The Summer Begins

The warm summer descended upon the British Isles with a peculiar vehemence this year. Although lacking in blistering sun rays, the clouds above cast the ground in high humidity, prompting bucket loads of sweat.

Harry Potter sat on his bed, his legs stretched outward, as he leafed through the book the headmaster had given him out of his obscure collection. A rather thick tome with a leather binding, it was a book normally referred to apprentices pursuing their masteries in Transfiguration. Two more books of a similar kind rested on the table, one covering Advanced Charm work and another dealing with curses and counter curses.

He was a little bit surprised when the headmaster had given him those three books, and even more when he forbade him to share anything contained therein with anyone else. However, the reasoning made complete sense to him. All three books belonged to the headmaster's collection, and he had made various modifications to the original text which required a certain level of power and finesse to put into application, something not everyone had. One minor oversight and a person's magic could be severely affected.

Harry knew why the headmaster included his friends in that list. Ron, for all his abilities, was not a wizard capable enough to exercise that level of control over his magic, and Hermione, while overly book smart, was even less so. Considering her never-ending curiosity and the urge to be better than everyone, Harry fully understood where the old wizard was coming from. It was better to hide the fact from them instead of exposing them to the possibility of hampering their magic.

He was extremely grateful to the headmaster for the level of trust, and the least he could do was honour it.

Currently, Harry was going through some advanced battle spells that he could employ in a, well, in a battle. It was a fascinating read, and it only confirmed what Harry had suspected for quite some time. Magic bent to one's willpower. There had to be an intent, but as long as one didn't have the willpower to enforce that intent, it wouldn't amount to much. That was why all the great wizards of the past had one thing in common – sheer willpower when casting spells.

The spells demonstrated therein would be a huge boon to their war efforts, he reckoned, as his mind travelled back to that meeting in Dumbledore's office. It was a revelation, for sure. He had always felt comfortable while using magic, despite not having concrete theoretical knowledge, and now he realized where it came from. It felt like cheating, to be honest, but the headmaster was right as well. His life wasn't fair, so why should he play fair?

Harry was brought out of his musings when a pebble hit the glass window. He shut the book close and pushed all three in the drawer beside his bed. Scooting to the side, he climbed down and walked over to the window. As he looked down, he sighed.

Nymphadora Tonks, or more accurately, Tonks, was someone who Dumbledore had set up at Number 5. In his own words, to keep him company over the summer holidays until he had to stay there. The house had been vacant for the past few years and the headmaster had rented it out so that she could stay.

She was a weird woman, he thought. Agreed that her name was not a common one, but he did not think it was so bad. She could shorten it to Nym or Dora and it would have worked, but she was strictly against anything to do with a combination of those alphabets. Like he said, totally weird.

Tonks, as she preferred to be called, was his only connection to the wizarding world during the summer. Sick of the rag that was the Daily Profit, because that's all that it was, profiting from the pain of others, he had denied getting a subscription and as such, he was unaware of whatever was unfolding in the Wizarding world.

His thoughts went back to his best friends, and the fact that they had not written anything significant to him. He knew they were staying together, their letters implied that at least, but they didn't tell him much. That perturbed him slightly, that his friends were keeping secrets, but when he realized he was withholding things from them as well, it didn't seem fair to get mad at them.

Tonks became his only connection to the events unfolding in the wizarding world. The young auror would visit him frequently, and they would talk about various things. While their interactions had been fairly awkward in the beginning, they seemed to get comfortable around each other over time. The woman used to actively flirt with him, and Harry admitted that if he hadn't been smitten with someone else, he might have thought about giving the young metamorph a chance.

She was also the niece of his godfather. Turns out, Sirius' elder cousin Andromeda was her mother, and given the fact that his grandmother Dorea was born a Black as well and was Andromeda's aunt, that made them distant cousins. It was heartening to know he had some relatives close by, however distant they might be.

