The Truth about Magic and Muggles

The Truth about Magic and Muggles

Author: Fabiana (superwitch@brturbo.com)

Summary: Have you ever wondered why magical babies are born from Muggle families? Join Harry Potter in his sixth year at Hogwarts and face with him mysterious deaths, the consequences of the Prophecy and maybe... love?!

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Acknowledgments: I’d like to thank Sbys for her words of encouragement (they truly meant a lot to me), and to Gal-texter for her incredible work as a beta. You girls are the greatest, I couldn’t possibly thank you enough.

P.S. – This is a revised version (06/11/2004). Hope you guys like it.

Chapter One – The family he never knew

Did they get you to trade
Your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange
A walk on part in the war
For a lead role in a cage?

Wish you were here - Pink Floyd

Harry stretched in bed and finally got up. As far as his sleepy ears could hear, his aunt was calling him to have lunch. And Merlin… he couldn’t understand how he had put up with her high-pitched voice for so many years… Did she always tear her throat open like that when she was talking?!

He was sure the answer would be a ‘yes’ if the object of her talking was him. But unlike before, Harry no longer cared about his relatives’ subtle aggressions. He didn’t mind anymore his ridiculously low food supply, or how hard they tried to pretend he didn’t exist. Truth to be told, Harry didn't feel like eating, or getting up from bed, or taking a shower, or seeing how the day was outside the window...

Although he was physically there, in Privet Drive, getting along with the Dursleys now felt like being in a surreal reality. All the lame provocations from Dudley, the evident shame and disgust from his aunt and uncle were such small things now compared to what he had inside, that being there almost didn’t affect him like it used to. Just like the previous summers, Harry could feel clearly that he didn't belong in there, but that old impulsion to make himself known as a magical being wasn't there anymore. This time, he truly felt like he didn't belong anywhere.

The dreams didn't bother him much. Sirius’ death scene would repeat itself continuously even when he was conscious, just like all the mistaken steps that triggered his godfather's death.

Harry was aware he couldn't focus on anything else ever since he returned from Hogwarts. Making his best not to think about it, he trudged to the mirror. It carried a huge crack, caused by a fit of temper one afternoon Dudley had his videogame fight interrupted by a power failure. Ignoring the distortions, Harry stared at his face.

He felt an amazing emptiness as he looked at his reflection. All he could feel was shame. Shame for being such an arse and believing that he was the only one who could be right. Shame for having been fooled and manipulated so easily. Shame for being kept oblivious to everything that really mattered. Shame for knowing that the one person he respected the most didn't trust him enough to reveal the pivotal truth in his life - the one that would explain everything. But he felt ashamed mostly because he knew that the death of one of his greatest friends could have been easily avoided if…

His uncle's hideous voice brought him back to reality. "Harry, if you won't come now I'm going there myself and shove this tray down your throat..."

Then he finally moved, going down the stairs slowly.

Reaching the table, the first thing he saw was Dudley touching his food disgustedly.

"You see, Mum, my meat is cold...” he said, scratching his nose with the fork. “And it's all because of this bloody freak, just for a change..."

Petunia rose silently and took Dudley's roast beef to the microwave. Deliberately avoiding looking at the Dursleys’ faces, Harry remembered bitterly that all his aunt's insistence for him to eat properly, bask in the Sun, or change his clothes were elicited by threats from the Order.

Yeah, Mad Eye Moody was definitely a persuasive guy...

However, he had the distinct impression that if it weren't for his friends, he would probably be worse. Hermione and Ron had taken turns to call him on the phone every other day. In these occasions, Harry tried his best to sound as cheerful as he could, in order to avoid any eventual comment regarding what happened at the Ministry of Magic. For him, there was no reason to let Ron and Hermione know what he was feeling, because they would hardly understand. Besides, Harry didn't want anyone else to suffer for a tragedy that he was the only one to blame for.

Also, early in his first week at Privet Drive, Miss Figg appeared at the Dursleys' door inclined to make a request to Petunia. Harry heard his aunt allowing him to stay at Miss Figg's house every Friday to take care of her cats, because she had promised to make long visits to a hospitalized relative once a week. Rubbish. That was just a pretext for Harry to listen to information from the Order. Every week, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Mad Eyed Moody or Kingsley Shacklebolt would use the Floo Network and Miss Figg's fireplace to update Harry on the central headlines of the Wizarding World and the latest accomplishments from the Order of the Phoenix.

As far as Harry knew, Voldemort hadn't made any move yet. He was aware he couldn't be sure of anything, considering all information that has been withheld from him since the end of his 4^th year. But taking into account the strange reality he was facing with the Dursleys, he couldn't care much about that either.

Lunch that day dragged on for uncountable minutes. When he was cutting his last piece of meat, glad to finally being able to leave the table and being alone again, he unexpectedly had to make use of his Seeker's reflexes:

“BLUUUUUUUUUURP!”

Ducking quickly from an orange juice blast originated by his uncle, Vernon was actually managing to spit and yell at him at the same time:

"I can't believe this. Not again!" his uncle cried, drooling juice all over his plate.

Disgusted by the scene, Harry just had to look at the ceiling to get the picture. There was an owl flapping its wings above the roast beef, now completely covered with brown feathers. From the envelope of the letter the bird was carrying, Harry could notice that it was an official letter from the Ministry, probably bringing his O.W.L.s results.

Harry carefully removed the letter from the owl, then quickly headed for the privacy of his room. Just like his relatives didn't feel like participating in his life, Harry didn't feel like sharing with them the results of such an important test for him.

“RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING! RIIIIIIIIING!”

Being in the middle of the stairs, Harry didn’t mind the phone ringing. Ron and Hermione usually just call at 5 pm.. And this bloody letter just might be the most important happening in my life this month...

His aunt's voice interrupted his thoughts the moment he reached the final step. "It's that annoying girlfriend of yours, who's now taking the liberty to barge in even on our lunch time..."

Something important must have happened to make Hermione call me at this hour.

So, he had no choice but to run to take the cordless phone from his aunt's hands. "Hello?"

"Hello, Harry! Have you got it? Please, tell me!" Hermione was gasping with an anxious voice.

"Get what? And tell you what?" Although he knew the answer, it somehow amused him to torture her a bit. During his entire fifth year at Hogwarts, Hermione made sure to use all possible opportunities to remind him that he wasn't preparing himself enough for his O.W.L.s' tests...

"Your O.W.L.s, Harry! How did it go?" Hermione asked like mad.

Harry took a minute to answer. "Oh, don't know, I was just opening the envelope when you called me."

"So, open it then," Hermione ordered briskly.

"Okay, hold on a sec," Harry said calmly.

However, as he took the letter in his hands, he felt butterflies in his stomach he couldn't quite explain. But then, he also remembered how a mere prophecy revealed in a pub would rule his life. This letter was nothing compared to that. So he took a lungful of breath, took off the sealing wax from the Ministry, and removed the paper from the envelope.

Putting the telephone in his ear, he let Hermione know he was still there, "Hmm, let's see..."

After a few seconds of deliberate silence, he started to peruse the letter's headings. There were four columns: Subject, Theory Examination, Practical Examination and Overall Performance. Not really sure of what he would see, he let himself read it aloud:

"Charms: Outstanding, Exceeds Expectations, Outstanding."

"Transfiguration: Outstanding, Exceeds expectations, Outstanding... Blimey, I'm going to attend McGonagall's N.E.W.T.s classes!"

Hermione, apparently beside herself, sighed, "Heh, I always knew, Harry. Read the rest."

"Herbology: Outstanding, Exceeds Expectations, Exceeds Expectations."

"Defense against the Dark Arts: Outstanding, Outstanding, Outstanding. Now, Potions..."

"Potions?" Hermione repeated, worriedly...

"Ahn... Potions." And gathering all the strength he could muster, Harry allowed his eyes to read, "Potions: Outstanding, Exceeds Expectations, Outstanding…What!?? That's not possible..." but before he could finish the sentence, Harry got startled at some muffed noises on the other side of the line.

"We'll be accepted, Harry! I knew it! Now we just have to dedicate ourselves and study for the N.E.W.T.s, Harry," Hermione said with a strange voice, mixed with the strange sounds.

"What's happening out there, Hermione?"

Hermione, sighing deeply, seemed to be struggling to recover her breathing and then suddenly the noises stopped. "Oh no, it's nothing. What's next?"

"Hmmm, Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding, Exceeds Expectations, Outstanding."

"Astronomy: Exceeds Expectations, Acceptable, Exceeds Expectations."

"Divination: Acceptable, Poor, Acceptable."

"History of Magic: Acceptable, Poor, Acceptable."

"Oh well, at least you won't need N.E.W.T.s in these last subjects to enroll for an auror position," Hermione said, trying to console him. "And anyway, I'm really glad there will be someone to attend these classes with me -"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Err... Ron didn't get enough O.W.L.s in Transfiguration and Potions, Harry. However, he had achieved seven Outstanding O.W.L.s and that's not so bad."

"But what happens now? What are his career's options going to be, then?"

"Well, he's going to attend the N.E.W.T.s classes of the subjects he's been accepted. I really don't know much. He wouldn't even talk to me about it, it was Ginny who told me," Hermione said sadly. And added, "I reckon he won't call you today, according to what she said, he isn't really taking it well."

That shook him up somehow. Sharing his O.W.L.s results with Hermione made Harry feel a lot better... However, Ron has been at his side ever since his first ride at the Hogwarts Express... excluding their fight in the fourth year, his red-head friend was a partner in everything he'd experienced at school... The knowledge that they would share even less time together was rather painful for him.

This early end to Ron's ambitions of being an auror must have really let him down.

He knew better than anyone how Ron wanted to live up to his brother's achievements at Hogwarts... Percy and Bill have been Head Boys with twelve O.W.L.s each. Harry stopped to mutter how many O.W.L.s he got, "one in Transfiguration, three in DADA and Care of Magical Creatures, and..."

"You've got twelve O.W.L.s, Harry," Hermione interrupted him solemnly.

"Twelve?!?" Harry asked bewildered.

"Yeah. And with those, I consider you a great candidate for being Head Boy in seventh year..."

"Nah, if Dumbledore thought that being a Prefect would be too much for me, imagine being a Head Boy..."

Hermione answered disgruntled, "you've never told me about your conversation with Dumbledore. Well, anyhow, the criteria are different --" but before she could continue, Harry heard loud thuds on the door...

His aunt started yelling, "Bloody disgraceful boy! If you think that only because that freak lot of yours tried to threat us you're going to be the king of this residence and spend all afternoon blabbering in our phone, you're wrong. HANG UP NOW!” she said dramatically. “I want to know if Maggie can look at the clothesline of that tramp from number 16, everybody is saying that she had just hung a G-string for all the street to see! How dare she?"

"Hermione, I need to hang up, my aunt wants the phone back --"

"No!" Hermione said nervously, "I still need to tell you something. As today was Ron's day to call you but I took his turn, I won't call you tomorrow and then it'll be too late..."

"Too late for what?" Harry asked quickly, trying not to increase his aunt's rage.

"Start packing today. We're going there on Friday to take you with us to join the Order," Hermione said in a fast manner.

"And who is coming with you?"

"Tonks and Lupin. Mrs. Weasley called from the Burrow confirming it. McGonagall herself asked my parents if they could lend our car. Tonks' father is muggle-born, so Tonks has got a driver's license. They think it's better to rescue you in the 'muggle-way' so it won't arouse any suspicions..."

"What about your parents?"

"Oh, they're going to Portugal on Saturday morning," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "Dumbledore believes I'll be an easy target if I leave the country, it seems that there's already an international effort in order to recruit Death Eaters. Honestly, I prefer it this way. I wouldn't be able to catch up with my studies for the next school year if I were traveling."

And then she sighed, "When do you think we'll get our Hogwarts letter? I just can't wait to see the sixth year's booklist..."

"PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFFF!"

At that exact moment, Harry thought that the house had been attacked by a cannon ball. The wall trembled as if a rhinoceros was trying to get the door down.

It didn’t take long for him to realize that it was just Dudley forcing the door with his not-so-slender body. "You bloody loafer! Give the phone back to my mum! This isn't a holiday inn for you to come and enjoy at our expense!"

