Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!

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Although they occupied the same castle, Severus and Lily hardly ever saw Harriet.

Before, she had often lingered after Potions class to chat with her parents or give Lily a hug.

After Cedric's death and the revelation of Voldemort's true evil, Harriet had shunned her parents as much as possible.

It nearly broke Lily, who spent many nights weeping in Severus's arms, but he faced the situation with admirable courage and stunning silence.

By no fault of the Snapes, it was Remus who ultimately made the irrevocable error.

Harriet had just wandered up the steps to ask Professor Lupin a simple question about the day's homework when she noticed him making his escape down the opposite staircase.

She narrowed her emerald eyes as she followed him for a while, curious about his destination while he left the castle, wandered across the grounds, and walked onto the hillside next to Hogsmeade.

Remus glanced around himself to make sure no one followed.

Harriet hurriedly ducked behind a heavy tree to avoid being seen, but she managed to glimpse him touching a single, hanging leaf on one plump bush that stood against the entrance of the surrounding forest.

She gasped as Remus disappeared a split second later.

Unable to contain her curiosity, as soon as she knew he had gone, she raced out from behind the tree, charged over to the bush, and touched that same, plump leaf.

A scream of surprise left her lips as she hurtled through the air to whizz through clouds and over forests.

In a horrible rush, Harriet watched buildings pass by until she dropped down to land gracefully on her feet right in the middle of a damask bedroom.

She panted for breath as she looked around.

The decor had aged terribly.

The green and black wallpaper peeled, the canopy bed's dark curtains had tattered and filled with dust.

Even the dark floorboards beneath her feet creaked tellingly as she slowly walked towards the door.

Desperate to continue her sleuthing effort, Harriet silently turned the antique door knob and stepped out into a long, eerie hallway.

Voices echoed from somewhere she could not see.

As she passed by another abandoned bedroom, she realized from the naked window that she stood on the second story of what appeared to be an old, dilapidated house.

Harriet carefully tiptoed down the hallway as the whispers grew louder.

She narrowed her eyes as she came to a scratched stairwell and peered down at the foyer below.

"She's not your daughter, Molly!"

Harriet frowned as she leaned over the railing.

"No, but she's as good as! Her and my Ron have been friends for years!"

Harriet's eyes widened as she recognized Molly Weasley's shrill voice.

Intrigued, she began to descend the staircase, until another voice stopped her on the landing.

"Filthy mudblood….."

Harriet whirled around.

Her eyes widened as her gaze fell on a scowling house elf, who busied himself by dusting a covered portrait that hung on the wall.

"Another one, already?" A hateful whisper came from under the portrait's covering, "How many are in my house today?!"

"There, there, mistress." The house elf whispered as he turned back to the portrait, "Kreacher is here."

Harriet frowned at the bizarre scene while she slowly resumed her walk down the stairs.

She focused on the voices that came from behind the closed door on the left as she stepped onto the first floor.

"What would James say if he could see us all now? Bickering over every last detail?! Sirius and I tried to talk some sense into Severus and Lily, but they would not listen!"

Harriet gasped as she recognized Professor Lupin's voice.

She stretched out a hand and grasped the doorknob.

Anxiously, she slowly pushed it open.

The voices quieted.

Harriet cautiously stepped forward to peer into the room.

The darkened kitchen and dining table matched the rest of the house's decaying, depressing decor, but the looks of the room itself were the least of Harriet's concern as she glanced wide-eyed around the heavy, ebony table.

"Harriet!" Molly Weasley exclaimed as she put a hand to her mouth.

Harriet blinked.

At the table sat Molly and Arthur Weasley, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and several others Harriet did not recognize immediately.

Remus and Sirius exchanged bewildered looks with one another while Molly leapt from her chair and bustled over.

Molly slapped a nervous smile on her face as she began to usher Harriet out of the room, "H-Harriet, love! How on earth did you get here? Let's see you back to Hogwarts, darling! This is nowhere for-"

"-What is this place?" Harriet cut in.

She stretched her neck past Molly to peer at those seated at the table.

"Mr. Weasley!" Harriet exclaimed, "You're here too?...And Professor Lupin!"

Remus nodded in silent recognition.

"Why have you all come here?! Where are we?!...Sirius Black!" Harriet gasped as her eyes moved to spot the man she still believed to be a criminal.

"We've all come here for the meeting." Sirius explained as he stood to his feet and faced Harriet, "Here, to my house at 12 Grimmauld Place."

"Sirius!" Remus hissed.

"Quiet, my friend." Sirius said as he glanced over at Remus.

Remus snarled in a hushed voice, "Severus doesn't want-"

"I don't care what Severus wants!" Sirius snapped.

Harriet's eyes widened as she observed their heated exchange.

