~ Chapter Twelve ~

Charlie just barely had time to register the gentle shimmer in the wards as one of the reserve portkeys dropped someone outside his cabin before a wave of magic shook the walls and toppled him off his feet. He scrambled along the floor after his wand, sporadic spurts of powerful magic knocking him down several more times before he got to it and rolled to the door. All he could think of was Voldemort and an attack on his dragons - and Norbert, sleeping just outside. He flung open the door, curse on the tip of his tongue, but sagged back against the doorframe in shock without uttering a word.

Harry Potter knelt on the ground a few dozen feet from his hut. His face was buried in his hands and he was rocking slightly, the anguish and pain clear from what little bits of his expression Charlie could make out. Around him, dirt, leaves, and twigs blew into the air in a torrent, as though a miniature tornado had struck Earth right where the small boy huddled. He looked to Norbert, terrified of how to protect Harry from the young dragon's fear and anger, but was stunned to see his wings folded back calmly, only the soft sound of quiet hissing escaping as he looked on almost sadly at the struggling young man.

With Norbert no longer a worry, Charlie dropped to his knees and began to crawl unsteadily toward Harry. Charlie had always been drawn to dragons. The world saw them as invincible and dangerously powerful, but they were so misunderstood. They were only truly dangerous when they or their loved ones, their family, was threatened. Charlie had dedicated his life to protecting what no one else saw as needing protection, and as he crept cautiously toward the struggling teenager, Charlie's need to protect far overshadowed any fear of the hazardous and potent magic swirling around him.

Suddenly, Harry looked up and met his eyes, noticing him for the first time, and everything around them seemed to stand still. Charlie lost himself in the brilliant green of those eyes, and his mind flashed back to other times he had gazed into their depths.

Harry's eyes had very nearly sparkled with awe and respect when he had seen the dragons in the forest his fourth year. Charlie had promised not to interfere in the tournament when he came to handle the dragons for the first task, but something had pushed him to drop hints to first Ron and then Hagrid, and he had been surprisingly relieved when he glanced up one evening to see the raven-haired seeker watching the dragons with wonder from his hiding place at the edge of the clearing.

Harry had been the only champion determined not to harm his dragon during the task, trying to evade her rather than attack. Charlie had watched him cast the protection spell over the other eggs, allowing himself to get burned in order to complete the spell. Later, when Charlie went to congratulate him, Harry had looked up at him with guilt and apologized for the eggs harmed by the other champions. The heart-breaking sincerity had stunned Charlie, and by the time his brain was working enough to form a response, Harry was being dragged away by Gryffindor admirers to celebrate the victory.

Charlie shook his head and pulled himself back to the present, seeing the same shame and guilt that had plagued Harry months earlier reflected out to him once more, and without thinking he began speaking, saying all the things he should have said back then.

"You've done everything you can. I know it may not feel like it, but sometimes doing the right thing isn't about stopping everyone from getting hurt, it's about keeping as many people safe as you can. Let it go, Harry. You did good. You were brave and strong and willing to make sacrifices, now it's time to rest." There was silence after his words, a silence that stretched and cracked with the tension of the moment. Then, so subtly he almost missed the change, Charlie felt the air around them begin to slow. He slowly turned his head to check on Norbert and immediately froze once more.

Just as they had the day before, dragons were emerging from all over the reserve, heads raised high into the air in salute, slowly circling the side of Charlie's cabin that was within the wards. Slightly in front of them all was Norbert, his wings unfurled to their full span, unmoving where they stretched out to his sides and above his head like a crown. Other trainers were stumbling out of their cabins, leaning back against doorways in amazement, wands held loosely at their sides.

Charlie looked quickly back at the small wizard ahead of him to see if he had noticed, but his eyes were closed, hands open loosely on his knees as though in meditation, and more and more of the magic around him melting into the air. Charlie decided it was safe to move closer and warily got to his feet before approaching the boy.

"Harry?" He asked softly when he was within feet of the other man. Long eyelashes fluttered before he was once again looking at deep pools of green partially hidden by wild, windswept hair, and Charlie thought to himself once more that Ron's fourteen-year-old best mate was very quickly reserving Charlie a very special place in hell.

"Harry, stay calm, but you have a bit of an audience…" Charlie warned gently, beginning to accept that there was nothing else that could have drawn the attention of the dragons who were still arriving out of the forest of the reserve. More and more joined the throng, necks swaying into the air and low hissing whispering throughout the herd.

