This is chapter eleven but it was attached to the end of chapter ten accidentally, so its not new
Chapter Eleven:
Harry immediately forgot his anger for his godfather and, stumbling to his feet, Harry pulled him into a tight hug. He whispered in his ear so no one else could hear, 'I missed you.'
It was then that Harry realised what his godfather had just said. 'Wait, your mum?' he asked, releasing him from the hug.
'Yeah, Mother Dearest,' he said, bitterly. 'This is my parent's house – well, mine since they're both dead. I'd leant it to Dumbledore to use as Headquarters for the Order and now that Fudge's gone mad I'm back.' He did not sound happy in the slightest about this.
Harry, despite his curiosity about what the Order is, was confused. 'Dead?' he asked.
'Yeah,' he answered, slowly, not understanding why Harry was questioning that statement. Then it hit him. 'Oh right! That was a portrait.'
'Oh,' Harry was embarrassed. Guess that explains the curtains, he thought.
Others were joining them in the entrance hall but Harry couldn't figure out who they were. He was quickly becoming overwhelmed. His 'training' over the summer couldn't cope with so many new people and he was feeling alone and scared. He stiffened slightly when he was pulled into a hug from someone. Okay, Harry, think! Long hair, woman. Bit pudgy…don't know. Bushy hair…don't know…
'It's so good to see you again,' she whispered. Ah, Mrs. Weasley, he thought. 'I'd love you catch up but we're just about to start a meeting. Fred, George can you help Harry find his room?' she asked turning away at her last comment, obviously looking at the twins.
He heard significant grumbling and could tell for sure that the arms escorting him upstairs were the Weasley twins and they weren't happy.
'What-' he started, rather loudly.
'Shh,' he thought Fred whispered. 'We'll explain in a minute.'
They led him into a room and after three more pairs of footsteps entered the room, shut the door. 'Who's here?' he asked, nervously. He had hoped that he'd be able to handle a new environment better than this…
'Ginny,' called the youngest child and only girl of the Weasley's from the opposite side of the room to Harry.
'Hermione,' from – the floor? No, a chair? Or the bed…? He thought, confused.
'Ron,' from the door.
'Fred,' said the twin on his right.
'And George,' said the twin on his left.
'Hi guys,' he said, tiredly. 'Is there somewhere to sit down?'
The twins guided him to where he'd heard Hermione's voice and sat him down on the bed. Harry sat down gratefully; it'd been a long day. He raised his hand to pull off his sunnies to rub at his temples but stopped. Fred, George and Ginny haven't seen the scars yet…
They sat in silence for several minutes, no one wanting to break the uncomfortable silence. Finally, Hermione nudged him and he made a face. She sighed and he clasped his hands together pleadingly. They had talked about what he would do around others. He was getting good at telling Hermione and Ron apart but he needed more practice with different people and more people at once. That meant having to ask to See people; something that he wasn't really comfortable with doing, despite the great help it would mean and something that Hermione had bullied him into agreeing to do with at least the Weasley's. She sighed again but turned to speak to the others. 'Okay guys, this'll sound a little weird. Ron and I have been training Harry to be independent. One of the methods we've developed is seeing through his hands. Just by quickly touching mine or Ron's nose or mouth he can tell us apart. So would it be alright if Harry Sees you?' Hermione said this all very fast and Harry lowered his head embarrassedly.
There was a pause then rushed comments of assent. They'd nodded, he thought, everyone did that once they remembered he couldn't see it. Harry heard someone come close and take his hands. Then they placed them on their face.
Harry took that as permission and began exploring. He gently brushed against the jaw line ascertaining that the face below his hands was female and, therefore, Ginny's. Her jaw line was softer than a man's but still sharp. Her skin was soft, and clear. Brushing over her lips he noticed something he'd never noticed with sight; Ginny had incredibly full lips. Blushing slightly he progressed up to her eyes. He traced her cheek bones, they were in the same spot as Ron's and Hermione's but so much sharper than both of them. He traced her eyes, the same shape as her brother but with such softer eyelashes. Rising still one hand brushed against her eyebrow and the other against the top of her nose and almost smirked. Ginny has her eyebrows done, he thought. He touched a piece of hair and was surprised. Her hair, which held her mother's fiery red colour, was so soft it felt like silk. It fell straight and smooth, nothing like Mrs. Weasley's bushy hair. Finally he trailed down her nose, feeling its crease on the end, like Ron's, but noticeably shorter than her brother's.
He dropped his hands. 'Thank-you,' he said, sincerely.
'You're welcome,' she said brightly. She got up and was replaced by one of the twins. Wait, weren't the twins standing over there and Ron standing there?
'I'm flattered that you enjoy my Seeing this much but I'd rather See Fred and George, Ron,' he said frowning. The twins laughed.
'I'll trick you one of these days,' he vowed and Harry chuckled.
Ron got up and both twins knelt in front of him. He smiled, 'Thanks, this way I might actually be able to tell you two apart!' he laughed and they chuckled.
'I'm Fred.'
'And I'm George.'
Harry smirked, unless they had been lying before, they had just switched their names. Probably switched them this time so I'll get them mixed up. 'Sure, Fred and George,' he said raising his hands and placing them on their respective real faces.
