Harry was all but pushed in to the darkness of the hall. Soon the old fashioned gas lamps that littered the walls sprung to life, though it didn't do much in the way of improvements. The light just meant Harry could see how old and filthy this place was. The wallpaper was peeling. The carpets were threadbare, and cobwebs littered the ceiling and light fixtures. Harry had just enough time to wonder to himself why they couldn't have found a nicer place when Moody began to push him down the hallway. They had barely made it three steps before Mrs. Weasley emerged from a door at the far end of the hall.

"Oh Harry it's so good to see you!" she whispered and pulled him in for a bone-crushing hug. She pulled back to look at him clearly and said "You're looking a bit peaky, but dinner will have to wait." She turned towards the others. "The meeting's started."

The group filed past Harry into the room Mrs. Weasley had come from.

"What meeting?" asked Harry looking from Mrs. Weasley to Remus. Mrs. Weasley looked as though she wanted to respond, but Remus cut her off.

"I give you my word Harry we will explain it all afterwards," he said softly. "The meeting is for members only and it's quiet urgent that we go."

"You can wait upstairs with Ron and Hermione," Mrs. Weasley added. "We'll have dinner after the meeting."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. They had dragged him all the way hear only to push him aside the moment he arrived?

"You're not serious," Harry asked, staring hard a Remus. He could see out of the corner of his eye that Mrs. Weasley was about to try and placate him, but he didn't want to hear it. "You brought me all the way here, after an entire bloody month alone, just to abandon me all over again when we arrive?"

"Oh Harry. It's not like that at all—" Mrs. Weasley began.

"Well it sure sounds like it," Harry interrupted. He looked back at Remus, barely able to contain his anger. "So what? Everything you said back at the Dursleys' was a lie?"

"Not at all Harry," Remus said quickly. "I swear to you we will explain. Me and Sirius and Molly and Arthur will all explain ourselves. We will give you your chance to speak, but right now we have to go to this meeting." Harry attempted to protest again, but Remus cut him off. "Please Harry. Ron and Hermione are upstairs. They can start to fill you in. You can catch up with your friends and then come down for supper with the rest of us. I swear that before you go to bed tonight you will be all caught up."

Remus squeezed Harry's shoulder and gave him one last look before turning towards the door that apparently led to a meeting room. Mrs. Weasley led Harry to the stairs past more old, dilapidated, and downright creepy objects.

"Just go up to the second landing and it's the door to your right." Mrs. Weasley looked at Harry with pleading eyes and he couldn't bring himself to argue. She turned to head back towards the meeting as he began the trek upstairs. This must be what having a mother feels like he thought.

Once Harry made it to the right door, with a doorknob shaped like a serpent's head no less (seriously what kind of house is this he thought), he yanked it open. He had just enough time to glimpse more gloomy furniture and peeling wallpaper before his vision was obstructed by a mass of bushy hair and he was encased in his second bone-crushing hug of the night.

"HARRY!" Hermione half-shouted. "You're finally here! We didn't hear you come in! Look Ron, Harry's here."

"Yeah, yeah Hermione I see him," Harry heard Ron say from inside the room. "You going to let him in or suffocate him?"

The entire time this was happening Harry stood stock still. He did not move to hug Hermione back. He did not quite feel that she deserved one just yet. He wanted answers first. Then, and only then, would he consider forgiveness. Hermione, ever intuitive, felt something was wrong and pulled back. She was startled at the icy glare Harry leveled her with.

"Harry what's wrong?" she asked with worry in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Harry looked between the two of them. Ron looked as confused as Hermione did alarmed. "Do you really need to ask me that? Weeks I spend all alone with nothing but the Dursleys for company. Not a lick of news from anyone, least of all the two people that are supposed to be my best friends. No support whatsoever and you have the audacity to ask what's wrong?"

"Woah mate," Ron stammered. "I think you're being a little harsh."

"Oh am I now?"

"Harry please, just let us explain," begged Hermione. "We wanted to tell you everything, but Dumbledore made us swear not too."