Before Harry could say anything, he heard Hermione say, "All right, Harry, I'm sorry. We'll talk on Friday. Take care." And then she hung up.

Harry didn't want to open the door, so he thrust the phone by the cat-flap on his door that his uncle installed after the incident with Dobby during his second year. The telephone hit Dudley's shins, who quickly grabbed the opportunity to make a scene.

After some hours of threats and attacks on the door, his cousin finally gave up.

For the first time that summer, Harry could taste something different from the negative feelings that had haunted him. Filled with happiness and surprise about his results, when he slept that night he felt arms encircling him... familiar voices praising him proudly... and although he couldn't see them in his dream or remember it on the following day, he had just experienced an evidence that love would never leave him.

*********

Waking up a bit more cheerful, although he couldn't say why, Harry all of a sudden felt sick of being cooped up in his stuffy room. Deciding to fight the self-destructive impulse he have been unconsciously feeding during all his time there, he went to face the day outside.

He decided to sit beside the same hydrangea bush he hid in last year before getting attacked by the Dementors. Closing his eyes, he couldn’t help but letting his mind show him those hideous scenes one more time, and feel again the pain that have been chasing him ever since he left school. Unable to open his now wet eyes and face the Sun, he felt delicate fingers drying them. Startled, Harry opened them and saw Hermione.

Getting inside the flowerbed quickly, Hermione stooped until their eyes were aligned, saying worriedly, "Harry, for Merlin's sake, are you feeling well? What happened?"

"Nothing you don't know," Harry answered, really embarrassed and now regretful of having showed himself so vulnerable in such a public place. He took the chance to get up, and was coming up with an apology about taking his trunk down the stairs when he saw Hermione frowning in the same way she does when she's trying to understand something difficult in class. Right when Harry was about to put his right foot out of the flowerbed, she held his arm.

Her voice felt like a whisper, if it weren't said in such a dry way. "Look at me," she ordered. When he failed to comply with her request, she swapped her arms until she held his chin in one of her hands, so she could look at his eyes properly. As she noticed that they wouldn't reveal anything, she let them go, closing her brown eyes with fury.

When she finally opened them again, she was carrying a cool expression, which she usually had when solving a difficult question. In a low voice, she affirmed in a rather questioning tone, as if she couldn't believe what she was saying, "You've lied to us all summer saying you were all right."

Harry, pushing his glasses that were in the tip of his nose, answered staring the floor. "Err - I didn't want to bother anyone. I really appreciate your concern, but you can't help me, and I don't want you to."

"You don't want us to help?"

"Look, you don't really understand. You've never been there, and I'd rather take care of this myself..."

"You can't be such a selfish prat to keep on nurturing this pain alone," Hermione answered angrily. "Nor step back from us just because we've never experienced anything similar..."

Returning to grab his arms, she suddenly pushed him to the trunk of the tree, moving her hands so that she was now holding his shoulders. When she finally caught his eyes, she took a large gulp of breath and said: "Can't you see that the only way to hurt less is spilling it out? That as long as you keep this pain inside you, it will consume you entirely? She smiled slightly. "You may say it's silly, but one of greatest things I've read in 'Hogwarts: A History' was a quote from Godric Gryffindor that said: 'The only way to face the darkness is by opening your eyes and seeing through the black'. Stop this nightmare, Harry. Open your eyes."

Harry just stood there, beneath her hands, unable to react. He felt like yelling at her and saying that that kind of pain wasn't the kind of stuff you can learn in a book, so that she could develop a rational answer that would comfortably minimize his agony... But he somehow wasn't capable of doing that, so he just stared at the grass.

Hermione let his shoulders go and suddenly resigned. With brighter eyes than usual, she let go with a trembling voice, "Albeit I suspected during the holidays, I could have never imagined that you would really do something like that to us. Can't you see that if you keep up like this *we* are the ones who are going to lose you? Is this what you want for your best friends? You more and more apart from us until we reach a point where we've got nothing else in common, nothing else we can hold on to? Indeed, I've never lost anyone, but that doesn't justify that you can't trust me enough to let me help you..."

"I don't wish for you the pain I'm feeling, Hermione. This is *my* personal war. You've never needed to know death profoundly and I want you to keep it that way," Harry said unable to look in her eyes.

Crying openly now, Hermione gathered all her strength to say, "Harry, you can't just end our friendship like that. You - I feel - you're like my family in the Wizarding World, I just can't let you go like that." Trembling, she looked deeply into his eyes and said, "And you're completely mistaken if you think that it is only YOUR problem. Did you forget that my parents are Muggles? Even if we'd never been friends, I'd never be safe in a world ruled by Voldemort. And by the way, I think it'd be good for you to acknowledge that I'm really looking forward to getting involved in the war, and I don't really care if I'll have your blessing or not."

Taking her eyes to the small flowers on the ground, forgetting her tears that were still falling, she walked to the trunk of the same hydrangea bush and leaned down on it, sliding until she could hide her head between her knees.

Seeing Hermione so small, so fragile, brought to his mind that image of her in the Ministry of Magic some months ago, when he thought she was gone. Trying to avoid the same unpleasant stomach ache he felt that day, Harry walked to the tree.

Hesitating a bit, he put his right hand in her nape and said in a low voice, "Hey, I've never said our friendship would end, far from it."

Shrugging her shoulders, Hermione stood silent before she could finally say, "What kind of friend would I be to pretend that everything's all right when it's not?" Turning her eyes aside, she said bitterly, "Or do you really think you've fooled me during the summer? I mean, I hope you know that what you did was WRONG."

Harry tried to find words to disprove her. He tried to look for of all the possible reasons why: 'she's never experienced anything like that, she would put her life in danger, she needn't have to get involved with that...,' until his mind took him back in time and he remembered the debate they had after their exam of History of Magic.

After Voldemort invaded his mind, he got blind of desperation on the possibility of Sirius being tortured. Somehow, he had managed to convince Ron easily... so easily that his red-haired friend even came up with some (absurd) hypothesis bearing out their urgent need to go to the Ministry of Magic. But Hermione... didn't buy it so easily... She was the only one who immediately saw that he was falling into a trap. And she has used all the rational approaches she could to alert him. Failing to do so, she refused to let him do it on his own.

Only now could he understand that by doing that, she consciously risked her permanence at Hogwarts, her future legal ability to perform magic and most importantly, her life - just to support him in something she always knew to be a trap caused by a hallucination.

And then, he finally understood.

And he felt the most stupid person to ever step on Earth.

It was so obvious! Why couldn't he understand that before? Those weren't ordinary reasons... She wasn't just being driven by a friendship. There was surely something more than that...

He could hear her voice again: "...you're like my family in the Wizarding World..."

And that was it!

Indeed, Hermione was the only person in his generation that he could consider as a member of his family. Not trying to undermine the Weasleys, after all spending vacations with them was wonderful, but he never really felt at home there. Because it felt as if he'd arrived afterwards... Harry was brought up as a Muggle for a decade, albeit he was getting more and more used to the reality of being a wizard, it wasn't the same - there are certain things in the past you just can't recall.

Whereas Hermione entered in the Wizarding World practically concurrently with him. After the Troll incident, they've faced all the adaptation barriers to the Wizarding World together. It was more than natural for her to relate to him in a special way. THAT was the reason for her to risk herself as much as she did. After all, he was the guy with the 'saving people thing'. And she was the rational girl. The rational girl who found a brother she'd never had - and driven by a platonic, fraternal love that she'd never experienced before, jeopardized her life like crazy for him. Yeah, only that would explain it all.

He bent down until to look at his friend's face, and used his fingers to raise her chin. Breathing deeply to put his pride aside, he admitted for the first time something that he had kept hidden inside several times in the past. "You were right," he said.

When she opened her eyes to see him, he sat across from her and took her hand. "I-I'll try to uncover it all. I just don't know if I can make it. What do you want to know?"

With a weak smile, she squeezed his hand, saying, "Everything that's been bothering you."

"Hmm, so maybe you'll need to charge me some extra-hours in your psychiatry sessions, Dr. Granger..."

Hermione smiled. "Oh, we can make a deal, then." And said, shyly, "I think the time to face my fear of height has come. It's an absurd for a future auror applicant not to know how to ride a broom correctly. Would you mind giving me some lessons?"

Harry laughed, "Not at all. It's a deal, then."

*********

Harry told Hermione everything related to that night in the Ministry of Magic. The identity of the Death Eater who had attacked her - Antonin Dolohov, Neville's bravery since then, meeting Ron, Ginny and Luna again - apparently unscathed, the Cruciatus Curse Bellatrix performed on Neville, the members of the Order finally arriving, the break of the prophecy, Bellatrix and Sirius fight and he falling through the veil...

Hermione cupped Harry's hands with hers, and nodded sadly, as if it were a request for him to continue.

He preferred not to tell her how long it took him to acknowledge that Sirius was dead. Gathering some strength, he told about the chase he started when Bellatrix tried to run away, his frustrated attempt to perform a Cruciatus Curse on her, Voldemort's appearance and his battle with Dumbledore, until he thought that everything was over and Voldemort invaded his mind...

And he concluded until Fudge's arrival, although he couldn't explain how he managed to do that, because his body has been taken by a tremendous sorrow, that hurt every time he tried to breathe. Therefore, Harry didn't mention the prophecy issue. It wasn't that Hermione didn't deserve to know, but that would be too much for him on just a single day...

Hermione interrupted his thoughts, "we tried to reconstruct the facts using what Neville knew, but I had no idea that things turned out like that, Harry..."

And Harry, now completely self-conscious that she knew everything, said, "I don't know how you're still able to look at my face, after all you've heard..."

"What do you mean?" But before Harry could explain, Hermione seemed to have understood and said, "you can't carry a burden like that, alone. It wasn't your fault, Harry."

"Of course it was my fault. And you should be the first to know that, since you've alerted me that it was a trap since the beginning."

Hermione sighed deeply, "Harry, you've got to stop assuming that the world spins solely around you." Before he could protest, she raised one of her hands, as a gesture for him not to get mad and continued, "Undoubtedly you're an important character to the Wizarding World... You're Voldemort's greatest enemy... Your actions obviously have great significance to the course of the history. But you're not doing this alone."

Harry tried to stop her, but he couldn't. "For all those events have happened, other people besides you had to take decisions that, seen now, were completely wrong."

She started to count them on her fingers, "the Order thinking of us as kids and keeping us oblivious to the prophecy. Lupin, Kingsley and Tonks' decision of allowing Sirius to join them on that day. MY decision of supporting your excursion to the Ministry of Magic. Sirius decision of going to a public place to try to save you..."

"YOU CAN'T CONDEMN HIM FOR GOING THERE," Harry burst.

Hermione smiled. "Exactly. Do you know why? His reasons to go there were the same as yours thirty minutes before. And although you two had been completely aware of the danger you were putting yourselves into, your attitudes were reasonable. Sirius wasn't less smart than you are for HIS reasons to be forgiven and YOURS not. Your soul needs peace, Harry."

"Peace won't bring him back."

"Nothing will bring him back," Hermione said, regretting it instantly. Swallowing hard, she awaited for a new explosion...

But Harry replied crestfallen, "He had been just brought back to life, Hermione. The best years of his life were already stolen from him in Azkaban. He had the right to reconstruct his life with the little he was left."

And then Hermione said something that Harry could never had imagined it would come from her mouth, "But we don't really know what death is, Harry. We don't have any evidence that it would necessarily be the end of everything - take the ghosts as an example. I know that what I'm trying to say doesn't make much sense, but the idea of real wizards and witches would seem like a complete absurd if someone have told me before I received my Hogwarts' letter... And Sirius... Well, I'm aware I don't know him as much as you do, but I'm sure that the last thing he wanted was seeing you like this. The best way to keep his memory alive within you is by getting on with your life in the way he'd always wanted - fighting with honor and with your head up..."

Harry smiled and hugged her before she could continue. He had no idea whatever happened to Hermione that summer for her to start creating theories about life after death, but he took that as a sign of their friendship. Even because the idea of her in fact being Luna Lovegood after a Polyjuice potion was a bit too scary.

