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SIYE Time:12:15 on 28th March 2024
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Path Diverged II
By hp_fangal

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Category: Alternate Universe, Post-HBP
Characters:Albus Dumbledore, Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Ron Weasley, Sirius Black
Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Romance
Warnings: Disturbing Imagery, Mental Abuse, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations
Rating: PG-13
Reviews: 220
Summary: The Wizarding world finally knows that Lord Voldemort has returned, and the Second War has begun. As Harry prepares to enter his sixth year at Hogwarts, he is forced to deal with the trauma from his last encounter with Voldemort, the upcoming trial of Dolores Umbridge, Sirius's uncomfortable questions about his childhood, his budding relationship with Ginny Weasley, and the unknown shadow of what lies ahead as the "Chosen One" who must defeat Voldemort once and for all. This is an AU take of Half-Blood Prince following my previous story, Path Diverged.
Hitcount: Story Total: 92308; Chapter Total: 2648
Awards: View Trophy Room




Author's Notes:
Finishing up the school year is both exhausting and relieving! I still have progress reports to finish up as well as preparing summer school packets for a student I qualified for summertime instruction long before COVID-19 came to town, but otherwise, I have more time to write again! Chapter 39 is about 40% written at this point, so I feel okay with getting this chapter out now. Enjoy!




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Chapter Twenty-Nine: Changing of the Keeper



Harry didn’t want to pester Professor McGonagall about his and Ginny’s idea for a brand-new version of the D.A., but when a full week had passed without hearing anything, he had to ask, Hermione trailing behind him with a stack of photocopied pages from educational journals her parents had sent her a couple days ago to back up the theory that students who couldn’t learn material from their regular teacher could learn that same material from a different teacher.

“I’m afraid the headmaster has been very busy of late,” said McGonagall apologetically. “I have not had ample chance to discuss the matter with him. But rest assured, the moment I can, I will bring it up with him. It’s a solid idea you and Miss Weasley have, one that I think would greatly benefit the school.”

Hermione passed on the Muggle research for Professor McGonagall to share with Dumbledore, and Harry went about his life, doing his best to focus on schoolwork, Ginny, Quidditch practices, Ginny, trying to track Malfoy’s movements, and Ginny.

Focusing on Ginny was easily his favorite task of the lot.

Any stolen moment he and Ginny could manage was worth it, no matter the location. Sometimes Ginny would simply snag Harry’s hand during morning break and find the first unoccupied space that afforded privacy. It never went further than snogging (though Harry started casting Muffliato every time just in case), but those moments with Ginny were enough to make Harry stop thinking too much, to remind him that in spite of all his worries and struggles, he was still very much a teenaged boy.

As if Snape’s assignment wasn’t already giving him enough interesting dreams to make that point any less obvious. Harry was immensely glad that neither Ron nor Ginny were capable of Legilimency because of the ways in which Ginny began to crop up in his dreams lately. It was both pleasurable and embarrassing, if Harry had to be honest.

Yes, it was definitely in his best interests to keep his dreams of late to himself. Ginny would probably find the whole situation downright hilarious. Ron, on the other hand, would likely deck him.

For her part, however, Ginny started insisting on a new strategy regarding Professor Slughorn: playing hard to get.

“You can’t give into him too quickly,” she had told Harry the day after the dinner she and Hermione had attended. “He wants you, and badly at that.”

“Dumbledore did say I’d probably be the ‘jewel’ of his collection or some rubbish,” Harry had sighed, recalling that late night sojourn with the headmaster.

“The best jewels are the most difficult to obtain, right?” Ginny had said. “So let’s be difficult. Slughorn claimed he’d always send out an invitation the day before the next meeting, but you and I are on the team and need to practice –”

“Which is a higher priority right now for sure,” Harry had cottoned on. “Does Hermione know this?”

Ginny had nodded. “She’s not exactly a fan of my idea, but she’s willing to deal with it. Slughorn finds her quite fascinating, being Muggle-born and brilliant to boot, so she ought to be able to keep him sufficiently distracted until after our match with Slytherin.”

And so it was decided.

Another week passed before Professor McGonagall informed Harry that the headmaster was delighted by the idea of reforming the D.A. and wanted him to discuss logistics of running the club with her as their sponsor.

“Really?” said Hermione eagerly from Harry’s left as Ron shared an excited grin with Neville on his right just after their Transfiguration class had ended. “He agreed?”

“Indeed he did, Miss Granger,” said McGonagall with a faint trace of a smile. “My area of expertise may be Transfiguration, but that does not mean I cannot offer assistance in other areas of academics at this school.”

Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Luna had discussed at length how a public version of the D.A. might work, Hermione jotting down notes as they had reviewed the previous year and gone over pros and cons of how the group could work when it was open to everyone. She handed the notes over to McGonagall, who set up a time for two days later where they could all sit down to figure things out over Sunday tea.

