Boiling Over

Harry led the way through the portrait hole and stalked over to the armchair next to the fireplace. He turned his face to the fire, stewing away as Ginny and Hermione took a seat on the sofa next to Harry, while Neville sat in the armchair on the other side. The Common Room was empty save for Lavender and Parvati, who were so busy looking at the book between them they hardly noticed the others come in. "Oy, why did you two leave the feast so early?" Ron asked them before sitting down.

"Oh, Ron, you startled me," gasped Lavender, quickly shutting the book she and Parvati had been poring over. "I'm sorry, what were you saying? Leaving early, yes, well, we just needed to do some extra reading, for, for..."

"...for Professor Trelawney," Parvati finished. "We have a, um, special project she's assigned us. Right, Lavender? But we were just about to head back upstairs, weren't we?" Lavender giggled and nodded quickly.

"So, yes, well, you can have the whole Common Room to yourselves, if you like. We're leaving now," Lavender added, pulling the book close. And with that the two blushing girls hurried up the staircase to the girls' dormitories.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked as he sat down on the arm of the sofa next to Hermione. "I just asked what they were doing. Why all the sputtering?" Neville simply shook his head.

"Don't bother with them. They're probably looking at that book Lavender's sister gave her. They've been keeping me up 'til all ends of the night laughing and giggling. I wondered why they would want to leave the feast early," Hermione answered.

"What kind of book is it?" asked Neville.

"A sex book," Hermione replied.

Ron snorted. "Excuse me," he said. "Lavender has a sex book?"

"Oh, please!" replied Ginny. "As if there's anyone above Fourth Year who doesn't know that Lavender and Parvati are always trolling. They're trying anything and everything to get some boy to pay attention."

Neville blushed. "Uhm, Hermione, could you tell me what this red bird is now," Neville interrupted, taking the notice from his robe pocket.

"It's a phoenix, Neville," she explained. "Dumbledore's got one in his office. Harry's seen it."

"So have I," said Ron. "Awfully beautiful bird, in a frightening sort of way. You can sort of sense its power when you're around it. I still can't believe good old Fawkes was able to carry us all the way out of there."

"So that's where you saw it," said Ginny quietly. "I don't remember much about that."

Neville looked like he was getting lost in the conversation. "So Dumbledore puts a phoenix on the bottom of his detention notices?"

"Sorry, Neville," said Hermione. "No, I still don't think we're going to have detention this evening, and Professor Dumbledore doesn't put the phoenix on all of his correspondence, only on certain things."

"Like what," Neville asked, still clearly confused.

"Like letters for the Order. The Order of the Phoenix."

"You think this is Order business?" Ron asked.

"But, what is the "Order of the Phoenix," Neville asked.

Hermione, Ginny and Ron exchanged a glance, uncertain if it was all right to tell Neville more. They looked at Harry, who merely shrugged and turned back to the fire. "It's a secret society headed by Dumbledore to fight against Voldemort," Hermione explained. "Lots of people are in it: most of Ginny and Ron's family, Professor Moody, Professor Lupin, even Professor Snape."

"Yeah," added Ron. "You remember the people who came to rescue us at the Department of Mysteries? That was the Order. We spent most of the summer with them, as Mum practically runs the headquarters. People running in and out at all hours, but I think we've managed to meet most of them by now."

"Neville," Ginny said quietly. "I think I remember Professor Moody saying that your parents were part of the Order as well, the first time."

Neville sat quietly for a minute, digesting what had just been said. "That's where I've seen this bird before! Mum and Dad both had small tokens that looked just like this picture. I found them when Gran let me look through a box with their old things. She told me they were just part of their Auror uniforms. She never mentioned anything to me about an Order."

"Yes, well, it's possible that your Gran doesn't know. It is a highly secret organization after all. The headquarters is unplottable and protected by a secret keeper," said Hermione.

"We've tried to join up any number of times, but Mum won't hear of it. Said she couldn't do anything about the twins seeing as they left school and all, but she would not have the two of us joining up yet," added Ginny.

"So, why would Professor Dumbledore send us a notice with a phoenix on it? You don't think it's still going to be about that night? We told them everything that happened. Why would they want to talk to us again?" Neville wondered.

"Who cares?" said Harry, earning stares from the rest. They had grown so accustomed to Harry saying nothing at all that his sudden interjection surprised them. "I mean, supposedly he's some great wizard and yet he still manages to screw things up."

Hermione gasped. "Harry, you shouldn't talk like that about the Headmaster."

"I can say anything about him that I damn well please! And what would you know about it?" Harry said, standing up quickly and walking to stand in front of the fire. He turned to face the others, arms folded across his chest. "I know more about Dumbledore's mistakes than the lot of you ever will."

