Summary: Harry has just finished his seventh and final year at Hogwarts. Voldemort is an ever-present threat in the world with The Order of the Phoenix doing all they can to keep him from taking over. In this world of conflict, Harry has to decide what shape his future will take.

Chapter Three - Deliberations

After Severus' departure silence shrouded the circular office as the four of them took seats. Harry's head was still spinning as he sat down, but he soon snapped to attention as Dumbledore spoke.

"Before we address what you three no doubt unintentionally overheard, why don't we talk about why you wanted to see me?" Dumbledore raised a large silver eyebrow and smiled genially.

Sirius looked about to speak but Harry beat him to it.

"We have been made aware that you have certain designs about who the next leader of the Order ought to be." Harry said searching the wise old eyes for the answers he wanted.

Dumbledore smiled back at him, giving nothing away. "Is that so?" He questioned half-heartedly. "And who do you think the new leader should be young Harry?"

Harry blinked in surprise having not expected the question. He thought about it for a moment before replying. "I can't imagine that anyone could hope to follow-on from you Albus, it would be a difficult task for anyone." He answered.

"While I am flattered by your response Harry, I cannot help but think you are not being entirely honest with me, or yourself." Dumbledore challenged, leaning back into his chair to study the effect of his words.

Harry frowned but remained silent, and Sirius took the opportunity to speak.

"With all due respect Albus. I can't understand your reasoning in this."

Dumbledore turned his piercing gaze to Sirius, effectively silencing him but did not answer him. Then he turned back to Harry.

"Do you know what powers the leader of the Order of the Phoenix is entitled to Harry?" He asked.

Harry shook his head "No, I don't"

"Perhaps knowing will help you in your deliberations." Said Dumbledore smiling again. "The Order is, as you know, a very select group. There is a bond of loyalty between all members. The leader must possess something more. As the current leader I am responsible for every single member. I am bound to protect, serve and care for every person in the group. There is a unique strength, which comes with this responsibility. And it is a direct result, not of my own desire to fulfil my duty, but in the faith that the members of the Order have in me. Through the bond of trust that is given to me I can summon powers that would otherwise be beyond any wizard."

Harry felt realisation start to widen his perspective. When he thought about it, it seemed clear. Whenever he'd seen Dumbledore at his most powerful it had been at times when the headmaster had been trying to protect someone -most usually him- and it had been an awesome sight. When Harry looked up he saw that Dumbledore was gazing intensely at him.

"You think that I would be worthy of wielding that power? That I would be able to honour the trust of the members of the Order?" Harry asked feeling a twinge of pride that his old mentor thought so highly of him.

"More than that Harry. I think you are not only worthy, and capable, but also willing. If you search yourself I think you will see that this is the right thing to do, for you, and for us." Said Dumbledore, reaching over and gripping Harry's shoulder surprisingly strongly with his thin wrinkled hand.

Harry felt a sudden calm fall upon him and smiled when he noticed that Fawkes had taken perch on his other shoulder. He noticed that Sirius and Remus were both staring at him wide-eyed and that even Dumbledore looked slightly surprised.

"What? What is it?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Your eyes Harry." Sirius whispered in a stunned voice.

Harry frowned, perplexed. "What about them?"

Dumbledore smiled at him and handed him a glass saucer to use as a mirror.

When Harry peered curiously into the saucer he felt his heart beat start to quicken.

The eyes that peered back at him were his own familiarly striking green but they seemed to shine out of his face like beacons.

Turning to Dumbledore Harry raised a questioning eyebrow. "What's going on Albus?" He asked with slight trepidation.

"It seems that despite the protests that you came here with you have come to the decision to accept the role of leader of the order." Said Dumbledore, failing to hide the delight in his voice.

"But why has that affected his face?" Asked Sirius suddenly.

"He has been nominated by the phoenix to be the new leader. Fawkes has bestowed a rather surprisingly generous gift on Mr Potter here. He has given Harry the ability to perform specific healing powers common to phoenix tears." Explained Dumbledore as all eyes turned to the phoenix.

"But we don't even know if Harry will be voted in." Argued Sirius suddenly, sneaking an almost desperate look at Harry.

"I don't think there is much doubt Padfoot." Said Remus gently, "Just look at him. He's a born leader."

