AN: I do not own Harry Potter. Another chapter this weekend! Sorry for the wait to get the previous one out.

The Weight Of Responsibility

"Now, Harry, one thing that you have to be careful of is being a puppet for your older followers," Hermione was saying. "It is actually a well known phenomenon to those that study Ancient history. However, another phenomenon is to completely ignore what any of the older people have to say, and that has been known to lead to countries splitting, in the most extreme of things. You're going to have to be wise about things. Take what you know as fact, and filter what they say about them. Anything new, unless under a vow of truthfulness, needs to be taken with a grain of salt. One of the uses of spies is to see what the nation is actually like, if one is not sure if the elders are reporting the truth. That is also one of the reasons that nobility tour the country with their entourage, besides being a publicity stunt."

Prior to the meeting place that Harry was currently walking to, he had had a number of meetings. Flitwick had actually been amused when the kids had correctly told him his secret, and gotten them to continue to keep it secret. Next he had advised that getting any number of people to unbalance the unrest favourably would be preferable, as numerically those willing to keep the unrest down compared to those causing the unrest were pretty balanced at the moment, despite how split the various factions were. Becoming a full on civil war would not economically capable with the state of the country as of the moment while keeping it from being seen by Muggles. Snape, knowing both the Weasleys and the Malfoys, and the information that each had, was not surprised to be asked to have this kept from his various bosses while asking his advice. He advised that there were many ways to compromise both sides easily, seeing as there were various ways the countries in Europe had done it. Britain itself had done it once upon a time, before the current administration had started the current trend. The details would be the hard part. Cedric had arranged for Harry to meet up with him in Hogsmead during one of the Hogsmead weekends that Harry snuck out for. In the end, Cedric was going to be with him to go to this meeting, and also advised that Harry start something with light sided students, whether it was a study group for transfiguration, potions, or something else like that, at least to be seen as available to the light sided, or at least seen trying by the teachers. (To be honest, Harry thought that was as much as he could do, because what he could help them with, Flitwick and Snape were already doing.) That ended up with Harry going to the Library with Neville and the Golden Trio, with random of his year mates showing up, Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot being the most consistent once he made it known he was open to studying with any house across his year. Romilda Vane was the most annoying, after McLaggen who wasn't even in his year. Colin Creevey had enthusiastically asked to join, even though he was a year younger, and he actually learned what the older students were despite doing homework on something else. Right now though, Harry was sneaking out to the Shrieking Shack, because they decided that any other place that he had access to was too dangerous.

Chamber of Secrets?

Voldemort was once again in the castle, and he would know.

Forbidden Forest?

A big group of people would get the attention of the centaurs and Harry didn't feel like running into an accromantula.

Room of Requirement?

In the castle wards, so once again, Voldemort would know.

Grim Auld Place?

That was Order Headquarters, and under the Fidelius charm. Also, it was not his house.

#4 Privet Drive?

Not only would his relatives object, but so would anyone they would be meeting with having his aunt and uncle and cousin there. That and the place was being watched by Order members. Also, not his house.

Hogsmead?

Where in the tiny village could they meet with a large amount of adults without the bartenders taking note and passing it on to the school?

Maybe, they could come up with a location later if/when Harry could be sure of them not kid-knapping him or worse once he's there. Sure, this meeting is about them changing sides, but as of this moment, they hadn't changed sides yet. That was the reason that Harry was making sure he had adults there already on his side. Lord Malfoy had already let him know that his vow from last year was still in effect since they hadn't put that specification on it, so he would be safe-ish.

This meeting had required him to have home work so that he knew what the main idea behind this meeting required. It required reading more books, and he could tell that his essays had suffered from it, though he made sure to work on them properly before handing them in. Hopefully though, he could make it through this meeting, meet all the requirements for the meeting itself, and not blunder anything up or accidentally kill anyone. This meeting was highly ritualized, based on anything he read about it.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron entered the Shrieking Shack through the tunnel, and watched as Snape, who was through first, unbarred and opened the door. Cedric was in right away, standing behind Harry's shoulder to the right, allowing his wand to be easily used in defense it required. Five minutes later, the others started arriving. Harry was not surprised to see Lord Malfoy, Mr. Crabbe, and Mr. Goyle, for Crabbe and Goyle always followed Malfoy. He was a bit surprised to see Mr. Abbot whom he recognized because of Hannah, Mr. Flint and Marcus Flint, and four others he recognized as parents of kids in Slytherin and Ravenclaw in the Quidditch teams.

