Disclaimer:

The Harry Potter universe was created by J K Rowling and therefore all credit should be given to her.

Also it might be wise to say that:

Harry Potter, names, characters and related indicia are

Copyright and trademark Warner Bros., 2000™

Please read my A/N at the end of the chapter

Hope you'll enjoy my story…

— CHAPTER ONE —

Prison?

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She looked over the crowd of expectant faces, all of them so eager to listen. She would have loved to be the one to give them what they wanted, but she couldn't do that, only one person could do that so she sent them to him, she knew he was the best person for this, that was of course the reason he was given such a big responsibility.

He knew they would arrive today, this was what he enjoyed the most of this, he was given the opportunity to let all of them learn in a good way, and the best thing about it was that they would be absorbing every word of what he said, they always did and hopefully always would. For some it was the first time for others the seventh but no matter what they all listened with true curiosity and it never faltered.

"It started in the summer between his fifth and sixth year at Hogwarts…"

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As Harry Potter sat there on the backseat of his aunt and uncles car, heading towards what would be his home the next couple of month, his mind drifted of as he looked out the window, he thought back on the events of his previous year.

Harry have always considered his school his true home and the students and teachers attending it his real family, however after his 5th  year Harry was beginning to doubt how much he ought to trust them.

Harry's last year at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry, had without doubt been the worst year in his soon 16 year old life.

As it always was with Harry Potter trouble seemed to find him no matter how much he tried to hide from it, last year he had been bothered with a mental professor who gave him detention at every chance she got, he had visited a giant called Grawp, he had fled centaurs and if it wasn't enough with all of that the darkest of all wizards had possessed him trying to get his headmaster to kill him.

Although all these things were awful, it was not what Harry had hated the most about his 5th year, what Harry hated the most was how everyone had kept secrets from him; it seemed to Harry that they were all treating him like a small kid who was so fragile that he might break if they wasn't careful.

However all who knew what Harry had experienced throughout his time at Hogwarts admitted that Harry had been through more than most of the people who were trying to protect him. This was what Harry hated about his 5th year nobody informing him even if it concerned him more than every one else.

In the end all these lies had of course taken their toll, Harry had been lured into the ministry of magic in the belief that Sirius Black, his godfather who were a framed convict, were being tortured by Lord Voldemort.

Harry had set off with some of his friends, whom all insisted in helping him. As Harry thought a little more about it he saw the irony in the whole affair, he had set out with his friends to save his godfather from being tortured to death but it ended with his godfather coming to their rescue, along with other members of the order of the phoenix (a secret society founded by Albus Dombledore to fight Lord Voldemort). Everything got out of control and Sirius was killed.

All these depressing thoughts ran over Harrys mind as quickly as a wild hippogriff and there was absolutely no place he could seek refuge from the sadness that crept in its wake. The Dursleys who were Harry's last relatives did as they always did when he came within their view, they sought to ignore him the best they could.

Yes Harry Potter did indeed face a troublesome future, it was only an hour since he had left his friends, and what he considered his family, at Kings cross station in London and he were to face at least a month of boredom, and if it was only a month he would consider himself lucky.

when they finally rolled up in the driveway of number four Private Drive, which was the Dursleys house, Harry was thankful that he didn't have to spend another minute the Dursleys car, he were quite sure he would had ended up in a mental department at St Mungos if he stayed in the car for much longer.

Harry quickly got out and got his school trunk and his owl Hedwig from the car, he reluctantly walked up to the prison he would be forced to live in with some of the worst people he could ever think of.

Harry quickly unpacked all of his stuff and walked around the room not knowing what to do.

"So Hedwig would you mind having some small talk with me?" Harry got a small hoot as reply from his owl, not really knowing how to interpret it he continued talking about nothing serious, not sure if it was to himself or his owl.

"well there isn't much to do up here Hedwig, would you like to get outside and stretching your wings?" another hoot, it was a bit annoying after having talked to a bird for about an hour Harry was wondering what to do now. "Well Hedwig, what cruel plans do you think fate and Voldemort are planning for my future at the moment?" Harry walked over and let out his owl, opened the window and saw the owl take off into the distinct night, "be careful girl I couldn't bear to loose you to, and we may never truly know how many dangers lure in the dark for us".