Harry's brow knit in confusion and he turned where he knelt, eyes widening and mouth dropping open in shock.

"This day just keeps getting better," he said softly, and Charlie was startled into a bright chuckle despite the gravity of the situation. He cut himself off quickly, however, as Norbert lowered his body to the ground once more and began slinking right towards them, the other dragons casually lowering themselves to a more typical stance as well and watching the scene with a calculating air. Charlie reached out to pull Harry behind him, no longer worried about residual wild magic, but before he could, Harry's startled laugh rang through the air and he spoke to the approaching dragon.

"Norbert?!" The dragon stopped and settled onto his haunches, head tilted to the side as though processing the words. "Wow, look how much you've grown, you're gorgeous!" Norbert snorted at that, rumpling his scaly wings as though in indignation. Charlie tensed as he prepared to jump in at any moment, particularly concerned with the puff of smoke that wafted towards them at Norbert's snort, but Harry seemed unconcerned. "Alright, alright, not gorgeous then… striking? Dashing? That better?" He humored the restless dragon. At this, Norbert puffed up in what was clearly pride, and Charlie very nearly dropped his wand in astonishment. Could Norbert actually understand what Harry was saying?

Charlie started to object when boy and dragon began walking towards each other, but somehow knew it would be pointless. Harry stopped a few yards away, arm outstretched and waiting. Norbert watched him for a few moments, as though sizing him up, then moved forward until he could bump his scaly snout against Harry's palm. Charlie looked on in awe and jealousy as Harry calmly slid his fingers along the dragon's strong jaw, smiling warmly at the creature.

Cautiously, Charlie moved forward as well. He froze when Norbert turned to meet his gaze and stilled beneath Harry's palm, but the raven-haired boy was unfazed and spoke soothingly, smiling at Charlie over his shoulder when he saw where the dragon's attention had gone.

"That's right, Norbert, there's a good dragon. Is that Charlie coming to visit as well? Has he taken good care of you here in Romania? I told you he would, remember? Boy, would Hagrid love to see how much you've grown…" As Norbert settled contentedly onto the ground in front of the young wizard, Charlie wondered if Harry had any idea how bizarre it was that he was within flame-distance of a young dragon and not being burnt to a crisp; much less petting him and talking to him like a puppy of all things.

"Harry, not that it's not great to see you, really, but I have to say I'm a little curious as to how you ended up here." Harry turned his back on Norbert, sliding down the dragon's side to sit leaning against him. Charlie froze and almost shouted a warning, but Norbert just watched the two of them lazily though half-lidded eyes, his tail twitching calmly every so often.

As Harry told him about his bursts of magic and the Order's plans to control it, Charlie's heart ached for the tormented young man. It would seem that once again, Harry was to be the exception to every rule.

"Nothing is mine, not really," Harry was saying a while later, scratching into the ground next to him absent-mindedly while he spoke. "I don't have my own parents, my own home… my future isn't even mine. I'm here to fight Voldemort, until I stop getting lucky and he kills me." Charlie tried to object but Harry cut him off and charged on. "No, Charlie, it's true. I'm the-boy-who-lived. People need me to be the-boy-who-lived. I give hope. I know what it's like to live without that, and it's… well, it's not even living. I don't mind, not really; it's nice to be needed I guess."

"What do you need, Harry?" The red-head pleaded, desperate for some way he could help erase the haunted look from those deep green eyes.

"I need…" he trailed off, and Charlie let him. He could see that the hesitation was not coming from holding back the answer, but from needing to consider for the first time what his needs were. The older man felt his anger growing, wanting to curse anyone and everyone who had ever let this remarkable boy believe that his own needs and feelings did not matter.

At last, Harry pulled his knees closer and hung his head, Charlie forced to lean forward and hold his breath to hear the words Harry now whispered brokenly into his lap.

"I need control over something in my life, I need… something that's all mine, that no one can un-do or take away from me, that I don't have to share." Harry tugged on the short sleeves of his shirt and tried to flatten his unruly bangs as he finished sharing his secret wish, before glancing vulnerably up at the older man. Just like that, Charlie understood.

