THE NEW ORDER

By

Padfootjr24

Chapter Twenty One: Alliances Made

When Voldemort, Malfoy and Lestrange appeared on the rolling plains of Salisbury with the large stone formation only twenty yards away, they could clearly see that they were not the first to arrive. As they cautiously moved forward they could see the glare of numerous torches burning from where they were hung on the surrounding stones. The closer they got the more nervous even Voldemort became, neither Lucius nor Bellatrix knew why they had come but the eerie surroundings and the unknown up ahead had them on edge. Finally, after they had moved passed the large stone in front of them they saw three figures standing in the exact center of the formation.

As they came into view Harry had to use all his will power to stop himself from whipping out his wand immediately and launching a full spread of killing curses at the small group. However the memory of what happened the last time Voldemort had been hit with that curse stilled his hand. He figured he would need to find something a little more permanent to be rid of the Dark Lord for good.

Neither Voldemort nor his two top Death Eaters could see anything of their faces due to the metallic looking shields of magical energy that were in place under their hoods. The charm was a gift from Geoffrey Stevens and the Department of Mysteries. They would prevent both visual identification as well as any attempt at Legillimency. The dark green battlerobes they wore, however, were most impressive. Impressive and familiar. Lucius was the first to put two and two together.

"Master, these are the men that captured your servants in Diagon Ally." He gasped stupidly and Harry, Snape and Tonks had to fight to keep from laughing at such an asinine statement. Harry however did chuckle darkly for a moment, drawing Voldemort's attention to him.

"So, you capture my Death Eaters and now you wish to join me. Why?" Voldemort asked forcefully and with a great deal of anger and suspicion. This brought another dark chuckle from Harry. When he spoke it was not his voice that was heard but one that was much deeper, a great deal older and certainly foreign.

"What I have done was to show myself and my followers in a good light to that pathetic institution you call a Ministry as well as the Headmaster of Hogwarts. But the primary reason for capturing your men was to get an idea of how powerful your forces are and I must say that I am very disappointed. If those children are all the best you have to offer then it's a wonder you haven't been defeated yet." He explained as he continued to chuckle lightly to himself as if he thought the Death Eaters were nothing but a joke.

"Who are you to question the ability of my servants?" Voldemort fumed. Granted they were weak but he marked them as his own and he did have his pride. With this question the man before him merely looked back, unfazed by his anger.

"I'm the one who beat them. You may have come here for more than a simple meeting so let me make one thing perfectly clear, you do not have the power here or the control. Those rest in my hands and in my hands alone." He stated simply before moving on. "I have summoned you here because we have similar goals. And while I have never failed to achieve the goals I have set, you have known little more than failure. I am here to change that." Harry knew that he was pushing his luck with his attitude but he had to establish himself as something much greater than a common Death Eater. He watched as Voldemort fumed before him and Lucius and Bellatrix looked back and forth between the two with looks that clearly said that they thought he was completely insane for speaking to their master in such a fashion.

"You dare to speak to the Dark Lord in such a fashion?" Bellatrix hissed angrily. "He is the greatest wizard in the world." She shouted as if it were fact.

"And yet he is constantly being over matched by a child and an incompetent old man." Harry replied in an off hand manner. "I have spent a lifetime devoted to the study and practice of the Dark Arts but found early on that those that claim the same are little more than charlatans, playing at being powerful but they have no true ambition for the future."

"Your talk is all well and good, but if you are as good and as devoted as you claim then why have I not heard of you before?" Voldemort asked with a hiss as he tried to stare through Harry's concealment charms.

"As my assistant informed you in her message, it has been years since I have tied myself to any one cause. My followers are free to pursue their own ambitions when they don't conflict with my plans but as I said, it has been some time. At first I thought that maybe Grindlewald would be worthy of my support but that quickly faded. He was weak, ignorant and had no drive towards anything but self destruction. It was not conquest he was after, it was his own death and that is of no use to me.

You, however, show a great deal of promise. You have both a fair amount of power and your intelligent but you also a goal in mind. A foolish and ultimately impossible goal for sure, but you have something to aspire to. You, may be worthy of what I have to offer but time will tell if I have misjudged. As for never hearing of me, well that's fairly simple. You fashioned a knew name for yourself, one that the people would learn to fear. I chose another path. Instead of finding a new name and ignoring my true beginnings, I chose to wipe it out of existence entirely. I lead by example and my followers chose the same path. When no one knows who you are, when they don't even know you exist, only then are you free to act indiscriminately. You clearly hold a different opinion, so by all means share with rest of the group?" Harry finished sarcastically when he noticed the anger in the Dark Lord's eyes.

