-- CHAPTER FOUR –

Everything Changes

It was hard to breathe. Invisible forces pressed on all sides of Harry trying to pull and twist his arm away from Lupin. He quickly tightened his grip on Lupin's arm just as felt his feet touch the ground beneath them. It didn't matter that he had apparated with Dumbledore the year before; the odd feeling associated with it would always remain. Already seventeen but still without his apparating license, Harry couldn't help but feel like a child when Lupin instructed him to take hold of his arm as they left Number Four Privet Drive. Standing next to the wizard he realized with happiness that they had arrived inside the Weasley family's kitchen. Tonks, having disapparated from the Dursley's first, was sitting on Harry's trunks waiting for them. Even though Dumbledore wouldn't approve of them arriving inside the Weasley home like this, Harry felt a sense of happiness and relief to know that he would be spending the remainder of the summer with Ron and his family.

Harry immediately ran toward the stairs to the family's bedrooms calling for his friends as he jogged up the steep staircase.

"Harry, they are not here," Lupin said, but his former student was already taking the stairs two at a time.

The house was oddly quiet. In Ron's large family there were always voices that could be heard no matter where one stood inside the house. Harry also couldn't remember the last time he had seen the kitchen empty. Stopping halfway up the stairs, Lupin's words finally registered with him. Looking back into the kitchen, Lupin's face was calm and void of expression. Harry couldn't tell what Lupin was thinking. There were empty boxes scattered around the kitchen floor. The cupboards were open and empty. The happiness in Harry sunk just as quickly as it had come when he first arrived in the Weasley's home.

Harry looked around in disbelief. He didn't understand why Lupin had taken him here. "Is Ron ok?"

"Ron is fine, but the Burrow is no longer safe for the Weasley's to live. Dumbledore was the only person that Voldemort feared. You see, Harry?" Lupin paused and searched Harry's face for comprehension. "Without Dumbledore, no one in the Order can live safely without protection."

When Harry didn't say anything Tonks added, "We choose to apparate inside the Burrow because right now anywhere is safer than your aunt and uncle's home. We don't know who might be watching the house."

Walking to the door, Lupin motioned for Harry to follow him out. Around the side of the house, Lupin pointed his wand at the gnarled trees and long grass that had become the Weasley's garden. Looking among the vines, Harry could see the distinct shape of a car, most likely one that Mr. Weasley had been given by the Ministry of Magic. "Recindoཀ" Lupin snapped his wand. The roots and branches that had once wrapped themselves around the car immediately began moving away, choosing to entangle the nearby trees and shrubbery instead.

Harry spent most of the trip looking down at miles of farmland from the backseat of Arthur Weasley's car. Being a wizard was rewarding in that it offered more interesting ways to travel than given to the average Muggle. Flying cars rarely had to deal with nuisances such as detours for road repairs or the occasional flood. Instead, they were able to drive over the tops of the trees and buildings. Harry preferred it this way. It allowed him to be a mere observer of the world rather than an active participant in it. While looking out the window, Harry tried to listen in on Lupin and Tonks' conversation. Even though he couldn't make out what the two wizards were saying to each other, Tonks was smiling and laughing with Lupin. Listening to them chat quietly to each other, Harry could escape the thoughts that plagued his mind. He didn't have to think about of what would happen to Dudley or that his Aunt and Uncle never wanted to see him again.

Harry had travelled to London many times with the Weasleys and knew the way well. Even before their car left the ground, he had suspected that they would go to the Order of the Pheonix headquarters. Both Lupin and Tonks were active members in leading the offensive against Voldemort. He hoped that Ron and Hermione would be spending the summer with him at the Order of the Phoenix like they had done in the past. It would be nice to see them again even if they had to spend it within the gloomy walls of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. As the former home of Sirius, the last decedent of the pureblood Black family and member of the Order of the Phoenix, the home had become the headquarters for the organization. When Harry inherited it after Sirius' death, he had allowed the Order to continue using it. He had even used Sirius Black's home as a safe house two summers ago when he had ran into trouble while living with the Dursley's. Just as earlier that day, dementors had cornered Harry and Dudley, but at that time he had been able to cast a patronous charm that saved both of their lives. Looking back out the window, the green squares of farmland had been replaced with homes tightly packed into snake-like rows that curled and twisted. Harry instantly recognized these odd shapes as the streets of London.