“We’ll be able to do so much good for other students,” said Neville excitedly. “I’m so glad you’re doing this, Harry!”

“I just hope it goes well when we do start,” said Harry.

“‘Course it will!” said Ron cheerfully. “We’re not breaking any school rules or educational decrees, Dumbledore approves, we’ve got a teacher to support us, no one thinks Harry’s a nutter anymore… what could even go wrong at this point?”

Harry received the answer to that question at the end of their next D.A.D.A. lesson that very afternoon. “Potter, you will remain behind,” Snape called out as the class packed up their things. Ron, Hermione, and Neville all shot Harry worried looks, but he muttered it was fine and headed up to Snape’s desk at the front of the room. Snape had set a chair before it. “Sit,” he said.

Harry sat.

“Explain yourself, Potter,” said Snape when the room finally cleared.

“Sir?” frowned Harry.

Snape stared at him, expression tense and dark. Harry shifted uneasily, not quite meeting the older man’s dark gaze.

“Last night I met with the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall,” said Snape. “They presented an idea for an open study group of sorts, one that would focus primarily on the practical applications of my subject.”

“Oh,” said Harry. “That.”

“Yes,” said Snape. “That. You wish to take your illicit little group out into the open with a teacher sponsoring it who is not teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts?”

“Training up the children as though you’re a war general? Such a brave little fool you are…”

“Potter!”

Harry snapped back to himself and stared at Snape for a moment before looking away. “Sorry, sir,” he mumbled. “It’s – I never know –”

“– where the next land mine is hidden,” finished Snape. Harry felt himself flush and nodded, staring at his knees.

There was a moment of silence.

“I would like you to explain why you sought out Professor McGonagall as your sponsor.” The words were stated neutrally, the malice and anger from before suddenly nonexistent.

“Muggles have done studies showing that students can learn material they previously struggled with from a new teacher,” said Harry at length. “The same content from a different teacher, meaning it’s explained a bit differently. Students are more likely to understand that material from a different teacher than they would be if continually exposed to the same explanation or teaching style over and over again.” He forced himself to look up at Snape now, though he couldn’t bring himself to meet his black eyes. “That’s what happened with Neville. He never grasped the practical side of Defense Against the Dark Arts before I taught him last year. The way I teach makes sense to him. The way I structured the D.A. worked for him.”

“So your choice of a sponsor…?”

Harry looked directly into Snape’s eyes now. “If students aren’t earning good grades in your classes, sir, it could be that they just don’t respond to your methods. Let them work with someone else. A different environment, a different teacher… sometimes that’s all it takes.” Harry waited for Snape’s reaction.

“You intend to remain in charge of this group, Potter?”

Harry nodded.

“And you believe more students will be able to learn from you?”

“Over half of my class with you attended the D.A. last year,” said Harry firmly. “You didn’t accept anything below Exceeds Expectations, but I’m well-aware that my class is much larger than the seventh year group. The D.A., sir, it started with Hermione’s idea, but every lesson, the entire structure of the group…” He took a steadying breath and forced himself to finish: “That was me. They all worked together, helped each other, but I was in charge.”

Snape eyed Harry for a moment, then nodded curtly. “You are dismissed,” he said, and Harry quickly left the classroom, feeling as though he had passed some kind of unspoken test.



There was nothing that felt as freeing as flying, Ginny thought as she soared over the Quidditch stadium at practice a few days later. Harry was working with Jimmy and Ritchie on strategies with the bludgers, knees gripping his broom tightly as he waved his hands through the air, demonstrating whatever it was he was talking about. Ginny didn’t really listen to what he was saying, instead zooming about freely and letting his voice wash over her as the wind whipped through her hair.

This was a side to Harry she hadn’t seen since the D.A. last year. He knew what he wanted and what he was doing, and his enthusiasm and determination were infectious. It was difficult to resist the desire to just knock him off his broom and snog him senseless because he was just so damn attractive when he was taking charge like this.

“Right,” called out Harry abruptly. “Ginny, Demelza, Katie, have you been doing anything the last few minutes?”

“We were,” called Katie brightly, gesturing to herself and Demelza. “Ginny zoned out.”

Harry looked over at her.

“Sorry,” she called back, “it’s hard to concentrate on anything but your leadership skills and enthusiasm sometimes.”

“Is that some new slang you’re trying to slip past me?” shouted out Ron from the goalposts. “You just want to snog him right now, don’t think I can’t tell from here!”

The rest of the team burst out laughing, Ginny grinning unrepentently at Harry as his face flushed a brilliant red.

