When Harry arrived back to the Dursley home supporting a weak and visibly shaken Dudley, while also being followed by the neighborhood loon he expected that a clamor would ensue. He was right. As soon as they walked through the door Petunia immediately began fretting over Dudley, while Vernon was shouting at Harry asking what freakish things he'd done to his child. Ms. Figg was trying loudly to explain what had happened, but no one was paying her any mind, and all the while Harry stood there quietly in the middle of it all, waiting.

Finally, the noise lulled, and Vernon spoke up. "Well boy, what did you do to my son?" He yelled. Harry was debating just how to explain this to his uncle when Dudley spoke up.

"Harry and I were just going for a walk together when all of a sudden, the air got cold, and I felt helpless. It felt as though I couldn't breathe, like I was underwater and couldn't reach the surface." He paused for breath and Vernon began to make his way towards Harry.

"Last chance you freak. Tell me what the hell you did to Dudley!" Vernon demanded as Harry was readying himself to dart around his uncle.

"Dad, he saved me!" Dudley shouted out causing Vernon to pause in his tracks and look from Harry to Dudley who was pleading with his father. "I don't know what he did, but as soon as he pulled out his stick and said something, I finally felt like I had escaped what was suffocating me and I could breathe again. I don't know how, but I do know he saved my life." Dudley finished in a tone that was almost daring his father to try to contradict him.

Vernon looked at Dudley for a moment longer and then nodded once. "What happened boy?" He said in a gruff but less angry voice.

"Dementors." Harry replied simply.

"Demon-what?" asked Vernon.

"Dementors." responded Ms. Figg finally getting a chance to speak up now that the commotion had mostly died down. "They're some of the most vile creatures in the entire world. They make you relive your worst memories while also making you feel like your son described. The only way to escape them is to cast an extremely difficult spell, which young Harry was able to do, and under duress no less.

Vernon looked as though he was about to reply or ask another question when the fluttering of wings interrupted him as an owl suddenly flew in and landed next to Harry. Harry quickly snatched the letter from the leg the owl had extended him and began to read.

Dear Mr. Potter,

We have received intelligence that you performed the Patronus Charm at twenty-three minutes past nine this evening in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of a Muggle.

The severity of this breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted in your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand.

As you have already received an official warning for a previous offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 9 a.m. on August 12th.

Hoping you are well, Yours sincerely,

Mafalda Hopkirk

improper use of magic office

Ministry of Magic

Harry felt panic rise as his stomach dropped. Surely, they wouldn't snap his wand, would they? He only did what he had to so he could save his life and Dudley's as well, there must be some kind of leeway for a situation like that. And the first time he had been warned about using magic, it hadn't even been him who had done it!

The more he thought about it the more worried he became. Wizards weren't exactly known for their common sense and with the smear campaign the ministry was on this would be the perfect opportunity to silence him once and for all.

He was still contemplating his next move when he heard the telltale crack of apparition in the front garden. He instantly began to make his way to the back door, he wasn't completely aware how apparition worked, but he was hoping his knowledge of the neighborhood might be enough to outrun whoever the ministry had sent to snap his wand.

He was nearly to the door when Ms. Figg yelled out, "Harry stop! It's just Headmaster Dumbledore!" In that moment Harry felt relief rush through him and he grabbed hold of the nearby couch as his legs shook unsteadily.

Dumbledore knocked on the door thrice with quick sharp rapps before opening it and allowing himself in. He carried himself like he usually did with an aura of confidence and control that helped to ease Harry's nerves. He was garbed in his signature star and moon robes, and Harry could already see the looks of fear and disgust on his aunt and uncles faces.

"Vernon, Petunia hello. Mrs. Figg thank you for notifying me when you did." He said kindly before turning to face Harry. "You've certainly caused quite a stir. Have you received anything from the Ministry yet?"

"This letter, sir." said Harry handing him the note. He gave Dumbledore time to look it over and then anxiously asked "Sir? Are they really going to expel me and snap my wand?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it, Harry." He replied reassuringly. He finished reading the letter and seemed to choose his words carefully when he spoke again. "It is clear that Minister Fudge's paranoia has reached an alarming level, Harry. I could not imagine that he specifically sent those dementors, but they are under the ministries control at the moment and for them to end up here is extremely suspicious."

Harry nodded his agreement and the headmaster paused for another moment as if he were calculating every option. "That being said," He began anew, "I don't believe that leaving you here would be in anyone's best interest. Instead, if it's alright with you of course, I would like to take you somewhere hidden. It is a property I warded myself, and I also happen to know that a certain large grim and a few of your friends are also there."

Harry instantly perked up at the thought of Sirius and his friends. "Thank you, sir, I'd love to go there." He replied earnestly causing Dumbledore to chuckle.

