Chapter 2: Memories Return

Harry nodded and went to his bedroom. His room was very messy. Spell books, clothes and parchment littered the floor. His bed was in the far corner, naturally it was not made. His Gryffindor flag was posted above his bed, along with a calendar that counted down the days till he left for school.

Harry closed the door quite loudly and made his way to bed. Being very tired he decided to pack in the morning before he left. Soon he was in a deep sleep.

He was in the Department of Mysteries, the room with he veil. It was just as eerie and strange as he remembered it. The veil sat still in the middle of the room. Ripples were sent across it, although there was no wind, not even a breeze. Harry stood at the top of the stairs trying to catch his breathe. Why had he been brought here once again? Even if it was a dream.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" yelled a voice.

The voice was Sirius. There he stood, looking exactly as Harry remembered him. Harry was re-calling the night of Sirius murder.

A bright stream of light whipped across the air. The light hit Sirius square in his chest, his eyes widened in shock. The laughter still not gone from his face. Slowly he fell through the veil. Vanishing into the unknown.

Harrys heard his own voice screaming and yelling at Lupin. Pleading with Lupin to release him, pleading to save the only family he knew.

Harry jumped up in his bed. Cold sweat was trickling down his cheek. He was quite shaken from the dream. Everything about the night of Sirius murder was rushing back to him. How it seemed like it took forever for Sirius to fall though the veil. How Bellatrix screamed in triumph when she had defeated her cousin. How he had fought so hard to get back to Sirius. How he had once again come face to face with Voldemort. How Voldemort had come back. Now Harry came clearly aware of the prophecy that was told to him last year.

Harry missed Sirius so much. The thought of returning to Grimmuald Place haunted him again. He turned to face the clock. It was just turning five-thirty. It wasn't the best hour to wake up at, but he decided in the end to get up and start packing.

It had only been an hour and Harry had completed all of his packing. His clothes, books, broom and wand were all waiting in his room for when the Gaurd arrived. He decided to sit in his room and finish his potions homework.This year, Harry thought, was going to be better because he didn't have to take the dreadful subject of Divintation. He had gotten tired of the Professor predicting his death.

Soon two hours passed and Harry's stomach gave a loud rumble, so he got up and went downstairs for breakfast. Aunt Petunia was bustling around in the kitchen while his uncle was sitting with the morning paper. Dudley, naturally, was in the living room fixed upon the T.V. He sat staring bug eyed at the screen.

"Breakfast!" Aunt Petunia shouted in her usual high voice. "Ickle Diddykins time for some breakfast" She never lost her temper with Dudley. He was always sweat and harmless, even when he didn't come when called and he showed up for breakfast twenty minutes late. Harry tried to reach for some bacon, Dudley still hadn't come even though it was reaching twenty-two minutes since he had been called.

"You will not eat until everyone is at the table!" Aunt Petunia said slapping his hand away from the pan. "Dudley come dear!" Harry pulled back and cradled his hand. A red mark had been left were he was slapped.

"Ah! Theres my big boy" Petunia said as Dudley came around the corner. Harry had to stick his head under the table to fight the laughter. Dudley sure was a "big boy" no matter how you looked at it. Soon they had finished eating and the dishes had been cleared (by Harry) tea had been made (by Harry) and the mail had been brought in (once again by Harry). Soon he was relieved when they announced that they had nothing else for him to do. He bonded outside towards the fresh air.

Harry was pacing in the kitchen. It was just after dinner. Harry had just finished cleaning up the dinner dishes, and washing them. His usual chores for the Dursleys. The reason he was pacing was because he was so eager to get away. He was eager to see his friends and have a decent helping of food for once.

Harry had no clue how they were planning to get him to Grimmuald Place this time. He had thought that they would be flying again, so he had brought his broom from upstairs. The Dursley's had eyed him carefully as he placed his belongings by the front door. They were still terrified of magic, expecially after what happened last year.

"I don't know why his folk are always so late." Vernon muttered. "Didn't even give a proper time of arrival did they? No. All we heard was after dinner."

"No ones asking you to wait around!" Harry grumbled at his relatives. "Besides its not like you have somewhere to be any ways"

"Watch your -" The doorbell rang. Harry was relieved, expecially since his uncle was just about to have a row with him. He rushed forward from the kitchen and opened the door. Lupin, Tonks, Mad-eye Moody and much of his original guard were all outside the door.

