Chapter 2

Harry's eyes slowly flickered open. The light was filtering through the blinds of his room. He heard snoring and looked over to see Ron in the other bed. Harry concluded that he fell asleep before dinner and they decided to let him sleep. Harry walked downstairs to get something to eat but when he got down the stairs he saw the door to the kitchen open. Mrs. Weasley came out and Harry glimpsed multiple Order members. Mrs. Weasley started getting plates. Harry quickly went up the stairs as quietly as he could, grabbed his cloak and put it. He went back downstairs just as Molly was finishing making snacks he followed her closely through the doorway and into the meeting. Molly closed the door and set the trays of snacks around the table before sitting down again.

"Now that we are ready, I would like to start the meeting on the topic of what happened at Private Drive," Dumbledore said.

"Does anyone but Harry and the Death Eaters know what happened?" Asked Remus.

"The Aurors would know. More so Kingsley and Alastor than Tonks." Said Dumbledore.

"Yes. I would have brought the report but I would get Azkaban if I was found out." Kingsley said. "Death Eaters attacked Number 4 Private Drive at around one in the morning, though we have reason to believe that there were scouts at the scene 20 minutes earlier than the rest."

"Why do you think that?" Asked Molly.

"Because there were two Death Eaters frozen under an invisibility cloak a little away from the battle," Alastor said.

"Right. After that Harry waited, hidden, for the Death Eaters that we're gonna attack his house. He-" Kingsley was saying before he was cut off.

"What!? Why would he try to fight them? He's just a kid." Molly exploded. Harry scowled at that.

"That's just how he is Molly. Continue, Kingsley." Said Dumbledore.

"Then the Death Eaters apparated onto the road in front of his house. That's when Harry struck. He, erm, he threw a blasting curse at the group of six Death Eaters, the curse killed three people judging by the number of limbs and other body parts strewn around the road. The area near the explosion was drenched so we think Harry conjured water to distract them. Rodolphus Lestrange was found across the road with a crushed chest, he escaped from the hospital before we could get information from him. We think Harry hit him with an exploding curse after the water making spell distracted him." Kingsley said.

"Kid thinks quick on his feet and isn't afraid to end a fight. I like him." Said Mad-Eye. That brought pride to Harry, knowing that one of the greatest Auror's ever approved of him.

"That's when Harry started taking hits though, judging by his hospital report he's lucky to have all of his body intact and to be alive. We don't know what happens after that. There was a little skirmish when the Aurors showed up then all Death Eaters just left and we rushed into the house and saw You-Know-Who kill Harry. After everything was over we checked Harry and he had a faint pulse so we rushed him to the hospital." Kingsley finished.

"Ohh the poor boy, he shouldn't be fighting, he's too young," Molly said while shaking her head with a sad look.

"No offense to the Order but Harry has done more than anyone this time around. Because of him, four Death Eaters are dead, one of which was in the inner circle, and two more captured, that's six Death Eaters he got that night. The ones he captured are being questioned right now and another inner circle was fatally injured. He's fought you-know-who three times and lived, not including as a baby, he recovered the prophecy, albeit being tricked into going to the Ministry, and he can produce a corporeal Patronus. He's very talented for his age and needs to stop being treated like a kid. He will be our greatest asset in this war." Said Moody. Harry was shocked that he would say that about him. A lot of people were outspoken about this though.

"But he's killed, people. If we kill them we are no better than the Death Eaters. Harry is a child, not a weapon." Molly said heatedly with multiple heads nodding with her. Harry was seething in anger, he is just as bad as Death Eaters? What delusional people.

"I have something to report now that we know kinda what happened at Private Drive," Remus said. "After taking Harry from the hospital yesterday, I took him to Diagon alley as agreed." As agreed? They get to tell him when he can do something and if he's allowed to do it. Bullshit.

"We went to Gringotts first and instead of just going in and getting money Harry said he had a few questions. Before I could object they set him up with the Potter Estate Manager, Harry wanted to know about the wills of his parents and Sirius. They were read to him and now he is in control of the Potter and Black families." Remus said. Dumbledore had a look of dread on his face it's been growing since the start of the meeting.