'Damn it I don't think I'll ever be this bored ever again' Harry thought to himself while he sat on his bed.

He finally decided to lay down on his bed and study his photo album with all the pictures of his parents 'who knows I might see something new on these pictures' he didn't really believe his own stray of thoughts but at least it kept him occupied for some time.

It had been a few hours since Harry had started looking at his photo album; he suddenly recognised the feeling of exhaustion. Harry didn't really know why, it made no sense that he was exhausted, he couldn't be, he hadn't done anything to make him exhausted noting at all.

Hedwig hadn't returned from her nightly hunt yet, though this didn't bother Harry, it wasn't the first time Hedwig had stayed away for more than a few hours, actually he didn't blame her, thinking about it he would probably do the same if he had the chance of getting that much freedom.

Harry finally welcomed his exhaustion and placed his album at his desk and went to the bed.

Laying there in his bed Harry silently made up his mind, he would do all that he could to not grieve Sirius. Sirius wouldn't have wanted that so Harry might as well honour his memory by doing as he would have wished. 'goodbye Sirius, may you rest in peace' Harry thought it as kind of sad, he didn't like the idea of recognising Sirius dead, though he knew all to well that with his future he could not afford to dwell on the past.

With these thoughts Harry Potter drifted off to sleep on his first night back at Private Drive number four

*          *          *          *          *          *

Harry was quite happy that he had finally awoken from his dreams.

It had been a night filled with nightmares, nothing as bad as when he got his dream visions of Lord Voldemort.

The dreams he had this night had worn him out even before he woke, Harry could only remember pieces of the dream, it was horrible, calling it a dream didn't describe it, it was a nightmare, the kind of nightmare where you wished that you had enough control to just wake up and end it all, even before it started.

But of course Harry were never that lucky. What Harry could remember of his nightmare was that it had taken him back to relive the night in the Ministry of magic, the department of mysteries. Harry had, for the second time in his life, seen his godfather die.

The nightmare had been horrible, and it only gave Harry little comfort that he had accepted Sirius death.

As Harry lay there in his bed not really caring what time it was or how long he had slept, he suddenly noticed the cause of his awakening.

Shouting and screaming could be heard from down stairs, they were not clear but he could certainly tell that his aunt and uncle where quite angry with someone.

Harry could also make out another voice, it was much quieter than his aunt and uncles, and he could make out what it was saying or who it was.

The more Harry could hear his aunt and uncle shouting at the third voice, the more curios Harry got, so far he only knew of a few things that could make his aunt and uncle shout like this and they were all related to the magical world.

Finally after some debates with himself curiosity got the better of him, Harry slowly made his way out of his room, a bit surprised it wasn't locked, and walked out in the corridor.

"Mister Durlsey you have to hear me out before you make such a rash decision" it was clear to Harry that it was Professor Dumbledore who where downstairs trying to talk his uncle into something, but why was he here and what would he want to do that made Vernon Dursley react that way?

"I will hear nothing of your madman-talk such an old fool is not going to tell me how to protect my own home, I am perfectly capable of protecting this house along with my family!" at this point Vernon was practically screaming at Dumbledore.

Harry who where quite interested by this statement made up his mind and began walking down the stairs to the living room where he could hear them talking.

When Harry arrived in the Dursleys living room he saw, what would probably have been a quite funny situation had it not been under the giving circumstances, Dumbledore stood towering over a furious Vernon Dursley, who's face was beginning to change to a purple colour.

Harry was about to walk in to them when he heard a familiar growl coming from a person who stood behind Dumbledore at the far end of the living room "Hello Potter, enjoying your holiday?" Harry was a bit surprised to hear Mad-Eye Moody's voice in the Dursleys living room.

Everyone seemed surprised by Harry's sudden arrival at the scene, and suddenly he saw everyone in the living room turn their eyes to him making him feel a bit uneasy.

As Harry found himself in a most uncomfortable position, he decided the best thing he could do was to answer Moody's question. "Erhm, well you woke me with all that shouting, so I decided I would come down and see what caused it. And I'm some what bored, but I'm doing fine".

