Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.
A Candle in the Dark
Chapter 6: Return to the House of Black
Harry followed Ron into his room, what did Dumbledore mean they weren't safe, did he expect them to be attacked? Hurriedly he stuffed all his things in his trunk, Ron was sweating and muttering worriedly, Harry grabbed Hedwig's cage, put it on top of his trunk and carried them downstairs, Ron following a moment later. Five minutes later everyone was in the kitchen, Hermione and Ginny looked scared, Fred and Georges' normally laughing faces looked serious. Cho clung tight to Harry who felt sick. Mrs Weasley's usually cheerful face was taught with anxiety. Ron was sweating and looking worried. Mrs Weasley quickly grabbed the pot of floo powder from the fireplace. She handed it to Fred who, after a cry of 'Twelve Grimmauld Place' disappeared into the flames closely followed by George, then Ron, Ginny, and Hermione.
"Are you alright, Harry?" asked Mrs Weasley. Harry nodded untruthfully; it was hurting, he was going back to the place where Sirius had been last time he had a proper conversation with him. It took a conscious effort stepping up to the fireplace and taking some floo powder. He opened his mouth but no words came out, he closed it again. He couldn't do it, he couldn't go back there.
Suddenly, he felt someone put their arms around his middle, he turned his head and saw Cho standing there, tears in her eyes.
"You can do it Harry, think of now, think of today, think of me!" she said, Harry nodded. He turned round. He threw the floo powder in the fire and said in a surprisingly strong voice,
"Twelve Grimmauld Place" he stepped into fire and he felt himself spinning. A moment later he stepped out of the fireplace and looking back at him were, Mr Weasley, Tonks, Kingsley, Lupin, Dumbledore, Moody and the other Weasleys and Hermione, just then Cho appeared ignoring everyone else she ran up to Harry and threw her arms round his neck and breathed in his ear.
"You will get over him, I promise. I will always be here if you need me" before kissing him passionately. The broke apart a few seconds later. Everyone apart from Fred, George, Ron, Hermione and Ginny looked surprised.
"Look, Harry, the public displays really have got to stop we know you love Cho, you don't have to prove anything." Remarked George in a mock serious voice causing Harry and Cho to blush deep crimson and everyone else to laugh.
Mrs Weasley's head appeared in the fireplace.
"I'm sending the trunks through now so stand back." Harry suddenly noticed the china ornaments on the side opposite the fireplace,
"Wait!" he called but it was too late, Mrs Weasley's head had disappeared. He stepped ten paces away from the fireplace opposite it. He took out his wand.
He saw the first trunk hurtle towards him.
"Protego" he called out, the trunk hit the spell, stopped dead and hit the floor with a crash, it was too heavy to bounce back, he kicked it out the way. Tonks took out her wand to take over, but Moody pushed her arm down.
"It's good practice for him" he growled, she nodded and lowered her wand. The next trunk flew at him, again he blocked it and moved it out the way. He did this till all the trunks had arrived. Mrs Weasley stepped out of the fireplace.
"That was a good bit of wand work, Potter." Praised Moody. Harry grinned.
"Hope you taught it to the DA" said Lupin
"How do you know about the DA?" asked Harry.
"Sirius told us," Tonks then realised what she had just said and clapped her hand to her mouth looking horrified, "Sorry!" she whispered.
"Don't be sorry, I have to get over him and the only way I will is if I accept that he is dead and I can't do that by pretending that he never existed." Said Harry. Everyone looked at him shocked when he had finished, apart from Dumbledore and Cho who looked at him with distinct pride. Mrs Weasley changed the subject.
"Take your trunks up into the rooms you were in last time, Cho, dear, just follow Hermione." She said. Tonks charmed the trunks to follow their owners. Harry and Ron put their trunks in their room and preceded back downstairs.
"The house looks much better now that it has been cleaned, doesn't it?" remarked Ron.
"Yeah, much more habitable." Replied Harry. They arrived at the bottom of the stairs where Mrs Weasley immediately ushered them into the dining room for a meeting. Five minutes later everyone was sat down with Dumbledore at the head of the table.
"Now, with these Dementors no longer under ministry service we are all going to have to be more careful. Harry, you are under strict orders not to go anywhere without a guard of at least five of the Order. When we get back to school things will be different but until then you will obey." Dumbledore's normally calm voice was hard, showing that he was serious. Harry nodded, he didn't like it, it would restrict his freedom.
"Next, you are to continue leglimency with Professor Snape." This, Harry could not stop himself protesting.
"Why can't you teach me?"
"I, Harry, am too busy, I would like to teach you but I can't." Harry had no option but to nod in unwilling agreement.
"Now, Harry, you may go" Harry was inclined to argue but thought better of it and left without a word. When Dumbledore was sure Harry was out of earshot he turned to Ron, Hermione, Cho and Ginny.
"Keep an eye on Harry, make sure he doesn't do anything reckless, make sure he is safe at all times. You too, may leave."
Once out they went up to Ron's room where Harry was lying on his bed. Cho sat down next to him, Hermione and Ron sat on his bed and Ginny sat on the floor.
"Apparently, mate, we're to keep an eye on you and not let you do anything stupid." Hermione rolled her eyes, and said in that sickeningly sweet voice that Dolores Umbridge used when she was about to get very angry with someone.
