A/N: If you, like me, are daunted by the task of searching through your five books for one name or fact, try the Harry Potter Lexicon. This online reference guide, found at , has been an invaluable tool in writing this particular fanfic and generally in bettering my understanding of the Potter universe. -yamwam

Nearly three days later Harry awoke in a blurry mental fog. He opened his eyes and immediately had to shut them again; there was a window above him and the yellow sunlight hurt his eyes. Slowly he became aware that he was lying in a bed in the hospital wing- Harry had spent too many hours in these hospital beds not to recognize them by feel. His whole body ached, especially his head, and his scar was stinging a little, but that was bearable. He kept his eyes closed and listened to the movements around him.

He had been roused by the sounds of a crowd coming in. They entered with a shuffling of feet and a swish of robes, and their excited whispers reached Harry's ears.

"I remember spending a spell in the hospital wing in my sixth year," reminisced a wizard. "I was hexed off my broom by Arthur Weasley because he saw me flirting with his Molly. I was Prune-Faced for a week- but I forgave him. Lovely brood they've got now, the Weasleys. Crying shame I couldn't attend the, er, you know what, for Arthur this morning. I've missed all of them since yours."

"Well you'll see it now for Snape, won't you, Trimble?" Remus Lupin's voice whispered.

"Too bad though, that Sirius couldn't be here," said the one named Trimble. "We'll have to hurry that Ministry paperwork for dismissal of wrongful charges when we get back to him. But did you see his face when Snape said he'd cuffed the boy, thinking he was James Potter? I see why the Ministry took Sirius for a dangerous felon."

"He's not Severus' greatest fan, to put it lightly," Lupin admitted, and they both chuckled.

Harry chanced a fast blink. A group of witches and wizards were moving past the end of his bed. They were all wearing golden rings on the little fingers of their right hands, Harry noted with interest. His heart leaped. Had they come to induct him into the Order of the Phoenix?

Several crooked piles of books were arranged on the floor round the bed next to Harry. A pair of worn-out sneakers protruded from the end between the stacks. Severus Snape lay on another bed opposite and to the left of Harry's. He was apparently asleep, but his eyes opened when he heard the guests approaching.

"And here's the wizard of the hour now!" Harry heard a witch say. "Snape, how've you been?"

"I am gradually recovering," said Snape's dry voice; though to Harry, it seemed somewhat less cold than usual.

"You certainly look better than you did the other night, covered in grime and blood," a wizard said cheerfully.

"Snape, won't you tell us again about how you and Harry Potter got out of that snake pit, so to speak?" a young wizard piped up. The others chimed in eagerly.

As Snape calmly obliged his guests, Harry rifled through his muddled memories to recall that harrowing episode. He vaguely remembered escaping the obscurity in the long stifling chimney, and flying away through the skies at top speed, with Snape gripping his shoulder painfully and Harry being too weak and in too much pain already to resist. The motorcycle had driven itself back to Hogwarts and delivered its riders safely to the Phoenixes, and Harry recalled being greeted by a lot of shouting from pale anxious faces. Ron and Hermione had been amongst the throng; they had hurried up to him, apparently shouting to ask what had happened; but the pain in Harry's scar drowned out all sounds in a tempestuous cyclade of excruciating fire.

Harry remembered sliding off the motorcycle onto the ground, and being borne away magically before he lost his senses to the pain in his scar.

There had followed a period of blackness, interrupted by no nightmares or strange visions, which evidently had been suppressed by Madam Pomfrey's potion for dreamless sleep. Now he was awake again, but he found himself loathing the thought of having to explain to people what had happened or speak to anyone at all, and he wanted only, unaccountably, to be alone with himself. But more vivid memories were leaping to the forefront of his brain: turning over a cold chained-up body and finding a replica of his own face; feeling a white hand in his suddenly go limp; that unspeakable agony splitting his head in two; the terror he had felt, struggling up that shaking vine into a choking blackness, with a raging villain screaming for his blood below him and a fierce former enemy in between.

