Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter as much as I wish I did. Please don't sue. You'll get about $20 for your trouble!
"Please sit Harry. I need to ask you about something now that you finally seem stronger," Sirius said. The broad smile that had been on his face watching Harry and Hermione flirting had vanished as quickly as the twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes.
Harry sank into the plush chair that Dumbledore had conjured and sighed, fear gripping his heart. "What do you mean I finally seem stronger? What did you need to tell me?" Harry asked, his hands clenched in his lap so tightly he could feel the Ring of Merlin digging into his palm.
"Don't you remember what happened when you woke up Harry?" Sirius asked.
"Besides listening to Ron and Hermione fight and trying to figure out how you could still be alive . . . what else happened?" Harry asked, trying to remember if he had done anything that could cause the worried look that Dumbledore and Sirius now wore.
"I don't mean the first time Harry. I mean what happened later. First you asked if you could live with me now that the Dursleys were gone and we talked. Then you fell asleep. A few hours later something happened. You woke up screaming and your eyes rolled back in your head. You were clutching your scar and thrashing about. Ron said it looked like the usual nightmares you would have during the school year but before he or Hermione could do anything to bring you around you started convulsing and making some sort of a noise. After a few moments we realized you were . . . well you were speaking in Voldemort's voice," Sirius said.
"WHAT?" Harry screamed, standing up to pace in front of the table.
"Voldemort sensed you were weak from the attack and pushed his way into your mind. He wanted to scare everyone who heard him through you. He let us know that he would kill you Harry, after he let you watch him torture everyone close to you, starting with Ron and Hermione," Sirius said. He wished he hadn't brought this up today of all days, but it couldn't wait much longer. Voldemort had promised first blood would be spilled before school began. The kids needed to go away from Hogwarts for part of the summer to rest. It had been far too long since any of them had been able to act like the kids they were, Sirius thought.
Harry was trapped in his own mind watching flashes of people dying one by one. Unlike his previous visions of death these images had sound. He could hear his friends and the members of the Order screaming as they were killed one by one. His parents, Cedric, Sirius, Remus, Ron, and Hermione died over and over again and he couldn't stop it from happening even though he was there when each of them died.
"TAKE ME AND LEAVE THEM ALONE IT'S ME YOU WANT!" Harry screamed, his voice breaking down as he began to sob. Before he knew what had happened a ball of golden light flew from his clenched fist and blasted into the Gryffindor banner over the fireplace turning it into nothing more than a black streak on the stone wall. Next, another blast bounced from one portrait to another sending them all crashing to the ground and causing their occupants some moments of panic.
"You all think I'm crazy don't you?" Harry asked, his voice small and weak. "Don't come near me Mione. I'll hurt you. Stay with Ron you'll be safe," Harry said. He turned and curled into a ball sobbing loudly as though he couldn't help himself.
"No. Harry, we both love you," Hermione said, pulling Ron over to where Harry sat on the floor next to an overturned armchair.
"Bloody hell," Ron whispered. He was frightened watching Harry sitting there, his normally bright green eyes nearly lifeless. Ron did notice that Harry's demeanor did seem to calm when Hermione spoke. Ron squelched his jealousy even though it hurt to lose Hermione. At least she would be with Harry and the three of them would still be best mates. And there was the slim chance that they wouldn't work out and then Ron could maybe try again. Ron stood up and walked over to Sirius. "What are we going to do? He'll wind up in St. Mungo's at this rate," Ron said.
"You all need a safe place to rest before school starts. Somewhere where you can have some fun or at least not think about this bloody war for five minutes," Sirius said.
The others present in the room watched the commotion in stunned silence. They had all seen Harry's rage the previous year but never such a total display of emotion as the one they were witnessing now. Lavender and Parvati were silently crying watching Harry breakdown and Neville, Dean, and Seamus couldn't believe how their stoically strong friend, the epitome of a true Gryffindor, was just crumbling in front of them.
Moody took control of the situation and gestured for the students to follow him. "I think it would be best if you returned home. We'll go to the Headmaster's office and have you Floo from there. Would you come with us please Tonks?" Moody asked his coworker. Tonks nodded, her hair changing to a muted chartreuse to fit the suddenly solemn tone of the room.
Following the dull thump and clack of Moody's wooden leg the students soon found themselves at the stone gargoyles that marked Dumbledore's office. "Laffy Taffy," Moody said, engaging the door and the spiral staircase within.
"Never would have guessed a muggle candy," Dean commented quietly to Seamus and Neville who nodded their agreement.
Tonks ushered everyone into the office before closing the door with a soft click followed by Moody firing silencing spells and a few others that no one recognized. "Please sit. I need to speak with you about what you've witnessed tonight," Moody said gruffly, his magical eye rolling violently in the socket. "I assume that you understand somewhat the threat that Potter is under?" he said in such a way that it made everyone jump. "The event that you've seen tonight is not to be discussed with anyone who was not present. Even among those who were present discuss it, if you must, only when you are at Hogwarts," Moody continued, not waiting for anyone to answer his first question.
"Of course not Pro . . . Mad-Eye," Neville stammered. "I was with Harry last year. I know how important it is that he not be written about in the newspapers as a nutter again now that the Ministry has finally had to admit they were mistaken about You-Know-Who," he said.
"Well said Longbottom," Moody said, pacing the floor in a steady buzz of clanking and whirring. "Does anyone else have anything to add?" he asked the rest of the students.