"So that's it then? Dumbledore tells you too keep quiet and you decide that's a better option than actually telling your best friend what's going on with the people who want to kill him?"

"Dumbledore seemed to think it was best mate," Ron argued.

"And you just took his word for it?" Harry retorted. "You never stopped to think that maybe he was wrong?"

"Well, no," Ron answered. "It's Dumbledore."

"He wanted you to be safe," Hermione interjected. "Everyone did. We wanted you to come here, but they all seemed to think you were safer with the Muggles."

"Safer with the Dursleys!" Harry was dumbfounded. "Safer with the people who hate and abuse me? Safer with the people who lock me in my room and starve me? Or perhaps you forgot second year Ron when you and your brother had to break me out through the bars in my window?"

"Of course not mate," Ron insisted. "But there's only so much we can do when the adults—"

"So the adults say something is true without any evidence to back them up and you keep yours hidden?" Harry shot back. "I guess I'm just safer in a muggle neighborhood where I can't even defend myself because apparently that means you can be expelled? I suppose you two have been attacked by all sorts of dark creatures locked away here in this safe house?"

Ron and Hermione exchanged a look. Harry was right, and they both knew it. Hermione looked back at Harry with tears in her eyes.

"Harry we're so, so sorry. You have to believe us. You're right. We should have questioned Dumbledore. He just always knows what to do. We didn't stop to think that maybe there was even a possibility he was wrong."

"So knowing how much I hate being at my aunt and uncle's house wasn't a bit of an indicator that perhaps I'd be better off somewhere else?" Harry shook his head in disbelief. "I thought you two of all people would understand. Knowing everything that I've been through and what happened to me in that cemetery. Knowing that I had to watch Ce—" Harry cut himself off. He turned around so his friends wouldn't see the tears that had come into his own eyes. He didn't want to appear weak.

He heard Hermione take a step towards him. "We are sorry Harry. We understand what you've been through—"

That was the final straw. Harry snapped.

"NO YOU DON'T KNOW HERMIONE! NO ONE KNOWS BECAUSE NO ONE WAS THERE! NO ONE WAS IN THE CEMETERY AND NO ONE WAS THERE FOR ME AFTER! NOT A ONE OF YOU WAS THERE WHEN I NEEDED YOU TO BE!"

Hermione had jumped back at his outburst. The tears were flowing down her face now. Ron stepped in front of her and held up his hands.

"Please mate just hear us out," he pleaded. "We can tell you what's been going on, but we can't change the past. What's done is done."

"OH SO THAT'S IT? IT'S ALL OVER NOW SO I SHOULD JUST FORGIVE YOU? I SHOULD JUST PRETEND THAT ALL THESE SHITTY THINGS HAVEN'T HAPPENED AND EVERYTHING'S FINE!"

Before either Ron or Hermione could respond, Harry's anger took over and he grabbed the nearest object, which just happened to be a lamp, and heaved it at the wall. It hit with a loud bang and shattered. Hermione and Ron had leapt back and knocked over everything that was on the desk in the corner. Before anyone could even think of responding, shrieks from downstairs filled the house.

"Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers—"

Harry could hear doors opening and people scrambling around downstairs. Before he could ask what was going on, he heard several sets of footsteps pounding up the stairs. The door burst open and Sirius, Remus, and Mr. Weasley came rushing in. They took in the broken lamp, Ron's fear, and the tears streaking down Hermione's face. Remus was the first to speak.

"Ron, Hermione, why don't the two of you go downstairs and help Molly with dinner?" They both hesitated, looking at Harry. Remus continued, "You'll have plenty of time to talk to him later, but perhaps Sirius and I should take things from here." He turned and whispered something to Mr. Weasley.

Mr. Weasley then led Ron and Hermione out the room, and Harry heard them head downstairs. Harry was still seething, and he tried in vain to get his breathing under control as Remus closed the door and turned back to him. The three of them stared at one another, unsure of who should begin, or even where they should begin. Harry decided to be the one to break the silence. He looked at Sirius.