"Ron, why do you think that Professor Dumbledore asked Harry to leave before he said that to us"
"Err. Because he didn't want Harry to know?"
"Exactly," Hermione said, still in that same sickeningly sweet voice, "AND NOW YOU HAVE JUST GONE AND TOLD HIM YOU MORON!" she shouted, dropping the sweet voice. Ron and Hermione immediately started arguing, Harry, Cho and Ginny were laughing. When Ron and Hermione realised this they stopped arguing and turned on Harry and the other two.
"What are you laughing at?" demanded Ron,
"Nothing," said Harry a sly grin on his face, "Except that you fight like a married couple."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron demanded again.
"It means," Hermione said, glaring at Harry, "he thinks we should get married!"
"What?! No!.Urgh, Harry how could you say that? I would never marry Hermione!" Hermione turned on him angrily.
"Ronald Weasley! what are you implying?"
"Nothing, nothing!" said Ron hastily, desperately trying to cover his tracks, "It's just that you're my best friend, you don't marry you're best friend!" Harry, Ginny and Cho just laughed harder. Ron and Hermione stopped arguing and silently moved towards Harry, who had his eyes closed and tears of laughter rolling down his face. Hermione held up three fingers, she put one down, then another and finally the last one. Ron jumped on Harry and started pummelling him playfully while Hermione was tickling mercilessly,
"Hey no fair," he said through tears of laughter, "how come you pick on me?"
"Because you, Mr Potter, were the one that made that snide remark about Ron and I" said Hermione.
"Ok, ok, I give in"
"Don't tell me that the great Harry Potter is giving in to us!" said Ron in a mock surprised voice."
"You got it, now get off me." When Ron and Hermione had got off of him Harry turned to Cho in mock anger,
"How come you didn't help me?" Cho shrugged non-commitedly,
"It was more fun watching." At this point Fred and George appeared with two pops.
"Were in, Dumbledore let us in." said Fred.
"In what?" asked Ron, Fred rolled his eyes.
"The fridge," said George sarcastically,
"The Order, you idiot," said Fred
"Mum's not too happy about it though," said George casually.
"Why not?" asked Hermione.
"Oh you know," George imitated his mothers voice, "You've got your whole lives ahead of you, what happens if you get killed?" he stopped imitating her voice, "she doesn't understand that we're prepared to die if we have to."
"Why aren't you down there now?" asked Ron.
"Meetings finished," said Fred shortly. They all sat up there talking until Mrs Weasley called them down for dinner.
They went downstairs and into the dining room, Dumbledore had left so only Moody, Tonks, Mr and Mrs Weasley, Kingsley and Lupin. Mrs Weasley had cooked a gammon and chicken pie with new potatoes and carrots.
They all sat down at the table and started eating. Half an hour later, when the first course was finished, Molly left and returned with a huge apple pie and a jug of cream. Three helpings later, Harry sat back in his chair.
"We have to go to Diagon alley soon." Said Mrs Weasley.
"When?" asked Cho
"In about two days time," Cho nodded. Harry, Ron, Hermione Cho and Ginny decided to go to bed, so they climbed the stairs and went into their separate rooms; on the landing Cho stopped Harry before he went into his room,
"Harry I've been meaning to ask, what is the Order?"
"It's the Order of the Phoenix, it was founded by Dumbledore the first time Voldemort rose to power, it's a group of people who fight Voldemort."
"Oh, and what is this place?"
"It's the House of Black, the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, it has belonged to the Black family for centuries and although the Blacks have always been supporters of Voldemort and his ideas, it belonged to my Godfather, Sirius, and he hated his family and Voldemort, that's why he ran away at sixteen and went to live with my dad, so he gave it to Dumbledore to use as the headquarters for the Order before he was killed."
"Could I join the Order?"
"No Dumbledore wouldn't let you until you have finished school."
"Oh, ok, well, goodnight Harry." Cho kissed him on the cheek.
"Night." Harry turned and walked into Ron's room. Ron was snoring loudly. Harry changed and crawled into bed, not expecting to sleep, not only because of Ron's snoring, but he was in the House of Black, Sirius' house, and with that thought exhaustion overwhelmed sadness and Harry fell in to a deep sleep.
He was woken suddenly by blood curdling scream from downstairs,
"VILE HALF BLOODS AND MUDBLOODS, HOW DARE YOU INFECT THE HOUSE OF MY FOREBEARS, SCUM OF THE EARTH! YOU POISON THE HOUSE OF BLACK!"
"TONKS!" came Mrs Weasley's angry voice,
"Sorry, I didn't mean to!" came Tonks' voice as well; Harry stepped outside of his bedroom in his pyjamas and dressing gown. Cho was already standing there,
"What is that?" She shouted above the noise coming from downstairs
"The portrait of Sirius' Mum, she hates everyone apart from purebloods, she strongly supported Voldemort's ideas but she was never a Death Eater, some of her children are, and other Blacks are."
"Ah, right" Mrs Weasley and whoever else was helping her seemed to have got the portrait under control because there was no more shouting coming from downstairs.
"I'm glad that's sorted," said Ron who had just walked out onto the landing and was now standing next to Harry and Cho. They walked downstairs.
"How'd that happen?" Ron asked Mrs Weasley.
"Tonks tripped over the umbrella stand and caught the curtain."
