Chapter Six

With a sharp and sudden brake, Stan felt the Knight Bus jerk to a violent stop. With a yawn, he climbed to his feet, ignoring the enraged shrieks on an owl somewhere in the back, and moved to the front of the bus, rolling his eyes as he began the ingrained monologue.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency..." With a more than startled yelp he suddenly felt himself soaring away from the Knight Bus, into the dark night.

Dumbledore glanced around the now comfortable living room of Grimmauld Place , thanks greatly to the amount of time and effort both the Weasley's and Sirius had put into the house. With a tired sigh he only allowed himself to give out of the presence of others, he lowered himself shakily into a large soft armchair, awaiting the arrival of the members of the Order with a dispirited manner. He knew already, that this night would not be filled with the best of news.

"BOY! Get yourself down here!" Vernon Dursley hollered up the stairs, hoping he could intimidate the ungrateful wrench into coming down. He had no wants to go into the freaks domain and risk getting freaked up by anything he had there. He remembered his poor Dudley 's tail much too well. The boy was a devil's spawn placed unfairly in his family. What had he ever done to disserve him?

"I said get down here!" He didn't like the pure silence that greeted him. Even at the weekend, when the boy hadn't emerged from his room for meals even, he had still acknowledged his angry shouts and reminders to send a note to those freaks from the platform. Vernon wasn't bothered if he starved, just as long as he didn't get more of them threatening his family. The boy could die for all he cared; he just wanted him out of his life.

"BOY!" With an angry roar Vernon forced himself to take to the stairs. Even for what he cared, the boy better not have died on him. He had no doubt he'd get hell from his headmaster and that disgusting eyeball wizard. He trembled at just the reminder of that horrible thing swirling...

Not the time to think of that, most definitely not. He needed to get that boy out of that room. Petunia wanted the garden doing, and he'd be damned if he let the brat live under his roof free of charge...

With a massive bang he threw open Potter's bedroom door, expecting to be glowering down at his nephew on his bed. Instead, he found a note clearly marked out on his duvet. Glancing nervously around the room in case it was a trap, he stormed in before he lost his nerve and snatched up the note. After checking nothing was going to turn him into a pig, he glared at the piece of paper.

Uncle Vernon

If you want something done, which you must do if you're in my room, do it yourself.

I'm not here at the moment. Don't worry; I will be back.

Harry.

Tonks glanced around suspiciously as she entered the meeting room. She had more than a suspicion that Harry was going to try and sneak in, judging from their conversation the last time she had seen him. She knew in her heart she wouldn't reveal him, but that wouldn't stop her making his existence very painful if she found out he was here. To her relief though, she saw Dumbledore already inside waiting for them. He would know if Harry were here under his cloak, Harry had said so himself.

Stan gasped as he was pressed up against the wall, trying to control the tears that grew behind his eyes as his oxygen was cut off. With a sickening wrench he felt the painful sensation of double apparition, and then hit a dark cement floor so hard he blacked out.

Dumbledore glanced tiredly around the room as Severus slipped in silently, the last to arrive. He took his seat in the furthest corner, and quickly looked around the room. Dumbledore felt the gentlest of probes on his mind, but he knew he did only because he expected it. He waited until Snape nodded to him, clearing that the room was filled with only those who it should have been, before clearing his throat and leaning forwards.

Tonks glanced around the room another time, noting that Dumbledore was sweeping the room under his gaze, and the small probing a few seconds ago told her Snape had done the same thing. Harry wasn't here. She could rest easy, and then berate herself later for worrying.

"I'm glad you could all make it. I hope you are all well, and you are all ready to report. This meeting has begun." With a wave of his hand Dumbledore activated the charmed minute's parchment he had in his possession, and waited until it stated the date before turning to Arthur.

"Arthur? The position with Cornelius?" Arthur nodded and leaned forward himself, his eyes carrying a disturbing dark bluntness that was completely out of character.