"Good evening Harry" Lupin said "May we come in for a moment?"

"Absolutely" He then opened the door wider so that everyone could get through.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Dursley!" Tonks said as she bounded into the room. The Dursleys stood in disgust looking at her. Today her hair was bright pink again and she resembled a spunky teenager.

"Right well Harry we should explain to you the plan. We are to wait once again for a signal then we will be heading to Grimmuald Place by a Port Key. We thought that flying would be a bigger hassle than we need, and now that Dumbledore is back on friendly terms with the Ministry we were able to pull a few strings." Lupin announced.

"Ahh, that would be it Remus" said a older witch looking out the window at something. Harry guessed it was the signal they were waiting for.

"Right well lets go. Tonks could you grab Harrys things" Lupin said while gesturing towards his belongings. Next he took out an old key. It was rusted all around. Looked as though it had once been gold, but its better days were well behind it. "This is the Port Key Harry, you know what to do. Just me and you will be taking it everyone else will apparent to were we are meeting. On the count of three. One . . .Two . . .Thr -"

"Uncle wait!" someone called.

Harry turned around only to see a girl, or young women, standing by the window. She was rushing through the rest of the Gaurd to get to Lupin.

She had dark brown hair that hung to her shoulders. And piercing blue eyes like an ocean on a sunny day. She looked a fair amount older than Harry. But she was still very young, barley out of her teens Harry guessed.

"Ah, Grenadine" Lupin said looking up. "Yes, so sorry I forgot you dear. Well its not everyday that you meet a twenty-year-old who cannot apparate."

"I know uncle, give it time."

"Well since you are coming with us I should introduce you. Harry this is my sisters daughter, Grenadine."

"Pleasure Harry" she said reaching to shake his hand. Harry nodded in agreement.

"Well we shall get to know each other better later. Best be off. Right on the count of three. One . . . Two . . . Three"

Harry felt the familiar sensation. The hard wood floors of the Dursleys house were gone from beneath his feet. The Dursleys kitchen,stairs and living room had all disappeared and he was flying forwards in a whirlwind of color and sound . . .

Harrys feet hit solid ground with a large thud. He looked around, slowly the room came into clearer vision. He saw Grenadine and Lupin both standing across form him.

"Well that was fun!" Grenadine said sarcastically. Harry was looking around more carefully. They were not at the Black mansion yet. They looked like they were on a darker alley. Soon the rest of the members of the Order were showing up. They all began to appear around him with large cracks. Harry saw a couple of alley cats streak out from behind a few garbage bins.

"Sorry Harry" Lupin began. "But we could not bring you straight to the Order because Grenadine is not a member yet nor does she know were it is. We had to pick her up before we came to get you. Grenadine was teaching at a school in Romania for a shorter term and now has agreed to come and teach at Hogwarts. She will be filling the Defence against the Dark Arts job." Lupin then crossed over to Grenadine and showed her a small slip of parchment. Harry guessed it was the parchment with the location of Grimmuald Place.

Harry stood in the entrance of Grimmuald Place. Mrs. Black portrait stood across the hall. The curtains still hung over her. The cobwebbed chandelier hung above. The wallpaper still peeled, although some of it looked as though it had been repaired. Harry guessed Mrs. Weasley had been back at cleaning the house again. It seemed like it was sufficient enough to live in this time. Harry could still make out the blackened portraits on the walls. How they hung crooked in the light of the gas lanterns.

It still didn't have the feel of a home, and it probably never will. To many memories in these dreadful walls Harry thought. The good ones being when Sirius was still around, and the bad were yet to come. Harry knew this time around in Headquarters would not be a pleasant picnic.

"Well Harry I think Mr.Weasley and Miss.Granger are waiting most patiently in there rooms for your arrival. Grenadine perhaps you could walk with Harry upstairs and meet future students." Lupin announced. "I and the rest of the guard will be waiting in the kitchen for a meeting. Dumbledore will be coming Harry, he will be most pleased to see you have arrived. Besides Molly would have a fit if he didn't come for your birthday. We shall call you, off you two go then."

Harry began to follow Grenadine up the stairs. She wore a smile on her face and looked most pleased to be here.

"I'm very excited to work at Hogwarts" She said suddenly. Harry listened eagerly. " I have always wanted to go back there. I miss the halls, the teachers, and the food most of all. I've seen you there. We had never been formally introduced of course. I was in Hufflepuff. I was there when Cedric died. The year of the Twizard Tournament, I graduated. You were very spectacular in the tournament. I admired you for your courage and dignity."

