Blast it- sorry Labrat, the info I gave you about the timeline was completely screwed up, not to mention just plain wrong. Sorry about that.

The events of the Prologue take place in the summer after OotP, making it AU by a year. Chapter One; The Vision is set in December, four months before (also before Sirius' death)

Thankyou to Labrat- Speedy, Silver Mirror, Zoran, Velvet Green and 24601 for their reviews! You already know you rock, so i won't tell ye again (until next chapter)

Chapter 3

The Memory

Four months later, a young man was writing a report with his head leaning heavily on his hand. He was writing automatically, years of practice helping to recall events, extrapolate the important data and write clearly and concisely. Hs actual brain however, was immersed in other things. Such as just how completely and utterly knackered he was.

He was sitting at his writing-desk in a small bedroom with Muggle lighting which glared impartially around the room, reflecting off white, stark walls and making the occupant even more tired. It was not a room designed for living in. And indeed, it was not often used for such a purpose. The owner, a thin, rather haggard man who looked at least six years older then his twenty-one years, spent most of his time working outside this unwelcoming living space. He might sleep here but it was no home. His work, well, he had several jobs now, all of which could be classified as full-time work, some of it more then a little dangerous.

His first, Junior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, was his official occupation. Once, he had looked at the title with pride and excitement. It was a chance to make a difference in the sometimes worthwhile, often tedious and occasionally dangerous world of politics. And of course, it was one step closer to being the Minister of Magic. Now…well, he looked at the cumbersome title with nothing more then weariness. And a certain amount of self-disgust at his own gullibility right at the start. Although he had time and again proved his worthiness at his job, he couldn't quite put the humiliation of the original reason for his promotion from his mind.

He wrapped up the report soon enough. As he paused to dip the quill into the pot for the last time his sleeve rode up slightly, revealing a black mark staining his upper forearm and the crook of his elbow. He scowled at it and brushed the sleeve back over the scars that controlled his life. Perhaps the rest of it. They weren't usually so clear, thank -whatever god or spirit cared to be helpful. Usually, they were the same colour as his skin- he worked at keeping his temper and mindset neutral- anger or fear made them darken into obviousness and, as he had no desire to be lynched as a Death-Eater, he controlled the emotions.

The marks made his mind wander although his hand had started writing up another report- a legit one this time. He'd always been rather good at multi-tasking and this he could write in his sleep anyway.

"Ron- It is not safe for either of you to be with that boy! I'm saying this for your own good!"

Oy…had he really come across so damn pretentious and… well…whiny? He had meant the words at the time- still did in a way but…well, they didn't come out quite the way he'd meant them.

"Dangerous? For us? Or for your precious career! Come on Percy, I don't suppose it's good for the future Minister of Magic to have family consorting with someone who's 'disturbed and dangerous'…"

Ouch and double-ouch. Ron was surprisingly astute at picking the sore spots. But he really hadn't been warning Ron off Harry for the sake of his own career- it was for the sake of the whole family and Ron and Ginny especially. Ron and Ginny had both nearly been killed- several times over now! And it was mainly due to one Harry Potter. Although Percy had come to several realisations, forcing himself to be honest in the privacy of his mind, going through everything he knew about the black-haired boy. He had to admit the boy wasn't a glory-seeker or someone who recklessly endangered both himself and those around him. He'd also had to admit that Harry was right in what he said- Voldemort was back.

"Stupefy!"

"Three Weasleys? My Master will be pleased."

And…had he heard somebody, sounding tinny and far away, screaming? Though he couldn't make out any words…there'd been something there, he was almost sure.

"Immobilis!"

"Immobilus corpus!"

"Stupefy!"

