AU: Happy Halloween to whoever celebrated! (Certainly not Harry lol). Anyway, I have decided that I will update this story once, maybe twice, every weekend. There will, of course, be some weekends where I will not be able to update but that's life! Sorry to keep you waiting, again, I went back home to spend some time with the family for a few days and didn't really have the time, but I think this chapter makes up for it. Hope you enjoy!


CHAPTER 5 – THE ORDER MEETING

For the past 14 years every morning, Sirius woke up with a sense of dread. To this day he is still afraid of waking up and finding out he is still in Azkaban. This thought alone was enough for the dread to kick in, but it was nothing compared to what he was feeling today. He didn't know what he was thinking telling Harry that they needed to have a serious talk yesterday. Well, that's a lie, he knew exactly what he was thinking, but the things he knows shouldn't concern a mere 15 year old boy, let alone his godson. Still though, Harry has shown signs of emotional maturity that are expected from an adult, plus he seems to know that something more sinister is going on behind the scenes. Because that was exactly what was going on. Fate played, is playing and will play her own game with everyone, especially him. To make things worse, they have to deal with someone who is trying their best to alternate to their own ideals said fate, and if that means making a lot of people suffer then so be it.

From the moment James and Lily told him that there was a prophecy regarding their son and the Dark Lord, he immediately guessed what it foretold. He knew the boy would never be normal in a sense. He would always have this weight on him, these expectations people would had of him that should he be made aware of, could prove to have catastrophical consequences. So in their blind panic they all turned to the man they all thought their savior. In the end, the pair were dead, he spent 12 years imprisoned in Azkaban and the pair's son was imprisoned for the majority of his life in his relatives' because of said savior. But the sad truth was, they were all to blame. Panic does nothing good if not harvested, used for you own good. So when he thought in a moment of panic, that switching secret keepers was a good idea, he felt like a God. On paper, the plan was sound to be fair, if only they knew the rat was a traitor… Sirius deeply believed that he deserved to stay at Azkaban for the rest of his life. That thought, that niggling tease of a feeling always taunted him, reminding him of what he had lost. The same could be said about the moment where, in yet another moment of panic, he abandoned his godson in order to chase the rat. And look where that got them…

Now though there was a chance to rebuild. To become what he was supposed to be, to live. And for that to happen the first step is to share everything he knows with his godson. It's time to start moving forward. It's time to start planning. You could say that it was time for revenge.


As for Harry, he wasn't feeling any dread. Scratch that, he was used to it nowadays. No, what he was feeling was determination. To prove himself, to Sirius, Moody and whoever else truly believes in him. What was eating him up, though, was that he couldn't for the life of him think of something that significant that Sirius would have to tell him. He knew it wasn't good news, it never was. But how much worse could it get? Well, as he finished cleaning himself up, he heard a knock on his bedroom door. He was going to find out.

Opening the door Sirius immediately barged in, locked it and placed tripping wards that would alert him if someone was at the door plus silencing charms. These actions and the anxiety in his movements only reinforced the thought that things are going to get worse for Harry. He just stayed quiet though, sitting in his bed while Sirius dragged a chair to sit in front of him.
It must have been 5 minutes but it felt like 50. Sirius was frowning at the floor thinking of an appropriate approach for such a matter. Harry was not getting impatient though, just giving his godfather time. Eventually Sirius snapped internally and threw all caution right out the window as there was no way to make this subject any more tolerable.

"Do you know why Voldemort hunted down and attacked you and your parents?" He blurted out causing Harry to actually gape at the question. He was about to answer, when he actually processed what the question entailed. Why did his family get a personal visit from Voldemort himself? Why not bring his Death Eaters? Why did he command his mother to step aside instead of killing her?(What he remembers from the Dementors). He actually didn't know any of the answers to these questions. Really he hadn't even wondered or thought about them. Curiosity got the better of him but now his hearts was close to beating itself out of his chest, so he just shrugged waiting for an explanation.

Sirius saw the internal battle Harry just went through, and he was even more heartbroken by the fact that he wasn't there all these years to explain a lot of things to his godson. So, he just sighed and rubbed his face before doing so.

