Albus looked across at the near empty table. They were in a room just off the Headmasters office; the one usually used for staff meetings.

This was first meeting of the reinstated Order of the Phoenix; Honestly, the turn-out was a little pathetic.

Albus Dumbledore had Professors McGonagall and Snape beside him. Arthur and Molly Weasley had arrived with their eldest son. Mad-eye Moody (Newly rescued) had arrived with Kingsley Shacklebolt and a young, pink haired, Auror, introduced as Nymphadora Tonks. Remus Lupin and Sirius Black arrived together.

It was a small group and they all knew it. Many of them were too old and broken to really do much, but they had to try.

"Albus." Alastor Moody interrupted the headmaster and silenced the room. He looked around like a paranoid man. "Are you sure the castle is correctly warded?"

"Of course, Alastor, I saw to it myself. No one will be getting in or out tonight without my consent." Albus turned back to Sirius. "Now, are you certain Grimmauld Place is unavailable, Lord Black?"

"I have already given it to my cous-"

Sirius was cut off by the door slowly creaking open. This was curious as the door was oiled by house elves daily, and Albus Dumbledore had warded the castle against intruders for the night.

"You could always use Godrics Hollow." Offered Lord Potter, as he swaggered into the room.

The swagger came solely from the armour he was wearing. Everything from Harry's neck to his ankles was coated in some form of composite scale armour, seemingly made from some Black Metal interlaid with Basilisk scales; even his hands were hidden by the dead snakes' skin. It was an armour impenetrable to magic and moved fluidly across his body.

Behind him trailed just over twenty heavily armoured teenagers and young adults. Each teenager had a chest plate, sleeve, and gloves of the same material but many of them wore metals and leathers on other parts of their bodies. They were uniform but each had a spark of originality; a team of individuals, not a single mass.

Everyone that was standing in that room held both a weapon and their wand; be those weapons a sword, a pen or just their own brain.

"It would be quite a symbol don't you think." Harry spoke as he ignored the wands pointed at him and his team.

"See Albus? You should have let me lay the wards." Moody told him lowering his wand only slightly. "This is what happens if you don't use sufficient protection. Children, Albus. Children happen." He waved his hands at the small army.

Bill Weasley found the whole thing hilarious, along with every one of his brothers. Even Percy sniggered from behind his sister. The Auror to Moodys side was gasping for air, her face as pink as her hair, and Remus Lupin was trying to control Sirius Black.

"Harry, my boy, what are you children doing here?" The young boy was obviously, the most likely to be in charge of the group.

"We're here for the meeting, Professor." Harry answered, as if it should be obvious.

"Harry, this is not the place for children." Molly argued looking outraged at the idea; Moody and Tonks looked very curios at the boy's statement.

Harry looked up at his most prominent mother figure. "But I go to school here, Mrs Weasley."

"Now." Molly said but couldn't seem to think of a comeback. "Harry, this is a privet meeting."

"How did you get through the wards?" The professor, thankfully, interrupted Harry's comeback. Harry was fond of Mrs Weasley, and was less than thrilled at the idea of upsetting her.

Harry turned to look at the people beside and behind him. "I didn't notice any, sir."

"That's impossible, Harry." The head master answered; Moody was truly fascinated now.

Harry waved off the headmasters' comment, and turned to the rest of the mostly empty table. He sat down and beckoned his friends to follow. They all sat, filling up the remaining seats; No hierarchy to be seen. They filled up nearly all of the vacant seats.

"I propose we use Godrics Hollow as the new headquarters for the order. My parents and I became symbols of the light. That house can be a beacon of hope for people."

"Harry. You're too young for this." Molly argued; her eyes dropped between him and her children. "This is for adults."

"With all due respect, Mrs Weasley, not all of us are children." Oliver held the hand of Gwendoline Quinnin. "And I feel quite uncomfortable having you decide our future without our input."

"Now Mr Wood. We are all far more experienced in this matter." Dumbledore told the boy. "We have been through this before, my boy."

"Professor, it was only a fluke that won the war last time sir." Harry spoke slowly. "We don't want our future pinned on another gamble."

Professor Snape was an observant man. He noticed a very unconscious set up in the way these children were sitting.

Harry was sitting with Neville Longbottom to his left and Luna Lovegood to his right. He was facing Hermione Granger with Draco Black and Ron Weasley either side of her. The Weasleys were scattered widely apart from each other, besides the twins who faced each other. The second oldest Weasley- the dragon keeper- sat beside the two foreigners. Cedric Diggory and the girls of the Gryffindor Quidditch team flanked the Weasley twins. The Slytherin professor even noticed a girl who previously inhabited his house, Anne Ambros he thought. She was beside Lee Jorden, the Gryffindor. The other dozen "soldiers", for lack of a better word, were filtered in between. A shy or quite person was always beside an outspoken person on at least one side. Severus Snape had no idea what this hierarchy was meant to be but it seemed to offer everyone there some comfort.

"I agree with Harry, Headmaster." Arthur spoke up. "We lost a lot of people last time." There was a short moment of silence. "Maybe fresh minds..."

Moody also agreed. "Let the children speak Albus. They broke past the 'wards' you set. I'm pretty sure they're capable."

"Ginny is Fourteen!" Molly announced outraged. "Even Bill is barely capable!" Bill looked, rightly, offended.

"Mum, I've seen Ginny duel, she's more capable than most of you." Percy sat up in his chair defiantly.

Arthur cut in at that; he spoke with knowledge and history on his shoulders. "Now, Percy, duelling is not the same as a war."

