions essay here." He pulled the roll of parchment out and handed it to her. It was a bit bent and creased, and there was a small tear in the top corner, but it was still very legible.

"How did you get it?" Hermione's voice went up several octaves as she snatched it out of Harry's hand. "I've been looking for it everywhere."

"She blamed me," Ron said giving Hermione a nasty glare.

"I'm sorry Ron I did apologise to you, but I worked really hard on that and then it vanished without trace."

"Sorry Hermione, Hedwig nicked it. It was my fault really I wanted to know you were both alright. I guess when you didn't answer she grabbed that instead."

"I thought Kreacher had taken it," Ron said. "He's mad and nasty enough to have done it." Hermione's eyes clouded over and a scowl appeared. "He's a complete nutter."

"He's not Ron it's just that Wizards have treated him badly, and he's been alone with that mad portrait for years. It's not his fault and Dumbledore agrees with me."

"Oh right if Dumbledore say so then it must be true," Harry snapped before he could stop himself. A surge of hatred swelled in Harry as he was reminded that Kreacher had lied to him about Sirius being at the Department of Mysteries.

"HE'S NOT ALL BLOODY KNOWING HERMIONE, IN FACT HE'S A FIRST CLASS CONTROL FREAK WHO DOESN'T GIVE A STUFF ABOUT THOSE LIVES HE'S PLAYING WITH. WELL LET ME TELL YOU I WON'T BE CONTROLLED BY HIM OR ANYBODY ELSE!"

Harry drew breath. He had promised himself that he wouldn't lose his temper and he had failed miserably, but his anger at Dumbledore had just reached an all time high. The prospect of being ignored and kept in the dark for another whole year made his insides boil with rage.

"Harry you're right out of order," Ron yelled. Harry collapsed onto the bed and placed his head in his hands not daring to look at Hermione's face.

"Hermione I'm sorry I … I shouldn't have shouted at you," he mumbled though his fingers. "It was uncalled for." A hand grasped him on the shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze.

"It's alright Harry you have every right to be angry, and perhaps we should have pressed Dumbledore more." Harry lifted his head and looked directly at Hermione and sighed. Her eyes were watery and she was biting her bottom lip.

"It wouldn't have made any difference. He wants to keep me in the dark."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"Oh trust me it's true, but I don't want to argue anymore and I don't intend to play his game anymore. The last few days have been a special kind of hell for me."

"I understand Harry I …" What ever she was about to say was interrupted when Fred and George popped in knocking Ron backwards and Hermione sideways. "Will you stop doing that!"

"Hello Harry," George said. "We thought we heard your dulcet tones."

"You don't want to keep your anger bottled up, let it out and share it with the world," Fred said beaming.

"We've been trying to listen into the meeting, but you're interfering with reception," George said.

"What's the point," Harry replied. He knew exactly what they were talking about.

"What … what are you talking about," Ron said aghast at Harry's apparent indifference. Harry paused for a moment he had spent the last three days thinking about what he was going to suggest and now was the point of no return.

"Ok you all want to join the Order of the Phoenix," there was a chorus of yes's and nods, "But they won't let you," this was followed by a lot of no's. "Well even if they asked me I wouldn't join."

"But … but why?" Ron said.

"They wouldn't listen to any of my opinions, because I'm too young and what do I know about the real world. They wouldn't give me anything to do because it would be too dangerous for an untrained wizard. Lastly I'm not prepared to follow orders from a group of people who would dismiss me despite the fact that I've faced Voldemort more times in anger than all of them put together. Just like you they all flinch at his name."

"Well what do you suggest we do?" Hermione said a calculating look on her face.

"Hogwarts is full of Death Eater wanabees and sympathisers. We deal with them. We form our own group and use whatever force is necessary to keep the school safe, and them on the run. No more Mr nice guy"

"Oh I don't know Harry," Hermione said with a worried frown.

"What do you mean by, whatever force is necessary?" George asked.

"Alright I'll lay it on the line if they break a leg we break two. If they want a fight we give them a war." All three Weasley boys looked excited at Harry's proposal. Only Hermione didn't look keen. It was no more than Harry expected. She was far more civilised than the rest of them.

"We're in," Fred and George said together.

"Me too," Ron added. All three of them then turned to look at Hermione, but before she could answer the bedroom door opened to reveal a long mane of red hair.

"Hello Harry, thought I heard you," Ginny said smiling.

"Get out Ginny," Ron said without any pretence of being polite.

"Charming!"

