Chapter 2: Think Things Through

Harry frowned at the scene around him. He was definitely at King's Cross but he had no earthly idea how he had gotten there. The last thing he remembered was Leo fighting Voldemort, then the two of them sneaking off. Voldemort appeared behind them, pointed his wand at Leo and -

His train of thought stopped as he heard loud whimpering. He looked around and spotted something under a nearby wooden bench that looked like what he assumed babies looked like months before they were born. It had no skin, it couldn't open its eyes, and it was very thin and fragile-looking. The fact that it was crying was the only reason Harry knew it was alive. Pitying the thing, Harry reached out to touch it when a voice stopped him.

"Don't touch that," it said in a firm, almost paternal sort of voice.

Harry turned around to see a man with messy jet-black hair, hazel eyes, and glasses that were slightly askew. Beside him was a woman with hair as red as Ginny Weasley's and with eyes as green as his own. His parents.

Lily Potter covered her mouth with her hands to hide the fact that she was crying. She ran over as fast as she could and hugged him fiercely. Harry hugged her back like he had wanted to ever since he was old enough to understand that Aunt Petunia wasn't his mother.

Reluctant though he was to let go, he had to ask, "Did I die? At the Ministry where Leo was fighting Voldemort – did he kill me?"

Lily pulled away, sniffling as she furiously shook her head and wiped the tears from her face. James Potter approached her, putting a calming hand on her shoulder and smiling at his son. He then turned to look at the bench, a scowl on his face.

"That thing is going to die, not you," he said, spitting out the word as though it were poison.

"Er, I don't understand," Harry frowned in confusion.

Lily wiped away the remainder of her tears.

"That -" She pointed at the whimpering creature, "was the Horcrux that had latched itself onto you when Voldemort first attacked you. I believe Castor explained it to you?" She confirmed, receiving a nod in response. "You're going to wake up. You can't stay here with us, Harry. We can talk for a little while but no more – you have to go back. I won't let you stay with us, not yet."

"And when you go back," James suddenly looked very uncomfortable, "can you tell Moony and Fen I'm sorry? I shouldn't have suspected Remus and I should've listened to Cas."

"We all should have," Lily said, rubbing her husband's shoulder soothingly before turning her focus back to her son. "Tell Cas and Sirius that we don't blame them for what happened to us and that they shouldn't blame themselves either."

"I can tell them, but I can't promise it'll do anything, Mum," Harry stated, smiling broadly. "One thing I've learned after growing up with Leo is that the Blacks are stubborn and hard-headed when they want to be."

His parents laughed, and Harry's grin broadened as he realized he was hearing them laugh for the first time he could remember. After that, Harry did what he had always wanted to do with his parents: just sit around and talk. They sat on a bench far away from the grotesque creature and talked about all manner of things. Lily scolded him for his crazy Quidditch matches while James praised him for winning the Quidditch Cup. They talked about Leo and all the crazy pranks he had pulled over the years. James stated that he was proud to call the blonde his nephew and Lily said that while she didn't really approve of the pranking, she was grateful to Leo for watching over her son for so long.

"He's always been wild and reckless, ever since he was small," she recalled fondly. "But he always looked after you and loved you. I was so happy that he was with you at the Dursleys – that you both had each other to count on and to love."

"I was surprised how tough he was, to be honest," James chuckled. "He was always so small and scrawny – always thought he'd be built like Cas to be perfectly honest. Still, suppose it's a good thing he's strong. It's kept both of you alive this long."

"Yeah..." Harry trailed off, biting his lip as he looked at his parents. "How is he with me being dead and all? Is he -?"

He stopped talking as Lily and James exchanged a nervous look. Even before James opened his mouth to speak, Harry knew he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the whole of Grimmauld caught alight. So..." he trailed off, looking at his son sadly.

"I guess I better go," Harry said reluctantly as he stood up. "How exactly do I do that?"

Lily got up and hugged him and after a moment James joined them.

