A/N: I seem to be on a bit of a roll with the writing at the moment, so hopefully chapters for any stories I am in the process of writing and publishing should be released every two-three weeks!

Thank you to Arnel for your brilliant editing skills.

Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter.

July 2002…

"It feels weird being back here again," Harry said as he, Ginny, Draco and Sirius walked the path up to the school.

The group had come to Hogwarts to meet with Professor Dumbledore, ahead of a scheduled meeting with select members of the Order of Phoenix, to discuss their progress and next steps in defeating Voldemort for good.

"At least I can hold your hand openly this time round," Ginny said as she gave Harry's hand a squeeze. "I don't even care if it doesn't make much of difference with the school closed for the holidays."

"I still don't get why you never revealed your relationship for Harry's final year," Draco admitted. His friendship with the couple had remained a secret, but that was, in his opinion, for good reason. They did not want to risk any sort of retaliation if those who sided with the Dark Lord discovered Draco had switched sides. As for Harry and Ginny's relationship, he would have thought they would have wanted to finally admit to the world they were dating, but they had decided against it.

"We may not have revealed it to the school, but we did make the effort to tell my parents," Ginny explained. "We told them the truth over the school holidays about our relationship, about what had happened at school that year, made sure they would accept you as being a part of my life. The rest of the school didn't need to know the truth and it would have been too much of a risk of someone discovering what we had been up to and causing our plans to be revealed or delayed."

Draco could only nod in agreement, knowing that they had made it this far because there had been no one who had tried to interfere or stop them. Harry and Ginny had come too far in their plans to bring down Voldemort for it to be derailed because the wrong person had figured it all out. He knew that by the time he had been brought into the fold. Harry had no intention of informing his own family until the time was right and that time had finally come.

HP&GW

"Good afternoon," Professor Dumbledore said as the group filed through the door into his office. "It's good to see you again, Mr Potter, Miss Weasley and Mr Malfoy."

"It's good to see you, too, Professor," Harry responded on everyone's behalf as they all took a seat in front of Dumbledore's desk. "It's good to be back at Hogwarts, even if it is just briefly."

"Seeing as we do not have too much time before we are due at Headquarters, I suggest we discuss what we are here for," Dumbledore said. "Where are we in regard to the hunt for the Horcruxes?"

Harry quickly outlined what the group already knew, how four Horcruxes - the diary, the locket, the diadem and Harry himself - had been destroyed before their travels, leaving them with three left to find.

"What progress have you made?" Dumbledore asked, having not been informed of anything the trio had accomplished since they left school. The decision had been made not to remain in contact as it was rare for those who had left the school to keep contact with the headmaster or any teacher, unless their job made it a necessity. He had, instead, given Harry and Draco the information he had on Lord Voldemort to help them with any locations or Horcruxes they had yet to discover.

Dumbledore had begun a detailed search into Voldemort's history following his return at the end of Harry's fourth year. He had not been aware at the point that Sirius and Harry had discovered Voldemort's secret to his immortality, but had hoped his past would help provide a clue as to what he had done to avoid death.

"The information you provided us on Voldemort's background was very helpful," Harry explained. "We checked out the Gaunt Shack in Little Hangleton and discovered a Horcrux in the form of a ring, the one that his family had said was a family heirloom. That was retrieved and destroyed around a year ago."

Dumbledore nodded, pleased another Horcrux had been dealt with and they were now one step closer to defeating Voldemort.

"It took us a while to get through the wards," Draco continued on, "but we were delayed in destroying it because of a nasty and obscure curse that had been placed on the ring itself as an additional form of protection. We didn't want to destroy the Horcrux without removing it as we didn't know how it would react."

"That was a sensible idea," Dumbledore said, nodding in agreement with their actions. "You should never underestimate Voldemort and the magic he will use to protect his Horcruxes."

