Chapter Two

"So…let me get this straight, then-" Harry thought a moment, and tried to digest everything that they had just told him. "You found me by a map…"

Molly nodded, "much like the Marauder's Map, dear. Only it was a map of Diagon Alley. We destroyed it as soon as we found you."

"Couldn't let it get into the wrong hands, now could we?" Charlie commented as he took a sip of his tea.

"Have you been in hiding all these years, too?" Harry asked, curious how they had survived the beating that Voldemort gave the wizarding world.

Neville nodded his head, "It's not very fair, is it? I haven't been outside this house in 3 years! We barely get to leave. Only enough time to look for you-" a smile crossed his face. "But now that we've found you, it won't be long now-"

"Draco Malfoy has issued a new law, so it would seem-" Remus informed the others as he held up the paper. "By Decree of the Minister of Magic, all mudbloods practicing magic will be punished by death, as will those who teach it to them." Remus paraphrased the article for the others.

"Bloody good that'll do. That's what they've been doin' all this time anyways, isn't it?" Molly frowned.

"Yes, but now they can do it publicly, and openly," Remus added. "There are no repercussions for the harassment or death of those not of pure blood."

"How did you get that paper if you don't leave here, then?" Harry asked curiously.

Molly smiled, "We do have friends, dear-"

"Dumbledore?" Harry asked, curious if they had heard from the old wizard.

The lot looked at each other sadly, and then at Harry. "No one has heard from Dumbledore since the night that…well…you know. We can only presume him dead if…"

Harry shook his head violently, "He'd not dead. I've been living close to the school. I see him being taken from room to room in the castle sometimes. However, I wasn't able to see him today."

"They've kept him alive all this time?" Remus questioned. "What would make him want to keep Dumbledore alive…" he pondered the question and drank some tea.

Molly shrugged her shoulders, "I can't imagine why…"

"Well, whatever the reason…we have to go and get him. If Dumbledore is alive, we've still got a fighting chance-" Harry said.

"No Harry. With you alive we still have a fighting chance. What if that was what Voldemort is doing, harboring Dumbledore so that you'll come and save him when you're tired of hiding…" Remus suggested. "It would be safer to keep you away from the castle until you have an offensive strategy.

"That's not a bad theory, Remus," Percy agreed. "Perhaps this would be a good time to bring in the magical solution we discussed, earlier."

Molly and Remus both gave Percy hard glances, and then looked back at Harry hoping he wouldn't want to know.

"What's he talking about?" Harry asked, and looked at Percy. "You better tell me…"

"We've come up with a way…we think…that might be able to get you and your former self, whichever time we choose, to switch places. You'd be free to save us all, from the past-"

"It's brilliant!" Harry jumped up suddenly feeling a jolt of energy.

"Now now, Harry-" Remus shook his head. "There are a lot of things to consider. It's new, no one has ever done it before, we don't know how to get you back-"

"Remus-" Harry looked at him, calling him by his first name for the first time. "I'm not a kid anymore. I'm a 28-year-old man, and I need to do what I can to save us all. Stop talking to me like I don't understand what is going on! I lost my two best friends and…" he stopped, his emotions getting the better of him.

Remus lowered his head a bit. He couldn't help but feel the need to protect Harry, even though he was grown, "I'm sorry Harry. I can't seem to shake my obligations to protect you. You mother, Sirius, your friends…" he said. "They would want you protected as well-"

"Why? Just because of this silly scar?" Harry moved his hair out of the way to show the grown scar. However, it was not as dormant as it used to look. It looked as if it had just been carved into his head, and the scar tissue was pulsating a little bit. Why did they not deserve to be protected as much as I did? I loved them! They deserve to live just as much as I do!"

Molly turned her head when Harry showed them his scar. It looked so painful, "Harry…I…"

"Look, I just want to do this. Please. Tell me what I need to know and what I need to do-" Harry said, his voice much calmer now.

"Harry, that scar-" Neville peered through the others at it, his face showing his sympathy, and his gratefulness that it wasn't him.

"I know it's bad. The more power Voldemort gets, the more it opens…" he told them, and then put his hair over it again. "Doesn't bleed too often, once a week or so."

Mrs. Weasley winced when he mentioned blood. "Oh, Harry I'm so sorry-"

"Don't be sorry Mrs. Weasley. Just tell me how to fix it-" he looked her in the eyes hoping that she'd see how serious he was.

"Very well then…." She sat down and glanced around the room at the others, letting them each speak on the portion they were familiar with.