"Oh, ok." Mrs Weasley returned to the kitchen, Harry, Ron and Cho went and sat down at the dining room table. Mrs Weasley brought out a huge plate stacked with bacon, sausages, eggs and toast. She placed it down on the table and Ron immediately grabbed everything and started gorging himself. Harry and Cho burst out laughing at the sight of Ron stuffing himself. Mrs Weasley entered to see what was so funny but she looked disgusted when she saw Ron.
"Ronald Weasley!"
Ron looked up and his expression turned to horror when he saw who it was. He slowly put his fork, which was laden with bacon, sausage and egg, down. He swallowed his mouthful with great difficulty,
"Mum!" He said in a false cheery voice.
"You will not, Ronald Weasley, eat with such disgusting manners." Ron nodded humbly, but as soon as his mother's back was turned he ate with the same gusto that he had before. When Harry and Cho had finished they got up and left. They passed Ginny and Hermione on the stairs.
"I heavily advise, that you do not go in the dining room," said Harry to them.
"Why not?" asked Ginny curiously, Harry just shook his head indicating he was not going to answer and walked off with Cho. Hermione just shrugged and she and Ginny continued into the dining room. A second later two shrieks could be heard throughout the house. Then,
"Ron! You are disgusting!" came Hermione's voice. Followed by,
"You absolute pig!" Ginny yelled. Harry ran to the top of the stairs and saw Ron run out of the dining closely followed by Hermione and Ginny who both looked like they wanted to murder him. Ron darted up the stairs and into his room where he slammed the door behind him. By the sounds coming from it, Harry guessed that Ron was barricading himself in. Hermione and Ginny ran up the stairs and threw themselves against the door,
"Open up now!" yelled Ginny.
"Not likely!" Ron yelled back.
"I did warn you not to go in there." Said Harry calmly and quietly.
"Yeah, but you didn't tell us what he was doing." Said Hermione angrily. Cho grabbed Harry by the arm and indicated with her head that they should get out of there. Harry nodded and they ran downstairs laughing. Harry saw Lupin standing at the bottom of the stairs.
"Hello, Remus." Greeted Harry. Lupin smiled.
"Hello, Harry."
"How are you?"
"Not bad, and you?" replied Lupin
"Good thanks, why are you here?" asked Harry.
"Oh, just got stuff to do for the Order."
"Ok, see you later then." After having a look round, they decided to go back up and see how Ron was doing against the combined wrath of Hermione and Ginny. They walked up the stairs and saw Fred and George laughing at Hermione and Ginny who were still trying to get to Ron.
"They still trying to murder him then?" asked Cho.
"Yeah," said Fred through snorts of laughter, "But every time they say something Ron just yells something like 'I'm not coming out' it's quite funny actually, I don't think Hermione and Ginny have realised that they have spent half an hour trying to get to him and he still hasn't moved."
"Ron, you pig, if you don't come out then when I get to you I will hex you from here to next month!" threatened Hermione.
"If I don't come out then you can't hex me, so there is no way I am coming out." Retorted Ron. Harry grinned as an idea came to him. He tapped Hermione on the shoulder and when she turned round he whispered his idea to her. Hermione grinned and told Ginny the idea. Harry went downstairs very quietly. He waited for a few seconds before climbing the stairs again noisily. Hermione winked at him before shrieking,
"Harry, what happened to you?" in a horrified voice.
"Harry!" Ginny screamed out loud. Ron yelped in a frightened voice.
"Hold on, mate, I'm coming" the sounds of furniture being moved hurriedly came from inside the room. The door was flung opened and Ron stood there looking worried and scared. When he saw that Harry was perfectly fine and was grinning broadly he realised what was going on and slammed the door shut, however Ginny and Hermione had thrown their weight against it and Ron couldn't close it. Hermione and Ginny chased him towards his bed. He dived onto it and they jumped onto him and started hitting him.
"When they're done with me, I swear I will kill you Potter!" Ron managed to gasp out.
"If you can even move." Said Harry in between fits of laughter. Everyone apart from Hermione, Ginny and Ron was rolling around on the floor laughing. Mrs Weasley came in to see what all the noise was about.
"Hermione, Ginny what is going on?" she snapped. Hermione and Ginny sprang off Ron, their faces a picture of innocence.
"I expected better from both of you, especially you Hermione." They both looked at the ground and mumbled an apology. Ron was lying on the bed looking smug.
"What had you done to provoke them?" Mrs Weasley snapped at him, Ron's smug look vanished in an instance.
"Nothing!" he protested.
"He was shovelling his food down at a grotesque rate when we entered the dining room to have breakfast," said Ginny. Mrs Weasley turned on Ron again.
"I thought I had warned you about that!" Ron's mouth opened and closed stupidly. When Mrs Weasley realised that he had nothing to say for himself she said to him,
"I don't want to have to tell you to behave, and that goes for all of you" turning round to look at all of them and with that she left. Ron turned and glared at Harry.
"You are so dead, Potter!" Harry smirked at him.
"You heard what your mother said, no misbehaving!" Ron looked sulky knowing he had been defeated. Cho changed the subject, and they spent the rest of the morning talking about various things. Mrs Weasley brought up a huge plate of sandwiches, and they each took one and continued talking, a thought suddenly struck Harry,
"Hey, has anyone seen Kreacher?" Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George all shook their heads.
"Who's Kreacher?" asked Cho.
