During the Easter holidays, the fifth year students were bombarded with pamphlets, leaflets and notices concerning future careers. Harry really didn’t know what to think since he had never really thought of life after Hogwarts before. Everything seemed to revolve around Voldemort so how was he supposed to plan for the future when the present was constantly demanding for him to risk his life repeatedly?

“That is understandable,’” Mrs. Potter nodded.

“Still, how many fifteen-year-olds know what they want to do for the rest of their lives? I think it’s too soon for us to choose,” Lily complained. “I mean, if you think about it we have to start choosing at thirteen because some careers require Ancient Runes or Arithmancy and if you didn’t choose those in your second year to start in your third you have already discarded those careers. How fair s that? How can they expect someone in their second year to be mature enough to choose like that!” she finished waving her arms around madly.

“Okay, calm, down, relax,” James tried to soothe her. “As soon as we finish reading we will form the School system Revolutionary Army.”

Lily huffed, “I’m being serious here!”

 

After looking at the notice board, Harry saw that he had a meeting with Professor McGonagall at half past two on Monday to discuss possibilities for the future. It was no surprise that Hermione had nearly twice as many pamphlets and leaflets than everyone else. It was clear she just grabbed everything since one minute she was reading about Muggle Relations and the next she was checking out what was required to train security trolls. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who was completely clueless about life after Hogwarts.

“Definitely not,” Sirius shook his head grimly.

 

The following morning Harry met with Sirius and Remus for some advice. Sirius instantly proposed Professional Quidditch claiming that Harry should have fun as long as humanly possible.

“YES!” James cried. “Quidditch!”

Remus, on the other hand, proposed teaching since Harry was doing so well with the Defense Association. Harry really wasn’t eager for those choices.

“Harry!” James cried desperately tugging at his hair, “Quidditch!”

 He loved to fly but he had a feeling that doing it professionally would take the fun out of it.

“Nothing takes the fun out of Quidditch Harry,” James moaned. “It’s Quidditch!”

The other occupants of the room could just shake their heads.

He also enjoyed his role with the D.A. but he didn’t know if he wanted to do it for a living.

So Monday afternoon arrived and Harry still had no idea of what career he wanted to pursue. Reaching Professor McGonagall’s office, Harry hesitated for a moment before knocking. He knew everyone expected him to be some warrior to defend the innocent but was that who he actually was? Not really. He defended what he believed in but the thought of killing someone made him ill. He didn’t want to hurt people. So what did he want to do?

“Come in,” Professor McGonagall’s voice beckoned from inside the office.

Opening the door, Harry was surprised to see that Professor McGonagall wasn’t alone. Professor McGonagall was sitting behind her desk while off to the left were three individuals Harry had never seen before. There was a tall wizard with light brown hair farthest from the door who gave Harry a friendly smile. Beside him was a witch with long blond hair and a soft smile on her face. Nearest to the door was a wizard of average height with extremely short sandy blond hair. He seemed to look at Harry for a long moment before nodding.

Harry suddenly felt extremely self conscious. What were they doing here? “Er—I’m sorry,” he said nervously. “I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”

“Yes, Harry,” Lily said wisely. “Back away slowly.”

“They aren’t wild animals Lily,” Sirius chuckled.

“Can you prove that?” Lily said with a raised eyebrow.

“Back away slowly Harry,” Sirius said.

“You’re not interrupting, Mr. Potter,” Professor McGonagall said sternly, passing on to Harry the silent message that she did not approve of the presence of the three individuals. “Mr. Andrews, Miss Winters and Mr. Grint have been sent here from their places of employment for a few words with you.”

That was unexpected. Harry remained standing in the doorway not really sure how to take that bit of news. “Why?” he asked bluntly. “I haven’t done anything wrong, have I?”

“Off course not,” Mrs. Potter said kindly. Then she frowned grimly, “I have a feeling I know what this is about.”

“Mr. Potter,” the tall wizard said professionally. “You certainly haven’t done anything wrong. We are here to assist you in planning for the future. I am Wesley Grint and I represent the Department of Law Enforcement, Auror Division. Next to me is Evelyn Winters who is from the Public Relations office at the Ministry and next to her, Daniel Andrews from the Department of Magical Games and Sports.”

Harry glanced at Professor McGonagall who was sitting rather stiffly before returning his attention to the representatives from the Ministry. “Siri—er—Professor Black and Remus didn’t say anything about people being here from the Ministry,” he said cautiously.