As he looked down, he saw Tonks waving excitedly, gesturing to ask if she could come over. Harry held his hand up in the universal gesture of 'wait' before turning around and walking out. He went downstairs and saw that the Dursleys were watching TV.

'How the fuck do they watch that all day long!?'

Harry shook his head in exasperation and cleared his throat. Vernon and Petunia turned their head around and their expressions soured.

"What is it?" Petunia muttered with a distasteful tilt of her lips that made it seem as if she was sniffing shit.

"Tonks is coming over. Don't worry, we'll be in our room and you won't be disturbed."

Their faces soured further on hearing her name. If there was anything the Dursleys abhorred the most, it was anything unnatural. And Tonks was anything but natural. With her hair constantly cycling through various colours which she intensified deliberately in front of his lovable relatives, it was no wonder the Dursleys thought the worst of her.

"Fine," Vernon grunted, "but no funny business under my roof, you hear that? I don't want my house tainted any more than it already will be."

"I do," Harry nodded and walked away. He had a few choice words for his uncle for his parting remark but relented. There was no use in arguing with an imbecile like him.

The Dursleys and he had had a very hostile relationship ever since he could remember. Although it never got physical, the treatment he had received under their tender care over the years could be termed as nothing but severe abuse. He had been a shut-in his all life, and it was only after he left their house and went to Hogwarts did he learn how to stand on his own feet.

His first summer back from school and the Dursleys could see how he had already changed. It helps when you go through a harrowing experience like the one he had, killing his first man. However, possessed he might have been, the fact remained that he had killed someone. Something like that leaves an imprint on your psyche, and Harry was no exception. The first time they had tried to exercise their usual dominant hand over him, they had gotten a taste of what was to follow. Vernon still carried the marks from those blisters on the back of his arm.

Since then, they had learned not to cross him. Harry had given them the deal to leave him be, live their own lives, and only grant him his meal like any normal person would do, and they would be free to forget that he even lived there for a few months. Although initially reluctant to part ways from their free labour for a few summer months, they agreed. The situation could be best described as a cold war, although calling it war was somewhat extreme, Harry thought.

Bidding Tonks entry, he shut the door behind him and pulled her with him. Once they reached his room, he closed the door and locked it. He couldn't help but groan when he saw the mischievous expression cross her face. He knew what was coming.

"Ooh, in a hurry, are we? My my, I didn't realize you'd be so bold, Harry. Dragging me up to your room and even locking it? What would people think?" She whispered, mocking him by acting overly shocked as she cupped her cheeks.

Harry looked at her with a sigh.

"You know, if you wanted, you could've just said and I'd have been all over you, hotshot," she winked as she planted her admittedly bubble butt on his bed, leaning back and pushing her larger than normal tits out, and Harry couldn't help but glance.

"Ooh you want these, Harry? They won't mind, you know?" She whispered seductively as she cupped her tits, pushing them together and making them even larger. Harry couldn't help the tightening in his pants as he saw those jugs strain against her top.

"All you have to do is take the plunge, big boy, and you could do with me whatever... you... want..." She giggled, her perfect teeth shining under the light as Harry stared for a moment.

"You're incorrigible," he muttered as he pulled the chair out and sat down, deliberately crossing his legs. Tonks noticed and giggled. Harry glared.

"Okay okay, you're so much fun that I can't help it."

"Glad to know I'm your personal source of amusement," Harry deadpanned.

"That you are, I won't lie," Tonks admitted shamelessly, and Harry shook his head.

"Moving on," he said loudly, trying to shift the trajectory of their conversation, "how's the situation over there?"

"Ugh, do you really want to know?" Tonks groaned.

"Yes, I do, now spill."

"Fine," she sighed exasperatedly, "it's the usual slander campaign against you and the headmaster for those idiotic lies being perpetrated to incite fear and paranoia among the masses, and to gain public sympathy and support to boost their own ego and fulfil their malicious intentions." Tonks finished sarcastically.