So he squeezed his eyes shut and listened to the guests to block out his own fearsome recollections.

"Then Potter started whistling, and I thought the boy had gone mad. I was debating what to do with him when I heard a peculiar rumbling in the sky, and a headlight beam came over the horizon, headed directly for us. It was a flying motorcycle I once saw Sirius Black riding, and I remembered that Black was the boy's godfather, but I didn't have time to ask questions. I simply climbed onto the machine, hauled Potter on in front of me, and took off."

The audience gave murmurs of awe. Harry wished he could open his eyes so he could roll them in irritation.

"Bless my heart! Is that Harry Potter, in that bed over there?" whispered an elderly wizard.

"Yes, Cassius, that's him," said Professor McGonagall's voice. Harry heard them edging closer. "Poppy's expecting him to wake up soon."

"He looks so much like James," whispered a witch. "I don't blame you for confusing them, Severus." The others giggled nervously. Snape coloured and frowned.

"Who are those two sleeping on the next bed?" asked an old wizard. "I nearly didn't see them, they're surrounded by books."

"They would be Mr. Potter's closest friends," Snape said dryly. "They were whispering incessantly all night. I could not get a moment's rest for having to chastise them."

"Ought they, erm, to be sleeping so close together?" wondered the wizard named Cassius.

"No, they should not," declared Madam Pomfrey's voice from the door. The Phoenixes all tittered knowingly. Harry heard her bustle in and make for the bed next to him.

"Wake up! You two have been here long enough! You have O.W.L.'s coming up in less than a month, Professor McGonagall tells me. You ought to be getting back to your common rooms. Come on, get up, get up! You should go study somewhere, you're getting in the way here."

"But Harry could wake up at any second," Harry heard Ron sleepily protest.

"I assure you, you two will immediately be notified when Mr. Potter does wake," Madam Pomfrey said sardonically. "Just sign your names on the waiting list, underneath the Headmaster, the Minister of Magic, the Daily Prophet, and these people here. And why did you clutter my hospital wing with all these books? There is a room for these, Madam Pince runs it. I think the common term is library?"

"No, these are for Harry," Hermione said. "He'll want them. I know he'll be dying to study for the O.W.L.'s." Harry grimaced imperceptibly.

"Sorry to have to kick you out like this," said the wizard Trimble, "but we need a bit of privacy. We have something of great importance to discuss with Professor Snape." Harry's heart sank. Snape? Was he getting into the Order? No, that couldn't be right, Harry told himself. The Phoenixes must be here to get Snape's testimony of Harry's brilliant deeds.

"What is it?" Snape asked, sounding almost eager.

"We must wait for the Headmaster," Professor McGonagall said enigmatically. "Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, run along now, please. Why don't you go see Hagrid, who just this morning arrived from St. Mungo's?"

Harry almost bolted upright at this news, but controlled himself. The prospect of having to relate to Hermione and Ron the tale of his escapade with Snape was for some reason disagreeable, and he was unsure of whether he wanted them to witness him becoming a member of the Order, so he stayed quiet. Ron and Hermione, however, jumped up immediately.

"Hagrid's back? Why didn't you say that first?" Ron said excitedly.

"You promise you'll tell us when Harry comes to?" Hermione demanded.

"The way talk travels round here, as soon as he opens an eye it will be a headline," Madam Pomfrey said with a sigh.

"Bye Fletch, Lupin, Professor McGonagall! See you later, all you lot I've never met!" Ron said, running out.

Hermione was more curious. "What's going on here?"

"We'd rather not say anything at this time," Lupin said. "Just try to forget you saw us today, Hermione."

"Saw who?" Hermione said cheerily, and ran out after Ron.

"Is that the Weasley lad's girlfriend?" Cassius asked. "What a nice girl." Harry smiled.