"FOOLISH? HOW CAN YOU CALL THE EXTERMINATION OF MUDBLOODS AND MUGGLES FOOLISH?" Voldemort raged and his anger only increased when he realized that the man across from him was not intimidated in the least.

"Let's start with the mudbloods and half bloods first. Why do you hate them?" He asked simply and in a casual tone.

"They are and inferior, they do nothing but pollute the pureblood lines and make them weak." Lucius nearly shouted in anger. Voldemort looked about ready to curse the man but he was interested in how Harry would respond. And he didn't have long to wait.

"They are inferior, and they are weak." Harry repeated as he began to walk back and forth in front of them like a predator ready to strike. "Such an argument is common in simply minded fools. Merlin is revered as the greatest and most powerful wizard of all time, and yet he was born from muggle parents. Albus Dumbledore is thought to be the most powerful in the world today, he is a muggleborn. Lily Potter, also a muggleborn, her last magical act was powerful enough to cast your master's spirit into exile for thirteen years. Harry Potter, regarded as half blood, his recent actions speak for themselves. And finally, Tom Riddle." He said with a great deal of satisfaction as he gazed at the now beat red face of his enemy. "Also a half blood. His escapades as Lord Voldemort also speak for themselves." Lucius went slightly pale at this and looked to his master in shock and Harry took the opportunity to get a close look at Bellatrix for the first time since their arrival. He was a little surprised to see that her look of shock at this revelation was obviously forced. She also didn't look nearly as insane as usual.

"CRUCIO!" Voldemort shouted in rage as he directed his wand at the man in front of him. Harry of course was expecting this as soon as he decided to mention Riddle's name so he was well prepared. With a whispered word and a casual flick of the wand he had concealed in the sleeve of his robes, Lucius was ripped from his place beside his master and thrown into the on coming spell. With a strangled cry and loud shrieking screams he collapsed in front of Harry. No one was all that surprised that Voldemort decided that Lucius was as good as any to take out his frustrations on but Harry was a little disappointed when it didn't last nearly as long as he thought. With his body shaking uncontrollably, Lucius crawled over to his master and began kissing the hem of his robes only to be met with a sharp kick to the face.

"Now that you got that out of your system can we continue? Or have you grown bored with this discussion?" Harry said in a very challenging way as he tapped the tip of his phoenix feather wand against the side of his leg. Voldemort merely glared back as his pointed teeth gleamed in the moonlight while his breathing was fast and heavy. Everyone was fairly surprised that his body didn't implode by the sheer force of his rage. After several very tense minutes had passed Harry was convinced that Voldemort wouldn't try anything else, at least not yet.

"Your ego and your lack of self control make you weak. Unfortunately that is something you will never be able to change. Most people, such as that worthless lump at your feet and that crazed bitch at your side, can afford such weaknesses. Men like us cannot. Dumbledore will not wait for you to be in complete control of your actions before he strikes. But that is a threat that will soon be eliminated."

"You speak of Dumbledore as if he were just an ordinary man!" Bellatrix sneered at him, almost daring him to contradict her.

"Albus Dumbledore's knowledge and power are nowhere near the levels he believes them to be. I have many in my service that are more than a match for him." The two Death Eaters looked shocked that he would make such a claim but Voldemort looked pensive.

"So, you and your men are willing to join my Death Eaters?" He asked with a shrewd look in his eyes. He didn't really think that is what the man intended but he could not allow his Death Eaters to see him recognize another as he equal. He was infuriated, but not surprised, when he was answered with a loud bellowing laugh.

"The men and women that follow me were more carefully chosen than the Disciples of Christ. They serve no one but me, and I serve no one. I offer only this, a certain level of cooperation between you and I."

"To consider your proposition carefully I will need more information. Like how many fighters you can send when they are needed." Voldemort asked in an attempt to find out how powerful the man was, militarily speaking. He wasn't really expecting a direct answer so he was more than surprised when he got exactly that as well as shocked by the answer.

"At any one time I can place fifteen fighters in the field." He replied in an off hand manner as if it were more than the Dark Lord deserved. Voldemort stared at him for several moments for the audacity.

