Friday, 25th August

Harry sat on the edge of his seat, hands twisting together beneath the table, feeling oddly… nervous.

It had been a few days since their shopping trip and he was now officially packed and ready to go to Hogwarts next week - or, physically ready at least since he didn't think he would ever be mentally or emotionally ready for it.

Sirius and Remus had asked to speak with him this morning after breakfast, both men looking uncharacteristically sombre and now, here he was, sitting across from them as they exchanged a look and his pulse started to pound loudly in his ears. The dim light of the kitchen felt unusually heavy, adding to the knot of worry that had slowly twisted tighter and tighter in his stomach. He tried not to fidget, but his heart hammered as his mind spun through every possible reason why the two of them might be sitting him down like this.

What if they regretted staying with him? Or worse, what if they were rethinking letting him stay with them? Maybe they no longer wanted him at Grimmauld Place, maybe they no longer wanted him here because of how he acted with the Malfoys and how he'll be in Slytherin, maybe they no longer wanted him-

Clearing his throat, Sirius gave him a somewhat uncertain look. "Harry, there's… there's something we want to… talk to you about before you, uh, before you go to Hogwarts…"

Harry swallowed thickly, steeling himself.

"We know that you've been through… well… a lot, quite frankly, with the Dursleys and St Brutus and, just, everything but… well, you've made it pretty clear that you want to stay in the wizarding world so… so maybe…" He hesitated, glancing at Remus as if for support, before turning back to him, grey eyes looking as nervous as Harry felt. "We were wondering if- if maybe you'd like to… uh, make it… sort of… official? With me, that is. As in- As in, if you'd like then… then maybe I could, uh… maybe I could adopt you?"

Harry's breath hitched. For a moment, he couldn't even think, let alone find words to respond. His brain seemed to have frozen, zoning in on those words and blocking out even the loud pounding of his heart. Adopt him? They actually wanted to adopt him?! They actually wanted… him?

The silence stretched, and his mind flooded with a hundred half-formed thoughts. They were already offering him a home. But this - this was beyond anything he'd ever dreamed. No more Dursleys. No more Dumbledore. No more feeling like a burden that he was forcing them to bear.

They actually wanted him - and it did, indeed, have to be him that they wanted considering Sirius was already more than powerful and wealthy enough in his own right and he didn't even know about the Peverell dukedoms yet which meant all Harry could really offer in their eyes was a measly earldom which was nothing next to the Black dukedom and-

Holy shit. If this worked out, then he'd be able to remove Dumbledore as his regent. Sirius would get legal guardianship over him, removing the Dursleys from the equation, but since he was also a wizard, the Ministry couldn't say anything against him becoming Harry's regent too. He could even stop the payments going to his relatives for his supposed "well-being" and- oh Merlin, what he wouldn't give to see their faces when they realised!

But this meant no more Dursleys and far less Dumbledore and, perhaps, even more crucially… it meant he could have a family.

"Of course, if you'd rather go back to your relatives during the summer or- or, uh, St Brutus or wherever then we'd completely understand!" Remus suddenly said, no doubt taking his silence as a bad sign and beginning to backpedal, "There's no pressure for you to agree to this, pup, and- and you can take however long you need to decide and-"

"No!" Harry blurted, "I mean, yes! Or- No, I mean- I mean no to them, not you. Yes to you! Yes, I- The- The adoption. With you. That's- That's good, I, uh, I'd… I'd like that. Really".

The relief and joy on their faces broke through any last reservations he may have had and they found themselves all grinning at each other like loons.

"Brilliant!" Sirius said, looking as though he might leap out of his chair with joy, "That's- That's just brilliant, pup! There's quite a bit of a process to it, of course. Only one of us can formally adopt you - me - since werewolves, uh… since they can't… you know…"

He trailed off, his jaw tight with frustration, and Harry couldn't help but notice the flash of regret in Remus's eyes. He nodded, feeling anger bubble up inside of his chest. Since werewolves weren't legally allowed to adopt, was what his godfather was trying to say - yet another archaic, outdated, and bloody stupid law he'd have to change someday.

"But that's alright" Sirius continued after a moment, forcibly cheerful, "If anything happens to me, I'll leave instructions to have everything divided between you and Remus. That way, you'll still have a place to live, even if the world gets… complicated. Dumbledore would probably get custody of you if I croaked it before you come of age, but he'll have no problem letting you stay with Remus; it'll just have to be his name on the piece of paper but none of that matters anyway, since I don't plan on going anywhere!"

