Chapter 29

Albus Dumbledore had had a horrible day. A really bad one. At twelve ten A.M on the thirtieth of July he had been woken up very early by the monitoring spell he had on all his instruments and he realizing it to be those he had on Harry had rushed to his office knowing something was very wrong.

Harry had given all of them no cause to even check up on him even occasionally. He had never left his home and he had not done any accidental magic to cause a crisis.

Now Dumbledore rushed to his office in his pink, orange and purple striped night shirt that would make anyone think in horror about how the man could have gone to sleep in the first place wearing such bright clothes.

Dumbledore ran into his office and found all the instruments that were tied to No. 4, Privet Drive were breaking. That meant the wards were no longer there. Dumbledore transfigured his night shirt into a purple robe and he went to Fawkes and holding him flashed to Surrey. He landed in Little Whinging and there he realized he did not know where Harry lived. He had forgotten that in the time it had taken him to get to Surrey, which was but a few minutes.

It had been erased from his mind. Albus almost fainted with panic and had to steady himself by holding on to a lamppost. He was breathing heavily trying to remember just where Harry lived in Little Whinging. He could not remember and he was terrified for the first time in his life. What had happened to Harry and this was just one day away from Harry to claim his inheritances and become and adult and help him in the war to kill Voldemort.

Suddenly he remembered Arabella Figg and Albus apparated to her home and knocked at her door. She opened a crack and seeing who it was, opened the door fully, and put away the long pipe she had concealed in her other hand held behind her back.

"What is it Albus? Harry has been good yesterday also." She asked him with worry.

"Where does he live Arabella? Can you show me?" Dumbledore asked her in a hurry.

"Sure." She said and then paused. "It is just here Albus. But where? Where does Harry live? It was right here wasn't it?" she frowned at him very visibly confused. Albus and Mrs. Figg roamed the streets of Little Whinging and even passed No. 4 three times but they could not remember a thing.

Very worried Albus apparated to Hogwarts and called for Moody in the dead of the night and told him everything.

"Can you remember where he lives Alastor? You escorted him once from his home two years ago after all." Albus Dumbledore asked his friend anxiously.

Mad-Eye Moody shook his head scowling and cursing. "No Albus I cannot remember. How did the blasted boy vanish with the house and his relatives?" he asked Dumbledore gruffly but Dumbledore had no answers.

They spent time until morning trying various ways to find the blasted Boy-who-Lived and came with no answers. At six in the morning, a frantic Albus flood The Burrow and saw Molly and Arthur having their tea.

"Did Harry come here Arthur?" he asked looking much disheveled.

"No Albus. Is he not at his aunt's place in, in" Arthur turned to Molly, "where was it dear?"

Molly crunched up her face in thought and shook her head. "I really do not remember. It was a muggle neighborhood Albus. Oh my! Harry has been taken away and his place has been put under the Fidelus hasn't it? or has been kept captive there or?" Arthur placed a hand over her mouth and looked at Albus who was watching this with a sinking heart. They too, did not have any idea of where Harry or his home was.

"Where is he Albus? I will try to scout all the places I know before I come over to Grimmauld Place. We were planning to shift there for the holidays and Charlie is also coming there today for a few weeks." Arthur told him, very worried.

"I have called for a meeting at about eleven. Come there by then Arthur." And Albus withdrew his head.

Albus withdrew very worried. He washed and dressed and went to Grimmauld Place and paced the floor there. Bill and the Twins were not there and Snape had not answered his call. So he must have been with Voldemort or the death eaters.

Slowly Arthur and then one by one all of them trickled in and Albus immediately told them about Harry's disappearance.

"The frightening part is it looks like Harry had planned all this. Without his consent or knowledge no one would have been able to conceal not only him but his relatives as well. We must make sure that Harry is not under the imperious or some compulsion charm that will take him away from us and into the darkness."

McGonagall and the others who were there made appropriate sounds of distress and then Albus noticed Remus was not there. Remus was with the Twins and Albus turned to them. Both of them sported injuries and Dumbledore instinctively knew why Remus had not come.

"Is Remus fine?" Albus asked the Twins.

"He was sleeping and we let him be. Should one of us go and bring him?" one of the Twins asked.