In that exact moment, Lupin appeared outside the flowerbed. "Hi, Harry. I'm sorry to interrupt, but we'd better get going. I want to arrive at our destination before the Sun goes down, and we have a few hours of road ahead from us..."

Putting his hands in his head, exasperated, Harry said, "Oh Merlin... I still need to get my trunk and talk to my aunt..."

"Never mind about that. Tonks and I already took your trunk from your room and talked to your aunt, although Tonks' business-woman disguise didn't convince Petunia much after she knocked over an angel statue with your cousin's face..."

Harry smirked. Getting up from the flowerbed, he could see Tonks sitting with her legs stretched outside a black Ford Fusion, that probably belonged to Hermione's parents. Before they reached the car, Harry stopped Hermione in the middle of the way, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Hermione, you were right, about that family thing... I feel the same way, it-it surely feels li-like you're a sister to me."

Hermione frowned, turning her eyes to the ground, returning a few seconds later with a small smile. "It's good to know that, Harry. I-I hope I won't let you down," she stuttered. Catching Lupin's eyes, she gave him a small nod and proceeded to the car, without looking at Harry.

Getting inside the car, Harry saw Tonks preparing herself in the driver's seat. Looking to the rear view mirror, he met the eyes of his Metamorphmagus friend, who greeted him, "Wotcher, Harry! Ready for a ride?"

Remus and Hermione looked at each other apprehensively and quickly fastened their seat belts. Harry understood why when Tonks started the car and, with the windscreen wiper turned on, started moving with hard jolts. "Riding a broom is so much easier..." she sighed, while some inhabitants of the calm Privet Drive observed startled her lack of aptitude in driving a car.

*********

When Harry remembered that afternoon some years later, he discovered that during the argument he had with his best friend inside his aunt's flowerbed, Hermione performed a transfiguration spell that probably even McGonagall wouldn't be able to accomplish. (And that he could never thank her enough for that).

From the first (and probably the last) theory without rational reasoning Hermione ever developed, Harry noticed, some years later, that gradually all the sensation of death he carried within himself turned into sorrow. The sorrow was a bit more bearable and made him see that the best way to praise the memory of all the innocents whose lives were taken by Voldemort would be by never giving up on fighting.

After all, the belief that would be a day in the future when all the magical community wouldn't be segregated between purebloods and muggle-borns could never die. As a matter of fact, one of his main drivers on the war has always been the hope that he would still see a world that wouldn't stand the existence of a Dark Wizard that claimed the supremacy of a pure race. That no innocent lives would be destroyed for an insane battle of power. And that their dreams wouldn't be wasted for a battle they had no responsibility for.

Yet, he knew that even after all those years, it wasn't really over. And it never would be. But some things surely change. Just like he started changing that day.

Maybe like a seed, threw in that flowerbed in Privet Drive, Surrey.

Author notes:

1) Thanks so much for reading! So, how did you feel about the story? I'm really looking forward to knowing your opinions. If possible, please review it!

2) I'm sorry if the angsty tone of this chapter was a surprise – this is not how I plan the whole story to be. The thing is, I just couldn't continue from Ootp without Harry feeling depressed - if you have any comments about it, please let me know.

3) And oh, before anyone ask, this is not a "what-I-think-book-six-will-be-like" kind of story. Although I've started from where JKR left in Ootp, soon you'll see that what I'm planning for this fic is a bit different.

4) Next chapter: Where are Lupin and Tonks taking them? Harry's birthday is coming and he gets to talk about the Prophecy - how will Hermione, Ron and Ginny react?

Title: The Truth about Magic and Muggles (02/?)

Author name: SuperWitch

Author email: superwitch@brturbo.com

Category: Action/Adventure

Sub Category: Romance

Keywords: Birth Parchment Magical Essence Harry Potter Hermione Granger Legilimency

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OoTP

Summary: Have you ever wondered why magical babies are born from Muggle families? Join Harry Potter in his sixth year at Hogwarts and face with him mysterious deaths, the consequences of the Prophecy and maybe... love?!

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author notes: I'd like to thank my two amazing betas, Lissie89 and GemmaH121. Without you girls, this fic wouldn't probably be posted here. Thanks a lot for your help.

I’d also like to dedicate this chapter to Blizzard, who gave me the sweetest review I’ve ever got. Thanks so much.

Chapter 02 – Back to the Grim Old Place

Harry woke up hitting his head on the Ford Fusion window. Looking at the car clock, he could see that less than two hours had passed since he left Privet Drive, but it felt as if he had finally been absolved from a long Azkaban sentence. He still had some opened wounds that not even Madam Pomfrey would be able to cure, but being away from the Dursleys made him remember that he still had a lot of things ahead of him… and none of them had anything to do with the prophecy or Voldemort…

Since he couldn’t change the past and to keep on suffering would only worsen things, he decided to try not to think about what had troubled his mind for the last three weeks and live one day at a time. To his surprise – he couldn’t take his eyes off the landscapes they were crossing – he found that the highway wasn’t as unpleasant as his old memories with the Dursleys made him previously believe.

But before he could continue his philosophical ramblings, something extremely pink caught his attention. Straightening his glasses up in order to see correctly, Harry could detect that a pink jumper had been placed on his chest…

“Oh, I’m glad you’re awake. I want to show you some places when we arrive at London…” Hermione said, pulling the blouse from Harry’s body and starting to fold it. “I hope you don’t mind, you started to shiver while you were sleeping and I assumed you were cold.”

Hermione placed the blouse at her side, straightened herself up in the car seat and resumed reading a book called ‘How to defend yourself from Dark Wizards without using Dark Magic’ that awaited her on her lap.

For the first time ever since they met at his aunt’s flowerbed, Harry looked at Hermione without any concernment, excuse or lie on his mind. In a less thorough analysis, it could be said that she hadn’t changed much that summer… Her brown hair was still terribly bushy, tied in a high ponytail, leaving her nape exposed. Just like he had seen her uncountable times, she was very absorbed in her book, completely distracted from the world. However, maybe due to the brown light from the sunset that was illuminating her contour – maybe because it was one of the first harmonious sights that his eyes had seen after weeks of staring at the moldered walls of his room at Privet Drive – there was something he couldn’t place in Hermione that caught his attention.

Maybe it was something that wasn’t really recent.

How long has it been there, then?

Perhaps it was something that Harry wasn’t curious enough to notice before… Or something that wasn’t so evident or alluring…

The fact was that Harry was experiencing something like dé-jà vu, because just like at the Yule Ball, on that day, that girl sitting by his side had nothing to do with the image he previously had of Hermione on his mind. Maybe it was the lack of robes, that tended to hide and diminish everything. Maybe it was the way she was dressed, at Hogwarts she was rarely seen wearing something different from the uniform…

Harry couldn’t recognize any of her features... Sitting that way, putting her legs on the rear part of Tonks’ seat, he couldn’t understand how he hadn’t spotted that before. Has Ron ever really noticed that? Maybe that would explain the tension between both of them ever since the Yule Ball…

“Hey, take this,” Lupin said, turning to face Harry and giving him a bottle of water. “I think you’d better drink some, it’s been some time since we had such an intense summer…”

Looking at his old professor, he could see that on the outside almost nothing has changed… His clothes were still worn and shabby. The only difference in him was some additional gray hair, now prevailing on his head.

However, Remus had a different look in his eyes. A look that showed pain… Something like a permanent pain. But differently from Harry’s, it didn’t apparently interfere with his social interactions. It felt like Remus had given up fighting against it, as if the only thing he could really do was to wait for it to go away – if it’d ever go away…

“Ah Lupin, I want a sip too… I’m melting… Ooh! Ickle Harriekins has just woken up!” said Tonks, making a great impersonation of Mrs. Weasley and turning her head completely to face the green-eyed boy. In response, Lupin had to stretch out both hands in order to control the steering wheel, that Tonks had let go off. “Oh, Lupin, the car is already working with the ‘Drive Safe Charm’… Just let it go by itself…”

Sweat was running down her forehead. Despite the fact that in Little Whinging she had brown shoulder length hair, she shortened it to a minimal haircut that allowed her nape to perspire right after she entered the car. Her business woman suit was completely wrinkled now – her blouse had four buttons opened up and revealed a purple tank top beneath it… “You see, Harry? I bought this to work out with that woman from Muggle tele…”

But Remus didn’t look the least touched by her request, “Yes, but despite being sure that we won’t hit the car, it isn’t invisible and that means that all the Muggles may see the crazy things you’re doing on the road…”

Right after they left Little Whinging, it was with relief that Harry noticed that the same charm used in the Knight Bus had been performed in Hermione’s car, making the car duck automatically from lampposts, bridges, alleys and bifurcations.

Typical... Hermione is worried even with the maintenance of her family car. But how did she find the Knight Bus spell if she couldn’t go to a wizard library?

But before he could ask in which book she found the spell, Harry found Lupin turned back to him, looking intensely at his eyes.

“It was me, Harry. Before we left Nymphadora had revealed that the last time she drove a car was on the day of her driver’s test.”

Harry laughed. “No wonder I found it awkward... Even twelve-year-old Ron had more coordination to drive the Ford Anglia than her…” And pausing, “And if I were you, I wouldn’t call her Nymphadora…”

Lupin beamed. “I like how Nymphadora sounds. And also, it isn’t as if she were listening to us...”

Only then could Harry notice that during all the time they were talking, he and Lupin hadn’t broken eye contact. He was so absorbed in the conversation that although he had his eyes opened, he wasn’t paying much attention to everything else around.

“But how can you know what I was thinking? You didn’t use a spell… Where is your wand?”

“It looks like Snape didn’t tell you much about Legilimency...”

“Is this Legilimency?!” asked Harry disbelieving. “If so, Snape fooled me, because whatever happened in our training was very different from this…”

“Let’s say that there are several Legilimency levels, Harry. Itsay that there are several Legilimency levels, Harry. om this...talking, Lupin and he hadnin herback, looking at his face, wit depends on the congruence of the interlocutors…”

“Congruence? Interlocutors? Legilimency levels?!”

“Yes. I imagine that in your previous training your mind got flooded with bad memories because Snape wanted to teach you how to defend yourself from the most invasive way of mind intrusion,” Lupin said.

Harry snorted.

“But the art of Legilimency isn’t unpleasant in itself… It can be really useful in war situations as we’re facing now, in which allies can communicate without the use of words. Or when you’re trying to retrieve information from a vulnerable enemy…”

“Professor,” Hermione said out loud, “I’m sorry to interrupt.”

“It’s Remus, Hermione.”

“Okay, Remus. Err, since you and Harry are communicating this way, I’d like to know if you’ve reconsidered your decision about teaching me Legilimency…”

Only then Harry realized that Hermione has been witnessing all his silent interaction and he suddenly felt very self-conscious, although he couldn’t explain why.

“I’ve never refused to teach you Legilimency. I only stated that in order to provide you an optimized training, it would be good if you could wait a bit until I am able to make some arrangements…”

“But what arrangements?” Hermione asked slightly exasperatedly. “As far as I know, the only requirements of thesked exasperated. ements...raining, it would be interesting if you could wait a bit until art of Legilimency are the minds of two people.”

Lupin retorted firmly, “But unfortunately, Hermione, the bonds shared by the two minds is something you cannot fully understand yet. This is why you need to wait until I set up some… err… conditions... Believe me, this will make things much easier for you...”

“I’m sorry, Remus. It’s just that I feel really frustrated. This is one of those situations were books don’t help at all...”

“We’ve already talked about it, Hermione. You have to trust me. I’ve already taken the first step…”

Without breaking eye contact with Remus, Harry asked Hermione, “But why do you want to learn Legilimency, Hermione? Why not Occlumency?”

“It may be useful in times like this, when we can’t trust anyone. Besides, I have no secrets to hide…”

“Hohoho, all right,” Tonks interrupted.

Remus and Hermione glared at her.

“There is absolutely no fifteen-year-old girl without secrets, Hermione,” Tonks said, still laughing at her impulsive interruption.