"The house-elf. He was the cause of Sirius' death." Harry went on to explain how Kreacher had tricked Harry thus causing Sirius to go to the Department of Mysteries. Harry and everyone went downstairs. They saw Moody and Lupin talking.
"Where's Kreacher?" asked Harry immediately. Lupin and Moody smiled grimly.
"He's dead," said Lupin
"Dead?" asked Harry.
"We killed him," Said Moody, "He tricked us, causing Sirius to lose his life, we couldn't free him, he knew too much so we killed him." Instead of feeling upset Harry felt grimly pleased, Kreacher had, effectively killed Sirius.
"But that's not right!" shrieked Hermione horrified.
"Yes it is!" Harry snapped at her viciously, "He killed Sirius! And you're still defending him!"
"He didn't know what he was doing." Said Hermione meekly.
"HE KNEW PERFECTLY WELL WHAT HE WAS DOING!" Harry roared at her, everyone shrunk back from him. There was nothing but fury in eyes. "YOU'RE STILL DEFENDING HIM, HE KILLED MY GODFATHER! SIRIUS WAS THE CLOSEST THING I HAD TO A FATHER, KREACHER KILLED HIM AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS STAND UP FOR HIM!" and without another word Harry turned and stormed off. Hermione was crying. Cho turned to follow Harry but Lupin held out his arm stopping her.
"Maybe you should just leave him for a while." Cho nodded.
"I've never seen Harry that mad." Cho said.
"Me neither" said Ron.
"I think that was the wrong thing to say, Hermione," said Lupin gently. Mrs Weasley came in to find out what out what all the noise was about. She gasped when she saw Hermione, Moody quickly told her what had happened.
"Oh Hermione! That was a silly thing to say, don't you see, if we let Kreacher live then he would just cause more trouble for the Order, we couldn't free him because he knew too much!" She said before giving her a hug.
"But no one cares that it was Kreacher who was the cause of Sirius' death?" Said a cold, hard voice from the stairs. Everyone suddenly looked nervous.
"Yes, but-" began Mrs Weasley.
"ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS THE ORDER, WELL, TO BE BLUNT, I COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT THE ORDER! KREACHER AS GOOD AS KILLED SIRIUS AND IF HE WASN'T ALREADY DEAD THEN I WOULD KILL HIM!" Harry was furious, "IS THAT ALL YOU CARE ABOUT? THE ORDER? YOU DON'T ACTUALLY CARE THAT THE CLOSEST THING TO A FATHER I EVER HAD SINCE MY REAL DAD DIED IS DEAD?"
"Of course we do-" said Mrs Weasley.
"THEN WHY DON'T YOU SHOW IT?" bellowed Harry. Everyone looked terrified, no one answered,
"WELL?" When no one answered again, Harry turned round and walked back upstairs. Again Cho went to follow him, but Lupin stopped her.
"Let me go" Lupin said. He went upstairs and slowly opened the door to Harry's room. Harry was sitting on his bed, his head in his hands, looking exhausted and weak.
"Harry, I know how you feel, Sirius was one of my best friends, but what you have got to remember is that there are more important things in life,"
"It doesn't feel like it." Harry's voice was hoarse and thick with emotion.
"I know, but there is, Sirius died for the Order, he died fighting, he died doing something useful, he died to give you life. He wouldn't want you to feel like you do, he died so you could keep fighting, so you could keep living. He fought for something he believed in and he paid the ultimate price. He knew the risks he was taking, he knew what he was doing but he never gave up. He wouldn't want you to either just because he was killed fighting for what he believed in. He loved you Harry, that's why he was willing to give his life for you."
Harry nodded. He still felt angry but not as angry as he had done five minutes ago.
"Do you want to stay up here or come downstairs?" Lupin asked softly.
"I'll come."
"Ok." Harry and Lupin stood up and walked downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs, when everyone had seen them, Hermione moved cautiously towards Harry and when she saw that he wasn't going to object she ran at him and hugged him tight. Harry hugged her back.
"I'm so sorry Harry, I was so stupid!" she said in between sobs.
"That's alright, I'm sorry too."
"You don't have anything to be sorry for!"
"Yeah I have, I shouldn't have lost my temper like that."
"Of course you should, we know how much you miss him." She let go of him and smiled through her tears. Everyone spent the rest of the day talking. At nine o'clock Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Cho decided to go to bed, because they had to get up early to go to Diagon Alley. Harry and the rest climbed the stairs. Harry went into his room with Ron.
"I've never seen you that angry, mate, not even the first time you were here."
"I've never felt that angry" Harry replied.
"It was scary, it was one of the scariest things I have ever seen."
"Count yourself lucky, then."
"No, you were terrifying."
"Well, goodnight" Harry got changed and got into bed. Five minutes later he was asleep, all the emotions of today had overwhelmed him.
A/N Hope you liked it, now a couple of things. One. I am going to start writing longer chapters so it will be longer between updates. If you don't want me to do that let me know in your reviews. Two, sorry for not updating for a while, I have been on an army camp. Three, because I am at a boarding school where teachers dictate your life, when you do this, when you do that, I can't always get chapters written and updated when I want to. I don't plan on stopping writing this fic and if I do I will tell you. Whenever I can I write this fic. Next chapter we return to Hogwarts. Keep reading and reviewing 'cos, like I've said before, I'll keep writing!
Fireboy.