"Could you please have someone tell Ron and Hermione to tell Harry that we'll always support him? After all, none of us would have done nearly as well on our DADA OWL as we think we have thanks to the DA last year. And that we'll be here for him whenever and however he needs us," Lavender said, speaking for the rest of the sixth year Gryffindors who nodded their agreement to her words.
"Well it seems Potter made a mistake in naming his little group last year. It should be Potter's Army. Nonetheless, we'll need an army by the time this is over. Tonks please make sure that Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley get that message to give to Potter. He needs to know he has friends," Moody said. "All right now time to get going. Grab the Floo Powder and CONSTANT VIGILANCE," he growled. The students jumped up, remembering the fake Moody in fourth year cursing them all, and grabbed for the Floo Powder. One by one they left Hogwarts until the start of the term on September 1.
The rest of the Weasley family stood watching silently, except for the occasional sob from either Ginny or Mrs. Weasley as they watched Harry crumple to the floor of the common room. "We should probably leave them," Charlie said, watching how only Hermione and Ron could even begin to approach Harry in this state.
"I want to stay mum. He's my friend too," Ginny protested.
"It would be for the best if we all left as little as I want to leave him the poor dear," Molly sobbed, dabbing her eyes with an already soaked handkerchief.
"But Ron is staying," Ginny persisted.
"GINERVA WEASLEY you are coming home and that's final. Ron will be staying. He and Hermione are the only ones who can help him right now. Let's go everyone," she said.
The Weasleys all headed for the fireplace in Dumbledore's office as it was the only one connected with the Floo Network and disappeared back to The Burrow.
Remus stood off to the side with his fists clenched tightly. The primal sounds that Harry was making were calling to his werewolf side while his human side felt as if someone had sucker punched him in the gut. He wanted to go over to Harry and hold him tight but knew that Harry wouldn't be able to deal with the human contact. He and Sirius had a lot to make up to Harry now that they were both taking godfather duty, Remus thought. That piece of Sirius's will was a shock to Remus as he was sure that the Ministry would never allow a werewolf to care for a young wizard, especially not Harry Potter. Remus figured that Dumbledore had something to do with that codicil being passed. Now though, Sirius was here and freed but had told Remus that they would care for Harry together since both of them were sharing Grimmauld Place anyway.
Dumbledore watched in awe of the sheer magical power that flooded through Harry. It was yet another demonstration of 'the power the dark lord knew not' which seemed to show itself more when Harry felt that the lives of his friends were in danger. He knew that he would have to train Harry in Occlumency quickly to avoid these occasions when Voldemort would attempt to possess Harry and Dumbledore hoped that the ring Harry now wore would help in making the training easier. It was no ordinary signet ring that Mr. Potter now wore, it was the key to Harry's past, and his future. His thoughts were interrupted by Sirius coming over to see what was to be done with Harry and his friends with everything that was happening.
"Albus sir, they need privacy and peace," Sirius said.
"They must not leave the castle. Grimmauld Place is not safe yet even with your wards for Harry. They are not enough since his blood protection from Privet Drive is now destroyed," Dumbledore said.
Harry's cries increased in volume causing everyone to stop their discussions and look toward where Hermione and Ron were trying to console their friend. "Harry, come on, let me help you up. You need to rest," Hermione said softly, noticing the way Harry's eyes drooped from fatigue even as he tried to keep them open.
"Please Mione I don't want Voldemort to hurt you. He's going to come through me and I can't be responsible for any more pain," Harry said, fighting the tears back.
"Let it out Harry. We'll stop this together as we always have ever since the day two loud brash boys knocked out a mountain troll to save a know-it-all bookworm," Hermione said. She pulled Harry closer to her and wrapped her arms around him, ceasing his struggles. Harry laid his head on her shoulder and breathed in her scent, strawberries and vanilla. His eyes fluttered and then closed, he was safe for the time being.
Everyone let out a breath that they hadn't known they were holding and continued to watch Hermione calm Harry. Already his magical energy was fading back into his body and the portraits stopped crashing to the ground. Everything was still and quiet. "What are we going to do Albus?" Remus asked his brow furrowed with worry.
"We seem to have recently gained a spare room of requirement. They shall stay there until the term begins and anytime after when they need peace and comfort. No one else will be able to enter and I will give them a portrait guardian to watch over them and report to myself or Minerva if there is trouble," Dumbledore announced to Sirius and Remus. Ron had been standing close by watching the scene with a heavy heart but smiled when he heard the Headmaster's solution. Trust Dumbledore to have everything solved and calm everyone down in record time. "Miss Granger, do not wake him but let Sirius carry him to your new room," Dumbledore said, his voice quieting at the sight of Harry curled into Hermione's shoulder. He looked much younger than his 16 years, the Headmaster thought. He led the way to a little used corridor near the Gryffindor common room and paced beside the wall hanging three times until the door appeared. "Welcome to the private chambers of H.R.H. I trust I do not need to tell you again how much Harry needs both of you to get through this," Dumbledore said.
Sirius set Harry down on a scarlet and gold four-poster bed in the center of the room. Ron and Hermione immediately took their positions guarding him, Ron on the left and Hermione on the right. "It seems you two have things in order. Keep him safe," Sirius said. "Sleep well my godson," Sirius whispered in Harry's ear.
Remus came over and was no longer able to resist the impulse to hug Harry. "Take care of him Hermione, you as well Ron. Thank you for sticking by his side even when he wanted you to abandon him," Remus said, tears forming in his eyes as he left the room.