Author's Note: Okay I made a mistake, I was supposed to change the name of this fic when I started posting revisions. It needs to be changed, but if it will confuse anyone let me know. I'm changing it in the next update to Harry Potter and The Power of Seven, it's a much better title and it will fit better with the story. If this will mess you up at all, tell me, but use the reviews to communicate since my email is down. I really hope you all enjoy this chapt, it's short but we begin to see the choice between right and easy. Thanks!

Also thank you to, Monica Ryan and ReAdErWrItErWhAtEvEr for putting this story on their alert list and to bch1993 for putting this story and me as an author on his or her favs list! Thanks for sticking with me!

We can't all be heroes, because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by -Will Rogers

Wars teach us not to love our enemies but hate our allies -W.L. George

Harry Potter and the Power of Seven

Chapter 5: Contracts

"You cant be serious!" Professor McGonagall looked ready to snap, Annie had ruined her prescious order. She should have expected it, the daughter of Sirius Black would want to shake things up, not truly help! But that was where McGonagall was wrong...

"I couldn't be more serious..." Annie replied cooly. Meanwhile Harry, was cursing Annie. He didn't want to be the leader of the Order of the Phoenix, he just wanted to be able to join! "Harry stop swearing, she's got a point!" Hermione stepped on Harry's foot to shake him out of it.

"I'm quite frankly astounded that Harry not to mention Ron and Hermione haven't been able to join the Order in the first place! You want to talk about a 'Natural Leader?' " Annie banged her fist on the table, which got 'Ooooo's' from Fred and George.

"Harry Potter, is a mere boy!"

"Hey!" Harry almost shouted...

"He is not strong enough or mature enough in his actions to be in this Order let alone lead it, and neither are his friends!" Moody stepped in and Annie stood up, which didnt' have the desired effect she had wanted, seeing as she was quite short. Even though they were a floor away, Harry, Hermione, and Ron were all fuming aswell, ready to pounce but Luna and Ginny held them back.

"I'm not any older! So if you are going to discriminate against age! If you don't let them join, what are they supposed to do? Fend for themselves, we all know that they're not just going to sit back and eat bon bons! They want to fight as much, maybe even more than we do! With all due respect, I think they've got more nerve and desire to win this than all of us put together."

"Miss Black! How dare you disrespect this fine society!"

"Yes, I'm...sorry..." Annie cowered and began to sit, but she got a nod from Remus that looked like 'We back you up.' "You know what? I'm not sorry! Not one bit..." Annie stood again, and felt arms under her placing her on the table... Obviously the Twins and Oliver backed her up too. Or they wanted her to do a strip tease... either one. Annie began to pace up and down the table. Organizing her thoughts. She was surprised no one had stopped her so far...

"Ron Weasley is an exceptionally kind and loyal person. And has more backbone and heart than he's given credit for." Annie spoke clearly as she paced, Ron smiled at her compliments. "Luna Lovegood is not only intelligent, but she is unwavering in her ability to make us all see the things most just ignore, which could be an advantage in this war. She is an old soul, if I may say so. One of the wisest young women I have had the fine pleasure to meet. Hermione Granger is the most intelligent witch of her age, and yet you fail to see that because of her age. Ginny Weasley, is sweet, and funny, and a powerful witch who is always up for a hard fight. She knows what it's like to be attacked by Voldemort. And yet again you fail to see her experience due to her age. And last but not least Harry Potter, has more courage, more bravery, and the Purest Heart of anyone in our world. He has had to face more loss and tragedy in his short eighteen years than anyone should ever have to experience in their entire lifetime. And yet you think he's not good enough for your army. I would be honored to fight along any of these people, and I would think you would be too,but no! Your constant ageism and predjudice against anyone with a half way decent idea clouds your minds of the possibility of fighting proudly among some of the greatest young Witches and Wizards in the world!"

"Dumbledore wouldn't have wanted it this way!" McGonagall the always loyal friend of Albus had to defend his memory.

