Disclaimer: I don't own the characters; they are property of JK Rowling.
A/N: Once again, thanks to GeoTube for his help. Hope you'll like this.
Chapter Four
"Grimmauld Place"
After two days of travel, Harry arrived to the Grangers' house, took back his trunk, which he had hid in the garden, then he flew away to Grimmauld Place, three days before he was expected.
He knocked on the door, and after some moments, Remus opened the door. He was shocked to see Harry, and let him enter quickly, and then sent him to his usual room, where he found Ron, lying on the bed.
"Hi Ron…how are you?"
"Hem…I'm fine, thanks, but why are you here so early?"
"I couldn't suffer the Dursleys anymore." Harry lied, knowing that his tour to the castle wouldn't be well taken by the Order, and surely Ron would let something slip sooner or later.
"Ok. Well, excuse me, I have to speak with my mother" and Ron exited from the room.
"I wonder what's wrong with Ron. He never welcomed me so coldly," Harry thought.
Next days, life at Grimmauld Place seemed returned to normality, and also Ron regained his usual behaviour toward Harry. Finally, Hermione arrived, and she was surprised to see Harry there. She hugged him firmly, but then, seeing the look on Ron's face, who was behind Harry, she left him. She settled her in Ginny's room, as always, then returned down to help preparing the lunch.
Harry was alone in the living room, lost in thoughts about the strange behaviour that sometimes emerged from the Order members. They were strangely distant from him, as he wasn't a welcomed guest. He felt uncomfortable there, and hoped to reach the 1st of September as quickly as possible.
Harry decided that if the members had something against him, it was useless to bother them with his presence, so he locked himself in his room, studying for the next year, and he wasn't so shocked in seeing that nobody tried to make him exit from that room. After all, the previous year at Christmas they behaved exactly the same way, and only Hermione faced him. Yeah, Hermione…
This time, too, she was the only one who cared about him. She brought him his meals, and sometimes she secretly stayed in that room, talking with him. She asked about the castle, and Harry answered briefly, because he didn't want to be overheard by members, plus he wasn't in the right mood to talk…
"However, I appreciate your tries, Mione. It seems you are the only person who recognizes me…"
"Don't be silly, Harry. The fact is that the Order is very busy, lately. At least, that's what I think" Hermione replied.
"Yeah, maybe…" but Harry remained unconvinced. He had noticed that Hermione didn't look at him, while speaking, as if she was hiding something.
"I have to be more careful. I was close to revealing that me and Ron are now members of the Order," Hermione thought, and then she gave a kiss on Harry's cheek, and exited the room, a tear threatening to cross her face. She did not understand why they were keeping Harry out of that, and why they were so hostile towards him.
Their letters from Hogwarts arrived, and this time, too, the prefects were Hermione and Ron. Not Harry, and that was the last straw for him. He then knew Dumbledore did not trust him anymore.
Probably, this was the reason for the strange behaviour of the Order, it was Dumbledore's fault.
"He trusts even Snape," Harry thought. "He gave a second chance even to a Death Eater, but not to me…" and the thought made him incredibly sad.
***
Three days later, Hermione and Ron went to Diagon Alley to buy their things for the school, and bought Harry's ones too, because neither Hermione was able to convince him to exit that room.
While they were walking, Hermione spoke.
"Be sincere, Ron. Do you agree with Dumbledore and the Order about Harry?"
"Of course, Hermione. Why shouldn't I? It is clear that Sirius's death is Harry's fault. Who led Sirius to the Department of Mysteries, that night? He thought that Harry was in danger. But if Harry had remained at Hogwarts, instead that following his bloody saving people mania, only to gain people admiration…"
Hermione slapped him hard on the cheek.
"Ronald Weasley…his `saving people mania' wasn't a problem for you when he saved your sister, was it? And you know that he doesn't want people's admiration and the fame…"
"Come on, Hermione! You are the only who still doesn't see the truth. Harry is guilty for what has happened that night, and I'm surprised that you, the smartest witch in Hogwarts, doesn't admit it, even if he put YOUR life, too, in danger…"
Hermione didn't reply, and Ron was happy for having convinced her. The fact was that she wasn't convinced at all, only avoided to discuss the matter. She knew the truth. Harry had done the same thing that everyone would have done in his situation.
They returned at home, and gave Harry his new books; then they started an Order meeting, with Dumbledore's presence. They were reunited in the kitchen when the Headmaster started to speak.
"We are here, tonight, to discuss an important argument. All of us know that Harry Potter is now a danger for us…" but Hermione interrupted him.
"Let's say that almost all of you are blind to see the truth about him…" she had never interrupted a teacher, or an adult for that matter, but she was really angry at all of them.
"Miss Granger, probably you are still linked to him by your previous friendship, but I have already explained you that we cannot trust him anymore. We have to isolate him" Dumbledore replied, a serious look on his face. He did not want to do what he was doing, but he felt it had become necessary.
At this point, Hermione stood up.
"All of you, listen to me! I'll never isolate him again!" she shouted and then stormed out of the kitchen.
Ron reached her in the living room. "Hermione, you cannot be so silly! Leave him to his destiny! He is slowly leading all of us to death!"
Hermione walked away without even looking at Ron.
Some days passed, and it was now the day of the departure. Harry went with the others to King's Cross, without saying a word. Then, he crossed the barrier, went on the Express, took a place in a compartment, and locked it, to remain alone all the travel. He didn't even let in Hermione. Harry cried a lot that trip, about Sirius, his parents, and now the cold treatment the Order was giving him.
Finally, they arrived to Hogwarts, and Harry forced himself to go to the banquet. After that, he went directly to sleep, without stopping with his fellows in the common room. He did not feel in the mood. Hermione saw this, and was very sorry for him. She would find a way to convince the Order of his innocence, she swore in that moment.
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