"He has admitted the return of the Dark Lord, and is reassuring everyone in the public, and Ministry that steps are being taken to ensure our safety. His liaison with the Muggle Prime Minister however, has not been told to contact them and warn them of the danger. He hasn't approved the extra funding for my department to counteract the dark objects being planted with innocent Muggles. I don't believe he has done anything actually, except order the restoration of the fountain of Magical Brethren, and resort to the normal Propaganda with the Daily Prophet. My sources from the paper tell me he's stopped pressing for discrediting of you Albus, but he hasn't said anything about Harry. He's playing a dangerous game, not publicly apologising to Harry after the Quibbler article, but he's got so much he can take him to trial about at the moment, or he believes he does, that he's confident to be able to keep the situation in hand." Dumbledore let out a long tired sigh before turning to Kingsley, pushing aside his anger at the incompetent fool as every other member of the Order had to do.

"What of the Aurors?" Kingsley growled quietly.

"Or budget was cut to repair the fountain. There are no requests for Auror recruits going out, and he's sending us out on useless patrols around the major wizarding areas like Diagon Alley. The only thing substantial that's come out of that was an unknown masked wizard was seen heading out of Gringotts, and stunned a pursuing Auror when he was ordered...rather blatantly without proper cause, to halt. Tonks was with Levi, but she lost him in a crowd of Muggles. We haven't done anything other than put on a show for the public, making people think it's safe." More than half of the room jumped at the vehemence that came out of Kingsley as he finished. No one said a word though as Tonks was turned to expectantly. It was the way at the meeting. Nothing was discussed until everything was reported. She took a deep breath, praying she could keep her mind blank.

Stan groaned painfully as he felt consciousness return to him. He felt two arms pull him awkwardly to against a wall before pushing something against his mouth. He coughed violently as he felt a liquid pouring down his throat, and made to instinctively retch before a hand caught his chin.

"Don't Stan, it'll help you're head. You're safe, don't worry." Stan almost choked when he heard the voice, and ended up swallowing the potion before he had a chance to think on the matter. To his relief and surprise though his head immediately cleared and his vision returned, showing him a dark robed figure knelt before him, the darkness under his hood impenetrable until two pale hands pulled it back. He gasped in relief.

"Harry." Harry smiled briefly at him before pulling out a wand and murmuring a newly learnt, weak healing charm at the back of his head.

"Sorry Stan, but couldn't really waltz right up to you." Stan groaned quietly as he sat up.

"Could have told us first though, I would have Apparated voluntarily." Harry scowled a bit.

"I didn't know there was an Auror on the bus. He came charging out before I could say anything, didn't have much choice." Stan winced but nodded his ascent.

"Barmy insisted we have protection after the bus got hit with a stray tickling jinx - paranoid I'll tell you. Fudge weren't willing to have the Knight Bus stopped though, so he gave us the fattest, slowest, weakest Auror in the force." Harry sighed and shook his head.

"Look, we don't have much time. You're going to stumble out of here with your robes smoking a bit, having hexed a darkly robed unidentified assailant. You'll summon the Knight Bus and collapse in relief at safety, having run for your life, though never seeing your attacker chasing you, you...felt him chasing you perhaps?" Stan nodded weakly, wincing.

"Got you Harry. What's the problem though? Why all the fireworks?" Harry smirked for a moment before pulling something out of his robes.

"Means of communication. Don't let anyone take it or see it. You write on that, it copies to a piece of parchment I've got, and vice-versa. I suggest you charm it so only you can read it...in fact, I very strongly suggest it. You can't trust owls these days Stan." Stan swore quietly but nodded.

"Harry..." Harry shook his head, standing up.

"No time. You need to get back. Stand up." Stan stood before he thought, not questioning the tone behind Harry's voice. He stared at him as he pulled up his hood once more and became impossible to identify. He raised his wand to the hem of his robes and murmured a quiet curse. Stan felt smoke beginning to rise, and then Harry cut the curse off.

"Now run, dodge, I'm going to curse you." Stan's eyes widened but he understood. He looked too clean. He paused for that realization, but a curse destroying the wall just to his left awoke his feet. With a yell he ducked and sprinted away, hearing curses coming fast and hard all around him, blowing debris into the air and dirt onto him. He almost laughed...until he felt a curse hit him and send him flying head first into dog droppings. Really fearing for himself as curse barely missed his shoulder, he fled as if death itself was on his heels, feeling one last curse hitting his back and make him stumble, only painful enough to make him groan, but enough to make his pain and fear real enough to play a convincing act once he summoned the bus.