A Candle in the Dark
Chapter 6: Return to the House of Black
Harry followed Ron into his room, what did Dumbledore mean they weren't safe, did he expect them to be attacked? Hurriedly he stuffed all his things in his trunk, Ron was sweating and muttering worriedly, Harry grabbed Hedwig's cage, put it on top of his trunk and carried them downstairs, Ron following a moment later. Five minutes later everyone was in the kitchen, Hermione and Ginny looked scared, Fred and Georges' normally laughing faces looked serious. Cho clung tight to Harry who felt sick. Mrs Weasley's usually cheerful face was taught with anxiety. Ron was sweating and looking worried. Mrs Weasley quickly grabbed the pot of floo powder from the fireplace. She handed it to Fred who, after a cry of 'Twelve Grimmauld Place' disappeared into the flames closely followed by George, then Ron, Ginny, and Hermione.
"Are you alright, Harry?" asked Mrs Weasley. Harry nodded untruthfully; it was hurting, he was going back to the place where Sirius had been last time he had a proper conversation with him. It took a conscious effort stepping up to the fireplace and taking some floo powder. He opened his mouth but no words came out, he closed it again. He couldn't do it, he couldn't go back there.
Suddenly, he felt someone put their arms around his middle, he turned his head and saw Cho standing there, tears in her eyes.
"You can do it Harry, think of now, think of today, think of me!" she said, Harry nodded. He turned round. He threw the floo powder in the fire and said in a surprisingly strong voice,
"Twelve Grimmauld Place" he stepped into fire and he felt himself spinning. A moment later he stepped out of the fireplace and looking back at him were, Mr Weasley, Tonks, Kingsley, Lupin, Dumbledore, Moody and the other Weasleys and Hermione, just then Cho appeared ignoring everyone else she ran up to Harry and threw her arms round his neck and breathed in his ear.
"You will get over him, I promise. I will always be here if you need me" before kissing him passionately. The broke apart a few seconds later. Everyone apart from Fred, George, Ron, Hermione and Ginny looked surprised.
"Look, Harry, the public displays really have got to stop we know you love Cho, you don't have to prove anything." Remarked George in a mock serious voice causing Harry and Cho to blush deep crimson and everyone else to laugh.
Mrs Weasley's head appeared in the fireplace.
"I'm sending the trunks through now so stand back." Harry suddenly noticed the china ornaments on the side opposite the fireplace,
"Wait!" he called but it was too late, Mrs Weasley's head had disappeared. He stepped ten paces away from the fireplace opposite it. He took out his wand.
He saw the first trunk hurtle towards him.
"Protego" he called out, the trunk hit the spell, stopped dead and hit the floor with a crash, it was too heavy to bounce back, he kicked it out the way. Tonks took out her wand to take over, but Moody pushed her arm down.
"It's good practice for him" he growled, she nodded and lowered her wand. The next trunk flew at him, again he blocked it and moved it out the way. He did this till all the trunks had arrived. Mrs Weasley stepped out of the fireplace.
"That was a good bit of wand work, Potter." Praised Moody. Harry grinned.
"Hope you taught it to the DA" said Lupin
"How do you know about the DA?" asked Harry.
"Sirius told us," Tonks then realised what she had just said and clapped her hand to her mouth looking horrified, "Sorry!" she whispered.
"Don't be sorry, I have to get over him and the only way I will is if I accept that he is dead and I can't do that by pretending that he never existed." Said Harry. Everyone looked at him shocked when he had finished, apart from Dumbledore and Cho who looked at him with distinct pride. Mrs Weasley changed the subject.
"Take your trunks up into the rooms you were in last time, Cho, dear, just follow Hermione." She said. Tonks charmed the trunks to follow their owners. Harry and Ron put their trunks in their room and preceded back downstairs.
"The house looks much better now that it has been cleaned, doesn't it?" remarked Ron.
"Yeah, much more habitable." Replied Harry. They arrived at the bottom of the stairs where Mrs Weasley immediately ushered them into the dining room for a meeting. Five minutes later everyone was sat down with Dumbledore at the head of the table.
"Now, with these Dementors no longer under ministry service we are all going to have to be more careful. Harry, you are under strict orders not to go anywhere without a guard of at least five of the Order. When we get back to school things will be different but until then you will obey." Dumbledore's normally calm voice was hard, showing that he was serious. Harry nodded, he didn't like it, it would restrict his freedom.
"Next, you are to continue leglimency with Professor Snape." This, Harry could not stop himself protesting.
"Why can't you teach me?"
"I, Harry, am too busy, I would like to teach you but I can't." Harry had no option but to nod in unwilling agreement.
"Now, Harry, you may go" Harry was inclined to argue but thought better of it and left without a word. When Dumbledore was sure Harry was out of earshot he turned to Ron, Hermione, Cho and Ginny.
"Keep an eye on Harry, make sure he doesn't do anything reckless, make sure he is safe at all times. You too, may leave."
Once out they went up to Ron's room where Harry was lying on his bed. Cho sat down next to him, Hermione and Ron sat on his bed and Ginny sat on the floor.
"Apparently, mate, we're to keep an eye on you and not let you do anything stupid." Hermione rolled her eyes, and said in that sickeningly sweet voice that Dolores Umbridge used when she was about to get very angry with someone.
