Chapter 2

I do not own Harry Potter as it belongs to JK Rowling. I do not own Lord of the rings, the Hobbit, or any of the other works by J.R.R Tolkein.

For the purpose of this story, Westron and English will be the same language.

Westron/English - "Middle Earth"

Sindarin (and other elven languages) - "Middle Earth"

—-

The trip to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix was quite brief. However Harry could never get the hang of portkeys. They always left him stumbling and nauseous. He could admit, it definitely wasn't his finest moment when the portkey landed. He immediately stumbled and tripped leaving him lying face first on the footpath. This was a feat because Harry was usually very balanced and graceful in his movements. As he got up, he noticed the short man in the purple hat, Diggle, was sniggering at his misfortune. A quick glare sent his way from Harry shut him up quickly though.

The street they had landed in was dark and miserable looking. The meagre light from the street lamps cast looming shadows over the doorways of the townhouses lining the street. The houses all looked very unkempt with their cracked windows, weed covered walls and footpaths, and peeling paint. Various pieces of litter were scattered across the road. Harry kicked a can in front of his foot, which clanged across the road. "Boy!" Mad-eye scolded sharply, his magical eye bobbing up and down furiously, "You'll get us all caught! You never know who's watching!" Harry looked down at his shoes to avoid the burning look he was receiving.

A crumpled piece of paper was shoved under his nose. "You'd do well to remember this."

Not wanting to upset Mad-eye any further, he unfolded the piece of paper. Curly letters spelled out 'The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is located at number 12 Grimmauld place.' "Now keep that in mind," Lupin added. Suddenly appearing between numbers 11 and 13, was a grimy house which seemed to slide out from in between the others. "Do the muggles feel anything?" Harry asked quietly.

"Not a thing" Kingsley answered back.

The door of number 12 Grimmauld place was dirty with peeling paint flaking off of the wood. Sitting right in the middle of the door was a knocker, shaped like a serpent eating its own tail. Above the knocker sat a number twelve, painted on in jagged, but neat script.

Pulling out his wand, Lupin tapped the door five times, in a peculiar rhythm. Many clicks sounded through the door and at last the door swung open revealing a gloomy, dank hallway. It was lit by old fashioned chandeliers lit with magical candles. The inside of the house didn't look much better than the outside did. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and surfaces gathered dust. Melted candles forever suspended in a dripping state sat slouched in their sconces. The carpets in the hallway were threadbare and worn and the paintings which depicted scenes of history long since passed, were befouled with grime. Obviously the owner of this house didn't like to clean, Harry thought to himself. Going from such an unnaturally clean house, such as the Dursley's, to a house like this made Harry a bit uncomfortable. If any of the others in the group felt the same way, they didn't show it.

There was a door at the end of the hallway, cracked open ever so slightly spilling a small amount of warm light into the hallway. Voices could be heard from the other side of the door, but what they were saying wasn't clear. As the front door of the house shut behind them, its locks clicking shut with an audible snap, the door at the end of the hallway opened, light spilling out and flooding the hallway. Mrs Weasley shuffled out with a grin on her face. "Harry! Welcome!" she said as she pulled him in for a bone-breaking hug.

"Nice to see you too Mrs Weasley" He wheezed out as she let go.

"Come through now, there are people waiting to see you. Also, come and get some dinner, you're looking much too thin, and we saved some for you!"

Harry smiled as he followed her down.

—-

After Harry had grabbed a bite to eat, Mrs Weasley had shown him upstairs to where he'd be staying with Ron. However as he left he heard whispers from the other adults in the room. Whispers about a meeting and the Order of the Phoenix. Harry then asked the question that had been plaguing his mind for the whole night, what is the Order of the Phoenix? The people who had overheard Harry looked startled, as they were sure they had been oh so quiet, so they wouldn't draw Harry's attention to the subject. However, instead of receiving an answer, Mrs Weasley just said "It will be explained later. You best head upstairs to where you'll be staying. Ron and Hermione are up there too!"

Harry frowned at the lack of answer, but didn't say anything. "Come, I'll show you the way." Mrs Weasley said. Harry followed her obediently.

The second trip through the hallway was as unpleasant as the first. Next to the front door, there sat a narrow staircase that Harry hadn't noticed when he first walked in. It was made out of dark coloured wood, and carved into the top of the bannister were various snakes winding across the wood. Mrs Weasley started climbing up and motioned Harry to follow with a warning to be as quiet as possible. Her steps were noted by the creaking of the old wooden steps. In all honesty, he didn't think she was being very quiet. However she obviously thought she was.

