A/N- Sorry for taking so long, my computer crashed and has been in repairs for like ever. Just got it back today.

Chapter 10

At noon, Harry goes down to the Great Hall for lunch and rejoin his fellow Gryffindors once again. He sent the passed hour or so at the Quidditch pitch on his Firebolt, simply flying around and thinking about everything that has happened. Dumbledore agreeably went and got Harry's Firebolt without being seen. He kept thinking about all that has happened is because of him, in a way. "If I never went to Hogwarts, they wouldn't need all these extra security measures," he thought to himself. "Yet, everything happens for a reason, I suppose."

As Harry walks in, a hushed silence fell over the Hall. Not even Malfoy dare say anything, for yet, no one knew what really happened. Harry walks over to the Gryffindor table and takes a seat between Hermione and Ron. As Harry casually starts eating, after everyone's initial shock, the two of them, along with the rest of the table, start bombarding him with questions, something Harry's been almost getting used too by now.

"Where did you go?"

"We couldn't find you."

"You weren't in the hospital wing this morning either."

And finally, "What happened?"

Harry looks around at all the eager faces, staring at him with great interest, yet some with a slight tinge of fearfulness to hear the answer of the question.

"Er," Harry's says, not knowing what to say, since he wasn't really suppose to say anything, "Umm, you'll find out later," he mumbles. Harry quickly finished his lunch and exits the Hall immediately without another word. Everyone stares at him curiously as he leaves.

Up in the Common Room, Ron and Hermione pull Harry aside. "Come on Harry, we're your best friends, you can tell us what happened," Ron urged

"Well…" Harry began

"Come on, we need to know the truth to be able to stick up for you. Many people think it was just a nightmare, but we know it was more than that, especially by the looks the teachers had on their faces," Hermione explains. Harry sighs. " You promise not to tell a single soul?"

"Yes," they reply quickly. Harry tells them everything from his dream to his conversation with Dumbledore about the "Order." When he finishes, they were astonished; their mouths were hanging open and fear was plastered to their faces. They couldn't believe what they just heard.

****

Although it came to them as a terrible shock last night, they promised to enjoy themselves at Hogsmeade today. Walking down the streets of Hogsmeade, the three could definitely notice the increase in security. There were cloaked witches and wizards patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade. "Must be part of the Order," Harry thinks to himself.

Regardless, the three thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They went to Zonko's, Honeydukes, visited every other shop, and even took the time to go look at the Shrieking Shack. After all that, they settled down to a butterbeer before returning to Hogwarts.

At supper that night, it seemed as though the students forgot about the previous weekend events, much to Harry's relief. Although the students may have forgotten, the teachers certainly did not. Harry could see it through the strained looks on their faces, Snape looking a pinch more uneasy. Mid way through the meal, Dumbledore rises to address the school. He clears his throat and begins, "Everyone, listen up, and pay attention, please. There will be a few changes that will occur and affect you all. As of today, there will be some new faces among us. Like our Defense against the Dark Arts class," he continues, "Some classes will be assigned a teacher's aid. There will also be people monitoring the school hallways and the grounds. Now let's give a warm welcome to the new members of our faculty."

At this, in walks a dozen or so witches and wizards, along with a big, black dog. "Oh yes, I've almost forgot, please welcome snuffles, a companion of one of our new faculty members. The group was given a tremendous applause, much to Harry's astonishment, yet only three students knew the whole truth and purpose of having these wizards at the school, and who snuffles really is. As they bow and take a seat up at the faculty table, Harry recognizes one of them as Professor Lupin. "Hey Neville, look. They got Professor Lupin back."

"Harry, what ARE you talking about? That is NOT Professor Lupin. It looks a little like him, but hardly."

Confused, Harry points out Lupin to them. "Hey cool, I was hoping he'd come back," was Ron's response. Then Harry tells them what happened when he told Neville.

"Strange," Ron mutters.

Harry looks back up at Lupin, and Harry could have sworn he winked at him. "There's more to it, I'm sure, we'll get to the bottom of it later," Harry mutters. He examines the other wizards, but doesn't recognize any of them. As he looks up again, a small little witch takes off the hood of her cloak. As she does, Harry hears people start to chatter excitedly.

"Is that REALLY Mrs-

"The great-

She's really here! But why?" Even Ron mutters the single word "Amazing," as the chatter dies down.