"Poppy, don't be offended, but we must ask you to leave as well," Professor McGonagall said.

Madam Pomfrey bristled. "Leave my patients alone? You ask the impossible."

"Poppy, I'm afraid we are firm on this point," said the calm voice of Albus Dumbledore from the door. Feeling an inexpressible relief that Dumbledore was still alive, Harry ceded to the temptation to peek at him. He blurrily saw the tall Headmaster gliding towards them with his purple robes billowing out behind, and a red-yellow blotch perched contentedly on his shoulder: Fawkes the phoenix? Harry shut his eyes before anyone saw him.

"We need only a few moments alone with Professor Snape," Dumbledore said gently. Harry frowned to himself. Dumbledore should be here to wake Harry up to tell him he was in the Order.

"Ten minutes is not very long. Your patients be fine. And if Harry wakes we will call you immediately."

Madam Pomfrey said in surprise, "Why Headmaster- yes, yes of course, Albus, if you really feel such privacy is necesssary... But I'll be back in exactly ten minutes. And do not cause my patients undue stress!" She exited, looking flustered. The Phoenixes left Harry's bedside and clustered round Snape with much whispering and elbowing.

"In the past few months you have shown exceptional bravery, Severus," Dumbledore began calmly. Though Harry did not see it, Snape tremored with anticipation. "You persisted on the dangerous mission you were assigned, infiltrating the Death Eaters' inner circle while completely aware of the immense risk. In the face of danger to your life and those of others you reacted courageously. Your initial objective may have failed, but that was to be expected, and you have nevertheless proven yourself quick thinking, daring, and exceptionally determined.

"For your valourous efforts, it is my privilege as leader of the Order of the Phoenix to invite you, Severus Snape, to become a member of our league."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. He could feign sleep no longer. He sat up and took his repaired glasses from the bedside table, but as everyone was gathered round Snape no one noticed.

Dumbledore went on, "I must warn you that, although it may at first seem like a prestigious award, membership in the Order of the Phoenix is accepted at your own risk. You already know what kind of perils it involves. This is a very dangerous line of work, requiring great amounts of your time and energy, and becoming a Phoenix is a lifetime commitment, however long that may last. Are you prepared to devote yourself completely to a life of hunting and capturing Dark witches and wizards?"

"Yes," Snape replied firmly.

Dumbledore smiled. "Then all that remains is the bestowal of the gold ring, the symbol of our covert organization. But first- give me your left arm, Severus." Snape held it out warily. Dumbledore pulled back the sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark on Snape's inner forearm. It was a terrifying red tattoo depicting a skull with a snake slithering from its mouth, that marred the skin of each of Lord Voldemort's servants. "That will have to go," he said decidedly, drawing his wand.

The Phoenixes all began to murmur nervously amongst themselves. The Headmaster began to mutter an incantation and touched the head of the tattooed snake with the tip of his wand, lightly at first, but pressing harder and harder as he whispered the incantation again and again. Snape bit his lip. Dumbledore was intensely concentrated on the black tattoo, which gradually began to change colour and glow white. Snape let out a cry of pain and Professor McGonagall quickly moved to grip his other hand. The glow of the Dark Mark was dazzling, and everyone shielded their eyes but Dumbledore, who still fixed it with his piercing blue eyes and muttered his incantation.

Finally there was a burst of light and a loud hiss, followed by a cry from Snape; and when they turned back to look his forearm was perfectly spotless, as if it had never been sullied by Voldemort's sinister emblem. The Phoenixes made impressed noises, having never witnessed the removal of a Dark Mark before, or indeed realized that such magic was possible. One of the young wizards applauded enthusiastically.

Dumbledore smiled again. "Now hold out your right hand. Fawkes?"

