Disclaimer: I don't own much.

Chapter 3: A New Beginning

Harry Potter sat at Gryffindor table in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, contemplating his life up to this point. Harry stared unseeingly at the grain of the wood, acutely feeling the loss of Albus Dumbledore. Just recently, his longtime mentor and friend had been murdered before his eyes by none other than Professor Severus Snape. If Harry ever got his hands on that greaseball…

No, don't think about that, he interrupted himself furiously. All he seemed to think about these days was Snape and Ginny. Wishing he could kill Snape, and wishing he could kiss Ginny. But Harry knew that he really shouldn't be doing either. He hated the thought of murder, even if it was Snape. He knew he would eventually have to kill Lord Voldemort, the scourge of the magical world, but he'd still like to keep it to a minimum. And as for Ginny, going out with the Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One, was not a recipe for longevity. In fact, it was downright suicidal. Harry had a dangerous road ahead of him, and he couldn't afford a girlfriend as a liability or a distraction. But still, if he could kiss her just one more time...

There he went again. His mind seemed to be focused like a laser on those two topics. If only he knew Occlumency, he could clear his mind and not be bothered by these constant thoughts. But thinking about Occlumency led to thinking about Snape, and Harry was right back where he had started.

He was finally broken out of his circular thoughts by the arrival of the post owls in the Great Hall. This was the last time he would ever see it. Possibly the last time he would ever see Hogwarts again. Best to soak it all in. He saw one particular tawny owl carrying the Daily Prophet to one of his two best friends, Hermione Granger. She took the paper, paid the owl, and spread it out on the table in front of her.

"Harry, Ron, come look at this!" she exclaimed excitedly. Harry and Ron each leaned over a shoulder to get a better view. On the front page was a picture of a tall, blond man casually smoking a cigarette in front of a nondescript pub. "DIETER MÜLLER SPOTTED IN MANCHESTER," the headline proclaimed in large, black letters.

"Who's Dieter Muller?" asked Ron in confusion.

"That's Mueller, Ron," corrected Hermione in an exasperated tone. "The u-umlaut is pronounced 'ue'."

"The u-what?" said Ron, even more confused, while Hermione just huffed and opened her mouth, probably to reprimand him again.

Harry, sensing one of their infamous arguments coming, leaned over the paper to find out the answer to Ron's question. To cut them off before they could get going, he read the body of the article aloud.

"Dieter Müller, the German assassin who made a name for himself during You-Know-Who's last rise to power, was seen and photographed outside 'The Hanged Man' in Manchester today by yours truly, Daily Prophet reporter Mark Lyons. Müller, who is Europe's second most wanted man (behind only You-Know-Who himself), has not been spotted in public since Harry Potter defeated You-Know-Who almost sixteen years ago, although seven prominent assassinations have been attributed to him. This reporter managed to contact no less an authority than Auror Commander Gawain Robards in order to verify that the man in question is indeed Müller.

"Robards merely looked at these photographs for a moment before pronouncing them authentic. 'I have little doubt that the man in the pictures is indeed Müller,' said the Commander. 'The British people have a right to know that this is only the latest in a series of events that seems to indicate that Lord V is recalling his old army to him. The Auror department will do its best to ensure that Müller does not harm any British citizens, magical or Muggle, but I believe this war is going to get worse before it gets better.'

"Another Auror, who agreed to be interviewed only if he could remain anonymous, was more optimistic. 'Robards is seeing conspiracies everywhere,' confided our source. 'Everyone knows he was a student of Mad-Eye Moody, and I'd say the old man's paranoia is rubbing off on him. We're much better prepared than last time, but if you ask me, the Auror corps needs more stable leadership in these times of war.'

"Story continued on page 4. More on Müller's activities­­—page 7. More on Robards—page 9."

Harry, Hermione, and Ron all looked at each other for a moment. They were processing the information they had gained from the article, and Harry especially was wondering how it would affect their mission to destroy the Horcruxes. Harry cast his mind about for something to say just to break the silence.

"So," said Harry, "Robards seems pretty straightforward for a Ministry guy. You reckon he's right?"

"The other guy's right, he does sound like Moody," criticized Ron. "I mean, a war's on, right? There's going to be Death Eaters spotted in England a lot more often now."