Meanwhile, Lupin established eye contact again, “How about you, Harry? Are you interested in improving your Legilimency skills? From what I’ve seen, you have a lot of potential… Now that the prophecy is broken and you’ve experienced how it is to be influenced, there is no pressure for you to master Occlumency anymore. And don’t worry; I can assure you that it will be nothing like what you practiced with Snape…”

“Sure.” Harry didn’t need to think much for answering. Lupin was the best DADA professor he ever had and he was sure that he could trust him. However, there was still something bothering him. “But how will it work after I return to Hogwarts?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of that,” Lupin answered and broke their eye contact in order to pay attention to Tonks and Hermione, who where laughing now.

“…You only fool your mother with this rubbish… No, as a matter of fact I doubt that even your mum really buys this codswallop that you have no secrets, Granger.”

Hermione glared at her again, in a mockingly way. “Okay. Let me reformulate the sentence...” After a few seconds, she said, “Err, it isn’t as if I had secrets anyone would be interested to find out…” if I had secrets anyone would be interested to find out,Hermione, who where laughing now.

“Ooh... The lack of self-esteem of fifteen-year-old girls…” Tonks sighed, shaking her head.

“It’s all right, this is normal. Actually, it was worse with me, I guess. Every time I came near the boy I had a crush on, I used to get so nervous that I started to unconsciously deform my nose. On the day that he’d finally noticed me, he looked at my face and found an apple-sized nose, occupying two thirds of my face…”

“What happened, then?” Lupin asked amused.

“The boy started running desperately.... He lived across the street of my Muggle grandmother’s house, where I usually went for Christmas. My grandma, who actually thought the whole situation was funny, told his mother that I had a really tough allergy to pig dung and they apparently believed it…”

Everybody started laughing.

Time’s passed really quickly since then and Harry’s attention had only been diverted when they arrived in London and Hermione started showing him her favorite places in town.

Placing her arm on his lap in order to share the same window, they were taking turns in the two sides of the car to look at the attractions. Harry hardly knew London – the few times he left Surrey with the Dursleys were incredibly displeasing.

It surprised him that Hermione wasn’t showing him the famous tourist attractions of the city, but rather her favorite places in town… “You have to see the way they serve the meals, Harry. Imagine five Hagrid-sized guys dancing on the counter… One day I’ll definitely take you to this restaurant!”

Although Hermione was still pointing here and there, talking non-stop and Harry was still be able to eventually produce some “uh-huhs” at the right time; he couldn’t stop thinking that in neither of the worlds he lived would he have the chance to be a regular teenager. He was the most famous boy of the Wizarding World, with a prophecy that gave him the responsibility of saving the world from all evil or else being murdered by a Dark Wizard. And in the Muggle World, he was a guy without family, without money, without…

Luckily, Lupin interrupted his depressive thoughts. “Great… Finally, we made it! You can start walking, I’ll take your trunks.”

Harry noticed that Tonks parked the car in a street parallel to Grimmauld Place. It was a dark night and Harry wasn’t surprised to see Lupin retrieving Dumbledore’s Put-Outer from his pocket and turning off all the streetlamps so that they wouldn’t been seen by Muggles. Lost in the dark, Harry observed Hermione’s contour coming in his direction and grabbing his hand.

“This way. Watch your feet; this pavement has some holes.”

They didn’t have to walk far until they reached the spot between numbers eleven and thirteen. Remembering the note Dumbledore sent him last year, Harry found again the battered door. As Remus opened it, Harry’s felt that sweetish, rotting smell from the last time he had been there invading his senses and found it hard not to associate it with Sirius.

“Harry, you can use the same room you and Ron shared last year. I’m going to take your trunk as soon as possible. Hermione, the same for you – take the room where you and Ginny slept,” Tonks said.

“Err, is Ron going to stay at the Burrow until the beginning of the term?” Harry asked.

“Oh, no. We’ve decided that after been uncovered, Voldemort is probably going to take some time before starting a new onslaught. Taking into account what happened with Sirius, we decided to grant all the Order members some time with their families… We don’t know what lies ahead of us…”

Tonks continued, “But tomorrow everything will return to normal. With the approach of the beginning of the school term, the Order activities are starting again. The Weasleys are expected to be here in some hours…”

Satisfied with the answer, Harry went to his room with Hermione right behind him, both being careful not to make any noise to provoke the wrath of any of the Blacks’ portraits. However, Tonks, who was following them levitating their trunks, ran up against the umbrella stand – again – falling on the curtain that was hiding Mrs. Black’s portrait, who started shouting:

“Ah, I see this scum is back to my house. At least that abomination I brought to the world isn’t bringing shame to my noble family name anymore! It was about time that blood traitor met his pathetic Mudblood friends in hell.”

Covering the portrait and her ears quickly so as not to hear the insane yells from Sirius’ mother, Tonks signaled for Harry to continue walking. However, as he was going up the stairs, Harry couldn’t keep the portrait’s words from being replayed in his mind. Looking back on the miserable days he spent at his aunt’s house and the promise he had made to Hermione, Harry tried to divert his thoughts, opening the door of his room for Tonks to leave his trunk.

Right after he started unpacking his belongings, he heard Tonks’ voice:

“Harry, you can unpack this later. Lupin wants to show you something. He’s probably at the drawing room waiting for you right now.”

What does he want to show me?

Imagining that Lupin was waiting for him with some creature or weapon related to the Dark Arts that he came across in the house, Harry found, to his surprise, his former Professor in the room with his wand pointed at the tapestry that held the Black’s family tree.

Turning to Harry, Lupin looked at him in the eye and said, “There is something you need to know, Harry.”

Noticing the boy’s shoulder go stiff, he said, “It’s no big deal, don’t worry. I just felt I shouldn’t bother you with this while you were at your relatives’ house…”

Harry stared at the ground, waiting for whatever it was what Lupin had to tell him. But instead of hearing a sentence, Lupin performed a spell, producing with it a brownish light from his wand.

“Aparecium dono”

Before Harry could ask why that spell was cast, the worn cloth of the tapestry turned black and golden words started being formed:

This house belongs to:

Harry James Potter

Born on July 31^st, 1980.

Son of James Potter and Lily Evans Potter

“What?!” Harry asked incredulously.

”I take it you know that Sirius was the last of the Blacks. You, as his godson, inherited all his assets, including this house.”

Harry needed some time to digest the information. Surprised, confused and revolted, the only words he could mutter were,”I don’t want this house. I –I don’t want any of this!”

If being inside that manor was unpleasant enough last summer, now it was practically unbearable. In the few minutes he’d been inside the house, he couldn’t help seeing Sirius coming and going from the rooms, with a doleful and frustrated expression. It was getting really hard not to relate that hideous environment to his godfather and that was the last thing Harry wished for.

“Harry, I know that being here is as hard for you as it is for us, or maybe worse,” Lupin said with a fatherly tone, “But the Order needs this house. And your safety is our priority.”

“But Lupin, how can you be so sure that this house is so safe? Dumbledore must have told you how they’ve found out about my connection with Sirius.”

“You know the answer to this, Harry. Although Kreacher has revealed a lot of important facts, he couldn’t give the address of this house because of the Fidelius Charm. Only Dumbledore would be able to do so.”

“But what about Bellatrix Lestrange? Narcisa Malfoy? Being relatives, both of them should know this house, they’ve surely come here in the past…”

“Yes, but as relatives, they used to come here in the past using the Floo Network calling by ‘The Black Manor’. Now it is only possible to get to this house using its Muggle address… The fact that this house is unplottable is really important to our safety.”

Harry was trapped. Defeated, he was trying to adjust his now familiar stomachache with the fact that he was the owner of that horrid manor when a question popped up into his head.

“As the owner of this house, is there anything that I have to do in order to keep it?”

“I was expecting for you to ask me that. The answer is: yes and no. In order to establish yourself as the owner of this house, there is a certain spell you have to perform. But after that, you’re free – you don’t ever have to return here if you don’t wish to. But of course, we will require you to return here as long as this war goes…”

Hmm, not so bad.

“Err, okay. Is this spell complicated?” Harry asked, already dreading the answer.

“No. It’s quite simple actually. Just point your wand to the tapestry and say ‘Registra dono’”.

“But what about the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Harry… There is something I haven’t told you yet… Because of the number of O.W.L.s you’ve achieved…”

“How do you know that?” Harry interrupted him surprised.

“Dumbledore told us. Yes, all the members of the Order know and – I’ve got to say – we are really proud of you, after the year you’ve experienced…”

Noticing Harry’s embarrassed expression, Remus continued, “Well, Dumbledore and Minerva made some negotiations with the Ministry of Magic and they managed to get two licenses allowing the use of magic outside school, one for you, and the other for Hermione.”

“What about Ron?” Harry asked confused.

“Err, in order to get this kind of authorization, we had to provide them the rationale and proofs that you would use magic with responsibility.”

“And what justification did you give?”

“Well, in your case, we’ve argued that it would be important that you had unrestricted access to the use of magic, due to the fact that you’re Voldemort’s greatest foe. In Hermione’s case, well, she’s doing an extra-credit project for Hogwarts and Minerva managed to get permission for her too…”

Still suspicious, Harry asked, “And how did you prove we were responsible?”

“Well, we basically presented your O.W.L.s results…” Lupin answered. “If Ron had achieved more O.W.L.s, we could still have tried to find some rationale to ground it, but we couldn’t even start a negotiation with just six…”

Harry was at a loss for words.

“But what are Hermione and I going to tell him?” Harry asked already fearful of Ron’s reaction.

“I’ve talked to Hermione and she agreed not to perform magic in his presence outside school…”

“What about me?”

“This house is unplottable, remember? There is an ancient law in the Wizarding World that allows house owners to perform magic inside their homes. I think Ron must know that. So, it is definitely permitted for you to perform magic inside this place.”

Defeated, Harry rose his wand slowly. But then he stopped, unsure if he really wanted to do that.

Noticing his hesitation, Remus started, “Harry, you’re the only one who can do it. Please...”

Holding the wand firmly in his hands, the boy finally let out a low “Registra dono”.

His eyes were momentarily blinded by the silver light his wand emanated. Suddenly, his feet started trembling, just like all feet that were in the house at that moment. When he finally opened his eyes, he could see a brand new tapestry and to his surprise, the Blacks’ family tree had vanished.

Finding it hard to believe what his eyes were showing him, Harry read in the brown corduroy tapestry:

The House of Potter

There, he could find only one spot on the left with the name ‘Harry Potter’ in it.

“What does this mean?”

“Don’t worry. This kind of tapestry is a bit behind the times…”

But before Lupin could complete his sentence, Harry heard some light steps coming in his direction. Approaching him with his huge eyes, Harry saw Kreacher taking a bow, almost leaning his nose against the ground.

“M-Master...”

My special thanks to:

shawnpickett, gal-texter (Thanks for reviewing in FA too), Cassie Valentine, Arthur Hansen, harrifreak, ears91, MissMoral (love your fics!), Beppo (Your question will be answered in chapter 5 or 6), Sbys, harriherm84, Blizzard and GemmaH121 (Thanks for your help again).

Title: The Truth about Magic and Muggles (03)

Author name: FabianaM aka SuperWitch

Author email: superwitch@brturbo.com

Category: Action/Adventure

Sub Category: Romance

Keywords: Birth Parchment Magical Essence Harry Potter Hermione Granger Legilimency

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, FB, QTTA, OoTP

Summary: Have you ever wondered why magical babies are born from Muggle families? Join Harry Potter in his sixth year at Hogwarts and face with him mysterious deaths, the consequences of the Prophecy and maybe... love?!

In this chapter: Harry's birthday, the prophecy is finally revealed and someone gets an unexpected Howler...

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author notes: Well, first let me thank my two amazing beta readers Lissie89 and GemmaH121 for their impeccable work. I'd also like to thank everybody who reviewed Chapter 02. It meant a lot to me, really.

Okay, so I'd better stop talking. This chapter is rather long. I hope you enjoy it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 03 - Truth be told

Hearing Kreacher's voice calling him 'Master' made all muscles in Harry's body start trembling. Barely able to stand on his legs (that were shaking with the ground) and trying his to best to pull himself together, Harry started to gasp, as if the spell he had just performed had absorbed all the oxygen in the room.