Before anyone could react to Harrys answer a woman stepped out in front of Dumbledore so Harry could see her, she had brown eyes and short blond hair, Harry wasn't sure, but she didn't look like anyone he had ever met.

"Harry how could we have just awoken you, its 3 in the evening?" not long after she had spoken the words Harry recognised her voice as Tonks, but before he could greet her his uncle spoke again "Boy get back up in your room, this has nothing to do with you!" although his uncle had calmed himself a little before telling him, His voice was still carried out as if he was shouting at the top of his lungs.

Harry watched him suspiciously until Dumbledore gave him a small nod, as to confirm Harry that they needed to solve this problem without him.

Turning away slowly Harry made his way up the stairs and back to the room.

When he was back in his room he sat down as he had done the night before, he spent some time listening to the apparent fight going on downstairs.

Waiting impatiently Harry tried to guess what Dumbledore and the others were doing at Private Drive, after some time it struck him, why hadn't he figured it out before; it was quite obvious now that he thought it through. Dumbledore must have thought it necessary to improve some of the security wards and now Vernon wouldn't let him do magic on his house. The more Harry thought about it he began to wonder, did the Dursleys even know of the protective wards that Dumbledore had already placed on their home?

Before Harry could finish his stray of thoughts he heard the shouting stop from downstairs.

'So they finally came to an agre-' Harry never got to finish these thoughts before he heard the unmistakably loud bang from a gun being fired, not soon after it was followed by a scream, from Petunia, which pierced the house.

Harry didn't really believe what he heard, he hoped more than ever that none of his friends downstairs had been injured or even worse, killed.

He began to make his way out to the corridor, once he was out their he heard what could had been an elephant on the run, but he soon realised it was his cousin Dudley who was making a run for his room, it was actually quite funny to see how he nearly rolled his way down the corridor and if not for the seriousness of it all Harry would probably have found himself rolling on floor laughing his lungs out. But given the current situation Harry got a bit frightened and decided that he really didn't want to know what had happened if the survivors where hostile, so he crept back into his room closed the door and took his wand, preparing himself for whoever might enter, and even more, if whoever opened the door looked like his uncle and where holding a gun.

It seemed like ages before anything happened. Harrys curiosity was beginning to get the better of him, and he had some problems remaining calm. Just as Harry was about to get up and see who was alive and who wasn't, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

They weren't clear but he could make out that there was more than one person making their way up.

The steps stopped outside his door and Harry could hear someone silently talking, he mentally prepared a couple of hexes while he held his wand tightly aiming it at the door, should the people who opened it have the wrong intentions.

As soon as the door opened he could hear the voice of his headmaster, "Harry you can put away your wand. Although I agree with Alastor that it is good to be prepared, I would appreciate it if you where not accused for underage wizardry again" the way Albus told him Harry could see that he found it quite amusing that Harry was about to attack two Aurors and his headmaster.

Harry lowered his wand as he felt himself blushing slightly when he thought about it himself. Albus, Tonks and Alastor ad meanwhile made their way into his room, he suddenly noticed Hedwig sitting on Tonks shoulders. "Hey girl, why are you with Tonks today?" Harry went over to his owl, when he reached out she jumped up at his left shoulder nibbling him quite hard in at his ear, "it seems Harry that she isn't quite happy with you as you left her outside all night, and apparently most of the day as well. We took her with us when we found her waiting outside" Dumbledore explained to Harry in a calm voice. "Do you always make your girls react that way Harry?" at this comment Harrys blush turned a couple of shades more red, as he thought about how he had dealt with Cho last year, their date on valentines day had been quite disastrous, and after that, their relationship just seemed to crumple.

Eager to change the subject and the fact that he had briefly forgotten what he had heard downstairs, he decided to ask them. As soon as Harry had asked them he saw their faces turn, Tonks got a fairly large smirk across her face, Alastor didn't show much, but Harry could tell that he was satisfied about something, Dumbledore got a bit of a sad face, making Harry fear that one of his relatives had been hurt.