Hermione bit her lip and seemed to think her words over carefully before responding. "Ron, if it were Lestrange, or even Greyback, I might agree with you. But Müller…well, he's different. I've read about him."

"Go figure," muttered Ron with a grin, but both Hermione and Harry ignored him. Harry was too interested in what Hermione had to say.

"You know how they used to say that Sirius Black was Voldemort's right-hand man?" she asked, and waited for Ron and Harry to nod before continuing. "Well, we know that's wrong, but from what I've read, the real man was Müller. He's supposedly by far the most dangerous Death Eater." She paused for dramatic effect, lowered her voice, and then continued. "It's rumored that he and Voldemort are evenly matched. Neither could best the other."

"Then how does he keep Müller loyal?" asked Harry curiously. "He rules everyone else through intimidation and fear. Seems as though a guy like Müller would want to go it alone."

"Money. Müller's a hired killer, and Voldemort's followers are some of the richest people in England."

"How much is he paid?" asked Ron interestedly.

"How would I know?" said Hermione. "But I'm sure it's more than all of the professors in Hogwarts put together make in ten years."

Harry really wanted to know more about Müller, but he noticed that the Great Hall was starting to empty. He glanced around the hall to fix the place firmly in his memory one last time, and then turned back to his friends. "Guys," he broke in, "we'd better leave, or we're going to miss the train."

Hermione nodded and folded up the paper, and then the three of them got up and left the hall. They headed down to the platform in silence, where the scarlet train was sitting, gently sending up puffs of white steam into the clear blue sky. The train was about half full, and they easily found an empty compartment near the middle. As soon as they were inside, Hermione took out her wand, put a locking charm on the door, and cast a silencing spell on the whole room.

"Why'd you do that, Hermione?" asked Ron, who was already sprawled across one of the seats, his long legs stretched out across the compartment.

"I think we need to discuss what we're going to do this summer," Hermione said in a low voice while taking the seat beside Ron. "We need to plan out a schedule or we'll never get anything done."

Harry and Ron met each other's eyes. This was typical Hermione, always having to have a plan. "Hermione," Harry started, "I've already told you what I want to do this summer. I need to visit the Dursleys for a day or two, and then we'll go to Godric's Hollow. Oh, and we'll also go to Bill and Fleur's wedding. Can't miss that."

"Harry," Hermione replied with a smile, "do you even know where Godric's Hollow is?"

That brought Harry up short. "Er…no," he admitted sheepishly. "I just sort of thought…"

"See, Harry," said Hermione triumphantly. "That's why you always have to have a plan. I've told you guys for years…"

"Oh, give it a rest, Hermione," Ron interrupted. "We'll find out from someone where it is."

"Mister Weasley is right," a new voice broke in from the other side of the compartment. "You're wasting your time."

Harry jumped up from his seat and whirled to face the voice, whipping out his wand at the same time. "Expelliarmus!" he roared, pointing it at the window where the voice had come from, only to see the spell sail harmlessly into the wall of the compartment. Before he could cast a second spell, the wand was snatched from his hand, and ropes came from thin air to bind him tight. By this time, Ron and Hermione were standing with their wands drawn, glancing warily around the compartment, but before they could do anything, they too were bound helplessly.

Out of thin air, the last person they expected to see appeared in front of them, removing an Invisibility Cloak from his shoulders.

"Professor Moody!" Harry exclaimed. "What in the world…"

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE, Potter!" Moody barked, cutting him off. "What were you thinking, discussing your plans carelessly where anyone could hear?"

"We weren't discussing them where anyone could hear," Harry retorted angrily from the floor. "Hermione locked the door and silenced the whole compartment."

"But none of you—not a single one of you—thought to do anything about the window, did you?" Moody roared, looking angrier than Harry had ever seen him. "With carelessness like yours, it's no wonder people are dying every day. Honestly, if I'd been a Death Eater, all three of you kids would be dead, and there wouldn't even be any witnesses."

"Professor," said Hermione timidly, cutting off Moody's tirade, "we just came here to get some privacy so we could talk. We didn't think…"

"Of course you didn't think, girl!" Moody replied, still angry. "That's obvious. Whenever you're in a room, you need to ALWAYS mind your exits. You should recognize security issues the moment you enter. I would have expected it from these two, but I was told you had some brains. Use them."