"Very well." The headmaster replied, and with a wave of his wand all of Harry's belongings quickly floated down the stairs and stacked themselves neatly. Harry snatched an indignant Hedwig out of the air and quickly confirmed with Dumbledore that if he let her fly out the window, she would be able to find them later. Once that was settled Dumbledore touched his wand to Harry's belongings and they disappeared, likely reappearing at Harry's new home for the remainder of the summer.

Dumbledore looked to Harry and opened the door. "Please wait outside a minute Harry. I would like to have a quick conversation with your guardians." He said and Harry hastily excused himself. A few minutes later the door opened, and Dumbledore walked out of 4 Privet Drive and down the walkway towards the street. "Come Harry it's already late."

Harry followed Dumbledore and they walked in silence for a few minutes. "Are we walking to this safe place?" he asked a few minutes later.

Dumbledore gave a light chuckle and continued to walk at his quick pace. "No Harry, I just needed to get us somewhere where I could side-along apparate you out of here. I was rather reckless in my hurry to get to you, and was frankly quite lucky that no one saw me apparate in." The headmaster replied.

Finally, after having reached a street with just a few lights and even fewer houses, Dumbledore pulled out a strange looking device. If anyone had been watching they would have seen everything go pitch black, just for a moment, and when the lights came on again, it would look like the two people who had been standing there just a second ago had vanished into thin air.


Everything went black; Harry was pressed very hard from all directions; he could not breathe, there were iron bands tightening around his chest; his eyeballs were being forced back into his head; his eardrums were being pushed deeper into his skull, and then as quickly as it had happened it stopped.

He stumbled and would have fallen if not for the headmasters steadying grip. He felt suddenly very nauseous and had to focus all his attention on not being sick. Dumbledore waited for him patiently, giving him a knowing and empathetic look. "You'll get used to it soon enough." He said when Harry finally recovered and gave him a nod.

Harry hoped to never experience that sensation again, but didn't voice that, instead looking around where they had landed. It appeared to be a neighborhood made up of rather large townhomes that may have been quite nice once upon a time but now appeared rundown and shoddy.

Trash littered the cracked sidewalks and some of the homes had windows that were broken and had since been boarded up, but most surprisingly to Harry it seemed as if this were a perfectly ordinary muggle neighborhood. The home they stood in front of had a telly blaring that Harry could hear and somewhere up the street a stereo blared a loud muggle rock song.

"Is this the location of the safe place, sir?" Harry asked doubtfully.

Dumbledore responded by handing Harry a slip of paper. "If you would be so kind as to read that Harry, we can continue our conversation inside." He said with a small smile.

Harry looked at the slip of paper and read 'The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number 12, Grimmauld Place, London.' The paper then shriveled up and burned itself until not even the ashes remained. Harry looked up and saw that they were standing directly in front of 11 Grimmauld Place, so he quickly looked to the right and saw that the next house was 13.

He looked at Dumbledore who seemed to be enjoying this all too much, but answered his unasked question, nonetheless. "Concentrate on what you've just read Harry." Harry recited in his head what he had just read and no sooner had he thought of Number 12 when 11 and 13 seemed to jump apart. Harry watched amazed as first a door, then walls and windows and a roof sprung up in front of him and assembled a house.

"Wow, that was incredible." he said quietly. "What was that sir?"

Dumbledore chuckled and began to lead the way into the house. "That is what is known as a fidelius charm. It hides away a building or piece of land so that it cannot be found by anyone except those who are given the secret by the secret keeper. Now I could have just told you the secret as I am the secret keeper for this particular house, but I was wary of any ears that might have been listening in.

"Now come quickly Harry I'm sure all of your friends are still up waiting for you, and I am nearly certain Molly has prepared you something to eat."

"Sir, what is the order of the phoenix anyway?" Harry asked, thinking again of what he had read on the slip of paper.

"It is a group of wizards and witches that fight against Voldemort led by myself. It was founded during the war. In fact, your parents were once a part of it" Dumbledore explained. "Now that Voldemort is back, I have been getting into contact with some old friends and we have restarted the order."

Harry's mind was racing with more questions he wanted to ask, but before he could get to any of them Dumbledore opened the door showing an entrance that looked too large to fit inside a town home and stepped inside. He followed the headmaster in and was once more underwhelmed by what he saw.

To his immediate left he saw what appeared to be an umbrella stand made of a troll's leg near the doorway. Several peculiar paintings lined the walls, and the entire house had a grimy sort of feel to it, as if it were covered in a layer of dust that you just couldn't quite get rid of. The home was quite large, and Harry saw a staircase that Dumbledore indicated went up three stories not including the attic.