"Ron, why do you think that Professor Dumbledore asked Harry to leave before he said that to us"
"Err. Because he didn't want Harry to know?"
"Exactly," Hermione said, still in that same sickeningly sweet voice, "AND NOW YOU HAVE JUST GONE AND TOLD HIM YOU MORON!" she shouted, dropping the sweet voice. Ron and Hermione immediately started arguing, Harry, Cho and Ginny were laughing. When Ron and Hermione realised this they stopped arguing and turned on Harry and the other two.
"What are you laughing at?" demanded Ron,
"Nothing," said Harry a sly grin on his face, "Except that you fight like a married couple."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron demanded again.
"It means," Hermione said, glaring at Harry, "he thinks we should get married!"
"What?! No!.Urgh, Harry how could you say that? I would never marry Hermione!" Hermione turned on him angrily.
"Ronald Weasley! what are you implying?"
"Nothing, nothing!" said Ron hastily, desperately trying to cover his tracks, "It's just that you're my best friend, you don't marry you're best friend!" Harry, Ginny and Cho just laughed harder. Ron and Hermione stopped arguing and silently moved towards Harry, who had his eyes closed and tears of laughter rolling down his face. Hermione held up three fingers, she put one down, then another and finally the last one. Ron jumped on Harry and started pummelling him playfully while Hermione was tickling mercilessly,
"Hey no fair," he said through tears of laughter, "how come you pick on me?"
"Because you, Mr Potter, were the one that made that snide remark about Ron and I" said Hermione.
"Ok, ok, I give in"
"Don't tell me that the great Harry Potter is giving in to us!" said Ron in a mock surprised voice."
"You got it, now get off me." When Ron and Hermione had got off of him Harry turned to Cho in mock anger,
"How come you didn't help me?" Cho shrugged non-commitedly,
"It was more fun watching." At this point Fred and George appeared with two pops.
"Were in, Dumbledore let us in." said Fred.
"In what?" asked Ron, Fred rolled his eyes.
"The fridge," said George sarcastically,
"The Order, you idiot," said Fred
"Mum's not too happy about it though," said George casually.
"Why not?" asked Hermione.
"Oh you know," George imitated his mothers voice, "You've got your whole lives ahead of you, what happens if you get killed?" he stopped imitating her voice, "she doesn't understand that we're prepared to die if we have to."
"Why aren't you down there now?" asked Ron.
"Meetings finished," said Fred shortly. They all sat up there talking until Mrs Weasley called them down for dinner.
They went downstairs and into the dining room, Dumbledore had left so only Moody, Tonks, Mr and Mrs Weasley, Kingsley and Lupin. Mrs Weasley had cooked a gammon and chicken pie with new potatoes and carrots.
They all sat down at the table and started eating. Half an hour later, when the first course was finished, Molly left and returned with a huge apple pie and a jug of cream. Three helpings later, Harry sat back in his chair.
"We have to go to Diagon alley soon." Said Mrs Weasley.
"When?" asked Cho
"In about two days time," Cho nodded. Harry, Ron, Hermione Cho and Ginny decided to go to bed, so they climbed the stairs and went into their separate rooms; on the landing Cho stopped Harry before he went into his room,
"Harry I've been meaning to ask, what is the Order?"
"It's the Order of the Phoenix, it was founded by Dumbledore the first time Voldemort rose to power, it's a group of people who fight Voldemort."
"Oh, and what is this place?"
"It's the House of Black, the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, it has belonged to the Black family for centuries and although the Blacks have always been supporters of Voldemort and his ideas, it belonged to my Godfather, Sirius, and he hated his family and Voldemort, that's why he ran away at sixteen and went to live with my dad, so he gave it to Dumbledore to use as the headquarters for the Order before he was killed."
"Could I join the Order?"
"No Dumbledore wouldn't let you until you have finished school."
"Oh, ok, well, goodnight Harry." Cho kissed him on the cheek.
"Night." Harry turned and walked into Ron's room. Ron was snoring loudly. Harry changed and crawled into bed, not expecting to sleep, not only because of Ron's snoring, but he was in the House of Black, Sirius' house, and with that thought exhaustion overwhelmed sadness and Harry fell in to a deep sleep.
He was woken suddenly by blood curdling scream from downstairs,
"VILE HALF BLOODS AND MUDBLOODS, HOW DARE YOU INFECT THE HOUSE OF MY FOREBEARS, SCUM OF THE EARTH! YOU POISON THE HOUSE OF BLACK!"
"TONKS!" came Mrs Weasley's angry voice,
"Sorry, I didn't mean to!" came Tonks' voice as well; Harry stepped outside of his bedroom in his pyjamas and dressing gown. Cho was already standing there,
"What is that?" She shouted above the noise coming from downstairs
"The portrait of Sirius' Mum, she hates everyone apart from purebloods, she strongly supported Voldemort's ideas but she was never a Death Eater, some of her children are, and other Blacks are."
"Ah, right" Mrs Weasley and whoever else was helping her seemed to have got the portrait under control because there was no more shouting coming from downstairs.
"I'm glad that's sorted," said Ron who had just walked out onto the landing and was now standing next to Harry and Cho. They walked downstairs.
"How'd that happen?" Ron asked Mrs Weasley.
"Tonks tripped over the umbrella stand and caught the curtain."
