Harry was grateful that the last encounter had not ended with any casualties on their side, but it was dishonest to say that he had not hoped for a casualty on the other side. Could the enemy have known they were coming? If they had, would they have chosen to sidestep the fight rather than kill them? What would be the point of that?

"Hey, mate." It was Ron, and Hermione was with him. The DA was set up in a different part of the country, for what that was worth, and he had made a little office for himself out of one of the tents, whenever no one was in there sleeping. "We just wanted to say we know that the stress has been getting to you."

"I don't need... I don't want you two to make excuses for me," he said after a moment. "You were right; I just didn't think of a way of keeping the witness alive. That's on me. I've asked Terry-"

"There's something else," Hermione said. "Like we asked them, Ernie and Neville have been working on recruitment, but they were attacked."

"What happened? Did they get back in one piece?"

"They're fine; it was just a bunch of drunks attacking them," Ron said. It seemed he was now getting two conflicting perspectives, that they had diverged from the united front his friends were presenting earlier. If he pushed the envelope, could he take control of the discussion?

"We still had to look over Neville to make sure he wasn't badly cursed."

"He said he couldn't remember where he was; that's not a surprise-"

"Stop," Harry said. They both looked at him, moderately caught off guard, but it was not as if they expected him to let them go on forever. "We need to drive recruitment, and it's not evident that they can't handle themselves. Can one of them apparate?"

"No, Ernie's working on it, but at the moment he can only go short distances. Neville got them out of there with the Floo Network; he went to his grandmother's place, because that was expected, and they owled us from there."

"That sounds like they handled themselves," he said.

"We should take this as a sign that more people might attack them," Hermione said, annoyed. "At least assign someone to back them up."

"People might attack us," he said. "We're not going in force when we're just going out on recruitment duty, though. Even if we sent everyone, it wouldn't make us look invincible, and it would only look more threatening. It would be giving more people a reason to attack them." He sighed. "That said, they should at least be able to apparate, so next time they're out on recruitment duty, we'll have them demonstrate they can get out of there first."

It was something close to a compromise. There had been a lot of those recently.

"I have more than that," his friend continued after a moment. "I think there might have been someone behind the attack, and they just made it look random."

"Well, it's either the Death Eaters, the Ministry, or one trying to manipulate the other." Phrasing it so open-endedly was almost a waste of words. While it was certainly possible for the former to infiltrate the latter, and there was some evidence it had already taken place, and even the permanent figures were starting to find themselves surrounded by former enemies, it was fundamentally impossible for anyone to infiltrate the ranks of Voldemort's servants. In terms of how they functioned as an organization, that was one of their main advantages; there was no recruitment, as each member was selected based on breeding and talent, though he understood that there were grunts who did work for them here and there.

"We think it might have been common criminals working with someone like Greyback. When Ernie came round, he said they probably weren't human. Didn't quite know what they were." He needed his units to get everyone on the same page, but they had other things to discuss. No one had time for any strange eventualities that came out of him.

"Thank you," he said after a moment. "I just don't know what to do with all this information." He looked back to his work. "We can't stop recruiting, and yet, maybe this gives us more information on them. Maybe, if they attack us again, we'll be ready for them." He sighed. It was clear enough that he was just hoping for things; he still felt like everyone was woefully unprepared, and if he was honest about it, the two who had volunteered to be recruiters were not the best in a scrap. "It's probably better, though, if they go looking in a different part of town. We'll at least protect our own resources and we'll find out whether or not it was a random attack or if they're looking for us."

"That should work," Ron said after a moment. "I was going to suggest changing them out, and having different people do it. Then, no one would get stuck on permanent recruiting duty and fall behind everyone else in drills."

"We can do that as well, but I'd prefer to have people volunteer for it."

"Harry, would you mind if we used the 'office' for a moment?" Hermione asked. "There's something that's come up since the mission to Hogwarts."

"Fine," he muttered. "I was going to ask you to help me with Occlumency, but I suppose we can just not tell me things."

It was a passive aggressive remark, but he had already said it and he was already out. Would anyone else have been able to just keep putting up with the disrespect, even if it was well-intended? Was it even a good idea? If Voldemort kept trying to read things out of his head, and couldn't find anything good, would it ever occur to him that he just needed to get closer and get it out of one of his friends? What if it was the enemy somehow getting it in his head that he needed to trust his friends less, and that he needed to do everything himself?

He needed an answer, not an infinite amount of things to occupy his mind. He needed something that would be true for all time, something to use as a starting point for what was right. For that purpose, he went to Terry, who had taken to hiding in a place that was still reachable, but not immediately obvious. Sitting cross-legged, his feet did not hang down from the branches as he read.

"Have you managed to find out anything good in there?" he asked.