He was so caught up in taking in his surroundings that he didn't even notice Hermione running at him until she screamed his name, and it was too late. With a thud she slammed her body into his and engulfed him in a tight hug. Harry was extremely happy to see her, but his mind was quick to remember how annoyed he had been with her over these past few weeks because of her vague letters, so he hugged her back briefly and then ended the contact. She gave him a confused look, and her smile turned into a slight frown causing a part of him to feel bad, but another pettier part to feel satisfied.

After his hug with Hermione had ended Ron came up to him next and clapped him on the back, completely oblivious to the subtle interaction that had just taken place between his two best friends. Harry tried to be upset with Ron as well, but it was more difficult. Even if the world were ending, he would still write about the Cannons and a new broom he wanted before he mentioned it. Harry found himself forgiving him more quickly than he did Hermione. "Hey mate, we've missed you." He said after a moment. "How have the muggles been treating you?"

Harry found himself smiling a bit at his oldest friend. "Not too bad actually. They've left me alone for the most part and as long as I wasn't bothering them, they didn't bother me."

"That's great mate! The twins and Ginny are in the kitchen and mum made us wait for you to arrive before we could start eating, so let's get going. We can talk about our summers at the table." Harry chuckled at the way Ron's attempt to be polite and his eagerness for dinner conflicted with one another. Some things never changed, he thought as he was led from the entrance into a foyer room and then through another door.

When he walked into the kitchen, he was immediately pulled into another bone crushing hug, this one courtesy of Mrs. Weasley. "Oh, Harry we've all missed you very much. My goodness you're taller than you were just a few weeks ago and so skinny. Have those muggles been feeding you properly? Well, it doesn't matter, I can always make enough to get you up to a healthy weight." She began without stopping to allow him to get a word in.

Although Harry would never admit it, he loved being doted on by Mrs. Weasley. Just the fact that someone seemed to care about him that much made him feel special. Maybe that's what it would be like to have a mum. He stopped himself from going down that line of thought before he could start feeling too sorry for himself.

After she let go, he was greeted with two simultaneous claps on each of his shoulders from the twins. "Hello Harry." Started Fred.

"We sure are glad to see you" continued to George.

Harry rolled his eyes at the two of them and their antics. "It's good to see you guys too."

Fred leaned in close to Harry's ear and whispered. "When you have time, we'd love to show our favorite financial backer what we've been working on. It really is quite impressive."

"Of course." Harry quickly replied enthusiastically. This was something he had been really excited about. He knew the twins were practically geniuses when it came to mischief, and now that they had some money, he was sure their pranks and wheezes would be superb. He found himself really looking forward to seeing just what they had been able to concoct, and he was confident it would be able to match and maybe even surpass anything sold at other joke shops, even Zonko's.

The last person to greet him was Ginny and she walked right up to him and pulled him into a tight hug. "Hello Harry, I'm happy that you're finally here." she said with a smile "We've been cleaning out this dump and we need all the help we can get."

"Yeah, this place looks a little worse for wear, doesn't it?" Harry replied. He was very happy to see Ginny acting normally around him. He was hoping she had gotten over her crush, and based off the lack of a blush on her face and the way she was acting, it looked like she had had. He knew that she was delightful to be around when she wasn't acting shyly, and he hoped to get to know the real her better while he was here.

"You don't know the half of it," she said "but you will soon. We start cleaning again tomorrow morning." All the others in the room groaned at the reminder, and the adults laughed a bit.

"Well come on, I'm sure we're all famished, so let's eat then." said Mrs. Weasley. They all sat down and enjoyed a delicious roast. Even Dumbledore, who Harry had thought would leave after dropping him off, stuck around to enjoy some of Mrs. Weasley's cooking.

After eating for a bit Harry finally voiced what had been bothering him since his arrival. "Where's Sirius? I thought you said he'd be here." Harry directed his question towards Dumbledore.

"Yes, he should be returning tomorrow." The headmaster replied "He was kind enough to agree to helping me with a task and has been away for a few days. Everything has gone to plan, and he should be back soon." Dumbledore replied.

Harry considered asking the headmaster where he was, but decided against it, knowing that he likely wouldn't get an answer. It was quite frustrating honestly, but he didn't worry too much because he knew Sirius would tell him everything if he just asked him after his return. Instead, he thanked the headmaster and shortly thereafter they all finished eating and Molly sent them off to bed informing them she'd be waking them up first thing in the morning.

The group made their way up the stairs led by Mrs. Weasley, and she dismissed each of them as they reached their respective rooms. When Harry reached the room he would be sharing with Ron, he saw that his trunk and other belongings and possessions were stacked neatly next to his bed courtesy of Dumbledore. He quickly pulled out his pyjamas and changed into them. A lot had changed in just a few short hours, and after such an eventful day he fell asleep before his head could properly hit the pillow.


