EIGHTEEN
JULY 4th 1995
The group touched down outside Number 4 Privet Drive. Hermione hopped off her broom, shaking. Flying definitely hadn’t gotten any easier, but she was determined to be there to pick up Harry. The pristine garden was covered with witches and wizards and Hermione grinned at the thought of the Dursley’s seeing their floating brooms and long, dark cloaks.
They entered the house by Muggle means; Mad-Eye picking the back lock, with Sirius watching him very intently. Hermione was surprised he wasn’t taking notes.
“Very clean these Muggles, aren’t they?” Tonks asked, spinning to face them. She hit a decorative plate off the shelf and it shattered on the floor. Hermione winced and drew her wand, mending the plate quickly.
“We’re going to scare the shit out of him,” she hissed. They all fell silent, waiting. Harry crept overhead, floorboards creaking. A wand tip came into view.
“Lower your wand boy, before you take someone’s eye out!” Moody yelled up the stairs.
“Professor Moody?” Harry called, cautiously.
“Dunno much about Professor-” Moody glanced back at the group and chuckled. “Get down here, we want to see you properly.” Harry didn’t move. Hermione smiled. He was wise not to trust Moody after the year he’d had. Hermione nudged Remus in the ribs. He jumped and rubbed his side.
“It’s alright, Harry,” Remus called up to him, “We’ve come to take you away.” Harry sucked in a sharp breath and lowered his wand slightly.
“Prof-R-Remus?” Harry stuttered, hopefully, “Is that you?”
“Why are we standing in the dark?” Hermione asked the room, raising her wand and wordlessly lighting the tip. Harry blinked at the sudden light and found Remus’ eyes and grinned.
“Ooooh,” Tonks cooed, “He looks just like I thought he would!” Her hair grew a brighter shade of purple, “Wotcher, Harry!”
“I see what you mean, Remus,” Kinglsey drawled from the back of the room, “Looks exactly like James.” Hermione saw Remus’ slight wince.
“Except the eyes,” Sirius murmured, coming around the corner behind Hermione, “Lily’s eyes.”
“Sirius!” Harry spotted his godfather and his eyes lit up. He moved to run down the stairs when Moody held up his hand.
“Are we quite sure it’s him?” Moody growled, “I would be a pisspoor lookout if we brought bac-”
“Harry,” Remus interrupted, “ What form does your Patronus take?”
“A stag”
“That’s him,” Sirius and Remus said together. Harry ran down the stairs and flew at Sirius, who caught him and wrapped him tight. Hermione’s breath caught and she grabbed Remus’ arm tightly. He covered her hand with his own and moved his thumb over her knuckles lightly. She gave him a watery smile and relished in the comfort for a few moments before dropping her hand.
“How are you?” Remus asked as Harry pulled away from Sirius.
“F-fine.” Harry glanced around at the people surrounding him. “I-I’m-you’re lucky the Dursley’s are out.”
“Ha!” Tonks giggled, “Lucky. It was us that lured them away.”
Sirius snorted, “Lawn competition my arse.”
Harry grinned up at him. “We are… leaving aren’t we?” He eyed Sirius and Remus, “Soon?”
“Yes,” Sirius grinned back.
“Almost at once,” Remus smiled, “just have to wait for the all-clear.”
“Where are we going?” Harry glanced around at all the wizards, “The Burrow?”
“No, not the Burrow,” Remus said as he lead the way to the kitchen.
“Too risky,” Hermione said, pulling herself up to sit next to the toaster on the counter.
“We’ve set up headquarters elsewhere,” Sirius grinned at Harry, throwing an arm around his shoulders. Remus introduced the gaggle of wizards sitting in the kitchen.
“Don’t call me Nymphadora, Remus!” Tonks said as she was introduced, shaking her now-red hair. Hermione saw Remus take in a shuddering breath as Tonks said his name, though she didn't think anyone else noticed.
Hermione waved shyly at Harry as she was introduced as Hestia, “A lot of us volunteered to see you,” She said with a smile.
“Look-” Harry turned to Sirius, “What’s going on? I haven’t heard anything about Vold-”
“Shh!” every person in the room hushed Harry.
“We can’t discuss anything here,” Hermione told him kindly, “It’s too risky. Just wait a while and we’ll tell you everything.” She smiled at him again and he smiled awkwardly back. Suddenly, Moody cursed violently as his eye popped from his socket.