The group had already agreed they would not reveal the true nature of the ring. Having researched Dumbledore's background, having wanted to understand his own interactions with Voldemort through his time at Hogwarts and his rise to power as the Dark Lord, they had discovered he had, as a young man, searched for the Deathly Hallows. The temptation of the ring containing the Resurrection Stone would have been too great for the aging wizard, especially if he became aware of the fact that Harry had placed it in his vault for safe keeping.

"We did visit the cave that you had noted that Voldemort had been to as a boy," Harry continued on, wanting to move the topic along before Dumbledore could ask more about the ring. "Turns out it was the same cave Kreacher had told me and Sirius about when we discovered the locket at Grimmauld Place."

"A replacement locket had been left," Draco confirmed before Dumbledore could even ask. "We have taken it to mean that Voldemort was unaware that anyone had discovered his Horcruxes or at least the significance of the cave. However, we did check this in the year Ginny remained at school, so we couldn't tell you if any Death Eater has been asked to check, but we are doubtful they have been."

"What about the final two Horcruxes?" the Headmaster enquired, knowing they needed to be destroyed sooner rather later if their plan to defeat Voldemort before he could cause any sort of death and destruction was to remain on course.

Draco looked to Harry, Ginny and Sirius for confirmation that it was okay to reveal the details surrounding the discovery of the cup. He didn't particularly want to mention his mother, but he knew Dumbledore would ask where the information had come from and if it was reliable.

"We know where Hufflepuff's Cup is," Draco said once he had received nods from the three he had looked to. "Based on the diary, we knew that Voldemort had probably given another Horcrux to one of his followers, most likely in hopes of them placing it in their vault at Gringotts. I knew my Aunt Bellatrix's vault was in the lower levels of the bank with some of the highest security, so she seemed the likely candidate to have been given the Horcrux."

"That is very well reasoned," Dumbledore responded. "I assume you have someone who was able to confirm this theory."

Draco nodded, "My mother."

The headmaster simply nodded in understanding.

"I visited her while we were in the country to deal with the ring and asked her to look into the contents of Bellatrix's vault. She told me she couldn't access the vault, which made sense, but that didn't mean she couldn't check to see if there was any paperwork at the Manor that could confirm what the vault contained. I am not sure how she managed to get hold of it, she never told me, but she contacted me just before Christmas to confirm that she had found an item within the paperwork that didn't make sense for Bellatrix to have."

"So with the cup still in Bellatrix's vault, how do you plan to procure it?" Dumbledore asked, hoping they were not planning something reckless to get their hands on the cup.

"That's where I come in," Sirius said, speaking for the first time since arriving at the Headmaster's office. "We are hoping as Head of the Black Family that I will be granted access to the vault, but obviously that is no guarantee as Bellatrix's vault would come under the control of the Lestrange family. However, there are few people who could potentially help us get into the vault, all with a fair reason to make the request of the Goblins."

"And if that doesn't work?"

"It is best you don't know the answer to that, Headmaster," Ginny said as she shot a glare at the three wizards, having told them the last resort plan was completely reckless.

"Ah, yes, that would perhaps be best," he responded, knowing immediately that the final plan was what he had originally thought they would do. "Let's move onto the final Horcrux. I am assuming it must be Voldemort's pet snake, Nagini, or did you confirm otherwise?"

"She definitely is a Horcrux," Ginny answered with a slight shudder as she remembered the night they saw the snake at the graveyard. "Voldemort seems to have a very unnatural control over her, which means he has kept her well protected. We couldn't get close enough to her when we went after Harry to rescue him from the graveyard, but it proved impossible."

"The best option, therefore," Harry continued in Ginny's place, "would be to leave destroying her until the final battle with Voldemort. If he has yet to discover his Horcruxes have been destroyed, then she will be vulnerable to attack. If he has, then she will be protected, but we will work that into the plan as a precaution."

"Your mention of the graveyard leads me to my next question, Harry," Dumbledore responded. "How is that you came to be captured when you have been able to keep yourself so well hidden on your travels?"