Harry was happy to realise that he wasn't blushing and managed to smile at Remus. "I think that if Fawkes has nominated me, then there must be some reason for it. Maybe it will even help. From what Dumbledore describes. I'd like the chance Sirius." He said gently, gazing imploringly at the man who was the closest to a parent that he knew.

Confronted with those eerily bright, pleading eyes Sirius' resolve disappeared. "If you want the chance Harry, then of course I'll give it to you. You've earned it, if you want it." He said, his frown starting to soften.

Dumbledore was smiling widely now. "Yes, yes, good, good." He muttered, that incessant twinkle more prominent than ever. "Now, there was something else, wasn't there?"

Harry nodded his face falling. "Lucius Malfoy." He looked up and noticed that his godfather had left his seat and was now standing behind him in a gesture of support and protection. Fawkes fluttered from Harry's shoulder to sit comfortably nestled in the lap of his robes.

"Is Severus sure that it will be Lucius in charge?" Asked Remus gently.

Dumbledore frowned. "I trust Severus, and I know that he wouldn't mention anything that he wasn't very sure about. Besides, he knows Lucius. I wouldn't be surprised if Mr Malfoy had mentioned something."

Remus sighed and nodded wearily.

"What do you suggest we do Albus?" Asked Sirius.

Dumbledore looked at Harry. "What do you think Harry?"

Harry started out of his thoughts. "I was just wondering. What became of Draco after Hogwarts? Is he still at home?"

"Why does that matter?" Asked Sirius

"I believe that Draco has remained at Malfoy Manor to the present day." Replied Dumbledore.

"I think that we should contact him." Said Harry biting his lip in thought.

"What ever for Harry?" Asked Remus, frowning.

"Bribery, corruption and espionage?" Suggested Sirius

"Something like that." Replied Harry with a smile. "And in the meantime I'll stay with Ron and Hermione. I've got to go up their way anyway and I know that their safety wards are as good as Hogwarts'. Hermione wasn't Head Girl for nothing!"

Sirius and Remus shared an anxious glance, which didn't pass Harry's notice.

"I don't need you two coddling me. Besides, I was going to go there anyway for my quidditch trial."

"We'll talk about this at home Harry." Said Sirius with an uncharacteristically thoughtful look on his face.

Harry snuck a conspiratory look at Remus who nodded slyly back, and Dumbledore realised that Harry would have no problems getting his own way, as he watched the three of them leave his office.

Dumbledore smiled at Harry's back as he left.

"Ah Fawkes," He mumbled, "He's wise beyond his years and cunning as a Slytherin. It's no wonder the sorting hat had to wonder about placing him!"

The magnificent bird simply stared smugly back at him and sang softly as if intoning that he already knew what Harry was like.

Dumbledore just chuckled and stroked the bird fondly.

***

Severus Snape slouched in his armchair trying to ignore the exhaustion that was weighing down his eyelids. He took another swig of whiskey and let the fiery sensation in his chest relax him. The Death Eater meeting was still fresh in his mind, and, as always, his neck was stiff from having been rigid in fear. It wasn't a slight on his character. It would be an entirely foolish and very Gryffindor thing to forsake fear in the Dark Lord's presence.

Every meeting he attended was a further risk. They couldn't be sure how much longer their ingenious astral-invisitbility cloak would fool Voldemort. Snape could still vividly remember the moment of epiphany. He'd been recovering in the Hospital Wing.

*** "Severus, I must tell you how truly sorry I am."

The admission of guilt had in truth done little to make him feel any better. Snape had trusted in Dumbledore for years, he'd placed his last thread of hope in the man. But now he had suffered for it.

The after-burn of the cruciatus curse remained in every fibre of his body. But worse than that was having to face up to the fact that he now owed Harry Potter more than he thought he could ever repay.

He'd returned to the Death Eaters to resume his role as active spy for the cause. It should have been obvious that he'd never be accepted back. That Voldemort would turn on him in a flash, intent on punishing the 'traitor'.

Even if Severus himself had not been aware that Quirrel had in fact been carrying his master around with him all those years ago, and that Voldemort had witnessed Snape's truthful allegiance. Dumbledore HAD known, and it was hard to imagine that the amiable old man could have overlooked something so very important.

"I do not need your regret Headmaster." Snapped the wounded man icily. He felt a dull pinch in his chest as he saw the wizened old face flinch at his words. But for now he would let the famous Albus Dumbledore suffer his guilt.