"Molly, why don't you take her to the living room and I'll bring some tea?" Arthur asked to detract from the rising tension.

"Yes!" Molly nodded with a nervous smile as she reached up to finish ushering Harriet away by the shoulders, "Come along, dear, we can sit in the living room and have a chat."

"Severus Snape is not your father!" Sirius cried.

"SIRIUS!" Remus hissed.

"Quiet, Remus!" Sirius snapped.

No amount of pushing or shoving from Molly could spur Harriet onward as she planted her feet on the dark floorboards and spun around with her face twisted into a mask of incredulous shock.

"...What?" She asked with a furrowed brow.

"You can stay if you like," Sirius gestured to the chair, "This, Harriet, is the Order of the Phoenix. Some of us, anyway. It seems you were clever enough to sneak into your first meeting. You're welcome to sit with us here."

Remus scoffed as he gasped up at his friend, but Sirius returned his gaze with a harsh frown.

Arthur and Molly exchanged worried looks as Harriet brushed past Mrs. Weasley.

"Wha-What are you talking about?" She sputtered, "Why would you say that about……about my dad? What's the Order of the Phoenix?"

"If you have a seat and lend me your ear for a few moments, I'd be happy to enlighten you." Sirius nodded as he gestured towards an empty chair at the table.

Cautiously, Harriet slowly walked over and sat down.

Molly sighed under her breath.

"Why should I trust what you have to say?" Harriet asked Sirius, "You're a….a…..murderer, just like him! I don't know why you were in my house that night or why you're always around Professor Lupin, but, but-"

"-I can assure you, Harriet" Sirius cut in, "I am an innocent man! Our enemies framed me years ago for travesties they committed under Voldemort's orders."

Those at the table shuddered as Sirius spoke the name that should never have been uttered, yet Harriet failed to flinch.

"Is that true, Professor Lupin?" She asked as she glanced at Remus, "Mrs. Weasley?...Mr. Weasley?"

Molly and Arthur nodded as she looked at each of the three adults who had earned her trust while Remus reluctantly explained, "Harriet, there's a great many truths that you remain ignorant about….We had excluded you from learning more based on your parents' wishes."

"Why?" Harriet pressed.

"To protect you." Remus frowned, "Is it accurate to assume you still have Voldemort's favour?"

"I dunno….." Harriet shrugged, "I haven't seen him since Cedric's murder. I can't bear to look at him after that."

"Well," Remus said as Sirius scowled, annoyed his friend steered the conversation away from his point, "Suppose we spill all our secrets now and you do come into contact with the Dark Lord again…...He could read your mind in an instant, then the entirety of our fight will be extinguished like a flickering flame."

Harriet frowned as she contemplated Remus's wise words.

"Is he quite good at reading minds, then?" She asked.

Sirius scoffed while Remus nodded, "He is, indeed, Harriet. If it weren't for your father's efforts, he'd already have-"

"-He is NOT her father!" Sirius roared.

Harriet's eyes widened at his outburst.

"I beg you to control your temper, my friend." Remus said as he frowned at Sirius, "Getting Harriet killed will be a worse insult to James than anything else, I can assure you."

Harriet didn't know what to think, she only knew that since she had managed to escape Severus and Lily's protective gazes, she had to learn whatever information possible.

"I understand." Harriet nodded, "Can you at least tell me what he already knows?...What is the Order of the Phoenix exactly?"

Sirius opened his mouth and Remus raised his eyebrows.

"Voldemort's aware of the Order!" Sirius sharply reminded Remus.

Molly and Arthur exchanged mutual looks of doubt.

Remus threw up his hands in consternation as Sirius went on, "Harriet, the Order of the Phoenix is Dumbledore's secret brigade, the wizards and witches who stand together to fight against the Dark Lord."

"And all of you are in it?" She asked as she glanced around.

"Actually," Remus said as he nodded, "We're all that's left, I'm afraid."

Sirius began, "Save for Sev-"

Remus loudly cleared his throat to cut him off, which earned him a scowl from Sirius.

Harriet nodded as she looked around the table for a moment before she turned back to Sirius and asked, "...May I join?"

"Oh, Harriet….." Remus sighed, "We'd love to have you, but if the Dark Lord discovered-"

"-Surely you can't….." Harriet began. Everyone grimaced at the repressed rage in her voice before she closed her eyes for a second and nodded, "Surely……you can't expect to throw all of this at me so plainly and offer no explanations. Please, I haven't seen him and I don't intend to…..May I join the Order or not? And what's all this nonsense about Severus Snape not being my father?"

Molly frowned.

Arthur pursed his lips.

Sirius and Remus shared doubtful gazes.

Harriet had grown tired of lies and secrets.

She was ready to learn the truth, however upsetting it would be.