“Later,” he finally said, running a hand through his windswept hair and clearly trying to suppress just how embarrassed and interested he was. “We’ve still got about twenty minutes of practice left, and I want to make sure you’ve got that new formation down.”

“Is that a promise, Captian?” said Ginny as she flew closer to Harry. “A good snog for a job well done?”

Harry swallowed hard and Ginny felt her grin grow wider. “I look forward to it,” she told him in her most seductive voice before zooming over to the other girls, leaving Harry gaping after her.

“Think he’ll end practice early, Ginny?” whispered Demelza as she reached her and Katie. “He’s got that look, you know.”

Ginny smirked. “He’s too stubborn to give in that easily,” she replied quietly.

“Okay then,” said Harry, voice suddenly cracking a bit. Ginny fought back her laughter as he set them back to work.

Ron managed to block all but two of their attempts to score during the last part of practice, and he practically glowed as Harry showered him with praise. Finally, practice was over and they headed for the changing room.

The others chatted as they pulled off their Quidditch robes for their school robes, but Ron left in a bit of a hurry. “Where you going?” Ginny called after him.

“Away from what’s coming next!” were Ron’s parting words.

Jimmy and Ritchie snorted as Katie and Demelza burst into giggles. “He knows me so well,” sighed Ginny. Katie and Demelza laughed some more, bade her good night, and set off with the remaining boys.

Now it was just her and Harry.

“Are you trying to sabotague practice, Weasley?” said Harry after a moment.

Ginny raised her eyebrows. “Not hard enough, it would seem, Potter,” she snarked with a wicked grin. “I’ll have to put in more effort next time.”

She left her school robes hanging next to her Quidditch things and strode towards Harry, pushing him against the nearest wall. “You are just too damn attractive when you’re in charge.”

Harry grinned at her. “How do you think I feel seeing you fly the way you do?”

Ginny decided not to answer and instead crashed her mouth into Harry’s, determined to show him just how worked up she really was. It was pleasing to her when Harry instantly responded, arms wrapping around her and pulling her even closer to him. His kisses made her dizzy with want, and she seized him by the front of his jumper, pulling him away from the wall and over the small couch her twin brothers had apparently found, well, somewhere. They’d never been quite clear on where it was they found most the random things they had dragged into existence over the years before leaving Hogwarts and the Burrow.

Grinning, Ginny pushed Harry onto the couch, and he landed on his back with a soft ‘oomph’ before Ginny was on top of him, kissing him once more. She quickly rucked up his jumper so she could feel the bare skin of his chest, and he moaned into her mouth, which made her grin again in response.

Harry’s hands soon found their way under the back of her top and smoothed along her bare skin, lightly brushing over the back of her bra as he pressed her closer. Ginny pulled away and sat up, urging Harry to do the same, and then she pulled off her top and put his hands right where she really wanted them to be.

It was worth taking a moment to drink in Harry’s wide eyes before they were kissing again, Harry’s hands trapped between them. Ginny loved the feel of Harry’s hands on her, roaming, touching, caressing. It thrilled her as nothing had ever done with Michael Corner. Not that they had really gone this far, of course, but being with Harry like this made everything that came before worth it.

“I love you,” Harry whispered when she broke away from his lips to kiss her way down his neck. He moaned again as Ginny grinded herself against him, and she finally shoved away all other thoughts in favor of just being there in that moment with the boy she loved, whispering words of love right back to him.

There was nowhere she would rather be.



For all of Sirius’s talk about easily being able to dose Mr. Borgin with Veritaserum, he hadn’t counted on the fact that Snape had none of the powerful truth serum to lend Sirius (“Thanks, Umbitch,” he had muttered to himself upon discovering this). Additionally, given his new role as D.A.D.A. teacher, Snape lacked the time to make the potion.

Sirius knew Slughorn had brewed some up for Harry’s first N.E.W.T. class, but he didn’t dare jeopardize Harry’s rapport with the man by having him ask for some, let alone try to steal it. It couldn’t be purchased from any places of repute either without being tracked. Given Sirius’s new status as a free man, he wasn’t sure that buying Veritaserum off the black market was a good idea.

Instead, Sirius had asked Harry to look up the potion in his textbook and hold it up carefully to the mirror so he could write it all down and make it himself. If the instructions and additional comments had aided Harry in making potions that far surpassed what Hermione was doing, it would surely work for him.

Of course, the issue remained that Veritaserum took a month to brew. It wouldn’t be until mid-October that he would finally have what he needed to be able to interrogate Borgin. Just over two weeks left to go at this point.

This was fine. There wasn’t too much pressure to try and figure things out.

A pattern was beginning to emerge with Malfoy, however. It seemed he started to completely disappear off the map once or twice each week, though never on the same days of the week. Sometimes his cronies Crabbe and Goyle disappeared, as well. Most of the time, however, they were down in the Slytherin common room, or standing around on the seventh floor.