"Welcome, gentlemen. I am Harry Potter. Those with me are Cedric Diggory, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, and last but not least, Master Snape."

He repeated "welcome" and looked at them as each man introduced himself. He had to be careful not to nod, because he couldn't portray that he was beneath them in anyway this evening.

"Why are you here?"

"We have come to you to claim you as Lord instead of the one we have vowed to."

"How can you come to me?"

"You have fought and emerged victorious, have rendered bodiless, and have defeated the one we had claimed as Lord even to his death. Three times or more have you fought, three times or more have you conquered, three times or more have you killed your enemy. Now we, our Lord's servants, are able to come to thee."

"What would you have me do?"

This was the point in which discussion could be made so that there could be a compromise. At this point, Lord Malfoy, who had taken the lead so far for the group supplicating, brought out a bundle of papers. Hermione also brought out a bundle of papers of the things that Harry's group had compiled that they wanted and the things that they wouldn't budge on.

(AN: At this point, I could write out the whole discussion; however, currently I am tired. Please feel free to imagine any amount of arguing. I will write out some though.)

"Is there a reason that we're not meeting in the castle?"

"Yes, Snape discovered that Voldemort is currently in the castle possessing the Headmistress. Since we don't want her to know you are in the area, this is the only place we could think of that is connected to the castle and not within its wards."

"Snape, how did you find that out?"

"I went to give her her potion, and heard her talking with him before and after the conversation. When I was with her, there was no sign of another body in the room, no additional breathing or sounds accompanying movement. She also is starting to smell like Quirrel did."

"Alright."

A bunch of nodding heads.

"Because of this, I cannot change the ownership of my mark over to you, Potter. He would notice since I am now constantly in his presence."

"You would be willing to once this is over?"

"Quite possibly. However, I am willing to swear a vow of protection to you."

"Okay..."

"This would allow him to be able to magically have a reason to suddenly switch sides and give you some basis to trust him on an ongoing basis at any point in the future, but also allow him to get continue to get information from Voldemort."

"It would also allow him to hurt you up to a certain point. It would allow him leeway to continue serving Voldemort as long as you aren't hurt by it."

After Harry and Cedric confers a little:

"I'll allow it as long as you swear with that magical oath of protection that you will not share anything of that would compromise me or the safety of those sworn to me or our goals unless verbally given permission. Both of those will be unbreakable vows."

...

"So, you agree that werewolves should get the same rights as the normal witch or wizard, and take precaution on the full moon, whether that is running on a warded property with a pack of other weres or animagi; that muggle raised wizards should get a compulsory course in the wizarding world and that wizards should have that same year in an updated course in the Muggle world so that we are blending in whenever we are in each location; that neither the nationally recognized muggle holidays nor wizarding holidays should be discriminated against in Hogwarts; that the wizarding world should reinstate its military and accompanying spells in the right time and locations in case of another Dark Lord or Light Lord wishing to conquer us; that we, the wizarding world, should find ways to get around current muggle technology and ways of sharing information and that should continue as Muggle technology changes around us; that until we are certain that muggleborn witches and wizards are not the results of squibs or infidelity or the comingling of muggle and wizarding seed in a sexual nature, that we will seek to have muggleborn witches and wizards seek their ancestry; that no first cousins or closer are married, lest we die out like the Hapsbergs or Ancient Egyptian royal family, and other problems become introduced such as are seen in animal husbandry. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

Cedric Diggory used a spell to copy what Hermione had written onto other pieces of parchment for each of attendees, plus three extras. After that, he taught Hermione how to do the copy spell. On the original, Harry had each of them sign that they had read and understood what was written on it.

Once that was completed, Harry stood, and those around him fell to one knee. After that was a lot of magical swearing in, and Harry wanted water before he was done. Oh, and Snape had to give an unbreakable vow, which with how things seemed to be going, seemed to be just another set of vows he was having to navigate, but hopefully, with this one he would be able to make more of a positive difference than before.

After that, Snape escorted the Gryffindors to the castle as it was the end of the Hogsmead weekend.

"Well, that was different."