“Yeah, we didn’t!” Sirius nodded. “Get out!”

“I was under the impression it would just be Professor McGonagall and myself.”

“It normally is, Mr. Potter,” Professor McGonagall said with a nod. “However, the Ministry apparently felt you would need assistance in your choices.

“Hey, we’re assisting fine enough!” Remus growled offended.

 Your guardians are not aware of this…yet

“Oh, but you won’t like it when we do become aware of this!” Sirius said threateningly and James nodded his approval.

 and Professor Dumbledore isn’t too pleased with their unannounced arrival. He feels this is only adding additional pressure which you don’t need. Nevertheless it is your choice. If you wish to talk with these people, you are free to do so.”

Harry inhaled deeply in an attempt to bury his anger. He understood what was going on. The Ministry wanted to pitch possible areas of employment for the-boy-who-lived. They wanted him for his name, not of his academic or recreational accomplishments. “If this isn’t offered to everyone then I must decline,” Harry said evenly.

“He, he, in your face!”

“James!”

“What mom?” he asked innocently.

 The three representatives moved to protest. “I don’t mean to sound rude but I refuse to be given special treatment for something I can’t even remember. If I were to decide to apply for any of your departments I want to earn my position. I am just like everyone else here and I expect to be treated that way.”

Evelyn Winters and Daniel Andrews were about to protest but were stopped when Wesley Grint stepped forward. “We can accept that, Mr. Potter,” he said with a nod. “We apologize for taking up your time.” He turned to Professor McGonagall. “We apologize for the intrusion, Professor.” Without another word, the three representatives left.

“At least he has some sense,” Lily mumbled.

Harry stepped out of the doorway to let them pass then let out a frustrated sigh. Suddenly planning for the future was the last thing Harry wanted to do. At the moment working in the Muggle world seemed like an overly appealing option. There he would be treated normally just as long as he stayed away from Surrey. That was what he wanted. He wanted to do something where he could be ‘just Harry’. The problem was finding something like that in the wizarding world was going to be near impossible.

The sound of the door closing pulled Harry out of his thoughts. Turning towards the noise, Harry noticed Professor McGonagall standing by the now closed door. “I apologize, Harry,” she said sincerely. “With the current events, several organizations in the Ministry seem to be rather persistent. Defending the train like you did in September attracted the attention of the Auror Division, your Quidditch record attracted the attention of the Magical Games and Sports Department, and I don’t think I need to explain the public relations. You were right. They were here because of your name. Many feel that it is only a matter of time before the Minister is removed from office so they want to show their support to the one they should have believed all along.”

“Too little, too late,” James huffed crossing his arms.

Professor McGonagall gently took Harry by the arm and led him to the chair in front of her desk. “Have a seat, Harry,” she offered then moved to her chair behind the desk that was littered with pamphlets. “Let’s see if we can discuss your career ideas and decide which subjects you shout continue into your sixth and seventh years. Do you have any thoughts of what you would like to do after leaving Hogwarts?”

“No, I have no idea what I want to do!” Sirius sighed. “And now we have to choose what classes we keep and what we drop and what if I drop one that I find out later that I needed because I decide to be a chef and needed cooking classes?”

“Hogwarts doesn’t give cooking classes Sirius!” James laughed.

“And she was asking Harry,” Lily reminded him.

“But I am confused!” Sirius cried.

“You’re not the only one,” Remus patted his back.

Harry shook his head as he set his schoolbag on the floor, his eyes focused on the pamphlets. At the moment he had a clearer idea of what he didn’t want to do than what he wanted to do.

“Very well,” Professor McGonagall said carefully. “Perhaps we are thinking too narrow. Don’t think of a specific position, Harry. What do you want to do in general?”

Harry thought for a moment. He really didn’t want to do anything in the public eye since he hated attention but he couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. “I guess I want to help people,” he said with a shrug. “I—I just don’t know how.”

“We can work with that,” Professor McGonagall said as she pulled out a few pamphlets from the group and opened one of them. “You could choose to be an Auror, however I should warn you that it isn’t an easy career path. You need a minimum of five NEWTs and nothing under ‘Exceeds Expectations’ as a grade. After that, you would need to undergo a rigorous series of tests on character and aptitude.

“Oh, too bad Padfoot. You wouldn’t pass the character test! I don’t think they take loonies!”

