Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the characters and alas, not even the universe. Immense praise goes to JKR who does own this and who created it. I'm merely sharing what I think should/may happen inside her universe while we wait to see what really does.
He couldn't believe it was finally over. He was done answering everyone's questions. They may not have been satisfied with the answers he gave, but he was done answering their questions nonetheless.
Harry looked up from the table after everyone had left and found himself face-to-face with three angry looking Weasley's and an angry Hermione. "Hi you guys. I guess you heard I left the Dursleys, eh?" Harry said in an attempt to dissolve some of their anger.
Hermione acted first, her hand came up from the table and tried to slap his face. But, it was as if Harry saw everything in slow motion. Everything slowed down as he watched her hand travel from the table in front of him in an arc nearing his cheek. Harry waited until the last possible second before dodging her hand, completely shocked and surprised by what had just happened.
"Harry, mate," Ron began with eyes wide. "How the bloody hell did you do that?"
"It's awfully good to see you all too. I have absolutely no idea how the 'bloody hell' I did that as you so articulately put it Ron. Have you guys seen Ginny?" Harry responded looking for a scapegoat.
"Harry James Potter do not use me as a way to avoid answering any more questions!" Harry looked up and saw Ginny standing in the doorway her eyes flashing in anger, her wand pointed at him.
"Ginny, put your wand down. You know we can't do magic outside of school," Hermione said in a disapproving voice reminding everyone of her need for abiding the rules, or laws as this case may be.
"Actually Hermione, we can do magic at Grimmauld Place. The ministry can't accuse us of doing magic if they cannot find us. The house is under the Fidelius Charm and therefore cannot be found. Everyone in the house cannot be found either. Therefore, the Ministry can't blame us for using magic when technically we don't exist where the magic was being done." Everyone looked at Harry. The only person to have followed that completely was Ginny. The only reason she knew was because she had followed Harry into the Order meeting under his invisibility cloak and witnessed everything that occurred. Oddly enough, the moment she thought about it, Harry found out too.
"Look Harry, we know you're the reason that we are where we are today, but you can't just do that to a Professor. I mean, we saw what you did upstairs and Ginny told us what happened in here," Fred said.
"I guess Hermione didn't get the memo, though," George continued.
"And just because you are our beneficiary doesn't mean we can't yell at you for what you did," Fred finished.
"Alright, here's the deal," Harry said his voice brimming with frustration. "I do not feel like repeating myself again, so if you want to know what I told the Order or what I did to the Headmaster, you can ask Ginny. She was there. She knows what happened. But, that will have to wait; Ginny and I have a date with Remus at the moment because I think he's going to kill me for almost killing Snape and for what I did to Dumbledore." Harry didn't know where some of the words were coming. He knew they were true, but he didn't quite know why, or how, he knew.
Harry began to rise in his seat as everyone looked at him, they clearly weren't expecting anything they had just heard. As soon as Harry had stood up there was a firm hand on his shoulder. "Harry, we will be having this discussion in here without Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Gred, or Forge," Lupin's voice was firm but with a hint of amusement and everyone immediately left the room.
"I thought we were going to talk about my link with Ginny," Harry began as the door shut behind his friends.
"No, not right now. Right now you are going to tell me what else it is you know which you conveniently forgot to tell the Order and the Headmaster," Lupin said sternly as he sat down next to Harry.
Harry sighed. He knew he was going to have to tell him, he just didn't want to. He couldn't believe that it was a mere few weeks ago that he'd been at Hogwarts. A little over a month ago when he thought his worst problem had been Umbridge. Now, he had made things complicated and then more complicated, and Remus wanted him to untangle and lay everything out simply. Harry knew it was nearly impossible.
"Fine, but I guarantee you are not going like what you hear. Everything is complicated. And then I had the brilliant idea to go and make it even more complicated!
"Where to begin? Let's see, you know about the prophecy, so that takes care of the last week of school. That leads us to my animosity towards the Headmaster. I know you think it shouldn't be there, but you only know part of the reason I'm so malicious towards him right now.
"When I arrived at the Dursleys this summer, I was in for a surprise. I received a letter from Aunt Petunia about my parent's last wishes. They left a copy of them with Sirius, Dumbledore, Petunia, and someone else. In this letter they specifically said that I was not to ever get placed in the care of my aunt and uncle. Instead I was to go to Sirius, or my godmother, if that was not possible then to you, Peter, Alice, or Frank."
Lupin had a sharp intake of breath at hearing that. Looks of understanding, confusion, anger, and curiosity flashed across his face. It had never occurred to him that Harry wasn't suppose to be placed with the Dursleys. Dumbledore had always said it was for the best and no one questioned him, until Petunia's copy of the letter showed up.
"Harry, do you mean to tell me that you have a godmother? That you were never suppose to endure the treatment that you were subjected to? Are you telling me that Dumbledore lied directly to my face and did exactly what he was told not to do?" It was too much for Lupin to digest at the moment. There was no way this could be happening. "If that's true, why didn't Sirius say anything?"
"He did. Don't you remember Dumbledore kept him cooped up in the house? That's why, I bet he threatened to tell me when I arrived and that's why I was brought here. That's why I was allowed to stay the summer here," Harry answered. He had obviously thought about this very hard, but was still confused. he knew his explanation made no sense what-so-ever.
"Harry, I think Sirius threatened to go to the Ministry with the letter from your parents. Dumbledore got scared and cooped him up in the house," Lupin said quietly, still trying to digest this information. "Ok, we will talk again soon, I swear. But right now I need to cool off. I can't handle anymore information. I just can't. Why don't you go upstairs and disappear. Get some more sleep, I'll try and find you later to talk with you and Ginny, OK?" Lupin asked looking older than Harry had ever seen him look.
Harry nodded his head and left the kitchen. As he was heading upstairs he ran into five people who had obviously been listening in on the conversation. "So glad I shoved those extendibles into your hand Ginny. Now that you know the truth, what do you think of what I did?" Harry asked with a slight hit of amusement.
"I haven't told them the entire contents of the prophecy, just what it means in the end. And I haven't told them about the entire Order meeting," Ginny replied trying to look Harry in the eyes but failing miserably. It was almost too much for her too.
"Alright, let's go up to the attic and talk, I don't think anyone will bother us up their. They still think a ghoul lives there!" Harry said with a grin.
"What do you mean 'thinks'? Of course there's a ghoul, I heard it myself!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Hermione, I got rid of it, don't worry, there's nothing up there but boxes. Boxes I want to go through when we finish talking, alone," Harry added.
"Oh no! You are not going to start brooding. You have every one of us right here and we are going to help you through this. No more closing off, not a chance, not now or ever in the near future. Everyone else may let you but I sure as hell won't!" Ginny said, turning Harry's head so he looked directly into her brown eyes. At Ginny's touch an odd sensation filled Harry. It was different, oddly enjoyable, yet different. As soon as she removed her hand it disappeared, and was as if it was never there.
The clan turned and headed up the stairs lead by Harry, who was still deep in thought, to the attic where they would discuss everything that needed discussing. From what the Order did and didn't know to what they needed and didn't need to know. They would go over it all. It was the first time Harry talked so freely for so long to so many people. What he didn't know was that Remus was listening and contemplating how to raise Harry for the rest of his life. Remus was going to ensure there was a 'rest of his life' to take care of if it was the last thing he did!
A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! I really appreciate the feedback. I'm sorry it's been a while since I've updated, I've been feeling a bit under the weather these last few days, damn that snow storm, it's like April and still snowing, oh well, can't control the weather, just like I can't control the reviews, but you can . . .