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"Harry," Dumbledore began, his blue eyes staring at Harry seriously from beneath his bushy white eyebrows, "A group of people were sent to collect you this morning, but you were not here. The Dursleys were not aware that you had left. Perhaps you would care to inform me as to where you have been and…who your companions are?" This last was said with a pointed look towards Bomani and Kemnebi, and Harry flushed, slightly embarrassed that he had caused such a fuss. But then he remembered how much had been kept from him that summer, and he grew slightly angry.

"Why should I share my secrets with you, when you make no effort to do the same Headmaster?" he said, outwardly calm, but inwardly he was terrified, not believing that he had just said something so rude to Albus Dumbledore!

Luckily Dumbledore didn't seem to be angry at the comment, instead he looked somewhat chagrined. "Indeed Harry, I am well aware that you are grossly uninformed as to what has happened since the end of the school year. Unfortunately, letters are not secure enough for such delicate information, and it has simply not been feasible for anyone to visit you until today."

Slightly mollified, but still unwilling to give away any of the information that he had learnt in the last twenty-four hours, Harry simply gazed at Dumbledore, his green eyes impassive. Whilst he could understand that it was a risk to send letters containing any important information, he didn't completely believe that nobody had had even an hour to visit him and explain some things. Especially since he had been the one to witness Voldemort's resurrection!

Sighing, the headmaster spoke again. "Perhaps Harry, we should adjourn to headquarters, so that we can both shed some light on what has been happening. I'm afraid that it is as the Muggles would say, 'top-secret' so you will have to say farewell to your companions for the time being."

Before Harry could reply, Kemnebi had stepped forward from where he had been standing calmly at one side of the room, keeping a very close eye on the proceedings. "We may not leave Harry Khenti for any reason." Was all he said, but it was clear that he meant every word.

Harry wasn't sure exactly what occurred in the awkward silence that followed, but suddenly a speculative gleam had entered Dumbledore's eyes, and he nodded. "Very well, all four of us shall leave for headquarters. If you will all just memorise what is written on this piece of parchment, we will take a portkey to our destination."

Reaching over for the piece of parchment in Dumbledore's hand, Harry read the short missive silently, before handing it to Kemnebi for the two guards to read.

The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix are at

Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London.

Having ascertained that everyone had read the parchment, Dumbledore flicked his wand and it burst into flames, startling Bomani, who had been holding it. The tall man had jumped almost imperceptibly, before levelling a glare at the old wizard. Still, he, along with Kemnebi and Harry, reached forward to touch the quill that would transport them to their new destination, and as they were whisked away, Harry wondered exactly how many portkeys he would have to take that day.

The group landed with a thud in a dank hallway, and before Harry had a chance to establish any more than that, a curtain at the other end of the hall flew open, revealing a portrait of an old, very angry looking woman.

"How dare you enter the home of my forefathers? Bringing in any rabble that you can find! Dirtying the air with the breath of the impure! Filth! Half-breeds! Mudbloods!"

This last, caused Harry to jump to his feet, looking at the portrait sharply. He detested the word mudblood, mostly because it was always an insult towards his mother and to his friend, Hermione. He might not be able to stop every bigoted witch or wizard, but he could damn well stop this portrait! He walked quickly up to the still screaming painting, but before he could say anything, the portrait's jaw had dropped, and a shaking two-dimensional finger was being pointed in his direction.

"What has been done that such a wizard is bought into my household?" she hissed, a look of fright flickering in her eyes. Before anything could be said, she had fled from the frame, and the curtain had snapped shut.

Bemused, Harry turned around, only to find himself subject to a great deal of incredulous gazes. It seemed that everybody had heard the commotion, and come out to see what was happening. Just in time to see a hag of a portrait flee in fright from Harry, when previous methods had failed so miserably.

Finally, the silence was broken. "Bloody hell mate!" breathed Ron Weasley, his eyes wide. "What did you say to her?"

