Percy Jackson and the Department of Mysteries

12) They Argue Almost As Much As The Author's Parents Before Their Divorce

Once we'd finished with dessert, the room felt very relaxed. Everyone was leaning back in their chairs with a comfy smile, and I felt like crashing on my bed.

"Nearly time for bed, I think," Mrs. Weasley yawned, voicing my thoughts exactly.

"Not just yet, Molly," Sirius pushed his plate away and turned to Harry. "You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort."

The relaxed atmosphere disappeared as everyone glanced nervously around the room.

"I did!" Harry said, incensed. "I asked Ron and Hermione and but they said we're not allowed in the Order, so —"

"And they're quite right," Mrs. Weasley said. She was sitting straight up in her chair, fists clenched, not looking tired in the slightest. "You're too young."

"Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?" Sirius asked. "Harry's been trapped in that Muggle house for a month. He's got the right to know what's been happen —"

"Hang on!" George said loudly, and I groaned. This was going to get annoying.

"How come Harry gets his questions answered?" Fred demanded.

"We've been trying to get stuff out of you for a month and you haven't told us a single stinking thing!" George said angrily.

"'You're too young, you're not in the Order,'" Fred spoke in an eerily accurate impression of his mother. "Harry's not even of age!"

"It's not my fault you haven't been told what the Order's doing," Sirius said calmly. "That's your parents' decision. Harry, on the other hand —"

"It's not down to you to decide what's good for Harry!" Mrs. Weasley hissed. She looked dangerous. "You haven't forgotten what Dumbledore said, I suppose?"

"Which bit?" Sirius asked politely, but he seemed to be readying himself for a fight.

"The bit about not telling Harry more than he needs to know," Mrs. Weasley said.

Everyone's heads swiveled between the two of them, watching with wide eyes.

"I don't intend to tell him more than he needs to know," Sirius frowned. "But as he was the one who saw Voldemort come back, he has more right than most to —"

"He's not a member of the Order of the Phoenix!" Mrs. Weasley said. "He's only fifteen and —"

"— and he's dealt with as much as most in the Order," Sirius said, "and more than some —"

"No one's denying what he's done!" Mrs. Weasley's arms were trembling with anger. "But he's still —"

"He's not a child!" Sirius scowled.

"He's not an adult either!" Mrs. Weasley's face was red. "He's not James, Sirius!" I grimaced. That single sentence even made me grimace.

"I'm perfectly clear who he is, thanks, Molly," Sirius said icily.

"I'm not sure you are!" Mrs. Weasley said. "Sometimes, the way you talk about him, it's as though you think you've got your best friend!"

"What's wrong with that?" Harry asked.

"What's wrong, Harry, is that you are not your father, however much you might look at him!" Mrs. Weasley glared at Sirius. "You are still at school and adults responsible for you should not forget it!"

"Meaning I'm an irresponsible godfather?" Sirius' voice was rising. I was tempted to say that he hasn't really been much of a godfather, seeing as Harry met him for the first time two years ago, when he was trying to kill a man. Also, he tried to kill a man, which wasn't really responsible.

"Meaning you've been known to act rashly, Sirius, which is why Dumbledore keeps reminding you to stay at home and —"

"We'll leave my instructions from Dumbledore out of this, if you please!" Sirius scowled.

"Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley rounded on her poor husband, who looked like a deer caught in headlights. "Arthur, back me up!"

Mr. Weasley didn't speak all at once, instead thoughtfully wiping off his glasses. He only spoke when he'd put them back on his face, "Dumbledore knows the position has changed, Molly. He accepts that Harry will have to be filled in to a certain extent now that he is staying at headquarters —"

"Yes, but there's a difference between that and inviting him to ask whatever he likes!"

"Personally," Lupin spoke softly, looking down at his plate, "I think it better that Harry gets the facts — not all the facts, Molly, but the general picture — from us, rather than a garbled version from... others." I got the impression he knew that some Extendable Ears had survived Mrs. Weasley's wrath.

"Well," Mrs. Weasley took in a deep breath, looking around the table for support.

"Sirius, are you sure he should hear these things?" I asked quietly, Mrs. Weasley looking a little relieved that someone was on her side.

"Voldemort killed his parents," Sirius said. "I think he deserved to know."

"It's not a matter of what he deserves or what he's earned," I said. "It's a matter of whether you truly believe that what he may hear tonight is in his best interests. Everyone here has heard, in some way or another, about Voldemort's uprising and the plans that are being set to deal with it. And everyone here is stressed to no end. Hearing these things has worries that come with it — it's got a price."

"Do you think he can't handle it?" Sirius questioned. "He's not a child."

"I never said that," I shook my head. "It's just... he's being robbed of his chance to be a child. He's already been through enough, and he's not going to be able to do anything to help the Order... and, maybe he should get the chance to not have to worry. It should really be his choice, though."

"I'll just say this," Molly looked at me appreciatively. "Dumbledore must have had his reasons for not wanting Harry to know too much, and speaking as someone who has got Harry's best interests at heart —"

"He's not your son," Sirius said lowly.

"He's as good as," Mrs.. Weasley said fiercely. "Who else has he got?"

"He's got me!"

"Yes," Mrs. Weasley's lip curled. "The thing is, it's been rather difficult for you to look after him while you've been locked up in Azkaban, hasn't it?"

Sirius started to rise.

"Molly, you're not the only person at this table who cares about Harry," Lupin said. "Sirius, sit down." Mrs. Weasley was trembling. Sirius lowered himself back down. "As Perseus said, Harry should have a say in this. He's old enough to decide for himself."

"I want to know what's been going on," Harry said immediately, and I looked down. I'd spent the past several years knowing the terrible things that Kronos was planning. The small break I'd be given until the war as the others planned it was the best gift I'd ever been given.

"Very well," Mrs. Weasley's voice cracked. "Ginny — Ron — Hermione — Fred — George — Perseus — I want you out of this kitchen, now."

I need to get in contact with Ben Shapiro. A friend of mine got into an accident and is burned up pretty bad. He's okay, not good, but apparently he'll be back in January. My journalism class wants to get him a message from Ben saying get well soon. I tweeted at him, but haven't got a response. I will tweet again tomorrow if I need to. I will tweet everyday until my friend comes back. Nah but last night Emblem called me saying he got into an accident, and for a terrifying second I thought he was dead, but she said he wasn't. He was in ICU and his glasses may have melted to his face and he'd be blind and ugh. It was scary. But he's okay. His glasses did melt to his face, but he held up his hands to protect himself from the fire. His hands are pretty messed up, but he's okay, and thank fuck for that.

Anyway, I hope you guys have had a grandiose Wednesday, and I'll see you on Friday CT. Love ya!

PS. If you know how to contact Ben Shapiro, tell me. It would be very helpful