Harry made sure to step lightly up the stairs, not wanting to make a racket. At the top of the stairs there was another hallway, though, this one was slightly cleaner. What Harry saw next made him a bit uncomfortable. On the wall, there were a row of plaques, all sporting the shrivelled severed heads of house elves. Their big eyes glinting in the low flickering candlelight. Harry didn't want to look at them for too long, it made him feel a bit squeamish.

This brought up a very good question: why was a group of wizards who favoured the light in a house which looked like it belonged to a group of very dark wizards.

—-

Coming to another serpent decorated door knob, Mrs Weasley opened it and light flooded the ill-lit hallway. Sitting right there on the bed, were Harry's two best friends, Ron and Hermione. "Now, you'll be staying in here with Ron, Hermione will be down the hall with Ginny." Mrs Weasley said.

Before Harry could even blink, he was hit full force by the bushy-haired rocket. By the way Hermione collided with him it was amazing how he even managed to stay upright. "Harry!" she exclaimed.

"Ron, he's here!"

"About bloody time." The redhead laughed.

"Now you three, make sure that you settle down soon and go to sleep. It's quite late after all, and no funny business tonight!" Mrs Weasley stated in a very stern tone and the trio looked each other in the eyes and nodded back at her nervously.

Following a chorus of goodnights, Mrs Weasley left the room.

After watching the door shut, and listening to the doorknob click shut, the three let out a breath simultaneously and looked at each other before breaking out into quiet but hearty giggles.

After catching his breath, Harry looked at his friends. Ron had grown taller just like Harry, but Harry was still taller somehow. He still had the same flaming red hair, blue eyes, freckles and bright smile that Harry was used to though. Hermione was also much the same as the last time they had seen each other.

"How've you been mate?" Ron asked. "Sorry we couldn't tell you alot in our letters, they must have been pretty useless. Ya see, Dumbledore didn't want us to say anything in case the letters got intercepted-" Hermione then interrupted him.

"We're sorry we couldn't tell you anything, our letters were so useless!" she cried repeating what Ron had said in a frenzy. "There's so much we need to tell you, and for you to tell us! And the dementors! What were they doing in Surrey of all places! And the trial! Surely they can't expel you, it's absolutely outrageous! Anyway I've looked it up and there's a note in the law for underaged sorcery that decrees that magic may be used in life threatening situations-"

In that moment a cawing sound came from outside the window disrupting Hermione's ramblings, and causing the trio's heads to spin to the right. Flying in from outside the window came Hedwig.

"Hedwig!" Harry exclaimed. The snowy white owl landed gently on his outstretched arm. She rubbed her head against Harry's ear as Harry stroked her feathers. "Sorry Harry, we had to keep her here until they picked you up today." Ron sighed. Harry just looked at him then turned back to Hedwig and kept stroking her plumage.

"We did want to tell you what was happening Harry," Ron said sincerely. "We were sure that you'd be going stir crazy without any news, but we couldn't tell you anything 'cause-"

"Because of Dumbledore's orders, yeah I know." Harry finished dejectedly.

"Dumbledore thought it was best though, he seems to think it would be safest for you to stay with the muggles." Hermione started.

All the excitement of seeing his friends had now vanished in place of a slightly irritated feeling.

"Oh yeah?" Harry said with a raised eyebrow. "Because me and my cousin being attacked by dementors in the middle of a muggle neighbourhood is 'safe'."

Both Hermione and Ron cringed under his gaze. "And then not telling me anything all summer, right after I watched Voldemort get resurrected and watched a friend get murdered, is totally fine isn't it?" Harry's tone of voice grew louder.

"Maybe he thinks I'm not trustworthy or that I'll go do something foolish. And how come you're allowed to be here and go to meetings and I'm not?"

"We aren't allowed to go to the meetings, we don't know much of what's going on either, Harry." Hermione tried to reason.

"So what!" Harry started again. "Both of you have been together this whole time, while I've been stuck at the Dursleys, having to be anxious and stressed everyday because I didn't know what Voldemort-" Both Hermione and Ron flinched. "Oh come on, don't flinch at the name! I had absolutely no idea whatsoever what he was doing, or what was going on in the wizarding world! For all I know he could have wiped out all the people I care about and I'd have no idea until it was too late!" With that final exclamation Harry sank down onto the bed opposite Ron's, and put his head in his hands.

Harry felt a weight on the bed either side of him as both Ron and Hermione sat down with him. "We're sorry Harry, we would have tried to help if we could," Hermione said softly.