"This Fudge really is a nutcase, and to think I somewhat liked him when I met him first."

"That he is," Tonks nodded sagely, "the idiot is tarnishing the name of Fudge. Now I always avoid ordering it at Fortescue's."

"Err... good for you," what else could he say to that...

"Anyway, expect to move to the new place on your birthday. Don't ask, I won't say where it is, just know you'll know everything once you get there."

"Alright, a few days more are nothing."

"Exactly," Tonks nodded. The pair sat for a few minutes in silence, munching some snacks that Harry had asked her to bring with her.

"Say Tonks," he began after a while, and Tonks looked up with her mouth full of chips.

"What?"

"Do you know mind arts?"

Tonks swallowed before looking at him seriously.

"That's an obscure branch of magic, Harry."

"I know, do you know it though?"

"I have above average shields if you want to know, and yes, I'm fairly competent in the offensive branch. Why do you ask?"

"I want you to test my shields," Harry admitted, looking resolutely at her.

Tonks' eyes widened slightly.

"You're dabbling in the mind arts? Already?"

"When you have the darkest wizard of the generation after your life, you have to dabble in forbidden and obscure knowledge. Don't worry, Dumbledore has guided me through the process, and I've practiced it enough for quite some time," he lied. In reality, he had actively devoted himself to Occlumency only over the summer and the last few days of his fourth year, but there was no need to tell her about the conversation he had had with the headmaster in his office after the final task.

"You sure?" Tonks asked sceptically, looking slightly unsure.

"Very sure. I just want to measure my progress."

"Alright then, don't worry if you can't keep me out though. Just keep practising."

Harry nodded.

"Ready?" She asked, pulling out her wand and pointing it at him. Harry gripped the arm of his chair and nodded.

"Legilimens!"

He felt more than he saw something strike against his mental shield and suddenly it was over. Looking ahead, he saw Tonks with her eyes shut tightly as she rubbed her head as if to thaw a headache.

"Merlin! How are you so good already? That shield felt like it was made of iron and I banged my head against it... owww..."

"I guess I'm good?" He asked, scratching his cheek and Tonks opened her eyes.

"Good? You're bloody brilliant!" She exclaimed, her headache seemingly forgotten, "I've never seen someone as young as you having such strong shields. As far as I know, it might not be one of the strongest but surely it is much better than I expected. You'll detect an attempted intrusion from a master Legilimens easily and able to stop or at least significantly delay his focused assault,"

Harry's eyes widened. "You're not joking?"

"Harry," Tonks deadpanned, "when I joke, my hair turns baby pink. What colour is it now?"

"Pink,"

"There you go."

Harry stared at her. Tonks saw him staring at her. She let him stare at her. Okay, he was staring too much now.

"Hey!" She clipped her fingers in front of his face, deliberately pulling his blanket up to her chest as if covering her modesty.

"You pervert! Is that any way to stare at a woman? Locking her in your room with yourself? I should've guessed your nefarious intentions," she finished, a fake frightened look on her face, her hair a deep pink.

Harry didn't justify her with a response. However, he surely did chuck his sock at her face. Her idiotic shriek coaxed out a laugh from him, and he wondered how quickly she was able to change the mood around herself.

The rest of their time together was spent joking around, eating snacks, learning spells, and talking about their lives. At least it was a semblance of normalcy in an otherwise turbulent world that was awaiting him in not more than a week.

XXXXX

The summer had been relatively good in Harry's opinion. Since he came to know the real reason behind his stay with his relatives, he had become a bit less morose about the fact that he had to live there. Now, he felt somewhat grateful, since the blood magic had enabled him to reach his potential much faster than he would've managed otherwise.

The war was in its beginning phase at the moment, with both sides readying themselves, equipping their ranks with as many personnel they could get, while also doing whatever they could to harm the other without resorting to violence.

