"Come on Nym!" Harry grinned as he swatted away a stunner before blocking her fire blast and returning fire with a water blast that Tonks vanished before sending a disarming-body bind-stunner combo at Harry. "Feeling better?" Harry asked after he easily ducked, dodged and blocked the combo.
"Yeah," Tonks nodded after sidestepping a stunner and returning fire. "thanks for helping me work this out of my system, Harry."
"It's fine, it helps me practise and helps you out at the same time which makes me feel happy so...win-win situation basically." Harry said as the two continued to exchange spells.
"Bloody Slytherin." Tonks snorted, though her words were clearly meant as a compliment.
She shot a bone breaker at Harry who sidestepped, as he did so he threw his wand behind his back where he caught it with his left hand and started firing as he took closer, he began casting a series of spell chains and made sure to swap hands after each chain while also taking a step forward at the end of the chain. Once Harry was close enough he had his wand in his right hand and shifted it into a reverse grip, he dropped to his knees to avoid a hex from Tonks, Harry raised his wand and brought it down, a small wave shot out as the tip of the wand hit the floor, the wave knocked Tonks over onto the floor and Harry quickly capitalized by sidestepping her responding spell and hitting her with a disarming spell.
"So..." Harry said as he caught her wand. "...I win...again."
"Show off." Tonks muttered before she got up and walked over to take back her wand. "You are doing much better than before," She admitted as she ruffled his hair, he didn't swat her hand away and instead grinned and leaned into her touch. She knew that Harry did genuinely enjoy spending time with her - and didn't that just make her feel so special - but she believed that Harry was simply doing his best to make her feel better because of how she lost her job. "My little brother's the best wizard in the world." She grinned as she hugged him, she was more than happy to enjoy spending time with Harry. After all, if he wanted to make her happy than why in Merlin's name would she object?
"Alright, it's time for you kids to go." Mrs Weasley said as more people began walking into the kitchen.
Today was the time for the first meeting of the 'Order of the Phoenix', a group of wizards and witches that Dumbledore had assembled during the first war so they could fight Voldemort. So far Harry knew each and every member of the order (or at least every member that would be attending meetings) since Flipsy would always report to him before letting anyone in on the secret. This proved to be beneficial since Professor Dumbledore had tried to get Flipsy to let Mundungus Fletcher into the house.
Mundungus being a well-known infamous thief and crook, apparently he owed Dumbledore several favours and was willing to help Dumbledore out. Despite that neither Harry nor Lord Black were willing to let a known criminal like him onto their property where he could steal nearly anything, Lord Black had almost started hexing Dumbledore for even suggesting letting Fletcher inside the house.
One person that Harry reluctantly let in was Snape, Harry did not trust Snape. The man might truly be against Voldemort but nobody other than Dumbledore himself would say that he was with absolute certainty. Professor Dumbledore's word was good enough for most people but not Harry, he had observed Snape throughout the years. The man was a bully, plain and simple. Sirius and Remus had admitted to Harry that Harry's father and Snape hated each other, but even if Harry's father had bullied Snape that was not a good enough excuse to torment everyone else. The man's grudge against a dead man blinded him and that meant - at least in Harry's eyes - that he wasn't someone who could be trusted. If it wasn't for the fact that Snape was the only spy they had he would not have let Snape enter to attend these meetings, but with that being said he wasn't going to trust everything that Snape would tell him.
"Aw! But..." One of the twins began.
"We're nearly old enough to join!" The other twin finished.
"Nearly is not good enough." Mrs Weasley said with her hands on her hips.
"Mum, please! Let us stay!" Ron all but begged. Ginny on the other hand had chosen to stay silent, knowing how futile it would be to argue against her mother.
"No," she said in a stern voice. "all of you out, now." After a few more protests from Ron and the twins she was able to get all of the children out of the room with the exception of Harry who was sat on the kitchen counter with Jet perched on his shoulder with Thor on Harry's left knee, the thunderbird was playing with Harry's fingers. Sometimes he would playfully bite them, other times he would push them so they were certain distances apart from each other. Angela was also staying behind, mostly so she could see what Harry wanted her to do. "Harry dear, you as well." Mrs Weasley said when she noticed Harry staying behind. She then turned her attention to Angela and did not say anything but gestured her to leave as well.
"Not yet," Harry calmly replied. "there is something I need to discuss with Dumbledore first."
"Well, whatever it is, you'll have to discuss this later." Mrs Weasley frowned, wondering what on Earth a boy Harry's age would have to discuss with Dumbledore? Because surely if it was school stuff he could send a letter to Professor McGonagall instead of bothering the older headmaster.
"No, I think not." Harry said in an almost bored voice as he looked around. Lord Black wasn't here, but Sirius, the Tonks and Weasley family were along with the members of the order with the exception of Snape. Now it was only Dumbledore who had to arrive.
"I beg your pardon?"
"The business that I have to discuss with Dumbledore involves the order and its use of what is a house that I basically own." Harry replied.
"Ah, that sounds interesting." Dumbledore said as he walked into the room, everyone else went silent. "And what business do we have to discuss?" He asked.
"This...order of yours," Harry began. "I'm fine with it using this house. But I want to join."
"You can't!" Mrs Weasley blurted out before Dumbledore could respond. "You're too young! I..."
"Mrs Weasley, control yourself!" Andromeda hissed in an irritated voice, cutting off Mrs Weasley.
"Yes, please do control yourself, Molly." Dumbledore agreed before turning to Harry. "Mr Potter, you are a great wizard, that is not in question, but you are still very young, this order is for wizards and witches that are of age."