"It's the scars, isn't it? You can deal with knowing in your own mind that everyone expects so much of you, but the scars…"

"They mark me," Harry whispered. "They show everyone what I've been through and what I'll have to do. I don't get a past, with a family who loved me and taught me things. I don't get a future, with someone who I'll fall in love with and feel safe with and make my own family with. I understand that's just how it is for me. But the scars… imagine not having your pain or your memories or your fears ever be just your own. Imagine having to share them every day with everyone you know, with people you've never met! I hate that this," harry gestured towards his forehead, "that these," he pulled on his neckline to let the angry red burn scars left over on his shoulder peek out, "that they define me." He looked up with eyes flashing bright and passionate and Charlie just shook his head in bewilderment.

"They don't!" He insisted. "Who you are defines what the scars mean. No, listen Harry." He placed a gentle finger under the other's chin when Harry tried to turn away, and coaxed his face back up until their eyes locked once more. "When you-know-w... when Voldemort gave you that scar, most people would have let it show that they were a hero, worthy of praise and special treatment. Some would have hidden behind it, using it as proof that they paid their dues to the fight, and no one would have begrudged them hiding away in peace for the rest of their lives. On you that scar shows that you will fight Voldemort over and over again because in your heart, you know that you will never turn away from someone you might be able to help." He paused to lay both hands on Harry's shoulders, fingers curling around to his back and massaging it lightly, once more stamping down any less-than-PG thoughts with a guilty twinge in his gut. "And these? On anyone else, these scars would show a broken soul. They'd be an excuse for hatred and anger that no one could blame you for. But on you they mean love and compassion, wanting to ease the pain in others whether they deserve it or not. That is not a weakness, Harry; that is your greatest strength."

"How is it a strength if it's going to let Voldemort win? Kingsley said everyone needs to make sacrifices in war, your mum was nearly glowing at the idea of me and Ginny m-married. How am I supposed to be strong enough to help anyone at all if I would rather let my magic stay wild and lose to Voldemort than let your sister marry me? It's not even like she doesn't like me, she'd probably say yes, but I'm not… I can't…" He took a deep breath to gather his thoughts. "We wouldn't ever be in love, and I don't think I can let myself do that to her."

Charlie turned to sit next to Harry, only hesitating slightly before leaning back against Norbert as well. The dragon blinked over in their direction for a moment at the feeling of a second body against his side, then resettled and breathed deeply in sleep once more. Charlie took a moment to relish the thrill that shot through him as he felt live dragon hide for the very first time, where it pressed against his bare arms. Only a moment, however, before his brow furrowed and he tried to find words to comfort the lost boy sitting beside him.

"If we try to take peace back by force… if we let ourselves sacrifice one who is innocent and defenseless, even for the sake of many, then are we even fighting for a world worth saving?" He knew Bill was much better with words, and wished his big brother was there now to take his hand and guide him through this new territory as he had through so many others in their lives.

"I... don't understand." Harry finally replied, sighing in frustration and sliding his hands exasperatedly through his hair, letting his head rest there where it hung down in defeat.

"That's okay, Harry. I don't think I'm explaining myself very well, anyway." Harry made a gesture that may have been a nod, and the two sat in silence for a while, the warm rise and fall of Norbert's side creating a soothing background to the gentle, fresh breeze of the reserve. Charlie, for his part, tore pieces of long grass into tiny pieces, holding his hand to the wind after each blade to watch the fragments float away, and occasionally flexing his left arm to watch the little dragon tattoo there furl out its wings before resettling.

Just then, Charlie noticed several of the dragons tracking movement off to his right and glanced that way to see Petru inching his way toward the pair of wizards, still staying well back by the line of huts. When he reached Charlie's cabin, he subtly motioned with his fingers and Charlie, with a last uneasy glance at Harry, slowly stood and backed away until he, too, stood leaning against his cabin door.

"Charlie, what in Merlin's name is going on here?" There was annoyance and suspicion in the tone, but it was overshadowed by concern and an almost grandfatherly indulgence, so Charlie figured he was alright.

"Truthfully şef? I have no idea." At that moment, Harry cried out in pain and fell to the ground, and every dragon on the reserve cried with him, the air filled with an eerie gale of dragon hissing.

XxXxXxXxX

Fred clawed at the arm covering his mouth with his good hand, panicking until the body behind him pulled them into a lit room and Fred looked around wildly only to see George calmly standing off to one side.