Harry's face hurt from smiling so wide. It didn't feel real. The idea of- of a family, an official proper family, a home where was wanted and- and actually mattered was… it felt surreal.

"Plus" Sirius added, "by legally adopting you, Malfoy won't be able to get his grubby little hands on any part of the London dukedom. Just naming you my heir, which you already are by the way, doesn't guarantee that you'll get the titles and money and all that, but by officially adopting you, you get the greatest claim".

That right there was one of the incredibly few wizarding laws that Harry didn't want to change. In the muggle world, adopted children were granted a courtesy title but were forbidden from inheriting their adopted father's title or anything that came with it. Due to the last wizarding war, however, many firstborn sons were killed, so Wizengamot - many of whose members had been personally affected by the rule - had overturned that law and created another. Now, any magical child adopted into a noble family was allowed to inherit just as much as any biological children the lord or lady might have.

"Oh, I see how it is" Harry said teasingly, "You don't actually want to adopt me; you just want to stop Draco Malfoy getting your dukedom".

Sirius let out a bark of laughter, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Caught me, did you? Knew I'd get found out by the brightest little heir around". He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms with a mock-serious expression. "Clearly, it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I might… maybe… actually like you a bit. Just keeping Malfoy out of my vaults, that's all".

Remus smirked, shaking his head. "If only you knew the hours he's spent dreaming up schemes to keep them away from Black title, pup. Some of them were, uh… certainly imaginative - not to mind impossibly childish".

"Oi, don't ruin my reputation, Moony!" Sirius said, shoving Remus playfully in the arm, "I'm trying to be a mysterious, byronic hero for our heir!"

Harry laughed, feeling the last of his tension evaporate, and a warmth he couldn't fully describe spreading through his chest.

"Well, I think I can manage being a marquess if it means keeping the dukedom out of Malfoy's reach".

Sirius's grin softened, his usual joking tone giving way to something a touch more sincere. "More than that, pup… it means you'll officially be part of a family - our family. And that means far more to me than any old stupid title".

Harry's cheeks flushed, though he nodded, heart thumping with relief and happiness and joy. He still felt stunned, even a bit breathless, as if this dream could disappear any second. Finally, he had a place to call his own, and people who truly wanted him there.

Monday, 28th August

So, of course, that wonderful, joyous, calm, peaceful spell didn't last. He wished he could say he was surprised that the world had, yet again, turned against him, but honestly? At this stage, he'd be more worried if things weren't going badly.

BOY WHO LIVED FOUND ALIVE!

Harry stared at the front page of the Daily Prophet, his still-exhausted brain trying to make sense of the words he was reading, but when, at last, it did…

"What the fuck?"

"Language!" Sirius scolded, buttering a piece of toast, "What's up?"

He wordlessly turned the paper around for his godfather to see today's headline, and the man looked at it, blinked, frowned, blinked again, and then-

"What the fuck?!"

Sirius immediately leapt up, taking long strides around the kitchen table so that he could read the article over Harry's shoulder.

Harry Potter, the Earl of Gloucester, was revealed to be alive yesterday afternoon after most believed him to have died many years ago - your intrepid reporter, Rita Skeeter, included! The now 15-year-old saviour, previously thought to be lost to the wizarding world forever, is not only alive and well, but supposedly has recently been pulled from special training by the enigmatic Hogwarts headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, the Viscount Warwick. But why now, after years of rumours and secrecy? Is there more to this story than my anonymous source revealed? Should the Ministry be investigating the young lord who defeated You-Know-Who as a mere baby? Just what did this secret "special" training involve? Has the headmaster shaped Harry Potter into the perfect weapon? Will he now go forth to defeat other Dark Lords? Only time will tell; but rest assured, dear readers, that this determined journalist will not stop until she unearths all the answers!

Harry swallowed hard, the air around him feeling suddenly suffocating as his eyes skimmed the article. There were no photos, which, he thought, was a small mercy, but the words still hit him like a tidal wave. Someone had clearly leaked the fact that he was alive, and that was bad enough.

"What the fuck?!" Sirius repeated, louder this time - loud enough to wake Remus who had somehow managed to fall asleep while holding a cup of tea. It had been the new moon a day or two ago, and although it thankfully didn't result in Moony coming out to play, it typically made the man a lot more tired and sluggish than usual.

"Pads?" he mumbled, "What's wrong? Harry?"

"I'm fine" the boy replied quickly, "We're all fine, we're just… surprised, that's all".

