Harry woke with a start. Where was he? The car. He was in the car with Kingsley, and he'd fallen asleep on the drive.

"We're here, Harry. You need to wake up now."

"I'm... awake." Harry groaned. He shifted in his seat. His legs were stiff.

"Look at me, Harry. You need to read this."

Harry looked over to Kingsley. He was holding out an envelope. Harry took it. He pulled out a bit of parchment with Dumbledore's writing on it:

The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix are at number 12, Grimmauld Place.

Harry looked up at Kingsley.

"If you've read it, give it back so I can destroy it, Potter."

Baffled, Harry returned the note. Kingsley took his wand out and vanished it.

"Headquarters are kept under the fidelius charm. You've heard of it?"

Harry nodded.

"Dumbledore, of course, is the secret keeper. That note was made by him, so you should be able to see the house now. Look out your window."

Harry did. He saw number 11, and he saw number 13. And then he saw another house, squeezing into existence right between them. 11 and 13 were pushed apart, yet their inhabitants seemed undisturbed. Harry supposed that to them, the houses were still right next to each other. After a few moments, number 12 was fully in view.

"Um, do I just go up and open the door then?"

"Don't forget your things"

"Oh, right." Harry exited the car, and went to the trunk to get his suitcase and owl. Hauling both with him, he made his way to the front door of number 12. He turned to thank Kingsley for driving him, but he was already pulling away.

Harry opened the door.

Harry's car nap was not nearly long enough to prepare him for the chaos of the house. Mrs. Weasley was delighted as usual to see him, and her calls for Ron to assist him with his belongings caused a portrait at the end of the hall to start screaming a startling variety of insults and slurs. Sirius emerged from a room Harry couldn't see to force the curtains on it back shut. At the same time, Ron came barreling down the stairs, followed by Hermione, Ginny, and the twins. Fred and George, now of age, helpfully levitated the suitcase and cage back up the stairs. Hermione and the youngest Weasleys collectively tackled Harry, perfectly playing the parts of friends who hadn't communicated with him recently. Sirius apologized for the screaming portrait of his mother and hugged him like a normal person.

Sirius stood back from Harry, holding him by the shoulders. "You look more like James every time I see you."

"The world truly is filled with tragedy." Came an unpleasant, but all too familiar voice.

Sirius spun around to face Severus Snape. The two glared at one another. Sirius looked like he was preparing a retort.

"Oh no, you are not doing this right now."

Sirius turned back to Harry, incredulous. Snape's eyebrow twitched, as though he were stopping it from raising.

"Harry, you did hear what he just said. He just insulted you and James."

"Sirius, I don't care right now. I just don't want to listen to this after the day I've had."

"Harry, I can't just let him say-"

"Yes, you can. It's easy. You just have to shut up."

Sirius gaped at him. "Harry... Harry, I-" He straightened up a little. "-I'm your godfather and you shouldn't speak to me like that."

"Then act like an adult. I want to go to bed, not listen to you argue."

Ron was the first bystander to find his words. "You're sharing a room with me. I can show you where it is." He grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged him up the stairs, Hermione and Ginny following. They met Fred and George at the top of the stairs.

"Did you really just tell Sirius to lay off Snape?" George asked.

"That really wasn't what I was thinking. I'm tired, alright."