They reappeared outside of a small village. Dumbledore began walking forcing Harry to follow. Getting tired of this Harry drew alongside and matched pace with the old man, which was actually harder than he thought. His curiosity got the better of him so he asked. "What are we doing here Headmaster?"
"We are going to enlist the help of an old colleague of mine to fill the empty position at the school." He said with a smile.
"Who is it sir?" Harry asked.
"Professor Horace Slughorn, he actually taught your parents. I am hoping having you along will convince him to take my offer."
"He taught my parents Defense?" Harry asked slightly awed, his parents had defied Voldemort three times after all.
Dumbledore paused for a moment before speaking. "No Harry, Professor Slughorn is a Potions Master."
Harry thought it through before a look of horror adorned his face. "NO! You wouldn't!"
"I am sorry I don't understand you Harry, perhaps you could explain your worry?" Dumbledore said placatingly.
"Sir, after all these years you can't give the Dark Arts position to Snape of all people!" he practically shouted.
"Professor Snape Harry and I assure you he was the most qualified applicant."
"No, sir I can't let you do this. I respect his skill at potions, but that greasy git cannot teach a dog to drool. We are at war, if you let him teach Defense you are dooming generations of Hogwarts students to die because that man could not see past house rivalry and personal grudges." Harry had stopped walking and was now staring down the most powerful and revered man in Wizarding Europe.
"Harry I am the Headmaster of the school and you do not get to dictate my job to me. However perhaps I can reassure you. You wish to become an Auror is that correct?"
Momentarily distracted by the change in subject Harry stared at the old man for a moment while his brain caught up. "Yes sir, what does that have to do with anything?" He answered.
Do you believe you got the Outstanding OWL Professor Snape required to continue to NEWT potions? For that matter did you know that to become a Healer you also need a potions NEWT?" Dumbledore continued.
"Sir, I still don't understand where you are going with this." Harry stated as he started to get frustrated.
"Harry, as you said we are at war. We need Aurors and Healers. And both careers require NEWT level potions. As much as I respect Severus, I believe he will serve better as the Defense instructor, and hopefully with a potions professor who only requires an "E" to continue, we can boost the numbers of both professions."
He was being blackmailed, Harry could hardly believe it. The old codger may not be doing it on purpose, or he may be playing Harry like a pawn, but he was right. "Will I be allowed to run the DA again this year?" He asked suddenly.
"I was actually going to request just that from you." He said with a twinkle. "Professor Snape would be your staff sponsor; however I can assure you that it is only for paperwork purposes. For all intents and purposes you will be running the DA much the same as last year only with the approval of the Board of Governors. OWL results should come out tomorrow but I believe I can tell you now that there was a noticeable skew in the numbers this year. It seems that all of those students who participated in your club received Exceeds Expectations or better on the OWLs and even NEWTs, however the rest of the student body did the poorest we have seen in two centuries. There have actually been calls to allow retesting since it appears the results were tampered with." He said with a large smile.
Harry was not buying the load of bull that was being shoveled along with the information, but appreciated the information on its own. He smiled as he felt pride in his club. "Alright sir, I don't agree with your choice, but as long as I can teach them to defend themselves, I won't say anything more about it." He paused for a moment before adding, "Unless there is a problem with his classes."
Dumbledore nodded and turned to resume their walk, "Very well Harry, now let us get a Potions Professor."
**************************************************************************SFTP*************************************************************************
With a soft Pop! Harry and the Headmaster appeared outside of Grimmauld Place. Unlike normal Harry was able to see it without a second thought. He looked questioningly at his traveling companion. "What happened to the Fidelus?"
"Very good Harry, I would award points, but school is not in session. When Sirius died all of the wards I placed on this house fell including the Fidelus. I overlaid my own wards on existing wards on the house already tied to a ward stone. Apparently when the house passed to you it sealed itself and reset all the wards so you would be able to claim it."
Harry nodded distractedly; it suddenly clicked what Hermione was about to say before Ron interrupted her. They were staying at the Burrow because the Order had been locked out of Grimmauld Place. Another lie of omission to add to the growing list. "How do I go about claiming it sir?" Harry asked.
"It should be a simple matter of grabbing the doorknob. If you are indeed the rightful heir it will unlock and rekey all the wards to you." Harry wondered momentarily what would happen if you were not the proper heir. Knowing the dark history of the Black family it would be a nasty surprise. Harry walked up the steps and with only a moment's hesitation placed his hand on the doorknob.