The two men had been distracted shortly after by the rousing of the dark figure beside them.

"Professor?" Croaked Harry wheezily, "Are you alright?"

Snape had been made to fight the urge to let his mouth hang open in astonishment. Nevertheless he'd managed to reply, "I'll live Potter. But what about you?"

The fragile looking boy had grimaced back at him, an involuntary admission of his pain. "I'll live Professor." He replied.

Once again feeling wordless, Snape had reluctantly observed the crystal understanding the despised boy had developed of him. The very thought that Harry Potter, of all people, would be the one to understand him had made Severus' blood boil, but for the time he would remain too shocked to acknowledge that particular anger.

He had nearly exploded at what had come to follow. In his blatant disregard for Severus' dignity, Albus had proceeded to discuss the matter of Snape's critically jepoadised role as spy, in front of The-Boy-Who-Lived.

It had been an action on the headmaster's behalf that had, in the end, given rise to the most beneficial of coincidences.

After the three had unspokenly agreed that Snape would never again attempt a return to the Death Eater fold, the allure of a wasted advantage was too great a pull to be discarded straight away. Through his Dark Mark, Severus would have to means to attend the location of every Death Eater meeting. The problem remained that he had no infallible means of concealment.

He would never forget the way he had scorned Potter's contemplative pose when the subject of 'invisibility cloaks' had arisen. Dumbledore had explained that Voldemort could invariably discern the presence of such a cloak thus rendering that option hopeless. In a moment of surprising presence of mind, Harry Potter had been the one to solve the problem.

"The cloak could be charmed."

At first the two adults had looked at the boy incrediously.

"What are you proposing Potter?" Snape had asked, typically brusquely.

Harry had frowned in thought and had obviously been fighting against fatigue in order to retrieve the memory he required but he'd smiled and explained in a simple and calm monotone how an invisibility cloak could be charmed to be undetectable by banishing it to the Astral plane.

Apparently, the young Gryffindor had taken it upon himself to investigate as much as he could about the invisibility cloak that had once belonged to his father, he had read that the cloak could work effectively even within the Astral plane.

The Astral-cloak had been attempted the very next week. And in a move that had shocked and shaken the potions master, Harry had freely offered up his own treasured cloak to the cause.

*** The cloak. It was lying across his lap, it's soft silky folds completely invisible to the eye. It was yet another gift for which the Ex-Death Eater had yet to pay.

With yet another sigh, an exhausted Snape downed the rest of his whiskey and fell into a deep sleep clutching the priceless cloak against his gently undulating chest.



"Padfoot, you've seen the wards Hermione has around the house. She doesn't do things by halves!" Insisted Harry starting to tire of the argument.

Sirius started chewing on his lip thinking for a comeback, which he'd never find. Harry sent a pleading look at Moony who nodded with a sigh.

"Sirius, you know that you just want to keep an eye on Harry, but he's right, he will be safe at the Weasleys' and he deserves a break from us oldies!" Said Remus cautiously. "Besides, it'd be nice to have some time just the two of us. And it will save a lot of bother when the full moon comes in a week's time if we're not worrying about Harry being in the house."

Sirius could tell that he was out-manoeuvred and scowled at Harry moodily, but his godson simply grinned happily back at him.

"I can't believe you'd use Moony against me like that! You know I can't out-argue that crafty old werewolf!" He grumbled good-naturedly.

Harry grinned even wider,

"Padfoot. Why is it that you can never remember what good hearing said werewolf has?" He asked, chuckling as Sirius doubled over in laughter due to a tickling charm sent on him by Moony who'd remained nearby, standing on the other side of the room.

***



A/N Okay, so that took a while to write, but I think it's one of my longest chapters ever, and I hope it's a good one as well. The whole Snape-Harry dynamic will be delved into further in future chapters and Harry's thoughts on the matter will be looked at. I hope this explains a bit more about Snape's altered role as spy. As for Harry saving Snapes life. That will come up again. Oh, and the glowing eyes thing as well. Fawkes' gift will definitely play a major role!

Ummm, that's about all I have to say. Any questions/comments/snipes/angry remarks. feel free to drop me a review.

MASSIVE 'Thankyou's to:

Sparks Kimmy (x2) Coqui Ashley *~*Embyr Black*~* (x2) Ady Kit Cloudkicker franny Thorgood (x2) tima coqui Phoenix