A/N: Thank you all for being so lovely and gracious while I get back into this. I'm so glad to see you all. It makes me so happy, it's like getting the band together again lol I think we're going to try for an update schedule? 3 pm Central US time was a good time back when we were doing Conegal so maybe we'll aim for that. That gives the US and the GMT (and surrounds) people some evening reading and the Australasians some morning reading when they wake up a little later. Please let me know what you think. Otherwise, we'll just keep going. I have... about 17 chapters written. And I'm working on more as we go.

-0-

The last day of the holidays rolled around much quicker than Harry hoped it would and he found himself cleaning up the mess Hedwig had left in their room when Ron walked in with their letters.

"Booklists are here," he said, flinging one at Harry.

Harry opened his and glanced down at what was in the letter. There were only two new books to buy.

"Did you read it?" Fred and George asked as they walked in. "Slinkhard book is new. Must mean Dumbledore has finally hired a new Defence professor."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, glancing down at his list to see the same book.

"Well, we overheard Mum and Dad the other day, with our extendable ears. Apparently, Dumbledore was having a bit of trouble filling the position, but if that's on the list obviously he's got someone."

"What's up with Ron?" Fred said suddenly, looking over to where his brother was.

Harry shrugged, a little concerned that Ron apparently hadn't moved since he'd opened his letter, despite Fred Apparating from one side of the room to the other to see what had caught his attention.

"What's going on Ron?" Fred asked again.

Fred leaned over Ron's shoulder, reading the parchment he was clutching in his hand and his mouth dropped open.

"What the -"

George followed his twin, cracking back into existence beside Fred and leaning over as well to read the letter.

"No way!"

"What?" Harry asked. "What is it?"

"Prefect?" Fred said, sounding as surprised as Harry felt when he finally understood what they were gaping at.

"Impossible," George said, grabbing the envelope. "There's gotta be a mistake. No one in their right mind would make Ron a prefect."

George grabbed the envelope and turned it upside down. Something gold fell out onto George's outstretched hand and Harry blinked at it.

"We thought for sure you were in Harry," Fred said, looking down at the badge. "We thought Dumbledore was bound to pick you."

"All those things you've done, and accomplished?"

"Although you did get into trouble quite a bit," Fred grinned. "Maybe that counted against you."

"True," George chuckled.

"At least you got your priorities right," Fred said, clapping Harry on the back. "Mum's going to be a nightmare. But good on you, Perfect Prefect Ronnikins. Make sure Mum gives you loads of kisses."

Ron to this point still hadn't said a word and continued staring down at the badge in his hand. Without looking, he held out the badge for Harry to take as if asking him to check it was real. Harry took it without fanfare, looking at it carefully. It looked identical to the one Percy had worn on his chest and he nodded, shrugging when Ron gulped.

"Did you, did you get it?" Hermione said, the door banging against the wall in her hurry to enter. She squealed and jumped forward to give Harry a hug, but he pushed her away gently.

"It's Ron's."

"Ron's?" She looked confused for a moment. "But I mean, you -"

"It says my name on the letter," Ron said defensively.

"No, of course. I just, well done Ron, really. That's really -"

"Unexpected," George supplied.

"Odd?" Fred quipped.

"No, he's done heaps, I'm sure he's -"

Whatever she was going to try and say was overtaken by Molly entering the room and the subsequent learning of the prefect position. Harry sat back and watched, struggling with the feelings he had over the subject. He shook Ron's hand and clapped him on the back, and hugged Hermione when she came to talk to him, but in truth, he didn't really know what to do or feel.

-0-

He spent the rest of the day with his head spinning and his emotions barely under control. He barely smiled whenever anyone spoke to him and he felt like he was floating between the groups of people attending the informal party. He tucked himself into a corner again, absently noticing a headline about someone breaking into the Ministry of Magic, until he was cornered by Mad-Eye, the real Mad-Eye, perusing the table of food.

"Got something I reckon you might be interested in," he said, beckoning him over. Harry looked over at the rest of the party and found them cooing over Ron and Hermione again, so nodded for Moody to show him. "Original Order of the Phoenix," he pointed. "That's me, though you wouldn't know it now."

Harry frowned as he saw some familiar faces and some he couldn't place.

"The Prewett twins; Fabian and Gideon," Moody said quietly. "Warriors to the core. Took five Death Eaters to kill them."