Dumbledore shook his head. It was a good thing that he was not there. He would have kicked up a racket and Dumbledore with all the worry and anxiety was just not in the mood comfort Remus.

Albus sent everyone away after it looked all of them were all talking without any purpose here. Tonks had wanted to go to Remus but the Twins had not allowed it, saying Remus wanted to be by himself until he woke up and then he would come straight to Grimmauld Place.

Tonks and Moody apparated to Diagon Alley and it was there Moody saw Harry and Snape and sent for Albus.

Albus was having tea when Moody's message came and he was so stunned, he let the tea cup that was almost full of hot steaming tea fall from his nerveless fingers and onto his lap. It took ten minutes before Albus was able to move. He had conjured cold water on to his thighs and had to wait before he could get up decently and stand straight. He cast a drying spell and apparated at once to Diagon Alley, where he sent off Tonks to Grimmauld Place and learnt from Moody that Harry and Snape had gone inside Gringotts.

He waited and waited the whole day, before he went in and learned from the goblins Harry and Snape had indeed been there but they had left a long time ago.

Snape was not answering to his summons and all his things were intact at Hogwarts. Albus knew he had not gone to Voldemort because of the oath Snape had given so many years ago and at night just when he had decided Snape was a traitor, he received a message from Snape that told him Harry was with him and he would bring Harry to Grimmauld Place at lunch time, the next day. Today was dangerous, the message said rather abruptly.

That message gave Dumbledore another sleepless night wondering what danger Harry was in and why Snape could not get Harry to him safely.

He knew the next day.

At seven in the morning, an ordinary brown owl landed on Dumbledore's office window and pecked the glass softly.

Dumbledore was puzzled. He had no reason to receive letters until---, his heart quickened and he hurried to the window to open it and let the bird inside. The bird had a news paper tied to it and on top of the paper were the words 'compliments of Harry James Potter'

He opened the paper and showed the same reaction as one Lucius Malfoy. CRASH! Albus Dumbledore fell down in more ways than one that day. He saw the introduction note and the message from Harry and then he flushed with horror and then turned pale and went one step further to graveyard ashen just as Lucius Malfoy did.

James Potter and Sirius Black had come alive in their portraits and were calling for everyone's blood. He read Harry's strong statements and flushed with shame and anger.

He read and re-read all the articles and then the fire turned green and Moody's head came into view. He saw Dumbledore sitting crumpled on the floor and the paper in Dumbledore's hand. Before he could say anything Dumbledore held up his hand, "I am coming to Grimmauld Place. We will meet there and discuss."

Moody took a concerned look at his friend's face and withdrew his head from the fire. Dumbledore landed in Grimmauld Place a minute after that and sent word to all Order members to assemble there. Most of them came within five minutes, all clutching a copy of the Quibbler close to them.

Dumbledore saw that and flushed. He had lost his reputation and respect of a lifetime in just less than ten minutes that it took for all of them to read the articles.

He started getting angry and he was going to give time until lunch for Severus to bring in Harry and the boy had better have a good explanation for why he wrote the things he did.

"I told you Albus all those years ago, you should have killed him." Moody whispered to him. Unfortunately Arthur Weasley heard it and gritted his teeth. They had been asked to stay quiet until Harry arrived and the Weasleys and McGonagall were staying silent.

The other Order members were re-reading the articles and they found the life debt very thought provoking and they also wondered why Harry was so against Dumbledore. Yes he could be a little manipulative but he was straight forward and was the leader of the resistance against Voldemort.

Molly was most distressed. She was astounded and amazed that Harry of all people could write this and Hermione, wasn't she with her parents? When did she join Harry where and write articles on blood purity? She was already hurt about Arthur and her other sons' behavior with Ron and Ginny. Now Harry was saying such terrible things about the Headmaster. She really did not know what to do.

All the members had assembled and Dumbledore clapped his hands. It was not necessary because the whole room that would usually be so alive was now so silent.

"Harry has been missing since yesterday morning. Yesterday afternoon he was seen in Diagon Alley along with Snape. I was there with Alastor the whole day but he had somehow left without Alastor or I noticing his departure from Gringotts, where he had been with Snape.