"How is he in control of the Black family?" Tonks asked.

"Sirius named him as his Heir under the impressions of being Godfather and would be a guardian if he wasn't arrested. He also has Black blood in him, a great great great grandma or something, Dorea Potter nee Black." Remus said.

"He still can't do any damage though, he's not of age to do anything and Dumbledore is his guardian," Molly said. He still can't do any damage? Harry thought.

"That's the worst part. Because the wills were read it was noted that Dumbledore wasn't supposed to be a guardian and the goblins deemed him unworthy because he didn't do what a guardian is supposed to do. The goblins are working on getting him emancipated." Remus said. Dumbledore had his head in his hands and most of the Order members looked worried, and Moody was grinning.

"What can we do?" Molly asked.

"We won't do anything, if the goblins started this morning, they'll have too strong of a case to fight against." Said Dumbledore. The more Harry listened the more it sounded like they were conspiring against him which most likely not true but Harry still didn't like it. Then suddenly Snape barged through the door, went over to Dumbledore and whispered in his ear, Dumbledore looked at Snape for a second before looking back at the order.

"This meeting will continue tomorrow. Severus and I have something to discuss." Dumbledore said. Everyone shuffled out of the room and there was a moment of silence.

"The Dark Lord is taking Potter a little more seriously, while he does know for a fact that the boy won't ever be able to defeat him he knows that Potter has done more to oppose him than anyone in the order. If Potter shows that he intends to kill the Death Eaters then the Dark Lord will try even harder to kill him. Right now he thinks it's a stroke of luck that Potter won." Snape said.

"That would not be good indeed," Dumbledore said.

"Yeah, especially for your plans of his death," Snape said with a sneer. What Snape said shocked Harry to the core, he couldn't even form coherent thoughts for the moment.

"It is not as you make it sound, Severus. Voldemort needs to be the one to kill Harry and Harry has-" Dumbledore started.

"But the Dark Lord did kill Potter," Snape said.

"I know. Voldemort has to be the one to kill him but Harry has to want to die. If Harry doesn't want to die then the fragment of Voldemort's soul that lives in him will protect Harry from the curse. That is why Harry was in a coma, the Horcrux used his magic to keep him alive. With my plan, Harry will want to die to protect everyone like his mother did for him and he will offer himself to Voldemort then Harry will be sent to limbo where he will return to the living." Dumbledore said. Snape sat down and put his head in his hands.

"That is just speculation though. No one knows what happens after Death and we know just as little about Horcruxes." Snape said.

"I'm sure that is what would happen," Dumbledore said which made Snape growl in frustration.

"You disgust me," Snape said with a sneer. "I hate that I have to help you do this."

"It is a necessary precaution." Said Dumbledore. Snape sneered and stormed out of the room. Dumbledore sighed and followed a minute later leaving Harry to his thoughts. Eventually, Harry went back upstairs to his room, he found quickly that he wasn't getting any sleep after what he heard so after quietly pacing and thinking nonstop he decided to occupy his mind with some reading, someone retrieved his stuff from the Dursleys and put them in his room. Harry read until the light started coming through the blinds in his room, he put his book down and stretched with a big yawn. He got out of bed and went downstairs to get breakfast. No one was there so he figured he would make breakfast for everyone and give Molly a break. When he was in the middle of making eggs the door to the kitchen opened, startling Harry. He turned as quickly as he could and launched an egg in the general direction of the person coming through the door, as soon as the egg was gone from his hand his wand was in it, pointing at the person, who happened to be Mad-Eye.

"Damn quick reflexes lad. You're almost as paranoid as I am." Moody said with a chuckle as he sat down. He pointed his wand at the splattered egg and vanished it.

"When you die you start paying more attention to your surroundings," Harry responded dryly, making Moody laugh.

"Only you would know, I got paranoid in a more mundane way. I should have learned Occlumency." Moody said with a chuckle.

"Yes, very mundane," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "How would Occlumency prevent you from going paranoid?"

"It doesn't prevent paranoia. It helps you organize your thoughts so you can remember things easier and keep a clear mind. I think that it would help you deal with the guilt of the lives you had to take more so." Moody said.

"I should learn it then, Snape was a terrible teacher," Harry said.