"When you were born, it was the happiest day of your parent's lives. And mine for trusting me enough to name me your godfather. You were the Prince of the Manor as I called you. Potter Manor, your ancestral home, was like your court, everyone served you and we were happy to do so." He said fondly, remembering simpler times. His expression turned into one of grief as he continued, still avoiding eye contact with Harry. "Some weeks after Christmas that year, your parents had this obsession about moving to a safer place, in order to protect you. They were frantic, frightened really,but really out of character. They never ran from their problems so I guessed that something else was going on. After I cornered them, eventually, they broke down and explained everything as I am about to do to you" He sighed tremulously holding back as much emotion as he could.
"They were approached by Dumbledore after Christmas that year. He told them that a year or so before you were born he held an interview in his brother's inn about a Divination Professor, Hogwart's Trelawny. He was really disappointed to find out that the witch was just not was he was looking for, and was about to end it, when she entered a certain state and gave an actual prophecy. Now, I was never told what the exact wording of the prophecy was, just that it regarded you and Voldemort, so I think you can guess what it entails as well as I did back then." He held up a hand to prevent Harry from interrupting.

"No, this isn't the real reason. Back at the inn Dumbledore hadn't noticed that he was being eavesdropped. A young Death Eater, who we still don't know who he is, overheard only part of the prophecy before being chased out by Abeforth, Albus' brother. As you can guess the chances that this young recruit would want to impress his Dark Lord were high, so he must have immediately gone to relay what he had learned. To say that your parents were terrified would be an understatement. Not terrified of Voldemort or risking their lives, but terrified for you." He choked up again. "You were so small and innocent barely a year old when they learned that..." Taking a deep breath he continued.

"After they told me, I was all for leaving Potter Manor. It might have been one of the most protected houses in Magical Britain, but it was well known, and with a concentrated attack it would get neutralized. From here on out you know the rest of the story. Now you also know the why not just the how." He finished holding his breath waiting for the response.

Harry was shell-shocked. At first he thought this was going to be a 'happy story' what with hearing how happy his parents and Sirius were when he was born. The happy feeling evaporated as his godfather continued, replaced by plain anger. At the world, at fate, at everyone and everything. Of course there would have been a bloody prophecy. He didn't believe in destiny or Divination for that matter, but if Voldemort and Dumbledore did then he had no choice. But there was another crushing thought that internally broke Harry. His face changed from deep anger to sorrow and horror, as he asked spoke.

"So.. you mean to tell that my parents were targeted and killed solely because he was after me? That because I existed they were put in danger?" He wouldn't cry, but he was oh so close. Before he could sink even deeper, Sirius leaped out of the chair, kneeled before him and grabbed both sides of his face, forcing Harry to look at him who was starting to tremble.

"NO! Don't ever, ever say anything like that. Your parents loved you, adored you. They would do the same thing for you 100 times over if it meant you lived and they didn't. Don't feel guilty about what happened. Right now they are the happiest they have ever been knowing you are here, living and oh so very proud of the man you are becoming. Any parent who deeply loves their child would choose the same fate. Don't let it bring you down" His eyes were leaking as he whispered forcefully, willing Harry to understand.

That was all Harry needed. He broke down. He clinged to Sirius as he finally mourned his parents. He never had the chance to truly do so before. He was always trying to just not think about them as he was scared of this happening. So many unanswered questions all explained because of one event. What he remembered when the Dementors where near was the unconditional love his mother had for him. Voldemort offered her a chance to live, but she didn't. Harry had a huge smile on his face, even as he cried, just because of that thought. He was loved, and still is. He could feel it in the embrace of his godfather. He has a family. A family they were going to rebuild.

Finally, they broke apart Harry still smiling and wiping his eyes. He was about to thank Sirius, when he noticed that his godfather was silently crying as well. Before he could ask, Sirius spoke.

"I'm sorry." He said barely audibly, choking on his own words. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I'm sorry I chased the rat. I should have been there, I was there and I abandoned you. I gave you to Hagrid who was sent by Dumbledore that night. That's why you ended up at your relatives, because of me. I'm sorry…"

That's another thing that shocked Harry. He never knew how or why he ended up with them, but of course Dumbledore had something to do with it. That didn't matter right now, though.