Harry sighed quietly as Stan disappeared in the distance. He hoped he hadn't hurt him too badly, but there was no chance he could walk out without a few curse marks on him. He purposely hadn't told him - this way hopefully he would play a convincing victim.

Without another thought, Harry quickly turned and began covering his previous apparition, and began working on creating a scenario that would be read when the magical resonances were checked. He thanked Rowena silently when he had finished before quickly fading into the shadows and striding silently away, walking for a good ten minutes before Disapparating quietly in a dark corner.

Tonks flushed as she always did as all eyes turned to her, and focused on Remus, sat across from her and staring away at the fireplace, not appearing to have heard a word all meeting. She swallowed, careful not to allow herself to become distracted, before letting out a long breath.

"We were patrolling Diagon Alley when an unidentified wizard came out of Gringotts in a rush. Levi talked me into pursuing him - he had concealment charms galore on his cloak, and muggle repellents as well. We followed him out through the Leaky Cauldron - he didn't notice us. I thought it was just going to be surveillance until Levi started shouting at him to stop. There was a muggle jogger going past at the time - he might have mistaken the order for him. The second time Levi shouted though, he paused, before going down an alley - basic ambush point. Levi's always been too confident, went in head first. It took a lot of orders, but he got the guy...might even have been a witch I suppose; the robes didn't show anything at all...anyhow, got him to stop. He told him to lower his hood a few times, and about the third time the...just say it was a guy, acting like one, too bloody stubborn. He went for his wand - course, we sent disarmers at him before he even got a grip. Interesting thing was though, all it did was make the wand fall to his feet and him lean back a bit. In practice we forced the dummy back thirty yards with the combined disarm." Dumbledore's eyes darkened for a moment.

"He didn't even take a step back?" Tonks flushed and shook her head.

"I think his robes must have been seriously charmed or something...either that or he's more powerful than..." She felt her voice trail off as mutterings filled the room. Dumbledore quickly called silence though.

"And then?" Tonks shrugged.

"I summoned the wand while Levi was gaping. When he got control of his jaw back, he ordered the hood off. The guy nodded, and made to reach up to it, and then he somehow had a wand in his hand, and he sent one of the fastest stunners I've ever seen at Levi. He was out before he got blown back." The room shuffled uncomfortably, tension clearly evident.

"What happened then?" Tonks shivered a bit, which was noted she noticed.

"I started sending stunners and hexes, but all it did was make him reel back a bit, and stumble back a few times. He sent a Petrificus Totalus at me before turning heel and running. Not much after that, except he was a bleeming fast bugger. Sent me running for about ten blocks before I lost him right in the middle of a muggle crowd. We searched the area, but no Disapparation happened." Dumbledore looked thoughtful, and confused.

"I know of very few wizards who could take curses like that, and would dress in that attire. Tom would definitely not send a stunner and a simple Petrificus Totalus and then run. It seems that whoever it was you met simply did not want to be identified." Tonks chewed her lip.

"He didn't do anything wrong that we could find. We checked with Gringotts, and they said that he was a confidential client, but there was by no means any illegal activity, and no one on the Alley had them in their shops...no one saw him actually until he left."

"You say you think his cloak was charmed? Why?" Tonks hesitated a moment.

"It had some serious concealment charms on it. I cast a revealer early on, didn't even make it blink. The fact he was covered from head to toe in it and how much a cloak like that must have cost...I don't think he was short on the gold." Dumbledore sighed heavily but nodded.

"Alright. We can discuss that further into the meeting. Anything else to report?" Tonks bit her lip and glanced back to Remus.

"I've visited Harry...twice." There was a silence in the room, and then an instant uproar. Remus slowly turned to face her, his eyes alight with question for the first time since the beginning of the meeting. She felt a small bubble of relief burst in her as Dumbledore summoned silence, and turned on her with a very controlled voice.

"Tonks, you are not even on guard duty for Privet Drive this summer. I have expressed many times that I do not want Harry contacted in such a manner." Tonks blushed darkly and lowered her head, swallowing.

"He asked me to go...and I did."