“Are you sure the map shows everything in Hogwarts?” Harry asked through the mirror.

“Everything we ever discovered,” said Sirius.

“Wait,” said Ginny, leaning into sight. “Everything you lot discovered, you said?”

“Yes.”

“You never discovered the Chamber of Secrets. Is it on the map, Harry?”

The mirror shifted as Ginny grapsed it, and Harry quickly dug the map out of his bag, activated it, and started looking at it hard.

“No sign of the secret passage hidden in the girls bathroom,” he said a few moments later. “Not like any of you would’ve discovered it since you have to be a Parselmouth to get in at all.”

“Or be possessed by one,” Ginny muttered darkly.

Sirius watched as Harry gently rubbed Ginny’s shoulder, and felt a pang at the realization of how deeply both had been touched by Voldemort, Ginny having been possessed by a soul fragment and Harry by the owner of the soul piece himself.

“So maybe he’s still in Hogwarts, but in some place that you never discovered when you were here,” said Harry speculatively. “How do we figure that out?”

“Without directly tailing him, I don’t know,” sighed Ginny.

Harry sat up straight. “Do you think Dobby would be willing to do it? Malfoy would never notice a house-elf tailing him, would he?”

Sirius considered this. “You’d obviously have to see if he’s willing, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work.”

Harry smiled and called out, “Dobby!”

There was a loud crack! followed by a squeaky voice saying, “Harry Potter has called for Dobby! What can Dobby do for Harry Potter, sir?”

“Hey Dobby, how are you?” asked Harry politely.

“Harry Potter asks Dobby how he is doing, Harry Potter is so kind and thoughtful!”

Sirius grinned at the blush staining his godson’s cheeks.

“Dobby is doing very well, sir, Dobby thanks Harry Potter for thinking of him, sir!”

“That’s great to hear, Dobby,” said Harry. “Listen, I was wondering if it was possible for you to help us with a problem we’ve got?”

“It could be dangerous, Dobby,” warned Ginny, face serious as she looked in the direction the house-elf was standing. “We’d never force you, but it could help us out a lot.”

“Tell Dobby what the problem is, and Dobby will see what he can do to help, Miss Wheezy,” was Dobby’s answer.

Harry and Ginny glanced at each other. “We received word that someone here at Hogwarts might be acting on secret orders from Lord Voldemort,” said Harry at last, lips twitching when Dobby let out a tiny ‘squeak’ at Voldemort’s name. “Another student. We’ve been trying to figure out if it’s true using this map my dad made with some friends when they were here, but the student has completely disappeared off the map a couple times each week for about three weeks now. We don’t want this student to know we suspect anything, so we can’t follow them ourselves.”

“But you could,” said Ginny carefully. “We know it’s possible for house-elves to track others without their knowledge, but we’d never make you do anything that could be risky, Dobby.”

“Dobby can do it, Miss Wheezy!” proclaimed Dobby. “Which student is Harry Potter and his Miss Wheezy wanting to have Dobby follow?”

Harry and Ginny looked at each other again. “Draco Malfoy,” said Harry at last.

“The son of Dobby’s former master?”

Ginny nodded.

“We completely understand if it’s too much to ask,” said Harry quickly. “Honestly, it probably is too much to ask.”

If Sirius hadn’t known that Harry was being genuinely sincere, he would have applauded him for the excellent manipulation.

“Dobby will do it, Harry Potter!”

“Are you sure?” said Ginny, looking worried. “It’s a lot to ask, you know.”

“If Harry Potter and his Miss Wheezy are worried that Draco Malfoy is up to no good, then Dobby wants to do his part to help!” said the elf in a determined voice.

Harry sucked in a breath, then exhaled. “Okay, then, Dobby, here’s what we need…”

Sirius listened as Harry and Ginny laid out what they specifically wanted from Dobby, and had to admire their teamwork and support of each other. In just a few short months, Ginny had become integral to the way Harry operated and functioned in general, and he had to marvel at the strength of their bond after so short a time had passed.

James and Lily would be so proud of them both, he was certain about that, if nothing else.

Talk after Dobby left turned to Harry’s second (and hopefully final) meeting with Snape.

“I’m actually sleeping a bit better now,” Harry admitted. “And I’m feeling a lot calmer all around. Snape says meditating can help with lots of things, not just potentially closing my mind to Voldemort if he ever tries to break in again.”

“I think the flashbacks are occurring less frequently now,” added Ginny, glancing at Harry in the mirror. “I brought up an obvious trigger yesterday and Harry didn’t react for once.”

“It was still there,” said Harry, “but it was almost… muted, I suppose. It didn’t feel overwhelming the way it has in the past.”