"Just close your eyes," she whispered softly in his ear as she ran a hand through his hair.

Sighing, Harry did as he was told.

The first thing he heard was Draco yelling at someone – presumably Leo – to calm down and the sound of loud sobbing very close to his ear. The first thing he felt was warmth around him and wetness steadily falling on his face. He struggled to open his eyes but his eyelids still felt too tired to do so. He tried to move but felt pins and needles like his whole body was asleep. Suppose that's what happens when you've been dead for a bit. He mused as he slowly regained feeling in his fingers and toes.

He finally managed to slowly open his eyes and looked up to see Leo was holding him in his arms and crying so violently that Harry felt guilty for dying. A ring of fire surrounded him, blocking them off from Draco and Ron, both of whom were shouting for Leo to calm down so they could get to him. Harry managed to slowly reach his hand up to grab Leo's. The blonde froze in place and slowly turned his blue-grey eyes down to look at his cousin.

"Harry?" he whispered in a voice full of disbelief.

"Hiya, Leo," Harry replied in a tired voice.

"But - but you were dead -"

"Think you're the only one allowed to die and come back?" Harry smiled at him, his tone teasing. "I'll have you know I was doing it way before it was cool."

Leo let out a choked laugh before sitting him up and wrapping him in a tight hug. Harry was relieved to see the fire die down around them and looked over his cousin's shoulder to see Draco and Ron staring down at them with stunned expressions. He gave them a tired wave and seemed to startle them back to the present.

"How're you alive, Potter?" Draco questioned.

Harry bit his lower lip, reluctant to answer. But they need to know. There's no point in hiding it.

"The night when Voldemort first attacked us," Harry began as Leo pulled back slightly to look at him. "His curse backfired and a piece of his soul latched itself onto me. When he killed me tonight, he destroyed the Horcrux instead of killing me..." He frowned before turning to Leo. "I get how I'm still alive, but how're you still here? I saw Bellatrix kill you."

Leo gave a watery smile before reaching into the front pocket of his shirt and pulling out a dead mouse.

"Fievel jumped out of my shirt and took the Killing Curse for me. I got hit with the backlash and hurt my head pretty bad," he replied before returning the mouse and pursing his lips. "So, you were a Horcrux? Guess that explains why your minds are connected and why you can speak Parseltongue. Now that Moldy's destroyed it, that's one less for us to hunt – we only have two left!"

"Excuse me," Ron said loudly. "First off, have you forgotten that Hermione's still badly hurt? Secondly, what the bloody hell are you lot talking about?!"

With a roll of his eyes, Draco went to the drawing room to check in on Hermione, leaving Harry and Leo to explain about the Horcruxes. The ginger paled considerably at the idea that there were pieces of Voldemort's soul just floating about the UK. Leo was surprised when he said he'd do whatever he could to help them find and destroy the last Horcruxes. He then told Harry he was glad to have him back before clapping him on the shoulder and wandering off to find Hermione. Leo stared at his cousin for a moment.

"Suppose we should look at the silver lining, shouldn't we?" he stated. "Voldemort thinks you're dead so he has no reason to hunt you anymore."

"Yeah, but he could still come after you," Harry pointed out before a thought struck him. "Remember when you were duelling him in the atrium?"

"Bit hard to forget the battle that killed my favourite cousin," Leo replied testily.

"If you're looking for an apology, you're not getting one. I'd risk my life for yours again in a heartbeat and I know you'd do the same for me," Harry informed him, receiving a scowl in response. "Anyway, back to the duel – remember when Voldemort said 'perhaps you are the one'? What do you reckon he meant by that?"

"I'm going to level with you, Harry: I don't really care," Leo rolled his eyes. "The bastard's nuttier than squirrel poo -"

"I think he was referring to the prophecy," Harry told him, cutting off whatever else his cousin was about to say. "Remember what your dad said – the prophecy could've been about either of us! What if Voldemort thinks you're who the prophecy is talking about now? What if he comes after you harder than ever?"