"Surprised?" Sirius exclaimed, "That's just a little bit of an understatement, pup! Fuck! How in Merlin's name did that wretched woman find out about you?!"

Harry had been wondering that too, and he found his gaze drifting back to the top line of the article. The Earl of Gloucester, Skeeter had called him. She wasn't wrong, of course, but it was a weird detail to mention. Surely, if someone had seen him in passing and told her about it, she'd focus more on the fact the Boy Who Lived continued to live rather than what possible titles he may or may not have. And she didn't say that he would or could be the Earl of Gloucester either; she said he already was. But how would Skeeter know that he'd already been to Gringotts and had claimed his title? Unless the goblins had…

No. The goblins had nothing to gain from this, and if Harry could prove that they'd been the ones to leak the story, they would have everything to lose. This was someone else - someone who knew that he was Lord Gloucester, someone who would gain something by telling the press about him.

The Malfoys knew, of course, but they also knew that he was going to be a marquess too - or, at least, they had guessed as much and he hadn't denied it, so if they were going to sell one of his secrets, why not sell the other too? Being the next Duke of London would be worth far more galleons - but that alone discounted the Malfoys from his suspect list as well since they were hardly in need of quick cash, and there was nothing else to gain by betraying him like this. It would only anger him and the current Duke of London, who was also a part of their family through Narcissa Black.

Harry had no doubt that the Malfoys had told Lord Slytherin that they'd seen him, but they didn't tell anyone in the press, and for that, he knew he was right to tell them his true identity. He wasn't naive enough to think they did it for his sake, of course - they most certainly did it to benefit themselves in some way - but it was nice to see a little self-preservation and cunning when he was currently trapped in a house with the most Gryffindor of Gryffindors.

"What the fuck?" Sirius said, yet again, further proving his point, "Who told her?! Who would- would even bother to- Alright, that's it, I'm going to call Dumbledore. We can't undo this but… fuck! Maybe there's something he can do!"

Harry watched as his godfather headed straight for the fireplace, not seeming to notice or care that he was still in his pyjamas - which were bright red with golden paw prints charmed to move. He then passed the newspaper to Remus and stole the freshly buttered toast from Sirius' plate. It would seem that he was the only one who'd put two and two together so far - namely; if it wasn't them, and it wasn't the Malfoys', then the only other possible suspect was someone from within the Order.

And as pissed off as Harry was that someone would out him like this, he was also, admittedly, rather curious as to how this would all play out…

An hour later, they were back in the kitchen - fully dressed, this time - and surrounded by a dozen others since Dumbledore had decided to call an emergency Order meeting. It was a bit much, in Harry's opinion, but at least it gave him ample opportunity to weed out the traitor himself.

"It just doesn't make any sense!" Sirius burst out, pacing up and down and taking this far worse than Harry was despite not being named in the article once himself, "Who would betray us like this? Who's stupid enough to throw us under the bus like this?!"

"You're thinking like a Gryffindor, Pads" he replied with a sigh, not for the first time, "It doesn't matter how smart or stupid they are; what matters is how much they benefit from doing this".

Across from him, Snape gave an almost imperceptible nod. Harry briefly wondered if he was the one who leaked his existence to the press, but he dismissed the thought almost as soon as it arrived.

"Benefit? What do you mean, benefit?" his godfather asked, still pacing, not unlike an overly stressed dog, "What could anyone benefit from doing this?!"

"And why now?" Remus asked, still holding the Daily Prophet in his hands, "Why tell Ms Skeeter all of this a week before Hogwarts starts? Why didn't they tell her any earlier?"

"Well… maybe they didn't know that Harry was here any earlier" Tonks said slowly. Her hair was a very pale orange today, belaying her confusion and anxiety. "Maybe they only just found out. The paper said whoever it was only told Skeeter yesterday afternoon, so… so maybe it was someone that you only met yesterday morning?"

Harry was already shaking his head. "No. No, I didn't meet anyone new yesterday, or the day before for that matter. The last time I left the house was almost a week ago when we went to get my school supplies".

"Did you tell anyone your name then, my boy?" Dumbledore asked from his place at the head of the table, "A shopkeeper, perhaps? Or someone you spoke to on the street?"

Sirius suddenly froze.

"The Malfoys" he whispered, before jerking around to face them, "We met the Malfoys, pup! In Madam Malkins! And you introduced yourself to them!"

"It wasn't the Malfoys, Sirius".