This was excellent progress. Sirius never would have expected any source of healing to come from the greasy git, but then life was usually riddled with odd surprises like that.

Shortly after wrapping things up with Harry and Ginny, Sirius headed downstairs to the kitchen to prepare for that evening’s Order meeting. His upcoming plan was one he had been working on for some time now, but he wasn’t keen to propose it because of the backlash it could cause. Still, it had to be done. Sirius had to think ahead and do everything he could to ensure Harry’s safety. This was one piece that had to be dealt with. He had done his research, and had no excuses left. Tonight was the night.

Molly arrived first, as usual, giving Sirius a brief hug as she entered the kitchen. “How are you?” she asked him. “It’s been a few days since I spoke with you last.”

“I’m fine,” said Sirius, hoping he was being truthful. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt in that moment. “Harry and Ginny say ‘hello’, by the way.”

“Oh, you spoke with them earlier?” asked Molly, brightening at once.

“Harry checks in with the mirror almost daily,” said Sirius, smiling a genuine smile. “Ginny’s usually with him. Seems pretty difficult to separate them outside of classes.”

Molly chuckled a bit as she made her way over the supper spread Kreacher had been busy making and started setting everything out on the table. Kreacher took offense at her offers to cook these days, but he and Sirius had learned Molly fretted less when she was able to help out somehow, and so the elf had relented with allowing her to set up the kitchen for Order meetings.

It wasn’t long before everyone had gathered together around the kitchen table. Albus ran through the agenda as he usually did, members standing up in turns to share progress updates regarding the various missions they had, Sirius chiming in about his efforts to have Umbitch’s legislation reviewed, particularly in regards to her anti-werewolf laws.

Remus and Tonks both shot him an encouraging smile as he explained his efforts.

“Not exactly the most risky of work, Black,” Snape commented.

Sirius just resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “The name of Black somehow still manages to command a certain respect,” he said, “more so these days because no one at the Ministry wants to be on the bad side of a man who was wrongfully convicted of a crime he never actually committed.

“Besides,” he added with a grin, “why would I want risky when I’ve got my hands full with the biggest risk-taker of them all?”

There were appreciative smiles and laughter at the words, and a “here, here!” from a smirking Fred and George.

The meeting continued, Sirius growing quieter the closer they got to the end. Remus shot him a concerned look once or twice from the seat next to him, but he ignored his friend, thinking only of what had to be done.

Finally, it was time.

“I believe we have covered everything for this evening,” Albus began.

“Actually,” Sirius forced himself to speak up, “there’s one more item that needs to be addressed before we adjourn.”

Albus shot him a piercing look which he didn’t return as he rose to his feet.

“This is something that has been on my mind for sometime now,” he said carefully, “and I have reached the point where I can go no longer without saying something.” He took a deep breath, and then laid it out:

“I don’t think Albus should remain the Secret Keeper of my home.”

The uproar at these words was exactly as Sirius had expected. Alastor Moody began to protest his sanity the loudest, while McGonagall, Molly, and Arthur demanded a reason, Bill sitting back with Fleur and looking quietly concerned as the twins gaped at the other shouting adults. It was Snape’s sneering face, however, that goaded Sirius into action. He raised his wand and it emitted a loud bang, startling everyone into silence.

“Hear me out,” he said. “It’s the least I’m owed, seeing as how this is my house.”

“A house you’ve repeatedly admitted to despising,” said Alastor.

“But mine nonetheless,” Sirius responded firmly. “I had little to offer when the Order was reformed just over a year ago. An escaped prisoner convicted of a crime he didn’t commit can only contribute so much, but this place was something I could give.”

“We are grateful you did as such, Sirius,” said Arthur carefully.

“Thank you,” said Sirius with a nod of acknowledgment, “but things have changed. I am in the position to offer more now, to do more. My primary objective as of late has been Harry’s advocate while he remains underage. Everything we do should benefit Harry in the long run, not our own needs.”

“What does this have to do with your ludicrous idea regarding removing Albus as Secret Keeper?” demanded Alastor. “You know he’s the least likely of all of us to be –”

“Do you know what happens if a Secret Keeper dies?” interrupted Sirius.

Silence fell, thicker than before.

“Don’t think I’ve haven’t noticed your askance glances at the obvious issue,” he continued. “Everyone’s noticed, even if no one is brave enough to try and address it.” He turned to look at Albus, and then said, “You’re dying, Albus.”

A new tide of protesting erupted at these words.

Sirius noticed the anger burning in Snape’s eyes and felt a stab of spiteful glee. He knew neither Albus nor Snape had expected him to use his knowledge of the state of the headmaster’s shortened life expectancy in such a way. Sirius had rather stumbled into the innermost secrets the two men held between them, but there was no way they would be able to refute his claims by the time he had finished.