"You come to me and demand cooperation and that is all the support you can muster?" He laughed sadistically. He clearly overestimated the man and his capabilities.

"We may share certain characteristics and similar goals but we are not the same. You will accept any into your ranks as long as they crawl around on their knees and praise you with every look. You brand them like cattle and call them Death Eaters. The vast majority of your Death Eaters rank no higher than a Hogwarts graduate. That is the extent of their knowledge and skill. I, however, only accept the strongest, the most skilled and the most intelligent. My fifteen warriors could easily decimate your entire force." Once again Voldemort wanted to contradict such a claim but he decided that he would have to see this 'skill' before he would even entertain the idea. So he chose to simply get back to the business at hand.

"You claim you wish to offer aid but what do you want in return?"

"All in time. This is my proposition. The most highly skilled fighters within your Ministry of Magic are the top secret agents that are employed by the Department of Mysteries. There are only twenty seven at any one time and when one is killed they simply bring up another. They were the bane of Grindlewald's existence as they were yours during your first fight for power. To prevent such an occurrence from happening again my men will kill every last one of them. One they can replace fairly easily but to lose them all at once will be a crippling blow. As my men are taking care of these agents, this lovely young lady to my right will put Dumbledore down for good while I will take care of young Mr. Potter myself." As Harry spoke even Voldemort couldn't hide his shock at what he was so casually suggesting. The way he said made it seem like there was no way his men could fail such a daunting task. His last statement however pulled the Dark Lord out of his stupor.

"I will take care of Potter myself!" He shouted firmly.

"And yet each time you have tried, you have failed, beaten by a child." Harry sneered and watched as Voldemort's pale face turned red with anger.

"HOW DARE YOU!" He shouted as he grabbed his wand once again. Harry, Tonks and Snape didn't flinch a muscle but each was prepared to activate their portkeys should the situation escalate even further. "I could kill you here and now." He hissed out as he pointed his wand directly at Harry's heart.

"You would fail." Harry replied as he stared back calmly. Voldemort stood stiffly with his wand held tightly for several moments before, much to the shock of Bellatrix and even to Snape and Tonks, he lowered his arm with a furious growl. The carefree manner in which the man spoke to him and carried himself spoke loudly that this man was not someone to be trifled with or to be underestimated. If he could, however, be broken and bent to his will, he could be the most powerful of his servants.

"Each time you have faced Harry Potter he has either escaped your grasp or you were forced to flee. Your fear of this boy has made you a liability where combating him directly is concerned."

"I FEAR NO MAN!" He shouted in rage as he hopped up and down in anger.

"I beg to differ. The thing you fear most is death. And in Harry Potter, you see your potential destruction." He chuckled as Voldemort shot a surprised look at him. His amusement clearly showed that he knew 'certain' information.

"How do you…" He hissed but was quickly cut off.

"When I begin making plans I cover every eventuality. And I always find what I am looking for. Dumbledore and his pathetic Order may have been able to hide the contents of that prophecy from you and even from Potter. But the sloppy work of your followers insured the recording devices destruction. The true nature of that prophecy now exists in only two places. In Dumbledore's mind and my own. Suffice to say that I know WHY you fear him, and well you should. Your fear gives the boy a certain level of power over you. A power you do not share for unlike most of the world, he does not fear you.

With every breath that boy breathes he is mocking you. His very existence is a living example of your failure. With every day that passes and every fight he survives your fear grows stronger and his power tightens around your heart. He must die immediately and that is something you are not strong enough to accomplish. Only after his death will you truly be powerful. Only then will you be worthy of my unwavering support and the vast knowledge and power I have to offer." Harry finished in a fierce and terrifying voice. Silence reigned for nearly twenty minutes as Voldemort fought to control his natural instincts, which were to kill Harry and his two companions where they stood.

The whole time Bellatrix looked on in absolute shock at what she was witnessing. Harry glanced at her for a brief moment and caught her looking at him in terror. Despite himself, he was greatly confused by this reaction. Clearly Harry was holding himself as if he were the stronger and more confidant of the two but if he was offering assistance to her master why would she react in such a way. He had no doubt that she was frightened of him, that much was obvious. But she looked to be nearing total panic. No, he thought to himself again, she doesn't look anywhere near as insane as before. Finally after a lengthy argument with himself, which Harry didn't bother to pay attention to, Voldemort was able to exert enough semblance of control over himself to continue in at least a coherent fashion.