"What do you mean, mistakes?" Hermione asked.

Harry's voice began to rise. "He let Pettigrew be the secret keeper. He made me stay at the Dursley's. He didn't even know that Crouch was imitating Moody the whole of our fourth year! He let that bitch Umbridge take over Hogwarts last year. I still don't understand why he trusts that slime ball, Snape! He's kept things from me. Things I had the right to know, damnit! Things that might have kept what happened last spring from happening at all. And now he sends this mysterious summons so he can mess with me some more." Harry stormed across the Common Room to the dormitory stairs.

"But Dumbledore couldn't help those things," Hermione said, getting up quickly and following him. "He didn't know Pettigrew was a traitor, and you said you have to stay at the Dursley's for protection. Nobody else suspected Crouch was taking Polyjuice either. And Professor Snape may not be the nicest person, but Dumbledore trusts him."

Harry rounded on Hermione, eyes flashing. "Who gives a fuck why he made mistakes? The fact is that he made them. He's not perfect Hermione. You think all the teachers are perfect. That makes you the perfect little prefect. Always following the rules. Always doing everything right. You think he's perfect, and you don't think you ever make mistakes either, do you?"

By now, Ron was standing as well.

Hermione stood frozen on the spot. "I, eh... I... well..."

"Yeah, you make plenty of mistakes. Do you have any idea the amount of trouble Hagrid's had even getting one of the centaurs to speak with him after that stunt you pulled last year? And what about that time you reported the Firebolt Sirius gave me? You were wrong about that, too, weren't you?"

"Watch it, Harry," said Ron, going to stand next to Hermione. "That happened in third year. No need to bring it up now."
"Have you forgotten about Spew, Ron? That's right, spew. You remember her little crusade to liberate the creatures who don't want to be freed? You remember how excited she was to see all her little hats gone every morning last year? Well, I guess maybe little Miss Know-It-All here doesn't know enough to realize that it was only one elf who took all those little blobs. Dobby's been cleaning Gryffindor Tower all on his own. That's right. The other house elves are so insulted they won't even come near Gryffindor for fear of being tricked into their freedom."

Hermione's face was red and blotchy now, and her eyes were wet with tears. Harry wasn't done. "What do you have to say to that, eh, Hermione?"

But Hermione never had the chance to answer as Ron had stepped between the two of them and was standing at his full height over Harry. "I said watch it, Harry. There's no need to be so mean to Hermione. She was only trying to..."

"Fuck off," Harry said, turning back toward the stairs, but Ron cut him off, blocking his path of escape.

"No way, mate," said Ron. "I know you're mad and all, but..."

"I said 'FUCK OFF!'" Harry yelled, pushing against Ron with all his might. Ron went sprawling back against a table, knocking a chair over. Hermione stood there in amazement and Ginny and Neville came around from the other side of the couch.

Ron straightened up and went right back to Harry. He held up his hands, "Look, I don't want to fight you, but if you're going to be a prick to Hermione—"

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Why don't you ever get enough? You just can't stand to see poor little Harry Potter alone and miserable in the world, eh? Your whole family's all just a bunch of noble do-gooders!"

"Harry!" gasped Ginny. "How could you say such a thing?"

"That's it, Potter!" Ron growled as he lunged for Harry. The two boys tumbled to the ground. Hermione drew her wand, trying to think of a spell to separate them. As they wrestled on the floor, Harry somehow managed to escape Ron's long arms, even managing to flip Ron over onto his back.

"Harry! Ron! Stop it! Stop it now!" Hermione cried, clearly at a lost as to what to do. Harry drew his hand back to pummel Ron in the face, but Neville came up from behind and managed to catch it before Harry brought it down. While Harry was about Neville's height, Neville had Harry bested in heft. He was able to pull Harry up off of Ron before any serious damage was done.

"What is wrong with you?" Ginny screamed, moving to stand between the fighting boys. "You're supposed to be best friends."
"Let me go," Harry cried to Neville, who still had him around the shoulders. Neville reluctantly released Harry, who shook his shoulders and straightened his robes. "You just don't get it. You can't be friends with me."

"Harry, we went through this last year," said Hermione as she helped Ron to his feet. "We are your friends. You can't change that. We want to help you."

"You don't understand," said Harry. "You shouldn't be friends with me. It's too dangerous. Voldemort, he's after me."

"What's new, Harry? He's been after you every single year," Ron said sarcastically, leaning against the sofa.

"Only it's different now. Before I thought he was after me for revenge, you know, for what happened when I was a baby. Only now I know what was in that prophecy. And he's not just after revenge. He's after me."

"But the prophesy was destroyed," said Neville. "I dropped it. Only it was so loud with the battle going on we couldn't hear what it said."