“You know that’s disgusting,” Tonks said nonchalantly, “Don’t you?”
“Get me a glass of water, would you Harry?” Moody said, holding the spinning eye. “Cheers,” he said, dropping the eye in the cup. Hermione couldn’t stop her incessant staring at her best friend. Thankfully every other adult was staring at him too.
“So how are we getting -you-know-”
“Brooms!” Sirius grinned.
“Is that safe for you, Sirius?” Harry asked. Sirius shook his head with a smile.
“Loads to tell you, Harry!” Sirius laughed, “Just wait.”
Kingsley cleared his throat, “Remus says you’re a good flier,” his deep voice loud in the quiet house.
“He’s excellent!” Sirius and Remus said in unison.
“Anyway,” Remus continued, “You should get packed, Harry-”
“I’ll help!” Hermione said quickly, catching Tonks before she could offer. Hermione jumped off the countertop and followed him through the hall. “Bit terrible these Muggles, yeah?” Hermione asked, in what she hoped was an easy voice.
“That’s an understatement,” Harry muttered as they reached the landing.
“What does that mean?” Hermione asked, leaning on the doorframe as Harry hastily started stuffing everything he owned into the trunk that was open in the middle of the room.
Harry shrugged, “Well-they just-” Harry glanced around his barren room. “They don’t treat me great, I guess.” He dug his big toe into the floor and blushed. Hermione stood up straighter and watched Harry closely. “They kind of… lock me up. But I guess you all know that.”
“Yeah,” Hermione said softly, “We. do.”
“They also… sometimes…” Harry glanced at the small pile of dishes, “Don’t really feed me.” Harry muttered, rubbing the back of his head, wincing. Hermione sighed, noting the pain on his face. Hermione knew he must be recovering from an injury from one of his uncle’s beatings.
“I am sorry that you’ve had to live that way, Harry.” Hermione could hardly stop herself from announcing that he would never be back to this house or in this room.
“S’okay,” Harry dropped the book he was holding in his trunk.
“Right!” Hermione blinked, remembering herself, “We’ve got to keep packing! Here, it’ll be much faster if I do it.” Hermione waved her wand and everything in the room packed itself neatly into the trunk.
“Wow, thanks!” Harry smiled as Hermione cleaned Hedwig’s cage.
“Alright, ready? You got your wand? Broom?” Harry nodded. “Okay, we’re off!” Hermione waved her wand again, “Locomotor Trunk! ” Harry trunk floated in front of them as they walked down the stairs.
Back in the kitchen, Tonks and Dedalus Diggle were searching through the Muggle’s cupboards.
“Alright!” Remus smiled as they came into the kitchen, “Let’s head into the garden. Harry, I have left your aunt and uncle a letter telling them not to worry-”
“They won’t,” Harry and Sirius said together. Remus smiled but said nothing.
“Come here!” Moody grabbed Harry by the shoulder and he flinched away. The room froze as Harry gripped his wand, knuckles white.
“Harry,” Hermione murmured as he took a few gasping breaths, “It’s okay. He just has to Disillusion you. It blends you into your surroundings. An invisibility cloak won’t stay on while we’re flying.”
“Right-” Harry said, still shaking.
“Alastor is going to tap you on the top of your head, okay?” Hermione asked, shooting Moody a look as he started to move. The older wizard waited. Harry glanced at Remus and Sirius and then nodded.
“Okay,” he said, nodding again at Hermione. She gestured for Moody to continue. Harry winced as Moody hit him hard on the top of the head.
“Nice one, Mad-Eye,” Tonks said, admiring Moody’s charm.
“Come on,” Sirius said to the room, flicking his wand so the back door opened. The group left the kitchen and stepped into the garden. Moody explained the plan to Harry while everyone else mounted their brooms.
“Get ready!” Remus yelled, “First signal!” He pointed at the red sparks. Hermione begrudgingly mounted her broom and stared at the sky. Sirius grinned across the garden to Harry.
“Second!”
“Let’s go!” yelled Sirius, pushing off. Hermione swore and followed after the group, taking up the rear of the group with Remus. Hermione couldn’t hear Moody’s directions, but followed the group, gripping her broom tight.
“Time to start the descent!” Remus called from the back of the group. “Keep following Tonks, Harry!”
They all swooped lower, following Tonks’ steep dive. Thankfully, they landed quickly in the courtyard in front of Number 12.