"So are you going to say something helpful or is this the moment where you tell me not to do something rash?"

Sirius had the decency to look ashamed. He looked again at the broken lamp on the floor. "Um, no I think we probably deserved that. Besides it was an ugly lamp," Sirius said with a laugh, hoping to ease some of the tension. Harry wasn't buying it.

"I think you deserve a lot more than that," Harry spit out.

Remus tried to intervene. "Harry we know you're angry—"

"Everyone seems to know how I feel and yet if any of you actually did you wouldn't have left me alone."

"Dumbledore—" Remus began.

"Ordered everyone not to tell me anything. Yeah I got the memo."

"So you understand then Harry," Sirius pleaded, taking a step forward. "It isn't that we didn't want you here. That's actually the farthest from the truth you could be. We wanted you here Harry. I wanted you here."

"Really?"

"Yes Harry really," Sirius insisted. Remus nodded his head alongside him.

"Then let me ask the both of you a question. If Dumbledore had ordered you to abandon my dad, to not tell him anything that was going on even if it affected him, to purposely keep him out of the loop, what would you have done?"

Harry stared at the two of them. Neither would meet his eyes. It felt like ages before Sirius finally gave Harry the answer he wanted.

"I would have told him immediately," Sirius answered. "I would have went to him and brought him here."

This was the answer Harry had expected, and still hearing it brought all new levels of anger and pain.

Useless. Crazy. Dangerous. Unloved.

Harry wanted to yell and scream at them. He wanted to let them know all the ways they hurt him, but the words wouldn't come. Instead Remus filled the silence.

"You make an excellent point Harry," he began, "but you also need to understand Sirius and I can't think of you like we would James. We have to think of you the way a parent would. The way a guardian would. We have to think about what's best, and not just what we want. Dumbledore assured us this was the best thing for you."

"How?" Harry asked.

"How what?' Remus asked.

"How did he assure you? What did he say to make you think abandoning me at the Dursleys' was the best option?"

"He said that was where you were safest," Sirius said, uncharacteristically quiet. "He said they couldn't reach you there. It's a special kind of magic that only comes with family. And to be extra safe we had a 24-hour guard around you. He said it would be best for you if you were away from all this drama and with your relatives."

Harry stared at Sirius in disbelief. "You have got to be kidding me," he finally manage to choke out. Remus stared hard at Harry.

"Harry, you said back at their house that they abused you. What did you mean by that?" Sirius looked up at that. He looked from Remus to Harry, finally settling on Harry to wait for his answer.

"Ask Dumbledore he seems to know everything about my life," Harry said instead.

"Harry," Sirius begged. "Tell us. What did you mean?"

"Don't you have eyes Remus?" Harry asked. "What, you're going to say you didn't see the locks or dog-flap on my door? You didn't stop to wonder why my things were locked in the cupboard? It doesn't bother you that my clothes are three times too big and several years old?"

By the time Harry had finished Sirius and Remus were looking at Harry in horror. "Harry, I swear to you we didn't know," Sirius insisted.

"He's right Harry we didn't," said Remus. "Dumbledore assured us—"

"Well, my Hogwarts letter was addressed to the cupboard under the stairs so I think it's safe to assume he knew about what they were doing to me. I suppose since he knows best, we should all assume it's nothing to worry about right?"

"Harry—"

"Just go," Harry said. "I don't have anything more to say to either of you."

"But Harry—"

"JUST GO!" Harry shouted. Sirius and Remus hesitated for another moment, but the look in Harry's eyes told them it was best if they continued this conversation another time. They quietly walked out and closed the door behind them. Harry locked it for good measure. He had enough excuses for one night.

Harry looked around at the shabby room and his eyes rested on the broken lamp. Tears welled up in his eyes and he couldn't stop them from spilling over this time. He turned and got into one of the beds. All his anger and pain had left him drained. He curled in on himself, and as much as he dreaded sleeping, he couldn't stop himself from drifting off.

"Kill the spare."

