Disclaimer: I own nothing within the Harry Potter franchise.
Chapter 1: The Offer
Harry Potter had just put his trunk down and sat on his bed. His usually sparkling green eyes had a dull haze over them. He sat there thinking about everything in his life that he lost because of Voldemort. The "Boy Who Lived" felt a huge hole in his chest region. It was like there was no hope and he had lost the ability to care. He had trouble coming up with one good reason on why he shouldn't just give up. That was until he thought about his friends. Remus, Ron, Hermoine, Ginny, Neville, and Luna were reasons to live that he could not avoid. The fact of the matter was that they needed him. If he were to give up than what hope did they have for a future. Harry just shook his head in disbelief. He had to live up to "The Boy Who Lived" for them if for nothing else. It was all just too much to think about. He laid down and before he knew it he was fast asleep.
DUMBLEDORE'S OFFICE:
For the first time that he could remember, Albus Dumbledore was at a loss. He could face down dark wizards, laugh in the most dangerous situations, call upon more power than just two other human beings in the world, but he could not figure out what to do about one 15 year old dark haired wizard by the name of Harry Potter. He had had an understanding of friendship and trust with the boy, but he had lost that by making several mistakes. Firstly, he had tried too hard to protect the young man. Secondly, he had put his physical well being far in front of his emotional well being. Thirdly, and most importantly oaf all, he had overestimated Severus Snape's ability to be above petty rivalries when the greater good was the cost. Dumbledore's eyes hardened as he thought about Professor Snape. He reached across his desk to his mantle and through some floo powder into the fire and said Potions Masters Office. The head of Severus Snape appeared in his fire place. Albus calmly told Snape to come to his office as soon as possible. With that Snape's head vanished.
Severus Snape was already on his way to the Headmaster's office when he got a weird feeling in his gut. The way Albus had spoken to him was not normal. Normally the man that had saved him form a horrible fate smiled when he spoke to him, but he could sense that when he was called earlier that Albus was holding something back. He arrived at the Gargoyle and said the password(Canary Creams) and mounted the spiral staircase. He then proceeded to knock on the door and heard the Headmaster say "Enter". When he walked in he could tell that something just wasn't right. Half of the Headmaster's shiny objects that were usually there were missing and Dumbledore looked like their was a thunderstorm in his head. Albus looked over at Snape with something akin to disdain. Snape just stood there with a gaping mouth like a fish out of water. Dumbledore finally spoke up. "Take a seat Professor" . Sanpe sat down slowly and said" What can I do for you Headmaster?". Dumbledore just sat there for a few seconds with a frown on his face before speaking up. "Severus, in all my years I have truly never OVER-estimated someone as much as I have you". Snape started spluttering shocked. Albus spoke up again, "I had hoped that you would train young Harry correctly for the cause, butu I see that you were to petty and small minded to put your grudge with Sirius and James to rest". Snape stood up and started to protest but Dumbledore thundered "SIT DOWN SEVERUS AND DO NOT SPEAK AGAIN UNLESS YOU ARE ASKED A QUESTION". Severus quickly took his seat, he had never seen Albus as mad as he was at this moment. Dumbledore continued, "Sirius Black has passed form this world and this is in a large part due to your treatment of Harry Potter. Instead of teaching him Occlumency like you were supposed to you gave him inadequate instruction and reveled in the chance to inflict more torture on the young man's mind. For this reason I question your abilities as a teacher. Every other teacher here finds the ability to not favor or show great dislike to the other students. You on the other hand can not find it in yourself to be impartial. It is for this reason that you will denounce Voldemort publicly and yopu will cease to be a spy for the Order of the Pheonix. Perhaps you can't handle the stress of both your job and this task. Furthermore, you are hereby put on probation as a professor and I will personally be keeping a close eye on you. You are to act accordingly to your position as a professor and will not treat any student different than you do another. This period of probation will last until the end of the first term of the upcoming school year. Are we clear Severus?" Snape just sat there dumbstruck. He didn't realize how the Potter boy could be this important to Dumbledore. Millions of objections ran through his head, but when one of the most powerful wizards in the world was this pissed off you did not back talk. Severus spoke, "Yes sir. I jhope I will be able to earn your trust and respect again one day headmaster." With that Dumbledore waved his hand at the door and dismissed the potions master.
After Snape walked out Albus sighed. Well that is one less problem to deal with now. What to do about the others. It was with that thought that there was a knock on his door. He calmly spoke enter, and when the door opened Albus Dumbledore almost had a heart attack at who he saw. Standing there was none other than a man wearing plain brown wizarding robes was Alfred Eldon Perry III. Albus hadn't seen the young man in 15 years and was shocked to do so now. With that shock came a small glimmer of hope. Dare he believe it, that he was back to help the cause once again. Dumbledore smiled a genuine smile and said have a seat Alfred. Alfred spoke up and said "you know I hate that name Albus, just Fred will do". "Of course", Dumbledore said. To what do I owe this honor?". "Well Albus, you now that after what happened to the Potters and with all the lives I was forced to take in the last war that I said that I would never willingly come back to Britian correct?". "I do seem to recall", spoke up Dumbledore. It just so happens that I was at my house in America the other day working on a cure for Werewolves when I found I needed a potion ingredient that I could only get here in Diagon Alley. You see, I needed Pheonix tears and being that we do not have them in America I had to come here. Well, when I walked out of the apothecary I noticed an old friend and thought that it would hurt nothing to say hello. Do you know who that old friend was Albus?". "No idea", said the headmaster. Fred spoke up again, "well it was Remus Lupin". With this Albus smiled. "Anyway I asked Lupin how things were going and he told me about Sirius, but more importantly he told me about Remus. Is Harry the one spoken of in the prophecy Albus?". Dumbledore slowly spoke a yes and motioned for the other wizard to continue. "Well, when I heard that Sirius had passed", Fred got a little teary eyed at this, "I knew that I had to do something." That's why I am here. Dumbledore spoke up, " Well, what is it you are here to do? You know that I would never give orders to you, and one can only hope you want to help in the war effort. Having an ally as powerful and influential as you would be an incredible boost for our morale and would certainly cause a few death eaters to reconsider there actions". At this Dumbledore looked almost as hopeful as a child in a candy store. Alfred couldn't help but give a hearty laugh. "Yes, Albus, I am here to help. But I will only join the order on a freelance basis and I do have one request. I will be there for advice and definetely will participate in my share of the battles, but I will need most of my time for other pursuits". "And those would be?", asked Albus. "Well you see I will only join if you allow Harry entry as well. I will also be attempting to persuade Harry the honor of allowing me to train him personally. I will offer this to Harry with your blessing or not so let us not split hairs over this Albus." Albus Dumbledore took a minute before responding. "Alfred, you bring to me a solution to one of my most difficult problems. I have nothing to say but a resounding YES. I must warn you that Harry is not that happy with me right now, but I will let him be the one to tell you of that. I will also say that although I have no objections to Harry joining the Order, you will be the one to have to convince the others." Alfred laughed, "I really don't think I'll have that much of a problem with that Albus. Now all I need to know is where I can find Harry."