Harry frowned when he read the letter that had arrived the previous night after he had gone to sleep. Something fishy was going on in the ministry, and Dumbledore was not willing to take chances. It was thus decided that he would be leaving Privet Drive today instead of his birthday as it had been previously decided.

He found he had no issue with that idea either. Sure, it would mean a loss of a few days of powerup, as he liked to call it, but he couldn't complain. The wards had served him well enough, and a few days were not worth whatever mad fancy the minister had caught this time.

'Considering him, probably something to screw me over to give him an excuse to get rid of Dumbledore's poster boy,' Harry thought scornfully.

The ministry had fallen to the bottom of the shithole in Harry's opinion. His belief in the ministry had taken such a nosedive this summer that he had discarded his ambition of becoming an auror. He had aspirations of becoming one, but given what he saw of the ministry, he found himself reluctant to do anything that was even remotely connected to the ministry.

While this reduced his scope of career choices massively, Harry found himself not caring about it. He was sure he would come across something that would catch his fancy. He had a long time to figure that out.

'Once I kill this fucker, that is.'

Harry, for the first time, had started to believe that he might come out of this war alive. Earlier, he had no hope of surviving. He was not an idiot. He knew how massively the odds were stacked against him, but Dumbledore's revelations had turned the table over. The only things he was lacking were esoteric knowledge and practice. A lot of knowledge and practice.

The practice was something he couldn't do now, but he could easily start bridging the gap in terms of knowledge, and that was where Dumbledore came clutch. The headmaster had loaned him several books to read over the summer, and Harry had come through. He had leafed through books at an alarming pace, surprising even the headmaster who had remarked that his thirst for knowledge could have surprised Rowena Ravenclaw herself.

Harry didn't bother to dwell upon that. He had a mission, one that would decide what course his life would take or even if he will have one, and he was determined to see it through.

A small rock sailed through his open window and struck him on the head. Frowning, he picked it up and looked outside the window into the post dusk darkness. With a mock scowl, he threw it back and watched in satisfaction as it hit the clumsy auror on her head.

Tonks glared up at him murderously before dragging her thumb across her neck in a gesture of 'You're dead' before pointing toward the door. Harry chuckled and nodded.

The house was empty as he walked down. The Dursleys had gone to a colleague of Vernon's while Dudley was somewhere outside, probably terrorizing the dogs in the neighbourhood. Harry had long stopped caring what his cousin did.

He opened the door to let Tonks in. However, he was surprised when a wooden staff pulled the door open and an older man with a very disfigured face walked in.

Alastor Moody was followed by Remus Lupin and Tonks.

"Wotcher, hotshot," Tonks greeted him like she normally did and Harry chuckled.

"How's the head, Nymmie?" he mocked and laughed when her hair turned an angry red.

Just when she was about to explode, Mad-eye cut in.

"We don't have time for your lovers' quarrel," he remarked, coaxing twin flushes from both of them, "Potter, get your trunk out here quickly. We've got more important work to do."

Harry gave him a look before nodding. He had a few choice words for the man but he held himself back. There was no use arguing about insignificant things.

Harry walked up the stairs and opened the door. His trunk had been packed already, and he quickly opened it up. Grabbing the books from the desk, he threw them inside and closed the trunk. With a small grunt, he pulled the trunk off his bed and put it down on the floor, dragging it out of his room behind him.

The three waited for him near the main entrance. The moment Harry reached them, Remus tapped his wand on the trunk and it shrunk in size. Harry put it in his pocket and nodded.

"Anything else you need to do?"

Harry looked at Mad-eye for a moment before looking inside the house. His eyes zeroed in on the cupboard under the stairs before they narrowed.

"No, there is nothing here. Let's go," he remarked and followed them outside. Once they were out of the wards, they walked into a side alley and Moody pulled out a small rope, gesturing them to hold on.

With a soft whoosh, the quartet disappeared.

Only to reappear with a whoosh in front of a park and Moody instantly looked alert as he scanned the area. Harry looked around what seemed like an upscale neighbourhood before Remus shook his shoulder. He looked at the parchment that had been thrust in front of him.