"Very well, but to make sure you are not attempting to deceive me, some of my strongest followers will accompany your men as they set about their various tasks."

"I will agree to your terms under one condition. They are only to observe. The men and women that serve me are the strongest fighters in the magical world, they do not need the aggravation of amateurs blundering about and ruining their plans." The cold voice that Harry used made it clear that he would not waver in his decision but pride once more forced Voldemort to defend the abilities of his Death Eaters, though he was much more diplomatic this time.

"I assure you that the members of my inner circle are among the best this country has to offer."

"And yet they were defeated by a few school children just over a month ago." Harry chuckled darkly as he mocked the thought of any Death Eater being worth much in a fight. "From what I have witnessed I can clearly see that your Death Eaters can serve no purpose greater than being cannon fodder. So I advise you to inform your men that they are to simply watch, the consequences of interference will be immediate death." He finished in a cold tone that revealed nothing but the fact that he was completely serious.

"We will be ready to attack in five days time. I will send word to you through this pathetic creature here." He said while motioning to Malfoy who was still cowering in fear and pain. "You will be informed of where your Death Eaters can meet my men before they leave. So, until we meet again." Harry, Tonks and Snape activated their portkeys and the moment they vanished Voldemort turned his anger and frustration onto his two followers. But no amount of torture would vanish the shocking memory of their Master being so effectively intimidated by another.

MMM

When they arrived back at Potter Manor Dumbledore, McGonagall and the rest of the Raiders were waiting for them in the entrance hall. Harry let the shivers that he had suppressed throughout the meeting work themselves out before he took the shielding charm off and lowered his hood. What he said to Voldemort was true, he didn't fear him. All he felt every time he heard the Dark Lord's name or saw is face was hatred and revulsion. He let out an explosive breath before he silently walked into the sitting room and sank into the nearest chair. Tonks had much the same idea and took the chair across from him and they both just sat there with her eyes closed. Most of the people present had followed them in and waited to hear what had happened. Snape however went unnoticed up the stairs with McGonagall and Blaise.

"How did it go Harry?" Dumbledore asked carefully. Harry sat in silence for several minutes without moving until he cracked open his eyes to look at the people around him. Before he spoke however he waved his wand at his throat to remove the charm he had in place to change his voice.

"It went just as planned. Better in fact." He sighed before looking down at his hands as he ran his fingers over his wand. His thoughts were racing over every possible outcome of their meeting and what he may or may not have been able to do.

"Harry, I understand how you must feel, but what you have done…" Albus began in a comforting tone but stopped when Harry looked back up and interrupted him.

"No, I don't think you understand at all. I just had possibly the only three people on earth that I truly hate standing in front of me, talking to me. I wanted nothing more than to see them in as much pain as possible before I finally killed them. But the simple fact that remains is that I don't know HOW to kill Voldemort. That son of a bitch is so twisted that even the killing curse won't work properly. I know that I can beat him, I just don't know how to finish him." Harry seethed. Most of what he said he was unaware that he had spoke the words out loud. Although he was a little surprised at his fury Albus looked as calm as ever.

"In time we will find away to make sure that he is defeated for good. But at the moment you are in the best position to gain the information we need to prevent other attacks as well as find where the other Death Eaters are hiding. I know that they have hurt you a great deal but if you are to be successful you must not let your emotions control you." He told Harry wisely. However Harry just looked at the man as if he were crazy.

"Do you really know so little about me?" Harry laughed with a little amusement. "If I were to hold a grudge against those that hurt me I would deserve a sentence in Azkaban. If I were to make suffer those that had hurt me I would surely have killed the Dursleys by now, my parents would have never left this house alive. I would have taken my rage out on Snape and even you. But you should know by now that if someone comes after me, then so be it. But god help you if you come after the ones I care about.

Bellatrix and Lucius were the key reasons my friends suffered so many injuries when we went to the Ministry last year and that Lestrange bitch killed Sirius. For that she will die. Lucius and his little brat Draco were the two primary Death Eaters that tortured myself, Tonks, Snape and Blaise. Now while I was able to prevent the two girls from being cursed to much, they were still severely injured and under a lot of pain. For that, Draco is already dead and his father will follow soon enough.

