Bye, Bye Weasleys
The Weasleys and Hermione left that very day. Sirius told Harry they were going, so Harry went down to see them off. As he entered the kitchen, the twins were having it out with their mum. It was the same old argument, and the twins were winning.
“What’s going on?” he asked Hermione, wanting to see what her opinion was.
“We’re being kicked out,” she said with pursed lips. She was completely floored that they were leaving. To her, it was coming out of nowhere. One minute they were playing quietly, the next they were told to start packing. She knew that Mrs. Weasley had issues with Sirius, but to have him kick them out. That just wasn’t right.
“No, you are not,” Harry denied, turning to face her. “Mrs. Weasley has been giving Sirius a hard time and he asked her to go home. Bill put up the Fidelius Charm. So, it’s not like your being sent to the streets. So don’t make it sound like that,” he said in a harsh tone. He didn’t like her tone, or what she was implicating.
“I don’t see why we have to leave,” she said, ignoring what he just told her. “This house is protected, and it needs someone like Mrs. Weasley to help get it back under control.” She folded her arms in an ‘I’m right’ manner.
“Didn’t you just hear me say that the Burrow will be under the same charm as this house? You guys have been harping on how there’s nothing to do for days. Now you can get out of the house and play in the yard there,” Harry said, looking at her face to see what the real problem was. For all Hermione was stubborn, she rarely took sides in adult fighting. “You’re just mad at Sirius because you can’t get into the main library,” he said with a chuckle. It was just like her.
“Knowledge should be shared,” she said with a huff. It was her fundamental belief that all knowledge was hers to have. Her parents never denied her right to learn whatever she wanted, and now she was being told that there were things out of her reach. She was pissed that it was being kept from her.
“I can tell you now, that some of that knowledge should never be shared,” Harry rebutted, thinking of some of the spells he had come across in the Black library. He shuddered at the darkness of quite a few of them.
“You went into the main library?” she all but screeched, turning to face him, and making everyone else stop talking.
Everyone turned to the two teens, to see Hermione standing with fists on hips and an affronted look on her face. Harry was standing there looking like he wanted to be anywhere else.
“Ummm,” was all he said, not sure how to defuse this situation. Sure, it made him look like a wuss, but he didn’t want to fight with Hermione right now. They can duke it out later. He did know how to stand up for himself, and he will. Later, without an audience. He knew the train ride was going to be tense.
“Yes, he did. He’s family,” Sirius said, not liking the way she was glaring at Harry. He knew that Harry would confront her later. It was just his way. He hated airing dirty laundry in public. If there was in issue with the library, then it was his right to defend his decision.
“Why couldn’t I go there?” she asked, turning her ire to the older man. It was all his fault, after all. Keeping all those books to himself, and obviously a few select others. She was angrier now than she had been just minutes before.
“You, are, not, family,” the dogman explained slowly. “I told you that when you came here,” he added, confused as to what the problem was. It was common knowledge that Ancient and Noble families had their own family library.
“Knowledge should be shared,” she stated again, like this was a universal fact.
“No, it should not. Because knowledge is power, and those with the knowledge have the power. If everyone had the same knowledge there would be no government, or teachers, or anything else that requires advanced knowledge,” Sirius said, as if speaking to a slow child. “The whole of society would collapse.”
“That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” Hermione said, sticking her nose in the air.
“Hermione,” Harry chastised, never having seen her snub an adult. “That is uncalled for. You are just going to have to accept that there are things that you will not get to learn,” he said, hoping she would calm down. He put a hand on her arm, but she shrugged it off.
“It’s alright, Harry,” Sirius said, looking at the girl with a bit of pity. “Remus used to be the same way. He learned quite quickly that there were somethings we would withhold from him. He got over it, so will she. Or she’ll die disappointed,” he added with a grin, trying to break the tension.
Hermione opened her mouth to say more when Harry put a hand on her arm again. This time firmly. She turned and glared at him.
“Think before you say anything else. I am your friend, but that man is my family,” he said with a bit of warning in his voice. “Think about all you know that you have never shared with me or Ron, for whatever reason. I’m sure there are female things that you don’t want us to know,” he said with a smile. He really did want them to go on a positive note.
She sniffed, but she kept her tongue in her mouth. Her lips were thinner than they had been before, and he knew they were going to argue more about this later. Probably on the train ride to school.
He really needed to branch out to more people. Right now, his only friends were mad at him, or he was mad at them. And he had no one his age to talk to. The twins were cool, but they couldn’t have a serious conversation for long. Perhaps, he should write to Neville, or Dean, or even Seamus, they were all good blokes. He really didn’t know the girls at school, but he could meet a few when he returned.