"But, Professor!" said Harry, angry as well. Moody had no right to just barge into his compartment demanding vigilance. "Why are you even here? And could you get rid of these ropes, please?" he added sarcastically.

Moody flicked his wand, and the ropes disappeared. After casting his own locking and silencing charms over Hermione's, as well as a few others Harry didn't recognize on the window, Moody turned to face them. "Now get up off the floor, you look stupid," he said. "I hope you've learned something today."

"Never get to know an insane ex-Auror?" asked Ron insolently.

"Apparently not," said Moody icily, disappointment etched in every line of his battered face. "I should have known you children would be like this."

"We're not children," said Harry angrily.

"Then stop acting like it," Moody returned. "Let me tell you what you should have learned today, since you seem to be incapable of common sense. What you should have learned is that you are by no means ready to face the big, wide world. You aren't even up to facing an insane ex-Auror," he said, nastily echoing Ron's words. "How do expect to take on a Death Eater if you can't even handle an old has-been like me?"

"You just caught us off guard, Professor," said Harry defensively. "It wasn't a fair fight."

"And do you expect Death Eaters to fight fairly, Potter?" Moody asked in a quiet, dangerous tone. "Do you expect a Death Eater to kindly give you a warning before he attacks you? You've been lucky so far. They've underestimated you. But no longer. The next time they meet you, they will crush you, unless you are prepared. And the only way to be prepared is through constant, never-ending vigilance. You must realize this."

"We understand, Professor," Hermione said hastily, trying to stall Moody before he could get started, "but you still haven't told us why you came."

"And we still don't know whether you really are Professor Moody," realized Harry suddenly. "You could be an imposter."

"Fine, ask me a question, Potter," Moody replied. "Anything that'll prove I'm me. Although I'll tell you now, Voldemort's too clever to use the same tricks twice."

Harry thought for a minute. "Whose picture did you show me the night Ron and Hermione became prefects?"

"The picture of the old Order," Moody answered promptly. "And now, let me return the favor. What did I ask you for the night I came to pick you up from your house?"

"A glass of water," Harry answered after a moment's thought. "Are you happy?"

"No," Moody replied. "And I won't be happy until Lord Voldemort's corpse is rotting at your feet," he added with complete seriousness.

Harry was momentarily stunned. No one had ever just come out and said something like that to him. They all tried to skate around the fact that Harry was going to end up murdering Voldemort, but apparently not Moody. But now that Harry thought about it, Moody shouldn't even know the Prophecy, should he? "How do you know about that?" asked Harry suspiciously.

"Dumbledore tried to hide the contents of the prophecy," explained Moody, "but he and I are old friends. I can glean more from his silences than most can from his words. The contents of the prophecy were apparent to me, but I've never actually heard the words. As far as I know, you're the only one who knows the whole thing."

"Ron and Hermione know, too," Harry corrected, trying not to think about the fact that Dumbledore should have been on that list as well.

"Really?" said Moody with surprise. "That was unexpected. Did Albus know about this?"

"Yeah," Harry replied. "He was the one who said I could tell them."

"Not what I'd call wise, but perhaps it was necessary," Moody mumbled to himself. He opened his mouth to continue, but then abruptly closed it. Outside the compartment door, they could hear the voices of other students looking for a compartment. Some were in high end-of-year spirits, but most were clearly subdued after the death of the Headmaster. Moody paused a second, and then waved his wand in a circle above his head. A pure white light shot out of the tip, enveloped the compartment for a second, and then faded. Harry wondered what it was, but Moody answered his unasked question.

"That was a little charm of Albus' invention," he explained. Harry again tried to avoid thinking about Dumbledore. "Their eyes will slide right over this compartment. They won't even realize it's here."

"Sort of like the Leaky Cauldron," Harry said, understanding.

"Similar, but not the same," Moody replied. "Now, I believe you wanted to know why I'm here?"

Harry focused his full attention on Moody, and he felt Ron and Hermione doing the same beside him. Whatever it was, it had to be good. Moody might have just attacked him, but Harry still respected the old Auror, even if he was a little crazy at times. He wouldn't have come if it weren't important.

"Before I begin," Moody started, "I must warn you that you aren't going to like this at all. Particularly you, Potter. However, it must be done."

"Why am I not going to like it?" Harry asked, when Moody paused.

