Hey everyone,
So this chapter is going to pretty much explain one of the three reasons I think OotP is the worst in the series – with DH being a close second, due to the killing of Lupin (notice the favoritism). The other two reasons are the existence of Umbitch (see To Read Into The Universe) and the death of Sirius by Bellatrix.
Let's get to it,

Venquine1990


Chapter 03
Hypocrites And Anger Issues

25th of December 1995
Grimmauld Place
Harry's POV

"You're living here? Why are you living here?" Dad asks after he gets his footing back from Bunny taking us back to London through the tunnels and Sirius answers: "It's the only place I can remain safe while the Ministry and Voldemort's Death Eaters are out for my life." And both of us can hear the resignation in his voice.
At this dad glowers and says: "Well, I'll just have to make sure to go and change that when I visit Gringotts." But instantly he gets shocked as Sirius grumbles: "I doubt you'll be given that chance." And the resignation sounds even stronger as mum asks: "Why not?" And Sirius sighs with clear dislike as he says:
"Because you're not supposed to be alive and Dumbledore is going to think that you going anywhere but here will put too big of a target on you both and, while his intentions of not allowing Harry to lose any more loved ones is acceptable, expect him to come down hard on you and keep reminding you of his rules every single meeting."
The man growls at the end and I ask: "Surely you haven't been complaining about this that long?" And the man answers: "I stopped after I got to take you to the train. I got to be out, even if it was only for an hour, and that was enough for me. Though Molly thinks it's because of that stupid article that I stopped, which is utterly hypocritical."

"Why is that?" Hermione asks and Sirius snarls: "Because I blame her for giving Malfoy the chance to put that article up in the first place. After all, who was the hypocrite who said on your head be it, only to scream my name for all to hear when we were on the one platform where some people knew I was an Animagus?"
At this Hermione looks at me shocked, yet I had already drawn this conclusion myself and mutter: "I wondered why Malfoy felt so confident as to make that dogging comment." And the girl looks at me, shocked that I had apparently realized something before she could, but I ignore her as dad distracts us both and asks:
"Ehm, Sirius old friend, correct me if I'm wrong, but – isn't this your home?" And when Sirius grumbles, but nods, does mum ask: "Then why does this Molly think she can treat you like that? Hasn't anyone ever taught her to respect her host?" At which I roll my eyes, remembering the fight between them last summer.
"Mum, trust me, Mrs. Weasley isn't just a hypocrite in the regard of what you just heard. Two summers ago, she told Percy, one of her kids, off for believing something Rita Skeeter wrote. You know Rita Skeeter right?" The two nod and I say: "Yet, when Skeeter wrote about me – she swallowed up every single word.
Oh poor Harry, cries over his dead parents even when he won't admit it. oh, that filthy Granger, playing poor Harry and famous Viktor Krum like she is. And yes Hermione, I noticed both her smaller than small Easter eggs and how she suddenly warmed up to you when I told her that you weren't my girlfriend, the witch."

"And we'll be dealing with the likes of her? Oh-ho-ho, bring it on." Mum suddenly laughs and instantly I get excited, but then Hermione says: "Maybe you would want to wait to declare this feud against Mrs. Weasley. Seeing, you know, Mr. Weasley." At which I sigh in resignation and say: "Fair point there, Hermione."
And when the others look at me I say: "Mr. Weasley got attacked by a huge snake and is still suffering the aftereffects. We were all supposed to go visit him earlier this morning, but Hermione and I felt it should be a family-only visit. Of course, Mrs. Weasley does consider us family, but – I strongly felt my family was right here."

At which I smile at Sirius, who actually shows me a shocked look back before smiling and wrapping me in a one-armed hug as he mutters: "Thanks, kiddo." I then hear North hum and he asks: "Tooth, you think you can fly back to the Tooth Palace and find this Mr. and Mrs. Weasley? Perhaps you can provide them some good memories?"
"No problem, be right back." The Fairy says before dashing out the open window and then Jack asks: "You sensed it too, didn't you? When they spoke of those two and the target thing?" And when North nods, do I ask: "What? What did you sense?" And North answers: "A power we haven't felt in over a century; true fear."
This confuses me and Jack says: "Like us, there are other – I guess you can call them – sub-guardians; beings that are immortal, but not chosen by Manny to play important roles in the lives and safety of kids. However, there are also dark forces and one such force was actually what made Manny Found the Guardians; Pitch Black."
This makes Hermione and I share a shocked look and Jack says: "Yeah, the Boogieman. The one that creates nightmares, makes you think there is something dark and dangerous hiding either under your bed or in the back of your closet. He tried taking us our powers a century ago, but we managed to beat him in the end.
Seem like his words were right though. There will always be fear." He then seems to quote and I whisper: "You think this Pitch created things like Dementors, Boggarts and Thestrals or something?" And Hermione nods as she says: "And he must be keeping himself powerful drawing on their forces, especially the Dementors."