The phoenix fluttered from Dumbledore's shoulder to Snape's outstretched arm. Calmly perched on his arm, Fawkes lifted one black scaly leg and shook it gently. A single narrow band magically slid off one ridged, scaly talon, and lay in Snape's palm. For a moment it was a dull black ring; then it glowed and became golden and lustrous, with a pattern of flames running round the inside. Fawkes flew back to Dumbledore and Snape slowly put the ring on his little finger. It did not shrink into a gold ball, but fitted exactly.

Then Harry exploded. "What do you think you're doing?" he shouted.

Everyone turned to stare at him. "Harry, you're awake!" Lupin exclaimed.

Harry ignored him, staring at Dumbledore, who looked mildly surprised. "You're giving *Snape* the Phoenix ring?" Harry cried.

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "Is something wrong with that?"

"But- but-" Harry fumbled in his head for non-swear words. "I SHOULD BE THE ONE GETTING IT!"

"Why?" Dumbledore asked placidly.

"I SAVED THEM!" Harry shouted, so full of vitriolic jealousy that he could hardly see straight. His eyes were wild behind his glasses, which sat askew on his crimson face. The Phoenixes looked at him in fright and astonishment. Even Snape was surprised. Dumbledore remained perfectly calm.

"I figured out where the Death Eaters' secret entrance was! I went in with Ron and rescued Marcus and Alberta, I went alone into that blue misty portal, I knocked out Derrick Lestrange and made Maldora Lestrange run away! And *I*'m the one who gets all the pain in my stupid scar, not any of you and not Snape! SNAPE DID NOTHING!"

Lupin spoke up carefully, "Harry, I don't think you're taking into account- "

"I DON'T CARE!" Harry raged at him, and even good-natured Lupin recoiled in shock. "I DESERVE THE RING MORE THAN HE DOES, AND- and-"

He halted, suddenly feeling light-headed. Then he swayed and clutched his head. The intensity of his outburst was overtaxing his nerves. He fainted as outstretched arms rushed to catch him.

* * * * *

Hours later Harry roused himself from a deep stupor. His head hurt, but it was an ordinary headache now instead of scar pains. He slowly raised his head and picked up his glasses again from the bedside table. His other hand felt strange; he looked at it and found embedded in the back of his hand a needle attached to a tube of a luminescent green liquid, which was feeding into a vein. The Phoenixes had all gone, as had Snape, but the heaps of Hermione and Ron's books remained. Harry rubbed his head and groaned.

"Harry?" a familiar voice called from behind a white curtain separating him from the bed on his other side. A large hand yanked back the curtain, and Harry found himself staring at Rubeus Hagrid, whose black-beetle eyes were crinkled with delight, and whose beard, growing again, had quite a few new whiskers but was too sparse to conceal the grin on the giant's face.

"Hagrid!"

"Harry, it's good to see yeh safe and soun' back at good old Hogwarts!" Hagrid beamed, getting up off his tiny cot to crush Harry in a boa constrictor-like hug. He only used one arm, though, his right hand being the only part of him still in bandages.

"Professor McGonagall said that for a while after you arrived the other night, they thought they'd have to send yeh down to St. Mungo's," Hagrid said with a low frightened voice, looking as though Harry were still in mid- peril. "How're yeh feelin'?"

"I'm a lot better now," Harry said as he slowly sat up, ignoring his creaking muscles. "You got back from St. Mungo's this morning, I heard."

"Yeah, and I was glad to get away so soon," Hagrid said feelingly. "Nice enough place, but the food was awful and they forced six differen' medicines on me ten times a day."

Harry looked closely at Hagrid's apparel. "Is that your old moleskin overcoat? I thought it got burned up in the, er, fire."

"No, just a little damaged, but Mrs. Longbottom fixed it up nice for me! Can' even tell it ever was in a, ah, fire. Lovely witch, that Mrs. Longbottom."

"Neville's mum?"

