A/N: - Here is the next chapter for you guys – sorry for the long updates – my typing and publishing is catching up with the amount I've typed so I need to spread it out a bit more. Thanks for reading and please review at the end.

Chapter 15 – Arrogance and Aurors

"Harry?" Lupin's mild voice broke Harry's panicked chain of thought.

"I thought you'd disappeared!" Harry tried weakly, feeling immense relief at seeing his Professor. For one terrible moment, he'd thought that maybe the one remaining link to his parents and Sirius' childhoods was gone.

"Well I haven't disappeared, so there's no need to worry. Although I don't particularly relish being called inconsiderate by the likes of Percy Weasley, who doesn't even know what's happened."

"Percy's just an ignorant git," Harry stated bluntly.

"I have to agree with that," laughed Lupin, stopping short with a wince.

"Professor, are you alright?" Harry asked, spotting Lupin's discomfort.

"I'm fine, Harry, I just don't think the shock has quite worn off yet."

"Then why has one of your hands got blood on it?"

"Harry, stop worrying and go and find Ron. He'll need you now more than ever." Lupin said, evading the subject of the protest. Sighing, Harry rolled his eyes and walked out of the room. Hearing a sudden thump downstairs, Harry ran down, taking two steps at a time. He reached the bottom and found mad-Eye Moody sprawled out on the floor. Lupin was also now running down the stairs and he knelt beside Moody to check the ex-Auror's pulse.

"Is he ok?" Harry asked.

"Get help, Harry – now!" Lupin said sharply. Harry nodded and ran to find somebody to help, returning with everyone moments later. Mr. Weasley helped Lupin put Moody in the recovery position and Moody stirred, opening his eyes blearily and sitting up.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Someone poisoned your hip flask," replied Lupin quietly, sniffing the contents of Moody's flask.

"But how? It never leaves my side?"

"Then it must have been at the protest – probably one of those bluddy werewolves. I mean, do those things not know hen to quit --- oops, sorry, Remus." Tonks went a deep shade of crimson in the face.

"Don't worry, Tonks – I'm used to it," answered Lupin mildly, still inspecting Moody's flask, "It looks like you'll have to put a tougher security charm on that in future," he suggested, tossing the flask back to its owner.

"I most certainly will be doing that, Remus, I assure you," Moody's magical eye remained firmly fixed on Lupin even as he stood up. All others left and Harry was halfway back up the stairs when he stopped to listen to the conversation the two men were now having.

"I know what you're going to say, Mad-Eye, but going to St. Mungo's is not an option under the circumstances."

"Then go to Pomfrey. I don't care what approach you take, Lupin, but get it treated. The last thing the Order needs is to lose you too. It would push everyone over the edge, especially young Mr. Potter," Moody's magical eye seemed to swivel up to where Harry was and he could feel it looking at him. Bolting up the stairs, he rushed into the room he shared with Ron. Ron was led face down on the pillow and seemed to be crying softly. Harry just stood dumbly for what seemed like an eternity and then walked over to stand beside his friend's bed, putting a hand lightly on Ron's shoulder. Ron didn't respond to the touch and Harry, sighing, went to sit down on his own bed. He thought about everything that had happened, what would Sirius do? Was his only thought, for his head felt like a deflated balloon and he felt not only useless but pathetic as well.

"So, how is everyone?" asked Tonks, making another vain attempt to start a conversation, being the fifth attempt that morning. None of the Weasleys were eating and Moody was being paranoid and casting all sorts of spells to check for poison on every mouthful of food before he ate it. Lupin was poking his breakfast around on his plate, his eyes flicking towards Moody every so often.

"Um…I have to and take care of some unfinished business," Lupin said, glancing at Moody for the millionth time. Moody finally looked satisfied and nodded in Lupin's direction.