“Harry,” Ron said, his voice tight, “are you going to come visit?” he asked, though it looked like it was forced. Harry figured it was because his friend felt they were being kicked out too.
“That depends, are you going to write, or communicate in any way while you’re at home?” Harry asked, folding his arms in a put-out manner.
“I can do that,” Ron said with a thin smile.
“I’ll think about it then. I have tons of homework to do,” Harry said, and like Ron, his tone was forced cheerful. “I’ve only just started,” he added, knowing Hermione was going to say something along the lines of ‘I told you so’.
Hermione did indeed open her mouth to do just that, but Ginny beat her to it.
“I hope you do,” the only Weasley girl chimed in, her tone was honest in its friendliness. “It can be boring with just Ron around. Hermione doesn’t fly,” she added, not wanting the other girl to think she didn’t want her company.
“Hey, Hermione, where are your parents?” Harry asked, the thought just coming to him.
“They are on an extended cruise around the world. They felt that since I was not going to be there for the summer, or school year, they would take a second honeymoon. So, they are taking the year to get reacquainted,” she explained, her eyes brightening at the thought of her parents safe and out of the country.
She had been worried when the Order had come to collect her. She was starting to feel the distance between them and was worried that they might not be able to overcome it. Something to think about.
“Good,” Harry said, feeling better that they were out of harm’s way for now. “Well, I came down here to say goodbye. So, goodbye, have a good rest of the summer. I have to get back to my homework. Snape’s essay is a killer,” he said, waving to everyone and leaving the room.
“Goodbye, Harry,” came the response from many.
Once he was in the hall, he heard the twins make their excuses as well. So, he waited for them.
“So, why were you arguing with your mum?” he asked as they caught up to him. He whispered the question because the portrait of Mrs. Black was still hanging on the landing. Not even the house elves could get it off, and they tried everything. He was going to suggest getting paint thinner and just erasing her mouth. That would piss her off.
“She still treats us like kids,” Fred complained with a full-on pout. His mum was just too overbearing.
“Yeah, she was going on about how our pranks would never make us money,” George stated, his face was pouting too.
“She kept going on about how we still lived under her roof,” twin number one said.
“Even though we are staying here. Not to mention, we are planning on getting our own place as soon as we can,” twin number two added.
“Bill is going to help with that,” Fred said, with a smirk.
“Once he charmed the lovely Mlle. Delacour,” George said, his smirk matched his brother’s.
“Mum will never give us the benefit of the doubt,” Fred said, moving up the stairs away from the portrait.
“If we went home, she’d throw all our stuff away,” his brother said, going up behind Harry, with Fred in the front.
“It’s a good thing Sirius charmed that room,” Fred stated, arriving on the second floor.
“Or we would be starting from scratch,” George finished, playfully shoving Harry to get a move on.
“Especially, after this morning,” Fred said, knowingly. “Thanks for that,” he said, with a mock glare.
“Well, never mind her. She’s going home and hopefully the Order will meet there from now on,” Harry said, hoping the opposite. He couldn’t spy if they weren’t here. He didn’t think the doxies were up to long distance espionage. He would keep them close at hand for now. Perhaps, when they were better trained.
“No, they are keeping it here,” Fred said, his pout changing to contemplative as they neared the prank room.
“We heard Dumbledore say that everyone already knew this secret. It was just sensible to keep it here,” George added, he too had on his thinking face.
“Do you think that’s true?” Harry asked, not having been privy to the conversation. He would hear about it tonight, but right now he wanted to know what they thought.
“Judging by the debate that happened this morning, he’s spouting bullshit,” Fred said, chuckling.
“I think the only reason Sirius agreed, was to rub it in that you’ll be here with him,” George said, mimicking his brother.
“Why is that funny?” Harry wanted to know.
“We think Sirius has plans for the meetings,” Fred said, he was usually the first one to speak.
“And they are going to be hilarious,” George agreed, with a nod of his head.
“Any idea what plans?” Harry asked, hoping his godfather would tell him, but wanting the twins’ perspective.
“Well, we know it’s not going to be pranks,” Fred said, tapping his chin in thought.
“So, some sort of discrediting, maybe?” George finished, tilting his head to the side.
“I’ll just have to ask him later,” Harry said, waving to them when they went into their prank room. He made his way to his room and really did work on his potion’s essay. He had just completed it when there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” he called, rolling up the parchment and putting it to the side.
“Harry, you worked right through lunch,” Sirius said, entering with a tray of food.
“Oh, sorry,” Harry said, with a sheepish look. “I’m used to skipping meals,” he explained, knowing Sirius would know what he was talking about.
“Well, no more of that,” his godfather stated, putting the tray on the desk and gesturing for him to eat.