Voldemort, however, was the reason behind all of it. Because of him countless people have died and suffered, including many of my friends. For that I will not rest until he is dead and his ashes are scattered to the wind. NOTHING I have done has ever been for my own sense of vengeance as you so casually suggest. I suffered enough at the hands of the Dursleys for years before I came to Hogwarts that pain became a way of life. It's almost the only life I know, but seeing my friends in pain is entirely unacceptable." Harry quickly stopped himself and took several deep calming breaths. Not for the first time he began wondering why he seemed so predisposed to going off on rants like that lately. For the most part of his life he had kept all his feelings and emotions to himself but lately as the stress has been increasing he has found it harder to keep a lid on such thoughts. Who knows, maybe it was better for him to get things like that out into the open instead of holding such things in. without another word Harry just turned around and headed out of the room, intending to simply go to bed and stay there for as long as possible.

Tonks sat there and listened to every word that Harry said with wide eyes and a slack jaw. She, as well as everyone else, was more surprised at his sudden 'openness' than Harry himself. Most people had a tendency for letting their feelings be known but Harry was certainly not one of those people, usually. She knew that he held a great deal of anger and had many problems with his friends during the last school year as a result so maybe it was a good thing that he wasn't internalizing everything as his nature usually forced him to do. She nearly rolled her eyes and sighed as Dumbledore suggested that Harry's motivation was to simply hurt the ones that had hurt him. She had been around Harry enough to know him better than that and she had known him only a fraction of the time Albus had.

The words he said forever banished her rather halfhearted arguments that he was a boy. True he was only sixteen but he was certainly a man. This realization helped in a way to relieve some of the guilt she felt about their drunken activities more than a week before. It certainly didn't by any means with help any of the embarrassment she felt but it was a start. When Harry got up and left the room she felt that if she was ever going to get to talk to Harry about this it would be now. After all, his attention was on something else right now so hopefully she could say what she needed and leave before he had time to process the information. She stood up and quickly followed him, much to the amusement, and relief of everyone present. Dumbledore looked after the two and was a bit confused by everyone's reaction. Suddenly he remembered the reading of Sirius' Will, specifically his words to Harry.

'Take one night to completely degrade yourself. Get drunk and try to act your age for once instead of an old man. And for Merlin's sake, get laid.' Dumbledore as well as everyone else noticed both Harry's and Tonks' embarrassment when Bullgluk read those words but his attention was pulled away and he never really thought about the reasons for such embarrassment until now. He was shocked at the implications for a few moments before he suddenly began laughing much to the confusion of everyone around him.

"I think they will be good for each other." He said simply as he looked at everyone with a smile. They looked momentarily surprised at his apparent acceptance of the situation. The smile on his face quickly faded however as he thought of something else. At first he looked to be in deep thought but that quickly faded to be replaced with realization and even denial. "It can't be!" He muttered to himself. Without another word the old man swiftly left the room to head back to Hogwarts with everyone else watching him go with looks that clearly showed that they thought he was crazy.

MMM

Tonks silently entered Harry's room after knocking several times failed to gain his attention. The room was nearly dark with the only light coming from the fire burning in the fireplace as Harry sat silently staring into the flames. She stood there for several moments and watched him as she fought with herself on whether or not she should interrupt him. With her mind made up she was prepared to simply turn around and postpone their talk once again when the choice was seemingly taken out of her hands.

"You might as well stay." Harry said quietly but his sudden words made Tonks jump slightly. "We have both been avoiding this for long enough, don't you think?" He continued as he looked over to her with a tired smile. Though it was both terrifying and amusing for her to be in the presence of Voldemort as Harry goaded him she didn't realize until that moment how heavy a toll it took on Harry emotionally. She gasped slightly as she saw the pain and weariness reflected in his vibrant green eyes that now looked somewhat dull. Slowly at first, she walked over and took a chair next to him before the fire. Neither seemed to be all that thrilled at the idea of speaking first so they remained in silence.

"How is your training with Albus, Moody and Remus going?" Harry asked quietly after nearly an hour. Tonks was surprised and relieved at the sudden break in the silence and the random question.

"It's going well. It was difficult the first couple of days but I haven't tripped at all in three days and I think all four of us could fight this duel in our sleep by now. How's yours?"