"I received a patronus from Snape saying Harry was in danger and he would come here to Grimmauld Place at lunch today. While yesterday I was frightened for Harry, thinking he had been once again in the clutches of Voldemort, today's paper does not make it so. We will wait until lunchtime when Severus will come here with Harry, else we will have to report it to the Ministry of Magic, I am afraid."

"But Albus how did the child go away like Potter did, his aunt's place disappearing so completely and," Alastor said gruffly breaking off there, "Severus is with Harry, I saw them. But why? Harry never cared for him, unless Severus has somehow poisoned his mind and is now Harry's mentor or maybe they are together and," he left it there and there was an outrage just like Moody wanted it.

"Harry has turned only seventeen today, Snape had better not dare!"

"How dare Snape? Lynch him I say"

"Harry is old enough to be his son."

"Once a death eater always a death eater. That is what I always maintain."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

Moody continued.

"I always used to think you were very soft with Snape. That man took the mark willingly. I don't need any more evidence that he should be in Azkaban with the best of them. May be he had poisoned Harry' mind and made him write all this rubbish." He finished with an angry scowl on his face and his wand at the ready.

"How did Harry know about the background of You-Know-Who?" asked Arthur.

"And the article by James? Are their portraits really there Albus? And more importantly does Harry have a life debt and a blood debt he can claim on You-Know-Who?" McGonagall asked him reading the article by James and Sirius aloud.

"Professor Dumbledore, see here Remus is with them. He had left yesterday when we had got back. But who told Harry he was with us and how did Remus know where to go to meet Harry?" the Twins asked.

Dumbledore shook his head signifying he really did not know anything. He was worried about the backlash of all this from Voldemort and from the Wizarding World not to mention the Ministry. Well it was almost lunchtime and he would look out for Harry and Severus and then take it on from there.

All the members were confused and were reading and re-reading the articles and discussing the blood debt and the life debt again and again. Dumbledore was lost in thought and at that time Kingsley Shaklebolt and Tonks came in.

"All the Ministry workers were checked. Harry had sent copies to Amelia Bones and Brian Wheeler her deputy. They got in and started checking off Rookwood, McNair and Avery at once by calling for them. They did not check Lucius Malfoy because they could not get into his Manor and he was not working in the Ministry.

"They simply sent messages to the other three and the moment they flood in, Amelia checked their arms and stunned them and then imprisoned them. Another three persons working in the lower levels have also been caught with the mark.

"Then they conducted complete checks all over the Ministry of Magic and the whole place is in an uproar and total chaos. Tonks and I have had to plead sickness and get time off. Fudge is in panic because six death eaters have been found in side the Ministry and one of them with the Unspeakables." Kingsley finished and looked very disturbed at Dumbledore.

"Has Harry come?" he asked the Headmaster who looked equally grim.

"We are also waiting for him Kingsley and I pray he has some kind of explanation for his actions, he, Severus, Remus and Miss. Granger."

Ron and Ginny were also there and they were totally shocked by everything that was unfolding in front of them. Harry had vanished, Hermione was with him and he and Snape was a couple? Yuck. Thought Ron, while Ginny thought it was all very romantic before the thought she had lost Harry and his money came to her mind and suddenly she did not like anything.

They had not received the Quibbler and they had had to borrow Molly's copy and their jaws hit the floor when they read everything and looked fearfully at each other. They had not been included in this and that meant no good for them. After that their silence was very uncomfortable.

As the time got closer and closer to lunch time the Order was getting tenser and tenser. Dumbledore, especially looked grim and forbidding his face set into stern lines.

A few minutes later the already dull and whispered conversation had totally stopped and everyone was looking at the paper and the door alternatively and the tension in there could be cut with a knife, there were soft sounds of apparition that would have not been heard if they were not waiting for it and Dumbledore and the Order turned to see Harry, Snape, Hermione and Remus coming in to the room where all of them were assembled.

The first thing that made all of them stare was the aura Harry exhibited; he was radiating so much assurance, an aura of power and confidence. Remus, Snape and Hermione were walking a step behind Harry and Harry looked every inch in command.

Suddenly it looked as if Harry had known what he was doing all along and many Order members looked at the boy whom they had not given another thought except that fact he had somehow offed You-Know-Who many years back and he would fight this war the way he was told to. This Harry did not seem like that.