Once again the pair found themselves hugging each other, comforting each other. Harry knew his godfather made mistakes, but anyone would have made the same ones had they been in his position. He was sure he would chase the rat as well. It doesn't matter anymore. He was here now. He needs him now more than ever. And he wants him to stay there. He told him all of that and the crushing weight on Sirius' shoulder finally left him. He was going to make up for all the years he missed, of that he swore. He looked up and while staring blankly at the ceiling he could imagine the beaming smiles James and Lily had on their faces at this very moment. He mouthed an "I swear" at the pair before closing his eyes. He would never know that Harry did the exact same thing but with an added "Thank you, I love you".

After breaking apart they stayed silent, collecting themselves. These revelations, while they cleared the air, also raised a lot of questions. They needed to start planning. Right now they were pawns in a chess game between Light and Dark. Thankfully Sirius didn't plan having this talk without thinking it through. After taking a deep breath he spoke.

"I believe that Dumbledore intends to have the Order guarding the prophecy which is kept in the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry. He has been hinting lately that there 'will come a time where a valuable resource will be under constant threat' and that 'we should be prepared'. He may even give the order tonight at the meeting."

"Well, that might actually be the only sensible action we could take. I mean surely Voldemort has spies in the Ministry that can be ordered to just take the prophecy to him" replied Harry. He was surprised to see Sirius scowl at the assumption.

"And right there is the problem. The Black Library has tomes about every aspect of Magic. So when I researched on Divination, especially Prophecy Orbs I found little, but useful information. The most important is that no one can actually grab the orb and leave. It can only be touched by the person or people the prophecy is about. In this case, you or Voldemort and I don't think he is that desperate to obtain it that he will raid the Ministry."

"So Dumbledore knows this but he wants his followers to feel like they are doing something where in reality they are just doing a useless and very risky job." Harry concluded his face showing the disgust at the morals of Dumbledore.

"Well, put bluntly yes. But I have a plan about today's meeting that will hopefully stop him from doing so. What I wanted to know was, if you are interested in taking the prophecy and finding out what is says." Sirius finished a bit nervously, thinking this was a lot to ask at the moment. Apparently he needn't have worried.

"Absolutely. Not only will I know what it entails whereas Voldemort won't, me having it can be used against Dumbledore should he choose to make a nuisance of himself." He finished with a grin worthy of a Marauder.

"Alright then, now-"

"I want you to listen to it with me when we get it." Harry blurted out, but he meant every word. Sirius was actually stunned. He never considered nor wanted to find out. But Harry continued seeing his godfather's struggle. "I just want another's opinions and someone that can help me decipher it or.. just someone to help me" he finished. He didn't mention that he specifically wanted Sirius to help him but he was pretty sure he understood that.

And he was right as that was enough to convince Sirius, as he readily agreed, only so that he could help his godson as much as he could. The only problem was that it had to be done after Harry's trial because depending on the verdict, he might not even be allowed inside the Ministry let alone the Department of Mysteries.

"Enough of that" said Sirius. "Let's talk about the meeting tonight" He flashed his trademark Padfoot grin as he explained the very simple but very efficient plan to Harry.


Hermione thought that last night was the best night of her life and also the worst. Knowing how much faith Harry had and still has in her would make her glow with happiness if it weren't for the fact that he pointed out her worst flaws. She knew he was right. The problem? Sometimes she can't even help herself. And that makes her miserable. This behavior, putting her faith in authority figures was implanted into her brain from when she was a lonely child. She made a promise though. She may not have spoken the words but her talk with Harry last night signified that she made a promise she would change. She really wanted to as well, she couldn't imagine what it would be like if she lost her first true friend. Sure there was Ron but after last year even she lost faith in him.

Those were her thoughts throughout breakfast. She had tuned everyone else out, just thinking what she should have done and what she must do in the future. It wasn't just because Harry asker to, no. She wanted to.

Shaking her head, she finished her breakfast and made ready to leave the kitchen when she noticed that Harry was missing. Bells started ringing in her head, and she would have ran to his room had she not noticed that Sirius was also missing. Taking a calming breath thinking that they were probably together, she left not saying a word to the other occupants of the room.

Still, she needed to make sure Harry was alright so she went to his room anyway. At first she was hesitant to knock, so she just listened for any signs of activity inside. She was surprised to hear total silence, seeing that she didn't see him anywhere else in the house. Mustering all her courage she knocked and waited.

Inside, Harry and Sirius had just finished polishing the already polished plan for the meeting when they heard someone knocking on the door.