"Yeah mate, we would've definitely tried to do something if we could! Dumbledore made sure we weren't sending anything we weren't supposed to, he even made sure the letters had been checked before they were sent!" Ron added.

It wasn't their fault then, it was Dumbledore's. Dumbledore kept him in the dark.

At those exclamations, Harry sunk back and took a shuddered breath. "I'm sorry" he said miserably.

"I didn't mean for that all to come out at you guys, it's just that I've been so frustrated all summer thinking about things over and over and not having any news or ideas of what's going on. I haven't been able to talk about things to anyone either because of Dumbledore's order."

"It's ok Harry, we're here for you." Hermione said, and Ron nodded eagerly in agreement.

For a little while they just sat there, on the bed, together. Until Harry broke the silence once again. "Do you guys know what the Order of the Phoenix is? Apparently we're in their headquarters or something."

"The order is a top secret organisation, led by Dumbledore to fight against You-Know-Who. They fought against him last time," Hemione answered helpfully.

"So the people who picked me up tonight were part of the order" Harry said thoughtfully.

"If the order's here, and having meetings here, do you guys know anything about what Voldemort's doing? Like what he's up to?"

"We don't know, we aren't allowed in any of the meetings, and they put silencing charms on the door so we couldn't even eavesdrop!." Ron replied.

"We're also not of age yet, so we aren't old enough to go to the meetings anyway." Hermione quickly added.

Harry sighed, he realised here that he wouldn't get much out of Ron and Hermione.

—-

The squeak of a door outside in the corridor alerted the trio that the meeting was finished. Immediately they sprung up from where they were sitting or lying on the beds and made a run for it out the door, to greet the members of the order.

Out the door and down the stairs they hurried. They passed a few witches and wizards in the hallway, who looked happy to see them and waved as they passed.

Entering the door that led to the dining room, Harry immediately ran into someone, knocking them both to the floor with a cry from each of them. Hermione and Ron couldn't stop fast enough after him and ended up on the floor too, all of them tangled in a pile of limbs. As Harry recovered there was a flurry of movement as a shrill voice of a woman filled the hallway just outside the dining room behind them, and people Harry could not see the faces of yet charged past him. "Dirt and filth, staining the house of my ancestors! How dare you befoul the home of the noble and most ancient house of Black! Half-blood scum! Mudbloods! Blood-Traitors!" The voice screeched. Couldn't whatever that was just shut up already, Harry thought to himself.

Suddenly another voice yelled back. "Shut up you old hag! Shut up!"

Sirius' voice, Harry realised. Sirius was here too! Harry missed his godfather so much throughout the school year and holidays so far.

The lady was still screaming, she sounded completely insane to Harry. He cringed and not just because of the things she was saying, she was really loud and it was making his ears hurt.

"Come Remus!" Sirius shouted. "Help me close the curtains!"

The lady screaming must be in the covered portrait in the hallway! Harry realised. The lady in the portrait must have realised that Sirius was there because she let out a shriek of outrage, once again, very loudly. "You! How dare you come back here! You bring shame to this family! Shame on our family's blood and honour!"

"This family has no more honour, you deranged harpy! Now shut up!" Sirius and Remus had managed to shut the curtain, and all was silent again.

At this moment Harry, Ron and Hermione all scrambled up off the floor and looked down to see who exactly they had knocked over. Their eyes went wide as they realised who it was. "Maybe next time you should look where you are going Mr Potter, or are you as blind as your father," came a snide remark from the man. It was Professor Snape they had run into. Ugh.

"Maybe you shouldn't loiter in busy doorways then," Harry remarked.

He knew it was a bad idea to talk back but the way that Snape had insulted his dad was completely unacceptable in Harry's book and grated on his nerves. Snape's face took on a sour look, like he'd taken a big bite out of a lemon. "Treat your elders with respect Potter!" He snapped back.

Harry was about to retaliate again, however a hand was placed firmly on his shoulder and a voice spoke from behind him, "That's enough Severus," Sirius sneered.

Snape huffed, rolled his eyes and stalked out the door, his cloak billowing in an unseen wind behind him.

Sirius sniggered quietly as he watched Snape leave. Harry turned to him and engaged in a wide embrace. "Sirius," he said quietly, "I've missed you."

Harry was taller than Sirius now so the hug was a bit awkward at first as they tried to move to do it properly.

"I've missed you too pup," he replied.

—-

The clearing of Mrs Weasley's throat brought them back to reality. "There is supper on the table for you if you want it, come and get some before it goes cold!"