He approached the table and stood near Dumbledore's seat and raised his hand and asked for silence when Moody and Molly had both started asking him something. Arthur stopped Molly and Dumbledore placed a restraining hand on Moody.

"Hello I presume all of you are members of the organization called the Order of the Phoenix? Well I am Harry Potter. I am pleased to meet you, I think." Harry stopped there and looked at all of them and heard the many gasps with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes.

"I am here primarily because professor Dumbledore had seen Severus and me in Gringotts and I know he would naturally assume the worst and maybe even throw Severus to the Ministry by declaring him a death eater.

"I came here to remind him that I am seventeen years of age and that means I am an adult and quite capable of making my own decisions on everything and that includes how I wish to fight this war and I am not answerable to anyone least of all to a man who is only my Headmaster in the School I happen to study.

"I have yesterday become the Head of the Houses of Potter and Black and will start taking my position very seriously. Now while I know I do not have any responsibility to answer any question and please note I have my left sleeve rolled up, so I am not a death eater; I understand you may have questions for me. If they are not of a personal nature or offensive, I will do my best to answer them. But one at a time please."

Harry flicked his wand and conjured four lovely chairs that set themselves gently on the ground and sat in one of them calmly and looked around in mild curiosity.

"Harry you are alright? Can I ask Arthur to check you for the imperious?"

Harry laughed. "Yes Mrs. Weasley, though I am not under the imperius. I am seventeen years old today and I have already accepted my inheritance and I have the right to apparate and perform magic without threatening letters from the Ministry to break my wand. Please tell me why I should report to a man who is just my Headmaster of the School I happen to study in and that too only for one more year."

"That is nonsense and you are very ungrateful Potter. The Headmaster has done so much for you and you have simply been scandalous about him in the Quibbler today. He has only looked after your best interests." Moody ranted and the others watched this amazing power play between Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter.

"What interests Moody?" Harry challenged him disrespect blatant in his voice as he sneered at the ex-auror and everyone gaped at the Boy-who-Lived.

"My Godfather ran away from his home to avoid taking the mark of Voldemort. He left his home, family, wealth and the status of the Head of the House of Black and went as an orphan to the Potters residence. He was not even given a trial and he spent 13 years rotting in Azkaban with the likes of Bellatrix Lestrange.

"This man was the head of the Wizengamot and if he was not even capable of getting a fair trial then what use is he? Second there was so obviously a link between me and the bloody maniac. I suffered all of fifth year because of that. Did I get an explanation and did I know why I was to be learning Occlumency from Snape who so hated me and I so loathed him?

"If only I had known I could be lured to the Department of Mysteries and if only I had known Voldemort had the capacity to place all types of false memories in my head then I would have been more cautious."

Harry held up his hand as Moody was about to shout something at him.

"I know Sirius would have never come out if I was not there at the Department of Mysteries, and to that extent I take the blame, but where the hell was the leader of the bloody Light when you needed him? I had a vision here and there was Umbridge throwing the cruciatus and whom could I go to? McGonagall was injured and no one told me how I should contact a member of the Order in case of an emergency.

"I only had my wits and my desperation to save the only family I had left and thanks to you, all of you, I lost him. While you claimed the confusion and the tension that was prevailing in the Wizarding World as the reason you did not give Sirius a trial all those years ago, two years ago there was nothing and still Sirius was not given a trial. He had to bloody die for his name to be cleared. Well take it from me the Ministry will pay and so will you."

There was a deathly silence in the room and Harry went on very softly now though every word was firm and clear.

"I have lost too much in my seventeen years. My parents died so that I could live. Sirius came rushing only to save me. I am going to do them proud. I will defeat Voldemort and I will live Headmaster." He said ominously and Dumbledore flushed.

"What have you people done anyway? Apart from holding meetings now and then, I mean. One letter, one offensive letter and it was not even in The Daily Prophet and six death eaters are apprehended in the Ministry. Voldemort has told everyone not to attack from now on until they can come with counters for these accusations we have written. So no more attacks from today. He has also removed the mark from every one of his followers and sent them home because I have goaded the Ministry to make checks on random people.