Fearing to lose control and perform uncontrolled magic, Harry was ready to follow the Blacks' tradition and rip Kreacher's head off to hang it on the hall when he saw the small contour of Hermione leaned on the door behind the elf, looking at him with scared eyes.

Trying to calm down, Harry made his way to Kreacher trying to fix his eyes somewhere between the worn parquet and Hermione's shoes.

"Listen, as your master from now on, I command you the following: you're obliged to respect any and every person that may dwell in this house. You are forbidden to eavesdrop in any conversation that does not concern you. And you are not authorized, under any circumstance, to leave this house or talk to anyone who is not allowed here. Most importantly, I don't want to see you anywhere near me while I stay in this house."

"Ye-yes Master," and taking another bow, he left the room, dodging Hermione, who was at the door.

Feeling Lupin's hand on his shoulder, Harry opened his eyes to see Hermione still leaning on the door with a blank expression.

"I'm sorry Hermione, I take it you expected me to redeem him, forgive him or anything of the sort, but you can't imagine how hard it was for me to actually say those words."

Hermione looked at him curiously.

"No, Harry, I am so proud of you! I was told how things happened that day and…” She looked at the ground, “It’s really hard for me to say it, but... I kind of realized that the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare did have some crucial flaws in its conception. I was acting with the best of intentions, but it turned out that it was really naïve of me to believe that the problem was just with the elves. Kreacher is definitely mean – but it's not his fault. I believe that he only became such a cruel and manipulative creature because of the atmosphere he always lived in."

And looking at his eyes, she continued, "I won't give up fighting for this cause, but I guess I need to reevaluate my opinions and positions about this... It will be useless to try changing the elves mentality if the wizarding community goes on having such an antiquate perception."

Harry just beamed at her. It is really rare to see Hermione admitting a mistake (mostly because she rarely is wrong).

But Lupin interrupted his digressions, "Hermione, how is the project going?"

"Oh, I was supposed to meet Tonks in the dining room right after I had unpacked my stuff. Oh, Merlin!" Hermione cried, taking her hands to her face and leaving the room hurriedly.

Lupin, looking at her amusedly, "Harry, there is someone in this house who would be delighted to see you..."

"I hope this isn't another unpleasant surprise."

"Oh, no. I think you'll like seeing him. He's definitely been in need of some company lately," Lupin said, pushing Harry towards the door.

"Lupin?" Harry called when they reached the staircase.

"Yes, Harry?"

"What is this project Hermione doing about?"

"Oh, it's an extra-credit research project Tonks and I assigned in the beginning of the summer. Hermione was feeling a bit uneasy after the classes ended. Her O.W.L.s' preparation was quite intense, and she felt a bit idle after school was over."

Harry looked at him disbelievingly.

"I can't believe she actually asked for it! I mean, she almost drove herself, Ron and me crazy last school year because of those examinations."

"You know her. But it's a great project, Harry. While she is working on it, she's also practicing a lot of things she's learned at Hogwarts. And you have no idea how useful it will be for us if it works."

With a smile, Lupin added, "Well, with her in charge, I'm sure it will work."

"But what is this project about specifically?"

"Oh, let's say it is a kind of surprise... Don't worry, you'll know everything about it in the fullness of time," and stopping in front of Mrs. Black's old room, he said, "Come on."

As he entered the room, he saw Buckbeak sitting on his paws, playing with a very dingy brown teddy-bear that was currently being mopped down on the floor by his mouth. Right after he saw Harry, the hypogriff cheerily stood up and started to spread his wings, leaving the ground, making a somehow familiar noise.

"Hey, Beaky!" Harry said, bowing like Hagrid taught him in his third year.

"He's been a bit depressed ever since he noticed that Sirius is no longer around." Lupin said, checking Buckbeak dead rats plate, "Tonks brought this old teddy-bear to see if it would distract him a bit."

"Err, has Tonks been sleeping here ever since that day in the Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked curiously.

"No, I've been on my own here. But she came in all days. In the beginning, we even believed that she might have inherited all this. You know, she was Sirius' cousin..."

Hearing the entrance door being opened, it didn't take long for Harry to hear hurried steps in his direction. Coming from the door, he saw a very tall, red-haired, freckled boy, who said, "Hey! So, you're already here, mate?"

Much taller than the last time Harry saw him at King's Cross, Ron Weasley stopped to give his friend a big bear hug.

"So, how has it been? We were quite worried about how your summer would be."

"I'm okay. I'm glad I'm not in Surrey anymore. Not that this place actually inspire good things in me, but this is definitely better than being with the Dursleys."

Ron started laughing.

"What?"

"At least, this time you're not shouting at me like last summer..."

Harry grinned. "If I were you, I wouldn't be so sure. I already yelled at Hermione before getting here."

Trying to sound casual, Ron asked, "Oh, so you two have met before you arrived here?"

"Yes, she came to pick me up in Surrey at my relatives' house. Lupin and Tonks were there too."

"Ahn," said the red-haired, gazing at the ground.

Ginny appeared and broke the ice, "See, Ron? We already know how to act next summer... We just have to arrive AFTER he gets here."

No matter that just three weeks had passed since he last saw her, it seemed that puberty had finally hit Ginny Weasley. She was looking really different from what Harry remembered.

Just like her youngest brother, Ginny grew several inches and became probably one of the tallest girls to be attending Hogwarts this term. Besides that, her body had some very feminine features, which combined with her red hair, made Harry feel really confused. Whatever happened to that little girl?

"Hi, Harry. Are you okay?"

"Hey, Ginny. Yeah, I'm fine..."

A sharp yell interrupted their conversation.

"HARRY! Come here, please!" Unbelievingly, Harry heard Hermione's voice shouting from the hall.

"For Merlin's beard, what's the problem with her lately? Doesn't she know that she'll wake up all the portraits in here?" Ron asked.

"Don't know," Ginny answered. "But I have a hunch. I found her at the dining room some minutes ago with Tonks. They were doing something strange - don't ask me what - with a stone and some books. Maybe she's spending too much time with her. Hermione has always been so discreet." but the red- haired asked suddenly, "Where are you going, Harry?!"

Already out of the room, Harry answered, "See what the problem with her is. Hermione wouldn't shout from the hall for nothing. I just hope they haven't freed any pureblood freak spirit from the Blacks."

Going down the stairs, Harry found Hermione with a book on one hand, her wand in another and a very pleased expression on her face. Tonks was at her side, transfigured in an old woman with a black cap. Drooling and rolling her eyes, she started saying, looking at Harry:

"This is so formidable that I had to dress up to the nines, ickle Harriekins... Don't I remind you of someone?" Tonks asked with a wicked smile.

Surprised (and a bit scared), Harry was trying to figure out what was happening, when Hermione's voice interrupted him.

"Oh, don't worry about her, Harry," she said a bit impatiently. "Now that you own this house, I think I have discovered a way to revert the Permanent Sticking Charm in Mrs. Black's portrait ."

"You own this house?!" Ron and Ginny asked in unison.

"Yes, I do, but I'll explain it later" Harry answered fast. "And how is that, Hermione?"

"Oh, just point your wand to the canvas and say 'Desgruda'."

Noticing that Harry's face was turning into that so familiar 'I don't get it' expression - which by the way, was very, very common in Potions classes - Hermione started to explain it, "Like this: 'Thes-go-roo-dah'."

Harry repeated several times, somehow bewildered, "Thes-go-roo-dah"

"Okay, that should do it. Now, try it with your wand pointed to the portrait."

"Desgruda." And with a brief silver light coming out of his wand, Mrs. Black old portrait fell on the ground. The thud was soon followed by heavy and short steps.

"Ay, Merlin! How did you manage that?" Mrs. Weasley asked entering the room.

Retrieving from her purse several magically shrunken trunks and putting them on the ground, she stopped at Harry's side, "Hello, Harry dear. How are you doing?" and studying him thoroughly, said with a satisfied look on her face, "It looks like you have finally been treated well at your relatives' house. You haven't lost weight like in the previous summers."

Indeed, despite their eternal reluctance in sharing the best meals with him, this summer Aunt Petunia served him reasonable amounts of food for a growing boy. Obviously, this only happened because the Dursleys were threatened by the Order and because Dudley was free to eat whatever he felt like due to his boxing training.

"And you, Hermione, had grown so much! Did you have a good time this summer? How are your parents?"

"They're fine, Mrs. Weasley, thank you. My mum just sent me a message from Portugal."

"Oh, so you bought them an owl?" Ron asked interested.

"Oh, no, Ron! How would they carry it on a holiday trip? Inside their bags?!" Hermione answered beaming. Looking at Ron's confused expression, she took a deep breath and tried to explain it, "No, she sent a message to my mobile," taking from her pocket a small silver cellular phone.

"Mobile?!" Ron asked confused. "Like those things you hang from the ceiling? You Muggles! Always inventing these crazy things! That surely looked like a small fellytone to me!"

Hermione couldn't help grinning. "Yes, this is indeed a small TELEPHONE, not fellytone. But you can take this telephone wherever you want. I mean, not all the places, I'm sure that with all the magical wards in there, this won't work at Hogwarts."

Ron looked suspiciously at the small silver device on Hermione's hands.

She continued, "You can make and receive calls from people and send or receive messages as well. See?"

Harry was observing Ron taking Hermione's cell phone in his hands when Lupin - who showed up right after Molly - took him to a corner of the room and asked him in a low voice, "Harry, have you considered when you are going to tell them about the prophecy?"

If there was a subject that Harry has avoided completely ever since he left Hogwarts, it was the truth about the prophecy. He almost told Hermione in the morning when they were at his aunt's house, but he didn't have the nerve at that time.

"I know it must be hard for you, Harry. But they need to know. From this day on, all the Order members will be attending this house and now that you know the truth, this won't be a forbidden subject in this house anymore."

"I don't think they're ready. I mean, I don't want to see them sad, or pitying me..."

"Harry, they should be able to interpret it on their own. Think about what you're doing. It's the same behavior that you disapproved in us last year. Ron and Hermione aren't kids anymore... You can't take them for granted like that..."

"I know,” he said pausing. “Okay," Harry said, shrugging his shoulders, "I just need some time. Some time for me to plan what to say and how to say it. Can you do it for me? I mean, try to avoid this subject for a while, until I get to tell them?"

"Yes," Lupin answered with a blank expression. "But try to do it before your return to Hogwarts. I want you to be around adults when this subject comes out. We can help with clearing things up or try to cool things off." And he continued, seriously, "You know how things can go crazy when you're at Hogwarts. You may act impulsively or assume the wrong information."

"All right. I'll do it. Just give me some time."

Lupin left Harry to help Molly and Tonks carry the Weasleys' trunks to their respective rooms. After spending some minutes thinking about it, Harry decided to follow Ron.

***

As Harry was felling uncomfortable standing there while Ron unpacked, he decided to put Pig's cage on the wardrobe. As usual, the tiny owl was jumping frenetically inside it, to the horror of the ever so elegant Hedwig, who was staring at the younger owl with disdain.

Apparently anxious to talk about this particular subject, Ron said in a casual tone, "So, Harry, you're the owner of all this?! That's great. I'd love to be able to perform magic outside Hogwarts."

"Yeah, I guess so," Harry answered. "Sirius was the last of the Blacks and I think that I became his heir because I was his godson," Harry answered sheepishly.

Ron started beaming, "Your vault at Gringotts must be overflowing now. You weren't exactly poor with your folks' inheritance, imagine now with the Blacks' fortune."

"Blacks' fortune? What do you mean?" Harry asked confused. "I can understand that this house might have some kind of magical conscience and can recognize its owner. But how can Gringotts know that Sirius is dead? As far as I know, his body disappeared in the Department of Mysteries."

"Have you never heard of the birth and death parchments?"

"No," Harry answered, feeling slightly stupid.

"Okay, let me tell you." Ron started, "When a magical human being is born or is deceased his name is automatically recorded in a magical list known as the birth or death parchment. So, when a magical baby is born, for example, this list registers some days before when and where the baby should probably be delivered and who his parents are. The same happens when someone dies, some minutes after the person passes away the death parchment registers the exact time, place and how this person died, including potential heirs as well."