'Padfoot's kennel and premium fried chicken is found in #12 Grimmauld Place.'

Harry and Tonks snorted at the sentence as Remus shook his head while Moody scowled. Suddenly, a building materialized into existence right between the two in front of them.

"Come on," Moody grunted before walking forward. The trio strode behind him toward the new building that was #12.

The first thing that Harry noticed about #12 Grimmauld Place was that it was aptly named. The place had a grim aura about it. Dark and dilapidated to some extent, Harry had expected better from the House of Black.

"Be careful Harry," Tonks muttered as she scooted slightly closer. Harry frowned. What was there to be careful for?

He got an answer when Tonks promptly fell on her face with a loud curse. Harry saw something protruding out of the wall but couldn't make out what it was in the darkness. He didn't have the time to ponder on that thought, because as soon as Tonks fell, a shrill banshee started screaming.

"TRAITORS, FILTH, BLOODY MUDBLOODS INFESTING THE ANCIENT TOWNHOUSE OF THE BLACKS! BEGONE FILTHY SCUM!"

Harry looked up ahead and saw the portrait of a woman, probably in her forties, shouting obscenities for all to hear. Tonks' hair had turned an angry red and he knew she was about to erupt. However, just when she was about to go off, Harry pulled her back.

Tonks looked at him angrily and he gave her a look that said 'Let me handle this.'

By now, the entire house had descended and gathered at the opposite end. Harry saw Sirius and gave him a wink before schooling his face into a sneer that wouldn't look out of place on the face of the biggest pureblood scum.

His magic swirling around him in emerald waves, a trick Harry had perfected over the summer, he walked forward until he reached the portrait. The woman was looking at him curiously, with a hint of apprehension on her face.

"I am assuming you are a noble lady of the Ancient and Noble House of Black. I am also excusing you of your ignorance regarding my identity. However, what I cannot excuse is the pathetic way a lady of such an esteemed house lowers herself to the standard of a common streetwalker from Knockturn and spews such filth from her mouth. You should be ashamed of yourself, and consider yourself privileged that a pathetic shitstain like you managed to marry someone much higher than your station. I, the Lord of Slytherin, am very disappointed, to say the least," he finished with a look of grave disappointment on his face.

The look on the face of Walburga Black was priceless. And even more priceless was the look of open-mouthed shock on the face of everyone else. Harry felt like he would burst into laughter and only his advanced occlumency helped him stifle it.

"Let's forget this unpleasantness," Harry began with a mock sigh, looking up at the almost teary visage of the woman, "the least you can do now is act like a sensible woman befitting the lady of such an esteemed house. I hope you will not be remiss in your conduct. Have a good day."

With a slight inclination of his head, something that signified that he was of higher standing than her, Harry walked right across the portrait and inside the kitchen where he took a seat at the dining table. Slowly, everyone walked inside and took their seats, looking at him in wonder.

"Well, that was fun."

That did it. Sirius guffawed, and so did the twins. Ron and Ginny laughed while Remus chuckled. Tonks was laughing hard, clutching his arm tightly while the others either smiled or shook their heads in exasperation.

"You're trouble, Potter," Mad-eye remarked, shaking his head and Harry grinned.

"Oh, loosen up Moody. You don't have to always act like your name suggests."

The man simply shook his head again, his perennially serious face staying serious.

"Oh Merlin! That was hilarious Harry!" Sirius clapped him on the back just as Tonks released her hold on him, "This was probably the first time someone managed to shut that old hag up."

"Your lovely mother, I presume?" Harry drawled.

"Right in one," Sirius nodded.

"You should do better than badmouth your mother, Lord Black. It does not suit someone of your station to conduct yourself in such an uncouth manner," he stated in his trademark 'pureblood asshole' voice.

Ron shivered.

"Mate, for the love of Merlin, please stop that."