"And Dumbledore, you may be rest assured I am going to continue. I have a great many plans with the astounding wealth I have inherited from my father and Sirius and I will be putting them to good use. I have already obtained the relevant papers and the Ministry approval for all that.

"The goblins have promised to extend any support I need in my endeavors and I am happy I have Remus, Severus and Hermione with me. I have my parents and Sirius and I am sure I will have the support of the Wizarding World; after all I am doing all this for them. For me it is revenge. For them it is a peaceful life without the horrors of war."

Snape stood up and went to the center and silently pushed back his sleeve and all of them gasped.

"What plans Harry?' Molly asked him hesitantly. Dumbledore was still silent and looking at him intently but still to say a word. "We can also help my dear."

"Briefly Mrs. Weasley, I have approval to start a Day School, an University, an orphanage and a counseling center to help all the half breeds to establish their lives and integrate them slowly but surely into mainstream society." Harry told her with a sad smile, "You are most welcome Mrs. Weasley if you would like to work with me." all the others were staring at Harry as if he was an alien and their mouths were hanging open in a very unattractive way.

"Of course Harry we all do. I know that. All these good plans are very nice after all." She wound down at the harsh look on Dumbledore's face.

"And you think you will succeed Harry in all this and still defeat Voldemort and bring about changes in the Ministry." Dumbledore asked speaking for the first time.

"I can try and will do my best to succeed Headmaster." Harry replied in the same even tone Dumbledore had spoke in.

"And how will you succeed Harry?" he asked still softly. "You have pitted against me, against Voldemort and the Ministry. And you expect to succeed?"

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating Headmaster. So I will not say anything now but you may see for yourself later." Harry smiled at him.

"You will start a School in competition with Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked him incredulously, his anger rising at the impertinence Harry had exhibited so far.

"No I never said so." Harry told him calmly.

Dumbledore had enough. He stood up sending his aura of power into the room and everyone suddenly jumped at the magic that was leaking off him. Harry did not even blink his eye.

"This is enough and is the limit. Harry, I have reached the end of my patience with you. I am tired of you gallivanting around and jumping into situations that inevitably bring only loss. Now you have pulled into your mess that has already cost Sirius, these three. Remember you are the child of the prophecy and it is your duty to kill Voldemort.

"And until you do that I am afraid you will have to listen to me and do as I say. As for the other three, I will speak to Severus and Remus in private and Miss. Granger I am very disappointed in you, I am afraid. I had thought better of you. Severus, remember your mark and I sincerely hope you will not get into trouble because of that and Remus is already close to begging his way" Dumbledore was cut off as a furious Harry stood up crashing his chair.

"SHUT UP! How dare you stand here and act so sanctimonious Dumbledore and threaten these three?" Harry roared and he in turn was cut off by Dumbledore who simply shouted at Harry. All the others were stunned as they watched the tug of power between Dumbledore and Harry.

"Harry you are an ungrateful boy and you have admitted here and in the Quibbler that you share a link with Voldemort. You will kindly obey me else I am very much afraid I will have to turn you in as you are a danger to society. You will give your oath here; right now in front of all these people Harry, and you too Severus, Miss. Granger and Remus, and then you will listen to me.

"I have done so much for you tried my best to hide the fact you have so much darkness in you and you are linked inseparably with Voldemort until he dies or you die. I have kept you safe and sound and this boy! Is how you repay me? One wrong word of your link with Voldemort and you will be branded as the next Dark Lord.

"You have been talking in your articles about your link. So my words will only make it true and don't goad me into making it. You will fight Voldemort and you will do it in the way I tell you to." Dumbledore roared flashing his aura and power that scared everyone in that room.

Remus had fallen in a faint suddenly and Arthur Weasley silently leviated him and placed him on a chair and quietly stunned him again. Hermione had seen the shaking of his shoulders and had stunned him silently and she thanked Arthur with her eyes as he placed Remus on a chair.

Suddenly the temperature in the room went from being comfortable to downright freezing and the Order members looked at Harry who was radiating so much anger that seemed to come off him in waves. His eyes were dark as they flashed around the room in rage.

"So the great Dumbledore cannot be without his pawn and his weapon can he?" Dumbledore flushed but looked straight on at Harry not giving an inch.