Harry startled awake suddenly. He knew that it had been a nightmare that had woken him, but the dream was already fading, and he was happy to let it go. He rubbed his eyes and took a look around the room noticing the clock that was hanging on the wall and squinting until he was able to make out that it was a quarter past five in the morning.

Deciding he probably wouldn't get back to sleep anyway he quietly got out of bed, making sure not to wake Ron, and began to get dressed. He pulled out his toothbrush and toothpaste and made his way to the bathroom adjacent to their bedroom that Mrs. Weasley had pointed out last night and began to prepare himself for the day ahead.

When he had finished his morning rituals, he began to creep quietly around the large house deciding to explore a bit. He had found out last night at the dinner table that this was the home Sirius had grown up in, and he was certain that the Black family would have an extensive library.

Now that Voldemort was back, Harry knew he had to do all he could to prepare himself. He had been beginning to regret the fact that he hadn't been trying his hardest these past few years and had made a promise to himself that he would give his all in every class every day from this point onwards.

He had also been regretting that he had taken divination, wishing he had spent his time on something more worthwhile like ancient runes. In fact, he had decided to ask Ms. McGonagall if there was any way he could drop divination and pick up Runes. He was sure if he worked hard enough he would be able to catch up with his fellow fifth years in time to take his OWL in the subject.

Harry continued to wander the halls searching for a library and eventually pulled open a door to a room that could have only belonged to his godfather. He saw posters of muggle girls in bikinis lining the walls as well as some picture frames. Harry knew Sirius had run away from home to live with James during the summer after his fourth year, so he thought this must have been how he had left it all those years ago, and from the looks of it no one had touched anything.

He walked slowly across the room looking at all the pictures in their frames. Most were of Sirius and James, but there were plenty of pictures with all four of the marauders doing silly things and goofing off. Harry noticed that most people were right when they said he looked like his father. James wasn't quite as skinny as Harry, but other than that and their eye colors, they could have easily passed for twins. Harry was sad to not see any pictures of his mother, but it made sense as she and James only started dating at the end of their sixth years. He spent a few minutes just taking in everything he could before setting off once again to find the library.

A short time later he found it on the first floor and immediately began to look around at the titles written on the spines of the old tomes. He pulled a few books from the shelves that had titles that caught his interest and settled in on the long sofa to begin reading. He had brought a notebook in case he wanted to write anything down and quickly began filling up the pages with new spells and their counters and how to use them effectively. Even though Harry couldn't practice magic away from Hogwarts he wanted to be as prepared as possible for when he returned to the ancient castle.

Time moved quickly as it often did when you were doing something interesting, and before he knew it the grandfather clock in the back of the library struck seven am. He stood then, deciding now would be a good time to leave the musty smelling library and get ready for the day.

He was in the process of returning the books he had borrowed back where they belonged when he heard someone else walk into the library. He turned around and was unsurprised to see that it was Hermione who had entered and even less surprised that she didn't seem to notice him. She walked to a certain area of the library and began browsing, reading the spines much like he had earlier. He decided to make his presence known. "Hey Hermione, how was your night."

She jumped up and held a hand to her chest "Harry Potter! How dare you sneak up on me like that?" She was breathing heavily and her face was pale.

Despite himself he couldn't hold back a small smirk. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. You didn't notice me when you walked in so I thought I'd say hey." He said, still biting back a laugh at her reaction.

"Oh, I'm sorry for not noticing you, nobody but me has been frequenting the library since I got here and I didn't expect anyone this early. That's why I was so scared when I heard a voice behind me." She said laughing "So what were you doing in here anyway? Especially this early in the morning."

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to do a little bit of studying, but I was just on my way out." he said, making his way towards the door. "I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Harry, wait!" she yelled after him and he stopped, turning around and giving her a questioning look. "It's just that last night when you got here, you seemed quite distant with me and I was wondering why that was. Did I do something to upset you?" she asked bluntly.

Harry sighed in response. She had a worried look on her face that had him feeling guilty about the way he had treated her, but this was one thing Harry had always admired about Hermione. Her ability to get straight to the point and ask or say what was on her mind even if she feared the answer.

"I'll be honest, when I saw you yesterday, I was quite annoyed with you due to the lack of information you've been giving me over the past weeks in your letters." He said, causing Hermione to immediately protest. Harry held a hand up and continued speaking, effectively quieting her. "I know it's not your fault and you were just following orders, but even though I probably wouldn't have done the same I can see where you were coming from, so I'm over it. Don't even worry about it." He told her genuinely.

Hermione ran to him and gave him another hug like the one from last night and this time he let her hold him to her heart's content. She finally broke the hug and smiled up at him. "When did you become so mature?" She asked teasingly. "I thought that might be the reason you were upset, and to be honest I didn't expect you to get over it so quickly."