"Aye, you should. You've already killed the same amount as me and I don't see the body count stopping now." Moody said.

"Thanks for the motivation. Who in the order can teach me Occlumency? Other than Snape and Dumbledore of course."

"There are a few, though Bill Weasley would be your best bet."

"What about me?" Said Billy Weasley as he was coming through the open door to the kitchen, scaring Harry and Alastor. Moody started mumbling about how he forgot to shut the door when he came in so Harry told Bill what they were talking about.

"We were talking about paranoia and war when Occlumency came up. I'm wondering if you could teach me, I can pay you if you want." Harry said. Bill took a moment to think about it.

"I'll do it, free of charge, Gringotts pays me enough and I could use something to do," Bill said.

"Great. When do we start?" Harry said.

"As soon as I finish eating breakfast." Said Bill.

"In that case, you can sit down, I'm almost done making breakfast for everyone," Harry said. He continued making breakfast and people started coming into the Kitchen making the house much noisier, waking the rest of the people residing here. No one bothered him while he was making breakfast so he was finished just in time for the last person to make it to the kitchen. Bill set the table so Harry brought all the food over so everyone could fill their plates up. Harry took a seat between Bill and Tonks much to the disappointment of Ron and Hermione, after eating in silence Harry stood up and washed his plate and went up to his room. Bill soon followed after him and he came into Harry and Ron's room.

"Follow me, I've got a room here," Bill said and started walking up the stairs and into his room. It was nice enough, there was a small table with two chairs, a dresser with a case of butterbeer on it and a bed pushed against the wall.

"Nice room," Harry commented.

"Thanks, now we're not gonna practice today. I've got a few books for you to read, this is a very important step in learning Occlumency. Because of this, I thought we could just hang out for a bit." Bill said. He grabbed the case of Butterbeer and set it on the small table, he opened one for himself and Harry.

"Don't tell anyone I'm giving you more than one Butterbeer," Bill said with a grin as he sat down. Harry took the bottle and took a sip of the cold beverage that tasted a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch.

"What's it like being a Curse Breaker, Bill?" Harry asked. Bill immediately gained a twinkle in his eyes.

"It's awesome. I love it, much to the disappointment of my mom. It's a dangerous job and definitely for the adventurous type and the danger seekers. I'm a tomb raider for Gringotts. I get paid well for being out in the field and doing paperwork but when we find something in the tombs we all get a cut, my team that is. It's so fun finding lost artifacts and old spells, and how different cultures developed their magic. I think that's where all those myths came from, like the gods, that Humans believed in. Like Greek, Roman, Nordic, Egyptian gods. I believe that there were wizards who specialized in things and the humans at the time thought them as gods. I just simply love what I do, if someone told me I could meet Merlin if I quit I would tell them to beat it." Bill said. Harry was listening, interested the whole time.

"That's awesome, I could see myself doing that one day. I like your theory on the gods of old religions. I wonder if there are any hidden artifacts that they made to harness their chosen power." Harry said, making Bill's eyes light up again.

"That's how a Tomb Raider thinks, Harry. Perhaps you will find a job in it after all this is over." Bills said. He and Harry reach for their second drinks.

"Yeah, after all this," Harry said, thinking about the people he killed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Bill asked. Harry stared at the ground for a bit and then sighed.

"I never expected to be able to do things like that. I should feel bad for killing them but I don't. Maybe being put in a coma for a month helped me get over it. I was shocked at the time. Do you think I'm a monster?" Harry said, finally looking up.

"You're not a monster, Harry. You did what you had to. Magic works in mysterious ways. When you kill someone your soul fractures. What you did in self-defense may have hurt your soul but it didn't do any damage, like a bruise. Magic deemed those Death Eaters unworthy of living any longer. Maybe that's why it doesn't hurt as much since the pain doesn't run deep. The whole month to heal helped too. So you aren't a monster Harry." Bill said. Harry downed his third Butterbeer and looked at Bill. Bill handed him three books on Occlumency.

"Thank you," Harry said in a whisper. "I'm gonna go read those books right now." Bill nodded to him and Harry left the room and went to his room to read those books on Occlumency.