A few minutes later the freezing room was very comfortable and all the members in the room blinked at the change. They looked at Harry and he was normal and smiling. "Remember Dumbledore, you asked for this, not me." he said mysteriously.

"Respected members I have some personal work with the great leader of the Light. So apart from all the Weasleys, Moody, Lupin, Severus, Hermione, McGonagall, Kingsley Shaklebolt and Tonks I wish for the rest to leave us for sometime until Dumbledore calls for you again. He will believe me and be ready to come when you receive his patronus."

All of them looked at Dumbledore but he was flushed with triumph and he nodded his eyes still on Harry. "Please do as Harry says. I will call all of you the minute this private conversation is over and inform you." He said quietly.

All of them left the room reluctantly and went outside to wait.

Harry did not waste a minute and started placing a great many spells aided by Hermione who worked silently with him.

Harry then went and bowed to Mrs. Weasley. "I am sorry Mrs. Weasley, please forgive me." Harry told a bewildered Molly softly and looked straight at Mr. Weasley who was trembling as he nodded once. Molly went to sit with him and he held on to her for dear life. He knew she was going to be devastated. But there was too much at stake and her ignorance in this matter could not be kept in the same status forever.

"I want a promise that all of you will sit in your positions until I finish what I have to say. There will be no shouting and flashing of power, I for one am not impressed," Harry said sneering at Dumbledore, "and I don't want any running away either. So I have taken precautions and have placed all kinds of spells here."

All of them sat down including Snape and Hermione and then Harry smiled, "I have taken the liberty of securing all of you to your seats and I have also," he flicked his hand silencing them as he continued," made sure that this will be fully finished to the end before any of you can leave this room."

All of them shifted and found themselves bound to their seats. Snape had cast the charms when Harry and Dumbledore had been speaking with each other and he had activated it the moment Dumbledore sat down after the others had left the room.

They opened their mouths to yell but found themselves silenced and unable to move. Dumbledore was very angry and Harry flicked his hand at him once more to make him secure. Dumbledore's eyes widened at the casual use of wandless magic that Harry exhibited.

Harry took out a shrunken pensieve and enlarged it. Dumbledore frowned when Harry placed his wand and lifted a few strands of memories and placed it into the pensieve.

"I Harry James Potter swear on my magic and on my life that the memories I am going to show all of you are wholly and completely true." Harry waited until the swirl of magic came out of his wand and entered him.

Then Harry turned to all of them.

"This memory is about a year and a bit ago. Watch it and weep Dumbledore." Harry told him and tapped the pensieve.

Dumbledore screamed in his mind in horror when he saw Fawkes appearing with the letter and Ron reading it out. He saw Harry in the library pouring book after book and the find the incantations and saw him apply it on himself.

He saw Harry enter the room and all the members saw the first Order meeting and the second Order meeting. Dumbledore was now frantic and Moody was struggling against the bonds and Snape silently flicked his wand once more towards Moody and once more towards Dumbledore.

They saw Fawkes coming in with Ron, Ginny and Percy and the Order meeting where Ron and Ginny were given instructions. Then the small discussion between Dumbledore and Moody and after that the memory stopped.

Harry silently placed all the strands into his head and glared at Ron and Ginny whom he looked at for the first time. They were already trembling in terror and they took one look at Harry and cowered in shame.

"Shall I call them in Dumbledore and show this to all the others too?" Harry asked him the fury in his eyes.

Now Dumbledore and Moody remained silent.

Harry removed all their binds and a loud wail came out of Molly Weasley.

"How dare you?" she began but Harry was not finished.

"Ginny and Ron also placed four imperios on me and then went and told Dumbledore about it to get official sanction, didn't they Dumble?" Harry asked him mockingly even as Ron and Ginny cowered under the glares of their family.

"One to make me fall so very much in love with Ginny and stay loyal to Ron and Dumbledore, so sad," Harry cooed hatefully, "it really did not work out did it? One complaint and you will serve the rest of your lives in Azkaban and that goes for you too, Dumbledore and you have the bloody nerve to tell me to give you an oath to listen to you and write all my wealth to you."

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry looked at the sobbing woman, "All the others knew. We did not want to tell you because it would upset you, but Dumbledore's approach did not give me room to hide it."