"I respectfully, disagree! He would've wanted a bit more peace in the world. Being the best means fighting with the best! I swear you all wouldn't know leadership if it bit you in the armpit...!" And with that she sat down, Annie recieved smiles from Tonks, Lupin, Oliver, and the Twins. But glares like always from the rest of the room. She didn't realize what had just happened, or what inside her felt the need to outburst like that, but it felt good. She had to ask herself though, why did she defend Harry?

Harry had always felt guilty for the way he treated Annie, but now he felt like a giant boulder of guilt had crushed him to smithereenes. She was defending him even when he had been an absolute jerk to her. For once in Harry's life, someone was more loyal, and maybe noble than he was. He wondered how Annie, who owed him nothing could give so much. Where Harry, who gave nothing, owed her everything...

"Now Miss Black, if you're done with your little outburst, we have..."

"More important matters to attend to than my opinions..." Annie gave it right back to McGonagall... she had never really liked the woman. Tonight just confirmed those feelings.

"Really, we cannot get anything accomplished with tantrums and pointless views from seventeen year old girls..."

With that statement Annie had to bite her tongue to keep any kind of compossure.

'Since when had Professor McGonagall become Delores Umbridge?' Hermione thought to herself... 'And since when was Annie the type of person not to retaliate back, just mere minutes ago she was yelling up a storm defending her point?' And then it clicked, Hermione figured out the real reason Annie had brought them to this meeting. She knew this was going to happen. She knew the Order was going to try to push the Trio away. She was trying to warn them, but ultimately she was trying to warn Harry. Hermione said to herself in her head, Annie that's brilliant! Other than the total betrayal from the Order... and what was with that anyways?

"Harry, we can't trust them anymore..." Hermione whispered to Harry.

A stiffled, "I know," was all Harry could make out. He trusted them all this whole time, but now he didn't know who to trust. He was pulled out of his thoughts by four hands supportively patting his shoulders. He noticed all the members, or traitors as he liked to call them were handed a long official looking roll of parchment.

"I can't believe they're making them sign contracts!" Ginny and Hermione said at almost exactly the same time.

"They don't want their power infringed upon," Luna's dreamy voice came over the harsh whispers...

"That's It!" Hermione exclaimed, she thought to herself, they didn't want Harry, because they feared him taking their glory... that didn't seem like Dumbledore at all, or McGonagall... But these days nothing surprised her anymore. Their former Headmaster and current Headmistress did have an awful lot of secrets.

Before the now livid Harry, could ask Hermione, what "it" was, he noticed something more like alot of someone's wearing expressions on their faces that gave Harry a tinge of reasurance...

(Annie's perspective):

Tidbits from the contract she was now stairing at with rage:

As a member of the Order of the Phoenix you will not defy the Orders of your leader...

As a member of the Order of the Phoenix you will perform your tasks to the best of your abilities while not fraternizing with those outside the Order of the Phoenix

As a member of the Order of the Phoenix...

The List went on and on Annie couldn't help but think how much these rules resembled those of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. She couldn't help but look at the young men on either side of her and see that they were also apprehensive...

(Tonks' perspective):

She couldn't believe it! But for the first time she was questioning where her loyalties truly lied... And couldn't help but look over to Remus who she could tell, was contemplating the same thing...

(Remus' perspective):

How the Order of the Phoenix had changed since the first war. In the first war, the Order was about the fight against evil, the battle between right and wrong. But now it was about a power struggle..

He couldn't help but look at Tonks, and then his adoptive daughter ... (A/N:Seeing a theme here?lol) Tonks gave him a sorrowful look of true conflict, while Annie, Annie gave him a glance of pure confidence, of sheer rage, and lust...? Just then Remus realized, his daughter was in love with Harry Potter.

He was proud to see Annie, drop her quill. They wouldn't know this until many years later, but with the drop of a quill, Annie Black had saved the world.