Dumbledore sighed audible and started talking slowly, "well Harry, we got your relatives convinced that it wouldn't hurt adding some extra security measures to their house. However I don't like the methods we had to use, you see Harry –" Dumbledore didn't get to finish his sentence before Tonks had interrupted him. "aw stop It Albus, it was brilliant, did you see his face when moody did that to him? I don't think I'll need a Christmas present after seeing that".

"Headmaster I think I'll have to go with Tonks on this one, he didn't do anything to disserve your concern, he would have killed you if he could, and that was without giving it a second thought. You of all people should know that look in his eyes." Dumbledore still looked a bit concerned about this whole affair, but he lightened up a bit when he heard his two companions thought it was for the best course.

All along Harry still hadn't gotten the answer to his question, deciding that he didn't want to wait for Dumbledore or the other to get to that point he asked them as politely as he could muster with his twinge of concern.

"P-Professor was anyone hurt?" Harry stammered a bit, surprised about his concern for the Dursleys he decided to just remain seated on his bed until he found out the entire story.

  "No Harry, none where physically damaged, though I think it would be important to say that all of your relatives have gotten quite a shock from this 'incident'" Dumbledore seemed to brighten up and return to his normal self when seeing Harrys concern disappearing, it was apparently Harrys reaction he was afraid of after all of this.

Harry didn't blame him though; just before he had left Hogwarts he had thoroughly destroyed Dumbledores office when he had a temper trauma after Sirius' death.

 "Well if you would let me finish my story I would like to continue. Harry we came here because I found it necessary to add some extra precautions this year, after Fudge have admitted Voldemorts return he will most likely try harder to find you and kill you as you have become a symbol of hope in the wizards world." Dumbledore continued a bit quit as if fearing someone, who wasn't suppose to hear this, was listening.

"I have decided that it would be best if we ad the Fidelius charm to this house for further protection, but your aunt and uncle didn't like the idea when I told them what it would do"

It didn't amaze Harry when he heard this, the Dursleys was doing everything within their power to be normal, it was an obsession for them, and the Fidelius charm, as Harry remembered, made the place it was used on go invisible.

Harry remembered one detail of the charm very well when he came to think about it, and it puzzled him a bit "Professor, who would be the secret keeper? I wouldn't like history to repeat itself" Harry, was referring to the way his parents were killed, they were betrayed by a man, whom they trusted as their keeper, known as Peter Petigrew, he betrayed them to Voldemort who sought them out and killed them.

While these thoughts clouded Harrys mind Dumbledore answered him "I understand Harry, I would have been the keeper if I could, however you can only be the secret keeper of one place at a time, so we have decided that Remus will be your secret keeper."

"Well I'm happy to hear that, if I couldn't trust him I wouldn't know who to trust." Harry answered quickly, he was truly happy to hear it would be the last of his dads' friends who would be his secret keeper.

"I know what you mean Harry and I perfectly understand why you wish to know. Now to your original question, your uncle acted a bit –" again Dumbledore was disturbed, but this time it was by both Tonks and Mad-Eye.

"Like a bad person"

"If not a total git"

"An idiot"

"An overgrown rhino"

"A complete jerk"

"An utterly arse"

"Moody, Tonks I think we get your point." The words hadden left Dumbledores mouth before Harry had fallen back on the bed and was laughing as he had never done before. Hearing the childish way Tonks and Mad-Eye was talking about Vernon, battling each other to find the best words for him, sounding like two six year olds was just too much for Harry to take.

When Harry finally got control over his body again he saw Dumbledore had regained his familiar twinkle in his eyes.

"If I may continue" Dumbledore looked at Tonks and Moody for their agreement when Moody spoke.

"Actually headmaster, I think it would be better if I told the rest of this story, after all, it is my fault it happened, so I should be the one doing the explaining."

"Very well Alastor, but make it quick, it is getting late and we have other things to attend to"

"Of course Albus, well Potter, after you left upstairs we continued our little 'chat' with your relatives, they didn't see the need to use the charm, and they weren't keen on living in an invisible house either. After some time your uncle thought it would be good to give us a demonstration of his ability to defend his property. Your uncle left briefly and came back with one of those muggle wands. So Vernon used it against your headmaster here, but before it struck him I had put up a shield so it would rebound to his wand itself, needless to say he were quite surprised to see his wand destroy itself" Moody said the last part with visibly glee, he was oblivious finding the whole situation quite funny.