"Of course, it was! Who else knows that you're here?! That you're back in the wizarding world? Who else knows that you've already claimed your title?!"

He gave his godfather a dry look. "You mean aside from literally everyone sitting at this table?"

He blinked, blinked again, and then frowned. "Wait, wait, wait, let me get this straight. You would rather believe that someone in the Order betrayed us… than believe that the Malfoys did?!"

"Yes".

Sirius slowly leaned back against a kitchen counter, a look of utter disbelief coming across his face, before abruptly spinning to face Severus with a vicious scowl.

"This is all your fault, you know! You and your- your- your bloody paranoid Slytherin ways! You've corrupted him!"

Snape, to his credit, didn't so much as blink. "Rather me than you, mutt".

Sirius opened his mouth to retort and Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes as their bickering began. Honestly, if they didn't hate each other so much then he'd be tempted to call it love - boys pulling pigtails and all that. And both of their hair was long enough for pigtails, too, he mused. He'd have to tell Remus about that after the meeting; he was sure that the mental image alone would make him laugh for weeks. But first...

Tuning out their squabbles, Harry glanced around at the other occupants in the room. He hadn't been lying, when he told Sirius that it was an Order member who'd sold him out. The Malfoys were far too smart to have done so - the political suicide alone would prevent that much, no matter how much they may or may not hate him. Which could only mean that it had been someone here.

Not Sirius, Remus, or Dumbledore, of course, and probably not Snape or the Weasleys either. Shacklebolt and Tonks were both Aurors, so they were likely out as well, and Professor McGonagall was far too rule-abiding - and kind - to have sold him out like this. From what he could tell, Jones and Vance were of the same character and both Podmore and Doge worked at the Ministry which, although it didn't discount them, it certainly made them less likely, so that only left… Mundungus Fletcher and Dedalus Diggle.

Harry studied them carefully. Diggle was a tiny, excitable man, but as amused as he currently looked, watching the interaction between Snape and Sirius, he wasn't acting in the least bit nervous. Dung, on the other hand…

Dung was currently reminding Harry of how all the young boys at St Brutus acted the first time they'd stolen sweets from the kitchen or got caught starting a fight.

He watched the twitchy little man shift in his seat, avoiding all eye contact and doing a rather terrible job of looking innocent. His wand was being nervously twirled in his hand, his brow was furrowed as he glanced around the room, as if searching for an escape route. As soon as there was a lull in the bickering, Harry spoke up.

"Mr Fletcher-"

"I'm sorry!" he blurted, jerking upright, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! Or, well, I did mean to, but- Blimey, lad, I didn't think they'd say all that!"

Harry blinked. He hadn't expected it to be this easy - but Dung wasn't finished, and in his haste to get the weight off his chest, he stumbled over his words, hands fidgeting with his wand, a bead of sweat running down his forehead.

"I swear I only told 'em that you were alive! Nothin' else! But then they- they took my words and- and twisted 'em and- and- I'm sorry! Really, I am! I never expected they'd- I mean I didn't- I wasn't- I didn't-"

"-think!" Sirius interrupted furiously, marching over, "You didn't think, you spineless little worm! You sold my godson out to the press?!"

"It was only for a bit of cash, yeah? Nothin' personal! I'm in a bit of a tight spot with a few 'sociates of mine and-"

"-and instead of doing the honourable thing, or even just the decent thing, you decided that betraying the Order and a fifteen-year-old boy was worth more than a few galleons-"

"Sirius!" Harry snapped, "You yelling at him - or hexing - isn't going to go back in time and change what happened!"

"... No" he bit out, mulishly, lowering his wand, "But it'd make me feel better!"

"Although, speaking of galleons" Dumbledore spoke up, "Don't you agree, Mr Fletcher, that perhaps that money should be Harry's?"

Mundungus immediately paled. "Oh- uh- yeah- well, uh- you see, I- I- I would but- but- I already, uh, I mean I-"

"Don't worry about it" Harry interrupted, "I don't need the money anyway".

"Well, he has to give you something!" Sirius protested, and Harry paused, thinking for a moment before, "Alright, how about this? You can keep the money, Mr Fletcher, in return for… a favour. In the future. A… boon, if you will".

Snape's head immediately snapped up, as did Jones' and Vance's which was… interesting. Mundungus, of course, had no idea what he was agreeing to - he just wanted to keep his greedy winnings safe.

"Yes! Yes, of course! Whatever you want, lad, blimey, no problem!"