"Why'd he ask you? He barely knows you!" Tonks flushed even more as Molly was quietened by her husband.

"I don't know. He did though, and I think he needed the company." Dumbledore watched her very sharply.

"Well?" Tonks let out a shaky breath.

"He's obviously depressed...and lonely. He's eating better than he has done before from what I've heard, and those prats aren't making him do the chores. He's spending all of his time in his room, studying. I think he's a bit...annoyed at you sir. He didn't really want me to tell you...anything." Dumbledore's age seemed to creep up on him as a brief spark of pain could be seen before it disappeared completely.

"I understand the reasoning behind that. How is he reacting to...the death?" Tonks winced as Remus turned away for a moment again.

"He hasn't mentioned it. It was a bit unnerving actually, if I didn't know better, I'd either say he's already got over it, or he's pushed it completely aside to deal with later." There were more than a few murmurs at that.

"If I call for silence one more time I will silence each and every one of you until the reports are finished!" Tonks smiled a bit as everyone shrunk back from Dumbledore. He turned back to Tonks, his annoyance and anger obvious.

"That is not good. You said he's been studying?" Tonks bit her lip and nodded.

"I've noticed all his school books out and about...and some others. I only managed to glance them, but they're definitely not school reading, and they're not Quidditch...I suppose one could have been a diary or something, but there was half a dozen or so in sight." Dumbledore seemed to chew on that for a long moment.

"I wonder where he got them? He hasn't received an owl since he returned." Tonks looked at him sharply.

"You're monitoring his mail?" Dumbledore glanced at her in surprise.

"Of course. How else do you expect me to make sure he doesn't get curses sent to blow him to pieces?" Tonks fumed for a moment.

"Do you have any idea how much he kept asking me from reporting to you? He doesn't seem to trust you at all. Are you giving him any privacy?" Dumbledore shrank for a moment, while everyone else stared her outburst in surprise. She even noticed Snape smiling in his peculiar manner at her.

"I am not spying on him, I assure you. I simply am insuring his privacy. Now, if you would care to get back to your report. Have you any idea what he is learning?" Tonks hesitated, knowing she couldn't tell an outright lie to the man.

"I think I saw a book on wandless magic, but I'm not sure...and even if it was, the time it takes to learn even the simplest of that is extraordinary." Dumbledore looked troubled for a moment but nodded.

"If that's all..."

"Actually sir, he gave me some things to deliver, and some...instructions I suppose." Dumbledore stared at her for a moment.

"Indeed?" She swallowed and pulled out his piece of parchment, handing it to him. He looked down at it, bemused, and pulled out his wand, waving it a few times and muttering under her breath. Tonks felt a small smile tug at her lips as she watched the most powerful wizard alive puzzle over it for a minute.

"Begging you pardon sir, but he can't do magic can he? It won't have a spell hidden." Dumbledore looked a bit sheepish for a moment.

"Ah, of course. What is it then?" Tonks glanced around the room, and then quickly passed on Moody's piece as well.

"It's a piece of parchment. When you write on it, he gets the message, vice-versa." Dumbledore blinked and then his eyes widened. He quickly summoned a quill and scribbled on the parchment, watching the writing fade. There was a long silence and then he sighed.

"He obviously isn't paying attention to the parchment at the moment. Perhaps he is asleep. How..." Tonks cut him off.

"That was part of the instructions sir. He said any questions about where it came from or how he got it should be asked to him, and that if you try and invade my mind, he said...he said you can forget him doing anything for the good of the wizarding world." The silence in the room was almost painful. Dumbledore coughed gently and stared down at his piece of parchment for a long moment hopefully, but nothing appeared. He sighed and squeezed his eyes shut before turning back to her, his gaze harder.

"You do realize you went against a direct order visiting Harry, don't you?" Tonks gulped but nodded.

"I do." Dumbledore's gaze seemed to pierce her for a long moment.

"What has he said to you?" Tonks bit her lip for a moment.

"That I can pass onto you without betraying his trust totally? He wants me to visit again." Dumbledore stared at her for a long moment.

"Why don't we have one of those parchments? You gave one to Alastor..." Tonks sighed.

