The heavy rain battered against the window. A wind was howling outside, looking out into the storm he saw the trees swaying dangerously. Thick, black clouds were speeding through the sky that it made the scene in front of him look almost surreal. He closed his eyes as he thought of what course of action to take. The Dark Lord had returned just over a year ago and he knew he was in great danger. Lord Voldemort would not show any mercy to him, he would undoubtedly use one of the Unforgivable Curses on him if he was found. Every waking moment of his day and night now consisted of being alert, listening for any sign of danger. He knew that Lord Voldemort would be looking for him, the Death Eater who found him and presented him in front of Voldemort would be greatly rewarded. He would not be taken alive though, his powers had become great over the last 17 years, not as powerful as Voldemort, no, but there were not many wizards or witches who could defeat him. The ring that remained on his finger made Rosewiel powerful, he did not understand the full power of the ring but some of it's secrets had been unlocked through constant study ever since the day he had obtained it. Opening his eyes he crossed to the mirror and looked at his reflection. His face was pale, with a prominent hooked nose, he had very dark eyes that at some angles looked black as the night sky. There were shadows under his eyes due to the lack of sleep and worry over the last few months. His black hair hung down to his shoulders, unkempt and untidy it was once always kept in a tight ponytail. The robes he wore were now looking shabby and dirty. Hiding, doing everything he could not to be found was taking it's toll on him, but he felt sure that he was safe for a while in this place. Yes, keeping concealed here would buy him a couple of weeks respite at least. Now though, he had a descision to make. Rosewiel knew that Voldemort, as powerful and evil as he is, had one major weakness. Harry Potter. Rosewiel knew that Voldemort would not be able to resist the chance to defeat the boy he tried to kill 17 years ago. He had read that he had failed a month ago at the Ministry of Magic when Dumbledore prevented Voldemort from killing him before Voldemort escaped with Bellatrix LeStrange. The remaining Death Eaters were captured and now currently resided in Azkaban. Not for long though. He was sure the Dementors would come out of the control of the Ministry of Magic and side with Voldemort. He would allow the Dementors more freedom the the Ministry of Magic ever would. The Daily Prophet had finally admitted that the Dark Lord was back, much to the embarresment of the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Fudge had denied strongly throughout the last year that he had returned and that Harry Potter and Dumbledore were lying. He snorted with disgust as he thought of Fudge.

"Pathetic, power hungry litte man" he muttered to himself. Rosewiel did not need the Daily Prophet to tell him that he was back. The mark that was imbedded into his skin on his left arm, suddenly burned and became much clearer last August. He had not returned to him like some of the other Death Eaters. He knew the fate that would have awaited him if he had. He was also aware that other Death Eaters felt the same. Rosewiel suddenly brought his thoughts back to his dilema. Handing Harry Potter to Voldemort would mean he would be rewarded, and by rewarded he knew that meant that Voldemort would not kill him but punish him severely, or should he help, warn Potter of the danger that he and the rest of the Wizarding community would be in if Voldemort was to find him. Rosewiel knew, the ring in the wrong hands, would be an attrocity wating to happen. He fully admitted to himslef that he would understand no more about the powers the ring posessed, Lord Voldemort on the other hand would be able to discover the truth much faster. Of that he was sure. If Voldemort got the ring back the death toll would be large, no-one would be able to stop him. Crossing to his desk he picked up his quill and slowly dipped it into the ink. Closing his eyes he began to write. He had made his descision.

He looked down at the parchmanet he had just written on and re-read it. He sealed it and walked across to the owl sitting patiently on his perch.
"I need you to take this to Harry Potter. Do not wait for a reply from him, just come straight back to me. Fly only at night, I do not want you to be seen or discovered." Rosewiel spoke to his owl in a loving almost soft whisper.

Xavier hooted that he understood his owner's instructions. A large, proud barn owl, he had been his maters companion and best friend for many years. His feathers ruffled as leather gloved hand stroked his head. On the middle finger was a thick band of gold with a large purple stone attached to it. Rosewiel did not know what kind of stone it was, but what he did know was the moment he put the ring onto his finger is whole life changed.