It had taken him as long as it had to bring up the matter because of the amount of research that had gone into the plan he had developed to demand a change of Secret Keeper. Visits to the Ministry, Gringotts, hidden buildings with ancient, crumbling libraries, and digging through his own family’s dark collection had enabled him to approach the situation in a way that wouldn’t betray the reality of what Dumbledore had been doing. Research alone would see him through this confrontation and nothing else, he was certain of it. Andy and her husband Ted, sitting on Sirius’s other side, said nothing, instead watching as everyone else talked over each other. Remus and Tonks kept quiet, as well, something Sirius found interesting as he hadn’t shared his plan with either of them.

Albus at last raised his good hand for silence, which fell almost at once. “I assure you I am still in excellent health,” he said firmly.

Sirius scoffed. “Let me lay it out for everyone, then,” he said, silently beckoning to Kreacher, who scurried over with his various notes he’d collected over the past four weeks.

“We all know that there are pieces on the board we don’t all know about,” he began as he set his notes on the kitchen table. “It’s important that we know as much as we can about each other’s movements, but there are things that we can’t all know about. For example, while we are all aware of the prophecy which led to Voldemort attacking Harry’s family, we don’t know the exact wording. It’s important to keep it that way so Voldemort doesn’t have a way to access that information.”

“But you know what it says, word for word,” spoke up Molly abruptly. “Ginny admitted as much to us when she came home for summer break, said that she and Harry told Ron and Hermione, as well.”

“Four underage students have critically sensitive information in their unprotected minds?” said Snape, sounding irritated at the concept.

Sirius grinned. “I repeat,” he said, sidestepping Snape’s comment, “not everyone gets to know everything. There are degrees of sensitive information that have to be carefully monitored so it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. As our leader, Albus obviously knows everything, but I maintain my stance from before.” He looked at Albus directly now. “You’re dying, and I have proof.”

“What proof?” asked Alastor suspiciously.

“I’m glad you asked,” said Sirius with a small smile. He took in the quiet group for a moment before continuing. “My primary piece of evidence regarding the health of our leader is his right hand.” He pointed at the dead and blackened fingers.

“You can all see that he’s been hurt,” he said clearly, “and you can all see that it has not improved one bit since said injury was sustained at the beginning of July.”

“I have already given evidence that that curse was stopped and poses no further threat,” said Snape tightly.

Sirius snorted. “Who in here was brought up specifically in a house filled with knowledge of the Dark Arts and the worst they have to offer? I already know your history thanks to Lily, so allow me to put everyone’s mind in the clear on this: I may have turned my back on my family’s legacy, but that doesn’t mean I learnt nothing in the years before I ran away from home.” He reached for the notes Kreacher had brought him.

“The library in this house, much like other long-established lines of Dark families, contains knowledge of Dark magic that cannot be found at Hogwarts or most other places,” he said. “I searched many other locations for the information I sought, including the Ministry and the Libraries of Avalon, but the final answer came from the library here, just as I was certain it would.” He lifted his notes and looked for the critical piece of information. “The Necrosis Curse was developed by Dark wizards who discovered a highly venomous snake in Mexico as well as Central and South America shortly after the Spanish first arrived in the area. This particular pit viper’s venom causes necrotizing of the flesh surrounding where the bite occurred, and it is the considered by Muggles to be amongst the most dangerous of snakes.” He stared around at the witches and wizards in the room. “The Necrosis Curse acts similarly to that of the viper’s venom, but has no cure and cannot be halted forever. It will cause death, within minutes if not stopped, or within a year if treated appropriately.”

No one said anything for a long moment. Even Snape seemed to have been struck speechless by Sirius’s research.

“This is the kind of information that would only be found in the libraries of families like my own,” said Sirius at last. “Access to this knowledge is kept within our families and only shared with those deemed the most trustworthy.” He looked around the room again. “Not many would have immediate knowledge of a curse that causes irreparable damage and pain as this one does unless they had the desire to delve deep into the Dark Arts. I can only think of one wizard on the Dark side who would’ve done just that.” He paused, then said, “Lord Voldemort.”

The predictable shudders ran around the room, but no vocal protests were made. Everyone had learned that Sirius was among a few of their number who had no qualms with speaking the name at any given moment, and that he would not be deterred from using it.