"Hmm, you know what else was for people that were of age?" Harry asked, he continued speaking before anyone could respond. "The Triwizard tournament, and yet I was in that as I'm sure you'll recall. If I was any ordinary boy then fair enough but we both know that I am far from ordinary. That's why Voldemort is mine."
"That's a little arrogant of you." One order member said after joining the majority of the room in flinching at Voldemort's name.
"Bow." Harry said as he flicked his wand into his hand and aimed it at the member. The member was about to respond when suddenly he felt a heavy weight on his back, he tried to stay still but soon found himself being forcibly bent over until he was bowing. The rest of the order gasped and stepped back, pulling out their wands which in turn caused Angela, Sirius, Remus and the Tonks family to pull out their wands.
"Mr Potter!" Dumbledore spoke loudly. "Stop that."
"Do you know who taught me that spell?" Harry asked as he casually stopped the spell. "Voldemort," Harry said, ignoring the flinches from everyone else. "there I was, stuck in a graveyard and surrounded by death eaters when the dark lord himself hit me with that spell and tried to make me bow. Another spell he taught me was the cruciatus curse," Harry said, earning some gasps from the order members. "I haven't practised it myself, but I have experienced it repeatedly." Harry added before he picked Thor up in one hand and stood up. "Listen to me now, Voldemort wants me, he wants me to join him."
"What do you mean?" One order member asked.
"When you-know-who had Harry he was trying to get him to join the death eaters." Sirius answered on Harry's behalf.
"Hmm," Dumbledore hummed thoughtfully. "Voldemort has always tried to recruit as many people as possible to his cause, though he was especially interested in those he deemed to have potential. He tried to recruit Harry's father and even tried to recruit Harry's mother despite her muggleborn blood status. It does not entirely surprise me that Voldemort has chosen to try and recruit Harry."
"But Headmaster, he is still just a boy!" Mrs Weasley protested.
"He is not just a boy!" Andromeda said as if the very words were the most offensive things she had ever had had the displeasure of hearing, Ted nodded and would have verbally agreed but decided to devote his attention to making sure his wife wasn't angry enough to get up from the table and start shooting spells so he gently wrapped an arm around her waist and stayed ready to restrain her. "Molly, he is a boy who has been consistently at the top of his year for years, he has killed a basilisk, minotaur, manticore, dragon, he has two familiars, is an animagus and has fought Voldemort multiple times! Treating him like a child is insulting not just everything he has achieved but also everything that he has suffered through!"
"Thanks Mum." Harry said with a grin.
"You're welcome, sweetie." Andromeda said without stopping the glare that she was sending to Mrs Weasley.
"I am not denying he has done a lot, but he is still not an adult!" Mrs Weasley argued. "He shouldn't be in the order."
"He shouldn't be nearly dying every year either." Tonks pointed out. "Nor should he be in tournaments for older people and he shouldn't be targeted by a dark lord either, but he is."
"You think we don't want to keep him out of this?" Ted asked, as he shook his head. "If we could, we would. But we have no choice, if we run we'll be found, if we do nothing we suffer. If Harry runs he'll be found, if Harry does nothing he'll either be forced to join or die."
"Exactly," Harry nodded. "this isn't because I want to, this is because I need to. Any information I learn here can help me battle against Voldemort and his forces and stay alive. In case it wasn't clear, I'm very interested in staying alive. Get over yourselves, Voldemort doesn't care about age restrictions. I'm not telling you all to let every single kid join, nor am I demanding that I be a part of everything. Honestly if you lot could do things on my behalf it would be great, but like it or not I am a part of this. I might sound like an arrogant little asshole but the truth is I could likely beat most of you in one to one fights, Voldemort wants me to fight for him because he recognises my abilities. You can all work with me or against me or you can just stay out of my way, either way I am part of this war, one way or the other." Harry finished, staring into Dumbledore's eyes. His stare was joined by Jet who lifted his head to stare directly at the older wizard, though the two weren't alone since Thor in a rare moment of stillness was also staring at Dumbledore.
The rest of the order was silent as the two powerful wizards kept their eyes locked on each other, most who would be stared at for long times by Dumbledore would all of a sudden find another spot in the room to be more interesting, but Harry made sure to keep his eyes firmly locked towards the elder wizards blue eyes. After a short while Dumbledore let out a small sigh as he closed his eyes before allowing a hand to go up and rub them.
"You are a most stubborn individual, Mr Potter." Dumbledore said as he lowered his hand and looked at Harry. "Though that is to be expected from a boy born from the Potter family, even more so when you mix in the Black family."
"There's no need for flattery sir, I'm already willing to join." Harry grinned.
"Yes," Dumbledore said with a small chuckle. "you are."
"Dumbledore, you're going to let the kid join?" Moody asked with a raised eyebrow and an approving smirk, he thought that the Potter kid had guts, brains and the power to back up what he was saying.
"I am." Dumbledore confirmed with a nod.
"Headmaster, you can't be serious!" Molly protested along with about two other order members, but that was about all the support she had been able to get.
"I do not intend to send Harry out constantly to be put in danger," Dumbledore spoke in a patient tone. "but he does raise valid points and he will need to know this information. Harry is a Slytherin, meaning a lot of those in his house will be loyal to Voldemort and his cause. Not all of them, of course, but many of them will be. He needs to be able to keep his guard up, and that will be easier to do if he's prepared. I take no pleasure in this, Molly, were it up to me then Mr Potter would be enjoying a simple and normal childhood without worrying about dark lords and attempts on his life, alas, it is not to be."
"Good, the human is being intelligent, I would have had to bite him otherwise." Jet responded.