Harry chuckled.

The mood around the table lightened up as they exchanged greetings and went to talk about their summer.

"Here you go, Harry dear," Molly Weasley passed a plate to Harry.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," he smiled at her and dug in. Mrs. Weasley patted his shoulder and moved on to take her seat beside her husband.

"So, what new slander has the Profit published lately? I remember the attention-seeking brat, the glory hound, the confused child searching for his long-lost fame, and some other rubbish that seems to escape me,"

Sirius scowled.

"Apparently, it's the Plotting Potter now."

"The what?" Harry laughed.

"The minister and those close to him are concerned that you are involved in some scheme to overthrow the ministry and install Dumbledore as the ruler of the British Isles. They believe by inciting mass panic, you can make the public more agreeable to the idea."

"Hmm. Not bad," Harry mused.

"What?"

"I mean, if you look at the reasoning they have created, it doesn't seem like a bad plot. Think of it. Two wizards who have previously defeated dark lords can easily sway the public to their side if they say there is another dark lord. The fact that it is Voldemort gives this even more credibility."

Everyone looked on with surprise at him.

"What?" He asked, looking around. Hermione flushed when she caught his eye.

"Well... it's just that such critical thinking is not something expected from you, no offense."

"Things change," Harry shrugged.

A few people looked at him askance but soon busied themselves with their dinner when they realized he was not going to elaborate.

Dinner was over soon and a few people walked outside. Harry was talking to Sirius, enquiring about his time so far since their last talk.

"A lot of things have been pretty boring to be honest. Although the shit the Profit prints is amusing sometimes, the fact that people actually believe that rag puts a sour taste in my mouth."

"Not to mention the fact that Fudge is completely in Malfoy's pockets. The man will not do anything until it's too late, I'm afraid," Remus chimed in.

"Forget Fudge. What is the Order doing?"

At the end of the table, Molly Weasley frowned. She didn't like involving children in the affairs of war. It was their responsibility, and it included keeping their children safe. The more they were involved in the war, the more their lives were at a risk.

"Well," Sirius looked around to see everyone was listening in, "it's mostly gathering the people right now. Allying ourselves with people to stand against Voldemort or at least maintain neutrality. Moony will be leaving in a few days to talk to various werewolf clans, with the same proposal. Although it seems a doomed cause in my opinion, given the influence Greyback has."

Fenrir Greyback was a notorious werewolf and the one who had turned Remus when he was a child.

"And I've told you Padfoot, we won't know for sure until we try," Remus sighed.

"Anyways, Hagrid and Maxime, yes, the Beauxbatons headmistress, they have gone to visit the giants with the same proposal. Let's hope they are successful. A giant is not something I want to face in a battle."

Harry nodded.

"We have to do something about this character assassination though," Hermione began, and everyone looked at her. The moment she realized this, she flushed.

"Go on, Hermione," Harry gave her an encouraging smile.

Heartened, she continued, "Well, Dumbledore has already been ousted from his positions as the Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump. And to add to it, the ministry is running this smear campaign against both of you," she looked at Harry as he said so.

"We know that, Hermione."

"Well, what I'm trying to say is that we should do something to curb this smear campaign. Think about it Harry. Last year was hard enough with Rita Skeeter, if this continues, who knows how serious this might get."

Whatever she expected Harry to do was not this. He chuckled.

Everyone looked at Harry.

"Why are you laughing, Harry? Hermione has a point. Slander could be dangerous," Mrs. Weasley stated, her face set into a frown. She had wanted to stop this conversation, but they had not gone into any dangerous territory, only a general overview had been given, so she had let it go. Harry deeming the topic funny was not something she had expected.

"Tell me," he began, "you all know Voldemort is back. And it's obvious that he will be revealed sooner than later. What do you think will happen, when he is revealed? Think on it. The ministry, the media and everyone is slandering us on this topic. Only to be proven wrong when he is revealed. What will this cause?" Harry smirked, looking over at Moody, who was grinning nastily.