Harry didn't immediately reply. He wasn't stupid not to recognise the very suggestion in the headmaster's words that he had tried to keep an eye on Harry and his friends. He didn't anger him that Sirius had done it as that was his overprotective side coming through, but for the headmaster to do so when they had agreed to keep their distance, angered Harry.

"We took every precaution we could to make sure we were not recognised while we were travelling," Harry explained calmly, despite his anger at the aging wizard. He wasn't going to admit to the fact that they had planned for this to happen, just like they hadn't told Sirius. "We used different names and disguises, making sure to change them when in a new city or country. The only explanation for how they managed to capture me was either we let our disguises slip at some point or someone was able to see through them. We were caught completely off-guard by it, even though we had been on alert for something like this."

Dumbledore contemplated the response, which made Harry worry that he could sense he had not told the complete truth. He knew Dumbledore had not tried to read his mind as he would have sensed it if he had, having worked hard in his final year at Hogwarts to finally learn Occlumency.

"I cannot fault you anything you have done," the headmaster finally responded. "We should be grateful that Voldemort did not return until now as it has kept to the timeline we were working with. You being used for his rebirth has meant that we were aware of his return and that helps us tremendously."

Harry felt himself relax at the headmaster's words as he took a glance at his girlfriend and his best friend and saw the relief on their faces that they had not been questioned further on the matter of Harry's capture.

"I do have a couple of requests I must ask of you, Harry," Dumbledore said, drawing Harry's attention back to him. "I must ask you speak to Professor Snape about the ritual used and what happened at the graveyard as it appears something happened that has caused problems for Voldemort."

Harry simply nodded, knowing exactly what had happened, considering he had been the one to make sure the ritual had been altered when he chose to clearly state that his blood could be taken. He hadn't known what would happen when he chose to do that, but he had hoped it would weaken the so-called Dark Lord considerably. He couldn't help felt pleased that his plan had worked.

"I must also ask that you find a way to make peace with your father and brother before we proceed with the final part of the plan," Dumbledore continued, though he suspected Harry had already been given a lecture from his girlfriend, best friend and godfather about the need to do this.

Harry sighed, knowing that this would be a constant request from multiple people until he settled his differences with his family. He knew it had to be done, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"He has promised us that he will do that," his girlfriend replied on his behalf. "He understands it is important to make sure his father and brother understand everything that has happened and needs to happen, while also allowing their chance to make a difference."

"That is all I can ask for," the Headmaster responded, pleased with the mature approach that was being taken. "I am not as worried about the potential of your brother going than I am when it comes to your father."

"That was and is our concern as well, Sir," Harry admitted. "I am worried my father won't accept the role I have to play and will try to push me to the side so he can do the job himself."

"I am not going to let him do that, Harry," his godfather said, determined to make sure James finally saw his other son for whom he truly was. "I am sure I am going to have to have my own chat with him after the way I lashed out at him when he finally told the truth. If he is still struggling with it all after the meeting tonight, I promise I will make him understand."

Harry flashed a small smile of gratitude towards his godfather, grateful for the role the man had played in his life.

"I have spoken to Matt since we have been back," Harry confessed to his former headmaster. "We didn't discuss anything of importance, but he seemed to be accepting of the truth. The point is we are on speaking terms and I don't think Matt will cause any problems for us. I honestly do want him there when we finally take down Voldemort as he deserves the chance to help."

"It would appear both you and Matt have grown and matured into exceptional young men, despite the circumstances that have surrounded your childhoods," Dumbledore replied, a hint of pride in his voice, before he glanced at the clock on his desk. "Ah, it seems it would be time for us to head to Grimmauld Place for the meeting. The Floo is available and secure for you to use to travel directly there."

HP&GW

"Professor Snape, I was asked to speak to you by Professor Dumbledore," Harry said, having approached the Potions Master once the group exited the Floo into Grimmauld Place.

"Of course," the professor replied. "I am assuming you know why the Dark Lord has had problems since his return?"

"I do, but I would rather we speak privately as I have other things I would like to speak to you about."