"Be patient, I'll explain everything. Though I agree with Miss Granger that plans are essential to success, it's a good thing you never got your summer planned. This way I'm not going to be making your hard work useless. I've come to tell you, Potter, what you're going to be doing over the summer."

"What?" asked Harry incredulously. "I don't get a choice in what I do over the summer? You can't do that! I'm going to be an adult this summer, and Ron and Hermione already are."

"I told you that you wouldn't like it," said Moody with a grin. "Although I don't see what the big fuss is. You've never had a say in how you spend your summer. Why start now?"

"'Cause I'm an adult now," Harry replied. "And Dumbledore's gone."

"Yes, Albus is dead," said Moody with a sad sigh, "and that's part of the problem. You see, I've managed to put two and two together. Albus would leave us for days at a time last year, and he refused to tell us where he was going, but I imagine he told you. What's more, I'm told you went with him the night that he died. I can guess that you're planning on continuing whatever he was doing."

"Yes," replied Harry defiantly. "I am planning on continuing his work. It's crucial, and you won't stop me. And you can't get me to tell you what it is, either. He told me to tell no one."

"Relax, Potter," Moody chuckled. "Don't get your knickers in a twist. I'm not going to stop you or go with you. I'm not even interested in what it is. The less I know, the less can be tortured out of me. But I can also guess that whatever he was doing, you're not ready for it. Not yet."

"What d'you mean?" asked Harry curiously. "I went with him."

"Potter," Moody said, focusing a penetrating gaze directly on Harry. "Can you honestly say that if Albus weren't there, you could have done everything he did? You know exactly what he did, and if you went back, you could do it again?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat. No, he had no clue how Dumbledore did half of what he did in the cave, and he had to admit it. "No," he sighed with defeat, "I've got no clue. I was hoping to find out how in some books."

"Books from where, Potter?" Moody asked, pressing his advantage. "And who would teach you what you can't learn from books?"

"You can learn almost anything from books," Hermione interrupted. "As long as you read them carefully, the instructions are all there. Study the theory enough and you can do anything."

"No, girl," Moody snorted. Hermione looked shocked. "You can learn a bunch of spells, but what good'll that do if you don't know when to use them?"

"What do you mean, when to use them?" Ron asked. "It's obvious. You need a spell, you use it. You don't need one, don't use it. Easy."

"It's not quite that simple, kid," replied Moody. "When do you stun, when do you bludgeon, when do you kill? When do you use magic, when do you use your hands? When do you blast a door, when do you ease it open? Do you use force or finesse? Books can't teach you that, only experience can."

"He's right, Ron, Hermione," admitted Harry. He could see Moody's logic clearly. He knew a lot of spells, but when it came to a fight, it all flew out the window. In his fourth year, he had dived behind gravestones. Fifth year, he had to smash shelves. Sixth year, he used Sectumsempra on Malfoy. He had used an unknown spell in a panic, and it was a disaster. Harry could have killed him. He could see the wisdom of having a teacher who could help him out. "So, you're going to teach me this stuff?" he asked Moody interestedly.

"Yep," replied Moody. "And I'll do more than just teach you. I'm going to be your full-time bodyguard this summer. I'll go everywhere with you."

"I don't need a bodyguard," Harry replied. "I've always had to fight on my own, anyway. Just look at what happened with Dung and the Dementors."

"Mundungus Fletcher," Moody snorted, "is an idiot and a criminal to boot. If he were any dumber, he'd be officially retarded. He couldn't guard a pile of horse crap. He'll find that he's not going to be welcomed back into the Order when he gets out of jail, not that it's going to matter."

Harry was shocked to hear Moody talk about another member of the Order like that. He didn't understand it. Dung wasn't much of a bodyguard, true, but he was likeable enough. "Aren't you on the same side?" he asked Moody weakly.

"I've never been on his side, Potter," replied Moody angrily. "His is the side of sneaking, thieving, cheating, lying, and swindling honest men out of what they deserve. He's a good-for-nothing, pathetic worm, but he owed Dumbledore some favors. Morally, he's as corrupt as any Death Eater."

"Dung isn't that bad," Ron said defensively. "Besides, he's pretty funny, and he saved me once from some enchanted robes in Grimmauld Place."