Harry shrugged, "I didn't say anything. I just looked at her."

At this, Fred and George half ran, half stumbled down from their viewing point halfway up to the stairs, and prostrated themselves in front of Harry, who by now was looking slightly uncomfortable. "O Great One! We are not worthy to be looked upon by he whose eyes make evil old portraits flee in terror!"

Harry was about to say something suitably scathing when Dumbledore once again made his presence known. "Entertaining as your antics are, Messrs Weasley," he said, his eyes twinkling, "I'm afraid the beginning of tonight's meeting has been delayed for long enough already."

Molly Weasley immediately began bustling around, shooing the children upstairs, however when she began attempting to move Harry upstairs, Dumbledore intervened once again. "Thank you Molly, but there's no need for Harry to go upstairs. He'll be joining us for this meeting."

Molly turned around in shock, "Albus! What are you thinking? He's just a child! Only just fifteen and you want him to sit in on an order meeting? I'm sure Harry would much rather go upstairs and gossip with his friends!"

Slightly offended at the unconscious implication that he was not mature enough to join an order meeting, whatever that was, Harry slipped past Molly and into the kitchen, assuming that was where the meeting would be held, since that was where all the adults had headed.

Shutting the door on Molly's protests, Harry paused as he head the raised voice of Ron: "Why does he get to go to a meeting? He only just got here, we've been here all summer and we're not allowed. I've fought just as much as he has, I should be let in too! Why does he always have to be the special one?"

Hearing this rather vitriolic argument caused Harry to wince slightly. He doubted that Ron would be particularly pleased by the news that Harry was the rightful pharaoh of magical Egypt and the descendent of a god. Hearing it put that way in his head caused Harry to wince again. Nope, he thought, Ron definitely won't be pleased with this development.

Having been lost in his thoughts for a few moments, Harry had missed the entrance of his two guards, and the sudden silence caused him to look up, noticing that he was once again on the receiving end of many shocked stares.

"Harry?" came a tentative voice from Harry's right, and he looked around, spotting Remus Lupin just before he spoke again. "Do you…know these men?"

Harry nodded somewhat tiredly. "Yes, Professor Lupin, Bomani and Kemnebi are my…well, my bodyguards I suppose."

Remus' somewhat automatic response that Harry should call him Remus because he wasn't a professor anymore was lost in a sea of voices, all shouting out different things. One voice was particularly noticeable though, and caused Harry's shoulders to stiffen.

"Bodyguards?" Severus Snape repeated disbelievingly. "And what fool put the notion in your head that you needed bodyguards Potter? Or are they just there to hold up your already inflated head?"

Harry was about to reply with something somewhat rude and immature, when Bomani stepped in. "We have been charged with protecting the life of Harry Khenti. Should we need to die in the process of fulfilling this charge, we would do so willingly and gladly."

Both guards made for a very imposing sight, standing in the least lit corner of the kitchen. Bomani was tall and bald, the white gleam of his eyes and teeth clearly visible against the dark brown of his skin. Kemnebi was shorter, and his skin was lighter, but his compact, muscle-bound frame left nobody in any doubt that he would be a formidable opponent. One of his eyes constantly assessed the room, looking for threats, whilst the other which was milky-white with blindness was still in its socket. Harry was very glad that they were there to protect him.

The statement made by Bomani seemed to have struck everyone dumb, even Snape, and the room which Dumbledore, Molly Weasley and Sirius Black entered a moment later was eerily silent.

"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed joyfully, throwing his arms around his godfather.

"Hello there, kiddo." The ex-convict replied warmly, ruffling Harry's unruly hair. "What kind of crazy situation have you got yourself into this time, eh?"