Harry smiled and nodded and wondered just what favour he'd eventually cash in with the man who could get him anything.

"Out of curiosity though" he suddenly added, "How much am I worth?"

"Harry!"

He ignored his godfather's outburst and continued to look at Mundungus who was still shifting awkwardly in his seat, avoiding his gaze.

"... Fifty-five G's" he finally admitted and Harry baulked.

"How much?!" He sat back in his chair, stunned. "Holy fuck! I should have gone to the press myself weeks ago!"

"Harry!"

"What?" he protested, "That's a nice bit of cash for just dropping a name!"

"I'm afraid he did far more damage than that, my boy" Dumbledore said, although his eyes were still twinkling with amusement.

"Hey, I already told you that I said nothin' more than he was alive, alright?" Fletcher said quickly, "I didn't mention where he was or- or anythin' about that special trainin' shit or nothin', I swear it!"

"And yet the idea had to have come from somewhere" the Headmaster said mildly, his tone just on the right side of disapproving to make the man shrink down in his seat, "Which leads me to our next order of business, namely that the Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts".

"What?!"

Harry wasn't sure who said it - or how many of them exploded with the question either - but based on the looks of shock and disbelief around the table, he felt it safe to say that the Ministry getting involved was not a good thing.

"You all know how I have tried to advise the Minister on certain matters" Dumbledore continued calmly, "But I'm afraid he is reluctant to believe me. Lord Malfoy has always been a close advisor of his, and now that Lord Slytherin has officially taken his place in Wizengamot… I fear that my word now means very little to Cornelius".

"He refuses to believe that his new best friend is actually Lord Voldemort" Sirius summarised darkly, and the older man nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid so. It would seem that the Minister's advisors have also been pressuring him into having a greater influence in the day-to-day runnings of Hogwarts, and after the Prophet's article came out this morning, he agreed. I received a letter from Cornelius just before this meeting. He's… concerned with Ms Skeeter's accusations and believes them to be true".

There was a chorus of outraged cries around the room, and the Headmaster raised his hand for silence.

"Cornelius believes that I have been secretly training Harry all this time and now that I've moulded him into the 'perfect weapon', I believe the exact words were, I intend to use Harry against the Ministry". The expression on his face told them all just what he thought about that little theory. "As a result, he plans to pass Educational Decree Number Twenty-Two a few days from now, which will allow him to assign Hogwarts a new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor".

"Bullshit!" Sirius exclaimed, finally taking a seat to Harry's left, "The Ministry can't interfere at Hogwarts, Educational Decree or not! And are you seriously telling me that the Minister for Magic genuinely believes that my fifteen-year-old godson is a threat?!"

"Even for Cornelius Fudge, Albus, that reaches a new level of stupidity" Severus drawled, agreeing with Sirius for perhaps the first time in his life, "Does he expect the boy to turn the entire school against the Ministry? To raise an army, perhaps, of other uneducated children?"

"Hey!" Harry immediately protested, "I'm not uneducated! And I could totally raise an army if I wanted to!"

"No one's doubting your ability to inspire the masses, my boy, but it would be wise for you not to say such things outside of these walls lest you be taken seriously". Dumbledore was looking amused again, but he didn't sound like he was mocking him, which Harry appreciated.

Jones cleared her throat. "Has the Minister informed you of who he plans to appoint to the DADA role?"

"Yes". His expression was grim. "The Senior Under-Secretary, Dolores Umbridge".

There were numerous groans and curses around him as Harry skimmed back through his memories for any traces of that name. Umbridge definitely wasn't a member of the Sacred-Twenty-Eight, and to the best of his knowledge, they didn't have any peerage titles either. She was probably a half-blood or muggle-born then, but if she was in the Minister's pocket, then it was more likely the former. And, now that he thought about it, he did know of an Umbridge that was associated with the Ministry, although he didn't know for sure if it was this person in particular.

"Is she the one who drafted that anti-werewolf legislation that prevents them from getting jobs a few years ago?"

"The one and the same". Remus grimaced, looking far paler than before. "There's quite a lot that woman has done for magical creatures, and none of it is good".

Harry sat back in his chair with a frown.

"And she's going to be my Defence professor? Well this is going to be a fun year". He glanced over at his godfather. "Do I really have to go to Hogwarts?"

"Yes" he said emphatically, "At least until Christmas, as we agreed upon!"

"Even with her being there? A- A bloody bigot who thinks I'm about to start a revolution?!"