“Like you would James!”

“Boys!” Mrs. Potter scolded.

Very few are taken. As a matter of fact, I don’t believe anyone has been taken in the past three years.”

“So the last class to be taken was Tonks’ class. Interesting,” Remus said.

“Why?” Mrs. Potter asked.

“Don’t know,” he shrugged. “Just seemed like a good comment to make.”

Professor McGonagall set the pamphlet down and looked at Harry, waiting for him to meet her gaze. “For subjects, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, and Potions would be required. I should warn you, Harry, I only accept students in my NEWT classes who achieve an ‘Exceeds Expectations’ or higher at the Ordinary Wizarding Level, which you currently have.” She pulled out what appeared to be a file folder and opened it. “According to your instructors your grades have been improving over the past few years. The only questionable class would be Potions where you’re averaging between an ‘Acceptable’ and ‘Exceeds Expectations’. I will also warn you that Professor Snape only accepts students who achieve an ‘Outstanding’ on their OWLs.

“Git,” the five mumbled and the four teens looked at Mrs. Potter who coughed to cover her slip.

Working a little harder in that class wouldn’t hurt.”

“Hey, Harry works hard enough!” Mrs. Potter defended. “It’s that man who isn’t fit to teach a flobberworm much less children!”

Harry fought hard to hold back a snort. He could invent a potion that would cure all diseases and it still wouldn’t receive an ‘Outstanding’ mark from Professor Snape. It was better to just accept that Professor Snape would never have an open mind when it came to a child of the Marauders. Luckily for Harry, Professor Snape wouldn’t be testing him so he at least had some hope that he could test well on his OWL.

“Another option is Healing,” Professor McGonagall said as she picked up a leaflet. “It is similar to the Auror requirements for classes except for the requirement of Herbology. You would need at least an ‘Exceeds Expectations’ at NEWT level in Herbology in addition to your other NEWTs. There will also be training after you graduate. Perhaps that is more suitable for you, Harry. I must say you spend enough time in the hospital wing as it is. You might as well make use of your time there.”

“Hey! That’s the Dragon’s fault! She has evil powers that make us go there even if we’d rather not!” James cried.

“I am sure Madam Pomfrey isn’t cursing you just to see you more James,” Lily snorted.

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” James said shaking his head firmly.

“Hey!” Harry exclaimed in offense. “Most of the time it’s not my fault.”

Professor McGonagall stared at Harry as a smile slowly appeared on her face. “I’m kidding, Harry,” she said. “Of course there is also teaching which would require some mastery in the area you wish to teach…unless the Headmaster can’t find anyone to take the position…or you’re appointed by the Ministry. You would also need NEWTs in the core subjects: Herbology, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Astronomy, and Charms. I must say your group is every indication that you would be an excellent teacher.”

“But I’m not instructing most of the time,” Harry protested. “I usually stand off in the corner—”

“—who is the one to instruct the Council?” Professor McGonagall countered. “If you were to tell me a year ago that Neville Longbottom would be able to create a corporeal Patronus in a year’s time, I would’ve had you committed to St. Mungo’s. I don’t think you see what a positive influence you are, Harry. So many students in your group have changed for the better because of you. That is the type of person a teacher is. I understand that you strongly dislike the abundance of attention you receive but did you ever consider that you may deserve it?”

Harry scowled as he looked away. He immediately knew this was one fight he wasn’t going to win.

“I’m afraid I can’t help you in regards to the attention from the female population of this school,” McGonagall said causing Harry to look at her in confusion. “I suggest you speak to your guardians about that. As far as the rest of the attention, I won’t deny that you are a role model, Harry. The students look up to you and personally I am grateful that they have someone like you to admire. You are a fine young man, Harry. You’re parents would certainly be proud of you.”

“To right we are,” Lily said and James puffed his chest.

Harry let out a sigh. How was he supposed to respond to that? He didn’t want to believe it but he was to the point that he realized arguing wasn’t going to get him anywhere. Everyone had their opinion and nothing he said was going to change it. It had probably been one of the bigger lessons he had learned from Sirius and Remus. People are going to believe what they want to believe. As long as you stay true to your own beliefs that’s all that matters.

Professor McGonagall stood up and walked around her desk so she was standing in front of him. “As far as career options, I’ll leave the three choices in your file for now” she said with a soft smile. “Sometime it’s better to leave your options open. They are all honorable professions, Harry. If you have any questions about any of them, I’m sure Auror Tonks, Madam Pomfrey or any instructor here would be willing to help. All you have to do is ask.”