"Only because you laughed at his stories," Moody snorted derisively. "If you and your brothers hadn't paid attention to him, I guarantee you he would've looked the other way. He abandoned Potter when he was needed most, and with all due respect, Potter's life is much more important than yours. And if you judge people by whether they're funny or not, you'll find yourself liking some Death Eaters more than honest men."

"I'd never like a Death Eater," Ron spat angrily. "They're just plain evil, and I'll never have anything to do with them."

"Then why do you like Fletcher?" Moody shot back. "He's just as mean-spirited as they are, he's just less capable of acting on it. The only reason he's a common thief is because he's not good enough at it to do any serious damage to anyone. And he's too scared of Voldemort to join him."

Harry was dumbfounded. Here was Moody, a respected member of the Order of the Phoenix, telling him that another member might as well be a Death Eater. But then again, he did see some of Moody's point. Impersonating an Inferius to rob someone was pretty low. Harry decided that he would reserve judgement.

"Never mind Dung," said Harry, cutting off the argument. "The point is, I've never seen the use of a bodyguard."

"That's because you've never had a good one," Moody replied. "And besides, my job won't just be to keep you safe, but to train you to keep yourself out of dangerous situations in the first place."

"You mean you're not going to let me fight?" asked Harry incredulously.

"Did I say that?" said Moody. "I said I would train you to keep yourself out of dangerous situations. An ambush is remarkably less dangerous if you see it coming from a mile away. I'm going to teach you to always be ready for an attack, no matter how unlikely it may be."

"You mean you're going to teach us to be paranoid?" said Ron skeptically. "Why would we want that?"

"We?" repeated Moody. "Who said anything about we? I'm just going to be training Potter. You two are going to go home with your parents."

Hermione just looked resigned, as if she had seen it coming (which, Harry reminded himself, she probably had), but Ron was livid. "What do you mean?" he demanded. "We swore that we were going to go with Harry this summer. We're a team, and we stick together."

"Stick together all you like," said Moody with a grin, "but you're the one who gets to tell your mother what you're going off to fight Death Eaters with Mad-Eye Moody."

Ron's face became noticeably paler at the thought of his mother's wrath, but he still held his ground. "She can't control me anymore. I'm an adult now."

"But I can," said Moody, suddenly deadly serious. "I'm an old man, lad. I can't guard three people effectively in the heat of a battle. Potter by himself I can handle. I might have been able to guard two of you, but if the rumors are true, then I doubt it."

"What rumors?" asked Harry.

"Did you see the Prophet this morning?"

"About Müller?"

"Yeah," said Moody. "Do you kids know anything about him?"

"I've read a little," said Hermione, and she proceeded to tell Moody what she had told Harry and Ron earlier. Moody leaned back into one of the compartment seats and nodded thoughtfully after she finished, mulling over what she had said.

"I'm impressed. You must have researched him thoroughly to dig up that much," said Moody at last. Hermione beamed. "He's not a very popular subject in books, since he's not a very well-known figure, despite what the Prophet implied. Most people probably didn't even remember who Müller was when they read the article this morning. However, almost none of what you told me is correct."

"What?" exclaimed Hermione. "I'm sure I remember what I read…"

"You misunderstand me," said Moody soothingly. "What I meant was that the information in the books was not correct. But it's not really wrong either. The Dieter Müller you've described is a composition of about thirty people into one man. First off, he's not Voldemort's right-hand man. Voldemort doesn't have a right-hand man. But he does plan out the logistics on many of the raids Voldemort conducts. Müller has one of the finest criminal minds in the world, and Voldemort's intelligent enough to use it. They often jointly planned the biggest raids back in the first war."

All three of them listened eagerly to what Moody had to tell them, and after a moment's pause he continued. "Also, Müller is not Voldemort's equal. Voldemort could best him easily in a duel. But Voldemort has another servant, a much deadlier servant, who does fit that description. I dedicated every spare moment I had in the first war to hunting that man: Antonio Ramirez Sanchez, the great Argentinean killer. I've seen both him and the Dark Lord in action, and I wouldn't bet on either of them in a duel. And Müller is not the only servant of the Dark Lord to be paid. As far as I know, Voldemort hires thirty-four people for their skills."

"And they follow him?" asked Harry incredulously. "They know he's a megalomaniac, and they aren't into the whole pureblood-supremacy thing, but they still follow him?"