Twin grins formed on Harry and Sirius' faces as they walked over to the table. "Now, tell me Harry," Sirius said as they sat down at the long wooden table.

"How have you been?"

—-

After everyone, well, mostly everyone, had packed up from the impromptu midnight supper and left the dining room, the house was quiet. All apart from the crackling fire and the clunk of 'Mad-eye' Moody's wooden leg as he sauntered across the room, towards the two chairs facing the hearth. As Moody sat down in one of the chairs he turned to face the man sitting in the other parallel to him. "Albus," he acknowledged.

Dumbledore looked over at him, his eyes twinkling behind his half moon glasses. "Alastor, my old friend. How are you faring?"

"As well as I can. However! My damn magical eye keeps getting stuck! Ever since that scum wore it it just hasn't been the same!" he huffed in annoyance.

"A good clean every once and a while sets it right though."

Dumbledore nodded. "What troubles you to come and see me at this hour of the night Alastor? I thought you would have gone home by this time?"

Usually Moody did not want to stay in the house of Black for longer than he needed to, with it being the former family home of some of the darkest wizards the Wizarding world has ever seen.

"Yes, usually I would have. But something has come to my attention recently." Before he continued he turned around and cast the muffliato charm around the room so no eavesdroppers would be able to hear. "Sorry, I wanted to make sure this stays between us for now, like always we have to stay vigilant! Especially in this house!"

Dumbledore fought the urge to roll his eyes at his friend's antics.

"Anyway," Moody said quickly, "it's to do with our friend Harry Potter."

At this statement, Dumbledore's eyes widened and bushy eyebrows flew upwards. In a cautious tone he asked, "Now what could that be?"

"The boy has pointed ears!" he cried! Tell me you noticed the glamour?"

Dumbledore had to fake a look of shock. He had completely forgotten about how the magical eye of Mad-eye Moody could see through any concealment charms, even the famed Potter invisibility cloak! This was a major problem, and needed to be dealt with quickly before any more questions were asked.

He sighed, stood up and walked over to the fire. "I know, Alastor."

Moody spluttered, "How is this possible! Lily and James were as human as can be!"

Dumbledore frowned as he faced the slowly dying fire.

A look of realisation suddenly came over Moody's face though Dumbledore could not see it. "He wasn't theirs, was he? Lily and James'. It even makes sense, he doesn't look like them either."

And he was right, Harry didn't look like Lily and James. Sure he had black hair and slightly green eyes, but that didn't mean he looked like them. It wasn't hard to notice.

Dumbledore nodded to confirm Moody's statement. "I've known all this time, since he was young, I was the one who brought him to them."

Moody's one working eye widened. "We can't just have an elf running 'round unchecked, who knows what he'll do." Moody said exasperated.

"He'll be fine, Alastor. Of all the things you should be paranoid about, the Boy-Who-Lived being one of the Eldalië, the boy doesn't even know himself." Dumbledore said, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work. Mad-eye's expression didn't change one bit.

"Maybe it's time for you to go home, Alastor, for it is a while past midnight now." Dumbledore said quietly. Moody obeyed, however begrudgingly, countered the muffliato charm he casted before, and started walking to the door. His wooden leg clunked against the floor once more.

"Oh, Alastor, I almost forgot before you go," Dumbledore trailed off as Moody turned around.

Dumbledore had his wand out immediately before Moody could react. This was very out of character for the ever paranoid Alastor 'Mad-eye' Moody, one of the most famous Aurors of all time. However he didn't expect this from his most trusted friend and colleague. He wasn't prepared. "Obliviate." Dumbledore muttered.

He wouldn't remember this conversation, or what he saw.

A look of shock was frozen on Mad-eye's face. But before he could come back to awareness of his surroundings, Dumbledore was quick to cast the confundus charm on Mad-eye, rendering him unable to comprehend that Harry was elven or that he had the pointed ears of the elves. Phew, Dumbledore mentally sighed. The secret was safe for now.

Moody blinked, his brain foggy. "Goodnight Alastor," Dumbledore said. "Have a safe trip home."

He nodded, travelled across the room to the door and promptly left, leaving a frowning Albus Dumbledore behind him.

—-

I completely forgot about Moody's magical eye! Yes, it would be able to see through the glamour. I hope events in this chapter have cleared that up a little. Also I'm pretty sure that Moody never actually saw Harry before OotP (at least never close enough to have seen the glamour anyway!)

Thanks for reading! Hope you all enjoyed. Feedback and reviews are welcome!