Harry nodded feeling a little guilty that he was having such a difficult time with this. “Is—er—is this normal?” he asked quietly. “Not knowing, I mean.”

Mrs. Potter chuckled, “Oh, please Harry. No one knows what they want to do for the rest of their life at fifteen. That is absolutely normal.”

Professor McGonagall gave Harry’s arm a reassuring squeeze. “Of course it’s normal,” she said. “I can’t think of a single student I’ve had who had a clear picture of what they wanted as a career at fifteen and ended up following through with it for the rest of their life. This was only to make you aware of possible options so you could prepare yourself properly, understand?”

“See?” Mrs. Potter said.

Harry nodded again as he stood up, grabbing his schoolbag on the way. “Thanks, Professor,” he said tiredly. “I guess it’s just a lot to take in.”

“Very well,” McGonagall said with a smile. “If you have no other questions, I suppose this concludes the consultation.” Harry turned to leave. “Oh…and Harry, I’m proud of how you handled the presence of the Ministry employees. If anything, you may have increased their interest in you.”

“I don’t think that was what he was aiming for,” Remus shook his head.

Harry couldn’t help but groan as he walked out of Professor McGonagall’s office causing her to laugh. If anything having the three departments present had created a negative affect on Harry. He didn’t like people who tried to push their beliefs on others. It reminded him too much of Fudge and Umbridge. At the moment Harry desperately wanted to smash his fist into a wall. Why would anyone still be interested in someone after that person kicked them out of the room? It didn’t make any sense.

Not in the mood to put up with Divination, Harry went directly to the Defense classroom and waited until class was over. He tried to run through some calming techniques but he was just too frustrated to concentrate. He didn’t even know why the entire situation bothered him so much. A few departments at the Ministry tried to gain the friendship of the-boy-who-lived. So what? It wasn’t like it hadn’t happened before.

But I’ve never been caught off guard like this before.

“You are being too harsh on yourself Harry,” James said sympathetically.

The sound of the bell pulled Harry out of his thoughts. Leaning against the wall, Harry waited until everyone had filed out of the room before entering. He walked to his normal seat in the front of the room before dropping his school bag on the desk before collapsing in the chair. He didn’t even notice that Sirius was in the room, watching him intently. Closing his eyes, Harry tried desperately to bury his mess of emotions. He needed to do something or else he felt like he was going to explode.

“Harry, is something wrong?” Sirius asked carefully from behind his desk. “Did something happen during your consultation?”

“SIRIUS! Don’t make naïve questions!” James cried.

Harry snorted. “Nothing at all,” he said sarcastically. “No one from the Ministry came wanting to pitch why they wanted the-boy-who-lived working for them.” Sirius instantly rose to his feet. “It’s not like I’m an actual person with choices to make. I’m just a tool, a publicity prop for everyone to wave around as they please.” Harry slammed his fists on his desk, his frustration getting the better of him unaware that several objects in the room were starting to shake. “I hate this! Why can’t they just leave me alone?”

Sirius was at Harry’s side in an instant. He knelt down and turned Harry so their eyes met. “McGonagall allowed this?” he asked in confusion. “Dumbledore allowed this?”

“He, he, I think McGonagall and Dumbledore are going to be in a spot of trouble,” Lily chuckled evilly.

“Just a spot?” James asked wriggling his eyebrows and pointing at Sirius who was rubbing his hands together.

The shaking objects slowly stilled. “Evidently the representatives were extremely persistent,” Harry muttered as he looked away as he let out a sigh. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just really stressed out with everything that’s going on. This was the last thing I needed today.” Harry returned his gaze to Sirius with a pleading look on his face. “Is it too late to change my name?”

Sirius laughed as he ruffled Harry’s hair. “I’ll talk to Moony about it,” he said then turned serious. “I will talk to McGonagall and Dumbledore about this, Harry. They should have contacted Remus or me the moment anyone expressed interest to see you. I made it clear to Dumbledore that even though I’m here to teach, you are my top priority.” Sirius stood up and pulled out his wand.

“Oomph-“ Sirius grunted as James threw himself at him.

“My hero!” James cried and the other three couldn’t help but laugh.

With a few flicks, his desk was transfigured into a dueling platform and the student desks were against the wall. “How about a short duel before class begins? You look like you need it.”