"Thank you" Harry said nervously. He smiled. "So I guess Defence Against the Dark Arts runs in the family?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that. We all just like it, I guess. Our family has been around for years, we have always been interested with that particular subject. I hear you also have a facination with it. Is this true?"

"Well, it intrests me. I want to be an Auror. Well I haven't decided, and only if I get the right marks." Harry had told few people about his dream job, but he felt that Grenadine was alright to share this with. She was different.

They were just coming up on the second floor landing. The room that Harry shared with Ron was to the right. He knocked then opened the door.

There sitting on two chairs, looking up towards the door was Ron and Hermione. Hermione jumped from her seat and dashed to Harry. Soon he was smuggled by her hugging him. She still had the dark brown wavy hair that hung to her shoulders. And her eyes were still the same brown. She looked much the same as the last time he saw her only she may have grown a bit.

"Oh Harry!" She said hugging him tighter. "I have missed you so much. After leaving you last year I thought of all the dreadful things that could happen. I was so afraid that I would never see you again. Expecially now that Voldemort's back." Ron shuddered across the room. Hermione pulled back and looked at Harry. Tears were streaming down her face. She was smiling though. She looked truly happy to have all of her friends together again.

Next Ron came forward. And shook Harry's hand. He gave a large smile. His hair was still bright red. He looked like he had grown another three inches.

"How are you doing mate? Good to see you." Ron said still shaking Harry's hand.

"Good to see you to." They let go of hands. he looked towards the door and remembered that Grenadine was still there. "Oh, and this is Grenadine, Lupins niece." Harry said "She is filling the Defense Against the Dark Arts job at Hogwarts. She came from Romania."

"Oh I have heard a lot about you." Said Hermione stepping forward. "Lupin has said a lot. I'm so pleased you've come to teach."

"The Defence Against the Darks Arts job is cursed you -" Hermione stabbed Ron in his side mid-sentance. She shot him a this-is-not-the-time look and smiled up at Grenadine"

"Thank you, Hermione. My uncle has said a lot about you also. I expect great things. He speaks very highly of you three." She smiled. "I best get downstairs, besides you have a lot to get caught up on I bet." She turned and went back down the staircase.

For minutes they sat in silence. No one able to pull themselves to say anything. Yes, Harry was happy to be back with his friends and the people who cared most about him. He tried hard not to think about Sirius. Of course he wasn't feeling as bad as he had last year, even with him being in the Black's house. Luna Lovegood he could thank for that. No, he thought, everything was fine. He had some questions of course for his friends.

"Do you think they'll tell us more this year?" he started.

"Well I doubt it. Not with Mrs. Weasley around telling us we're to young. We might be let in on a few things." Hermione stated.

"What do you know?"

"Well we know Dumbledore is once again in good terms with the Ministry. Fudge is once again begging for his help in this matter. Dumbledore has already suggested orders. Much of the ones we heard in our fourth year. Like remove the Dementors from Azkaban. And we have heard that people have been sent to send envoys to the Giants." she paused in taking breath. " And Voldemorts were-abouts, well the Order is keeping that from us. But if he gets close, and he must be nearing, then I'm sure your one of the first to know." she focussed her last sentence to Harry.

Harry nodded in a agreement. Everything Hermione said, he didn't doubt.

"I think the Ministry and Dumbledore will get You-know-who before you even have to worry Harry. Before you are even touched." Ron said trying to sound hope full.

What Harry's friends still were not sure of was the prophecy that Harry had witnessed last year. He had not told his friends that he was going to be the murderer or the victim. He thought that keeping this from them would be better. Telling this to them would create grief and everything else Harry thought no one should have to suffer through. He wanted there lives to remain as normal as possible. This was the right thing to do Harry felt.

Silence followed Ron's words. None of them could bring themselves so say anything else of encouragement. Harry thought it best to change the subject and ease the tension.

"Do you know what kind of cake Mrs. Weasley is making for my Birthday?"

"Oh I hope its chocolate!" Ron said suddenly straightening up at the word of food.

"Gees, Don't you think about anything besides food? Honestly." Hermione groaned.

"Just because you don't have the respect for such a gift in life doesn't mean we don't." Hermione rolled her eyes and looked like she was about to have another go at Ron but then Mrs. Weasley called them all down for supper.