"Fine. Bill and I have all the moves and curses memorized. I plan to try it blindfolded at some point in the next few days just to see how I would fare." After another, though shorter, period of silence Harry finally decided to get to the heart of the matter. "Do you regret it?" He asked simply. At first Tonks wanted to just play confused but she figured it wouldn't be very productive. She thought about it for several minutes but couldn't come up with a definitive answer.

"I don't really know." She answered honestly. "It's not exactly the type of thing I make a habit of doing." She continued defensively causing Harry to chuckle for a moment. "I just find it ironic that you, um we, had a drunken fling and the next morning Sirius' Will tells you to do exactly that."

"Yeah, well, if it makes you feel any better, I don't really do that much either. In fact that was the first time I've done anything remotely close." He was a bit surprised that he wasn't the least bit self conscious about admitting that he had never been with a woman before. Tonks however was surprised.

"Never?" She asked in shock. Harry smiled slightly and just shook his head. "I would have thought that with you being the Boy-Who-Lived the girls would have been throwing themselves at you on a regular basis." Harry grimaced slightly at the nickname.

"Not really. I learned real early on how to tell who was simply interested in me because of my name and I have no use for people like that. Without my name all I am is some scrawny kid that has above average talent. Not exactly the type of person most people would waste their time getting to know."

"Please Harry, I've seen you working out, your not exactly scrawny." Tonks responded with a sly grin. As much as he tried to fight it he couldn't stop from blushing slightly. "Though I can sympathize with you there. Most men are only interested in me because I can change my appearance. To be perfectly honest I would never have been selected for Auror training if I wasn't a metamorphmagus. I'm just someone that can easily disguise myself. That's all I've ever been to them, to anyone." She continued a little bitterly.

"God, and I thought I was hard on myself." Harry said in surprise. Tonks always appeared to be happy and full of life but right now she sounded like, like, well himself.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked him angrily. He was taken aback by her sudden anger and thought about simply keeping his mouth shut in case he said something to seriously piss her off but decided against it. Though he did keep his escape options in mind. After all he didn't have much experience when it came to calming down females.

"Tonks, I don't know anything about your time in the Aurors or even much about your time in the Order. Whether or not they only saw you as a potential spy or something, I have no idea but in your time here have I or anyone else ever asked you to change?" He asked seriously. She looked upset at first but when he asked his question she suddenly deflated. "I didn't think so. You may be a metamorphmagus but your also a hell of a fighter and you've got a great personality. Your fun to be around, your intelligent and your pretty damn cute. Don't shortchange yourself by assuming nobody else knows what you have to offer." Harry looked back up and was surprised to see tears in her eyes. He didn't have long to ponder this however as she launched herself out of her chair. Startled by the sudden movement, Harry quickly stood up only to have Tonks slam into him and wrap her arms around him. Nearly losing his balance, he had to reach behind him and grasp his chair to steady himself as she buried her face into his shoulder.

Despite himself he didn't seem to be nearly as uncomfortable with the current situation as he usually would but not really sure how he should react it took him several moments before he gently returned the embrace. As they stood there it didn't take much thought to figure out why she was so upset. Being a metamorphmagus couldn't be easy for anyone but if everyone knew, as they did with Tonks, it must be much harder. Harry could certainly imagine what it must have been like when she was in school. Girls jealous of her ability and guys seeing her as a shape-shifting sex toy. He clearly remembered Ron and even a few Order members making several comments about it last summer. And he imagined it probably wasn't much better when she graduated and went to work at the Ministry.

After a few minutes she calmed down some but neither really made any attempt to move until Harry looked up at the clock above the fire and saw how late it was. Considering they both had to get up fairly early for training he took a step back.

"Come on, we should get some sleep. We can finish this conversation another time." He said quietly as he led her to the door that connected their rooms. She simply nodded in agreement as she walked with him across the room. He had just opened the door for her when she suddenly turned to face and kicked the door closed again before crushing her lips to his. This time Harry was unable to keep his balance and he fell to the floor with Tonks landing on top of him. He was so shocked by her actions that he neither noticed the fall or the stinging pain that resulted from his head's connection with the floor. Soon, however, his hormones overcame his shock and he was quick to give in to her actions. Not having much memory of the last night they spent together, his only comparison was kissing Cho. He immediately decided that this was infinitely more appealing and certainly more fun.