Leo was silent for a moment, his eyes narrowed in thought.

"Then I'll just have to get strong enough to beat him."

Leo escorted Harry to the drawing room, where Hermione lay on the couch, unconscious. Draco stood over her, waving his wand over her body and mumbling words under his breath. Ron sat on the floor beside Hermione, tightly clutching her hand and staring at her face anxiously. After a moment, Draco lowered his wand and looked at the others, saying that he could help her but he'd need to brew some potions to do so – and that required ingredients.

Leo called for his house-elf, Kreacher, and instructed him to do whatever Draco said. Kreacher looked ecstatic at the thought that he'd finally be taking orders from a pure-blood he deemed was worthy. Leo then left the room and headed upstairs to his dad's room, hoping he could find something that might help speed Hermione's recovery or give them some clue as to where to find the other Horcruxes.

Upon stepping into the room and seeing that it hadn't been touched in months, Leo realized that his father must have taken to staying at the Den since there was no longer any reason to be at Grimmauld. He groaned before sitting on the edge of the bed and putting his head in his hands. Great. So all the information we need is locked up in a place we can't get to. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

He raised his hand to his neck, touching his sun pendant and feeling warmth flood through his fingertips. Luna... did you and Neville get to Hogwarts all right? Are you safe? Is the prophecy safe? He pondered idly as he turned his head slightly to look at the mirror above his father's dresser. He reached up a hand, lightly touching the cut above his left eyebrow and wincing slightly when it smarted. Another scar to add to the collection, I suppose. If I keep this up, I'll have more than Moony. He snorted to himself.

He sat there for a moment before reaching into the pocket of his shirt and pulling Fievel out, knocking off the badge he had gotten from the Ministry in the process. He ignored it for the moment in lieu of staring down at his fallen friend. Fievel... I'm sorry. I should never have brought you with me – I should've left you at Hogwarts. He ran a finger somberly over the mouse's cold fur. His mind flew back to Hogwarts, to meeting the mouse, destroying Umbridge's office, running around in the Forbidden Forest. Then we broke into the Ministry and stole the Trace Sensor... I couldn't have done it without you... He sighed. I would've died if not for you... I promise, once we get back to Hogwarts I'll give you a proper burial. In the meantime...

He took out his wand, tapping Fievel's body and murmuring a Preservation Spell. He looked around before grabbing the small box on his father's nightstand, absentmindedly tossing out the empty inkwells inside before placing his friend inside the box and closing it. He then turned his gaze downward at the badge in his lap. His eyes skimmed over the words 'Leo Black: Hero' before they darkened. He clenched the badge before chucking it at the mirror above the dresser, watching as it shattered with a feeling of mild satisfaction. I'm no hero. I couldn't protect my friends. I couldn't protect Harry. Voldemort killed him in front of me and I couldn't do anything but watch...

His thoughts then turned to what Harry had said earlier, about him possibly becoming Voldemort's next target – about him possibly being the one to beat him. Leo clenched his fists, feeling white-hot anger rush through his veins. He was hopeful that was true. He could get revenge for Harry. He could get revenge for his mother. He could get revenge for Lily and James Potter. But first, I need to get strong enough to beat him... and the others need to get stronger too. We can't just sit on our hands and wait for Hermione to get better, we need to be productive.

With a plan – albeit a very loose one – in hand, Leo rose from the bed and left the room. He walked down the stairs, taking them two at a time before he reached the landing the drawing room was on. He opened the doors and marched into the room, garnering everyone's attention. He stared at everyone's tired faces and felt a twinge of guilt. Suppose a few days of rest first wouldn't hurt...

"Listen up," he told them. "The battle at the Ministry taught us all one thing: we're strong but not as strong as we could be. While Hermione's recovering, we need to train harder than ever if we're going to stand up to those Death Eaters and Lord Moldyshorts." He paused, making sure he had everyone's attention. "We're going to learn new tricks and spells – but not just that. We're going to improve on the ones we have. We're going to make them stronger. We're going to work on our nonverbal spell-casting. We're going to train so hard that the next time a Death Eater faces us they'll run away in terror. Who's with me?"