“Padfoot, Padfoot, Padfoot,” Remus shook his head. “Do you realize what you are setting yourself up to?”

“Hey, we tied the last one!” Sirius cried defensively.

“I’m sure you’ll tie this one too,” Mrs. Potter said gently.

“Nah,” Sirius shook his head. “I’ll probably win. Last time I was holding back.”

James and Lily started making bets.

“Oi, none of that!” Sirius cried.

“How much on Harry?” Remus asked.

“MOONY! Et tu?”

Harry stood up and nearly jumped as his chair suddenly moved to the wall to join the others. Removing his robe and tossing it aside, Harry moved automatically to the platform. He jumped up with Sirius following him. No words were said. Both of them knew each other’s motions by heart. They took their designated steps apart before turning and the duel began. Harry immediately took the offensive and Sirius retaliated. Nothing dangerous was cast but the power behind the spells made it clear that they weren’t holding anything back.

Sirius managed to disarm Harry first

“Ha!” Sirius cried triumphantly.

 but it didn’t last long since Harry was able to recall his wand silently.

Remus raised an eyebrow at Sirius who scowled.

Catching his wand, Harry dodged the oncoming spell as he cast a series of spells at Sirius, disarming him. Sirius was close enough to start a physical attack. Harry quickly re-holstered his wand and blocked any punches and kicks that came his way while managing to get a few of his own in. Seeing his opportunity, Harry jumped up, pulling his knees to his chest before pushing them out forcefully and hitting Sirius in the chest. Sirius let out an ‘oomph’ as he fell backwards. Harry repositioned his body in mid air, landing on one knee. He instantly flicked his wrist and grasped his wand as he stood, pointing it at Sirius who was now flat on his back.

“Yield?” Harry asked.

“Yield,” Sirius confirmed in a tense voice as he sat up and grabbed his chest.

James and Remus started collecting Lily’s money.

“Lily!” Sirius cried delighted losing his scowl. “You bet on me?”

“Yes,” Lily huffed. “That will teach me to doubt Harry.”

 “Ow, Harry. That really hurt. Next time I’ll call Moony and let him duel with you.”

Remus cuffed Sirius’ head who was laughing.

Harry let out a sigh as he holstered his wand once again and helped Sirius stand. “Sorry Sirius,” he said sincerely. It was then Harry realized how badly he had lost control. He had let his emotions and instincts guide him rather than logical thought. “Should I get Madam Pomfrey?”

Sirius glared at Harry. “Don’t you dare,” he warned then grinned. “However, I reserve the right to a rematch and next time, I won’t hold anything back. You’re getting good, kiddo.”

“See, I was holding back,” Sirius nodded pleased.

“That’s what all the losers say Paddy,” James chuckled and received a pillow to his face in retaliation.

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused both of them to jump and turn to see the entire class standing by the door with wide eyes. Harry and Sirius held back a groan. Both of them had forgotten about closing the door and locking it. Harry and Sirius could only imagine what seeing the two of them dueling like they had been must have looked like to someone who didn’t know what had happened beforehand.

Silence was finally broken by Ron. “What in the bloody hell was that?” he asked loudly causing quite a few to laugh.

“We can always count on Ron for the subtlety,” Lily chuckled fondly.

Sirius jumped off the platform with Harry following him. “I’ll ignore the language…this time,” the Animagus said with a smirk.

“Who would have ever thought that one day I would hear Sirius Black admonishing someone for the language they were using?” Mrs. Potter asked.

“It was your good example Mrs. P,” Sirius said.

“Kiss ass,” James mumbled. Lily smacked him lightly.

He looked around and found his wand on the ground at the end of the platform. He then picked it up and with a few flicks the classroom was back to as it should be. “Everyone take a seat so we can get started. Your OWL exams are approaching quickly and we still have much to cover.”

Everyone took their regular seat, Ron quickly sitting down next to Harry. “So what happened?” he whispered. “It looked like you two were trying to kill each other.”

Harry looked at Ron with a raised eyebrow. That had been the last thing they had been doing but he could see where someone may think as much. “My consultation with McGonagall didn’t go so well,” he said softly. “Dueling was a way of not thinking about it and releasing some steam. How much did everyone see?”

“Just the physical part,” Ron said as he glanced over at Hermione. “So what happened during your consultation?”