"Well, there's a fair bit that I would consider good for different reasons. I admit that in my first two years, I dismissed most things Dumbledore said as his being mad, but I suppose that's an act that he finds entertaining. I had not expected so many of his statements to be direct quotes."

"Can you give me an example?"

"Perhaps you'll remember- it takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, and just as much to stand up to your friends."

"That was when... he gave Neville a nominal point award at the end of first year."

There were countless students who said it was unfair for him to award points after the winner was already decided, but it was his decision when the points should stop counting and there was no reason why what had happened the previous night should not have counted. There were also a lot of eye-rolls over how convenient it was that the four of them just so happened to win enough points to win, but really they had every right to win, because it was clearly explained at the beginning of the year that their triumphs would get them points, and they put the entire school to shame by solving the mystery with public information and then getting through the teachers' obstacles with just what they knew from their first year of magical education. Quirrell might have had a hard time getting the stone, but he never would have been caught either, and he could have killed any amount of students in frustration. If he thought of something as simple as taking a student to the mirror to see if someone else would have better luck, he would have been back that much earlier.

"It's a direct quote. He didn't take any liberties with it."

"What was someone saying?"

"Well, there was a great wizard a long time ago who was a servant of the eternal phoenix. I'm still working out how that works. He was considered great by all, and he accomplished things that no one else had ever thought possible, but he started making a series of mistakes that spiraled out of control."

"That's... er, just go on."

"At some point, he could no longer hear the words of the phoenix. Someone who could had to come in and tell him that he was going down the wrong path, and that he needed to atone for his actions." He squinted at the text. "That's the implication, anyway. I'm just getting this from someone making reference to that happening thousands of years ago."

"I'll admit I don't really know what to make of that," Harry said after a moment. "They were friends?"

"Again, that's the implication. Because of how much the clear-sighted friend loved this great wizard, he could not stand to see him continue to make mistakes and fall further from his former glory. I'll have to read more about that story to get more details."

"It's fine, just keep reading where you were. I... er, guess I can't exactly disagree with how it takes the same amount of courage to stand up to friends, but I've never had a problem with it myself."

"Well, sure, but have you ever had a problem with standing up to your enemies either?"

He wanted to say that he did, strangely. Was it just because it was expected that he would have some issue with it? Did he not want to sound full of himself? Did he not want to look like an idiot who just rushed into everything recklessly? He had certainly felt like one when he nearly got everyone killed going to the Department of Mysteries to rescue Sirius, who had not even been there.

"No."

"Believe it or not, I don't have the slightest doubt that you're telling the truth. I've watched you from a distance for a few years now and that was always the impression I had. I suspect some people might find it easy to stand up to their friends, but then, are you really friends if you're not concerned about how the confrontation might go? I wouldn't be surprised if some people can tell off anyone who stands in their way, but I wonder how many friends they really have. Perhaps your enemies are those you have to confront with violence, because they might kill you. In that case, imagine having to fight for your life against a friend."

"That's... certainly a way of looking at it," Harry said after a moment of thought. "When it says 'standing up to', I guess I should take that literally, so yeah, if you're just telling someone how it is, it should be just as hard if they're your friends or your enemies." He thought of the time that he told Ron off for getting jealous over his being selected for the Triwizard Tournament. Even though he knew he was in the right, because he was risking his life and he knew that he had not, in fact, signed up for it, he would not have wanted to lose a friend. He supposed a more apt comparison in terms of standing up to an enemy would be like telling off Malfoy in the corridor, not fighting against Voldemort. The circumstances might be somewhat different, but at the end of the day he could not really say that one took more courage than the other.

"I have to admit," Terry said. "I had hoped you had come to discuss more than our plans to treat each other with more goodness. There are some getting restless about all our training and no action. Even though they seem to fear direct combat, it seems to have become the devil they know. I rather did not know how to reassure them."

"I see," he said. Not a word of what he had just said was idle, and perhaps it made him want to respond all the more diplomatically. "Well, we've been planning something, and we'll announce it soon. We've got some finally put together information out of all the captives and from the safe house raid."

"I find that inestimably heartening. While I would offer my services with the planning phase to have it proceed all the more swiftly, I am afraid my skill set lies elsewhere. You would be better off with Daphne. Of late, she seems to have an interesting way of looking at things, and it may serve you well."

Harry's lips flattened slightly. When he said that they were planning something, that had only been half true. It was more accurate to say that they were deadlocked, and had trouble making a triune decision. Terry was kind enough not to make mention of his expression, if he discerned something amiss about it.

"I'll give it a shot," he said. "I'll see what she can do for us."

He went to find her almost immediately. If Ron and Hermione were still talking about something that concerned him, but he could not know because he might think about it too much at night, then that was on them; the three of them had a whole group to lead and he could not be blamed for getting them back on track with planning the next mission, something that impacted everyone. If he came in right when they were discussing something, he could not be blamed.