He smiled down at her and thanked her, "I figured that having my friend by my side was more important than some stupid argument." She beamed up at him and gave him one last hug.

"Oh, Harry, I've missed you." She told him.

"I've missed you too Hermione." He responded honestly.

She looked at him awkwardly for a moment before speaking once more. "I'll see you at breakfast soon? Normally Mrs. Weasley serves it at around eight, but usually not everyone is there until about eight fifteen."

"That sounds great, thanks for letting me know." He replied. He made his way back to his room and decided he could spend the remaining time before breakfast trying to get a start on his potions essay for Snape. He had most of his homework done already, everything except for potions and history. He figured he may as well start now as he would have to do it eventually and while potions was quite difficult it wasn't as mind numbingly boring as history. So, with a fresh piece of parchment and a self-inking quill that he received as a gift from Hermione last year, he set to work.


Daphne woke up just after noon, as she liked to do during her summer hols. She stretched and then got out of bed before making her way to the bathroom inside of her room. She had decided earlier on during her summer break that, besides her family, what she missed most during her time at Hogwarts was her own private bathroom. The public bathrooms at school were okay for the necessities like washing herself and getting ready for the day, but her bathroom at home was better in every aspect.

She could leave things wherever she pleased and didn't have to worry about anyone taking them or messing with them (that was a lesson they all learned quickly after Millicent took a shower and had her hair turn Weasley orange for a day). She also had a gigantic bathtub that was equipped with all sorts of salts and foams that she could use whenever she wanted to, and she missed it terribly while she was at school.

She knew the prefects had a prefect's bath, which she heard was quite luxurious, and she was holding out hope that when she got her annual letter from Hogwarts a "P" badge would accompany it. However, she knew that her head of house and Draco Malfoy's father were good friends, and for that reason alone Draco would surely be selected as a prefect. It was also for that reason that she wouldn't be surprised if Pansy, who was Draco's betrothed, was picked over Daphne despite her marks being mediocre at best and her tendency to have points taken away for bullying. She laughed a bit to herself thinking that she sounded like a Gryffindor complaining about the unfairness that would likely take place.

Snapping herself out of the tangent she had accidentally found herself on, she decided she would take a bath tonight, because she needed to get as many as she could in before once again being stuck with the cold showers in the Slytherin bathrooms. For now, however, she grabbed her brush off the counter and ran it through her hair, loosening out all the tangles that often accompanied a long night of sleep. After brushing her teeth and washing her face she wandered back into her room and threw on a weird sister's T-shirt and the most comfortable pair of sweatpants she could find, before heading downstairs for a very late breakfast.

As it was half past noon, she knew that her father would be at work for a while longer, and her mother had mentioned doing some clothes shopping the other day. Daphne and Astoria had both been invited to join, and judging from the lack of noise in the house she assumed that Astoria had taken her up on her offer. Daphne on the other hand would much rather sleep late then go shopping. It wasn't that she didn't like shopping mind you, she just liked sleeping even more.

"Missy?" she called out when she entered the kitchen.

Daphne's call was accompanied with an instantaneous pop. "Yes mistress Daphne, how may Missy be helping you?" Replied a squeaky voice that belonged to the Greengrass house elf.

"I've only just woken up and was wondering if there were some leftovers from this morning's breakfast?"

"Oh no Mistress, you must not be eating the leftovers. Missy will be preparing you something fresh." and with that the little elf popped away, presumably to make Daphne more food than she could ever dream of finishing.

Daphne took a seat at the table and began to think about what she should do today. In the few weeks since school had let out that she had managed to work on her tan by laying out in the back garden besides the pool with a book in hand, but she had already been lazy enough today and she thought she should work on something more productive. Her homework wasn't quite done yet so she could work at it for a few hours, and she might be able to knock out another one of her subjects, maybe Defense? No, that was something she would rather save for later.

She pondered a moment longer and then remembered the conversation her family had had the other night stemming from the owl that had interrupted them during dinner. She was curious as to why Potter was being treated the way he was, and so she decided to look through her father's library for a book on law and see what that was all about. She had always had a passion for law, and though she never told anyone before, she thought she might love to work as a solicitor some day. Also, the fact that Potter was involved intrigued her, probably more than it should have if she were being honest with herself.

Potter was an enigma to her, and the last year in particular had really changed her perception of him. She had always thought that he wasn't very good at magic as he seemed to earn poor marks in his classes, yet last year during the tournament he was performing magic on a similar scale to the other three older champions, sometimes even outperforming them. She had thought that he wasn't very smart as Granger was always helping him and Weasley, but now that she thought about it more, he was usually quite quick when it came to mastering a new spell or picking up a new concept.