"I have one from Ron and Ginny, as well as Hermione, Neville and Luna. I'm to deliver them in person though. I think since he's given two to your kids...I can't imagine how much it must of cost him to get all of these. And I guess he gave Mad Eye one because he might have some questions to help with his studying." Molly made to argue back but was once again quietened by Arthur. Tonks suddenly jumped, remembering and passed Remus his piece, at which he looked extremely relieved to receive, before Dumbledore called her attention again.

"Eight pairs?" Tonks shook her head.

"I've got one as well." Dumbledore frowned.

"I don't even have that many. I have two, with my brother, and a very old friend. I wonder how he managed to get such a quantity..." A sudden gasp from Remus caught everyone's attention. Tonks glanced over to find him scribbling away with a quill in his hand, more active than anyone had seen him in days. There was the utmost silence, and then a small smile began to hover around his lips. Dumbledore glanced down at his own parchment while everyone's attention was on Remus, and Tonks was sure she was the only one who caught the expression of pain and hurt on the old man's face. He let out a long shaky breath before his 'poker face' came back up.

"What does he say Remus?" Remus suddenly paused in his scribbles. His eyes darkened for a moment before he swallowed.

"He's alright, and he didn't send the note today because of these..." Remus's eyes read over another line.

"And the rest is of a personal nature that doesn't really mean anything." Dumbledore's eyes darkened at the flat statement, but he conceded.

"Very well. Does he sound alright though Remus?" Remus wrote a quick reply, and waited for the response. His face covered with worry for a moment, but he nodded.

"He says he perfectly fine, and that if you attempt to pull anything from Tonks's mind, he's not...he won't go back to Hogwarts, and you won't find him at Privet Drive next time you look for him." The whole room paled. Remus glanced up worriedly.

"I think he's serious Dumbledore." Dumbledore glanced for a long moment at Tonks before nodding, his defeat obvious.

"Very well, tell him that I won't extract any information, but I would greatly appreciate him talking to me later..." He cut off as scribbles became clear on his own parchment. His eyes shone for a brief moment before widening in alarm.

"What is it Albus?" Dumbledore appeared speechless for a moment before glanced at Remus.

"You didn't write that statement I just said did you?" Remus shook his head slowly. Dumbledore furiously took up his quill.

"He answered me as though he heard it. I'm asking him what he means..." Dumbledore's eyes widened even more as his reply came through.

"What's he say?" Dumbledore looked worried.

"He told me he meant exactly what I said he meant...I said?" Dumbledore's writing was absolutely furious, and then his whole face paled. He shakily dropped the quill.

"Albus! What's wrong?" Dumbledore stared at the parchment as messages came through fast and strong. He stared around the room sharply, and then cast a locking charm at the door.

"Severus, I think we might have a visitor."

"Harry's here?"

"WHAT!"

"How?"

"He's not Albus, I can't see him." Dumbledore stared at Moody but waited for Snape to finish his sweep of the room.

"I can't find anyone Albus." Dumbledore look at a loss for himself.

"But how..." His parchment began to fill with writing again, as if answering his question. Dumbledore stared down at it before weakly slumping in his seat and unlocking the door. He watched the parchment, paled some more, and then looked incredibly guilty and pained. Everyone watched as he took a few shaky breaths.

"He has...requested I read this out." Everyone knew immediately it was no request. Dumbledore looked particularly weak and defeated; with such an air of age they knew whatever Harry was writing to him had affected him deeply.

"We have a war coming. If you want it to end without unnecessary bloodshed, and with Voldemort defeated, you will stop keeping things from me. The parchment is only one of many means I have of learning what I am not told. You know what I am talking about Dumbledore, hide it from me, and you know the cost."

The room seemed to tremble at the words. Dumbledore slumped in his seat while Snape jumped to his feet, face livid.

"You little prat! How dare you think you can dictate what we do! You're nothing! You're absolutely nothing but a measling..." He was cut off by Remus quiet chuckles.

"Harry said as happy as he would be to listen to you make a fool of yourself shut it Snivellus before you dig yourself a hole." Snape's eyes widened in unconcealed rage as there were gasps around the room.