"Potter, did you know I can't resist the thought of a secret discussion?" she asked when he started explaining it to her. "This had better be interesting. If all you three have been precluding from the rest of us is utter nonsense, I shall be displeased.

"I haven't said what it is yet."

"I am aware. I shall hear it from the three of you together; I might as well have a balanced presentation."

They went off in the direction of the tent without further discussion. It was probably less of a marvel than just convenient that she went along with his proposal; Terry was just right about his assessment of her, and that was not so hard to believe. When they arrived at the tent, however, Daphne stopped short as if she expected him to wave the door open for her, which was no trouble, if an annoying mentality.

Inside, Ron and Hermione were kissing.

Quietly, he supposed he should have seen it coming as he let the door close again. They fought sometimes, but over the past few months it seemed like there was this increasing tension, then one left on a mission, and the other was grateful that he managed to return alive, in direct contrast to how it had been predicted. If absence made the heart grow fonder, their gratitude to see each other again brushed away whatever other concerns they might have had about starting a relationship. He found it hard to meet the eyes of the witch when he looked back at her.

"I hope that your intention was not-"

"I asked for your help with resolving a dispute."

"What's the argument? Who gets to be on top?"

"I don't think they've come that far yet," he muttered. "The dispute, in substance, is that there's a man pretending to be Dumbledore."

"Why is that a problem?"

"People are buying it."

She frowned.

"For my part, I have not a clear understanding of why he has not rejoined the organization he founded, but I understood I was not to question this for some reason." Adding to her frown, she crossed her arms.

"Well, it's not that you're not supposed to ask; you just won't get any kind of answer. He hasn't told us and he doesn't intend to tell us until he returns, and I don't know when that will be." He sighed. "He left us with a book; Terry's reading it. To be honest, there's sections of it that I can't make heads or tails-"

"Very well," Daphne said, rolling her eyes. "What was your position on this subject?"

"I don't think we need to do anything about him. If the Ministry thought he was real, they'd have gone after him. There's still a warrant for his arrest." He sighed. "That's what makes Ron think that's he's one of them. He thinks it's an opportunity we can't pass up. In his view, we should find him and start beating information out of him. Hermione thinks that he's trying to do the right thing. Thus far, he's only been seen helping muggles here and there-"

"Muggles?"

"It's on their news. That's how we're hearing about this. "

"Whoever- I can't argue with that. Anyway, one of those muggles is going to start asking questions-"

"They do that." He took a breath. "Most likely, they already have. Secrecy isn't going to fall overnight, though, and chances are, if we win the war quickly enough, we can persuade the right people to keep quiet about it. They've kept a lot from their citizens, and they'll be able to keep this quiet as well. Before they do anything, though, they'll want to watch us first."

"Not that I was concerned, but how is it that you know they would not attack us immediately?"

"They know that we know about them. They don't know about us. If they did, they'd want to keep us from realizing it. Any wrong move could spell disaster for all of them."

"If you want my opinion," Daphne said after a moment. Ron and Hermione seemed to have heard them talking and came out of the tent as if nothing had been going on in there. "This false Dumbledore isn't a problem, he's a solution. We need to get him noticed by the enemy. If it turns out that they installed him, what will they do when they realize that we know it?"

"I'm not sure?" he asked. Really, he had been hoping that she would tell him. Was that what all discussions with her were going to involve in some way? Did he need to be concerned about that? "What are we hoping that we'll find? How is this going to go?"

Daphne smirked. He had not known her long, but he had come to be certain of a few things about her. She had a high opinion of herself. If things had gone differently last year, she might have joined some other group, perhaps insincerely. Lastly, she never let someone know what she was thinking unless she was winning. Perhaps she was proud of such a behavior and the social advantages it netted her whenever everyone else was playing the same game, but in the DA, most people thought it was unbearable.

"I'm guessing you have an idea?" he asked.

"If he does his job well enough, then perhaps some people will think that he's the genuine article," she said. "After all, even if he is connected with the Ministry, they know the real Dumbledore is out there somewhere. Of course, we would be taking the risk that this is all part of their plan, but I estimate the chance of that to be rather low. The Death Eaters are substantially cleverer and more likely to have been behind this than anyone working for the government." Her eyes narrowed. "Has he said or done anything that seems to go against what you expect?"

"Not yet," Hermione said after a moment. "It's dishonest for him to pretend to be someone he isn't, but if we had a talk with him rather than immediately attacking him-"

"He's been clever," Ron said. "He must have some idea of the book Terry's got. There's just no reason why Dumbledore would just come out of hiding and start helping the muggles."

"If he's so clever, then I can guarantee he will be useful to us," Daphne said, her smirk returning.