"It certainly isn't ideal, my boy" Dumbledore replied before Sirius could, "But the best thing you can do is go to Hogwarts and keep your head down to prove her wrong. From what I know of Madam Umbridge, she's… antagonistic".

Podmore snorted. "That's putting it mildly! The woman is infamous at the Ministry - all sweet sugar-coated words to your face and then she cuts you down ruthlessly when your back is turned and takes all the credit for your work! She didn't get to her current position by being nice, you know!"

"And she'd do anything for the Minister" Shacklebolt added, "And I do mean anything. If she sees someone as a threat to his position… then I hesitate to think what she wouldn't do to protect him".

So Umbridge is simping after Fudge, right, that makes sense, Harry thought sarcastically, picking up his cup of tea, and she thinks I'm about to destroy her life's work, well that's just great. Why am I going to Hogwarts again?

"She's still just one person at the end of the day" Sirius said firmly.

Oh yeah - that's why.

"No matter how much control over Hogwarts the Minister gives her, she's still essentially powerless" he continued, "The students won't rally behind her, and I highly doubt that the staff will either. She might look like a threat, but in the end, she really can't do anything".

"For now" Snape added darkly, "But who's to say that the Minister won't expand her duties?"

"Can he?" Doge asked, turning back to Dumbledore, "I thought the control of Hogwarts was ultimately up to the Headmaster? The Minister can't actually fire you, right?"

"Not unless I commit a grievous crime, no" he replied breezily, "You are right, of course, Sirius. As long as everyone behaves themselves, shall we say, then Madam Umbridge won't be able to lift a finger against us".

Harry's godfather gave him a sidelong look. "You hear that, pup? No breaking the law while you're at Hogwarts, alright?"

"But over the school holidays, it's okay?"

"Well… let's just see how good your grades are first". He smirked. "Far be it from me, a convicted criminal, to dissuade you from breaking the rules after all".

"And yet they're still making you my guardian" Harry finished, shaking his head sadly, "The Ministry really has gone to the dogs".

He got a blinding grin for that, admittedly, terrible pun, and across from him, Snape let out a heavy, put-upon sigh and stood up.

"I need to leave before I vomit over this sickening display". He sneered. "If that's all, Headmaster, then I have potions brewing that require my attention".

"Yes, Severus, that's all. You may go".

"Good".

Harry watched him leave through the kitchen fireplace before turning back to Sirius with a blinding grin.

"I think he's warming up to me".

He made a truly disgusted face. "Oh Merlin, I hope not!"

"You know, you could learn a thing or two from him about dramatic exits" he replied only half-teasingly, taking a sip of tea.

"Uh, excuse you! Who needs dramatic exits when I've mastered the art of being the centre of attention while staying put?"

"You say that like it's a good thing".

"I reckon it's a Gryffindor thing" Tonks quipped, her pale hair flickering briefly into a deep scarlet.

"I reckon it's a dramatic bastard thing" Remus muttered, topping up his cup of tea, and causing Harry to almost choke on his.

"Well, I believe we can wrap things up here" Dumbledore announced, "Just be aware that Madam Umbridge will no doubt test our patience at every turn. If there's one thing I can say with certainty about the following year, it's that she will attempt to exert her authority at every opportunity".

"She can certainly try" Harry murmured, getting a playful nudge from Sirius and an exasperated look from Remus in return.

"Keep your wits about you, and trust in each other" the Headmaster finished, "And- Harry, please do remember that even the smallest act of rebellion can have large consequences".

Was that a warning about Umbridge? Or a warning about himself?

"I'll do my best" he replied evenly.

"That's all I can ask" Dumbledre said, the twinkle in his eyes returning, "Though I suspect you'll find allies in unexpected places. Hogwarts has a way of uniting its students in the face of adversity".

"Adversity like a Ministry-mandated spy?" Sirius grumbled, his arms crossed over his chest, "Honestly, Albus, the fact that Fudge is even allowed to pull this kind of stunt is-"

"-a political quagmire" the Headmaster interrupted calmly, "Which is why we must all tread carefully. For all her faults, Madam Umbridge is not the true threat here. She is a symptom of a much larger problem".

Harry sighed, drained the last of his tea, and then added 'remove Madam Umbridge' near the top of The List. He'd have to start writing things down sooner rather than later; it was already getting too long for him to keep a mental tally of.

But for now, at least, he had one last week of freedom and he was determined to let himself enjoy it. Perhaps the twins and Ron would be up for a game of Quidditch before they left…