They both pouted beneath his fingers and he laughed. Confirming his suspicions he brushed his fingers over their lips, the same as their younger brother's. They had stronger jaw lines than Ron but spiked with sharp hair, which he had come to associate with a day or two of growth. Ron didn't shave yet so Harry only knew this by his own face. He smirked again as he felt a particularly hairy patch on Fred's face. 'You missed a spot.' Ron laughed and Fred scowled. When he had relaxed his face, Harry continued. They had more hollow cheeks than their younger siblings and softer cheekbones. He traced their eyelids, which were different to Ron and Ginny's, narrower. Harry smiled, probably from laughing all the time. He skimmed over the length of their eyebrows and frowned. He ran his finger over George's left eyebrow again; one section was bare. It must be a scar, he thought. It was. It was a very thin scar, probably barely noticeable by eye as Harry had never noticed before, but enough to distinguish the twins. He grinned, and raised his fingers to their hair They had a higher hairline than Ginny but the same as Ron, and both had bushy and slightly coarse hair like their mother. He ran down their noses and smiled when he noticed the squashier end of Fred's that only came with previously broken nose. 'Thank-you,' he said, and the twins nodded and resumed their spot by the wall.
An awkward silence fell upon the teenagers again. 'So, where are we?' he asked.
'Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix,' Ginny replied.
'Oh right, because that explains everything,' he said sarcastically. 'What is the Order of the Phoenix?'
'It's a secret society that Dumbledore founded to fight You-Know-Who last time. He's reunited it and Sirius' letting him use this place for headquarters,' Fred answered.
At the mention of Dumbledore Harry remembered his letter. 'Did Hedwig make it here?' he asked, nervous for the first time what Dumbledore's silence could have meant.
'Yeah…' George said hesitantly.
Harry turned to his voice, 'And?' he asked, annoyed.
'Well, if she had a letter she delivered it but she was following him. Dumbledore told her that he couldn't reply just yet and to go back to you, but she kept following him. He couldn't have that s she's so distinct so he – er – we tried to putting her in a cage but she wouldn't let us. He, um, he ended up having to stun her…' George said this really quickly.
If Harry could still see, his vision would be tinted red. He jumped to his feet, 'HE DID WHAT TO HEDWIG?' He bellowed, absolutely furious at his headmaster. 'WHERE IS SHE?'
He heard someone, Ginny by the light footsteps, rush from the room and return after a few minutes. Harry stood still, breathing heavily until she returned with his owl. She released her and the owl flew to Harry's shoulder and gave him a sorrowful hoot. 'I'm sorry Hedwig, I didn't think he'd do that to you,' he murmured. The owl ruffled her feathers indignantly but nipped his ear gently to show she accepted his apology before flying and landing somewhere in the room.
'So what's this Order of the Phoenix been up to?' he sneered, starting to pace the room. 'What's made Dumbledore have to be so damn secretive that he couldn't have an owl following him? Better yet, why wouldn't he just give me a damn reply?'
No one answered him. He was fuming. If Dumbledore had been in the room right now, Harry would have likely ripped his beard out from the roots. 'Well?' he said, harshly.
'We're not in the Order,' Ginny said, timidly. 'We have no idea.'
'Oh? So you're not in the Order, eh? Why's that?' he sneered again.
'It's dangerous…'Ginny answered trailing off as she caught Harry's expression. He stopped his pacing, furious.
'OH ITS TOO DANGEROUS IS IT? FACING VOLDEMORT? ITS NOT LIKE WE HAVEN'T DONE IT BEFORE, IS IT?' Harry knew he shouldn't be shouting and that he was being unreasonable but he was too angry. 'NOT LIKE STOPPING A VOLDEMORT-POSSESSED QUIRELL WAS GANGEROUS. NOT LIKE FIGHTING THE MEMORY OF TOM RIDDLE OR A BASILISK OR FINDING THE CHAMBER OF SERETS. NOT LIKE GOING BACK IN TIME TO STEAL A SOON-TO-BE EXECUTED HIPPOGRIFF FOR A CONVECTED MURDERER TO ESCAPE ON. NOT LIKE FACING A HUNDRED DEMENTORS. OR DRAGONS OR MERMEN OR SPHINXES OR MERLIN ONLY KNOWS WHAT ELSE IN THAT TOURNAMENT. NOT LIKE SEEING HIM COME BACK TO LIKE. NOT LIKE SEEING CEDRIC DIE.'
He stopped suddenly; it hurt too much to think about that. He felt a dull burning behind the tattered remains of his eyes. Tears, he thought, realisation dawning on him. Well, it would be if I could still cry…
'Or maybe he thinks I'm useless now…maybe all that 'training' this summer was to ease his own selfish guilt…' he whispered, shrinking down into a crouch. He hugged his knees in tight and sobbed. He sobbed and sobbed and sobbed…
It took a long time for Harry to calm down. Eventually they left and Harry began to breath evenly again. He picked his head up from his knees and sighed. It was warm in the house so he pulled his coat off. He lowered his left arm and traced the inside flesh with his right hand. He couldn't see it but his skin was slightly raised there and he'd seen it burn its way onto his skin so he could imagine well enough.
Someone gasped and he jumped and pulled his arm back towards himself so fast he hit himself in the chest. Apparently, they hadn't all left…
He heard them make their way over to him and crouch down in front of him. They lightly took his left hand and he let them unfurl it to reveal the Dark Mark. They let out a breath of air and traced the skull and snake, mimicking his actions from seconds ago.
He jumped again as they suddenly hugged him. He felt hair tickle his face and heard Ginny cry 'Oh, Harry!' He put his arms around her rather awkwardly and patted her on the back, murmuring 'It's ok,' over and over.
Then it happened. Something he had only experienced once before in his life and hoped to never again, although he knew he would countless times again…