Then there was also the fact that he also had sprung up a few inches in the last year, and that he looked pretty good without a shirt (most of the fourth years in their transfiguration class knew this courtesy of a timed prank from the Weasleys.) That all made him even more interesting.

Before she could think too much further on the topic, the table in front of her filled up with enough food to feed a large family, and after she thanked Missy, she began to dig in. She couldn't afford to have hunger distracting her if she planned to read up and learn more about Potter's trial.


Harry was making his way down the stairs towards the first floor and the kitchen with Ron and Hermione close behind him. They had just spent the last few hours cleaning out the Master Bedroom with Molly when she suddenly went red in the face and sent them down to have a snack. "I will never understand why the hell the Blacks own some of the stuff they do." Said Ron. "I mean while we were cleaning through the master bedroom, we found all these cuffs and whips and stuff. Why would they keep that stuff in there? I suppose it doesn't matter in the end, mom said she would finish that room off."

Harry saw Hermione begin to turn red and he tried his best to hold in the laughter that was threatening to escape. Ron was still wearing a confused expression as he tried to figure out what the whips and cuffs were for when the front door opened and closed loudly. Immediately a horrible screaming could be heard. "My disappointment has returned! Have you bought more traitors and mudbloods to further soil the esteemed house of Black?"

"What the hell is that?" asked Harry.

"That would be a portrait of Sirius' mum." Hermione answered. "She wakes up if you make enough noise and starts to spout rubbish about half-breeds and mudbloods." Harry barely had a moment to consider her answer when another yell, this time from a more familiar voice, interrupted him.

"I sure did you old hag, they're all waiting outside to meet you. The centaur and the goblin seemed especially eager to talk to you." Harry recognized the voice immediately and began running towards the entrance of the house while Ron and Hermione went into the kitchen to allow Harry a moment of privacy with his godfather. When Sirius saw him coming, he gave him a smile before asking for help. "Quick, grab that end of the curtain and let's get this old bat to shut up."

Despite Mrs. Blacks protests Harry and Sirius managed to close the curtain and immediately the painting stopped yelling. After they were sure the curtain wouldn't open anymore, he lunged forward and gave Sirius a hug. "Oof, hey kid I missed you too. How have you been?" Sirius said to him as he ruffled his hair, making it even messier than it was before.

"Alright I suppose, we were just cleaning some rooms upstairs, how have you been?" Harry asked, releasing his godfather from the hug and finally taking a good look at him. "You definitely look better than the last time I saw you."

"I was just doing something for Dumbledore that I can tell you about later." He replied. "And thank you. I look better, but I also feel a lot better because I managed to get my hands on some potions that helped with the malnourishment and all the other fun things Azkaban gave me. Enough about me though, want to tell me why you have a court date at the ministry in a few weeks?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"There were Dementors in Little Whinging." He answered, trying to express his innocence in his voice. "They attacked me and Dudley, so I used a patronus to drive them away. They threatened to expel me and snap my wand, but Dumbledore is going to be with me at the trial and he said when I share my side of the story it should be fine." Sirius nodded and then Harry spoke again. "So, where have you been?"

"I'll tell you everything a little later Harry, I promise. The two of us need to have a discussion with Dumbledore tonight to sort out some things and I can share it then, but first I need some food. Care to join me for a late lunch?" Harry thought that Sirius might have looked a little upset at the mention of Dumbledore but decided he could wait until tonight to figure out what it was all about.

"Sure, Ron and Hermione are probably waiting for us in the kitchen anyways, and there's some leftover sandwiches Mrs. Weasley made in there."

"Perfect I'm starving, and a sandwich sounds incredible." As if to prove his point his stomach let out a loud growl. They made their way into the kitchen and Sirius was greeted with another hug, this one from Hermione, and a somewhat awkward handshake from Ron. He grabbed a sandwich and then asked, "So how has everything been since I left?" This time directing his question to Ron and Hermione.

"Not too bad. Besides Harry showing up yesterday it's been somewhat boring lately. No one from the Order has stopped by." said Hermione.

"Yeah, and mums been forcing us to clean nonstop." added Ron.

Sirius laughed through the food in his mouth before swallowing it. "Yeah, this place is a mess. I didn't even consider visiting here until Dumbledore suggested we could use it for the order. When he first told me his idea, I immediately liked it, mostly because I know my mother is probably turning in her grave at the thought of this place being used to fight against blood purists."

"Speaking of the order," Harry segued smoothly "what exactly do they do? Dumbledore said that you guys fight against Voldemort, but didn't mention what exactly it was you guys are doing?"