"YOU LITTLE BAST..." There was a loud pop, and suddenly Snape was duck, quacking away violently. A roar of laughter rose up in one part of the room, while everyone else flew to their feet, wands drawn and looking violently around the room for a target.

"He says...that you should not underestimate him. He's not going to sit back and take it anymore...oh and unless you manage to get someone to change you back, you'll be stuck like that for three hours." Dumbledore sighed quietly, but managed to gain everyone's attention.

"Harry, how did you do that?" There was a silence until Remus spoke up.

"He said he's been studying." Dumbledore scowled. Remus choked for a second.

"He just said don't scowl, you're hardly more forthcoming." Dumbledore looked around in alarm. Tonks had never seen him taken more off balance.

"He says stop looking around for him, he's not where you're looking." Dumbledore groaned quietly.

"Why the games Harry?" There was a small pause, and then Remus's voice sounded rather cold.

"He said he's dancing, just as you danced around him for five years of his life...what is he talking about Albus?" Everyone shivered as a barely concealed growl escaped his last sentence. It was extremely rare for Remus to show his wolf. Dumbledore conjured himself a damp cloth and bathed his forehead for a moment.

"I believe that is for Harry to tell you. Now Harry, if you will kindly leave us to finish our meeting?" There was a silence and then Moody let out a bark of laughter.

"He said make him." Dumbledore's face darkened and he took out his wand. He began murmuring darkly under his breath, long unintelligible words. Tonks felt the back of her neck prickle at the magic in the air and the intakes of breath told her that everyone else in the room felt it as well. There was a loud pop, and then Dumbledore slumped gently, obviously drained.

"There. I just created in affect a vacuum. It should have cut off the enchantments on the parchments." They waited in silence for a minute, but there were no messages.

"Very well, let's continue with the reports before we speak about this. Mun..." Remus started chuckling, drawing everyone's attention again.

"Oh Harry, you are most definitely James's son." Dumbledore stared at him.

"Excuse me?" Remus glanced at him in amusement.

"He says you'd do well to respect your youth." Dumbledore looked completely lost.

"But that incantation banishes all external magical..."

"He says don't think he didn't expect something like that from you, and you shouldn't underestimate what he is capable of. I'd rather agree Albus." Dumbledore looked completely lost and shocked.

"But it's not possible to counteract..." There was silence as Remus began to read.

"He said he's leaving you in peace now, but he expects to be told about developments. If he's not...he'll come again, and it doesn't matter if the parchments are in the room or not. He says...it doesn't matter even if you change locations, he'll know and hear...says solve that riddle." There was a snort somewhere deep in the group but other than that silence. Dumbledore shook his head almost as in denial for the longest moment before slowly letting out a long breath.

"I'll speak to you in the morning." There was a long silence, and then a very suddenly, and very violent crack of Apparition had them on their feet in seconds. Tonks felt her eyes widen as just in front of her a little box had appeared. Carefully she leant down and picked it up, glancing questionably at everyone else. Only receiving stares back she gently opened it, and stared at its contents.

Inside was a simple strip of paper, stating 'I am the wind, I am the air, I am the breath, I am the heart - I cannot be shed'

Harry smirked as he appeared back in his room, tossing off his invisibility cloak and carefully disabling the multiple concealment, silencing, cloaking, and magical cleansing charms he had had around him. He wished he could say he was happy with the way it had turned out, but instead he felt uncomfortably empty. He managed a nod and a smile at Rowena at the mission accomplished, before he unpacked the parchments and his quill onto his desk. With a quick thought, his robes transfigured into pyjamas. A sharp click and command later everything incriminating in his room flew into his trunk, which locked. Finally, after glancing around the pitch black room once, he climbed into bed and feigned sleep, just in time for Fawkes to appear at his window and silently, believed to be unseen, survey his room and he himself. Silently chanting a very useful old Confundus charm under his breath, he slowly and careful manipulated the phoenix into believing him fast asleep. With a silent rise of wings, it flew from his window and disappeared in a flash of fire. Harry let out a pained breath as he unfocussed his mind, curling up tightly as the cost of using so much magic began to catch up with him. The last charm had cost him the most, and on a magical creature it was more than he could take. He welcomingly embraced his unconscious state.

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[#]Beta needed[#]