With a nod, Snape led the younger wizard to a corner in the kitchen and threw up some necessary privacy charms to protect from those who would wish to eavesdrop on the conversation.

The pair spoke for several minutes with Ginny and Draco looking quite amused at the variety of expressions that seemed to cross Snape's face in that time. Most of the room seemed to be watching, wondering what they could be talking about beyond what the need for Harry to explain what he had done during Voldemort's Rebirth. Even as the Potions Master's eyes widened in shock; no one, bar Ginny and Draco, could imagine what could cause such a reaction in the normally surly wizard. Before anyone could even ask about it, Snape nodded to Harry, removed the privacy charms, and walked out of the room with only an additional nod to the headmaster.

"Harry?"

Harry turned his attention to the headmaster, having watched Snape leave the room.

"Oh," Harry said as he realised everyone was confused by Snape's departure. "I gave him the information he required as you requested me to. I spoke to him about some other things, but then told him I felt that, despite him being an extremely gifted Occlumens, it would be best he was not present for this specific meeting as a precaution."

"Understandable," Dumbledore said in agreement before he turned his attention to the rest of the room. He was pleased all those who had been present at the previous meeting – James, Matt, Hermione, Ron, Molly, Arthur, Remus, Tonks, Minerva, Moody and Kingsley – were present for tonight's important meeting. He could only hope that everyone remained patient and held their tempers while the complete story was told. "I must ask that anyone who has questions now, or throughout this meeting, to please wait until the end."

Everyone nodded in agreement, including Harry, Ginny, Draco and Sirius. However, he could see James wanted to ignore the request, but was currently holding his tongue for which Dumbledore was grateful.

"The point of tonight's meeting is for you to be informed of the complete truth of what has happened over the last twenty years to allow Voldemort to be defeated and to return twice. Harry will be explaining everything to us, with some help from Ginevra, Draco and Sirius. I believe Mr Longbottom is currently meeting with the DA and giving them a brief overview of the events."

Harry gave a simple nod to confirm. He had spoken to Neville, following the meal at The Burrow, asking him to inform the DA, the group his own brother had helped formed in their fifth year, of the events and to ask for their support. They had decided to keep it brief to avoid any potential leaks. The fewer people who knew, the smaller the chance Voldemort had of finding out they had discovered and nearly destroyed all his Horcruxes until it was too late.

"Before I hand over to Harry," Dumbledore continued, "I would like to apologise to both him and Matt for the mistakes I have made when it has come to them. I overlooked so many things all because I chose to believe a newspaper story over the evidence in front of me. We, as a group, now need to come together to help Harry in his role to defeat Voldemort, rather than allow ourselves to fight over who is in the wrong or deny the mistakes that we should have fixed many years ago."

Dumbledore looked to Harry and, with a simple nod of the head, encouraged Harry to stand and take over the meeting as planned.

Harry froze as his own feelings of guilt began to creep to the surface. He had held so much back from them all and, as a result, had allowed his own brother to find himself in situations he had not needed to be in. Looking around the room, he could see the curious expressions on those who did not know the full story, the encouragement from his godfather and his best friend and the look of absolute love from his fiancée. However, it was his own brother's expression of trust, and a desperate need to understand, that surprised him the most and the one that gave him the encouragement to stand up and begin to speak.

"I… I'm sorry," Harry began. "I have made many mistakes as well. I should have tried harder to tell you all the truth from the moment I realised it. I should have trusted you when the information I had began to grow. I don't know if it would have helped us end the war sooner or if we would have still ended up here. We cannot change the past, but we can work towards fixing our present and creating a peaceful future, so I ask that you listen to my story with an open mind and a forgiving heart."

Harry felt himself relax as he saw the nods of agreements from most of those present, including his twin brother. However, his own father seemed to remain stoic in his expression, like he was waiting to see what his son had to say before he would agree to anything.

With a deep breath, Harry began to tell his story, "I think I will start at the beginning on the night everything changed for the Potter Family…"