Rosewiel attached the scrap bit of parchment onto Xavier's leg, stroked his chest and proceeded to the window. As soon as the window opened Xavier took flight, glad to be in the open again regardless of the weather. Rosewiel knew that Xavier needed out more often but he could not risk being discovered. As he watched Xavier flying off into the distance fighting the conditions he looked down upon his right hand and stared at the ring and asked himself the question he had asked many times before. Had his life changed for the better or the worse? As usual he could not answer. His mind was wondering back over these last few mad years. Up until now he had been relatively safe, now he was in more danger than he had ever been. Glancing out of the window again Xavier was no longer in sight. Slowly he closed the window and pulled back the thick black drapes to be plunged into almost darkness again. The room was sparcely decorated and was filthy due to it being uninhabited for years. The house belonged to his family, both his parents were now dead and his younger brother never came here. A row between him and his only living relative had resulted in them never talking to each other ever agin. His memory was bringing up the images of the argument that he had had with him. An argument over betrayal. Betrayal to Voldemort. It had not gone down well, both of them were Dark Eaters, each other thought that they had a common goal in helping Lord Voldemort defeat all wizards who stood in his way. A path to victory. However that vision was not shared between them both. One had left and was now against Voldemort and the other Death Eaters.

He picked up the the large gold goblet and drained the remining wine in it and slammed it down on the desk. The memory was a bitter one and he would never forgive him, or could he. He was older and wiser and surely he was too. Time is great healer, one day they could perhaps put their differences behind them. One Day.......
He slumped down on his bed and looked across at the various Sneakoscopes placed at various points throughout the room. They remained still and no sound came from any of them. He was in no danger in the meantime. Closing his eyes, he felt tiredness sweep over him. He needed to sleep. It would be interupted with the usual nightmares but nothing could be done about them. As he felt unconciousness set in he uttered only two words before passing out.
"It's begun....."

Harry was sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. Greif beyond nothing like he had ever experience still engulfed him. It had been just over a month since Sirius' death and the despair that he felt showed no signs of letting up. The battle with the Death Eaters at the Ministry of Magic played over and over in his mind. He and members of the DA had dashed stright to the Ministry of Magic under the belief that Sirius was being held captive and torcherd by Lord Voldemort. All through last year Harry had been having visions in his dreams of Department of Mysteries and of Lord Voldemort. Every time he had had the dreams he was trying to get through a series of doors. He had believed that there was a weapon of great power in the final room. Finally, after being thwarted on several occasions he had made it into the room. It was filled with row upon row of what looked like little crystal balls. It was in this room that he felt Voldemorts desperation to enter.

Harry had felt growing curiosity with each vision and although he had been warned to try and block the visions his desire to see what was behind the final door had gotten the better of him. Harry knew he was doing wrong in allowing himself to openly accpet the visions even though some of them were deeply disturbing. Once, however, it had been extremley useful and had saved Arthur Weasley from death. In the vision he felt as though he was in the body of a great snake that was prowling thorugh the corridors of the Ministry of Magic only to be disturbed by Mr Weasley. The snake had attacked him and bit him repeatedly. Harry still shuddered at the scene. For a while he belived he was responsible for the attack. He was the snake. He later learned that it was in fact Voldmort who had possesed the snake and because of the unique connection between the two of them, Harry had felt the feelings, the pleasure, of Voldemort causing pain. He had immediately informed Dumbledore who had acted quick enough to save Mr Weasley and get him admitted to St Mungo's. However the connection between Voldemort and himself had also been the cause of Harry and his friends rushing to London to save Sirius. Voldemort had become aware of the bond and had used it to fool Harry, to lure him to come to Sirius' rescue. As it turned out Sirius was quite safe in Grimauld Place but waiting for him, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny and Luna were a collection of Death Eaters. The little balls turned out to be prophecys made about various people. It was this and not a weapon that Voldemort was after, and because the prophecy could only be heard by the people it involved he had used Harry to collect it. Voldemort knew the prophecy was about himself and Harry and before he could put any of his plans into action, he had to know what the prophecy said. A battle had ensused between the DA and the Death Eaters, and though Harry and his friends battled valiantly there appeared to be no escape from them. Harry got himself trapped and surrounded by a collection of them, the other members of the DA had been dealt with in various fashions which included Ron being attacked by some kind of creature which resembled a human brain, Hermione and been struck by some kind of curse and Ginny had broken her ankle. Neville on the other hand, although beaten up, continued to fight alongside Harry. Harry knew defeat was about to be inflicted upon him and he was bracing himself for death. Then it happened. Member of the Order of the Phoenix had burst in, having been warned by Proffesor Snape. A fierce battle ensued, curses flew back and forth across the room. In their attempts to escape the prophecy had been smashed and destroyed. Just after the prophecy had been destroyed Dumbledore had appeared from nowhere and had joined the battle, quickly casting spells to trap and contain as much Death Eaters as possible.