“Where-” Harry started, but fell silent when they all shushed him.
“Come along, Harry,” Hermione said, taking Harry’s arm. They walked towards the door as Moody clicked out all of the lights. In front of Grimmauld Place, Remus stepped up to Harry and whispered quietly in his ear. Harry gasped and they all smiled as the house came into his view.
“Come on,” Sirius let the way in, tapping the door with his wand. They all filed in quickly and closed the door fast behind them.
“Here,” Hermione lightly tapped Harry’s head and lifted the charm. Harry was safe, at Number 12. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to finally have him under Sirius’ roof. Harry looked around, confused and Hermione desperately wished she could comfort him. She wished he knew who she was and could trust her the way she knew he trusted her younger self.
“Let’s all go down to the kitchen,” Remus whispered, “They’re waiting for us.” Tonks set the trunk by the stairs as they all made their way down.
“Oh, Harry!” Mrs Weasley called, standing from the table, “Lovely to see you, you’re looking a bit peaky. You’ll have to wait until dinner, the meeting is just for Order members-”
“Enough, Molly!” Sirius snapped, “We’ve already talked about this.” Hermione stepped up behind Sirius and tried not to glare at Molly.
“I just don’t-”
“Molly,” Albus Dumbledore said softly from the table, “Sirius is right.” Molly huffed and stalked over to the stove and began conjuring ingredients.
“Now, what would you like to know, Harry?” Remus asked. Hermione, Sirius, and Remus decided that in the presence of other Order members they would let Harry ask the questions, rather than laying out everything they knew. The trio planned to do that in private.
“Where’s Voldemort? Harry asked, looking around at all the shudders, “What’s he doing? Remus said ‘Order of the Phoenix’? What is that?” There’s been no Muggle deaths or-”
“There haven’t been any suspicious deaths yet,” Sirius told him, sliding over a cold butterbeer, “Not as far as we know, anyway. And we know quite a lot.”
Remus chuckled, “More than he thinks we do anyway.”
“Well- how come- he’s-”
“He’s stopped killing people?” Hermione finished.
Harry nodded, “Yeah.”
“He doesn’t want to draw attention to himself,” said Sirius, “It would be dangerous for him. He didn’t really come back in the way he would have liked. He messed up.”
“Well,” Remus grinned, “You messed it up.”
“Me? How?”
“You weren’t supposed to survive!” Hermione blurted. Harry flushed and his face fell.
Sirius nodded, “Nobody apart from his Death Eaters were supposed to know. But you survived.”
“And!” Remus said, hitting his hand softly on the table, “The last person he wanted to know was Dumbledore.”
“And you made sure I knew at once,” Dumbledore smiled down the table at him.
“How has that helped?” Harry looked around at them all.
“Are you kidding?” Bill Weasley exclaimed.
“Because, Harry,” Albus murmured, “We were able to get the Order of the Phoenix back together to fight against Voldemort once more.”
“So….” Harry rubbed the back of his head, “What has the Order been doing?”
“Well,” said Sirius, “Trying to make sure Voldemort can’t carry out any of his plans.”
“You know what he’s planning?”
“Yes, he-”
“Enough!” Molly said. The room turned to stare at her. “He is a boy, he doesn’t need to know anything, as someone who has Harry’s best interests at heart-”
“What?” Hermione bit out. Remus put a hand on her leg under the table.
“He’s not your son,” Sirius said, calmly.
“He’s as good as!” hissed Molly, “Who else has he got?”
“He’s got me!”
“Yes, see, the thing is,” Molly snarled, maliciously, “It’s been rather difficult for you to look after him while you’ve been locked up in Azkaban, hasn’t it?”
The room gasped collectively. Hermione and Sirius rose. How dare she. Hermione clenched her fists, trying not to throw herself across the table at Molly.
“Molly,” Remus snapped, “You aren’t the only person who cares about Harry. There is a whole room here of people that do. Both of you, sit down,” He said to Hermione and Sirius, pulling them down to their seats. The room fell silent as Molly looked around desperately for help. When no one spoke up, she turned her back on the room again.
Hermione cleared her throat, “Voldemort wants to build up an army.”
“Last time,” said Remus, “He had huge numbers at his command.”
“So you’re trying to stop him from gaining followers?” Harry asked, “How?”
“We’re trying to convince as many people that we can that he’s back,” Tonks said, hair turning a deep, violent red.