"Oh, ok." Mrs Weasley returned to the kitchen, Harry, Ron and Cho went and sat down at the dining room table. Mrs Weasley brought out a huge plate stacked with bacon, sausages, eggs and toast. She placed it down on the table and Ron immediately grabbed everything and started gorging himself. Harry and Cho burst out laughing at the sight of Ron stuffing himself. Mrs Weasley entered to see what was so funny but she looked disgusted when she saw Ron.
"Ronald Weasley!"
Ron looked up and his expression turned to horror when he saw who it was. He slowly put his fork, which was laden with bacon, sausage and egg, down. He swallowed his mouthful with great difficulty,
"Mum!" He said in a false cheery voice.
"You will not, Ronald Weasley, eat with such disgusting manners." Ron nodded humbly, but as soon as his mother's back was turned he ate with the same gusto that he had before. When Harry and Cho had finished they got up and left. They passed Ginny and Hermione on the stairs.
"I heavily advise, that you do not go in the dining room," said Harry to them.
"Why not?" asked Ginny curiously, Harry just shook his head indicating he was not going to answer and walked off with Cho. Hermione just shrugged and she and Ginny continued into the dining room. A second later two shrieks could be heard throughout the house. Then,
"Ron! You are disgusting!" came Hermione's voice. Followed by,
"You absolute pig!" Ginny yelled. Harry ran to the top of the stairs and saw Ron run out of the dining closely followed by Hermione and Ginny who both looked like they wanted to murder him. Ron darted up the stairs and into his room where he slammed the door behind him. By the sounds coming from it, Harry guessed that Ron was barricading himself in. Hermione and Ginny ran up the stairs and threw themselves against the door,
"Open up now!" yelled Ginny.
"Not likely!" Ron yelled back.
"I did warn you not to go in there." Said Harry calmly and quietly.
"Yeah, but you didn't tell us what he was doing." Said Hermione angrily. Cho grabbed Harry by the arm and indicated with her head that they should get out of there. Harry nodded and they ran downstairs laughing. Harry saw Lupin standing at the bottom of the stairs.
"Hello, Remus." Greeted Harry. Lupin smiled.
"Hello, Harry."
"How are you?"
"Not bad, and you?" replied Lupin
"Good thanks, why are you here?" asked Harry.
"Oh, just got stuff to do for the Order."
"Ok, see you later then." After having a look round, they decided to go back up and see how Ron was doing against the combined wrath of Hermione and Ginny. They walked up the stairs and saw Fred and George laughing at Hermione and Ginny who were still trying to get to Ron.
"They still trying to murder him then?" asked Cho.
"Yeah," said Fred through snorts of laughter, "But every time they say something Ron just yells something like 'I'm not coming out' it's quite funny actually, I don't think Hermione and Ginny have realised that they have spent half an hour trying to get to him and he still hasn't moved."
"Ron, you pig, if you don't come out then when I get to you I will hex you from here to next month!" threatened Hermione.
"If I don't come out then you can't hex me, so there is no way I am coming out." Retorted Ron. Harry grinned as an idea came to him. He tapped Hermione on the shoulder and when she turned round he whispered his idea to her. Hermione grinned and told Ginny the idea. Harry went downstairs very quietly. He waited for a few seconds before climbing the stairs again noisily. Hermione winked at him before shrieking,
"Harry, what happened to you?" in a horrified voice.
"Harry!" Ginny screamed out loud. Ron yelped in a frightened voice.
"Hold on, mate, I'm coming" the sounds of furniture being moved hurriedly came from inside the room. The door was flung opened and Ron stood there looking worried and scared. When he saw that Harry was perfectly fine and was grinning broadly he realised what was going on and slammed the door shut, however Ginny and Hermione had thrown their weight against it and Ron couldn't close it. Hermione and Ginny chased him towards his bed. He dived onto it and they jumped onto him and started hitting him.
"When they're done with me, I swear I will kill you Potter!" Ron managed to gasp out.
"If you can even move." Said Harry in between fits of laughter. Everyone apart from Hermione, Ginny and Ron was rolling around on the floor laughing. Mrs Weasley came in to see what all the noise was about.
"Hermione, Ginny what is going on?" she snapped. Hermione and Ginny sprang off Ron, their faces a picture of innocence.
"I expected better from both of you, especially you Hermione." They both looked at the ground and mumbled an apology. Ron was lying on the bed looking smug.
"What had you done to provoke them?" Mrs Weasley snapped at him, Ron's smug look vanished in an instance.
"Nothing!" he protested.
"He was shovelling his food down at a grotesque rate when we entered the dining room to have breakfast," said Ginny. Mrs Weasley turned on Ron again.
"I thought I had warned you about that!" Ron's mouth opened and closed stupidly. When Mrs Weasley realised that he had nothing to say for himself she said to him,
"I don't want to have to tell you to behave, and that goes for all of you" turning round to look at all of them and with that she left. Ron turned and glared at Harry.
"You are so dead, Potter!" Harry smirked at him.
"You heard what your mother said, no misbehaving!" Ron looked sulky knowing he had been defeated. Cho changed the subject, and they spent the rest of the morning talking about various things. Mrs Weasley brought up a huge plate of sandwiches, and they each took one and continued talking, a thought suddenly struck Harry,
"Hey, has anyone seen Kreacher?" Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George all shook their heads.
"Who's Kreacher?" asked Cho.
