"Especially when you argue." Sirius said firmly. "I always want you to have a mind of your own, Harry, even if I don't agree with you at times."
Harry eased back and rubbed a hand over his face, covering his embarrassment at their previous argument.
"Why is it so important for you to help out with the ring?" Sirius asked.
He remembered Sirius's concerns that he thought Harry was doing it because it was expected, because he felt a sense of duty because of the prophecy and Harry knew Sirius was right. In truth, the reasons why he'd wanted to go along were mostly about that.
"Some of it's the prophecy." Harry admitted and hurried out the rest at Sirius's look of triumph. "It's just…it doesn't seem fair to ask other people to risk their lives and me not to when it's me who's in the prophecy. But also because I can help. I'm a parselmouth; they need a parselmouth. And if I don't do it…I don't want Voldemort to win."
Sirius searched his gaze for what seemed like an eternity. "Alright. You can help on one condition – well, several, really."
Harry hid his smile at Sirius's capitulation and nodded enthusiastically. "Anything."
"Firstly…" Sirius sighed and shifted position, "you and I are going to see a mind healer about the prophecy. Remus has pointed out that we're both struggling to come to terms with it a bit. I'll write to Noshi about finding someone trustworthy here in the UK."
He wasn't mad about the idea but he guessed talking to someone like Healer Fay wouldn't hurt.
"Secondly, I know what the prophecy says but prophecies are very woolly things. I don't want you to think it has to be you that does everything just because some prophecy claims you're the one who'll vanquish old Voldepants in the end. Understood?"
He nodded. "It's hard though, Sirius."
"I know and it doesn't help that the wizarding world has already heaped a whole stack of expectations on you with the whole Boy Who Lived thing," Sirius said, "but it doesn't always have to be you who slays the basilisk."
He nudged Harry's shoulder and Harry nodded.
"Thirdly, I want you to remember that you have people who care about whether you're in danger and what it might mean if you put your life at risk when you consider whether to volunteer to do something." Sirius said gravely. "I hate agreeing to put you at risk, Harry, because I love you and don't want to lose you or see you hurt in any way."
Harry was certain his face was Weasley red but he nodded his agreement again.
"Fourthly, this trip tomorrow is not the same as you taking us into the Chamber. There's a good risk that Voldemort will show up mid-mission; there's a risk that there's something else in that house that will put your life in danger; there's a risk that the snakes won't respond to you." Sirius took a breath. "So, you will follow orders tomorrow. If Bill or Remus or I give you an instruction, you will follow it or explain very quickly why you won't. Agreed?"
"Yes." Harry said immediately.
"Fifthly, we keep this between us, the Treasure Team and probably Bertie and Amelia. I don't want anyone else knowing you were involved."
Harry nodded. "I won't tell anyone."
"And finally, I want you to know…" Sirius placed a hand on his shoulder. "If it does come down to you and Voldemort, I have every confidence that you're going to win not because you're the Boy Who Lived or the Prophesised One or anything like that but because you're you."
Harry couldn't reply so he hugged him.
"Come on," Sirius said, squeezing him before letting go, "we have a party to get to and Augusta will kill us if we're late."
Harry let Sirius walk him out and they flooed to the Longbottom Manor for the party along with Remus who had looked strangely smug at the sight of them walking down the stairs together.
The next morning, it seemed to Harry that the party had passed in a haze.
Neville loved the variety of muggle plants that Harry had bought for him to experiment with cross-breeding (and Harry was never letting Padfoot loose in a muggle garden centre again ever). He'd seemed a little overwhelmed with the attention as his Gran had never thrown such a public birthday party for him before – usually it was restricted to the Longbottom family. Harry promised to stick close to him so Neville could unashamedly use him as a diversion (of the "Very nice to meet you and oh, have you been introduced to Lord Harry James Potter, the Boy Who Lived" kind of diversion which meant nine out of ten times Neville was dropped in favour of Harry – personally Harry was making note of who didn't drop Neville because it seemed to him that those people were the ones to get to know). Ron had been mildly upset that Harry wouldn't leave Neville's side but in the end had stuck with the two of them rather than go about the room with Hermione, Susan, and Hannah Abbott.
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