Well here it is, chapter 3. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think.
"It's still just after midnight, Harry." Said Lupin, after a while. "You should go to bed, we can talk in the morning."
Harry nodded without a word and climbed the stair until he got to the room he had always shared with Ron. Before he went to turn the door handle, Harry turned to lean over the banister. "Goodnight, professor."
Somewhere below, Lupin chuckled. "Remus, Harry, call me Remus. I'm no more a professor then Dobby is a hippogriff. Goodnight."
"Night then...Remus," came Harry's reply before he stepped into his room and shut the door behind him.
Harry surveyed the room, which was dimly lit by a few meager candles floating above the desk. It was the same, gloomy looking high ceiling that he remembered, the same two beds, and the same wardrobe standing like a giant shadow in the corner.
"Ahh, so it's you again", came a snide remark that brought Harry's attention to the ornate picture in the room, the portrait of Phineas Nigellus. "I did wonder when we'd get the chance to meet again."
"I'm sure it was something you were looking forward to", said Harry dryly.
"Oh, but I really was looking forward to it", Phineas drawled. "You see, Harry, I have always somewhat admired you disregard for the rules, the way you stick up for yourself...I cant deny that you've got...spunk. In fact, if you weren't so welcoming towards muggles and muggleborns, I might even like you."
"You're evil", spat Harry. "If you don't think that muggleborns deserve to be treated the same as everyone else, then you're no better then the rest of Voldemort's supporters; evil, slimy, gits!"
"Ah, but don't you see Harry?" replied Phineas. "Every one is entitled to their own opinion, and you cant discriminate against people because of their beliefs. What you can do, is try to change people's opinion."
"Phineas, I'm tired, so get to the point", said Harry, sitting on his bed.
"What I am trying to tell you, dear Potter, is that you could kill Voldemort right now, and it wouldn't do any good", stated Phineas.
"Well it would save the world from evil, that seems pretty good to me", replied Harry, bluntly.
"Do you want to know why it wouldn't do any good? It's because if you killed Voldemort now, there would still be thousands of people out there that think the same way he does. You can't just kill Voldemort and think that it will all go away, you have to prove to people first that you are right and he is wrong."
For a while, Harry said nothing, he was to busy thinking about what Phineas was saying. "You know what, Phineas?" he said slowly. "For an evil git, you seem to be giving some useful advice to the good guys."
The was a pause. "Treasure it Harry, it doesn't happen often", said Phineas slowly, before he ambled out of his portrait, leaving Harry deep in thought.
Harry woke the next morning, not quite sure where he was. It was a minute before he could recall the events of the previous night that had wound up with him in Grimmauld place. Light streamed through the window as Harry looked expectantly into Phineas' portrait, but the canvas was bare.
Slowly getting out of bed, Harry reached for his clothes and dressed before he headed down to the kitchen for some breakfast. He thought he heard a snigger before he closed his door behind him, but when he looked back at the portrait it was as void as ever.
Harry entered the kitchen to find Remus busy at the stove, cooking bacon and eggs.
"Morning, Remus", Harry yawned. "Need a hand with that?" Harry was slightly impressed. For a wizard, Remus seemed fairly adept at cooking eggs the muggle way.
"No thanks, Harry. Take a seat, breakfast will be ready in a minute", Lupin replied, and sure enough, within a minute Harry sat in front of a tottering pile of eggs, bacon and toast.
"Eat up", said Remus. "Molly has given me strict instructions to feed you up a bit. She doesn't reckon your aunt feeds you enough."
"Actually", said Harry, between mouthfuls of bacon, "the Dursleys have been pretty good so far this summer. Come to think of it though, it might have something to do with the fact that they think you'll all turn them into pigs if they're nasty to me."
Remus laughed at this. "Well I'm glad they had the sense to listen to us at the train station. Moody will be pleased that his intimidation skills paid off."
Harry wondered. How could Moody's intimidation skills not pay off? He didn't even have to open his mouth before people started running fast in the other direction!
"So is it only you staying here? No members of the Order or anything?" asked Harry, trying to make it sound like he wasn't too curious. He wanted to find out as much information as he could, of course, but he wanted to do it in a roundabout way if he could. Remus might not want to tell him if he seemed too keen on the issue.
Remus, however, saw right through Harry's attempt at being discrete. "I did wonder how long it would take you to bombard me with questions. Personally, I had thought it would be sooner." He didn't seem angry. On the contrary, his eyes were crinkled in mirth.
Harry shrugged. "Yeah, well, I just don't like being kept in the dark. I did think that it'd be different this summer though, 'cos of what happened."
"Dumbledore's learnt his lesson, Harry", said Remus. "He wont leave you in the dark again. At the moment it's important for you to know what's going on."
"Then why was I left in the dark for the last 2 weeks then?" Harry asked, a slight sound of anger in his voice. To Harry's surprise though, Remus laughed. Harry was puzzled.
"Harry you really are too suspicious!" When Harry continued to look confused at this comment, Remus continued. "You haven't heard anything because there has been nothing to tell! I think both sides of this war a spending a couple of weeks regrouping, planning their next course of action. Voldemort has to find another way to hear the prophecy now, or else find a way to defeat you entirely. You foiled his plans again last month, so he has to start from scratch. And besides, it's only been two weeks! What did you think would happen?"
Harry did feel slightly foolish at Remus' comments. "So what are the Order up to then?" he asked. "I mean, since the Ministry confirmed it, you don't have to spend time trying to convince people Voldemort is back, do you?"
"No, that's true", commented Remus. "At the moment, we're trying to find out what Voldemort is planning next, trying to keep people as safe as possible- muggles included, trying to recruit new members into the Order–"
"I'll join!" Harry interrupted. "Please, I really want to! I'm nearly 16, aren't I old enough now?" Harry was surprised to hear a slight note of desperation in his own voice. He wondered if Remus heard it too.
"No, Harry", Remus said softly.
"Why not?!" Harry shouted. "I have single handedly done more then nearly all of the order members put together! I have already fought with Voldemort 3 times and survived, not including the time I fought Tom Riddle, or the time when he gave me this scar! And beside from all that, I am the only one who will ever be able to defeat Voldemort for good! Isn't that reason enough for me to join?"
Remus did not look surprised at Harry's outburst, but rather although he had been expecting it. "Harry, it is exactly that last reason that prevents Dumbledore letting you join."
"I don't understand", said Harry, straining to keep his voice even.
Remus sighed. "You are the only one who will be able to defeat Voldemort, and that is why you must remain separate to the order. The order does not fight Voldemort specifically, it fights the death eaters, learns their actions, tries to figure out what they are up to. We try to keep wizard- and muggle-kind safe. There is you, and there is the Order, both separate forces aiming to do separate things. The task before you is a huge burden, Harry. Dumbledore wants you to focus on that, not what the Order is doing."
Silence followed as Harry thought. "But wont I need to know what the order is up to?"
"Yes", said Remus, simply. "And you will know, but there is a difference between you knowing what the we are up to, and you being tied down by the Order."
"How could being a member of the Order possible tie me down?" asked Harry skeptically.
"Well", said Remus slowly, "just as an example, members of the order always go out in two's or three's. If you were in one of these groups and you ran into a bunch of 30 death eaters, with Voldemort amongst them, what would you do if Voldemort then left? Would you go after him, or would you stay to prevent your fellow members facing an almost certain death? We want to prevent you form having to choose between which people you want to save. Does that make sense?" Remus surveyed Harry thoughtfully.
"I guess you're right", Harry replied slowly. "But that doesn't mean I like it!" he added with a grin.