"Well as of right now it's just recruitment." Sirius answered "We're out there subtly asking people what they think, trying to feel out who would be willing to join us, and who would be willing to support us. That's actually what I was doing for Dumbledore, trying to see if some of the people who helped me when I was in France would be interested."

Harry thought that made sense and nodded at Sirius who had finished one sandwich and reached for another. "Well, we better get back to cleaning." he said standing up. "The sooner we finish the sooner we can do what we want, and with Sirius able to do magic we can finish in no time." He said, shooting Sirius a hopeful expression.

Sirius looked back at him and sighed. "Alright, let me finish this sandwich and then we can go." All three of the teenagers cheered and Sirius pouted slightly. "Just got back from a mission and now I have to do chores." He grumbled to no one in particular.


That night Molly served dinner early and made sure they all ate quickly and went upstairs before any of the order members arrived. The meeting would be held downstairs, and she was adamant that they were not allowed to join or even listen in. Harry would have protested, but Sirius had insisted that they weren't discussing anything extremely important at this point, and if something important did come up he would let Harry know right away regardless.

So instead of sitting in, Hermione was currently looking over Harry's potions assignment and revising it for him, while he and Ron were playing a game of exploding snap. Just as Harry had lost again, Ron spoke up. "You know Harry, the twins have created these really cool things called extendable ears. We could use them to listen in on the meetings if we really wanted to."

Harry shrugged "Sirius said that this meeting isn't about anything important, but that he'd let me know if something did come up. I say we just wait for him to tell us rather than risk being caught." Ron looked disappointed that Harry didn't want to go eavesdropping but agreed that if Sirius would tell them then there was no need.

Eventually the sound of voices began to float up the stairs signifying that the silencing spells had been taken down and by extension that the meeting was over. They waited a few minutes for most of the people to clear out before heading down the stairs. As they entered the kitchen, which was where the meeting was held, they noticed that there were still a few people left, but not many. One of those people was none other than their potions instructor Severus Snape who sneered at the three of them before leaving the room and presumably the house.

Harry walked up to his godfather who was talking with a pretty girl who looked to be in her late teens or early twenties with pink hair. She was waving her hands animatedly and when she finished her story, she let out a laugh that sounded very familiar. Sirius turned around and noticed his godson and quickly introduced the two. "Harry this is Tonks my wonderful cousin twice removed; she has a first name but told me if I ever say it again, she'll castrate me. Tonks this is Harry Potter my godson."

Tonks gave him an exaggerated once over before looking at him with a devilish smile and winking. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry." She said in a sultry tone of voice. Harry went bright red and before he could even try to stammer out a response, she began laughing at him. "Calm down Harry, I was just taking the piss. I like making boys blush." She said with another wink that caused Harry to turn even redder.

"Well, you're definitely very good at it, it's a pleasure to meet you." Harry replied.

Tonks looked pleasantly surprised. "It took the twins a day or two before they could talk to me, and Ronald still won't look in me in the eyes." She laughed "Good on you mate, for being able to take a joke."

They talked for a little while longer during which time Harry learned that Tonks was a metamorphmagus and could change her appearance at will. He spent some time talking to her about that until she said that she had to go as she had work in the morning, and it was getting late. This of course caused Harry to ask where she worked. When he found out she was an auror he was even more intrigued and made her promise that they would talk again later, which she agreed to instantly, seeming to have taken a liking to Harry.

After Tonks left Harry was about to head towards Ron and Hermione who seemed to be having a discussion with Bill, when he noticed Sirius waving him over. "We need to have that talk with Dumbledore now, come on." He told him and began to lead the way to the other side of the room where the headmaster was sitting.

When they reached him, Sirius asked for a word in private which Dumbledore agreed to. He made his way into another room followed by Harry and Sirius and immediately placed silencing charms on the door. "What can I do for you two?" Dumbledore asked happily.

Harry just looked to Sirius since he had no idea what this was all about. "On my way back to England I made a stop by Godric's Hollow, I needed to see it for myself." Sirius started, and Dumbledore gave a nod encouraging him to continue. "While I was there, I found a letter in a hollow floorboard James had shown me when he first moved in. He said that he would leave stuff in there in case I ever needed help.

"In this letter, James writes why Voldemort was coming after Harry, but didn't want to write the exact wording because he was afraid it could fall into the wrong hands. He said if I wanted to hear it in its entirety to ask you. I figured Harry deserved to know why as well. Why he was a target, why his parents were murdered."

Harry was about as confused as one person could possibly be. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

Dumbledore sighed. "Harry, do you know what a prophecy is?"

Harry thought for a moment and nodded his head yes, remembering the prophecy that Professor Trelawney had in his third year that had ultimately come true. "Yes, sir. I do." Dumbledore looked pleased that he knew and gave a slightly more in-depth version of how they worked.