"The house-elf. He was the cause of Sirius' death." Harry went on to explain how Kreacher had tricked Harry thus causing Sirius to go to the Department of Mysteries. Harry and everyone went downstairs. They saw Moody and Lupin talking.
"Where's Kreacher?" asked Harry immediately. Lupin and Moody smiled grimly.
"He's dead," said Lupin
"Dead?" asked Harry.
"We killed him," Said Moody, "He tricked us, causing Sirius to lose his life, we couldn't free him, he knew too much so we killed him." Instead of feeling upset Harry felt grimly pleased, Kreacher had, effectively killed Sirius.
"But that's not right!" shrieked Hermione horrified.
"Yes it is!" Harry snapped at her viciously, "He killed Sirius! And you're still defending him!"
"He didn't know what he was doing." Said Hermione meekly.
"HE KNEW PERFECTLY WELL WHAT HE WAS DOING!" Harry roared at her, everyone shrunk back from him. There was nothing but fury in eyes. "YOU'RE STILL DEFENDING HIM, HE KILLED MY GODFATHER! SIRIUS WAS THE CLOSEST THING I HAD TO A FATHER, KREACHER KILLED HIM AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS STAND UP FOR HIM!" and without another word Harry turned and stormed off. Hermione was crying. Cho turned to follow Harry but Lupin held out his arm stopping her.
"Maybe you should just leave him for a while." Cho nodded.
"I've never seen Harry that mad." Cho said.
"Me neither" said Ron.
"I think that was the wrong thing to say, Hermione," said Lupin gently. Mrs Weasley came in to find out what out what all the noise was about. She gasped when she saw Hermione, Moody quickly told her what had happened.
"Oh Hermione! That was a silly thing to say, don't you see, if we let Kreacher live then he would just cause more trouble for the Order, we couldn't free him because he knew too much!" She said before giving her a hug.
"But no one cares that it was Kreacher who was the cause of Sirius' death?" Said a cold, hard voice from the stairs. Everyone suddenly looked nervous.
"Yes, but-" began Mrs Weasley.
"ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS THE ORDER, WELL, TO BE BLUNT, I COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT THE ORDER! KREACHER AS GOOD AS KILLED SIRIUS AND IF HE WASN'T ALREADY DEAD THEN I WOULD KILL HIM!" Harry was furious, "IS THAT ALL YOU CARE ABOUT? THE ORDER? YOU DON'T ACTUALLY CARE THAT THE CLOSEST THING TO A FATHER I EVER HAD SINCE MY REAL DAD DIED IS DEAD?"
"Of course we do-" said Mrs Weasley.
"THEN WHY DON'T YOU SHOW IT?" bellowed Harry. Everyone looked terrified, no one answered,
"WELL?" When no one answered again, Harry turned round and walked back upstairs. Again Cho went to follow him, but Lupin stopped her.
"Let me go" Lupin said. He went upstairs and slowly opened the door to Harry's room. Harry was sitting on his bed, his head in his hands, looking exhausted and weak.
"Harry, I know how you feel, Sirius was one of my best friends, but what you have got to remember is that there are more important things in life,"
"It doesn't feel like it." Harry's voice was hoarse and thick with emotion.
"I know, but there is, Sirius died for the Order, he died fighting, he died doing something useful, he died to give you life. He wouldn't want you to feel like you do, he died so you could keep fighting, so you could keep living. He fought for something he believed in and he paid the ultimate price. He knew the risks he was taking, he knew what he was doing but he never gave up. He wouldn't want you to either just because he was killed fighting for what he believed in. He loved you Harry, that's why he was willing to give his life for you."
Harry nodded. He still felt angry but not as angry as he had done five minutes ago.
"Do you want to stay up here or come downstairs?" Lupin asked softly.
"I'll come."
"Ok." Harry and Lupin stood up and walked downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs, when everyone had seen them, Hermione moved cautiously towards Harry and when she saw that he wasn't going to object she ran at him and hugged him tight. Harry hugged her back.
"I'm so sorry Harry, I was so stupid!" she said in between sobs.
"That's alright, I'm sorry too."
"You don't have anything to be sorry for!"
"Yeah I have, I shouldn't have lost my temper like that."
"Of course you should, we know how much you miss him." She let go of him and smiled through her tears. Everyone spent the rest of the day talking. At nine o'clock Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Cho decided to go to bed, because they had to get up early to go to Diagon Alley. Harry and the rest climbed the stairs. Harry went into his room with Ron.
"I've never seen you that angry, mate, not even the first time you were here."
"I've never felt that angry" Harry replied.
"It was scary, it was one of the scariest things I have ever seen."
"Count yourself lucky, then."
"No, you were terrifying."
"Well, goodnight" Harry got changed and got into bed. Five minutes later he was asleep, all the emotions of today had overwhelmed him.
A/N Hope you liked it, now a couple of things. One. I am going to start writing longer chapters so it will be longer between updates. If you don't want me to do that let me know in your reviews. Two, sorry for not updating for a while, I have been on an army camp. Three, because I am at a boarding school where teachers dictate your life, when you do this, when you do that, I can't always get chapters written and updated when I want to. I don't plan on stopping writing this fic and if I do I will tell you. Whenever I can I write this fic. Next chapter we return to Hogwarts. Keep reading and reviewing 'cos, like I've said before, I'll keep writing!
Fireboy.