“So, the twins think you’re going to get up Dumbledore’s nose,” the teen said, biting into his ham and cheese sandwich. There were some crisps as well, but he wanted the filling food first.
“Oh yeah, I have a few things that will make him look not so shiny,” Sirius said, snatching a crisp and biting it.
“Like what?” Harry asked, batting the man’s hand away from his plate.
“The horcruxes for one,” Sirius said, smiling and stealing another crisp.
“Do we really want the Order to know that one was in me?” Harry asked, worried that they might use that against him.
“Don’t worry about that. Only I, Remus, and Bill know, and we’re not telling anyone,” his godfather reassured him. His face was firm on that.
“Okay, but you’re going to mention the other one?” Harry asked, finishing off his sandwich and starting on his crisps and milk.
“It’s not something that should be kept secret. The more people we trust that know, the more easily they’ll be found. With the goblins on our side, on this matter, it should be a piece of cake,” the older man said with a reassuring smile. “We might have to have them take vows, seeing as the Order trusted Wormtail once upon a time. I think we should have had everyone take vows to begin with. I’m going to bring that up first,” the dogman added, more to himself than Harry.
“That sounds like a good plan,” his godson agreed with a nod of his head.
“Now tell me about your doxies? I know they had something to do with Molly this morning,” Sirius said, changing the subject. He was still chuckling hours later. He always thought that Molly was a dozy cow, this morning certified those thoughts. He chuckled again.
So, Harry told him about how they were going to spy on the Order, or any adult in the house. However, the queen would only tell him anything that pertained to him. He didn’t know if that was true or not, but it might put Sirius at ease.
“That sounds like a good plan. I’m not worried about what they find out. I’ve always felt you needed to know it all anyway. That prophecy, we think, must be about you,” Sirius said, rubbing his goatee in thought.
“I really hope we’re wrong,” Harry said, with a sigh, putting his empty glass on the tray, which promptly disappeared. “Thanks, Dobby,” he called out to the air.
“I don’t think we are. That’s the only thing I can think of that the Order would be guarding. And the only thing I can think of that Voldy would want,” his godfather said, still thinking hard if the expression on his face was any indication.
“Maybe my doxies can help,” Harry said, wondering if they were up for it. “If you take the bag when you have your trial, and they know the way, they can look for us,” he suggested, though his tone was laced with doubt.
“Nah, I don’t think they are up to it yet,” Sirius said, but he did think of other ways to get into the Department of Mysteries. Maybe Remus could sneak in under Harry’s invisibility cloak.
“You’re probably right,” Harry agreed, vowing to train his doxies as hard as they were able. They were his private army after all. He wouldn’t push them too hard, just hard enough so they could undertake such an operation.
“That’s another thing I will bring up at the meetings. It is foolish to have the Order guard that. None of them are up to fighting Death Eaters, let alone, Voldy,” Sirius said, a frown on his lips.
“What exactly does the Order do?” Harry wanted to know. It might not be worth the doxies spying if they didn’t actually do anything.
“Mostly gather information,” his godfather said with a sigh. “It wasn’t like that before. however, Dumbledore seems to have gotten soft in his old age,” he added, sighing again.
“You mean he didn’t always give unlimited chances?” Harry asked in disbelief.
“No, we used to go and stop raids, or other dastardly things the Dark Lord would get up to. Now, all we do is sit and talk,” the other man sighed again. Harry could tell he didn’t agree with the pacifistic attitude.
“I’m with you, and if I get a chance, Death Eaters are going down. I don’t know how, yet, but I am going to find a way,” Harry declared, there was passion in his voice, like it was a vow.
“You let the adults take care of them. When I’m free, I plan on doing my own payback,” Sirius said, knowing it was falling on deaf ears. He had been just as passionate when he was that age.
“Voldy will come for me, whether you like it or not,” Harry said, giving a ‘what can you do’ shrug.
“I know,” Sirius said, this time his sigh came from his toes. “I can dream, right?” he added, getting up and hugging his godson.
“It doesn’t do to dwell on dreams,” Harry paraphrased, hating to burst the man’s bubble.
“Well, for the rest of the summer, you and your doxies are going to be training,” Sirius said, letting the boy go.
“Great,” Harry enthused, his smile beaming. “It’s all I ever wanted to begin with,” he said, all but jumping in place.
“We’ll start tomorrow,” the other man said, getting up to go do something, probably find a place to train.
“Alright, I’ll try to make it to dinner. Send Dobby if I’m not there,” Harry said, pulling his Transfiguration text out.
“Will do,” Sirius said as he left.
Tomorrow they would be very busy, whether Dumbledore liked it or not. He was tempted to lock the man out, but he decided to stick with his plan.