"Everyone will think a hundred times over before doubting a word that comes out of your or Albus' mouth. I'll admit Potter, you'd have made an excellent Slytherin with that devious brain of yours," Moody chuckled, and Harry looked on as comprehension dawned on all their faces.

"Holy shit!" The twins shouted out, before darting out of their seats and bowing before Harry as one.

"That's one hell of a prank on the entire country! No wonder you're the son of Prongs and the godson of Padfoot, honorary nephew of Moony as well. Bloody hell, Harry!"

Harry chuckled.

"Just wait, everyone. When I'm done with him, Fudge will not even find a hole big enough to take a shit in," he grinned, and Sirius chuckled.

"I told you Moony, he might look like Prongs but his resolve is all Lily."

Remus nodded with a smile.

"Now that we're done scratching the surface, tell me what the order is really doing."

Everyone looked at him, and he could see Mrs. Weasley frowning at him.

"Sirius, what is the order really doing? So far, I've only heard what Remus is supposed to do. And Hagrid's mission. That's it. There are so many order members. What are they doing?"

Sirius looked at him with a smirk.

"Well, Dumbledore feels Voldemort is after something, something he didn't have in the last war,"

"Sirius," Mrs. Weasley called out in warning, but the marauder ignored her.

"The order is taking turns guarding the Department of Mysteries, since Voldemort... oh for fucks sake stop flinching every time his name is mentioned!" Sirius shouted in agitation and quite a few people looked down abashed.

"So, you're guarding the DoM? What is he after? Some particular knowledge? A weapon, perhaps?"

"That's enough!" the voice of Mrs. Weasley cut Sirius off as he went to reply. "You have told them enough, Sirius. They don't need to know all of this. The less they are involved in, the better it is for them,"

Harry frowned and stood up. Everyone's attention was on him now as he looked across the table at her.

"This man murdered my parents, Mrs. Weasley. He destroyed numerous lives, all for the sake of satiating his hunger for power and nothing else. No one here, not even the headmaster, can claim to have faced him as many times as I have. I know you want to protect us all, and I admire you for it. But you have to understand that you just cannot do anything."

Mrs. Weasley looked at him with teary eyes, and before she could get a word out, Harry cut in.

"I am already involved in this, Mrs. Weasley. More closely than any of you can possibly realize. Dumbledore and I have come to an understanding. I know a lot of things, Mrs. Weasley, perhaps more than anyone in this room or the Order except the headmaster. You might want to keep me out of this, but it simply is not possible. However, I understand where you are coming from. So, if you ask your children to not get involved with me in this, I'll fully understand and won't begrudge them or you. Please consider my words and understand where I'm coming from."

Everyone looked at him stunned, the Weasley children and Hermione most of all. Sirius, Tonks, Kingsley, and Moody gave him understanding nods while Remus gave a small smile.

Mrs. Weasley looked at him with wide eyes and they pooled with tears as Harry walked out. However, once he reached the exit, he turned around to see everyone was looking back at him.

"And just so you know, I know you're guarding the prophecy down there. Don't worry, I know what it says. All I have to say is keep your guard up when you're down there. Voldemort will want to know what it says, and it's one of our biggest asset at dragging his ass out in public."

With a nod, Harry made his way out of the room. Everyone looked at the spot he had just stood in with wide eyes. Sirius got up.

"I'll show him to his room. Ron, I don't think he would want to share, so you've got that room to yourself, good night, everyone."

As Sirius walked out, the others inside the room looked at each other. Arthur took Molly to the side, talking to her while the Weasley children gathered together with Hermione.

"What just happened!?" Hermione voiced the question on everyone's minds, and Fred filled the silence.

"I think we just witnessed Harrykins' taking charge, finally."

Everyone's eyes widened. All Hermione could do was look at Ron with wide eyes, who was looking down at the table in silence.

To be continued...

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