"Go right away, Lupin, and do not come back until everything is in order!" Moody's face softened and he almost seemed to smirk, "in fact, I think I shall come with you," he rose and clunked over to Lupin, who bit his lip but didn't protest. The two men left the room and Harry felt his hear sink. With Lupin and Moody gone, there was no-one left apart from Tonks who still seemed to have the capacity to speak.

"May I be excused?" Ron asked suddenly, not even waiting for an answer before leaving the table and going upstairs.

"This is ridiculous!" Mrs. Weasley sniffed, "we should be trying to find out why Bill was sucked soulless – and we haven't visited him yet."

"You're right, Molly," Mr. Weasley sighed, "who wants to visit Bill?"

Everyone's hands went up.

"Harry, dear, would you fetch Ron, please?" Mrs. Weasley asked, still sniffing.

"Of course," Harry smiled gently.

"Ron? Ron, we're going to visit Bill," whispered Harry as he and Hermione shook their friend awake.

"What? Really?"

"Yeah – you coming?"

"What do you think?!" snapped Ron sarcastically.

"Sorry, I didn't----"

"Think?" Ron finished for Harry, "That's obvious, Harry, because you never do think! You always rush headlong into things without thinking about the consequences," Ron's face was now as red as his hair, "and yet you still manage to emerge unscathed each time. But Bill had planned his each and every move, he was sop careful – and did he come out unharmed? No! And now he's worse than dead!"

"Ron, calm down!" Hermione yelled about Ron's angry cries.

"Hermione, leave him – you think I always come out unharmed?" Harry snarled, "Think again! Have you ever even thought about how it feels to have the guilt of other people's deaths constantly pushing down on you? It was my fault my parents dies, my fault Cedric Diggory died, my fault Sirius is dead – don't you understand? I have to live with that guilt for the rest of my life!"

"Guess what, Harry – I DON'T CARE!" Ron screeched, "YOU ALWAYS PULL THIS GUILT TRICK TO GET SYMPATHY AND ATTENTION AND I'M SICK OF IT!" he turned on his heels and stormed out of the room.

"Boys, please stop this nonsense! Don't you think we have enough problems to worry about as it is? Have some consideration!" Mr. Weasley uncharacteristically snapped at Ron and Harry who had been glaring at each other in silence all the way to St. Mungo's.

"It's Harry's problem, not mine," scowled Ron.

"Ronald Weasley, please be quiet!" sniffed Mrs. Weasley, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Don't cry, mum," Ron muttered, looking both guilty and embarrassed. Harry felt disgusted and turned away from Ron to stare out of the window.

They reached St. Mungo's and were up on the fourth floor outside Bill Weasley's room before any of them even realised that Mad-Eye moody had rejoined to group.

"Where's Remus?" asked Mr. Weasley softly, panic slowly setting over his features.

"I'll explain later," sighed moody, motioning to him that the rest of his family were going into the room. Harry and Hermione held back a little but were pulled into the room within seconds by Mrs. Weasley. It was a private room already laden with flowers and cards. Harry looked towards the bed where bill Weasley was led flat on his back, staring blankly up at the ceiling.

"Oh, Bill…" gasped Mrs. Weasley as she knelt by Bill's prone form, holding her son's hands as tightly as she could as if she'd never let go. It reminded Harry of the Boggart that Mrs. Weasley had encountered at Grimmauld Place during his fifth year.

"There is some hope…" a pasty looking doctor spoke quietly as he entered, "what with you-know-who controlling the Dementors and not the Ministry then we have no reservations in destroying the Dementors and there is a small chance that we'll be able to save some of the souls."

"Really?"

"Don't get your hopes up – it's only a small chance."

The visit for most people was short and Harry, Hermione and anyone who wasn't a Weasley left the room after half an hour and headed up to the café on the fifth floor.

"So," said Tonks brightly, "where's Remus? You have some explaining to do, Mad-Eye."

"Lupin is currently back at HQ," Moody whispered cautiously, not wanting anyone to overhear, "he was in a worse condition than he was willing to admit in the face of the loss of Bill Weasley. Pomfrey gave him some painkillers and Dreamless Sleep potion and I sent him back to HQ, joining you here shortly afterwards."