“So here’s what I believe really happened,” Sirius went on, pleased at the lack of resistance. “We don’t know how to defeat Voldemort. None of us knows much of anything about his past, but I’m certain that out of those of us in this room, Albus knows the most. I think he’s trying to figure out how to stop Voldemort once and for all and came across something he used the Necrosis Curse on. I believe he was injured as a result of that curse, and I also believe that Snape’s expertise on the Dark Arts meant he was able to contain the effects of said Curse – for now. Like I said, however, the Necrosis Curse has no cure and cannot be halted forever. Therefore, Albus is dying, which puts the security of my house at risk.” He shot a glare around the room despite the continued silence. “I will not have a Secret Keeper of one of the only places that can keep Harry safe remain so when there is an obvious limit to said Keeper’s lifespan.”

Sirius turned to face Albus at last. “Tell me I’m wrong,” he all but dared the older man. “Tell me you’re going to live long enough to see Harry through the terms of the prophecy.”

Albus said nothing, and Sirius felt his anger rise.

“You don’t get to endanger us like this,” he said, jaw clenched. “You don’t get to endanger Harry like this. I demand a new Secret Keeper.”

Tonks, who had remained exceptionally quiet through the entire thing, suddenly spoke. “I put forward the motion for a vote to have a new Secret Keeper,” she said clearly.

“Seconded,” said Remus, taking her hand. “We will put it to a vote now. Those in favor of a new Secret Keeper?”

Sirius silently counted.

“Those opposed?”

Snape raised his hand, but was among a very small number.

“Motion passed,” said Remus. “Who would you propose as the new Secret Keeper, Sirius?”

Sirius grinned. He’d thought long and hard about this should he win the vote, and he knew the uproar he’d cause with his proposal, but nothing else made sense to him: “Harry.”

“He’s underage!” protested Andy at once.

“He has a direct link to You-Know-Who’s mind!” added Alastor angrily.

“Voldemort’s obviously been using Occlumency to keep Harry out of his mind,” Sirius countered him, “because he’s not had a single vision since that day in June.”

“Which is to say nothing of the current state of his mind,” said Snape with narrowed eyes. “We all know the damage he suffered whilst at the Dark Lord’s mercy that same night.”

“But the information a Secret Keeper contains cannot be forced out, not even through Legilimency,” snapped Sirius. “It has to be given willingly, and despite all he’s been through, Harry would never allow that to happen.”

“You think a sixteen-year-old can truly grasp the – the seriousness of what you’d be asking him to do?” asked Kingsley carefully. “You know the Fidelius Charm is immensely complex –”

“Yes, I do,” Sirius cut him off. “He learnt all about it the first time he snuck into Hogsmeade his third year.”

“The first time?” asked Snape icily.

Sirius rolled his eyes. “Can’t punish him for something that happened three years ago, Snape,” he said. “McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid, and Fudge shared the juicy details of what they thought had happened to Harry’s parents with Madam Rosmerta during the second Hogsmeade visit of the year, and Harry heard the whole thing along with Ron and Hermione.”

McGonagall was pale. “They were sitting right by us that day?” she breathed in disbelief.

Sirius nodded. “Harry knows the risks. He knows what can happen if the Secret Keeper talks because that reality has shaped his entire life into what it is. I trust him.”

“But his age –” countered Molly.

“He has already been tasked with a burden beyond what most men are capable of handling, Molly,” Sirius interrupted her. “How many times has he taken on challenges most of us couldn’t dream of dealing with and come out the other side alive when others would be lost or dead? He can handle it, and I’ll prove it right now. Kreacher!”

“Yes, Master Sirius?”

“Please go and fetch Harry from Hogwarts. If any of his friends are with him and demand to come along, you may bring them, as well.”

“Hold on, Sirius, those are my children you’re talking about!” said Molly angrily. “And Hermione –”

“Is of age and able to make such a decision for herself,” said Sirius calmly. “Besides, if the change of Secret Keeper happens tonight, you know they would want to be here to support him.” He looked back at the house elf. “Please do as I’ve said, Kreacher.”

Kreacher bowed and vanished with a loud crack!

“I think you’re nutters, choosing the boy,” said Mundungus Fletcher as he glared blearily up at Sirius.

“This is a lot to ask of him,” said Kingsley.

“I know,” said Sirius. “Doesn’t change a thing I’ve already said.”

A new crack! announced the return of Kreacher, and Sirius was unsurprised to see he had brought Ron, Hermione, and Ginny along with Harry.

“What’s going on, Sirius?” asked Hermione at once. “Kreacher said you needed to see Harry right away and that we could come –” She broke off, brown eyes widening as she took in the scene before them. “Oh.”

Harry was looking around, clearly recognizing that they had landed right in the middle of an Order meeting. “Sirius?” he asked quietly.

“Good to see you, kiddo,” said Sirius, quickly pulling Harry into a hug, which he easily returned, though he looked rather confused and anxious.

“Why are we here, exactly?” asked Ginny, taking Harry’s hand the moment his hug with Sirius ended. “And how did you get Mum and Dad to approve it?”