“The Ministry isn’t too happy with anyone having that stance, though,” Mr Weasley said, shaking his head.
“Well, you heard Fudge at the hospital wing.” Sirius said darkly, “It’s been tricky.”
“But you’re telling people?”
“We have some time,” Hermione told him, “Not loads of course, but it’s only been two weeks.”
“It’s not exactly just telling people, either,” Bill said, “We have to convince them.”
Hermione sighed, “We expect things to get much worse before they get better. But they will get better.”
“If-if-” Harry stuttered, eyes scanning the room quickly, “If Voldemort is trying to recruit then it’s bound to get out that he’s back.”
“He doesn’t go around banging on their doors, Harry,” Sirius smiled without humour, “He manipulates and blackmails. He knows how to operate in secrecy. In any case, he has other plans too.”
“What else? Besides followers?” Harry asked. Hermione, Remus, and Sirius shared a look. They planned to tell Harry the secret of the prophecy in private but were still trying to keep it quiet from the rest of the Order. The Order knew Death Eaters were patrolling the corridor to the Department of Mysteries, but no one had discovered what Voldemort was looking for.
“A weapon. Something he didn’t have last time,” Sirius said, staring at Hermione.
“Something worse than Avada Kedavra?”
“Y-”
“Enough!” Molly shouted, slamming her wand down, sparks shooting from the end.
“Molly-” Dumbledore spoke for the first time in several minutes, “You know as well as I that Sirius is Harry’s guardian now and he has made his decision.”
“Well!” She huffed, “Then he can do it alone in his home with his son,” She snarled the last word. “And not around me.” She stormed from the room.
“I-what?” Harry stared at Sirius, puzzled, “Son? Guardian?”
“We best be off, loves,” Tonks stood quickly, and the rest of the room followed. “Goodnight everyone, Wotcher, Harry.” Everyone but Sirius, Remus, Hermione, and Dumbledore shuffled from the room.
“What is going on?” Harry stared at Sirius, “Professor Dumbledore said, guardian? Does that mean…?”
“Yes,” Sirius told him quietly, “Barring any complications, it means you can live here, with me, when you’re not at school,” Sirius paused, “If you would like.”
“This is your house?”
“Ah, yeah, did we forget to mention that?” Sirius nodded grimly, “It’s a bit of a dump, but it’s here if you want it. Hestia has been making great impro-”
“Are you joking?” Harry looked at them all in turn.
“No Harry, not joking,” Sirius said and then fell silent. They all waited.
“Of course I want to live with you!” He exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face. Hermione exhaled a sigh of relief. Sirius stared at his godson and his lips began to tremble.
“That’s wonderful, Harry!” Remus said, patting his best friend on the back. Sirius swiped his arm across his face.
“But how? How is this allowed? Is the Ministry letting you do this?”
“Yes,” Hermione began to explain, “Sirius is going to have a trial. He never received one when he was sent to Azkaban and that’s illegal. It was brought to Fudge’s attention several times that his predecessor didn’t give him a trial and Fudge never acted on it. We have several eyewitness memories, including yours if you’ll give it to us.”
“Of course!” Harry said, excitedly.
“We’ve also… convinced Fudge that if he doesn’t give Sirius a completely fair trial, everyone will know about his mistakes of the past 13 years,” Remus smiled, “Before the trial, Sirius is out on a bond.”
“So… at least for right now…” Harry whispered, “You’re…”
“Free,” Sirius finished, “For right now.” Harry lept from his chair and wrapped his arms around his godfather, eyes screwed shut. Sirius held him for a long moment. Hermione watched them, wiping her face and squeezing Remus’ hand under the table. It filled her with such joy, so see her young best friend in the embrace of someone who would keep him safe.
“I will be going now,” Dumbledore said in a strange voice and left the room before anyone could say anything. Harry turned to look at the door that closed behind Dumbledore, a frown on his face.
“And-” Sirius said, pulling back Harry by the shoulders, “Remus and Hestia have been living here full time.”
“But we can always leave your home if you prefer, Harry,” Hermione said, grinning broadly at him, though her heart beat fast at the thought of leaving Sirius, Remus, and Harry.
“Of course you should stay!” Harry said, shrugging his shoulders and letting Sirius hug him again. “Our home.”
“Our home,” Sirius repeated, “All of ours,” He glanced over at Remus and Hermione. They both grinned widely at him through their tears.