"Dumbledore knows. That's what I mean about him keeping things from me. You see, the reason I'm so important, the reason everyone watches over me, is that it's all up to me. I'm the one who has to destroy Voldemort. He wants to get me first."

"Well, we'll just have to find a way to make certain he doesn't," said Hermione.

"Don't you think Dumbledore would have found the way already if it were in some book, Hermione? If he knows how to end it all, he's hiding it from me," answered Harry. "Big surprise."

"Is that what you've been doing this year, then? Trying to keep us from being your friends?" asked Ginny.

"It's just too dangerous. The prophesy said something about a power the Dark Lord knows not, but Dumbledore doesn't have any idea what that's supposed to mean. Cedric and Sirius have already died. You don't know what you're up against."

"Oh, and I suppose Hermione and I spent the better part of a week in the Hospital Wing recovering from taking our OWLS then," spat Ron. "I'm sick and tired of you acting like we don't know. We went to the Ministry with you. Hermione almost died, or haven't you noticed that she never takes off her tie around anyone anymore. I think she doesn't want anyone to see that nasty scar Dolohov gave her."

"Ron, not now," muttered Hermione.
"No, Hermione, now. I've had enough of this. I saw that scar. I know it's there. He should too. Have you forgotten that we both went down into the Chamber to rescue Ginny? Yeah, I got stuck behind a pile of rock with Lockhart, but we both know what would have happened if you hadn't found her. She had nightmares the whole entire summer after that."

Harry looked carefully at Ginny. He expected her to be embarrassed to hear Ron saying these things, but she stood next to the sofa, arms across her chest, head held high.

"And speaking of nightmares, I may not have been with you to the end at the Ministry, but if I don't know what's going on, why do I have these voices in my head and scars on my arms? That's right. I hear voices when no one's around. My scars have pretty much faded, but as you can see, they stand out bright as day whenever I get upset," Ron added, pulling up his sleeves. Harry could see the red welts trailing across his friend's arms. He knew about Ginny's nightmares, sure, and it had been hard to miss the scars on Ron's arms, but he hadn't known Hermione now had a scar of her own to hide. And Ron was hearing voices? He had no idea they carried around such permanent reminders of that night.

"I'm sorry," said Harry. "I didn't realize. But see, this is what I'm talking about. All of this happened because of me. You were all hurt because of me."

"And what about Neville, Harry?" said Ron. "He fought right with you, as long as he could. From what I understand, he took the Cruciatus for you. By the way, has it every occurred to you that Neville can see the thestrals, too? And he could see them before he met you."

Harry didn't know what to say, so he hung his head rather than look at his friends. Ginny walked over to Harry and put her hand on his shoulder. "Not every sad thing in our lives happens because of you, Harry. Those things weren't your fault. You didn't put the diary in my cauldron. You didn't trick us into thinking that Sirius was in danger. You believed it, and we believed you. Hermione even went against her almighty logic to break how many rules for you that night. You say this is all about you, Harry. Maybe that's one way to look at it. But the way I see it, this is all about a very evil wizard and what he's willing to do to gain power. We won't let you do this alone. You may have to face him alone in the end. You always seem to, anyway. So if all we can do is be with you until then, then that's the way it is. We're not going anywhere."

"My Gran was proud of me after that night," said Neville. "She was a little disappointed about losing Dad's wand, of course, but she said I was making my folks proud. You know we've always stood by you, even after what happened..."

But Neville wasn't able to finish, as the portrait hole opened and Professor McGonagall came in, looking very grave indeed.

"Good, you are all here together," she said. "I still do not understand why the Headmaster sees a need to involve children is this matter. The eldest of you is still a good five months away from being of age, and you will all still be at school for at least another year. Nevertheless, your presence had been requested." Spying the upset chair she added, "Goodness me, what have you been playing at? Miss Granger, kindly restore the furniture. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, I suggest that you put some effort into making yourselves more presentable. Come along, now. We mustn't tarry."

Hermione, Ginny and Neville followed Professor McGonagall out of the portrait hole as Ron and Harry quickly straightened their robes and ran their fingers through their hair in an attempt to make it look as it they hadn't just been brawling on the Common Room floor. Harry spoke up as Ron started out. "Ron, look..."

Ron help up a hand, but didn't look at his friend. "Save it, Harry. Let's go see what Dumbledore wants."

They caught up with the others outside the Fat Lady's portrait just as Professor McGonagall was saying, "Stay together please. We are going to one of the areas of Hogwarts whose entrance is not fixed."

Thanks to Netbyrd for constantly reminding us that Ron is not a push over. She loves assertive Ron (and Hermione too, but this isn't that kind of story.)

Thanks again to Caledon and Brooke for the quick beta.

Please review!