Harry shrugged his shoulders. “People from the Ministry came,” he said as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. “I kicked them out. I guess I was having enough trouble trying to think of a career without them complicating matters; telling me that how great it would be for the-boy-who-lived to join their department.”

Ron winced at Harry’s sarcastic tone. “Sorry to hear that, mate,” he said sympathetically. “Did you decide on a career?”

Harry shook his head before turning his attention to Sirius, his consultation pushed to the back of his mind in order to concentrate. Sirius had a very good point. The OWLs would be here soon. He may not know what he wanted to do after Hogwarts and right now it didn’t matter. All he could do was prepare for the upcoming exams and from there he could look at his options. At the moment though, Harry wasn’t too keen on considering any position at the Ministry. Maybe in time that would change but currently Harry just had too much resentment towards the place that had caused him and his current family so much pain.

“I definitely can’t see Harry working at the Ministry,” Remus nodded.

---

The following day Harry was surprised that Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall had sought him out to apologize for not sending the representatives from the Ministry away. Harry tried to assure his Head of House and his Headmaster that he didn’t blame them but apparently Sirius had given both of them quite an earful.

Sirius and Remus smiled pleased.

Remus had also managed to corner Harry and offer an ear if Harry needed to talk. Harry insisted he was fine but Sirius and Remus rarely believed that excuse anymore. It had been used too often while Umbridge had been at Hogwarts.

“Yes, Harry’s “I’m fine” can range anywhere from, “I’m okay” to “I’m bleeding to death but I don’t want to bother”,” Lily huffed.

Harry wasn’t able to think about what happened for long with as hectic as his schedule had become. Once again he found any sort of free time limited to mornings before classes. The final game of the season was approaching for Quidditch and Gryffindor was the top qualifier for the Quidditch Cup, Professor Snape was pushing Harry even harder now in Occlumency, the Council had decided to begin using Sirius’ approach by using what they had learned by dueling which meant everyone in the Council had to know all of the guidelines in dueling, and of course the never ending schoolwork was a constant problem now for all fifth years.

He was pulled out of his routine a week after his consultation when Remus pulled him out of Divination and took directly to Professor Dumbledore’s office. Upon entering, Harry was hit was a feeling of déjà vu when he saw that Dumbledore wasn’t alone. Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt were standing stiffly in front of Dumbledore’s desk. Harry recognized that stance. It was Tonks’ ‘I’m on duty’ stance.

“She has one?” Sirius asked.

“Of course she does,” Mrs. Potter said. “Harold has one too.”

“Yeah,” Sirius said as he wrinkled his nose. “But Tonks’ is hard to imagine since now all she does is run around knocking stuff down while preferably covered in all kinds of unidentified sticky substances.”

“Please come in, Remus, Harry,” Professor Dumbledore said pleasantly as he rose to his feet. “There are a few matters we need to discuss.”

Harry followed Remus to the chairs placed in front of Dumbledore’s desk and sat down. Glancing over and the two Aurors, Harry caught a wink from Tonks and a slight smile from Shacklebolt. That was odd. Kingsley Shacklebolt rarely was anything but professional. Harry returned his attention to Dumbledore and noticed the large pile of parchment on the desk. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry couldn’t help but notice how stiff Remus was sitting. That was a key indicator that something was going on.

James had hopped on the bed and started massaging Remus’ shoulders. Remus turned his head to look back at James and raised a questioning eyebrow.

“I’m trying to get you to un-stiffen,” James said. Remus pointed to James’ place on the floor and James huffed as he went back, “Can’t even do something nice.”

“I should inform you, Harry, that earlier today Cornelius Fudge was voted out of office by the majority of the Wizengamot,” Professor Dumbledore said in his normal pleasant voice. “It seems that in light of recent events many have lost their confidence in the Minister’s leadership.”

“Oh, really? Why would they ever?” Lily asked sarcastically.

Harry couldn’t believe it. Fudge was gone? It seemed too good to be true. Cautiously Harry glanced over at Tonks and Shacklebolt who nodded in confirmation. Now he understood why they were acting so uncharacteristically happy…well, at least Shacklebolt was. Tonks always seemed to be happy.

“Until an official election can be held,” Professor Dumbledore continued, “Amelia Bones will be the acting Minister for the present time and her first order of business was to begin a formal investigation concerning the interview you had given Rita Skeeter to determine if Voldemort has in fact returned. Tonks and Kingsley are here to take your ‘official statement’. I believe Amelia wanted to make the situation as painless as possible by sending a ‘relative’.”