In the larger cities, wizards drove along the same roads as Muggles, but just over the top of their cars. As there were so many wizards living or working in London they often had similar congestion problems as the Muggles below. In fact, as Harry watched the Muggle cars travelling underneath them, he noticed that the car he was in often idled at the same intersections as the Muggle cars. Inching further and further toward the centre of London, Harry began to think of the chaos that would ensue if Muggles could see the traffic just over their headsཀ

As Harry stared out the window he quickly became confused at what he saw around him. Number Twelve Grimmauld Place was hidden in a rundown residential

area in London. Looking out the window, Harry saw tall buildings instead of homes. Before he had a chance to interrupt Lupin and Tonks, their car flew upwards until it was facing the top of a large building. Before Harry had time to ask Lupin what was going on, the car drove toward the building passing through it at the exact moment that any Muggle would have expected it to crash. Harry had never been in an over-ground garage before but had heard about them from Mr. Weasley. It was much more efficient for wizards to park their cars in the upper levels of magical buildings because they didn't have to interrupt the Muggles travelling on the street where the entrances to underground garages would be located. It was much easier for wizards to separate their world as much as possible from the Muggle world. Still, it was unnerving to drive full speed into a brick wall without any warning. Then again, Harry had heard many stories from Fred and George about those that drove too slowly at a building and got stuck part way through the wall. As Harry's eyes began to focus in the darkness of the garage, he knew at once where they were. A familiar voice boomed from their car radio.

"Please state the names of each person in your party and your business at the Ministry of Magic today."

"Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and Harry Potter," Lupin spoke to the radio. "We are going to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, The Order of the Phoenix Headquarters."

"Please affix the badges to your clothing and if you are a visitor to the Ministry today, please first go to the security desk located at the far end of the Atrium to have your wand registered and inspected. Thank you and welcome to the Ministry of Magic." Just as the receptionist had finished, three silver badges with each person's name appeared from the cassette player of their car.

As they got out of their car Harry was shocked at what he had learned in Lupin's thirty-second conversation with the receptionist. How could the headquarters be located at the one place that had consistently worked against Dumbledore once they learned of Voldemort's return? Angrier than he had felt in a long time, Harry quickly tried to catch up with the two wizards so that he could demand an explanation. Neither one paid any attention to Harry, but instead walked even more quickly toward the elevator located at the centre of the garage. It seemed that the nearer they got to the elevator, the faster they seemed to walk. Harry's anger grew from being ignored and he could no longer hide his feelings.

"I don't get it Lupin. Why choose this place? Why here? I had told Dumbledore that the Order could use Sirius'-"

"Harry, we are not going to speak about this here," Lupin turned around long enough to shout his reply at Harry before walking even faster. Harry was stunned. It was the first time that Lupin had ever raised his voice to him. As one of his father's best friends, Lupin had always had a soft spot for Harry. All the way down the elevator to the Atrium the group didn't say a word. As they entered the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, wizards quickly sped past them. Every once in a while there would be a smile or acknowledgement of either Tonks or Lupin by another wizard, but most were busy with their work and paid little attention to them as they walked through the busy department.

The hallway snaked around the various offices in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Harry noticed less staff the further they walked. Harry had a feeling that he would have trouble finding his way back to the elevator if Lupin or Tonks didn't escort him. As Harry turned another corner, the corridor stopped abruptly at a large wooden door without a department title affixed to it. Unprepared to stop so soon, Harry almost walked into Lupin. Looking at the door, Harry noticed that it had a large brass keyhole but no doorknob. It also looked like the wood was fused to the wall. Lupin placed his wand in the keyhole saying, "Reapse". As he removed his wand the door glowed a faint pulsing white around the edges. As the group continued to watch the door, the pulse got slower as the edges of the door began to glow brighter. Harry quickly realized that this was a truth spell. Hermione had once told him about it while they were studying in the common room at Hogwarts together. The white glow around the door signalled to those on the other side that Lupin was allowed admittance. Quickly there after, Harry saw Mrs. Weasley's head poke out from around the open door. Her look of worry quickly turned into a smile as she saw the three wizards.

"Come in, Come in," she said.