He'd kept in front of his younger sibs as much as possible, trying to shield them but he was impressed at the way they'd reacted. They'd recovered from their shock and taken out two Death-Eater's leaving the other one for him. He'd half-turned to shoo them towards the house and it had been that which had almost certainly saved his life as a Reducto curse shot out of a hedge, catching him just under the ribs on his side, and spinning him right off the narrow pathway. He'd heard distant shouting but couldn't move, blood already pooling. Then…a flash of green light and…nothing for a few minutes. And then…

"Hey, mate, wake up, would ya? I haven't got all day." Percy managed to crack an eye open to the incessant chattering. He wanted to tell whoever it was to bugger off, quite frankly, but the man wouldn't let him get even that much out.

"Good. You gave me a bit of worry there. You owe me, you see and I'd hate not to be able to collect." The last few minutes flooded back and Percy sat up in a hurry, falling back again with a pained squeak as his entire body screeched at him to stop acting the fool and stay still.

"Ron! Ginny! Where are they? Are they alright?" he demanded. The man waved his arm airily.

"They're fine. Asleep actually. I wanted a little chat with you…as well as patching you up, I suppose, and they would have just gotten in the way." He helped Percy into a sitting position, leaning against a rock and continued chattering.

"Good instincts there by the way." he noted clinically. "But your fatal error was to not check for re-enforcements. Mind you, had you'd not turned that one would have killed you easily. So…" he shrugged philosophically.

Percy saw a crumpled black-cloaked figure on the ground beyond the little man. Death Eater.

Dead Death Eater.

The green light.

"You killed him, didn't you. Avada Kedavra…" he trailed off. The little man shrugged again but his eyes narrowed.

"Two actually. And if I hadn't you would be dead and your sibs would already be being tortured by Voldemort for information on Harry Potter."

"Harry.." Dammit! It always did seem to come back to him, didn't it?

"You know, short lad, black hair, about yay-high. Saviour of the Wizarding World, best friends including Ronald and Ginervra Weasley."

"I know who he is!"

"Now, the facts of the matter are that I saved your lives. And you owe me." Now the man was business-like and Percy gave him his full attention, agile mind already going through the next few minutes of conversation.

"You did, and I'm grateful for it. And we are in your debt." he said carefully.

"Yes. You are. And the debt can be repaid."

"How?" Percy asked, although he had a horrible feeling he already knew. The little man laughed and sat down on the rock. Percy noted he kept his wand out.

"Politician!" snorted the man. "You know what I mean. Yourself and the two young ones owe a life debt each. I call it in by merely asking them to give us some information."

"You are not getting Ron and Ginny to spy for you!" Percy snapped, eyes furious, noting the use of the word 'us'. "And they are certainly too young to be called up for this!"

"But you are not."

"One important thing about Life-Bonds is that a person can't be forced to do something totally against their will- or their nature. I will not spy on my family for you either!"

"I healed you- but you're no match for me if I were to take back my aid." There was a definite threat in the man's voice although he was apparently examining his wand with interest, rather then looking at the younger man.

'Ah crap' thought Percy. "Well, you'd better do that if you're going to." he replied as neutrally as possible. "Because I'm not doing that."

The man's wand snapped down until it was pointing at Percy's neck.

"Alright, if that's your choice…personally, I didn't think you would be that opinionated. You're wrong to a certain extent though- there are…ways to make a person do something against their will to follow out a lifebond. And the bond will be repaid- by all of you."

The wand was replaced in the man's pocket and his grim expression relaxed somewhat.

Percy thought about the situation for a moment. Ron and Ginny were still only kids! Fourteen and fifteen was far too young to be getting involved with… politics and spying. No- that way was impossible- and he wouldn't allow it.

"Alright- I claim the life bonds of my brother and sister as Kin-debts." he said slowly. "I will undertake to repay the bonds owed."

As he finished the words he felt a burning sensation on his arm. He yelped and pulled up his sleeve. There on his arm three marks had formed. A black bar, sloping diagonally from mid-upper arm to his elbow. Another black line banded his arm just below the elbow and a wavy line did the same about an inch below. Lifemark. Kin marks. His oath had been accepted.

The man laughed suddenly and held out his hand.