“And she is trying to get into Harry’s good grace,” Mrs. Potter sniffed. “Amelia is a fair woman but that move was not subtle at all.”

“That explains Tonks but not Kingsley,” Remus said cautiously. “I was under the impression that Amelia wasn’t aware of who was in the Order.”

“I volunteered,” Kingsley said simply. “A senior Auror was needed and I was the first choice since Tonks and I have worked together before. Amelia isn’t aware that I even know Harry. She questioned me extensively to ensure that I would treat him fairly.” Shacklebolt turned his attention to Harry and bit back a smile. “You’ve left quite an impression on the upper ranked, kid. Grint has been telling everyone about your little encounter with him for the past week. Evidently he found the entire situation rather amusing.”

“Which was not what Harry was aiming for,” Lily sighed.

Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head in annoyance. “I don’t see why,” he muttered. “I just kicked him out—”

“—which is something that very few would do, Harry,” Tonks said seriously. “Most people would take advantage of the opportunity that had been placed in front of you but you didn’t. You insisted on being treated like everyone else. Even with everything that’s happen there are a lot of people who still have the misconception that you enjoy the publicity.”

“So what is the ‘official story’?” Remus asked returning to the main topic of discussion.

“Trust Moony to not let the subject wonder away,” Sirius chuckled.

“I believe the story Harry told Rita will suffice,” Professor Dumbledore answered. “We just need to know exactly what changes were made. With the ‘Daily Prophet’ aligning itself with Harry we really shouldn’t chance discrediting them.”

“I didn’t change anything,” Harry said with a shrug. “I just didn’t mention everything that having to do with the outbursts, our wands or the echoes, you know that. I just said that Voldemort faltered and I ran for the cup. Rita assumed that all my injuries came from the duel.”

“Credible,” Mrs. Potter nodded.

Dumbledore thought for a moment then looked at Harry pensively. “Amelia won’t accept assumptions, Harry,” he said patiently. “She will want to know the reason for every one of the injuries you sustained. We managed to keep your heart condition quiet but the school did learn of your lungs collapsing and needing an oxygen mask to help you breathe afterwards. I have no doubt Susan passed that bit of news on to her aunt. We need to tread carefully, Harry. If Amelia were to request your medical record she would learn of the multiple instances of magical exhaustion.”

“For starters, unless Harry is a ward of the Ministry, she can’t do that. Secondly, the injuries being from a duel with Voldemort and his Death Eaters is quite credible so stop trying to do politics with my grandson Dumbledore!” Mrs. Potter said sternly.

“But she would need either Sirius’ or my permission in order to see Harry’s medical record,” Remus countered. “I was there when Harry gave the interview, Dumbledore. Who’s to say Harry hadn’t received his injuries during the duel? He had been slammed into a tree! If Amelia Bones has any questions she is more than welcomed to speak to either Sirius or me. Regardless of what some people may think Harry’s life isn’t available for public knowledge. Fudge tried to cross that line multiple times. We stepped in then and we’ll step in now.”

“Moony to the rescue!” James cried delighted.

“See, Mrs. P. I pay attention,” Remus said pleased that his future self had basically said the same as Mrs. Potter.

“I know you do. It’s these two who worry me,” Mrs. Potter said pointing to Sirius and James who looked back innocently.

Professor Dumbledore let out a sigh. “Remus, I’m not your enemy here,” he said tiredly. “We both know the rules rarely apply when Harry is concerned no matter how hard we try to prevent it.”

“Which is why Sirius and I are here,” Remus said firmly. “I understand you are trying to gain an ally but personally, I could care less. I believe Sirius has made his opinions well known when he accepted his position. I happen to agree with him. Harry has already put enough on the line to help you out. Must I remind you that it’s because of him that Umbridge is in Azkaban, the public knows of Voldemort’s return and now Fudge has been removed from the Minister position?”

“You don’t have to remind me, Remus,” Dumbledore said evenly. “I am well aware that the Order is indebted to Harry. I just want to avoid any problems in the near future. There are still many in the Ministry who would try to use someone with Harry’s abilities for their own gain. We need to ensure there are no holes whatsoever in Harry’s story.”

“And by any chance do you think Remus and Sirius didn’t ensure that before?” Lily asked annoyed. “Of course they did!”