"Yeah, she hasn' quite got all her memory back yet, but her husband Frank's been going round the hospital for the last month visiting everyone and showing off that he can remember things about them. He remembered me dad's name and that I like to cook. They wouldn't let him meet everyone though, because the Order's trying to keep this quiet till they've found somewhere safe for the Longbottoms to live. Dumbledore's still afraid the Death Eaters will find out Frank's nearly ready to start working again and they'll want to finish him off."

"You seem to know a lot about what the Order's up to," Harry said bitterly, flexing his hand experimentally and starting to draw out the needle.

"Don't you touch that, Mr. Potter," warned Madam Pomfrey as she passed by. "That's a sedative potion. You leave that needle where it is."

Harry looked back to find Hagrid looking embarrassed. "What?" he asked.

"I, ah, heard 'bout your flare-up at Dumbledore," Hagrid said timidly. Harry scowled. "Aw Harry, it's understandable, you bein' under so much stress all the time. Sometimes yeh jus' have to let out all your anger at once- but try not to do it at Dumbledore, Harry. He's under a lot of stress too." He paused and smiled because Harry's scowl was dissipating and he now looked contrite.

"I feel like a stupid git," Harry said. "It was childish to say all those things. I don't know what I was thinking. They'll never let me into the Order now."

"You wanted badly to get into the Order, that's all. I know what it's like to want to prove yourself and feel like you've failed. Yeh get full of this rage, and it makes yeh see red, and you don't know what you're sayin' till it's too late. When somebody gets like that it's best to stay out of their way." Hagrid smiled ruefully. "But the Phoenixes won't hold it agains' yeh- they're not like that. You'll still have a good chance later, when you're a fully qualified wizard."

"Me?" Harry said. "What about you?" Hagrid suddenly flushed pink and looked at his feet, and Harry understood. "You're a Phoenix now," he said, feeling his face grow hot. "Of course. Everyone is in but me."

"Don' be mad, Harry," Hagrid pleaded. "But this afternoon a messenger came from the giants. Their chief's finally agreed not to join with You-Know- Who, I think because they're more scared of Dumbledore than You-Know- oh all right, V-V-Voldemort. We shook on it, see this?" He grinned and held up his bandaged right hand. "And then Dumbledore tol' me how proud he was o' me and his phoenix gave me a gold ring." He took the ring carefully out of one pocket of his coat and beamed at it.

Harry smiled woodenly. "Good for you, Hagrid."

Hagrid put away the ring, looking at him anxiously. "You're not mad at me, are yeh?"

"No," Harry lied.

"And you're not still mad at Professor Snape? Harry, I believe you about how much you did down in that secret chamber, but Snape's been workin' hard too. You didn't have to go to all those Death Eater meetings and stand up to all those sneerin' faces, all the threats and everythin', or struggle with bein' tortured and trying to stay loyal to Dumbledore without anybody knowin'.

"I know yeh had a lot of nightmares about it, I believe you," he added, holding up a hand as he saw Harry start to argue. "But you're still only a student. Yeh haven' even had your O.W.L.'s yet. Snape's a fully qualified wizard. The Order couldn't take a student, not even a courageous Gryffindor like you." Hagrid smiled kindly and Harry felt his annoyance fading.

"Wait till yeh start really studyin' Dark-wizard catching, and yeh'll see it's not about what you can do, or why you should ever do things alone; it's about teamwork and cooperation, even if yeh think you're takin' a bigger risk than everyone else. Sometimes there're things yeh gotta do yourself, like walkin' into a Death Eater meetin' place or travellin' into the mountains to talk diplomacy with a colony of giants three times your size; but the important thing in the Order is that everyone matter equally, and that the rest of the Phoenixes are behind yeh all the time." Harry was quiet, gazing at him thoughtfully.

"When yeh've learned that, Harry, then maybe we can talk again," Hagrid continued gently. "But for now let's leave it. Alicia Spinnet wants to know, how soon can yeh get back on a broomstick? The final match is only a week and a half away and you're playin' Slytherin."