“I don’t approve of this, Sirius,” said Molly, cheeks pink and eyes narrowed. “It’s bad enough to vote as we have done, but to ask Harry to do this –”

“To do what?” asked Harry quickly. “You know I’m more than willing to help however I can.”

Snape scoffed, but didn’t get a word in before Sirius spoke. “I’ve made it clear that Professor Dumbledore’s health precludes him from remaining the Secret Keeper of my house,” he told the four teenagers. “The vote was in favor of changing to someone new, and I elected you, Harry.”

Harry blinked, mouth falling open in surprise.

“Wait,” spoke up Hermione, “how did you prove that Professor Dumbledore’s health is failing?”

Sirius snagged his notes from the table and handed them to Hermione. She scanned through them quickly, paling as she did so. “You figured out what the curse is,” she said quietly. “That’s what you’ve been up to, what you couldn’t tell us about. You were putting up a front to divert the reporters from realizing why you were out in public?”

Sirius nodded. “I didn’t want to keep it from you, but I couldn’t think of what else to do.”

Hermione nodded, and Sirius knew she had already forgiven him. “This is…” She trailed off, shaking her head, and passed the notes over to Ginny and Harry, who bent over the parchment as Ron asked Hermione to explain to him. Sirius watched as she whispered in his ear, his freckled face turning white, his expression sickened.

“That sounds like the sort of thing You-Know-Who would use on stuff he doesn’t want others to touch,” he said darkly.

“It does,” agreed Ginny, looking up from the notes. “I can’t believe you actually managed to figure it out.”

“Wait,” said Molly loudly, “you four knew the headmaster’s health was failing?”

“Yeah,” said Ron with an easy shrug. “Sirius told us as soon as he knew.”

“Sirius,” said Molly, looking angrier than he’d seen her in some time, “I thought we were on the same page regarding the fact that –”

“As soon as I tell Harry something, he’s just going to go and tell the others,” Sirius cut her off.

“He doesn’t need to know everything we’re doing to try and win this war, Sirius,” said Arthur quietly.

“The past year would have been very different if you lot had listened to me about trusting Harry with the truth,” snapped Sirius, finally ready to stop dancing around that particular topic as he’d done since the events at the Ministry in June. “It’s become more and more obvious as time has gone on just how little you all understand my godson. Only those who actually know the kind of person Harry is are the ones who stand by his side through thick and thin.”

He pointed at Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. “These three understand what you all fail to see about him, and that is why they have his trust. That is why I have his trust, because I know better than to act as though he isn’t capable of handling hard truths and secrets that are – that are key to his survival!” He stared around the room. “This war cannot be won without Harry, do you not understand this? So yes, I tell him hard things, dark things – secret things he needs to know so he can make decisions and contribute to the war effort in a way that only he can do. And I tell Ron, Hermione, and Ginny the same things because they are his support system. We need Harry, and Harry? He needs them.” Sirius glared around the room. “Seemed pointless not to tell them when I could save Harry a step in the process.”

“Smart man you are, Sirius,” said Fred.

“Smartest in the room right now, I’d reckon,” agreed George.

“We’re with you on this,” said Fred as George nodded.

“Why pick me for Secret Keeper, though?” asked Harry. “I know the secret can only be divulged willingly, but –”

“He’s too young!” snapped Snape.

“Harry’s already proven his ability to keep his silence,” said Sirius tightly to the whole room. “Or do I need to remind everyone of the lengths to which Umbitch went to break that silence four months ago?”

He spotted Ginny’s grip on Harry’s left hand, and the hold Ron had on Harry’s right wrist. What really caught his attention, however, was that Harry didn’t seem to be trying to fight against their hold on him. His gaze was clear and focused, taking in the abashed faces of several of the adults in the room. He looked back at Sirius, who was struck for the first time by how tall his godson had become, standing nearly as tall as James had once stood.

“I’ll do it,” said Harry at last with a calm surity that belied his young age. “I’ll be the Secret Keeper.”

Later, Sirius would think back on how Dumbledore acquiesced to the change with quiet dignity; how the other members of the Order looked at Harry as though seeing him for the first time as he truly was; how Ron, Hermione, and Ginny stayed by Harry’s side as the charm was cast; how Harry clearly stated where they were to those in the room so they could all remember where they even were; how a tearful Molly had wrapped all four teenagers in tight hugs and begged them to be safe before Kreacher returned them to Hogwarts; how Minerva McGonagall told Sirius how proud she was of the work he was doing and the responsibilities he had taken on; how Snape had shaken his head bitterly and left the meeting as soon as he could.

Sirius recognized that night for what it was: a change in the dynamics of how the Order worked. What was more, he had been the catalyst for that change.

It was about time, too.
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