Illusory § Order of the Phoenix

VI. FOR SIRIUS' SAKE

A hush fell over the table. Those who had children, or in Sirius' case, a godchild, looked troubled. Antares wished he could tell them something to ease the tension. He couldn't change the pace of the war, and they didn't have time to wait two years for the students to graduate. If Voldemort recruits students for his cause, then it would place Harry in even more danger. Being in school wouldn't matter anymore, and they would all be inducted into the Order sooner or later. Antares was lucky he had Fred and George. Molly may not like it, but if her sons agree to help him, they would be Harry's first line of defence.

Sirius leaned forward in his seat. "But gathering followers isn't the only thing he's interested in." He gave a subtle glance to Lupin and Antares before looking back at Harry. "We believe Voldemort may be after something."

"Sirius," Moody warned.

"Something he didn't have last time," Sirius finished.

Harry looked at the people at the table bewildered, wondering why they all seemed to be dancing around the subject. He won't lie — it stung. He was abandoned for the entire summer, left to fend for himself after witnessing Cedric's murder. Now that he finally got the chance to understand why that was, they weren't even being truthful.

"You mean like a weapon?" Harry guessed. "Something worse than the Avada Kedavra?"

"No," Lupin denied. "But —"

"But we are worried that should Voldemort get his hands on it, it would change the war entirely," Sirius hinted. "We'd all have to take up arms."

"That won't happen," Lupin said sharply before turning to face Sirius. "And shouldn't encourage him to go looking for trouble."

"Why not?" Harry raged. "I want to join. If Voldemort's raising an army, then I want to fight."

Antares scoffed in disbelief. Harry was a Gryffindor, no doubt about it. He and Sirius are too similar, too eager. Did he not just hear anything they said? The whole point was to keep Harry away from danger, away from having to fight.

"No," Lupin said with finality. "There are dangers involved of which you can have no idea, any of you... I think Molly's right, Sirius. We've said enough."

Antares observed Sirius, who seemed pleased with himself. The older man even gave the boy a smug smirk to prove his point.

"Off to bed now, all of you," Mrs. Weasley commanded.

This time, nobody argued.

✯ ✯ ✯

"I don't understand," Sirius complained as he and Antares walked up the stairs to the third floor. "Harry is said to defeat Voldemort, but Dumbledore refuses to arm him. He kept him locked away, unable to do anything or go anywhere."

Antares gave him a sympathetic look. "Are you sure you're talking about Harry?"

"All I'm saying is that it's pointless," spoke Sirius. "If Harry is anything like James, which he is, then he'll find a way to fight whether we like it or not."

"Nice to know you have faith in me," the boy rolled his eyes. "Say he does. What am I supposed to do, then?"

"Support him —"

As they reached the top of the fourth floor, a creak sounded from somewhere below them, catching Sirius' and Antares' attention. Standing off in the shadows at the bottom of the stairs was a flustered-looking Harry, embarrassed that he got caught.

Antares huffed before raising a brow at Sirius as if to say, 'See what I have to deal with?'

"And they call me slimy," the Slytherin groused. "Go to bed, Potter."

"Actually, Antares," Sirius spoke. "I think maybe it's best you two have a talk. You'll have to eventually, and it'll be better to do it before school starts."

With that, the boy's uncle walked into his room and closed the door, leaving the two alone for what Antares was sure to be a lovely chat. They stood silently for a few moments, but each for a different reason. Antares' was waiting for Harry to say something, anything. If he was bold enough to eavesdrop, he should be bold enough to say what was on his mind. Harry, however, was waiting for Antares to insult him again. Every Slytherin he'd met thus far never had a kind word for him. Malfoy and his goons took every chance they got trying to humiliate him and his friends. So far, Antares had been uncaring towards him. Harry didn't know what to make of it.

"Why are you helping me?" Harry finally asks.

"Who said I was helping you?" Antares gave a humourless chuckle. "There's much more at stake than your life, Potter."

"I get that," Harry hesitated. "Then why agree to watch over me specifically? You're a Slytherin and a pureblood too."

"The Weasleys are pureblood," Antares shrugged. "So is Sirius."

"That's different," Harry argued. "They're family."

Antares paused. He gazed at the younger boy with a look of scrutiny, his eyes searching for something. Harry couldn't say he knew what, but it made him uncomfortable, if not curious. It reminded him of the way Snape would look at him sometimes.

"Then there's your answer. Your father, James," the Slytherin bit his lip, hiding a grin, "was very deer to Sirius, and Sirius is dear to me."

As quickly as Antares' grin appeared, it was gone.

"Understand that while I've agreed to protect you, I'm not doing it for you. Sirius asked me to, and that means I'll be taking this job very seriously. You want the truth? You'll get it, but don't be upset when it's not what you want to hear."

"No one's told me the truth the whole summer. Dumbledore wouldn't let them," Harry breathed.

"Sirius and Lupin argued against it. I agree with them," Antares said nonchalantly.

Harry's shoulders fell as a melancholy expression appeared on his face. Antares thought he looked like a kicked niffler.

"I want to help them. Everyone is doing so much to keep me away. They're risking their lives, and Cedric lost his..." he trailed.

Silence hung between them again.

"Cedric was a friend," Antares began. "I didn't know him well, just enough to know that he was a good person, better than most. I can tell you that Cedric would be proud to see you alive, and If he were here, he'd be the first person to tell you to stop sulking over him. That's just who he was."

Neither of the two boys said anything else. They didn't need to. When both boys finally crept back into their separate rooms, they did so with understanding. Antares could see why Sirius was trying so hard to do right by Harry. Now, he had to do right by Sirius.

✯ ✯ ✯

Poor Antares, he can't catch a break. Good thing Sirius is there to defend our boy. I realize that Molly may seem villainous at the moment, but she's a concerned mother.

How are y'all liking the reboot so far?

Also get ready for the 3 musketeers: Antares, Fred and George. May mischief guide them, amen.

VOTES and COMMENTS are appreciated and don't hesitate to ask questions.

~Hircines