"Remember be patient and wait until he gives the order. Otherwise we aim for the next meeting. And don't look him in the eyes. Alright?" Sirius asked. Harry rolled his eyes, having answered the same last question twice.

"I got it Sirius don't worry"

Sirius smiled and with a flick of his wand he disabled the wards and opened the door allowing a confused Hermione to enter.

"Well it seems I missed breakfast. Now I don't know about you but I am as hungry as Padfoot. See you later" he announced subtly winking at Harry and patting Hermione on the shoulder as he left, closing the door behind him.

Harry shook his head and smirked, but Hermione was still standing timidly at the entrance.

"As I told you yesterday you can sit and talk freely" He said still smirking.

She flashed a small smile and sat down in the chair Sirius was.
"I know it's not my place but.. I know there was a silencing ward in the room, and I was worried I didn't see you at breakfast so I came looking for you and what I want to say is, is everything alright?" She finished in a typical Hermione fashion.

Harry continued smirking besides himself but answered seriously nonetheless.
"You are right it is not your place. Sirius just wanted to talk to me about some important stuff but yes, everything is fine."

Hermione waited hopefully for getting a bit of information about the 'stuff' they talked about, but was slightly disappointed she got none. Her disappointment must have showed because Harry continued after sighing.

"Look, I would love to share everything with you as I previously had but you know you don't deserve it yet. Plus I know that I can't fully trust you yet. So let's just drop this subject and talk about anything else.

Her face kept falling as he spoke, but brightened at the fact that he still wanted to talk to her. So, they spent the rest of the day until the meeting with Hermione talking about her holidays so far, doing their school assignments, plus studying whatever they could about Wizarding Law. Yes, there was and still is a bit of tension and awkward silences here and there, but they both felt that they couldn't give up on each other. Again, last year really made them appreciate each other more and made them realize how much one needed the other. What annoyed Harry were the odd looks Ron gave them, the jealous one Ginny gave them and the somewhat smug look Remus and Sirius exchanged. All in all, while by no means as it were, their relationship was slowly starting to repair itself. Right before the meeting Harry had one last thing to share that could help her.

"Talk to the twins and get the Extendable Ear. Listen to the meeting. And then maybe you will start to understand what I mean" he went to his room leaving behind a very confused, again, Hermione but also very curious about his vague message. She needed to find some redheads.


Albus Dumbledore arrived right on time at Grimmauld Place, via the floo. Today was the day he would announce the need to guard the prophecy concerning young Harry and Tom. They would start their shifts after the trial and they needed to know from now in order to make a proper schedule. Entering the kitchen he was satisfied to see that everyone was there, even Snape. There was one chair empty but he dismissed it as he could see that everyone was indeed there. The room went quiet as he entered and took his place at the head of the table, opposite of Sirius and the empty chair.

"I call this meeting to order! I am pleased to see that everyone could make it as I have a very important announcement to make. First off all I would like to hear everyone's reports. Why don't you start Hagrid? How go the negotiations with the giants"

What followed was probably the most disheartening reports up to date. The giants were very difficult to convince as they were as bloodthirsty as they come. The werewolf front was even worse. There were very few that didn't choose to follow Greyback's pack so they have already lost them. The somewhat good news was that the vampires once again chose to remain neutral. Severus' report was pretty much the same every week. Tom was gathering forces slowly, but surely, and having the Ministry deny his existence served his purpose. Speaking of the Ministry, it seems that every one was looking forward to Harry's trial. They seemed hell bent on making the boy look as guilty as possible. He also knew that he would be his defense, even if he hadn't told anyone. So he wasn't really worried about that either. All in all, he thought that not much has changed; it was just like every other meeting.

"Thank you all for your hard work" he said warmly and basked in the satisfaction some members showed because of his praise.
"Now I have to make an announcement. After young Harry's trial, the Order will be focusing on guarding the entrance to the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry. Something very powerful is being kept there, something Voldemort will want to obtain. I want you, until our next meeting, to have planned out a schedule with your shifts. Remember this is a most important task so if you don't think you can handle it, don't volunteer." He said bravely and was happy to see that everyone got the message.
"Now that is all, I-"

"You know for being the leader of a vigilante group you really are bad at making sure there are no intruders at your meetings." Everyone looked at the once empty chair and were shocked to see Harry sitting there casually, smirking alongside his godfather. Albus was so surprised he didn't even speak until he noticed Sirius casting Silencio on a furious Molly Weasly. He managed to recover as quick as he could and put on a smile.