"I'm sorry Ginny,"

"You need to leave," Fred and George said one after the other.

"Is that right …" Ginny's face had turned bright red and she was about to let fly.

"Wait a minute," Harry said annoyed at how quickly her brothers had dismissed her. "How many people here have faced Lord Voldemort personally?" Harry then stuck up his own hand which was swiftly followed by Ginny's when he nodded at her.

"Ginny stays," Harry said with an air of finality. The memory of her fighting successfully and then dying because he had been an idiot was still too fresh.

"Now look here Harry Ginny's too young, and …" Ron started to say.

"Ron you sound like your mother," Harry said brutally. "If any of you don't like Ginny being apart of this group you can leave now."

"Yea but,"

"Harry," Fred and George began.

"No, listen you two answer me this. If you needed a third member to carry out one of your pranks who in this room would you go to first?"

"Well that would depend on …"

"Answer the damn question?"

"Oh alright,"

"Ginny."

Harry could tell that it had cost the twins to admit that. None of the other Weasleys were anything like them, thankfully, but the Ginny he had come to know over the last year had many of their attributes.

"That wasn't so hard was it," Harry said smiling indicating that Ginny should sit down. She gave him a warm smile and squeezed in by a still frowning Hermione.

"Harry I'm not sure that this is a good idea," Hermione said.

"You wouldn't be Hermione if you did, but just hear me out and I hope I can persuade you that sitting around waiting for others to solve the problem is no longer an option."

"But you're talking about attacking people, aren't you?"

"If needs be, but that's not what I want to talk about at the moment. First I want you to image Voldemort has gained power and all resistance has been crushed. What he says goes. Where do you, not me or anybody else just you stand in the new order." Harry stared intently trying to get her to see what that world would be like and where she fitted into it.

"I wouldn't," she said in a small voice.

"No you wouldn't, as a Muggleborn you would be seen as lower than a House Elf. In fact Muggles would fare better as they're beneath Voldemort's notice. You though would be considered a threat to the new order because you can do magic. Are you going to let that happen if you can do anything to prevent it?"

"No of course not Harry you know me better than that."

"Yes I do, in fact we all do." The four Weasleys gave her an encouraging grin, but the worried frown refused to leave her face.

"But what can we do, and what you're suggesting …"

"To be honest at the moment I'm not sure what we can do. I've only been thinking about this for a few days. However what's the first thing that has to change in this phoney war?" A hushed silence filled the room and Harry let them think. The answer was obvious to him, but then he had advanced knowledge.

"Well I guess it has to stop being phoney as you put it," Ron said.

"Yes but how?" Harry said.

"I don't know."

"People need to know that You-Know-Who's back," Ginny said with a grim look.

"Not quite," Harry said. "At the moment nobody wants to believe he's back, so the more you tell them the harder they'll refuse to listen. What's needed is for him to be seen by credible witnesses, or at least enough people that it can't be covered up."

"Merlin you don't want much do you," George said.

"Do you have a plan to achieve that?" Fred asked.

"No not yet. Somehow, and I don't quite know how we have to lure him out. That should be our main gaol."

"In the meantime we make life as hard as possible for his supporters," Ron added.

"And all those who are covering up any evidence of his return." Harry had Umbridge in mind when he said this, but he couldn't admit as much just yet. "What do you think Hermione?"

"It all sounds great in theory Harry, but I think you're underestimating how difficult and probably dangerous this is going to be. If You-Know-Who doesn't want to be found I don't see what we can do about it. I mean we're in an unplottable house with a Fidelius charm at the moment, who knows what he's capable of on top of that."

"Then we need to entice him out," Ginny said.

"Oh that's going to be so easy to do," Ron said sarcastically.

"Shut up Ron," she snapped back.

"Actually I know exactly what he wants," Harry said quietly ending the sibling spat before it had really begun. All five of them began talking at once with the result that Harry didn't hear a coherent sentence, but it was obvious what they were asking. Harry though never had a chance to reply as the bedroom door swung open at that moment revealing Mrs Weasley.

"Ah there you all are, catching up I see, that's good. The meetings over and I need you all to help set things up for dinner."

