The-Boy-Who-Lived-Again...

Chapter 24

Fifteen minutes later, Harry and Dumbledore found themselves in the main room of Grimmauld place. Members of the Order were pouring in by the second. Dumbledore hadn't given out the full story about who Harry was. He merely said that he was an "operative" whose "identity is best kept secret." People had accepted that easily. Harry was taken aback when an order member (whom Harry later learned was Mad-eye Moody) tapped him lightly on the shoulder and whispered "we need to talk." into his ear.

Once the Order had quieted, Dumbledore gave an abbreviated story about how Voldemort is planning to attack Diagon Alley. A few people gasped, but most said nothing, or simply nodded. The discussion shifted to strategy and how to best defend Diagon Alley, and Harry felt his eyes start to glaze over.

'I guess I'll have a little look around...' Harry thought, before separating his spirit from his body.

Harry drifted throughout Diagon Alley, looking for anything out of the ordinary. He found nothing. Just people out doing their shopping. Harry pulled his spirit back to Grimmauld place, and decided to have a look around the old house.

The meeting was nowhere near over, though some people had been sent to Diagon alley to help evacuate, and someone was at the Floo gate, calling the ministry. Harry drifted up the stairs. Moth-eaten curtains, ugly portraits, and plaques with decapitated house elf heads hung on the walls. Harry was glad he was moving about as a spirit. He doubted most of the rotted flooring would support his weight.

Harry drifted from bedroom to bedroom looking for something of interest, but most of the rooms had nearly an inch of dust on the floors. The third room he ghosted into was quite interesting. There was a well-fed hippogriff laying across the floor. Harry remembered Hermione telling him about it. The hippogriff was Buckbeak, the same one they saved Sirius Black's life with so long ago. After examining Buckbeak for some time, Harry drifted back downstairs to see how the meeting was progressing. Harry figured that it was time to head back to his body, considering Molly Weasley was elbowing him and telling him to wake up.

"-there anything you want to add?" Dumbledore asked. From the tone of his voice, the question was clearly directed at him. And from the way people were staring, Harry assumed it wasn't the first time Dumbledore had asked.

"Yes, Headmaster." Harry replied. "Peter Pettigrew is the Death Eater leading Voldemort's attack. He has escaped Azkaban, and Voldemort has rewarded him. Pettigrew figured out a vital fact about yours truly, and Voldemort turned him into a seven foot tall killing machine." Harry paused for a breath. "So what I'm really asking is for you to stay clear of him and let me handle it."

There was an instant uproar at his words.

"You can't go!" Molly Weasley shouted.

"That's not wise boy." Moody growled.

"You're too valuable for that." Arthur Wealey added.

"Quiet!" Dumbledore commanded. Instantly there was silence. Most of the Order members were confused as to why he was so valuable, and why there was outrage at him going.

"You are too valuable of an operative for me to let you go. Please forgive me." Dumbledore told Harry.

Harry sighed but agreed. Harry watched in silence as everyone left the room, either by floo or by apparation. One gray-haired man slipped a sealed letter into Harry's hand as he made his way out. The man turned and winked one of his amber brown eyes at him before vanishing in the fireplace.

Soon, only Snape, Dumbledore and Harry remained.

"I need to speak with Severus alone Harry. Please find something to do for about twenty minutes." Dumbledore told him.

Harry nodded and stalked off. Harry sat down at the first landing on the staircase, and reached into his pocket, pulling out the envelope. Nothing was written on the envelope, so Harry opened it. A single piece of parchment fell out, and Harry read it.

Dear Harry,

My name is Remus Lupin. I was a good friend of your father's before he passed away. I think at one time, I would have been considered your friend too. Molly told me your entire story, and I must say it grieves me to see you without your memories.

Let me get to the real point of this letter. Sirius Black (your godfather) is still alive. With a very complicated bit of magic, we pulled him back out of the veil.

But he still isn't himself. We can't even get him to eat by himself yet. Since Dumbledore mentioned you might be spending the summer here at Grimmauld place, I have to ask a favor of you. Will you spend time with Sirius? Even just a visit or two might help. He is in the fourth room up the staircase.

Thanks from the depths of my heart,

Remus J. Lupin

(a/n: I mentioned the thing about Sirius back in chapter four. Sorry it's taking me so long to tie up this loose end.)

Harry placed the letter back in the envelope and slipped it back into his pocket. Then he peeked at his watch. He still had fifteen minutes before Dumbledore and Snape finished their meeting.

'Why not?' Harry thought and walked up the stairs to Sirius's room.

Harry walked to the fourth floor, and opened the door slowly. Sirius was sleeping on the bed. Harry sat down in a nearby chair and watched him for a moment, before getting an idea.

'Maybe my powers can help him... Or at least help me find what's wrong.' Harry thought, before going into spirit form.

The second Harry left his body, he could just see what was wrong with Sirius. It was like a car battery. All it needed was a little jump and it would work just fine.

Harry gulped. 'Here goes nothing.' He thought.

Harry drifted over, and pulled his form into Sirius's mind.