The first thing he saw was the defence he and Bill had set up all those weeks ago. Albus. Or rather, a likeness of him.

"Don't move!" came Harry's voice as it exploded which triggered Mrs Black.

Ron and Hermione came crashing down the stairs behind Harry, wands pointing

"Hold your fire, it's me, Remus!"

"Oh, thank goodness," said Hermione weakly, sorting out the portrait. Ron too lowered his wand, but Harry did not.

"Show yourself!" he called back.

Just as he should. Remus couldn't help but feel proud of him, despite everything.

Remus moved forward into the lamplight; hands still held high in a gesture of surrender.

"I am Remus John Lupin, werewolf, sometimes known as Moony, one of the four creators of the Marauder's Map, married to Nymphadora, usually known as Tonks, and I taught you how to produce a Patronus, Harry, which takes the form of a stag."

That had to be more than enough.

"Oh, all right," said Harry, lowering his wand, "but I had to check, didn't I?"

Yes, he did. It was worrying that Hermione and Ron did not. Nonetheless, he was incredibly pleased to see them all safe and well.

He made some small talk, subtly herding them into the kitchen so he could have a proper talk with them.

Hermione pointed her wand at the grate. A fire sprang up instantly. Remus pulled a few butterbeers from beneath his traveling cloak and they sat down.

He gave his excuses for not being here sooner and checked what they had been doing.

"No," said Harry, "only after we ran into a couple of Death Eaters in a cafe on Tottenham Court Road."

Remus slopped most of his butterbeer down his front.

"What?"

They explained what had happened; when they had finished, Remus was aghast.

He didn't know how Death Eaters would find him so quickly. It was disturbing. Incredibly so.

They asked him about the Trace, which he dismissed immediately but voiced his worry. They were adults. He couldn't shield them anymore.

"Tell us what happened after we left; we haven't heard a thing since Ron's dad told us the family was safe." Harry urged

"Well, Kingsley saved us," he said. "Thanks to his warning most of the wedding guests were able to Disapparate before they arrived."

"Were they Death Eaters or Ministry people?" interjected Hermione.

"A mixture; but to all intents and purposes they're the same thing now," said Remus. "There were about a dozen of them, but they didn't know you were there, Harry. Arthur heard a rumour that they tried to torture your whereabouts out of Scrimgeour before they killed him; if it's true, he didn't give you away."

That had been an interesting development but Dora hadn't been shocked. As much as she didn't like some things about him, she said he was very loyal and determined.

He gave them a brief outline of what happened at the Burrow. Not that he could give them much more than that, it had all happened so fast.

"The Death Eaters got through all those protective charms?" Harry asked

He pointed out that the Death Eaters had absolutely no fear of reprisal now. Not when they were firmly in control.

"And are they bothering to give an excuse for torturing Harry's whereabouts out of people?" asked Hermione, an edge to her voice.

Remus stopped for a moment; he really didn't want to show them this but he knew he had to. The Daily Prophet.

WANTED FOR QUESTIONING ABOUT THE DEATH OF ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

Ron and Hermione gave roars of outrage, but Harry said nothing. He pushed the newspaper away

"I'm sorry, Harry," Remus said, guessing what was running through his head.

As usual, Hermione was trying to figure out what was happening, trying to make things make sense.

"So, Death Eaters have taken over the Daily Prophet too?" asked Hermione furiously.

"Why didn't Voldemort declare himself Minister of Magic?" asked Ron.

Remus laughed. It was a bitter laugh but still a laugh. Ron gave him a hurt and confused look so he tried to explain why that didn't matter. Not anymore.

It was to be expected honestly - sowing distrust about Harry. No, what was more pressing was-

"Meanwhile, the Ministry has started moving against Muggleborns. Look at page two."

"Muggle-born Register!" she read aloud. "'The Ministry of Magic is undertaking a survey of so-called "Muggleborns" the better to understand how they came to possess magical secrets."

It was disgusting that this was happening. And extremely worrying. Voldemort wasn't taking any time to eliminate what he viewed as problems and there was no way that the Order and any of its supporters could react in any large-scale way. Which is why he was doing it this way, of course.