“Which we will do,” Tonks said in a serious tone that sounded so unlike her. “Do you really think either of us would do anything that would put Harry in danger? Bones is the Head of the Department of Law Enforcement. We know what to expect from her, Dumbledore. You also forget that unlike Fudge, Bones won’t overstep her boundaries when it comes to Harry’s rights.”

Harry rubbed his eyes underneath his glasses. From the sounds of it he wasn’t the only one who was overstressed. He couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable with the fact that everyone was arguing because they were trying to protect him. They were arguing about him almost like he wasn’t even there. “I appreciate your concern, Professor but I can’t change the story now,” Harry said evenly. “The ‘Daily Prophet’ made a rather bold move by taking my side. From what I’ve heard about Madam Bones, she appears to be a fair woman. I have been having these outbursts since my third year and no one had found out about them on their own. I’m not saying there’s nothing to worry about but all of the necessary precautions have been taken, right?”

“He has a point, Dumbledore,” Kingsley added. “I understand your need to be cautious but no one’s questioned the kid’s injuries before. With as ruthless as Voldemort is, no one in their right mind would question Harry’s injuries. At the moment scrutinizing what injuries Harry may or not have had is the last on the list of priorities. Bones is focusing on whether Voldemort has indeed returned and the Death Eaters who were there that night.”

“Very well,” Professor Dumbledore said finally. “We should get started then.”

Harry and Remus retold the story that had been relayed to Rita Skeeter. Tonks documented everything while Shacklebolt questioned a few points. Professor Dumbledore remained silent the entire time which Harry didn’t know how to interpret. He could tell Dumbledore wasn’t pleased that he had been overruled but he just couldn’t understand what the Headmaster was so worried about. Sirius and Remus had approved of the story and they were as overprotective as one could be.

“Exactly!” James cried raising his arms.

The moment they were finished Remus pulled Harry out of Dumbledore’s office claiming Harry had classes to attend. Harry didn’t miss the look of disappointment on Professor Dumbledore’s face or the look of sympathy on Tonks’. Something was definitely going on here and from the way Dumbledore and Remus were acting it has been going on for quite some time. Harry had known that Sirius and Remus had a few concerns on some of the decisions Dumbledore had made but he never thought it was anything to worry about. Clearly he had been wrong.

“Remus, why did you act like that?” Harry asked quietly. “Professor Dumbledore was just trying to help.”

Remus instantly stopped and glanced at Harry before pulling him into an empty classroom. He closed the door as he pulled out his wand and cast a silencing charm. “I know what it must have looked like, Harry, but you have to understand something. Dumbledore is not only the Headmaster of Hogwarts. He is also the leader of the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization that needs every chance it can get to gain the upper hand in the war. Gaining an ally like Amelia Bones would be extremely beneficial so Dumbledore may be extremely accommodating to guarantee her support. Sirius and I understand that but we are not going to let him use you to accomplish that.”

“Definitely not!” Sirius agreed.

“He’s not using me,” Harry protested. “This is all from something I did, remember? I was the one who talked to Rita Skeeter. Professor Dumbledore had nothing to do with that. I know there’s probably quite a bit going on with the Order that I don’t know about but—”

“Harry, listen to me,” Remus said as he rested his hands on Harry’s shoulders. “I know this may seem confusing but you’ll just have to trust Sirius and me. We made our priorities clear to Dumbledore that if we would have to choose between you and the Order, we would choose you. At the moment your protection is what matters. I know Dumbledore cares for you but he has a war to worry about. He’s considering the larger picture. Don’t get me wrong, someone has to. We just want to make sure you’re not caught in the middle of this. Even though you have already been through so much, you’re still in school. You still have the right to be a kid.”

Remus and Sirius were assaulted by three huggers.

Looking into Remus’ eyes, Harry couldn’t help but agree. Remus was begging for Harry to trust him no matter what Harry’s personal opinions may be. He may not understand completely what was going on between Dumbledore and his guardians but he had a pretty good picture. He couldn’t fault Dumbledore for concentrating on the war. It was certainly more important at the moment. Harry may not like the hostility between Dumbledore and his guardians but at the moment there was nothing he could do about. He could only hope that the three wizards would find a happy medium sooner rather than later.

“I’m afraid that won’t happen while the war is going on,” Remus said sadly. “Dumbledore will still have to see the big picture and we will still protect Harry.”