"Ah Harry, welcome! I am sorry I wasn't here when you arrived the day before yesterday so we could have a proper chat. But right now you shouldn't be here so I would urge you to go upstairs" Albus said in his best grandfather impression. He really shouldn't have removed the tracking charm on the boy's glasses, otherwise this wouldn't be happening.

Harry seemed to be ignoring hi, however as he look indifferently around the room. "You know, for someone so knowledgeable you seem to have also forgotten that the thing you want protected at all costs, cannot be reached by Voldemort's men." Harrys smug smile only confirmed to Albus what he feared.

He stilled. How did the boy know about the prophecy? He wasn't meant to know so early. The answer to that question came from the equally smug smile Sirius had. Of course. He mentally chided himself. He should have made more… arrangements to make sure they were kept apart. Molly had warned him that they 'were getting out of control' but he dismissed her, assuming she was just overreacting as usual. Her purpose was simple. To be the lovingly overbearing mother to Harry but as it seemed she had failed. He needed to have a talk with young Harry soon. He was snapped out of his thoughts by his Deputy.

"What's he talking about Albus" she asked, her accent slightly more noticeable which was not a good sign.

"I assure you my dear, that this is a task of upmost importance-"

"If you don't plan on telling them why they would be pointlessly risking their lives, then you can either withdraw the order, or I will just explain it to them and they can decide." It was Sirius that spoke now, and he seemed to be enjoying this too much. The only people that were happy about this turn of events apart from Harry and Sirius were Tonks, Moody and Kingsley and they didn't even know what was happening.

Albus was doubly stunned. He needed to have the Order do something no matter how pointless it was, but the prophecy couldn't be made public. They had him and they knew it. They pointed out the fact that he would willingly and knowingly place his followers' lives at risk. He couldn't even use Legilimency on the boy as he wouldn't make eye contact. He really needed to have a talk with young Harry. This kind of behavior could not continue.

Eventually he sighed, he would find something else for the Order to do. Looking around he only saw curious and angry faces aimed at him, some angry ones aimed at the two opposite of him and Snape looking surprisingly stiff. He couldn't blame him if both Sirius and Harry found out who leaked the prophecy… well he would need another spy.

"Consider the order withdrawn, and this matter null and void. I apologize for not thinking it thoroughly and I apologize for wasting your precious time. I look forward to seeing you all at the next meeting with your reports. Goodnight" he said in a sad and apologetic tone but inside he was almost angry. That almost was immediately crushed seeing that Harry wasn't finished.

"This war is centered around me whether you like it or not. So, don't be surprised if I attend your meetings, no matter how pointless they seem to be. Oh and don't think I am going to ask for anyone's permission." Harry said looking at every other occupant in the room. The older members, two of which were sent to kidnap him, plus Molly were glaring at him as if he was Voldemort, the others were either still stunned or amused. He was surprised to see that Snape opted to leave as soon as he started speaking and Dumbledore actually looking somewhat angry. Speaking of which he had one last thing to say to the old man, something not planned.

He quickly left the room to catch up to Dumbledore, leaving the crowd at the hands of Sirius. In the hallway outside the kitchen he managed to reach the Headmaster and whispered harshly at him.

"You are lucky I found out about our precious orb. If I ever find out you are holding information to your chest about the war that are of immediate concern to me there will be hell to pay Headmaster" he hissed the last part and went upstairs to him room leaving a stunned, angry and fearful (for whatever reasons) Albus Dumbledore.


When Harry and Dumbledore finished their chat, the Dissilusioned Invisible Ear returned to Hermione, who was even more confused for various reasons. If what Harry and Sirius said was right, how could Albus Dumbledore be open to have his followers risk their lives for no reason? What is so important that Voldemort wants? What else has the Headmaster been keeping from Harry? How could she help her friend?


AN: Before anyone makes a comment about crying Harry, keep in mind that in order to build someone up you need to bring them down. At least, in this case. Things are starting to pick up and Dumbledore is in for a rude awakening. Next chapter will be about Harry's birthday and his Trial. I am going to really try to be on schedule but we will see. Finally I know I am ignoring Ron, Ginny etc, but they aren't a big part of what I am planning. Allies will reveal themselves soon. Thank you for reading!