For the rest of supper, Harry keeps thinking hard about that little witch sitting at the end of the table. "I know that face," he mumbles to himself, "But who is it?" Suddenly a thought struck his mind, "No, it couldn't be, could it?" he thought to himself. "Yet she looks exactly like- no that's absurd, crazy even, her, a witch? It's ridiculous." Yet, sitting at the staff table, right before his very own eyes was none other than Mrs. Figg.

****

The Common Room that night was ablaze with conversation about the new teachers at the school. They didn't seem to connect it with the recent activities, or the fact that Voldemort has risen. Harry strongly believes that most are too afraid to believe it. While Hermione was doing homework (of course), Harry and Ron were laying a game of wizard's chess. Ron was killing Harry, worse than usual. Harry's mind was always wondering to his own thoughts, rather than the game. Ron actually noticed it. Harry kept thinking about Mrs. Figg. "How can she be a witch? After all these years…..

"Harry? HARRY!" Ron's voice bellows

"Wh-wh-what?

"You've been sitting there for like two minutes straight, not moving a tiny bit. Besides, it's your move."

Harry absent-mindedly moves his rook aside, leaving his king three squares in front of Ron's queen, and forcing him into checkmate, which he could of easily avoided. Ron knows that Harry isn't a great chess player, but he isn't that horrible.

"Harry, are you sure you want to move there?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure Ron, maybe later."

"Harry? Wake up!"

"Sorry Ron, I was just thinking."

"'Bout what?"

"About," Harry says as he lowers his voice, "This whole Order thing, and one witch that was there today."

"What about her?"

"Well," Harry begins as he explains about the old lady with the cat, Mrs. Figg, where he would have to go on Dudley's birthdays, and how she was so muggle-like, but she's here now, as a powerful witch.

"You're telling me that Mrs. Arabella Figg used to live near you! She was part of the greatest set of aurors, that's what everyone is talking about! She was real good at catching Death Eaters and help straightening things out, until she suddenly retired, shortly after He Who Must Not e Named lost power," Ron explains, talking really fast and excitedly. They went up to bed shortly, as it was getting late.

The next morning, Harry and Ron met Hermione in the Common Room and went down together for breakfast. Although most students may have forgotten about Harry's incident on Friday night, especially with all the commotion about the new teachers, Malfoy sure didn't.

"Hey Potter, watch out, I've heard that there are monsters under your bed. Better be careful, you wouldn't want to get another nightmare now would you? Oh wait, sorry for being inconsiderate, they're not dreams, they're REAL and really scary…right Potter?"

The Slytherins surrounding Malfoy roar with laughter, as Harry. Ron ands Hermione scurry to a seat at the Gryffindor table. Harry notices that the teachers seem a little calmer, with the exception of Snape, who looks as if he'd hurl any minute.

"Aww, not double potions again," mourns Ron.

"Do we have that first?" Harry asks.

"No, first we have Care for Magical Creatures with the Slytherins," he says glumly, "Then Divination, Potions, and Transfiguration."

They walk down to Hagrid's hut to find Hagrid and Lupin deep in conversation, with Snuffles walking near by. As they were the first to arrive, they blurt out, "Lupin, what are you doing here?"

"Yeah, what about the parents and your-

"Is it safe for you to be here even though-

Lupin looks down at them, with an amused smile on his face. "Don't worry. I had Dumbledore cast a spell on me so that whoever looks at me and would see me as a beast and would tell other people and their parents that I am here, they will not be able to recognize me. So, in other words-

"We're the only three students who see professor Lupin and not-

"Professor Logan," Lupin says as he finishes off Harry's sentence for him. "Oh yes, and this is my dog snuffles," he says winking at them as the others show up, "You can come by sometime and see him," he says, chuckling slightly. Everyone in the class now showed up and found their puffskeins. "Now class," Hagrid began, "This 'ere is Professor Logan, who 'as kindly offered to 'elp us with ar' class, along with Snuffles," he says casually moving his hand in Sirius direction. "Now, as you've noticed, your puffskeins have become quite large," Hagrid continues, pointing at a puffskein who is almost up to Harry's waist. "So today we are going to learn the spell to shrink them. Th spell is reducio, and the key of it is to imagine your it as small as you wish it to be. Now all practice saying it!"