"Well after the little demonstration he agreed with us that it would be best to add some extra security to his house, and now we are here. Did I leave anything out?"

"That would only be those funny faces Harrys aunt and uncle made after the 'incident'" added Tonks

"erhm, professor, what about the Weasleys and Hermiones family?" Harry asked a bit weary of the subject. If he had to be honest, the whole thing about living in secrecy didn't quite suit him either, he had never been fond about hiding.

"We are planning to see to them later tonight or as quickly as possible, though we couldn't neglect you as you would obviously be number one on Voldemorts wanted list" Dumbledore conjured three chairs for himself and his two fellows"

"Who will be their secret keepers?" Harry asked again wondering who they could trust enough with that kind of secrets.

"If the Grangers accept then Tonks will be their secret keeper, and if the Weasleys accept it will be Moody" as Dumbledore answered Harry just gave a nod as to say he understood and was fine with it.

While the conversation had taken place Hedwig had calmed down and where now resting on Harrys shoulder while he slowly stroked her soft feathers.

"Harry there is something else we need to discuss with you. Sirius has left you with most of his belongings, which means Grimmauld place number 12 now belongs to you. I would, of course, like to keep it as a headquarters for the order, but only if you will let me"

"Dumbledore couldn't I just give it over to you?"

"You could Harry, but if I may say it wouldn't be good. The Fidelius charm is still on the house, but if I were become the owner of the place the charm would wear off. The charm has a restriction when it comes to the secret keeper. He may not own the place he is the keeper of, this means we would be very vulnerable in the meantime I took over the house until we found a new secret keeper and placed the charm"

"Ok, I can see what you mean. I don't mind you using grimmauld place as the Orders headquarter" Harry quickly added.

"Thank you Harry, you might as well know that his fortune has been transferred to your Gringots account to, but I won't bother you with numbers, all I'll say is that it is a bit more than what you had from your parents" Dumbledore spoke in a sad voice to show he was sorry about it all.

Harry was both sad and surprised, he was surprised to hear how much money the black family had actually owned, and he was sad because it all reminded him of their godfather.

"Harry, how are you coming along about this whole Sirius subject? Are you still blaming yourself?" Dumbledore asked him, he had a sad expression in his eyes, but it wasn't as if he had done something wrong it was more like he was grieving with his own daemons.

"Besides the nightmares I'd say I was fine. I hate everything about last year but I'm quite sure I'll get along and they will go away in time" Harrys voice sounded a bit differently than he had intended, Harry would have made it calm so they could hear he didn't mind answering this kind of questions but it had come out a bit shaky though still clear.

"Yes, we can't dwell on the past that would mean the future would flee from our grasp, it is something I my self have found out, and I'd rather not see you making the same mistakes as I have"

While they talked Tonks and Moody had remained sitting on Dumbledore's conjured chairs, now they stood and Moody cleared his throat.

"Headmaster I believe it is time for us to get moving, we are already late. We couldn't let them wait to long in these times, who knows what they may think has happened"

"I see, well Harry it looks like we will have to bid you farewell now" Harry quickly asked before they left

"Professor, when will you put the Fidelius charms on the houses?"

"If possible then it will be done tomorrow. Remus is out on an Order mission and we can't be too sure of when he will return. Ohh, I nearly forgot, I think it would be safer to send an Order member from time to time so you won't have to send any owls to us telling us your fine. Seeing how your relatives react to magical folks I think it would be best if we didn't visit too often, twice a month should do it" With these words The three adults made their way out, before exiting Harry's room Dumbledore made a small movement with his wand and made the three chairs disappear.

After they had left Harry found some of his old school books and started reading.

When he stopped reading he noticed it was dark outside and he decided that he might as well get some sleep, as he had done every year, since he had started attending Hogwarts, he counted the days in his calendar noticing his birthday was soon to come.

*          *          *          A/N     *          *          *

My first chapter but hopefully not my last.

Please review, your opinion means a lot to me

As I get into the fic and the plot thickens and all of that stuff you may feel free to give suggestions concerning minor details if you wish, I could always need a new point of view on my story.