"So the Ministry knows that Sirius is dead?"

"Yes! What I don't understand is why they didn't announce it to the public. I even asked my father and I'm sure he was going to tell me, the problem was, my mum appeared in the kitchen and said that I shouldn't get involved with 'grown-up issues'."

"Well, although there is this death parchment thing, they have no way of proving that Sirius is really dead, there is no real evidence that he had even been in the Ministry of Magic that day." Harry tried to reason.

Enthusiastically, Ron interrupted him, "Maybe Fudge is ashamed to admit that Sirius died fighting against Voldemort when the whole Ministry was pretending that there was nothing going on."

Not really convinced, Harry gave up trying to understand the motivations of the Ministry. “I shouldn't worry about this, I have too much on my mind to deal with,” he thought.

But he still had some doubts.

"But how would Gringotts know that Sirius is dead if these parchments are located at the Ministry of Magic?"

"The organizations that need this kind of information, like Gringotts and Hogwarts, for example, have some devices that are magically connected with the parchments and receive this type of data. Have you never heard of the Hogwarts Magical Quill? How do you think McGonagall knows which wizards in Great Britain are going to turn eleven every year so she can send the letter to them?"

Harry nodded, but he couldn't believe it. If accepting the house was complicated, knowing that the inheritance that his parents left for him would be jumbled with the money from such an evil and discriminating family made him sick.

If not even Sirius wanted the Black's patrimony, why should I, for Merlin's sake, accept it?!

Ron, noticing Harry's expression, said, "Harry, don't be like this. Think about the position you are in. It is really rare to find someone who has the power of choice that you have at such a young age. I would give anything to be in your shoes."

Harry just needed to look at Ron to show him what his opinion was.

Realizing his mistake, Ron tried to make things right immediately. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like that. Oh, Harry, but you are in such a luxurious position. You are the master of your destiny."

I doubt he would say that if he knew about the prophecy...

"... you don't need to worry about O.W.L.s, jobs or money. Do you know how many O.W.L.s I've got, Harry? SIX. None in Potions, History of Magic or Transfiguration. I won't be able to be an Auror anymore. Only Fred and George were worse than me in the family."

"But Fred and George turned out to be really successful, didn’t they? See? This just confirms that these exams don't mean a thing, Ron."

"But they are talented. Ever since they were young they were always dismantling stuff from Zonko's and creating things to surprise us. Besides that, they were really lucky to have you as an investor. How easy is it for two sixteen-year-old wizards to get one thousand galleons to start a business nowadays?!"

Harry told him sincerely, "Ron, you know I'd be happy to share with your family the Black's fortune."

"No way, mate," Ron said determinedly. "I mean it, Harry, you've already helped us too much and I doubt anyone in my house would be glad to get rich without deserving it." And he added as an afterthought, "Besides that, the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes is going really well. Our household income has increased a lot with the twins' business. For example, all the school supplies Ginny and I are going to use this year are brand new, nothing second hand."

But instead of a proud expression, Harry noticed that Ron carried the same look in his eyes that he had when he saw Harry's name being retrieved from the Goblet of Fire in his fourth year. Worried, he asked, "What's the matter, Ron?"

"The matter is me. You should have seen my mother's face when she saw my O.W.L.s results. I never thought I would let her down like that. Obviously she tried to deny it, talking about 'difficult times', 'harder tests', 'experiences that mean more than exams', but we all know that this didn't matter at all, because you and Hermione went really well, despite everything. What surprises me is that even my mum found an excuse for my failure."

Harry wanted to interrupt that, but Ron didn't let him.

"I know that I'm not as smart as Bill, or as dedicated as that sycophant known as Percy. But I didn't know I was that bad. I've always dreamed of growing up and having a different life than I had when I was a child. Not that I'm complaining about my parents, but I wanted them to age with a better financial situation."

"Ron, don't think like that. Six O.W.L.'s aren't really that bad. We've still got two years at Hogwarts, it isn't over yet," Harry tried reasoning, to at least try to put his best-friend in a better mood.

"But I don't have any chance left of being an Auror, Harry. And I really wanted to work with that, I can't think of anything else I'd like to do." Raising his head so he could look at this best-friend, he continued, "But don't look at me like that, I'm thinking about following my father's career. I'll enroll in 'Muggle Studies' this year, I know that you and Hermione will help me with it if I need it."

***

The rest of the week passed really fast. Harry and Ron usually played Wizard Chess and Exploding Snap, and tested some items - the most inoffensive ones - from Fred and George's store. Hermione was usually with them or reading the new sixth year books that Molly bought for them in her last visit to Diagon Alley. Ginny was helping the twins in their store and only showed up in the house at dinner's time.

The Order's meetings were resumed the day after Harry returned to the house, bringing with it all the Order members. To Harry's surprise, Fred and George were accepted in the Order due to 'all the responsibility they've shown running their business', according to Mrs. Weasley.

But unlike Harry had imagined, the twins wouldn't tell him - or Ron and Hermione, for that matter - anything about what happened at the meetings, as their conversation in the day before has proved.

"We promised not to divulge anything that happens in the meetings, mate," Fred told Harry, "It's a part of the acceptance ritual..."

"But don't worry, you guys," George completed, "We won't leave you in the dark."

"Although we can't exactly tell you what's going on, we will provide a way for you to find out yourselves."

"And how is that?!" Hermione asked curiously.

"Err. Let's say we have performed a comprehensive update on our Extensible Ears." George said.

Fred continued, "Honestly, with them, I wouldn't really mind if I weren't accepted in the Order."

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at the twins bewildered.

"We have worked to increase its reach and now it is resistant to some restrictive spells. It won't be hard for you to know what happens in the meetings."

"Just be careful so that my mother doesn't see them."

"But why are you doing this for us?" Harry asked.

George answered sheepishly, "We think that we kind of owe it to you guys. Growing up or being in the Order isn't as easy or exciting as we have imagined..."

Harry didn't understand what this had to do with the Extensible Ears. But he was extremely grateful, anyway.

However, as far as they have heard in that meeting, Voldemort or the free Death Eaters haven't made any appearance since the Department of Mysteries battle.

And although Harry wouldn't tell anyone, each time he heard that there weren't any visible signs of dark activity, an incredible sensation of relief invaded his senses.

***

Harry was dreaming of a big black dog and a stag running through the Forbidden Forest when he woke up with something heavy falling on his body.

"Happy Birthday!" said Ron and Hermione in unison, each shaking one side of his body for him to wake up.

"All right, I'll wake up," said Harry defeated. "But please let me have my glasses, I'm getting dizzy."

While Ron was retrieving his glasses from the nightstand, Hermione didn't even wait for Harry to sit to give him a hug.

"Ooh, it's the first time I see you on your birthday!" she said, squeezing him hard. And looking at his head, she said, "I think there's something wrong with you, Harry. Your hair is so trimmed today." and with this, she started to dishevel his locks savagely, messing it completely, and even pulling out some hair.

"Hermione, control yourself," Ron said irritated.

But he was only pretending because when she turned to face him, still with her hands on Harry's hair, Ron jumped on the bed and started tickling poor Harry, who couldn't get away with his two best-friends holding him.

"I'm not sure you're aware of this," Harry said trying hard not to explode with laughter, "...but I was once told that my uncontrolled magic is very dangerous..."

Slightly shaken, Ron and Hermione let him go immediately. Hermione stood up from bed, putting her hands in her pockets as if she was storing something in there. Ron left the room for an instant, coming back a few moments later with some parcels in his hands.

"These are just our presents and the ones that arrived by owl. You'll probably be getting some more" Ron said, throwing the parcels on Harry, who was finally able to sit on the bed.

"Do not open our presents first," Hermione commanded.

"Okay." Getting a parcel wrapped in brown paper, Harry recognized Hagrid's untidy scrawl. As he opened it, he found a hard and furry cloak with a note:

Harry,

This is a porcupine cloak. It repels attacks from Dark Beasts. When you're back at Hogwarts, let's test it in the Forbidden Forest!

Happy Birthday!

Hagrid.

"Wicked!" Ron said, "Charlie has one of those too! He said that it protected him once from a Pogrebin."

Harry felt the cloak in his hands. It was heavy and it looked like it was radiating some sort of invisible energy that made him shudder.

After examining Hagrid's present, Harry saw a very colorful package. Opening the note, Harry recognized Dobby's handwriting:

Dobby wishes Harry Potter a Happy 16 Birthday!

Dobby decided to enlarge Harry Potter socks this year because Harry Potter is no longer a tiny skinny boy.

Dobby hopes Harry likes it.

And with this, Harry saw two gigantic and colorful socks in his hand, that would probably cover his knees.

Ron smiled after seeing Dobby's present. "Now, open mine."

While Harry was opening the big red and yellow box that Ron placed on his lap, his red-haired friend started saying, "They're the Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs - Gryffindor Team Edition. Fred and George created it especially for you."

Under the name of the product, Harry could see written in italics, 'For our angel capitalist - and the best seeker Gryffindor has ever had'.

"Let's use them in our first game of the year!"

Excited, Harry and Ron spent some time making several plans on how to use the fireworks, aggravate the Slytherins and play Quidditch at the same time when Hermione interrupted them.

"Look, I'm sorry to interrupt such a glorious moment, but Harry, would you please open my present? I'll leave you alone after that and two can make all the plans you want."

"Oh Hermione, I'm sorry..." Harry said embarrassed. Then, he took the parcel, which could not look more like a book, from Hermione's hands. However, after he opened it, he was surprised to see a beige box with a huge picture of Victor Krum and Aiden Lynch looking at each other with menacingly eyes:

Legi-Quidditch World Cup Edition Featuring: Ireland x Bulgaria

Develop your Legilimency skills and try your Quidditch strategies at this thrilling game!

Opening the parcel, Harry saw a small glass cube, with various players' miniatures that moved every time Harry looked at them.

"It's sort of a Gameboy for wizards, Harry. But in order to control them, you have to use Legilimency. As a matter of fact, I was going to give you two presents, but the other isn't available yet. Well, at least, now you can expect what you're going to get from me on Christmas."

Ron interrupted her, "But what is a Gameboy, Hermione?"

"It's a sort of game that you play on a cube like this, Ron," Harry explained it roughly. "Wow, this is awesome, Hermione, but you know that I am terrible with Occlumency. I don't think I'll be able to even start a game in this."

"Don't worry, Harry, there are several difficulty levels. This game is recommended for kids in general, I'm sure you'll be able to play with it."

Looking at Harry's incredulous face, Hermione continued, "For your information, I caught the Snitch myself when I tested it in the store..."

"Really? With which team?" Ron asked.

"Err, with Bulgaria. As a matter of fact, Krum was the only player who obeyed my instructions in the game."

Ron snorted.

"At least give it a try, Harry."

"Okay." And with that, he started to look intensely at the toy and soon Harry could see a little Snitch forming the following words in the game screen:

Which team would you like to play?

Then, he saw the words 'Ireland' and 'Bulgaria' appearing in silver, with a Bludger circling the two words. Deciding he'd like to play with Ireland, the Bludger immediately hit the team word, and started the game.

"Hermione, thanks! This game is the greatest thing I've ever seen..."

"Don't mention it." And turning, "Well, I have some business to take care of," she said, with her hands on her pockets. "Let Ron play a little after you're done, Harry. I'm sure he wants to try the Wonski Feint."

However, Harry couldn't follow Hermione's instructions immediately. After some time and three goals, he was interrupted by Mrs. Weasley, Tonks and Lupin.

"Haha, I see you've liked the Legi-Quidditch, huh?" Tonks asked with a gentle voice and blue hair.

"Yes," Harry answered without taking his eyes off the toy.

"But I'm afraid you'll have to TURN IT OFF if you want to get presents from us!" she shouted in his ear.

Harry, startled, knocked down the toy on the bed.

"T-take it, Ron," he said in a small voice. "I'm sorry, Tonks."

"It's okay, birthday boy. Open my present first."

Harry unwrapped a little parcel and saw a heavy tiny yellow box, where it was written 'Weird Sisters' and Harry recognized the musicians who played in the Yule Ball.