Molly Weasley stood up tears in her eyes and the others in the room who were not with Harry like Molly, Kingsley and Tonks were horrified about what they were hearing about the man they would have followed implicitly to their death thinking he was doing everything to make their world safe and secure.

Molly was devastated, there was no other word, she was devastated when she saw her son and daughter taking the money and ready to betray Harry to whom the whole family owed so much and Molly Weasley loved him as her very own. At the mention of the imperios her world had come crashing down her ears.

She went to Dumbledore and slapped him hard on his face and did not notice the shocked silence around her. She was too hurt and too angry.

"How dare you?" she roared. "You are a teacher, a man who teaches values and imparts knowledge to your students. But you," she spat on his face to the horror of everyone there, "have taught them to steal and be immoral and you intended to rob my child of his money after you robbed him of his parents and Sirius. Now," she roared, "You have the nerve to come here and demand Harry obey you?"

Molly glared at Dumbledore and Moody, "You may think there is no one for the child Albus, but then like in so many things you would be wrong. I am there, and my family and I do not include the three blood traitors but the rest of us are with Harry. Try anything and I will castrate you and stuff the hole with your beard."

Albus looked at her, his whole world crumbling around him. Harry on the other hand was amazed and so touched by her defense. He looked proudly at her and smiled hesitantly when she turned to him and taking a step towards him, crushed him in her arms.

"It is not your fault Harry. It is Ron's and Ginny's. You are not to worry." She told him tears running down her face understanding why Arthur and the others had not spoken a single word to them these holidays.

She sat down in her chair and sobbed for her children whom she had lost. No one said anything and they looked at Molly with pity and Arthur crushed her in his arms slowly patting her back, tears running down his cheeks as well.

Harry went to Dumbledore. "I have copies of this memory with a blood oath to attest to it being true and have placed it in Gringotts with explicit instructions to the goblins to release the memory on the day I die, die by whatever means. While I was sleeping when Ron and Ginny cast the imperios on me, there was another student who heard it and that student had also placed the relevant memory in Gringotts and will release it on the day I die.

"So start praying Dumbledore that I don't die before you, because if I do you, Ron and Ginny and Percy will face the rest of your lives in Azkaban along with Moody and I have found a bit of the philosopher's stone in my vault and I have decided that I will ask a friendly auror to administer it and the five of you will be in Azkaban forever.

"You have been warned and do not try anything that is liable to get you down. Now be a good boy and wipe the spit off your face and get out there and tell everyone that you had indeed made mistakes and Harry, poor little boy was so right and all of us must cooperate with him. And don't take your anger on Sev, the other Weasleys and Hermione. I will release a few other memories that will shame you more than this.

"YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED DUMBLEDORE."

Harry finished loudly and went to Molly Weasley and held out his hand and took hers. A second later they had gone leaving a bitter and a fallen leader and his betrayed followers.

All the Weasleys without so much as a glace at Ron and Ginny who were sting there frozen and terrified seeing their mother spit on Dumbledore and slap him, thinking all kinds of things that their mother would do to them and shook with terror were shocked and a touch relieved when she disappeared with Harry were taken aback when the others also disapparated leaving them alone in that room with Moody and Dumbledore.

Dumbledore put his head into his hands. How would he go out and what would he tell the others. All his sins had demanded payment at the same time and Dumbledore did not know what to do.

McGonagall looked straight at Tonks and raised her eyebrow and mouthed 'coming?' and Tonks nodded and a second later they had gone. Snape did the same with Kingsley and soon they were standing outside Godric's Hollow. Hermione ran out with a piece of paper and Kingsley and Tonks read it and all of them went inside.

Molly was weeping when Harry apparated with her to Godric's Hollow and wrote something on a piece of paper and held it to her. She read it with blurry eyes full of tears and saw the house and held on to Harry tightly.

Harry gently led her in and she stood in shock when she saw the Slytherins who were there looking very comfortable. She looked at Harry in shock when Hermione apparated and the Slytherins now stood up and watched Molly silently.

"They are with us Mrs. Weasley. Mr. Weasley and the others know them." Harry told her softly as he led her to a sofa and seated her. Pansy went and got her a glass of water and held it to her silently. Molly looked at her for a long moment and took it from her and slowly sipped it, the tears falling from her eyes once again.