"Are they -"

"Molly's brothers," Moody nodded. "Near broke her. A bit overprotective now," he growled, poking at the photo. A few other people moved out of the way so that Harry could see the second row. "Minerva," he smiled, nudging him quite a bit harder than Harry would have liked. "Oh, get out of the way, yes, there we go."

Harry grabbed the photo and looked at it, his Mum and Dad were smiling back up at him, along with Remus and Sirius. The overwhelming feelings that had been piling up in his head abated slightly until he saw who else was with them.

Wormtail.

The little rat was sitting beside them, happy as could be and Harry wanted to rip the photo apart. He took a deep breath and passed it back, using Remus' appearance to slip out of the room. He stood at the bottom of the stairs for a moment trying to catch his breath. The photo was nice, and he understood why Moody would have shown it to him, but nearly all of those people were now dead. And the greatest traitor he'd ever known was sitting beside the very people he killed with his treachery.

He ran up the stairs, only barely making it to the bathroom before he threw up his dinner. With that over, he cleaned his teeth and shuffled into bed. He was desperate to see his Máthair and he couldn't wait until they finally arrived at Hogwarts tomorrow where he could curl up in her arms and try not to cry.

-0-

The door slamming against the wall brought Albus out of his musings. He opened his eyes to see his lovely woman standing in his doorway looking like thunder.

"Are you completely out of your mind?" she hissed dangerously, making him sigh. He knew exactly what the problem was. He just couldn't help himself though.

"Many people have told me thus," Albus said with a tense smile. "You most of all, dear."

"Ronald Weasley?"

"Minerva -"

"No, no Albus. I understand I am his mother, and I know that whatever it is you have going on at the moment seems to be far more important than he or I, but for Merlin's sake Albus! Have you any idea what this would do to him? Are you truly so stupid to think that this isn't going to hurt him more than you avoiding him, obviously, every chance you get?"

"I have my reasons Minerva, and that is all."

"You have your reasons?" she squealed. "Anyone, anyone would have been better than his best friend. Not that I have anything against Ronald, I love him like I love Hermione, but prefect? His best friend!"

"Yes!" he yelled, "Now kindly leave me be, woman." He'd gone too far, he knew that. He had not raised his voice at her for a very long time, and he regretted doing so now. "Minerva -"

"Don't bother," she spat with glassy eyes. "I wouldn't want to disturb you, darling. Your son and I will do our best to weather your terrible decision on our own." She yanked his door open and turned around, her anger bristling so much the air around her crackled. "ALONE!"

The door slammed once more and some of the portraits grumbled at her audacity, but Albus knew she was right; he just couldn't tell her what he was doing.

"Why must it always be this way?"

-0-

The train trip back to Hogwarts was fraught but uneventful. Harry spent the majority of it looking out of the window at the passing scenery, trying not to be jealous of Ron and Hermione. Neville and Ginny were there, Luna Lovegood too - Harry still wasn't sure what to make of her, but it was only once Malfoy had appeared with his snooty scowl that Harry had even registered that they were nearly back.

"We need to change," Hermione announced as they rounded a familiar bend in the track.

Harry was the last one back, and saw Luna, despite her earlier coolness towards Hermione, was sitting primly in the corner still waiting as they all were.

"We have to supervise the First Years," Hermione said haltingly, glancing at Harry. "Can one of you take Crookshanks and Pig?"

Harry nodded, happy to be doing something instead of sitting and feeling sorry for himself. The train pulled into the station and the usual rabble descended on Hogsmeade. It was chaos out on the platform, but Harry's movement stopped as an unfamiliar voice rang out over the din.

"First Years this way please."

"Where's Hagrid?" he asked absently, not even caring if anyone was listening.

"I have no idea," Ginny muttered, pushing him a little. "But you're blocking the door."

He hopped down and turned to help Ginny with Pig and Crookshanks before trying to make his way through the sea of people. Luna relieved him of Pig along the way, but then he lost sight of her until Ron and Hermione joined them near the line of carriages where they would make their way to Hogwarts.

"Whoa," Harry said, looking at the strange, skeletal horse-like creatures hitched to the carriages. "They are seriously odd."

"What are?" Ron asked, looking sideways at him.

"Those horse things, what kind of creature is that anyway?"

"What?"

"There!" Harry said, pointing.

"Are you alright mate?" Ron asked, looking confused. "There's nothing there."

Harry shook his head and clambered up into the carriage with Luna and Hermione.

"Don't worry," Luna said quietly. "I can see them too. You're only as crazy as I am."

Harry winced, glancing at Hermione for a moment before deciding that if he was as crazy as Luna then they had a real problem.