"It's a Weird Sisters Record, Harry! I'm sure you'll love it," Tonks said enthusiastically.

Harry really appreciated the present, but he didn't have a clue how to listen to magical songs.

"Perhaps, it would be better if you showed him how to use it, Nymphadora," said Lupin, noticing Harry's bewildered expression.

"Oh, sure, ickle Harriekins! Come here!" she said with a motherly voice, but before Harry had moved, she directed her attention back to Lupin and shouted with an irritated and artificial manly voice, "And I forbid you AGAIN to call me by that hideous name."

Lupin, trying hard not to laugh, answered, "Okay, I'm sorry."

Tonks sat at Harry's side on the bed, "It's really easy. Tap your wand on the Record and say 'Sonorus'..."

Harry did exactly as she ordered.

"Then, you'll just have to raise your wand proportionally to the volume you'd like the sound to have. Like this," she said, starting to raise the tip of her wand until it was leveled with her eyes. When the song finally started to play, the sound was deafening, the windows were shaking and Mrs. Weasley was staring at Tonks with a really disapproving look.

"Okay, that's enough, Tonks," Mrs. Weasley said with a tired voice. "I'm sure Harry will be able to manipulate this record perfectly fine - and in a much more bearable tone for human beings, I must say."

Lupin, trying to break the ice, sat by Harry's other side. "This is my present, Harry," Lupin started, "I'm sure that it isn't as electric as Tonks', but it might help you with that toy over there," he said pointing to the Legi-Quidditch in Ron's hands.

Harry unwrapped the package to find a book called 'Knowing the depths of your mind'.

"We'll be working soon on what we've arranged. But before, try looking at this book, maybe it can help you understand some things."

"Sure, Remus. Thanks"

"Now it's my turn, Harry my dear," said Mrs. Weasley, showing him a Weasley jumper. "I'm sure you won't be surprised, but you'll definitely need this. Seeing how you've grown up in the last few months, those jumpers I previously sent you must be small now."

Mrs. Weasley was definitely right. Harry wasn't as tall as Ron, but his body has undoubtedly crossed the short-skinny-boy line. With larger shoulders and a lean body, if Harry were seen by centaurs this time, he wouldn't stand the least chance of being confused with a cub as he was in their last encounter.

"Well, it's time for you two to change because there is a special breakfast waiting for you," Mrs. Weasley said. And adding as an afterthought, "...and because we have an announcement to make."

***

Harry and Ron dropped the Legi-Quidditch on the bed and changed quickly, anxious to hear whatever announcement Mrs. Weasley and Remus would be making. When they got in the kitchen, they found Hermione already changed, buzzing with Tonks behind a book called "Useful Spells to Repel Dark Magic".

Ginny, Fred and George were also having breakfast and as soon as Harry entered the kitchen, the three siblings went in his direction, giving him a triple hug, "Happy Birthday, mate! Did you like our Gryffindor Edition Whiz- bangs?"

But before Harry could answer, Ginny started saying, "Oh, Harry, it's going to be so fun! Can't wait for our next game!" and hugged him without her brothers this time.

The breakfast was delicious. Mrs. Weasley not only knitted the Weasley Jumper, but also prepared a wonderful breakfast, different from all the breakfasts he'd ever had on his birthday's. Cakes, breads, sweets and pies were packing the table of the former Black Manor, making it hard for Harry to even try everything.

Bill joined them at the table a little later, undoubtedly late for work.

After being questioned on the reason why he lost track of time, Harry heard two muffled voices saying, "Err, let's say that his English classes with a certain French blond witch dragged on until late hours yesterday."

But the oldest Weasley son simply beamed at his younger brothers and said, "I had to work overtime yesterday, Mum, I'm sorry. But don't worry, I think I'll be able to have dinner here tonight."

Harry was currently laying his eyes on the last pumpkin pie slice resting on the tray when he saw Hermione unceremoniously taking it to her plate. Looking menacingly at her, she glared at him, then started dividing it in half, "Only because it's your birthday, you know. This pie has been here for ages and I'm sure you haven't even taken notice of it."

"Of course I did", Harry said beaming. "I just wanted to save the best for last. I know that if I've had it before I wouldn't want to have anything later."

"Whatever." Hermione dismissed, giving him his half.

"You can take mine if you want it, Harry," Ginny said pushing her plate in his direction, which carried an almost untouched slice of pie. "Oh, it's not that I don't like it, Hermione," the red-haired girl said, before her friend even asked, "I was a bit of a glutton and took a bigger slice than I could take..."

But before Harry could make up his mind about accepting Ginny's offer, Mrs. Weasley rose at her seat and started saying. "So, Remus and I have a small announcement to make for you kids," she said looking at Ron, Harry and Hermione.

Looking at Ginny, who was staring at her with questioning eyes, Mrs. Weasley said, "Oh, Gin, you're dismissed from this summer duty, dear. You can still help Fred and George at the shop."

And returning to look at the red, black and brown heads at the table, she started saying, "Remus and I have been analyzing this house and its wards for the last few days, haven't we, Remus?"

"Yes, Molly. Since Hermione was able to discover the spell to revert the Permanent Sticking Charm, we've been making a few tests."

Molly continued, "So, we've discovered that this house accepts remodeling and redecorating now that it has another family owning it."

George couldn't help saying, "Such a big family you have, don't you, Harry?"

"…But the thing is," Remus continued, "we know how this house feels unpleasant for most of us. However, we need this place. This is the best headquarters the Order could ever have... So, we have decided that the best birthday present we could give you, Harry, is to provide you a place to be, where you can feel well and safe. We believe that by remodeling and redecorating this house, we can take away some of the bad memories such a dark place like this inspire in us."

While Remus was talking, Ron asked the twins in a low voice, "So, you knew about this?"

"'Course we did," Fred answered. "But wait, you haven't heard the best of it yet."

"…And this is why we need your help. I mean, I'm sure all the members of the Order would love to help remodeling his house."

The twins snorted.

"...but everybody has been very busy lately performing their duties. Since you two have been really idle ever since you've arrived here, we would like to ask your help." And turning to face Hermione, "we know you have a lot on your mind right now, but we think you'd like to help us in this anyway. Molly and I will be coordinating this, but we're sure that if you're helping, we'll be able to finish this in just a couple of weeks."

Ron asked, "I know Harry owns this house and all and therefore is able to perform magic here, but, how can Hermione and I help?"

"Although Harry is allowed to perform magic inside this house, house- remodeling spells are really complex and need a certain magical experience and strength I'm not sure you three would have." Lupin stated.

Looking at their faces full of disbelief, Remus continued, "Or do you really think it is easy to be Dumbledore and change the whole Great Hall with just a flick of wand and some words?"

The three teenagers looked at him with blank expressions.

"Here, let me show you. I'm going to try to remove the previous paint this wall had with a scraping spell."

And pointing his wand to a wall in his right, he said, "Raspa".

Then, they could see a small area, that had the size of a window, being slowly scraped and producing a lot of ink dust at the same time. "You see? And I'll only be able to perform this spell again after this one finishes. I'm sure you'll be able to do this much faster."

Looking at Hermione's astonished face, Lupin said, "Okay, Hermione, maybe this is too harsh for you, so we'll only use your help to paint the walls. Is that better?"

Hermione couldn't answer.

***

Harry and Ron spent the last couple of weeks working like they never had in their lives. In the first week, the two boys scraped and sanded the walls, while Hermione swept and cleaned the mess they made. Remus and Molly were performing the magical part of the remodeling, removing the hideous Dark Magic pieces that ‘decorated’ the house and transfiguring the doors and windows to less somber objects. After they finished the painting in the second week, the house got several new pieces of furniture and a special note from Dumbledore, thanking mainly the teenagers for their help.

Although it has been extremely tiring, Harry couldn't deny that all the hard work made him forget the problems and memories that were haunting his mind. Come to think of it, the remodeling was very positive, because the new surroundings, clear and cheerful, didn't resemble the old Blacks' manor at all.

However, there was still an issue troubling him. Sitting in a dark blue couch in the new living room of the house, Harry was looking to the newly installed magical clock similar to the Weasleys' one. Staring specifically at Ron and Hermione's pointers, Harry didn't know what to do...

"Harry, it's time to tell them the truth... You'll be back at Hogwarts in four days." Lupin said as if he was reading his mind again, sitting by his side on the couch.

"I know," said Harry crestfallen.

The last thing he wanted was to talk about the prophecy, because he wasn't really sure himself of what to think of it. Certainly Ron and Hermione deserved to know the truth, but it felt like telling them about it would make it seem more real, more inevitable.

And it would also multiply by three the burden Harry's been carrying alone. He didn't think it was fair to steal their peace and somehow their innocence with something like that.

"You surely know what the limitations of this magical branch are, don't you?" Remus asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yeah, I do. But even Dumbledore seems to believe it," Harry said dejected.

"But your best-friends are old enough to have their own interpretations, Harry. Try to do it still today, so you'll give them some time for reflection before you return to school."

"Okay, Remus. It'll all be over tonight," Harry said uncertainly.

***

Harry spent the rest of the day bashful and quiet. Sitting in Mrs. Black's old room, Harry was petting Buckbeak when a familiar voice woke him up from his trance.

"A Knut for your thoughts." Hermione said, closing the door behind her.

"They're more valuable than that, believe me." Harry said bitterly

Ignoring his moody attitude, she continued, "Okay. In that case, since I'm not really a rich girl, I'll have to offer something else than money."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Err, so what do you think of free access to my classes notes for a month?"

Harry shook his head, beaming.

Hermione took that as a no.

"You're finicky today," she affirmed amusedly. "What about a three-months access, then?"

Forgetting a bit about what he really had to tell her, Harry laughed sincerely. "That's a great offer, but, no, thanks. I think I'll be studying a bit more from this year on, we really don't know what we have ahead of us," he said sincerely.

"I see. I'm glad to hear that," she said smiling. "So, what else can I offer you?" she said, taking her hand to Buckbeak's head and apparently thinking hard.

“Oh, I know!” she said, almost squealing. “Since you think I am great with feelings and stuff, I can be your ‘Love Advisor’ from now on. Every time there’s a new girl in your life and you need some advice, you can come to me and I’ll tell you what to do.”

Harry looked at her shaking his head.

Then, she added, with much less enthusiasm, “Even before you have the actual date, if you’d like.”

Harry couldn't quite understand what was going on.

"Hey, I’m kidding, come on,” Hermione said, punching his arm.

“Oooh all right,” he said laughing. “I only thought it was funny, is all. I'm sure a lot of guys would die to have you as a 'Love Life Advisor', anyway", he said sincerely. "Although I don't think that'll be necessary for me."

Before Hermione could ask why, he continued, petting Buckbeak at the same time, "I don't think I'll be involved with anyone for the time being," he said, eliciting Hermione to open her eyes wide.

“You know, not all the girls are like Cho.”

"It's not that. It’s just that after Sirius died, I have the impression that my previous attitude towards life - and that includes whatever I felt for Cho - seems so distant, like it happened in another life. Come to think of it, I know that she had some interest in me, but after I got to know the real her, I kind of realized that she wasn’t what I expected her to be."

Hermione just looked at his face.

"What I mean is, I can't risk getting distracted with such confusing feelings, with these girls who know nothing about me, for something that obviously is not worth it. I fear for the future and I think that this kind of thing would only detain me from what I need to do."

"I don't really know what to say, Harry," she said with a blank and confused expression. "But why do you fear the future?"

"Oh," he said smiling, "That would be the answer to the first question you'd asked when you entered this room..."

"Hmm, I see," she said, sliding her back at the door and sitting hugging her knees. "I need to know, Harry. What do you want from me?"

He was about to say 'nothing'; he was aware he had to tell her about the prophecy no matter what. But Harry knew that if he stopped their 'game', Hermione would feel taken for granted, and knowing her as he did, that wouldn’t be a very wise thing to do.

"Give me something that comes from your heart, Hermione. Something that you wouldn't consider a part of our trade," he said.

It took some time for her to react. She stood up, looked right into Harry’s eyes and started walking up to him.

The time seemed to stop.

And then the door crook opened.

CRAAACK.