Draco, Harry, and Ron all tiredly raised their hands, and Leo couldn't help but feel underwhelmed by the lack of enthusiasm. Can't really blame them though. He sighed internally. We've all had a rough go of it today. We've all died or come close to death. But... that's why we need to work hard so that what happened at the Ministry doesn't happen again.

"Listen, you lot, I know you're tired, so we'll take a few days to rest and recover before we get to work -"

A burst of fire in midair called a halt to the rest of Leo's words as it illuminated the dusty green carpet and walls of the drawing room, throwing the family tapestry on the wall into sharp relief. As they gave cries of shock, a scroll of parchment fell with a thud onto the carpet, accompanied by a single golden phoenix tail feather. Leo dove toward it at once, snatching the scroll from the floor and opening it when he noticed his dad's handwriting on it.

"Dear boys and Hermione," Leo read aloud. "Ginny came to Hogwarts and we found out what happened. Good work getting her here, Draco. Neville and Luna arrived just a short while ago and we have the prophecy in our hands now. But more than that – we found another one. There's only one left now. The others are at the Den.

"You might be wondering where everyone is. Well... Voldemort's army laid siege to Hogwarts around the same time you lot were at the Ministry. Droves of Death Eaters and every Dark creature you could possibly imagine are here – to quote Sirius, it's 'every nightmare striding up our front lawn'. We had no hope of defending the castle for much longer, even with Dumbledore and the entire Order joining our fight. I put a barrier of ice around the castle and Dumbledore... Albus sacrificed himself to give some added protection to the castle.

"Dumbledore's gone and the Ministry could fall any day now – if it hasn't already. You all need to be careful when you go out. Wear disguises, train yourselves, and do whatever's necessary to keep yourselves safe. But, above all, find the last one. Find the trophy the badger has hoarded.

"I wish you all the best of luck. Love, Cas."

Leo stared down at the letter, feeling a tingle run down his spine. He had never really trusted Dumbles but... he never wanted the old fart dead. Dumbles is dead and the Ministry has most likely fallen. There's one Horcrux still out there and an army of Death Eaters and monsters surrounding Hogwarts. That means... He turned to look at everyone, finding their grim expressions mirrored his own.

"We have work to do."

He then turned, preparing to exit the room when Harry jumped up and grabbed his wrist. Leo turned slightly to look at him, noting his worried expression that seemed to battle with the uncertainty in his eyes. Leo raised an eyebrow and turned more fully to face him. Harry released him and looked nervous as he seemed to have an internal debate about something. Whatever it was, he apparently resolved it a moment later as he nodded to himself determinedly and looked his cousin in the eyes.

"Leo, what about the Dursleys?"

"What about them?" Leo frowned, not quite sure why he was bringing them up.

"You're probably Voldemort's next target," Harry explained hurriedly. "Which means he'll probably do whatever it takes to lure you out. What if he uses them as bait?"

"Then he's incredibly stupid to think I'd risk my life for those pricks," Leo responded simply.

Harry stared at him, mouth agape. Ron, who was still kneeling beside Hermione, mimicked his expression. Draco's face was, as always, unreadable. He merely stared at the two, his face a blank, imperceptive mask. Pure-blood mask... hides what you're really feeling and thinking. Leo mused, recalling Padfoot's words. Wish mine was as good as his.

"They're our family, Leo!" Harry exclaimed incredulously.

"Only by the loosest definition of the word," the blonde replied, not really seeing why his cousin was getting so bent out of shape about the matter. "They're only family because we share blood. Matter of fact were it not for the fact that we do share blood I would've set their house on fire ages ago. Let Moldy have them. I don't care."

"You don't mean that."

"Don't I?" Leo quirked an eyebrow. "Those bastards treated us like we were less than scum for our entire lives. They starved us, worked us to the bone, locked us in a cupboard – hell, they've beat you round a few times! Why the bloody hell should I stick my neck out for people who wouldn't do the same?"