Ron glanced at Hermione, then said, "What if purebloods and halfbloods swear a Muggleborn's part of their family? I'll tell everyone Hermione's my cousin - "

The desperation in his voice was heart-breaking and Remus couldn't help but think of Lily. How would they have protected her like that? Would it have been Sirius? Or him? Would she have let them?

Hermione gave a shaky laugh. "Ron, as we're on the run with Harry Potter, the most wanted person in the country, I don't think it matters. If I was going back to school, it would be different. What's Voldemort planning for Hogwarts?" she asked Lupin.

Remus took a deep breath. This was going to be hard for them to hear. He outlined everything that they had gathered on Hogwarts and its students.

"It's... it's..." Harry muttered, struggling to find words that did justice to the horror of his thoughts, but Remus said quietly, "I know."

Remus hesitated. He felt bad for even bringing it up but it was the whole reason he came here in the first place. Amongst other things.

"I'll understand if you can't confirm this, Harry, but the Order is under the impression that Dumbledore left you a mission."

Harry at least confirmed this, which was more than what he did a few weeks ago. So, he offered himself to help. This was somewhere he could be useful.

Harry hesitated. Hermione, however, looked puzzled.

"But what about Tonks?" she asked.

"What about her?"

"Well," said Hermione, frowning, "you're married! How does she feel about you going away with us?"

"Tonks will be perfectly safe," said Remus, "She'll be at her parents' house."

Of course, they hadn't discussed such a thing but that's where he assumed she would go if... if... if he didn't come back.

"Remus," said Hermione tentatively, "is everything all right... you know... between you and -"

"Everything is fine, thank you," said Remus pointedly.

He did not want nor need to discuss this with them. Hermione turned pink. There was another pause, an awkward and embarrassed one, and then Remus forced himself to say "Tonks is going to have a baby."

And, of course, they were all happy for them.

Remus gave an artificial smile that was more like a grimace, then brushed it aside and asked again.

Ron and Hermione both looked at Harry.

"Just, just to be clear," he said. "You want to leave Tonks at her parents' house and come away with us?"

That was exactly what he wanted. And he tried to persuade Harry of this as well.

"Well," said Harry slowly, "I'm not. I'm pretty sure my father would have wanted to know why you aren't sticking with your own kid, actually."

Remus felt his face drain of colour.

"You don't understand."

"Explain, then," said Harry.

Demanded, really. And he had to answer. Remus swallowed.

"I - I made a grave mistake in marrying Tonks. I did it against my better judgment and have regretted it very much ever since."

"I see," said Harry, "so you're just going to dump her and the kid and run off with us?"

Another kick to him. Harry was unerringly good at this.

Remus sprang to his feet: His chair toppled over backward, and he glared at them

"Don't you understand what I've done to my wife and my unborn child? I should never have married her; I've made her an outcast!"

Remus kicked aside the chair he had overturned.

All of his insecurities and worries and fears came pouring out of him. He couldn't stop it once he got started. Like a dam bursting, it all came out.

"My kind don't usually breed! It will be like me, I am convinced of it, how can I forgive myself, when I knowingly risked passing on my own condition to an innocent child? And if, by some miracle, it is not like me, then it will be better off, a hundred times so, without a father of whom it must always be ashamed!"

He was breathless and his heart was pounding but he didn't care. No, all he cared about was the trouble he had brought down on an innocent child. Innocent!

"Remus!" whispered Hermione, tears in her eyes. "Don't say that, how could any child be ashamed of you?"

"Oh, I don't know, Hermione," said Harry. "I'd be pretty ashamed of him."

Remus recoiled as if he had been struck.

"If the new regime thinks Muggleborns are bad," Harry said, "what will they do to a half-werewolf whose father's in the Order? My father died trying to protect my mother and me, and you reckon he'd tell you to abandon your kid to go on an adventure with us?"

He was at a loss for words. He couldn't get them out straight but Harry kept on goading him. Pressing him, bringing up Sirius. Ron and Hermione tried to stop him but-

"Harry, no!" Hermione begged him.

"I'd never have believed this," Harry said. "The man who taught me to fight dementors - a coward."

Remus didn't think as ne drew his wand on Harry and blasted him away from him. He heard the thunk of his body hitting something as he turned away. Leaving.