A flash of green light erupted from Pettigrew's wand and hit Cedric straight in his chest. The spell's momentum flung him backward onto the ground.

"CEDRIC!" Harry yelled. "No. No Cedric don't go." Harry struggled to crawl over to Cedric's body, but invisible hands held him back.

He could hear maniacal laughing behind him. He continued to struggle against his invisible bonds, and when he blinked he was no longer in the cemetery. He was in a dark room, bound by invisible rope. He could see a handful of hooded figures clustered in the shadows of the room. Voldemort stood before him, wand in hand.

"So you are telling me," Voldemort drawled, "that the boy was moved without our knowledge? That at this very moment, he is in a safe house we cannot hope to find?"

"My…my lord," Harry heard himself stammer, but the voice was not his own. "My lord forgive me I could not find out in advance—"

Harry was cut off. He barely registered Voldemort's raised wand and the quiet, but forceful, crucio. What he did register was the pain. Terrible, excruciating pain. It racked his entire body. All he could do was scream. He tried in vain to form words.

"I'm so..rry. I'm…so…so..ry—"

"Harry!"

Harry tried to turn his head towards the voice. He heard his name again, and then he felt hands on his shoulders shaking him. He could hear voices. He was trying to make out what they were saying. He was straining to hear them, and then…

"Harry! Harry wake up please!"

Harry opened his eyes, and began to flail around. He needed to get rid of the ropes. To shake off the curse.

"Harry! Harry stop it's me! It's Sirius Harry. You're safe!"

Harry stopped fighting and looked into Sirius' gray eyes. Sirius still had his shoulders in a tight grip. When Harry looked up he saw Remus standing behind him, looking more worried than he had ever seen him. He turned towards the door and saw Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looking equally concerned.

"Harry it's okay. You're safe," Sirius repeated. Harry was shaking, and he was struggling to breathe properly. He grabbed onto Sirius' wrists and focused on letting air into his lungs. "That's it Harry. That's it. Just relax. You're safe. We're here." After a few minutes, Harry was breathing normally and his shaking had quieted a bit.

"Does this happen often Harry?" Remus asked quietly.

It was at that moment that Harry realized he had tears streaming down his face. "Yes," he croaked, his voice hoarse from screaming. "I dream of Cedric and the cemetery nearly every night. But this was different." He looked up at them. "It started in the cemetery, but then I was someplace else. I was someone else. Voldemort was there. He was angry that you guys had moved me without his knowing. He was torturing someone. He was torturing me."

By the time Harry had finished speaking, he was shaking again and the tears were coming harder. Sirius gathered him up in his arms. Harry tensed at first, not being used to such shows of comfort. But after a moment, he realized he felt safe in Sirius' arms. Sirius was whispering soothing words to him and rubbing circles on his back. Harry wrapped his arms around him and held on for dear life. His head was buried in Sirius' shoulder, so he didn't see the look all the adults shared. Sirius held Harry until he managed to fall back asleep.

"Sirius what do we do?" Remus asked desperately.

"I don't know Remus," Sirius answered. "I don't know. All I know right now is I'm going to stay with him tonight. I'm not leaving him alone after this."

"Maybe we can ask Severus for some dreamless sleep," suggested Arthur.

"That's not a permanent solution," sniffled Molly, wiping tears from her eyes. "We can't just give him a potion every night."

"Molly's right," said Remus. "But maybe Severus could help us in another way." He looked at Harry still held tight in Sirius arms. "You stay with him. I'll go call Severus."

"And Dumbledore," Sirius said tersely. "I have a few choice words for him."

Remus nodded, and with that he and the Weasleys left the room. Sirius did his best to reposition Harry to where Sirius was resting his back against the headboard. He continued rubbing circles on Harry's back. He listened to his even breathing, and wondered how bad off Harry had to be, to hold onto him so tightly even in sleep. Sirius thought that he was never meant to be a parent, but now that this responsibility had come to him, he wasn't going to muck it up a second time.

And Harry, for the first time in weeks, slept peacefully.