"What makes you think he'll stay at Headquarters?" asked Tonks, stifling a laugh.

"He will,"

"What's actually wrong with him?" Harry piped up suddenly.

"Keep your voice down, Potter! Lupin just got bashed about rather a lot by Voldemort's werewolves and also witnessed the tragic loss of young Mr. Weasley. He may have had mild silver poisoning mixed with tranquiliser that the Ministry was using to shoot the werewolves down. But it's nothing serious," Moody took a deep breath and then sighed, "I swear Pomfrey's a saint," he said, and nobody disagreed.

"Ready to go?" a small and wavering voice asked. The Weasleys had rejoined the group and it was a distraught Mrs. Weasley that had spoken.

"Yes," was the united reply; all left and journeyed back to Grimmauld Place in utter silence.

Upon entering the Black Family house kitchen, Harry sat down and put his head in his hands. He thought of what had passed between him and Ron earlier that day and felt his enthusiasm for eating ebbing away dramatically with each passing moment.

"Harry? I'm sorry about what I said earlier – I was just stressed."

"I know,"

"I lost my brother to the Dementors and you will never know how awful it feels to know they are still in existence, but that didn't give me the right to say all that stuff."

"I'm sorry too, Ron; I was being selfish, as usual. Friends?"

"Definitely."

"I'll just go and check that Lupin hasn't escaped," growled Moody jokingly, clunking away and up the stairs.

"Ok, Mad-Eye, I'm sure Remus will be thrilled to see you…again," Tonks laughed, waving him off.

"So, I see that everyone's back." A soft voice said from the doorway.

"Headmaster Dumbledore!" squealed Hermione, "What are you doing here?"

"I am merely here to see how everybody is coping."

"As good as can be expected under the circumstances, thank-you, Albus," Mrs. Weasley replied shortly.

"I presume Remus is resting…"

"Alastor's gone to check he hasn't escaped," Tonks beamed brightly.

"Excellent – although I'm not sure that Remus will relish yet another lecture from Alastor," Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling and he managed to raise a small chuckle from the down-hearted group, "and Poppy wishes that I go and check on him," he added, leaving the kitchen as swiftly and silently as he had appeared.

"This I have to see," Harry muttered under his breath.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go and watch the entertainment," Ron suggested quietly, a shaky yet mischievous smile playing on his features as they asked to be excused.

"That bluddy werewolf will be the death of me," grumbled Moody as he clunked down the stairs.

"What's happened?" asked Harry, having been on his way up with Ron, looking a bit put out that he had missed all the fun.

"He's not in his room," growled Moody.

"Maybe he's downstairs – escaping from your lectures!" said Harry, whispering the last part so that only Ron could hear.

"When I get my hands on him, I'll--------"

"You'll do what, Alastor?" a mild voice asked from behind Moody.

"Lupin, where were you?!"

"In my room," Lupin grinned tiredly, winking at Harry.

"Saw that," Moody remarked sourly.

"I'm sorry, ok? Now I know how Padfoot felt," Lupin mumbled as he trudged back up the stairs under the intimidating glare of Moody. Waiting until Moody had disappeared downstairs again, Harry and Ron made the decision to continue up. They stopped outside Lupin's room and could hear Dumbledore talking sternly to their Professor.

"Remus, you must take all of these potions."

"I'd rather not,"

"They will halve your recovery time,"

"Sorry, Albus, but I don't want to miss out on the protest meeting tonight – I have enough explaining to do as it is…"

"Did you see Pettigrew at any point?" Dumbledore lowered his voice and Harry and Ron strained to hear what was going on.

"See him? He spent most of his evening chasing me and was in charge of the five werewolves trying to kill me. They wouldn't go anywhere near him because of his silver hand."