"I'm sure that is something we would all like to know." Dumbledore interrupted, before Harry could say anything in reply to his godfather. "As promised Harry, information in exchange for information, Minister Fudge refuses to acknowledge that Lord Voldemort has returned, and many of the public believe it, out of fear. You and I, as the main perpetrators of this so-called 'lie' are being rather maligned in the press, I'm afraid. Lord Voldemort has been lying low, I rather suspect that he recognises the wizarding world's refusal to believe in his return is to his advantage."

Harry nodded slowly. He wasn't surprised that he was being used as a scapegoat, ever since he had entered the wizarding world he had been either hailed as a hero, or the exact opposite. One thing though, was bothering him: "What about Cedric? How can they explain away his death?" he demanded.

Sirius fielded this question. "People have died in the Triwizard Tournament before, Harry. Fudge is just passing it off as a tragic accident."

Digesting this information, Harry pondered on how much information he would offer in return. "Well, it's only fair for me to tell you some of what's happened to me, I guess. I've been in Egypt. Bomani and Kemnebi are two Egyptian guards who have been sent to protect me."

A tall, red-headed man with a fang earring, who Harry recognised as Bill Weasley interrupted at this point. "Whereabouts in Egypt have you been? How did you get there, you need a sanctioned portkey to leave the country?"

Kemnebi answered this question, which was lucky, since all Harry had known was that he had been taken to a magical place in Egypt. "He arrived in the Royal Court at Alexandria by portkey."

"The Royal Court?" Bill repeated in surprise, "How were you not taken prisoner as soon as you got there? Entrance to the Royal Court is by invitation only!"

This time Bomani answered, and he looked somewhat offended. "We would not do anything to harm the future pharaoh of our country!"

The uproar that greeted this statement was really quite astounding thought Harry, and he resigned himself to answering questions for the next few hours or so.

After everyone in the room had had their questions answered to what they considered to be a suitable extent, Dumbledore spoke again, the twinkle in his eyes back at full force. "Harry, we too have a prophecy which regards you and Lord Voldemort. Having heard this other prophecy, it is of my belief that both are accurate. The prophecy that I heard more than a decade ago states that you will have 'the power the Dark Lord knows not.' The knowledge contained within the Book of Thoth will certainly count as something that Lord Voldemort is not aware of."

"So you're going to let me go?" Harry asked, inwardly relieved that he would be able to go on his quest. He did not know why he was so concerned about finding this book, but something within him had become very insistent that he should go.

"Yes." Dumbledore replied, to the shock of most people in the room, especially Molly Weasley. "It is lucky that we in the order have somebody who knows Egypt well. Bill Weasley will be accompanying you on your journey. I hope that nobody objects to this?"

Nobody in the room replied, although some looked as though they wanted to. Bill Weasley looked as though Christmas had come early, so Harry didn't think that he'd have to worry about dragging an unwilling guide along with him.

After about ten minutes of rather boring discussion where arrangements were being made, Harry slipped out of the kitchen and upstairs, where he was immediately met by a barrage of questions from his friends. Somewhat hurt that they were more interested in the Order meeting than him, Harry found that he was less angry that he was not allowed to share much information with his friends than he had expected to be.

"I can't tell you much," he began, ignoring the immediate protests that this statement caused. "Just that I won't be at school this year, at least for the beginning."

"What do you mean you won't be at school?" Hermione demanded somewhat shrilly. "What could possibly be more important? This is our OWLS year Harry!"

Harry gazed at her thoughtfully, causing her to fidget somewhat before he answered. "Some things are more important than school and exams, Hermione. Saving the world from evil, for example."

He had been planning on sitting down and chatting with his friends, but the mood seemed somewhat spoilt. Resolving to try talking to them again later when they had calmed down a bit, Harry left the room and his gaping friends behind him, and headed back down to the kitchen, just in time to hear Molly Weasley scream in shock. Quickening his pace, Harry burst through the door to be confronted by a rather shocking scene.

The Order members who had crowded round Amos Diggory and the intact, very much alive body of Cedric Diggory turned in shock as Harry smacked his head.

"I cannot believe I forgot about this part."