CHAPTER FOUR
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-: seventh year :-
── IN WHICH THEY ARGUE
. . .
It was like a Dementor had arrived in the room - as soon as Sirius had said the word it fell silent, and the room around them froze just as if the happiness had been sucked out of it. Rosie's hand shook, and beside her, Fred gently lowered it, not wanting to upset the goblet balanced in it.
"I did!" said Harry indignantly. "I asked Ron and Hermione but they said we're not allowed in the Order, so -"
"And they're quite right," said Mrs. Weasley. "You're too young." She was sitting bolt upright in her chair, her fists clenched upon its arms, any trace of drowsiness gone.
"Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?" asked Sirius. "Harry's been trapped in that Muggle house for a month. He's got the right to know what's been happen-"
"Hold on!" George and Rosie chorused, any nerves from hearing the name gone, and the three best friends sat up in their seats at once. "How come Harry gets his questions answered?" Rosie asked.
"We've been trying to get stuff out of you for a month andyou haven't told us a single stinking thing!" said George. "And you haven't even told Rosie anything, even though she's going to visit Diggory every day!"
"'You're too young, you're not in the Order,'" continued Fred, in a high pitched voice that sounded uncannily like his mother's. "Harry's not even of age!"
"It's not my fault you haven't been told what the Order's doing," said Sirius calmly. "That's your parents' decision. Harry,on the other hand-" Rosie's glare fixated on her father, who rose his hands, shrugging.
"It's not down to you to decide what's good for Harry!" saidMrs. Weasley sharply. Her normally kind face looked dangerous. "You haven't forgotten what Dumbledore said, I suppose?"
"Which bit?" Sirius asked politely, but with an air as though readying himself for a fight.
"The bit about not telling Harry more than he needs to know," said Mrs. Weasley, placing a heavy emphasis on the last three words.
Rosie, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George's heads turned from Sirius to Mrs. Weasley as though following a tennis rally. Ginny was kneeling amid a pile of abandoned butterbeer corks, watching the conversation with her mouth slightly open. Lupin's eyes were fixed on Sirius.
"I don't intend to tell him more than he needs to know, Molly," said Sirius. "But as he was the one who saw Voldemortcome back, he has more right than most to -"
"He's not a member of the Order of the Phoenix!" Mrs Weasley replied. "He's only fifteen and-"
" -and he's dealt with as much as most in the Order," Sirius finished her sentence, looking postively enraged. "And more than some -"
"No one's denying what he's done!" said Mrs Weasley, her voice rising, her fists trembling on the arms of her chair. "But he's still-"
"He's not a child!" Sirius said impatiently.
"He's not an adult either!" said Mrs. Weasley, the color rising in her cheeks. "He's not James, Sirius!" Rosie's eyes widened, a quiet gasp leaving her lips.
They hadn't been told a lot about the friendship between Sirius, James, Remus and Pettigrew, but that was just horrible, it was so harsh. The three best friends had managed to piece things together pretty easily, and it was clear to see just how much those words impacted Sirius, as his look had taken on a rather sad tone.
"I'm perfectly clear who he is, thanks, Molly," Sirius replied coldly.
"I'm not sure you are!" said Mrs Weasley. "Sometimes, the way you talk about him, it's as though you think you've got your best friend back!"
"What's wrong with that?" Harry spoke up, the question shooting across at Molly, who seemed to falter before replying, not expecting this sort of comeback.
"What's wrong, Harry, is that you are not your father, however much you might look like him!" she said, her eyes still boring into Sirius. "You are still at school and adults responsible for you should not forget it!"
"Meaning I'm an irresponsible godfather?" demanded Sirius, his voice rising.
"Meaning you've been known to act rashly, Sirius, which is why Dumbledore keeps reminding you to stay at home and-" Molly replied, and still, Fred, Rosie, George, Hermione, Ron and now Ginny's heads bounced back and forth like watching a tennis match
"We'll leave my instructions from Dumbledore out of this, if you please!" said Sirius loudly.
"Arthur!" said Mrs. Weasley, rounding on her husband. "Arthur, back me up!" Now, all attention was focused on the eldest Weasley, who took off his glasses and cleaned them slowly on his robes before speaking, not looking at his wife.
"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-" Mr Weasley began, only to be interrupted by his wife.
"Yes, but there's a difference between that and inviting him to ask whatever he likes!"
"Personally," said Lupin quietly, looking away from Sirius at last, as Mrs Weasley turned quickly to him, hopeful that finally she was about to get an ally, "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." His expression was mild, but at a glance shared between the twins and Rosie confirmed that they were thinking the same thing - he knew they still had some Extendable Ears that had survived Mrs Weasley's purge.
"Well," said Mrs. Weasley, breathing deeply and looking around the table for support that did not come, "Well.. I cansee I'm going to be overruled. I'll just say this: 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 quietly.
"He's as good as," said Mrs. Weasley fiercely. "Who else has he got?"
"He's got me!"
"Yes," said Mrs. Weasley, her lip curling. "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?" Several gasps came from around the kitchen, and Sirius started to rise from his chair.
"Molly, you're not the only person at this table who cares about Harry," said Lupin sharply. "Sirius, sit down." Mrs. Weasley's lower lip was trembling. Sirius sank slowly back into his chair, his face white."I think Harry ought to be allowed a say in this," Lupin continued. "He's old enough to decide for himself."
"I want to know what's been going on," Harry said at once.He did not look at Mrs. Weasley. Sirius was right, he was not a child.
"Very well," said Mrs. Weasley, her voice cracking. "Ginny -Ron - Hermione - Rosie - Fred - George - I want you out of this kitchen, now." There was instant uproar.
"Dad!" Rosie was instantly on her feet. "I'm of age - and I should know as well. Cedric was killed - he might be alive now but that isn't the point. Who knows when he's going to wake up?"
"Rosie, sit down. You can stay." Luke Kersey said wearily. He knew that nothing he said was going to stop Rosie from being there, and besides that, she was legally an adult now.
Beside her, Fred and George were protesting about them not being here, and it seemed that Mr Weasley had the same reasoning as Mr Kersey. "Either way, I'd tell them everything anyway." Rosie said, eyes flickering over to Harry. "You'd do the same for Ron and Hermione, right?" Harry faltered, but nodded, and Mrs Weasley frowned.
"Sorted." Rosie smiled, although it didn't have the warmth it usually had.
"Fine!" shouted Mrs. Weasley. "Fine! Ginny — BED!" Ginny did not go quietly. They could hear her raging and storming at her mother all the way up the stairs, and when she reached the hall Mrs. Black's earsplitting shrieks were added to the din. Lupin hurried off to the portrait to restore calm.
And it would be when he returned that they would begin the discussion.
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