"They're mercenaries, Potter," responded Moody. "They don't care who they're killing as long as the cash keeps coming. And they're the kind of people you need protection from. I'm not as worried about the run-of-the-mill, pureblood-supremacist type of Death Eater. You've proven you can hold your own against them. It's the skilled ones I worry about. The sooner you learn to think and act like an Auror, the sooner my mind'll be at ease."

"All right," said Harry. "I think you've made your point well enough. I'll train with you this summer, and I guess Ron and Hermione will have to stay at home."

Neither Ron nor Hermione looked very happy at this statement, but they both realized that it would probably be necessary for the war effort. Harry was ultimately the one who needed the training most, and if Harry had to go on without them, then they wouldn't try to stop him. They would still be there for him when he finished his training, to help him find the Horcruxes. It didn't sound like Moody was going to let them work on that over the summer anyway.

"Now," said Moody, "there's one more thing. From this moment forward, everything the four of us do must be shrouded in secrecy. No one, and I mean no one, can be told what has gone on in this compartment today. Weasley and Granger, both of you will need to go home and pretend it's just an ordinary summer. You need to pretend Potter's still at Privet Drive. Don't send owls to him. Wait for him to send his owl to you. When you write back, address your letters to Number Four. Potter's owl will be able to find him anyway, and if the letter's seen by anyone else, it'll throw 'em off the trail. Do you understand?"

Ron and Hermione nodded. "Good," continued Moody. "As far as the Order of the Phoenix is concerned, I'm escorting Potter back to Privet Drive and leaving him there. From now on, we must assume that there is a traitor in the Order. I know you guys are chummy with Lupin, but you have to assume he's a traitor."

"No way," said Harry. "I'm more sure of Lupin's loyalty than I am of yours! How can I pretend to think he's a traitor?"

"I trust Lupin too, Potter," agreed Moody. "However, he's dating Tonks, and I don't trust her anywhere near as far as I can throw her."

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione. "I always thought you Order members trusted each other completely."

"Look, Granger," said Moody with a sigh, "it's like this. Five years ago, a Metamorphmagus claiming to be Nymphadora Tonks showed up for Auror training. Now tell me, do we have any proof that the real Nymphadora Tonks wasn't replaced by a Death Eater before she ever joined up with the Auror Corps? That filth Crouch managed to impersonate me, and it's not much of a stretch to imagine that a Metamorphmagus could impersonate Tonks, someone none of us Aurors knew before she became one. To put it simply, I don't trust Tonks, and that means I don't trust Remus either."

Harry was pretty sure that this was just another example of the old Auror's paranoia, but he didn't want to argue. He figured it was probably a good idea to hide what he was doing from the Order anyway, because not all of them would be as understanding about him wanting to work on his own as Moody was. He shuddered to think what would happen if Mrs. Weasley learned that he planned on continuing Dumbledore's work without any help.

"All right," said Harry. "I think we've got the gist of it. Will I still be able to go to Bill and Fleur's wedding?"

"Of course," said Moody simply. "I told you that everything must be done in secrecy. That means we absolutely must pretend that everything is normal. You'll attend the wedding, maybe make an appearance at Grimmauld Place, and probably stay at the Burrow for a day or two as well. We need to pretend that it's just a normal summer."

"What about the Dursleys?" asked Harry. "I promised Dumbledore I would go back there this summer."

"You'll sleep there, but I'll sneak in with you. During the days I'll smuggle you out, and we'll go somewhere else to train. It's probably best if Weasley and Granger don't know where. That way it can't be tortured or tricked out of them."

"Right," said Harry, worried just at the thought of Ron or Hermione being tortured. "So, are we going to Apparate to the Dursley's?"

"No," answered Moody, "I'll meet up with you at the platform and drive you there in my car."

Harry was about to express his surprise that Moody actually had a car, but Hermione spoke up first. "Wait, what do you mean you'll meet up with him? You've already met up."

"It would look a tad suspicious if I was seen getting off the train with Potter, right?" Moody pointed out. "Got to keep up the secrecy and all that."

With that, Moody raised his wand and waved it in a circle opposite to the one he had made earlier. White light seeped back out of the walls and was sucked into his wand. He walked over to the window, removed the charms on it, and then turned around and looked at the three teenagers.