"REDUCIO!"

"Good! Now take out your wands and try it on your puffskeins! Don't worry now, it won't hurt them!" Hagrid says enthusiastically to his class. "Professor Logan will give you all a demonstration. Now watch his wand movement."

Lupin asks to use Harry's puffskein. He nods in agreement. With a swift movement, he yells "REDUCIO!" Right before their eyes, the puffskein started to shrink until he jerked his wand upwards and made it stop. With a "Whoa!" from the class, Lupin, or er Logan, snaps his fingers and it returns to its regular size. "Now you try."

Everyone eagerly takes out their wands. After five minutes, Hermione succeeds in shrinking her puffskein. "Very good! Five points to Gryffindor!" exclaims Lupin.

"Hey, if y'all can shrink your puffskein, I'll give ya a surprise next class!" says Hagrid. A few students woop in delight but Malfoy just snarls, "Ah don't get your hopes up, remember we got Neville in this class."

Most of the Slytherins start snickering as Neville turns bright red. Many mistaken it for embarrassment, Neville was turning red with fury. Something quite unexpected was about to happen. Neville stomps right up to Malfoy and pushes him so that he has to take a step back. "So, you think I can't do this simple spell? Well, you know Malfoy, unless my eyes have failed me, you haven't succeeded in reducing the size of your puffskein either. Bet I do it before you!"

Neville's eyes were ablaze with rage. Malfoy, taken aback y Neville's actions, still manages to sneer, "Beat by you, Longbottom? I highly doubt it, since you probably couldn't conjure a first year spell, you're on."

If it were possible, Neville became even more furious than he was already. He snatched his wand from his pocket and walks over to his puffskein.

The three professors, cached in a corner nearby, do nothing to prevent what's going on. All three, including snuffles, were silently smiling, knowing more than they're saying about the outcome of this event.

Neville reaches his puffskein and screams at the top of his lungs, "REDUCIO!" His puffskein shrinks at an incredible speed. Neville yanks his wrist upwards and looks over at Malfoy with a triumphant smile, whose mouth was hanging open down to his knees. "Your turn, Malfoy," Neville says maliciously.

Malfoy, now feeling extremely nervous and flabbergasted, picks u his wand and stutters, "Re-re-ducio." Nothing happens to Malfoys puffskein. Every last Gryffindor explodes into a hysterical laughter. Hagrid and Lupin even had trouble hiding their smirks and, as Harry, Hermione, and Ron notice snuffles was making no effort to hide hid enthusiasm. "Twenty points to Gryffindor for that great show," Lupin mutters in Neville's ear, who smiles broadly. Right then the lunch bell rings and everyone scurries up to the castle.

As the Gryffindors stay behind to talk with Neville, his smile fades and a frown appears on his face.

"Wow, that was great!"

"That was so cool!"

"Did you see Malfoy?"

"You were like one of the only two who conjured the spell"

"Er," Neville says, trying not to show his true feelings, and trying to get away from everyone, "It's not that I'm...I want to…but my p- I got to go." He said that all very fast looking at his feet, as he dashes up to the castle. Yet none of his admirers quite caught on to what he said, nor noticed that he didn't finish his sentence. Harry thought he saw tears running down his cheeks as he ran by. Harry saw that Ron and Hermione were confused.

Then it hit him. He knew what Neville was going to say. Harry understood now. Just then, Lupin called, "Harry, come here!" He tells the other two to go on and he'll catch up later. Harry walks over to Lupin and Sirius who transforms into his human state. "Yes, Professor? You wished to see me? And Sirius also?"

"Please call me Lupin, I'm not exactly a teacher. Now did you see what just happened?"

"Yes."

"Do you get it?"

"Yeah, he was going to say something about his parents," Harry says quietly.

"Harry," Sirius says, speaking for the first time, "I think Neville needs a good friend right now. We'll inform Professor Trelawny that you won't be at class after lunch. I must say though, he sure did stick that Malfoy kid up. Would his father ever be ashamed to learn that a Longbottom humiliated his son, he'd have to wear a bag over his head for weeks."

Harry heads up to the castle. Before going to the Great Hall, he goes up to the Owlery to send a quick note to Neville.