"I'm afraid that the werewolves were not the only ones he was instructing – he played a part in Bill Weasley's loss of his soul." Dumbledore sighed. Outside the room, Ron's eyes had almost popped out of his head in shock and he wasn't moving a muscle.

"How? Wait a minute…" Lupin spoke slowly, "do you mean to say that the Dementors were originally sent after me? Is that what you're saying?"

"It seems that after you escaped Lucius Malfoy, MacNair and the werewolves, Pettigrew was too cowardly to face you himself so he sent the Dementors after you, knowing that he would pay the price if you survived the battle."

"So that makes this my fault…"

"That is not the approach to take, Remus – the Dementors were sucking the souls of anyone and everyone who wandered into the forest and did not bear the symbol of the Dark Mark."

"But Bill was in the forest looking for me and Arthur after Arthur came looking for me when I failed to report back. He found me but then couldn't remember the way back…"

"How were you supposed to report back when you were lying half dead and having been shot with a tranquiliser in the middle of a Dementor-ridden forest? Had Alastor not found you all when he did then more than one life would have been lost." Dumbledore's voice was firm and matter-of-fact, "none of this is your fault, Remus. Voldemort is becoming too powerful and can kill without guilt. The meeting is in ten minutes."

Outside the door, Harry dragged a dumbstruck Ron back to their own room before Dumbledore left Lupin's room to return downstairs.

"Sorry I'm late – I broke a vase again," Tonks apologised as she entered the kitchen.

"That's quite alright, Tonks, as not everyone is here yet."

"Are the kids staying?"

"They have a right to hear what happened," Dumbledore said, shooting a meaningful glance at Harry and Ron, who had just taken their seats and were looking quite uncomfortable, "and to here the whole truth and not just one version."

"Will Lupin be joining us?" Snape sneered silkily, his slimy tones sounding as though he wished Lupin would never arrive.

"I'm here, Severus," a weary Lupin had taken his place at the table, "what have I missed?"

"Nothing, Remus," Dumbledore smiled gently.

"So, what really happened at this protest then?" inquired Hermione.

"Why don't you ask Professor Lupin?" remarked Ron icily, "he was in the heart of all the action!"

"Ron---!" Harry kicked his friend under the table.

"No, he's right – It was my fault that Bill got the Dementor's Kiss. They were supposed to be attacking me."

"Enough of this nonsense, Lupin. Stop wallowing in your own self-pity! What would your precious Black say?"

That hit a raw nerve.

"He'd say how greasy, slimy and worthless you are for a start, Snivellus!" Harry cut in angrily, catching Lupin's eye, who gave him a grateful smile.

"How dare you talk to me like that – I am your Professor!"

"As am I – and you shouldn't provoke him." Muttered Lupin softly.

"Keep out of this, Lupin – go and bask in self-pity or do something constructive for a change!"

"Something constructive? What was going to the protest? And saving the Minister for Magic's life?"

"Constructive, was it? Fudge is a useless buffoon who would be better dead and I seem to recall that we lost Bill Weasley because he was out looking for you!" hissed Snape, spraying droplets of saliva all over the table. Lupin's eyes widened and he could not think of a quick response. All had gone silent.

"I know that it was my fault, Severus, and I don't need you to drum it into me. What's done is done and now I can't change it."

"What about a time-turner?" asked Hermione.

"No, Miss. Granger," Dumbledore sighed, "we cannot meddle with this situation as it is too complex and would result in two losses if we failed, maybe more."

"Just an idea…"

"Remus?" Mrs. Weasley was staring anxiously at Lupin, whose eyes had glazed over. His hands were shaking and he seemed to be swaying slightly.

"Remus, go up to bed now and I will call for Madame Pomfrey," Dumbledore said sternly. Lupin nodded and managed to stagger out of the room and up the stairs with the help of Mrs. Weasley and Moody. Ron was looking slightly uncomfortable and Snape shifted a little, apprehension and guilt showing momentarily in his eyes, gone after the merest flicker.

A/N: - Hope you liked it – review please!