"I'm bleeding, you arse," he heard Sirius's voice quip as the arms released him and he realized that it was Black who had snatched him from the hallway and dragged him into what looked like a large, plush study, although there were no obvious doors into the room. "My several-times-great-grandfather had it put in, apparently," Sirius explained, seeing the questioning look in Fred's eyes. "The house will only reveal its location to the current Lord Black."

"Okay…" Fred said dumbly, holding his wrist close to his chest. He was having a hard time seeing past the pain to connect the dots as to why he had just been abducted and brought to this secret little room. Sirius was frowning down at his injury, though, and didn't appear to have noticed his confusion.

"George, grab the chair. Fred, sit down and let me take a look at that. Here, drink this." He held out one of the vials he had been bringing to Harry and Fred eyed it cautiously. "Simple pain reliever, that's all. It looks like it's just a fracture, so I should be able to heal it for you, but I'm not very fast, so you're going to be in pain for a while." Fred nodded, and drank down the bitter solution as George gently guided him down onto one of the antique chairs. As Sirius began muttering and waving his wand over the injury, George caught his twin's eye and raised his own eyebrows in question.

"He saw my hand slip out of the cloak when I put the ring on Harry's finger. It was hard to keep everything covered when I was that close to the waves of magic the kid was letting off. Sirius said he needed to talk to me, and then when mum started going on about how you and I must have been behind the flaming door incident – wicked job, by the way…"

"…thanks, I try…" Fred cut in, grinning.

"…so mum was saying how this proved how irresponsible we were, 'little hooligans' I believe was the phrase she used at one point…"

"…classy woman, our mum…"

"…and Sirius said he'd go and get you."

"Thanks mate," Fred said earnestly, but Black waved it aside, still focusing on the injured wrist, tiny droplets of sweat forming on his brow as he concentrated. Finally, Fred felt his arm go deeply relaxed and he carefully rotated his wrist, smiling when there was no stiffness or pain. Sirius sat back on his heels, panting slightly from the effort, and tucked his wand away.

"Right. Now that that's taken care of, where the bloody hell is my godson?"

The twins sobered immediately, watching the other man wearily while they carefully considered what to say.

"We can't tell you that…"

"…or won't tell you that…"

"…not until we know you deserve to know…"

"…do you deserve to know?" Sirius hung his head and rubbed his palms guiltily over robe-covered thighs..

"Please," he pleaded brokenly, "At least tell me if he's somewhere safe."

"Since when do you care if he's somewhere safe? You didn't seem too concerned for his safety when you abandoned him for weeks with muggle relatives who starved and abused him and—" Fred would have kept going, his anger building and the pain potion he had taken getting rid of his verbal filter, but George grabbed his brother's arm harshly, stopping him from saying anything else. Not only would Harry be furious with them when he found out they had broken his confidence, but Sirius obviously could not handle any more details just yet. As it was, the older man had paled so quickly at Fred's words he looked like he might pass out. He did, in fact, summon a waste basket and empty the contents of his stomach harshly into it.

"I didn't know… Oh Merlin, I swear I didn't know, he never said…" The sight of a grown man, one who had survived years in Azkaban, kneeling before them and sobbing bitterly into his hands was enough to leave both young men shaken. George stepped past his brother, who was fidgeting guiltily and biting his lips together as though just now realizing all that he had let slip. He knelt down and looked Sirius straight in the eyes before speaking.

"You know now," he said firmly, neither accusation nor forgiveness in his voice. "Harry's with Charlie, he'll be safe. Charlie already helped take care of Harry once this summer when he… was hurt," he finished lamely, but Sirius mercifully didn't press the issue just then. George hesitated, wanting desperately to trust this man who so obviously cared and had acted as their ally so many times that summer, but he still needed to understand why Harry hadn't once heard from his godfather the entire summer; why Sirius hadn't gone to check on the boy himself when there was no word from his godson. As though reading his thoughts, Black began speaking in a shaky voice.

"Dumbledore told me at the beginning of the summer that the ministry had placed an illegal trace on my magical signature. Here, I'm hidden behind the fidelius. But all I would have to do would be step past the threshold or send a letter by owl-post and the Ministry would be led right outside headquarters. I had no idea that those slug-scum relatives of his hurt him... but I knew Harry hated it there. Headquarters was the only way I saw to get him out. I was just trying to protect him." He looked up at them then, emotion swimming in his gaze. "I thought he needed at least one person to put his happiness first."