Whenever Harry thought of the next ten seconds of this memory, time seemed to slow down and happen in slow motion. There was only one pair left fighting. Sirius and Bellatrix Lestrange. Sirius was taunting her, he looked like he was actually enjoying this. Given that he had been cooped up for almost a year, this was hardly a surprise. Harry watched with wide eyed terror as Lestranges Spell exploded upon Sirius. The look on his face will live in his memory forever. It was a mixture of shock and amusement. His body seemed to curve and in what seemed like and eternity, Sirius fell gracefully backwards into the veil that was hanging over the arch. He had tried to reach him only to be held back by Lupin. Lupin knew and Harry quickly realised too that Sirius had gone.

Harry blamed himself for the whole situation. Dumbledore had realised what was happening between Voldemort and Harry and had instructed Harry to take Occlumency lessons from Professor Snape. Snape and Harry had hated each other from his first year at Hogwarts, so it was not easy to take lessons in a subject he found difficult and deeply distressing. Also, given the fact that Harry had spied on Snapes most embarrasing memories envolving his parents and their friends taunting and making fun of him, the lessons had ended abruptly with Harry no nearer blocking his mind than when he started.

If only he had continued the lessons, if only he had listened to Hermione's warnings. How had she put it. You do like to play the hero. Even though he did not inted to play the hero she was correct, but what else could he do. The visions were so clear, that he felt he had no option but to rush off and try and save his Godfather. Instead of saving him though, he had helped kill him. Sirius had rushed to save him from the mess he had gotten himslef and his friends in and now he was gone.

A great sob escaped Harry as he relived the memory for what seemed like the millionth time.

"BOY!!!. GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANCE" Uncle Vernon shouted from the bottom of the stairs. Harry laid down Quiditch through the ages on his bed and walked slowly downstairs wondering what on earth he could have done this time.

"It's another one of your kind on the phone.....again" Harrys friends had all kept their promises and had been in constant touch throughout the hollidays. No more than three days had passed without talking to anyone from the wizarding world. Harry walked across to Uncle Vernon and took the phone from his hand. Harry, though, did not put the receiver to his ear. He merely stood there staring at Uncle Vernon with a look that said "You can leave now". Uncle Vernon glowered at Harry, his face purple with a mixture of rage at Harrys disobedience and disbelief that these kind of people would be phoning his house. Slowly Uncle Vernon turned and headed towards the living room, closing the door behind him.

"Hello"

"Hiya Harry. Hows things". Ron Weasley was on the other end, Harrys best friend for the past five years. His face lit up in a huge smile. Ron had mastered the use of the telephone recently. The first time he had phoned the house was a few years ago, just before they were to enter their third year at Hogwarts. On this occasion his Uncle Vernon had been the unlucky recipient of that telephone call. Ron who really did not have a clue how the telephone worked was shouting down the phone as though trying to make himself heard from a great distance.

"Listen I cannot stay on for long, you know I dont like using these Muggle contraptions and if it were anyone but you I wouldnt go near the damn things."

"Oh well.... If you dont have time to talk thats okay". Ron obviously sensed the disapointment in Harrys voice and quickly added. "It's not that I dont want to talk. I sent Pig with quite a long letter for you about two hours ago. He should be arriving at yours soon, so keep and eye out for him. The reason I'm phoning is with a message from Lupin. He says to be ready at twelve o clock tomorrow. Some of the members are coming to collect you. Also Mum says that you are not to have any dinner as she will be preparing a huge lunch to welcome you back"

"Brilliant, Are we going to The Burrow" Harry asked excitedly.

Rons voice took a while to come over obviously dreading the reaction of what he was about to say. "No mate we're all staying at the Orders Headquarters"
The excitement that had risen so quickly in Harry just as quickly dissolved. "There is a reason for this as you will find out tomorrow when you arrive. Harry, I know being back at this house is probably the last place you want to be, well perhaps the Dursleys, but you understand that it is important"

Harry understood, and he was really grateful to Ron. He realised that this must be difficult for him to make this call and break the news to him. Harry also knew that he called it Orders Headquarters instead of Sirius' house and he greatly appreciated Rons tactfullness. Harry quickly pulled himself away from his thought and tried to make his voice sound cheerful.

"You're right. I dont really want to go back there, but if thats where you, your family and all my friends are then it'll be worth it"

Harry heard Ron exhale quickly down the phone, obviously releived that Harry appeared to be taking the news rather well.

"Hermione will not be arriving for another week at least. She's went off somewhere about two weeks ago, was quite secretive about it actually, but you know her she probably discovered some library that she's never set foot in before and is determined to read every book in the place before term starts again." Harry chuckled at Rons poor attempt at a joke, picturing Hermione sitting with books piled high on either side of her, her eyes looking like a blur as she tried to take in as much as possible.

