Disclaimer: I only own what Rowling does not.
The trio spent the next day avoiding the one topic of conversation that was on the front of their minds. None of them could talk about what was going to happen when September rolled around, to go back or to venture out into the world? Then, before dinner, the members of the Order began arriving, Lupin gazed balefully in their direction. Harry knew what was on his mind, this wasn't going to be a conversation, it was an intervention. It seemed like the question would be brought up by someone other than Harry, Ron, or Hermione. The three walked into the house when Mrs. Weasley bellowed for them, Harry couldn't keep himself from thinking 'Like walking to the gallows.'
As they walked into the Burrow Harry was surprised by the seating arrangement. Apparently members of the order had conjured chairs to sit on and the dining table had been moved. The chairs were arranged in a circle with three chairs open. Lupin sat on an old, faded green velvet chair with wooden legs, the chair directly across from the middle empty seat, the seat clearly meant for Harry. Harry had suspected that Lupin was now the new leader of the Order of the Phoenix. Tonks sat on his right side and the rest of the chairs were filled by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bill, Charlie, Mad-Eye and a double surprise in Professor McGonagall and uncharacteristically solemn-looking George. Fred was noticeably absent. Harry didn't realize how silent the room was until Ron pulled out his chair. Harry looked quickly at his friend and noticed Ron glance towards the right of the room, there he saw an even more surprising sight than the intimidating tribunal set before him. Sharif de Aodhan was standing in the corner of the room, observing. Harry looked at Hermione as she sat and saw the same confused expression he knew was on his face. Why was Sharif here?
Lupin cleared his voice and Harry reluctantly took his seat. " Harry, you know why we are here. We don't want you to feel attacked..."
" You're doing an amazing job at that." The entire room turned to the source of the sarcastic interruption with shock. Hermione looked a little shocked herself at her own brash comment but quickly recovered, her expression becoming equally self- satisfied and defiant.
Lupin continued, " That may well be but it is not our intent." He then turned his blue eyes on Hermione and it was clear she felt uncomfortable under the gaze of the new leader, Lupin was certainly rising to the occasion. No timidity in sight. " Let us drop this formality, we are all on the same side here and we want to conduct ourselves as the friends we are." Harry's attention was certainly centered on the werewolf now. He had expected the Order to hedge around the issue, to speak vaguely about responsibility and age. Lupin was getting to the point quickly and Harry felt himself worrying at the strategy. The trio had avoided discussing their doubts about going after the Horcruxes and Harry knew Lupin had sensed their indecision. He was afraid that if they were indeed divided, they would fall under the pressure the Order members were putting on them.
" We are here to talk about the decision you three have made to go after the Horcruxes instead of returning to Hogwarts." Lupin paused and looked each of them in the eye. " And because we all care about you three so much we have made the decision for you."
Three teenage heads snapped up in shock. Hermione began to protest and Harry smiled, Lupins division strategy had failed, he had fused the trio together more firmly by coming on so strongly. Before Hermione could burn through her apparent rage and form coherent protests Mrs. Weasley raised her hand to silence her.
" There will be no discussion, no debate. Our decision is final." Mrs. Weasley stood and glared at the trio with a strength in her eyes Harry had never witnessed from the kind, gentle woman. " I have been a mother to the three of you for six years. You have stayed in my home, eaten my food, and taken my unconditional love. Even if we were giving you a choice you should do as I ask." She ended that sentence with her eyes burning a hole into Rons' down turned head. He couldn't look at his mother as she sat down in her seat next to Mr. Weasley.
It was Mr. Weasley who spoke next, " We have decided that the three of you will attend Hogwarts for your final year, and you will finish it." The trio could only watch in silence as he continued, all protests buried by their shock at the situation. Mr. Weasley continued, " We have made this decision because we all love you. I happen to think of ALL of you as my children." Tears of frustration and appreciation welled in Harrys' eyes as he went on. " You will attend Hogwarts, but... you will be allowed to use your time to search for the Horcruxes. And if you find one you will immediatly contact one of us. Once you do the first available Order member will go WITH you to retrieve and destroy it." Harry felt a twinge of anger at the prospect. They had seen something like this coming but the Order was allowing them to do search for the Horcruxes. Still this was unacceptable.
" No." the word passed Rons' lips filled with a rage Harry had never seen his friend display. Ron looked at his father as if he had betrayed him. " If we have to be at the school we won't have the time to search for the Horcruxes, and that IS the plan. You don't want us to go after them." Mr. Weasley looked sad as his brown eyes met with Ron. It seemed in that moment Mr Weasley had lost something and Harry knew what it was. He had lost Ron, Ron was no longer a child in his fathers eyes.
It was Tonks that spoke next, her chameleon appearance was an average brown on brown. " You are right Ron. We want to keep you three as safe as possible. We can't risk losing you too." Who she was refering too was clear. " But we hold on this promise. We will let you search for and destroy the Horcruxes. "
At this Hermione snorted loudly, drawing the rooms attention again with her derision. " Let us? Let us?" she shook her curly brown hair in disbelief. " You can't LET us do anything. We are of age, we can do as we please. To be honest we could leave now." Harry found himself proud of his two friends. Here he had thought he was going to need to convince them when they weren't letting him get a word in edgewise in his defense!
Lupin rose from his chair, " Actually, we can." Hermiones' rage-filled gaze snapped to Lupin questioningly and with foreboding. "Hermione you are very bright. I'm sure you have heard of La Tortura Prima?"
Hermiones' shocked gasp was all the answer he needed. Harry looked at the Order members and noticed that they all looked a little ashamed for a moment. Hermione spoke, " You wouldn't. It's illegal."
Lupin gazed at her with sadness in his eyes. " But who would punish us? Who would dare come against US with Wizard Law Books at a time like this?" Hermiones' eyes widened as the truth of his words settled in her spinning mind.
" What is La Tortura Prima?" Harry used his voice for the first time and it felt odd to hear it in his head. Hermione turned to him as if to lecture him, but stopped herself. It was Ron who spoke.
" The First Torture, the Greatest Torture." Rons' heated, accusing gaze was turned on every Order member and stopped on George.
"This is why you're here alone? Fred wouldn't hear of it. That owl you ripped from Errol today was for me wasn't it? To warn me?" George faced his brothers accusation with a solemn countenance in confirmation.
" WHAT IS THE GREATEST TORTURE?" the words exploded from Harry's lungs before he realized he had been holding his breath.
George spoke, " The greatest torture for any magical being is exile. " Georges' features hardened with resolve." Complete exile from the magical world and you will be stripped of your powers. You will always know what you have lost but you will never be allowed to speak of it. Even your descendents will be barren of magic. It cannot be reversed."
Harry felt like his stomach was trying to jump out of his throat, as if he were about to die. How could these people who suddenly seemed like strangers even think about doing this to them? Such a cruel punishment seemed fit for only the very worst of criminals, it was a fate worse than death, worse even than a Dementors' Kiss. And as Harry looked at the Order he knew that they would do this thing. They would do it to save them.