Neville,

I've managed to get Divination off for us. If you wish, meet me in the Common Room after lunch. I know, we'll sort things out,

Harry

Harry sends that off with Hedwig. Harry walks down to the Great Hall for lunch. He sits down with Ron and Hermione, who, both as, "What did Lupin want?"

"Er Lupin? Oh that! Oh nothing, just to help make sure that all the puffskeins were in their crates," Harry lied. Although Harry suspected that they didn't believe him, they said no more on the matter. While the Great Hall slowly emptied and the hallways filled with students heading to their classes, Harry made his way up to Gryffindor Tower. He sits down by the fire in the comfy chair, waiting for Neville to show up. The chair opposite to him slowly turned to reveal Neville, sitting there with a tear stained face and trembling hands.

****

The two sit in silence, neither uttering a sound. Harry finally breaks the silence by asking, "How are they doing?"

"Who?" Neville asks suspiciously.

"Your parents," Harry says in a low whisper.

"You know?"

"Yeah."

"Well, who told you!" Neville asks, a note of anger entering his voice.

"Let's not go there, it's not important right now," Harry implored.

"There's been no improvement, there never has been, there never will be," Neville says, ever so quietly that Harry needs to crane his neck to hear him, "They still don't know who they are, they don't recognize me, they don't even know they're own son! Magic almost killed them Harry, what so good about it?"

"Neville, magic isn't all bad, it's helped heal and cure people in so many ways. Madam Pomfrey can fix cuts, regrow ones and just about anything else in less time that it would with muggles, if some of it was even possible to fix."

"I know, but look what bad it has done, its has almost ruined my life!"

"I know Neville, it's hard. At least you can go see your parents, mine are gone forever, there's still hope that they can get better, and hope is something you need to keep doing."

"I guess your right."

"And Neville, that was a nice spell you conjured this morning, Malfoy will be embarrassed about that one for years!"

"Yeah, I guess."

"What? Are you not happy about it?"

"Well yes, but now everyone will be expecting me to be really good at magic, but I'm not."

'Well, why can't you be? You did great today?"

"I know, but I was angry, and I was able to concentrate."

"Well, why can't you concentrate more then on other times?"

"Harry, I try to, but I can't. Every time I pick up my wand I think of them, and how it was all of this that hurt them, and I can't focus on anything, because all I think of is them, and if I really want to do this or not."

"Why wouldn't you want to do magic?"

"Magic has killed so many great people Harry. If I get good, who says it won't kill me too?"

"So that's it," Harry thinks to himself, "That's why he doesn't do well." Aloud he says, "Neville, look, Dumbledore is a great wizard and he's still alive. Don't think that. I'd believe it's hard to concentrate, but try a little harder, I'm sure that's what your parents would want."

"Yeah, I guess so. I'll try harder, but I know I won't be able to be as good as I was today all the time."

"I know what you mean," Harry says, knowing that when he's angry, his spells are usually more powerful. "Hey, maybe you could get better at potions and not have Snape bug you all the time?"

"No, my family has always sucked at potions, and flying. Snape went to school with my father, so he knows it. That's why he bugs me."

" And you know Neville, no one will really expect you to be that good, they'll just think you caught on and that you're doing better. You're kind of lucky, I guess. People expected me to be good when I got here, because my parents were great wizards. Well everyone says my dad was, I'm not sure about my mom though."

"Really? Well why didn't you say something! As little as I know, I do know that she was one of the most envied at school way back then. My mom knew her a little, so did like everyone else, but no other girl knew her better than the great Arabella Figg."

A/N Again, I am so very sorry for not being able to post earlier. Ok, just so you guys know, I DO know that Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix is the title of the fifth book, its just that Harry doesn't know what the order is, or its name is, yet. Thanks Flutechik412 for the advice. I'll try to not repeat those words too often. About Sirius, let's just say, because of Voldemorts return, he just couldn't. But I believe that, in the 3rd book, Sirius didn't actually go into a shop, he jut ordered it from Harry's name or something and told them to withdraw from his account instead of Harry's, but maybe I'm wrong. And, sorry for this being so long, I forgot that Harry didn't get his marauders map back, so just forget about that part, I'll have to go back and change it, sorry for the inconvenience. And also, I DO know that Arabella Figg is a witch, Harry's was just having trouble believing it at first. Anywayz, I hope you like this chapter, and sorry for taking so long. Please review! ^_^

Later~didihoulio