"Anyway, I'd better go Fred and George were lurking about my room just before I came downstairs, their business is booming and they are constantly inventing new practical jokes, only problem is that they have taken it upon themselves to enroll me and Ginny as Gueinea Pigs. Oh and a word of warning mate, Mum now knows how they funded their shop. She's calmed down quite a bit, but I'd expect a quiet word from her before we go back to school"

Harry gulped, Mrs Weasly was like a mother figure to him, but she had a temper to match the colour of her hair and Harry had witnessed it on quite a few occasions, her rage usually directed towards the twins, Fred and George.

"Look out for Pig will you, and give him a quick rest if you can before sending him back. Mind you he's driving me nuts, I'm telling you that owl has a screw loose somewhere. See you tomorrow Harry"

"Yeah, see you then" Harry replaced the receiver and walked through to the living room where he found Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. Uncle Vernon had his face buried in the newspaper, whether he was reading it or just trying to ignore him, Harry did not know, did'nt really care to be honest. Aunt Petunia however was looking at him.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow. Some of my friends will be coming to collect me at lunch time"

"C-COMING HERE. TO MY HOUSE. TH-THOSE....THOSE WEIRDOS!!!!!!" Harry now realised that Uncle Vernon had infact been delibartely ignoring him, but he couldnt help but smile. The last time that the Durselys had met some wizarding people in their house had been a couple of years ago, when some of the Weasleys had come to collect him and take him to the Quiditch World Cup. Unfortunatley, they had travelled by Floo Powder and on arriving they had discovered that they did not in fact have a fire place but an eclictic one as Mr Weasley delightedly observed, the results of that visit were a living room almost destroyed in half and Fred and George Weasley accidently slipping some Ton Tongue Toffee for Dudley which resulted in Dudleys tongue swelling to an enormous size.

"We will be out of the way before the arrive" Aunt Petunia said quietly. Uncle Vernon stared at her. Harry looked at her with a slightly puzzled look. Aunt Petunia had been almost bearable this summer. She no longer looked at Harry as though he was somethning that she found from under her fingernails and she was certainly...nicer.

"Thank you" Harry replied.

"I WILL NOT BE FORCED OUT OF MY HOUSE FOR A BUNCH OF NUTTERS" bellowed Uncle Vernon.
Aunt Petunia looked at her husband with what Harry was sure was a flicker of a smile. "Fine you stay here and welcome them then. I'm sure the topics of conversation will be enlightening to say the least". Harry couldnt help but chuckle at Aunt Petunia and of the sight of her taking the mick out of Uncle Vernon.
"What time will they be here Harry?" enquired Aunt Petunia.

"Ron said they would be here at twelve. I..I dont know how they will be arriving though. I never thought to ask." Harry had caught a look at Uncle Vernon and guessed that that was going to be his next question. He obviously guessed correctly as he quickly closed his mouth and stormed from the living room muttering something like getting out of this mad house.
"I'm going to go and start getting packed if that's ok" Harry said to his Aunt. She said nothing but nodded, the smile on her face now prominent. Harry thought she looked like a completley different person, less severe and more normal. He ran upstairs and went back into his room wher he was greeted by the sight of two owls, one was Pigwidgeon, Rons owl who was circling the room and hooting happily as though enjoying some kind of fantastic game. Harry noticed that Pig was turning into quite a handsome owl, though as Ron had pointed out, he was still mad. Harry could see Rons letter attached to his leg but something else had caught his attention. Standing on the post of his bed was a full grown Tawny Owl. Harry crossed to the bird, which by now had it's chest puffed out. It was brown with black markings through it as though someone had flicked some back paint over it. Harry sat on the bed and stroked it with one had while removing the letter from his beak. Laying the letter on his bed he lifted the owl into Hedwig's cage, which was currently empty as Hedwig had not returned from the night before. Harry was not too worried about this as Hedwig often disapeared for a few days at a time and would usually return with some kind of rodent hanging by its tail in his beak. The owl gratefully drank some water and accepted some of the treats that Harry presented to it. Pig not wanting to miss out, swooped down and pecked Harry on the head.

"Oww!!!! There are less painful ways of getting what you want" he said to pig as he landed on his shoulder. Harry placed a treat in his beak and lifted him into the cage to join the older more reserved owl, which stared at Pig with indignant look upon it's face. Harry laughed, it was usually the kind of look, that older owls usually gave Pig when they were in his prescence. Harry crossed the room and looked at the letters that he had tossed onto his bed once he had retrieved them. He laid Rons letter to the side because his heart was now hammering, he now knew without opening the letter who it was from. He looked up at the Tawny Owl who was now staring at Harry with an interested look on it's face. Held in his hand was his OWL results.