"Because it's the right thing to do," Harry insisted before changing tactics. "They're innocent in this war. We can't let them get tortured or die because of us. We're the good guys, we can't just -"

"Oh, get off your moral high horse, Harry," Leo rolled his eyes. "As Sirius once said 'the world's not cut into good people and Death Eaters'. There's no such thing as good and evil – black and white – in war. We do whatever it takes to win. No matter the cost."

"Even if that cost is your own family? Even if it's innocent lives?"

"The Dursleys are hardly what one would call 'innocent'," Leo informed him curtly. "And they're the furthest thing from family in my book. I've made my decision, Harry. I'm not helping them."

Harry looked frustrated for a moment before an idea seemed to come to him.

"Let's put it to a vote -"

"No."

"Why not?"

"First off, because you know you'd win," Leo rolled his eyes. "Ron would side with you. Draco – because he thinks logically about things – would side with me. And, of course, Hermione would side with you. Secondly, you seem to be under the mistaken impression this is a democracy. It's not – it's a dictatorship. We're not going after the Dursleys and that's final."

Harry whipped out his wand angrily and stepped forward, only to have his arm grabbed by Draco. He glared at the Slytherin, who met his gaze calmly and evenly. Reluctantly, Harry lowered his wand and stepped to the side, allowing Draco to come forward to stand in front of Leo. Leo raised an eyebrow, wondering what his adopted brother was going to say when the pale blonde swung his fist out, cutting across his jaw and sending him stumbling back. Leo and the others stared at him in surprise.

"You're a moron, Black," Draco informed him. "While I agree with you that risking your life for the Dursleys would be beyond stupid, you forgot to take into account one thing: Potter. Potter's the type to save people no matter who they are – and he'll defy even your orders to protect your relatives. The only advantage we have right now is that the Dark Lord thinks Potter's dead – and we lose that advantage the moment Potter steps out of Grimmauld to go on his rescue mission."

Leo narrowed his eyes, cursing internally. He knew Draco was right. Harry had a hero complex, of that there was no doubt. The unnecessary mission to rescue Sirius was proof of that. Harry, unlike Leo, would risk his life to protect people that had treated him like garbage his entire life. He's a better person than me, that's for sure. Leo sighed in mild frustration. Suppose Dad was right when he said Harry was the Protector... He narrowed his eyes at Draco. Wonder what that makes Draco? Mediator? Advisor? Bah, who cares right now. He shook his head.

"What do you propose then?" Leo asked irritably. "We go there, get them – then what? We can't bring them here. Grimmauld's under a Fidelius and Dad's the Secret Keeper – same with the Den. Hogwarts is under siege, so that's out of the question. We can't just go on a rescue mission and not have someplace to bring them back to – that's just stupid!"

"What about the Burrow?" Ron suggested. "It's got loads of protective enchantments -"

"The Burrow's too well-known," Leo replied, immediately shooting the idea down. "It's no secret we're friends with the Weasleys. The Burrow's the first place they'll look. We need someplace well protected. Someplace they can't get to. Someplace they'll never think to look -"

Leo stopped abruptly as a thought occurred to him. Bloody hell... that might work. They have a Fidelius, they're hidden, and no one knows he's back to full functionality... but how do I get a message to them? He frowned, clenching his hands tightly in thought. He heard a crinkling sound and looked down, seeing the note Fawkes had left them. A note he brought using fire... I wonder, could I learn to do that? Could I learn to send messages long distance? Nothing for it but to practice, I suppose. He nodded before looking at everyone else.

"I have a place in mind, but it requires getting a message out. It'll take a bit to figure out how to do it but, in the meantime, we should practice and train while we still can," he raised a hand to forestall Harry as he opened his mouth. "We can't just run out and get them like we're picking up milk. We've rushed into things countless times and it's never ended well. This time, we're thinking things through and doing it right."