"I'll see you at the platform," he said, and then, with slight pop, vanished from the compartment.

"He's crazy," said Ron at once, barely a second after Moody had left.

"He's got some good points, Ron," said Harry, while Hermione nodded in agreement.

"I'm not arguing that," said Ron, "but you heard what he said about Dung. And Tonks! Can you imagine Tonks being a Death Eater? I'm telling you, the man is completely paranoid."

"You're right, Ron," said Hermione in a placating voice, "but remember Marietta Edgecombe? Would you have expected her to be a traitor?"

At that, Ron became more subdued, but Hermione wasn't finished. "Keep in mind, Moody's had a hard life. We don't know how he lost his leg and eye, but I'd bet he's been betrayed more than once in his life. It stands to reason he's a little paranoid."

"Right," said Harry grimly. "I'm not worried about Remus and Tonks the way Moody is, but still, I think it might be better if we keep everything secret. After all, we wouldn't want Mrs. Weasley to find out somehow, right?"

Ron and Hermione both nodded. The compartment lapsed into silence for a while, with all three occupants lost in their thoughts. Harry, for one, was worried about the upcoming summer. Even though he knew that Moody's training would be important, he had hoped to get started on the search for the Horcruxes over the summer. Now, it looked like there wouldn't be much chance for him to do anything. Suddenly, he was struck by inspiration.

"Hermione," he said quickly, "can you put those charms back up?" She quickly complied, and Harry noted with amusement that this time, she put up charms on the window as well.

"What is it, Harry?" she asked after the silencing charms were safely in place.

"Well," he responded, "I've been thinking. I wanted to work on finding the Horcruxes over the summer, but it doesn't look like I'm going to get the opportunity. But you two are going to be free pretty much the whole summer. I think you guys ought to get started on maybe trying to find out about the Horcruxes."

Hermione smiled. "I was just thinking the same thing."

This caused Ron to start laughing. When the other two looked at him, he simply grinned. "So was I."

Harry laughed. "Well, that's good then. We still need to find out who R.A.B. is, and also probably work on finding good locations for Horcruxes. They'll be in places that were significant to Voldemort. That probably means that you two will have to hit the history books. Or at least, Hermione will have to hit the history books." Hermione grinned sheepishly, while Ron laughed openly.

"But seriously," Harry continued, "you guys are going to have to work this summer. We also need to find out what a possible artifact of Gryffindor or Ravenclaw could be. Once we get a list of artifacts, we need to find out which ones could be Horcruxes. It's a lot of work, I know, but we have to do it at some point."

"We said we'd go all the way with you, Harry," said Ron grimly. "We meant it. Even if it means actually having to read something."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, Ron…" she said, shaking her head playfully. All three burst into laughter again.

"You know, Harry," said Ron seriously, "I think we can do this. I mean, really do it, and do it right. I'll work on finding out who R.A.B. is, if Hermione will work on the history stuff. I'm no good at that."

Harry blinked, momentarily thrown off by Ron's maturity. Hermione, too, seemed slightly surprised. However, they both recovered quickly. "Right," said Harry, "Voldemort's going to regret the day he decided to mess with our lives."

Hermione and Ron nodded in agreement, and the compartment again lapsed into a comfortable silence, all three understanding the enormity of the task ahead, but feeling fully confident in their ability to overcome it. If Professor Dumbledore could have seen how his students had blossomed, it would have brought a smile to his face and a tear to his eye.

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A/N:

Okay, I posted the first two chapters a really really long time ago, and didn't get any reviews for ages. So I basically figured that nobody was reading the story and pretty much gave up on posting it. However, I checked the story again today for the first time in months, and to my shock, 3 reviews!!! So now I'm all inspired to post the story again. As long as one person is reading and enjoying this story, I figure it's worth writing. From now on, the only reason I'll stop posting is if I get zero reviews for a long time. Seriously, positive reviews are unbelievably inspiring for a new writer. So thanks to Lord Purity, Fox890, and Hamboy for being inspiring.

So good news, chapters will be updated pretty frequently from now. I will try my darndest to get out one chapter per week. And most of them won't be written from scratch in that week. I have the first 4 chapters written, as well as several others from random points in the story, depending on when inspiration struck.

Hope this chapter doesn't suck!