The heavy silence in the kitchen of Number 12 Grimmauld Place lingered long after Harry had disappeared up the stairs.
Ron stared down at his hands, fingers clenched tightly together.
Hermione sat beside him, silent, her shoulders hunched with guilt.
"I've never seen him like that," she murmured. He looked so angry.
She knew Harry didn't like being isolated, that and how horrible his relatives were, but Dumbledore had said it would be better if he didn't know what was going on and left alone. She felt so stupid.
She knew just how much Cedric's death had affected him. He had bags under his eyes, and Ron had told her how he would wake up screaming just before they had left for summer.
Ron nodded mutely. After what happened during their fourth year, he told himself he would be there for his friend, but not even long after that, he just left him.
Sure Dumbledore told them it would be better to leave him alone but he should have written, Told him what was going on or something.
Across the room, Sirius stood rigid, fists clenched at his sides, the familiar reckless fire burning behind his eyes.
"He's angry," Remus said quietly. "And he has every right to be."
Sirius turned sharply, his voice rough. "More than angry. He's hurt. Alone. And all of you—" His eyes locked on Dumbledore. "You let him rot in that house with those people, knowing full well that he doesn't want to be there."
Dumbledore's expression remained calm, but his fingers were steepled tightly beneath his chin.
"I made a decision," the old wizard said softly. "One that prioritized his protection."
"Protection?" Sirius snapped. "From what? Letters? Friends? People who love him?"
"From Voldemort," Dumbledore said.
"He's still a child," Molly Weasley cut in, her voice protective. "He shouldn't have to deal with these things. He shouldn't have to carry the weight of a war!"
"He already is!" Sirius shouted, eyes blazing. "And he had to carry it alone because none of us were allowed to help him!"
"He left without permission," Dumbledore said. "Without explanation. And now he returns… different. People are dead Sirius"
"And that's his fault how?" Sirius did not like what this old goat was implying.
"He should have informed us when he was leaving".
"Like you informed him of the things that have been happening" he shot back at the old man.
Was this man serious right now, they left his godson alone, he had been trying to reach Harry, and all his attempts were blocked by Dumbles, no one had heard from Harry and any attempt from Harry himself was told to not be replied and to be honest he wasn't even sure anyone would have notice harry's little trip if the dementors had not attacked.
Now they were talking as if his godson had not tried to reach out after they had ignored him all summer long.
"He didn't just leave," Tonks added, her tone uncharacteristically serious. "He vanished. No magical trace. Just gone."
After the dementors had attacked and everyone was trying to find Harry, they had searched both physcally and magically and that was where the problem started.
While asking around it was apparently noted that he had left with his relatives to go somewhere but when dumbldore had used magic to try to find him it didn't work.
No spells or any of the old trackers could pick up Harry again.
Truthfully, Sirius had begun to fear the worst had happened to his Godson. To lose Lily, James and now Harry, he didn't think he could have handled it well.
But just as they were ready to start assuming the worst, Figg had sent a letter reporting that the boy was back with his relatives.
"He's different alright," Kingsley said, drawing attention to him. "When we Apparated here it felt different than before, the magic surrounding us was just...".
He stopped as if looking for the right words.
"Heavy" Tonks said softly, her voice a little quiet. She had not apparated with him but the air around him when they did was something else.
"I was going to say restless," He said but still nodded towards Tonks as if saying she was right.
Moody grunted, arms folded, fake eye spinning wildly. "And that's not all. He's blinding. The magic around him is different from before, I honestly wouldn't have thought it was Potter if not for all the other things, And the boy doesn't register on half my detection spells."
Moody won't admit it but he was a little unsettled. The magic around the kid was like looking at the sun.
Kingsley nodded. "Something's changed. He's stronger."
"And dangerous," Moody added.
Everyone went quiet.
Then the kitchen door creaked open.
Snape strode in, cloak billowing behind him.
"Ah, Potter throws a tantrum and now the entire Order scrambles." He sneered, lips curling in contempt. "Typical."
Sirius's chair scraped back violently as he stood. "Don't start, Snape."
"Oh, I've already started," Snape said smoothly, taking a seat at the table without waiting for an invitation. "He returns after disappearing for weeks, dripping in raw power, openly hostile, and your first response is to coddle him?"
"He doesn't owe you anything," Sirius growled.
Snape smirked. "He owes all of us an explanation. And I say we bring him down here and make him talk."
"No," Sirius snapped. "Try and force him, and you'll only push him further away. Maybe worse."
"He's hiding something," Snape pressed.
"Of course he is," Sirius retorted. "But forcing it out of him won't help. Let him come to us—when he's ready."
Dumbledore finally spoke again, his voice weary. "We must tread carefully. If he has changed, if he's carrying something powerful, pushing too hard may only drive him deeper into isolation."
Hermione finally looked up, voice trembling. "He said... we left him alone. After Cedric, after everything. And he's right."
Ron looked away.
Molly's lips pressed into a thin line, unsure now.
Then Arthur Weasley cleared his throat. "There's... another issue."
All eyes turned to him.
"The letter the Ministry," he continued. "Claiming Harry used magic in a Muggle area. Wand activation logged. Unauthorized spellcasting. That with the deaths caused by the dementors, they want a hearing for whether he is to be expelled."
"What" shouted Ron and Hermione.
Sirius frowned. "But he wasn't even here and are they seriously trying to blame the deaths caused by the dementors on him."
"He wasn't even in the country," Tonks added.
Moody narrowed his eyes. "they're Looking for an excuse to discredit him more."
"Don't they have people to check for things like these" Hermione shrieked. They wanted to expel harry without any prove or anything.
Did they just take the magic sensed in the area and assume it was Harry's.
"Can't you just tell them that it wasn't Harry" She said turning to look at dumbledore.
I mean if there was anybody that could do it, it would be him, right?
"I'm afraid that's not possible Miss Granger, the minister has denied all my attempts to explained it to him and is simply claiming that I wish to cover for young Harry".
That...That was something she knew the minister would do, especially given his current war with both Dumbledore and Harry.
"So," Arthur asked, "what are we going to do about it?"
The silence returned. Heavy.
"We get Harry to attend and make sure they know the truth, that Harry hasn't done anything wrong". Ron said.
"Well said Mister Weasley, Now while I would love to have a chance to talk to Harry he seems like he doesn't want to talk to anyone right now" That seemed to get a small flinch from those like Ron and Hermione.
"I'll be taking my leave and hopefully he'll have calmed down later".
With that the old goat turned and left, followed by Snape who seemed to have a small smile and a spring in his step no doubt from the notion of Harry being expelled.
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