"Harry, Remus told me to meet you here. Is there something you want to tell me?"

Luckily, Hermione had already taken a few steps before Ron opened the door, because if not, she would have been knocked down by it.

"Er, yes," he answered somehow startled. "Sit here you two", he asked, pointing to two old stools close to the – currently sleeping – hypogriff.

But before Harry could start saying anything, he heard three loud voices from the entrance downstairs, "GOOD EVENING, HOUSE! DID YOU MISS US?"

Ron startled, frowned, "Fred, George and Ginny are already here! For Merlin's beard, I had no idea it was this late."

"Ron, Harry here is trying to tell us something."

“Hermione, why are you so inf…?”

But Harry didn’t even give Ron the chance to complete his question. "Thanks, Hermione. Well, do you remember the orb I took at the Department of Mysteries?"

"The prophecy? Neville broke it, didn't he?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, he did," said Harry. "But there's something about it that you don't know yet."

"But what could it possibly be if it's broken now?" asked Ron.

"That orb was just a record of the prophecy. What you don't know is that the person who heard the prophecy still lives."

Hermione and Ron asked together, exasperated, “Can he tell us? Does he remember it? Who is it?”

"Yes, Hermione, he can recall it perfectly. And that person is Dumbledore, Ron."

"But why didn't he tell you before, then?" Ron asked excited.

Hermione looked at him anxiously, "Oh, Ron, he will get there. Let him start."

Harry then told them everything he knew about the prophecy. The exact words Trelawney has uttered, the circumstances in which the prophecy was made... Why Voldemort wanted to retrieve the orb from the Department of Mysteries.

After he finished, his best friends had very different expressions. Ron looked shocked and could barely look in Harry's eyes. For his surprise, Hermione didn't look the least shattered. She was shaking her head, and had a revolted glint in her eyes.

"What's the problem, Harry?" she asked, noticing the apprehension in the green-eyed boy.

"What's my problem? I have been given a life sentence before I was even born! How do you think it feels to know that I have to be either a murderer or a victim? Do you really think I can destroy Voldemort? I'm sorry, but from what I've seen of him fighting Dumbledore, I don't think I can."

"Oh, Harry, please don't tell me you're taking that rubbish seriously."

"You aren't?" Ron chipped in. "Hermione, look at his forehead! He's been marked... Didn't the last five years in the Wizarding World teach you anything?"

Taking a deep breath, he directed his attention to Harry and continued, "But you shouldn't worry so much, mate. You'll still have a chance, the prophecy says something about the power he knows not."

"How can you two believe this nonsense from Trelawney?" Hermione started laughing nervously. "And how could Dumbledore, of all wizards, presume it true?"

"Oh, Harry, I think she's been memory charmed," Ron said, putting his hand in her forehead. "She apparently doesn't remember anything she read about you in those books before we went to Hogwarts."

Suddenly, a low muffled sound started in some place Harry could not locate in the bedroom.

"For Merlin, the first thing we learned about Divination was that it was an imprecise branch of magic. You've heard it from so many sources, Harry."

SNIFFF, CHUIFF, SNIFFF, CHUIFF….

It was really hard to ignore those muffled and strange noises now. Harry could say he was almost locating its source when Hermione stood up and went determinedly to the wardrobe, opening it to find a recoiled Ginny Weasley crying inside it, holding an old white clothes hanger in her hand to their surprise.

Getting out of the wardrobe, Ginny threw the hanger on the floor and went running to Harry's direction, then surprisingly clung to his body with watery eyes.

How did she get in here?

Before Harry could even open his mouth, Hermione asked her, surprised, "What's going on, Gin?"

But all the red-haired girl could say, as she sank her wet face in Harry's shoulder crook, was, "He's going to die! I can't believe that! I've been such a fool!"

Hermione puffed angrily. Ginny was still crying loudly, now completely dampening Harry's T-shirt. Looking at his befuddled expression, Hermione made a sign and started pulling Ginny out of Harry's reach, sitting her on Mrs. Black's old bed.

"What’s the matter, Gin?" Hermione asked, sitting by her side and taking her hand.

"You know what's going on - you've heard it from him! Harry is going to die in You-Know-Who's hand! He's your best-friend, Hermione. How can you be so insensitive and not feel anything?!"

"Well, I'm certainly surprised at your lack of confidence in Harry by believing that he is the one who is going to die in Voldemort's hand. I'm just not so sure it will happen like this." Hermione said exasperated.

"Keep telling yourself that, dear..." Ginny answered bitterly.

"Oh, Ginny… Harry may lose his life in battle, but this doesn't really worry me. Do you know why?"

"No," the red-haired girl answered surprised, drying her eyes with her fingers.

"Because if we get to the point when Harry may lose his life in battle, I'm pretty sure I won't be alive to tell the story either."

Ginny just sighed a small "Oh."

"Neither will your brother," the bushy haired girl continued. "So, if you're crying for his death in battle, you'd better start being more realistic and cry for the three of us."

Startled by seeing the two girls bickering like that, Harry yelled, "Can you two stop discussing my destiny as if I weren't here?!"

"Sorry, Harry, but the only thing I can feel right now is repulse. How could Trelawney play with such a serious issue?"

"Oh , come on, Hermione, you didn't look so incredulous in the hospital wing last term when you discovered that there were real prophecies..." Ginny said.

"It's because I didn't know those prophecies came from such an unreliable source as Trelawney..." Hermione answered disgruntled.

"But Hermione, don't you remember that prophecy she made in the end of our third year? The one that said that an old servant would join him and that Voldemort would regain full power?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I do remember. But can you tell me exactly who that old servant was?"

"Of course, I can. It was Wormtail."

Hermione started shaking her head, "It might not be. If I recall correctly what you told me, that prophecy said that his faithful servant has been CHAINED for 12 years. From what I've heard, Barty Crouch Jr. has been in Azkaban for twelve years, and he was the one who gave his Master the flesh of his greatest foe, so that Voldemort could have regained his full power."

Harry, Ginny and Ron were looking at her awestruck. Hermione continued, "In my opinion, Barty Crouch Jr. sounded way more faithful than Wormtail - remember how he begged us for mercy in the Shrinking Shack? You see, Harry, you thought that you were responsible for Voldemort's return to power, but if this prophecy was referring to Barty Crouch Jr., you didn't have any control over it."

Harry couldn't deny that Hermione's arguments made sense somehow. But if even Dumbledore believed the prophecy, he wasn’t going to be the one who would just dismiss it. "But, Hermione..."

"The only thing I'm asking you three is to be reasonable. It is just a prophecy. Please, let's go on with our lives and wait until things happen for real. You can't live dreading every new day over something so imprecise."

"Imprecise?!" Ginny asked between sobs, "Hermione, I understand you had a Muggle upbringing and things like Divination are somehow hard to believe in. But you have to understand that in the Wizarding Community a prophecy like that is a huge thing. No wonder Voldemort went after Harry so soon after he was born."

"Exactly, Gin. What do you think would have happened if Voldemort hadn't heard this prophecy? What if Trelawney's interview was at Hogwarts instead of the Hog's Head? Do you think he would still go after Harry? I'm sorry, but I don't think so."

Harry shuddered to think that if Voldemort hadn't been aware of the prophecy he might still have had his parents.

"This could all be a huge misunderstanding," she continued. "If you think about it seriously, it doesn't have logic at all."

"But Hermione, as you said, that prophecy Trelawney made in our third year, was kind of correct…” Ron said.

"I know, Ron," Hermione said. "I'm not telling you to forget about it, just to keep getting on with your lives. Maybe this is a personal belief, but I think that if such a thing as Divination is indeed correct, I may lose faith in all the other things I truly believe. I mean, if this life is just a stage and our choices don't mean anything, if we're just characters of a destiny already planned, what is this life for?"

After she realized that no one would answer that, she sighed in a defeated way and stomped out of the room.

Harry wanted to follow her, he was feeling miserable as well. He knew that telling them the prophecy would be hard, but he could never believe that Hermione wouldn't give it full credit. And although his heart wanted to believe every word she said, his mind told him that joining Ginny in her misery would be the most reasonable thing to do.

He was about to give Buckbeak a last pet when he saw Ron coming near his sister, who still cried - lower now - putting one of his hands on her shoulder.

"Everything's going to be okay, Gin. Let's try to think like Hermione and go on with our lives." He was about to let go of her, but then he seemed to have remembered something. "By the way, how did you get in here?"

He then used two fingers to raise her face – which currently was as red as her hair – and the girl was about to start talking when Fred and George came through the door.

"So, you all know about the prophecy?" George asked looking at his siblings.

"I can't believe it! You two knew it and didn't tell us?!" Ron asked revolted.

"Yes. But we've only known for a three weeks. We also knew that Harry was supposed to tell you soon and we thought that it would be better if you heard it from him."

"Did it work, Gin?" Fred asked, visibly searching for something in the room.

Drying her tears with the back of her hand, Ginny nodded her head.

Ron, holding her hand, searched for her eyes and asked again, "Can you talk now? How did you get in here?"

But before Ginny said anything, Fred started explaining, "Ginny has just been the beta tester of our newest product. It's the 'Wardrobe Portkey'."

At this, George got the clothes hanger that Ginny had thrown on the floor and started explaining, "It takes you inside any wardrobe you'd like in a house. So, for example, you can take a peek of a female visitor sleeping in your house, scare someone who's sleeping, tinge all your brother's clothes pink, and all those fun things."

Harry didn't find that fun at all, but he continued listening to their conversation.

"Hmm… What a strange coincidence… Getting exactly in this room… Right when Harry was telling something as important as the prophecy…" Ron wondered.

"It isn’t like that, Ron... I heard Remus telling the twins that Harry was in Buckbeak's room, finally telling them the truth. I got curious and asked the twins to let me use the 'Wardrobe Portkey'," Ginny said, slightly calmer.

"We knew what was going on in here. So, we decided that Ginny should also be aware of the prophecy; she always hangs with you guys at Hogwarts. So we gave her the Portkey and that's basically it."

Harry needed out. He didn't know if it were Ginny's sobs, Ron's pitied expression or the fact that Hermione was unusually quiet ever since she left the room - something really strange considering that Tonks was inside the house - but he couldn't take any of that anymore.

Despite that neither Harry or Hermione went downstairs to have dinner that night, the two following days went on normally. Everybody pretended that nothing happened and the only strange thing was that Hermione and Ginny weren’t talking much to each other.

There was just one day left before they returned to Hogwarts and Harry couldn’t be yet sure if telling them the prophecy had been the right thing to do. He couldn’t help noticing that in the last couple of days, everybody's behavior changed and there was nothing he could do about it.

Laid on his bed, Harry was walking fast in the dark at Hogwarts. He was about to get near the lake, when he felt his body being shaken violently.

"Harry, wake up, for Merlin's sake, wake up, it's going to explode!"

Harry rubbed his eyes from being shaken so brutally. Trying to form an image without his glasses, he could see Ron, with short pajamas and a scared expression and a brown owl flying by his side with a red envelope in its beak.

"Open it, Harry, it's swelling, it's going to burst, please." Ron was begging now.

Getting the Howler in his hands and opening quickly, Harry took the letter in his hands, but before he could hear the voice of the sender, something caught his eyes in the envelope.

To: Harry Potter

(Wherever that ruddy git is.)

From: Dean Thomas.

Author notes:

My special thanks to:

Sally, ears91, ANDTORR, chady, Lis, tinydancer, shawnpickett, harryherm94, luvfordanielandtom, Lucy and Sbys.

1) Thanks for reading! As you may know, feedback is always appreciated. You guys have no idea of how your reviews motivate and help me writing. If you have time, please tell me what you think of this.

2) Liked it? Hated it? Don't agree with something? Well, I never promised I would write a conventional story, but I do promise I'll answer your questions and comments (and try to justify my actions in this story, if necessary, :blinks:).

3) Curious about the Howler? Kreacher's reaction was too mild in your opinion? Well, things happen in this story for a reason. In chapter four, you will definitely find some answers and more questions. I won't take long to update it.

4) My special thanks again to Lis (who made me think and rethink about all my canon beliefs) and Gemma (who came up with the title of this chapter)