When nobody made to move straight away she added clapping her hands. "Come on chop, chop." Harry was the first to stand up and reluctantly the others followed suit. Harry knew that they were desperate to find out what Voldemort wanted but they'd have to wait. In fact one part of him enjoyed the fact that he knew something they didn't. It made a change. Halfway down the stairs there was a loud crash, a muffled curse and then all hell broke loose

"Filth! Scum! Mudblood whores dishonouring …" On and on went the tirade. Harry had heard it all before and blocked it out, instead he concentrated on the approaching figure of his Godfather that he had stupidly rushed off to rescue when there was no need and got his friends killed as a result. He barely noticed Sirius roar at his mother's picture and yank the curtains closed. A fresh wave of guilty and horror swept through him as he remembered the trap he had fallen in. This was followed by a fresh determination not to let it happen again.

"Hello Harry I see you've met my mother."

"Sirius it's good to see you," Harry answered with a weak smile. "I thought my relatives were bad!"

"Fortunately, unlike family, we can choose our friends, and in your parents I had none better. Come on through into the kitchen so I can see you better." He was greeted by more Weasleys and Tonks who was trying to help prepare dinner much to the exasperation of Molly.

"Sit down dear, you've had a long trip," she said. Only when he was settled at the table did he notice the bundle of rags opposite him.

"You've met Mundungus before?" Sirius said when he saw Harry looking at the sleeping man who gave a snore before jerking awake.

"Some'n say m'name?"

"Oh yes we've met," Harry said coolly his anger at the man still present.

"Eh ... right … blimey you alright Harry?" The petty thief was sporting an impressive bruise and Harry couldn't help feel a sense of pride that he had been the one to put it there.

"I'm fine Mundungus nobody's tried to kill me in days. Nice bruise by the way." Mundungus lifted a tobacco stained hand up to his cheek and winced when he touched the bruise.

"Ah well … I owe you an apology 'arry," he said pulling out a pipe, "but I 'ad a business opportunity see and well …"

"Why are you here?" Harry asked a chill in his voice. An uneasy quiet descended on the kitchen as their attention was drawn to the confrontation. The colour drained from Mundungus's face and the pipe vanished back inside his grubby cloak.

"Well I'm having a bite to eat," he said cautiously. "Hungry work being in the Order. Don't have a lot of time …" Harry cut him off.

"Really you work for the Order do you? I've seen precious little sign of that. If you're not abandoning your post with the result that my cousin and I are nearly killed, you're falling asleep through the meetings waking up just in time to eat."

"Yea … well … I know I messed up 'arry but it was a once in a lifetime …"

"Who's lifetime, mine or yours?" Harry's had raised his voice and all the occupants of the kitchen were watching on in various states of surprise. Only Molly had a broad smile on her face.

"Now look …"

"Don't you have some stolen toads or cauldrons to see to?"

"Um …"

"Why don't you leave, or do you want a matching bruise to go along with the other one I gave you." There were several gasps around the room but Harry didn't see where they came from, or cared, as he had locked eyes on Mundungus. The thief pushed his chair back and stood up.

"Right … um … I'd better be going, people to see and places to …" his voice faded away and in a blink of an eye he had vanished.

"Blimey Harry you punched him!" Ron said a look of shock and pride on his face. "He said he got it in a bar fight."

"Well if I hadn't Mrs Figg would have done," Harry answered.

The result of this confession was that his plate was heaped to overflowing by Molly, but he didn't mind because even though he'd had free range of the Dursley house over the last few days he still hadn't eaten as much as he could have. His mind had been on other things than mere food. Stuffed to bursting he pushed away the remains of his third bowl of rhubarb crumble feeling as full as he could ever remember being.

"Another bowl Harry?"

"No thanks Mrs Weasley. I only have fourths of treacle tart." Molly gave him a warm smile and headed into the kitchen with a stack of dirty dishes levitated in front of her.

"I'm surprised at you Harry," Sirius said next to him as soon as Molly was out of sight. "I would have thought you would have been asking questions about Voldemort the moment you got here." The temperature in the room dropped by several degrees, and all conversation died away as the new chillier atmosphere took over. People were now sitting upright where before they had been quietly comatose from overeating.

"I don't need to. I know exactly what he wants."

"You what!" Sirius said. All the remaining adults were looking at each other as though one of them was going to admit to telling Harry what he wasn't meant to know.

"I know exactly what he wants."

"But how?" Harry never got a chance to answer as a whirlwind blew in from the kitchen and descended on Fred and George in the form of an outraged Mrs Weasley.

"I have had it with you two, and your … your ear things…"

"I knew before I even got here Mrs Weasley," Harry said hoping to cut her off before she got into her stride. Immediately the twin's expressions turned from fearful to indignant at being falsely accused.

"But how?" Sirius asked.