MMM

After returning to Hogwarts Albus ran every step of the way to his office. The gargoyle standing guard obviously had some semblance of intelligence, or caution, as it leapt aside for the powerful old wizard to charge by. Paying no heed to Remus and Moody, who apparently were waiting to hear how Harry's meeting went, he removed his wand and with a flick of his wrist the bookshelf on the left hand wall slid aside to reveal a fair sized room with books covering every inch of the wall. Ignoring the recently discovered empty spaces along the shelves he went immediately to the far wall and grabbed a thick book entitled, 'Legends and Myths of Hogwarts'.

He took the book to his desk before opening the top drawer and removing a piece of parchment. On it was a copy of the prophecy Blaise had found in the Chamber of Secrets. Quickly scanning the page he soon found the passage he was looking for.

'Through life he shall be hardened, through pain he shall be molded and with the love and the aid of the Brides he shall emerge victorious.' After reading that line over several times he snatched up the book and began flipping through the pages. In it contained nearly every little known fact and belief about the school. Unfortunately the author was a bit indiscriminate about what material he used so the vast majority was simply made up of rumors, probably started by older students trying to scare or impress the younger. His eyes briefly stopped on the section dedicated to the Chamber of Secrets but he got his mind on track once more and in no time he found what he was looking for.

'The Brides of Hogwarts'

Albus read every word several times over and each time his eyes went wider and his face seemed to grow a little paler. The entry was only a page and a half long but it contained nearly every element of the two prophecies that were so central to their fight. While it could simply be a coincidence he didn't really hold out much hope. With a sigh he lowered his head and began banging it into the hard wood of his desk. Remus and Moody were worried, confused and a little amused by Albus' actions.

"Err, Albus." Remus interrupted quietly.

"What?" He asked in a whining tone as he raised his head again. Only then did he realize who was there. "Oh, forgive me, what can I do for you?"

"Um, how did the meeting go?" He asked in an uncertain voice as if he were afraid of the answer given the Headmaster's current mood.

"From what I'm told it went better than expected. I apologize but I need some time alone with my thoughts." Remus and Moody exchanged worried glances but rose and left the office without any more questions. Albus sat at his desk for some time thinking over this new information and the possible consequences it could bring. While he could certainly see the advantage in it, it was certainly unorthodox. He allowed himself a brief chuckle for the poor soul that was going to have to explain this one to Harry before he suddenly stopped with a realization. He was the only one that knew. He was going to have to tell Harry. He sagged back into his chair and covered his eyes with his hand as one word escaped his lips. "Shit."

TBC

Before anyone says it, I know the scene with Harry and Tonks sucks. I have no talent what so ever with emotional touchy feely things so give me a break. Now, to answer some questions I have been getting.

Harry's three siblings are named Jacob; he will be fourteen in September. Rose and Benjamin are five.

Harry just turned sixteen, not seventeen. It takes place after his fifth year. This story was begun long before the sixth book came out so I will incorporate little to nothing from that book. All you that hoped for Tonks to be paired with Remus, sorry, I like her with Harry better. He acts much older than he is and she acts younger than she is. They balance each other out.

Also, in most countries around the world sixteen is the age of consent and sixteen year olds are often seen as adults. Whether or not this is the case in England, I don't know but I'm proceeding under the assumption that it is. However, in the wizarding world you don't reach your majority until age seventeen. But, as was explained in chapter 13 the goblins were kind enough to expedite the process and get him emancipated.

For all those that were disgusted with the thought, or hoping for that matter, Harry will not have a sexual relationship with all four girls.

No I will not write a scene with Snape and McGonagall. That's just creepy, which is probably why I put them together come to think of it.

Since she arrived at Potter Manor Marietta has yet to leave her room. She has either been terrified that Harry was going to kill her, and then in mourning for her parents. She will finally make an appearance in the next chapter.

James, Lily and Jacob already know about Harry's life at the Dursleys as well as his Hogwarts years. Dumbledore told them after he gave them Veritaserum. Harry was also kind enough to give his mother several of his worst memories with his loving relatives when she tried to enter his mind with Legillimency in chapter 17.

No, the Raiders did not take every book in the library. They just took quite a few out of the restricted section, as well as several from Dumbledore's private library, which you see a small part of in this chapter.

No, Harry's brothers and sister will not leave James and Lily to live with him. Though Jacob might begin visiting him on a regular basis.

That's all the questions I can remember for right now but I'll try to answer any others as I get them. Thank you for reading and all that good stuff. Ta ta.