"You see Harry, the reason Voldemort was hunting you was because there was a prophecy that he associated with you. He was attempting to get around it, and that was what led him to Godric's Hollow on Halloween." Dumbledore told him sadly.

"So, what you're saying is that there was a prophecy that had to do with me? And that's why my parents were killed?"

"What I'm saying is that there is still a prophecy that still has something to do with you. I would have told you about this sooner, but I wanted to let you live a normal childhood without the fear of divination hanging over your head."

"Well, what was it, sir?" Harry asked impatiently. He was upset that the headmaster had keeping this from him for so long and now that he knew about it, he wanted to know what it was that had led to the death of his parents and the desire for him to be killed by a psychotic dark lord.

"I'm afraid that I cannot tell you that." Dumbledore responded and Harry immediately began to protest but was quickly quieted when Dumbledore gave him a look that showed he wasn't budging. "I would like to tell you, Harry do not mistake me, but I fear that with the link that you and the dark lord share, he will try to pluck it out of your mind. I have no problem sharing it with you, but first I would like for you to learn the art of occlumency which is a way to protect one's mind."

Harry looked at Sirius who frowned. "I hate to admit it kid, but Albus is right. I could start teaching you occlumency while you're here with me, and you could finish up with the headmaster once you get to school. Once your proficient Albus will you know what it is." He finished before shooting a suspicious look at the headmaster. "You will let him know the prophecy won't you headmaster?" he asked in a somewhat dangerous tone.

"That sounds fine to me." Dumbledore agreed amicably, "I will let you know the prophecy when your occlumency is up to a high enough standard, is that alright Harry?" Harry nodded and Dumbledore continued. "I would advise that in the meantime you do not tell too many people about this Harry. I believe that Voldemort's current focus is to try to find a way to figure out what the prophecy is, and it would be a shame if someone who shouldn't hear about this did and were to report it back to him."

Harry nodded his understanding. He immediately recognized who Dumbledore was talking about and he had no doubt that if Malfoy found out any information, he would immediately report it to his father who would report it to Voldemort. "I agree sir. Thank you for letting me know all of this."

"The reality is that I should have told you sooner, but like I said I didn't want you to worry, I wanted for you to have as normal a life as possible."

"It's alright sir I know you were just trying to help. If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go to bed. This is a lot to digest." Harry said, his head still struggling to wrap around the information it had just heard. Dumbledore nodded and Sirius clapped him on the shoulder wishing him a goodnight.

He began to make his way out of the room when Dumbledore called his name once more causing him to turn around and looked at the headmaster expectantly. "Before you leave, I remembered something I wanted to ask you about. Minerva has put your name up for her prefect selection, I want to know if you would be willing to take on the responsibility or if you would rather not have the extra workload bestowed upon you."

Harry was surprised and considered the question for a moment before answering. "Sir I'd be honored to be made a prefect, but if I could just suggest one thing?" He asked and Dumbledore nodded kindly. "Draco had been bragging for years that he would be a prefect because of his father's influence, but Draco is a bully, and he doesn't deserve the honor. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it would help if the position were based off merit and not standing or popularity. So, if there is someone more deserving of the position than I am then give it to them, and likewise if there is someone more deserving than Draco make sure they get it."

Dumbledore looked impressed by what he had just said and gave Harry a small smile. "I assure you Harry that you are definitely the most deserving amongst your classmates, but what you said has merit. I will be discussing some of the other picks with their heads of house and I will determine whether or not they are the right choice. Thank you, Harry, have a goodnight." By the time he had finished talking he had a proud look on his face.

"Night Harry." Sirius said with a smile. Harry mumbled a response and headed off to bed. Sirius turned towards Dumbledore and let out a long sigh. "You know even though he's the spitting image of James he acts so much like Lily."

"Yes, I can't help but agree. Those two were a frightening duo and now we have the living embodiment of that duo growing right in front of our eyes." The headmaster replied.

"Yeah, it's a shame James and Lily don't get to see him, he's a special kid." Sirius said with a sad look on his face. "Well, Albus, I'll see you later, it really was a long journey, and I could use some shut eye."

"Yes of course, bear in mind that I would like to discuss how your trip went at your earliest convenience." The headmaster said. "I hope you have a good night."

"You too Albus." and with that Sirius headed out the door leaving Dumbledore to contemplate this turn of events. He had been hoping to wait a bit longer before letting Harry know about the prophecy, but now that he did know, Albus felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. The boy had been maturing, as shown by his willingness to give up the prefect position, and Albus was happy to see his transformation into a dedicated kindhearted young man. It saddened him to think that Lily and James missed out on raising him. He promised himself that he would do his best to end it more quickly this time, before more innocent lives were lost.