Yet before we can further this conversation does a female voice snap: "What is going on here?" And I turn around and see Mrs. Weasley stand with her family behind me. Instantly I hiss: "Jack?" And he says: "Way ahead of you, kid. Three Snowballs coming up." And only then do I realize that Bill and Mr. Weasley are there too.
The fact that Mr. Weasley is here, regardless of the fact that he is in a wheelchair, is a relief to my heart and I feel like laughing in relieved glee when the man, his wife and eldest all get hit with one of Jack's snowballs, glitters appearing before their eyes, yet Mrs. Weasley actually gets angry instead of happy and asks:
"What was that? Where did that come from? Sirius Black, if I find out that – WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?" At which, while I feel like growling at how easily the woman accuses my godfather without proper cause or reason, do I share a smirk with Jack and then Bill mutters: "Wait, are – are they – real?"

At which I say: "Now you know how Muggleborns feel when they find out witches, wizards and things like dragons exist." And the man looks at me shocked, yet then Mrs. Weasley screams: "How long have they been here? Are they on our side? Are they here to spy on us? Can we trust them? How did they get in here?"
And I see Jack and North share a look as North says: "It's Pitch, alright. He has a very, very firm grip on her." At which Tooth, who just flew back into the window happily squeals: "To which I have the cure right here." And she happily presses a button on a golden casket causing the front of the casket to start glowing with light.
Instantly Mrs. Weasley gasps and she whispers: "I – I forgot about that. That – that was –." And Tooth answers: "One of your fondest memories of childhood, yes. They come with each tooth you lose and, whenever as a child you feel down, I and my fairies remind you of those wonderful times. That is my job and I love it."

She happily hisses at the end and I smile at her before Ron asks: "Harry, are – are those?" And I happily answer: "Teenage forms of my parents brought back to life through the magic of wonder that is the specialty of North and that has been gathering at Godric's Hollow for all these years? Yes, yes they are, Ron."
At this Ron shakes his head in confusion and the twins chorus: "Now that is a mouthful." But then Bill says: "But if it's true, we need to hold an Order meeting right away. Dumbledore will want to know about this." And his parents nod, while I share a look with Sirius, his look silently telling me: "See, I told you so."
At which I sigh and say: "Come on, you lot. If they want to hold a meeting, we might as well head upstairs." And Mrs. Weasley seems shocked that I accept this so easily, yet then something happens that makes the anger I have felt bubbling in my heart rise up yet again when the woman asks: "Where are you two going?"

And I see her look at my parents of which my mum says: "We're going with Harry and the kids." At which Mrs. Weasley, looking confused, says: "But you're members of the Order." At which I ask: "Is that even right considering their age?" Yet then the woman snaps: "Harry, you don't get this anyway. Stay out of this."
And I glare at her, wanting to snap if it weren't for Mr. Weasley and the fact that he must still be weak on health, but then dad calms my anger down as he says: "Well, I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley, but unlike you, Lily and I aren't hypocrites. We are too young to be in the Order, so we're going and we'll leave you to your meeting."
"Don't be silly, how are we going to –." Mrs. Weasley snaps, but mum interrupts her and says: "That's your problem, not ours." And she wants to leave with me when Mrs. Weasley shouts: "Why won't you listen to me?" And to my great pleasure mum calmly snaps back: "Because you're not our mother or the owner of this house."

"SIRIUS, CONVINCE THEM TO STAY THIS INSTANT!" Mrs. Weasley shouts at him, yet Sirius crosses his arms and says: "No, they're right. They're just kids and they should be kept safe. Isn't that the whole reason you don't want either Harry or any of the kids to join in on these meetings? Because it could endanger them?"
"THIS IS DIFFERENT!" Mrs. Weasley shouts and I hate it as I notice Bill hurriedly moving his father away from his mother, making me shake my head and think: "And she says she cares for her family. Can't she see the pressure she is putting on her husband's health by being this stubborn." And as I think this, Sirius asks:
"Different how?" And Mrs. Weasley snaps: "They're Lily and James. They're powerful, talented, intelligent, caring –." And then Sirius says: "Everything Harry is and his age. So if Harry is so like them, why would you exempt them from the No Underage rule and not Harry?" And then it happens as Mrs. Weasley shouts:

"BECAUSE HE HAS YOU FOR AN EXAMPLE, YOU FILTHY, NO-GOOD, MURDERING TRAITOR!" And the silence that follows this exclamation is so deafening I feel as if it's pushing pressure on my eardrums and Mrs. Weasley's panting sounds like a tornado stuck within the glass jar that is the room we are in.
"Do any of you agree with that?" A cold voice then suddenly asks and I see dad glaring at the Weasley kids as if daring them to agree and the twins chorus: "Not on the health of our dad." Instantly halting Mrs. Weasley in her pants as she must have suddenly remembered what sick family member is in the room with her and then Ron says:
"I won't say everything Sirius does and says is right, but – he makes Harry happy and he sees Harry for who Harry really is more than anyone else, especially mum and Dumbledore. I may not like it or always agree with Sirius, but I do know that, if Harry were ever forced to choose between mum and Sirius, he'd pick Sirius easily."
"NO, HE WOULDN'T! HARRY WOULD NEVER!""I do." I interrupt the infuriating woman and she looks at me shocked as I say: "I do pick Sirius over you and I always will. He is the one who knew my parents, respects their wishes and risks more than you ever would for my sake. He ate RATS, just because he wanted to be close.

And the fact that, after everything Sirius has done for you, opening a place he absolutely hates, letting you walk all over him and his rights, stomach all the insults you throw at him – basically treat him no better than Walburga Black did – you still believe everything the Prophet ever wrote about – really shows who you really are.
And that person – is not one I want to associate with. Weasleys, I won't let this affect my friendship with each of you individually, but don't expect me to ever treat her with respect again. If she can't respect her own host who gave her a chance to be close to her sick husband, I see no reason or need to respect her either."

"HARRY JAMES POTTER, YOU APOLOGIZE THIS INSTANT, MISTER!" Mrs. Weasley shouts at me, but then dad says: "Harry, if you apologize, you'll be grounded for a week, you understand." And I smirk as Mrs. Weasley looks at him shocked to which he says: "What can I say? The benefits of being Harry's father."
He emphasizes the last two words heavily, but when Mrs. Weasley wants to turn on Sirius in renewed rage, do I shout: "JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE, YOU STUBBORN WITCH!" My respect for the rest of the family keeping me from actually insulting the woman, yet when Mrs. Weasley turns on me, Jack shouts: "ALRIGHT ENOUGH!"
And he actually slams the end of his staff into the floor, causing for a harsh, cold wind to blow through the entire room, causing for a layer of frost to cover us all and make us freeze in our moves before he turns to me and says: "Harry leave. Staying around that woman is weakening your Guardian power and we can't have that."
At this I raise my eyebrow at him and he says: "I don't know how it's possible or how it happened or even why it happened, but – on the night Manny chose you as the Next Guardian, he chose you as a Guardian of Adults, not kids. And it seems the center of your power – comes from how much adults trust and believe in you."

This shocks me quite a bit, but it also makes me think back on everything that has happened over the last few months to half a year and I sigh as I say: "Then I'm sorry, Jack, but I can't be a Guardian. I am powerless anyway as it is, so why waste your and everyone else's time with something that is impossible to achieve anyway?"
And I turn my back on the room, somehow managing to break through the layer of frost Jack covered me with and Tooth asks: "Why is that, Harry?" And I answer: "Because ever since Voldemort came back in June – no adult has shown any sign of trusting or believing in me anymore. So like I said, who wants a powerless Guardian?"
And with that do I walk out of the room, the others still covered in the frost and stuck in their positions, both the kids and the adults – except for Mr. Weasley who has obviously been spared this due to his still increasing health and even while I walk up the stairs to the main floor, do I hear Bunny ask: "What did he mean with that?"


Hey everyone,
So that was quite the chapter. Also, I want to clear up a little issue I realized I had created when I put the poll back up. There are new entries, but those who liked them but had already voted on other entries could no longer vote. Because of that did I put a renewed version of the poll up on my account page instead.
This way, those that had already voted on, say, Timespace and Spellwork, but thought that Titles and Acronyms was better can now vote on that. And yes, I did make it so that you can, again, vote on three different entries and I will probably keep doing this every time I create new entries, which I don't see happening anytime soon.
Also, I know in canon Arthur Weasley only got into more trouble with his injury around Christmas and didn't get out until near the end of the Christmas hols, but for the sake of this story, and especially next chapter, I had to bring him in a little sooner. Also Molly will be redeemed, but only due to the adoption rule.
Okay, see ya'll,

Venquine1990