Alastor Moody responded. "Though your father is right, I doubt you could beat any of us in a duel."

"Harry and Draco have beaten Moony and I many times." Sirius announced; a small amount of annoyance in his voice.

"I think this is beside the point." Kingsley Shacklebolt stood from his place. "These discussions do not impact you Children."

Everyone in the room younger than him turned to glare at the man. Even Bill and Tonks felt offended by his tone.

"You can't really think that, Right?" Fred looked at the man with a calculated expression. "If you do my chicken is smarter than you."

"Fredric." Molly warned, he hadn't quite insulted the man but wanted to be sure he didn't at all.

"They impact us even more than they impact you mum, Fred's right." Charlie defended and the group made a mummer of positive agreement.

"Okay." Dumbledore drawled out the words slowly. "Now say it does impact you. You don't know anything about this... Situation-"

Hermione cut him off. "Call it what it is Headmaster. It's a War."

"Now Miss Granger."

"Tom Riddle will be rallying his forces."

Dumbledore stared at the blond in a mix of shock and a little horror. "Mr Malfoy, how do you know that name?"

"I am a Black Now Professor." He answered. "We prefer to use his birth name as it makes him sound less scary. He's not so much of a threat if people don't fear him."

"You didn't think we'd come in here blind did you." Harry spoke. "Now let's lay all or cards on the table." Most of the adult's present seemed slightly afraid at this fifteen-year-old boy and his mini army. "I want my friends and I free access to your little 'bird watching club' and I'm willing to offer my parents cottage for a base."

There was a silence.

Harry sighed. "I know how he keeps coming back, professor. And..." Harry paused. "I know where some of them are, too."

"Now Harry-"

"We do this my way or not at all, Headmaster. I put my faith in you before and it didn't work out. We go on my terms now." Harry tilted his head. "And you will stay out of my mind or-" Harry cut himself off.

"You remind me of him." Dumbledore spoke.

"I know." Harry admitted slowly. "But it is what a man- or a woman's- choices that make us who they are. Not everything is black and white out here in the real-world headmaster. Have you spent so long cooped up in here that you can't see that anymore?"

McGonagall and Snape hadn't spoken yet and it seemed neither of them were going to. Both were Loyal beyond measure to Dumbledore but this boy was making sense.

"Harry, this is not a game."

"I agree professor, and people aren't pawns for this little game of chess you are trying to play." Harry was the very picture of defiance.

The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes became angry spark, which quickly grew to a furious flame. His voice was the opposite and was cold as ice. "Whatever is on your mind, My Boy?" He said in a controlled tone trying to retain what was left of his carful crafted image.

"Don't used that mask on me, Albus." Harry kept his tone polite but had too many memories of suffering at Dumbledore's orders; so, had many others.

"What is it you are really here for Mr Potter?" Harry wasn't sure, but he felt the man's composer was slipping.

Suddenly, without warning, Harrys' whole head began to burn. Harry pushed against his mental shields and all the pressure focused near the centre of Harry's forehead. In an instant the spell was broken. Harry was flung backwards with the force of the assault, but so was his attacker.

Dumbledore's chair slid backwards on the floor into the perch that had held Fawks the whole time. Harry would have fallen all the way to the stairs if Neville hadn't caught his arm.

"Harry!" Most turned to see if Harry was alright. Harry was suffering great amounts of pain; his scar glistened with a slight trickle of blood.

"What the Hell did you do to my Godson!?" Many people followed Sirius in making it to their feet. The only exception being Moody and Snape. Both of whom were observing quietly.

Dumbledore tried to pull himself to his feet but needed help in the form of Minerva.

"Harry, are you okay, pup?" Sirius continued to glare at the headmaster; Remus looked just as murderous. The evening had made all tensions run high.

"I told him to stay from my mind. He didn't listen." Harry happily leaned on Neville for support Oliver came in and took over Harrys another arm.

"That's monstrous." Neville responded. He was the only one in the room who found the mind such a sensitive subject.

"I'm alright Neville. It's okay."

"Your scar is bleeding, Harry." Luna asked in a terrified tone.

"It's fine love. I'll explain when we leave."

"That will be now." Cedric had full support from Oliver.

"The boys are right, I'm taking you home." Sirius insisted. "Does anyone need money for the Knight Bus?"

"You are not leaving, Boy." Dumbledore's voice shook with hollow malice.

Harry looked the man square in the eyes. "I don't suppose you plan to stop me." Harry held up his hand showing the back of his palm and his fingers in the sign of an U. To those in the know, this was a warning; wands were in hands in seconds.

"I will not have another Tom Riddle walking these halls." Dumbledore brought his wand in a moment, flinging a red spell towards Harrys' chest.

Harry moved Luna behind Neville almost lazily; the spell splashed across the boys' chest, melting into nothing. "I assure you that you will have many more dark wizards walking through these halls. But, I promise you, I will not be one of them."

Bill moved to stand beside his brothers. "I think the headmaster needs some time to calm down. I should get you guys home." Bill placed his hand on Ginny's shoulder; there was a nod from Arthur at this.

Harry waved his wand and held the headmaster in place. "Yes, I agree." Harry followed his people up the rear. Sirius and Remus were quick to follow Harry.

"Sorry, Mad-eye. I want to follow the weird kid." Tonks stood up, her hair changing to match Harry's long ponytail.

"Don't worry kid, I'm comin' with ya. They got through Albus' so called wards; I want to take a look at that shit."

There was a long silence as the room emptied.

"I made an oath to keep him safe, Albus." The potions master stood, his robes billowing, as he strode out of the room.