"I just do," Harry answered. He had no intention of being specific. The last thing he needed was more bloody Occlumency lessons with Snape. They hadn't worked the first time, and there was no reason whatsoever to think that they would work this time. Besides he had a load of memories that didn't want to be seen.

"Just what exactly do you know?" Lupin asked with a guarded expression.

"I know he wants the prophecy stored in the Department of Mysteries."

To Harry's increasing anger it was clear from the adults first reaction that all of them knew exactly what they were guarding. Dumbledore had told everybody but him, even though the prophecy had his name on it.

"It's very late and I think it's time for everybody to go to bed," Mrs Weasley said filling in the deafening silence. "There's a lot still left to do if we want to make this house even halfway habitable." Harry stood up, but he was the only one who did the rest were staring at Harry with stunned expressions.

"Before I go I want to make it clear that I'd like to know what the Prophecy says as well considering that it involves me and Voldemort. I'm sure Dumbledore can arrange that even if he is persona-non grata at the Ministry these days." There were gasps from all of his friends.

He knew if he stayed the questioning would inevitable lead to how he knew all this, and he wasn't prepared to answer, not for anything. He had only reached the bottom of the stairs before there was a cacophony of noise from the dinning room. The one voice that was clearly winning was Mrs Weasley's who was demanding that everybody should go to bed. Harry knew full well that she would eventually win the argument, and didn't linger, instead opting to get to the bathroom first for a change. He knew that his and Ron's room would be invaded in due time, especially by the apparating twins. On the way back to his room he saw all five of them were leaning over the banisters trying to listen in with some Extendable Ears.

"Any luck," he asked making them all jump because they were too busy concentrating on listening.

"No mum's blocked us out again," George said in disgust.

"Well I shouldn't worry all they'll do is decide that they should talk to Dumbledore. You don't need to listen in for that."

"So do you think Dumbledore will let you hear this prophecy?" Ron asked eagerly.

"Well he didn't tell me when I didn't know it existed, so why should he tell me now when I do?" When none of them answered him he continued. "Look I don't expect him to do or say anything. He'll hope I'll go away, and the others will just change the subject if any of us bring it up. I'll have to find a way to get it myself, because I don't trust them to keep it safe with the likes of Mundungus guarding it."

"Harry I'm sure he has plenty of protections on it. This is Dumbledore we're talking about," Hermione said.

"I'm sorry Hermione look at his track record. The Philosopher Stone, all those traps yet we managed to get through them. It would have been safer in his desk draw, but no, he had to tell half the staff what was going on. He wasn't much help in finding the Chamber was he, and he couldn't keep an escaped convict out of the school even with a hundred Dementors to help him, and don't get me started on the whole Goblet of Fire balls up."

"Harry we're stronger for having him on our side. You shouldn't cut him out."

"He's the one cutting me out Hermione. Despite everything that's happened I've not heard one single bloody word from him since the end of last term. I said it before he's not all knowing. If we want to know what's going on we'll have to find out by our own endeavours, and not from crumbs dropped from his table."

"All very well mate," Fred said, "but unless you can find out a way to penetrate those charms we'll not hear even hear crumbs."

"Well I do have an idea," Harry said glad to be off the subject of Dumbledore. Even thinking about the man brought up deep feelings of anger and betrayal. "Instead of trying to break the Charm why not try and record the meeting from the inside, and then later we can listen to what was said. I assume that there is such a thing as a magical recorder?"

"Of course there is Harry," Hermione said.

"The only trouble is that the smallest one on the market is still the size of a Quaffle," George said.

"Hiding one won't be easy, and any attempt to use magic to do so would be discovered in the blink of an eye as all magic leaves a trace," Fred added.

"Could it be transfigured into a book or something?" Ginny asked.

"No, that would stop it from being a magical recorder," Hermione said.

"Well there is one place that Wizards never look up or clean," Harry said with a grin. "What we do is stuff one up the chimney."

"Brilliant!" Ron said.

"I must admit it has a certain simplicity," Hermione said.

"That's me simple Harry. I reckon we could do the same at Hogwarts too."

"I don't know though Harry most of the fires at Hogwarts are used. It wouldn't take long for someone to realise why their chimney is blocked."

"Hmm … well we'll give it some thought. Let's see if we can bug the one here first of all, and if we can shrink the size of the recorder then we'll have more options."

"Bug … what do you mean bug?" all four Weasleys asked at once.

Harry and Hermione never got the chance to explain as the door below opened letting Mrs Weasley out, Fred and George apparated away, much quieter than usual, leaving the rest to creep back to their rooms as quietly as possible.