"Dammit- that's five galleons I owe Meg. She bet this is the route you'd choose. I wasn't so sure. Good for you." His smile vanished. "It's quite possible you just saved their lives." Percy didn't take the hand but stared at his saviour. His captor.

"I won't spy on my family." Percy said firmly.

"No- I have a different plan for you. The Ministry. Your boss is a lunatic and he's going to get us all killed." He held up a hand to forestall the argument. "Let me finish. Look at everything objectively. If, by the time you are finished, you don't agree with us, then your debt will be cancelled and your memories erased."

Percy realised he had stopped writing, so caught up was he in the memories of that night. Not that there was much to tell. The marks had faded but were still there. That night he'd vanished as soon as he entered the house, ribs and side aching, and researched the black tattoos. What he'd read had chilled him. He would have a year to fulfil each bond. Ginny, as youngest, would have her Debt fulfilled first. Then Ron. Youngest took precedence automatically with this particular charm. If the Repayer was killed it was more likely that younger children had already been released from the Debt. And finally, himself.

He'd not liked spying on the Ministry. But it seemed the Ministry itself had no such scruples- they suspected something about the Order of the Phoenix, in which knew his parents- and probably elder brothers- were involved. He evaded as much of the questioning as possible, withdrawing from his family, trying not to know as much as possible, in case he let something slip. Fudge himself was not subtle, but some of his people were. At the same time he gathered information about the Ministry's inner politics as possible. He stored as much information as he could find about his mysterious possibly- saviour.

It wasn't long before he'd demanded to know who he was working for. He wasn't sure if he'd expected any sort of answer. But the man looked at him sideways and nodded.

"We've really treated you badly." he sighed. "I did, anyway- and believe me, I'm going to get into a hell'uva lot of trouble when this comes out."

He winced.

"Already have, actually, by our leader. Anyway, he knows more about you then you can possibly imagine. He says you can be trusted. So…we are the Order of the Knights of the Round Table. A cumbersome title. We are the oldest Order on the side of Light in the world that we know of. The Ministry knows about us- oh, not the present incumbent! But the same laws don't entirely apply to us. We work outside the Ministry for the people of this country- and outside that- the world. Voldemort -oh, stop that wincing, you'll give yourself a twitch- is a danger to that. Your noble leader, Fudge, is almost as bad through sheer stupidity! I trust you know of what I speak by now?"

Percy nodded slowly again, back in the little room. Again, that wash of shame flooded him and his cheeks reddened although no-one was around to see. How could he have been so blind back then? How couldn't he have seen the signs- Fudge's blindness to what he didn't want to know about. Mysterious deaths relegated to the back page. Sizable contributions to 'charity'. He snorted. He had been working for almost four months to prove the links between the Minister's office and the Daily Prophet. Bribe money. And a lot from the looks of it. Well, that report he had sent to the Knights was damning indeed. He let himself smile slightly as he contemplated the Minister getting what he deserved for his duplicity. His smile vanished again. But that wasn't the worst of it. Not by a long shot.

Dammit…I hate to let a chapter go when I am not entirely happy with it. And I'm not really with this one. Plot exposition and backstory were never really my strongest points, I'm afraid. But the tempo will start picking up from here-on in! (Summer after OotP)

Added note- Percy is twenty-one for this fic. I know he's only just finished school, but it's conceivable he would have perhaps started a bit later due to the First War

Preview for Chapter Three- The Birthday

"Hedwig- this is it. We're out of here!" he whispered to the snowy owl who looked at him disapprovingly. "Oh, don't look at me like that- it's really not my choice this time. I'm sixteen, of age- they've thrown us out." The owl's sharp yellow stare softened a bit and she hooted gently. Harry took one more glance around the room that at different times had been a refuge and a prison. Then he spun and walked out, face expressionless as he confronted his Uncle.

…

Well, please take amoment to tell me whether you liked this chapter or not, if not, where are the problems, was Percy too out of charater, whatever. Please?