"Maybe more than one," Fred said quietly from behind them. George turned to see his twin holding a small, folded piece of parchment, eyes shining with determination. "There's already an Order looking out for the-boy-who-lived… maybe there needs to be one for Harry, too."

XxXxXxXxX

Charlie ignored Petru and the other handlers as they shouted for him to stay back. His only thought as he sprinted across the lawn was making sure Harry was alright. Norbert paced restlessly nearby, circling in a little closer each time he passed Harry's still form, but Charlie hardly noticed. When he got to Harry, he pulled the smaller boy effortlessly into his arms and frantically felt for a heartbeat. It was there, clear as day, but rapid; Harry was breathing quick and sharp, his eyes unfocused and scar standing out too bright on his pale forehead. Charlie shook him gently, repeating his name over and over, and then suddenly the hissing from the dragons stopped and Harry curled in on himself. A few dry sobs escaped his lips despite clearly fighting to hold back his cries.

"Easy Harry, I've got you. It's okay." Charlie took a steadying breath, realizing his arms were shaking from adrenaline where he held the frightened young man and he fought to still the tremors.

"V-Voldemort." Harry stammered out, body trembling and teeth chattering as though ice filled his veins. "I saw—He's furious. He knows someone close to him is leaking information to Dumbledore, he's just not sure who. It's gotta be about Snape. I need to get back to headquarters, I have to warn the Order, I—"

"Whoa hey, hey hey hey, calm down." Charlie shifted Harry more fully into his arms and rose carefully to his feet, carrying the boy slowly towards his cabin. He once again ignored Petru and the others as he strode into his cabin, shutting and locking the door behind him pointedly. It wouldn't keep a wizard out who really wanted to get in, of course, but it did send his message loud and clear: visitors not welcome. Setting Harry carefully on his bed, he sat down beside him and tried to make his body language as calm and confident as possible, hoping his demeanor would be contagious. "Now try that again. How do you know this?"

"M-my scar," Harry explained, still shivering although it seemed to be easing up. "I get visions sometimes, when he's really mad. I see what he sees, hear what he's saying. He was talking to Nagini, his snake, telling her that he knows one of his inner circle is leaking information. He's going to set a trap for the spy, start telling each of them certain things, and wait to see whose info gets back to the Order. Snape's the spy, he needs to know what's going on." Charlie nodded slowly, careful to mask his shock and horror that Harry saw into the mind of the madman who had murdered his parents.

"Yes, he'll need to know. But we have time, Harry. Let's figure out what's happening with you and this whole bonding idea first, okay? You'll get your warning out soon, this isn't an emergency yet." His words and tone were comforting, but inside his mind was racing. Harry, the golden-boy, boy-who-lived and now boy-who-had-secret-visions-of-Voldemort's-plans needed to bond at fourteen and the Order (which was filled with aurors, ministry officials, and defense masters) wanted him settled down with Ginny? Something didn't feel right.

Charlie was startled out of his thoughts by a tapping at the window. He looked up and had to hold back a groan of annoyance seeing Erol once again. Charlie let him in and took the parchment, reading through it swiftly. He absently pointed out some scraps when Harry asked, and let the younger boy feed the owl after his long flight.

Charlie,

Come to headquarters right away. Order business.

Dad.

(PS- Ron found out about the twins, which means that by the time you're reading this, Hermione and Ginny probably know as well. Ron didn't take it well. Thought you would want to know.)

"Charlie?" He looked up to see Harry biting his lip nervously, and realized he had probably been quiet for too long.

"It's fine, I need to go to headquarters. My guess, it has something to do with your mysterious disappearance. Since no one has shown up yet to take you back, I'm guessing they have no idea you're here." Harry didn't say anything, but his brow was knit with worry.

"Hey, it's nothing to worry about, I promise. I'll see what I can find out on that end, and then we'll talk this whole thing through, okay?" He waited for Harry's nod, then placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You'll be okay here while I'm gone. Try to get some rest, I'll be back as soon as I can." He looked over his shoulder one last time when he reached the door, and forced himself to let it swing shut behind him despite the lost look on Harry's face as he stood in the middle of the tiny cabin, looking so small. Charlie strode quickly past the wards of the reserve and headed to the nearest public floo access. The sooner he got to headquarters, the sooner he could get back.