There was a series of clicks as locks moved in the door and Harry gained a sudden awareness of the wards surrounding the house. He could now tell when anyone entered or left the property, he wondered if something similar were tied to the position of Headmaster at Hogwarts. That would explain how Dumbledore always seemed to know what was going on at the school, and the annoying trick of knowing who was outside his door before they knocked.
Walking inside he noted it was just as dark and dusty as ever. Suddenly needing revenge he called out for his new servant. "Kreacher!"
Two things happened at this point. Harry heard a pop as a house elf materialized in front of him, and Mrs. Black's portrait began screaming. "Half-Blood! Blood Traitors! How dare you befoul my house! Kreacher! Where is Kreacher? Remove this filth from my house at once!" Harry had had enough.
"SHUT UP YOU OLD BAT," He challenged her before continuing in a softer voice, which none the less held plenty of venom. "There is a Muggle invention you may have heard of called paint thinner, if you do not shut your mouth and listen to me at once I swear I will remove every trace of you from this portrait!" Much to Harry and Dumbledore's surprise she quieted instantly and looked upon him with something close to awe. "Perhaps I spoke too soon. You are half-blood it's true, But you run this house like a Black!" She said approvingly.
Harry didn't know if he should be offended but decided to take it as a compliment and homage to Sirius. "Now do you think you can keep a civil tongue in your head when I have guests or would you like to be removed to another room? Or perhaps the Slytherin common room could use a new portrait?" He looked to Dumbledore who nodded with a surprised look. He turned back to the painting.
She looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding, and her frame and portrait fell from the wall with a loud bang. Professor Dumbledore quickly shrank and pocketed the picture. "Harry that was a masterful idea, I do not know why none of us thought of it."
"You never asked for input, I spent half the time here last year dreaming up ways to get rid of her. My first idea was to blast the entire wall out of the place if need be." Harry said smiling despite present company. He then turned to the patient house elf that had appeared when he called. "Dobby?"
"Mr. Harry Potter-Black sir calls for Kreacher, but I is afraid Kreacher can't be answering him." Dobby said looking down.
"Dobby what have you done?" Harry asked.
"I is sorry sir, it is, hard to say, but when other house elves be learning that Kreacher betrays his master and causes his death, we is having to uphold the old laws." Dobby stated, while wringing his ears.
"Dobby what happened to Kreacher, did you put him on trial?"
"Oh no sir, the punishment for causing the death of your master is death, Kreacher should have killed his own self but he would not, so Dobby and Winky takes care of it for him. He bragged sir, he was happy his master was dead!" Dobby was now in tears and eyeing the wall nearby, as if planning to run into it. "You is angry with Dobby Harry Potter-Black sir?" He asked.
Harry thought for a moment, and decided he would have liked to have done it himself, but Hermione would have killed him for thinking it. "No Dobby, I am not angry. But this house does need a house elf. We tried last summer and we simply cannot keep up with it all." Harry said bracing himself for what he knew would happen next.
Dobby flung himself forward and hugged Harry's legs. "Oh Mr. Harry Potter-Black Sir please can Dobby be working for you. Hogwarts is boring with so many elves there; I wants to work in the house of Potter-Black please sir?" The elf stammered out.
Harry nodded but then spoke. "Dobby, I would like to hire you as a free elf, I would like to match whatever the professor is paying. That is if he will let you go." Harry looked to the Headmaster who nodded.
Dobby was so excited his speech had become babbling. "Dobby, first thing we need to fix is you will call me Harry, unless there is company that you do not know. You will address everyone else as Mr. or Ms. and their last name unless they have told you otherwise." Harry finished.
"Oh thank you Harry sir," Harry winced, but decided not to push his luck. "But," Dobby calmed noticeably and began wringing his ears again. "It is hard to say, sir, but Dobby is wondering, what about Winky sir?" He looked up at Harry.
"What about Winky?" Harry asked sincerely.
"Winky is not be doing good at Hogwarts sir, she doesn't wants to be a free elf, she wants to belong to a family again. Dobby spends much of his days taking care of her as she is drunk on Butter Beer. The other elves won't go near her, they are afraid they will catch whatever made her free. They says she is bad elf." Dobby finished with tears leaking from his eyes.
Harry sighed; Hermione was not going to like this one bit. "Can you go get Winky for me please Dobby?" Dobby nodded enthusiastically and disappeared. A few minutes later he reappeared with Winky in tow. She was wearing a doll dress that looked to be more stain than fabric and she smelled like a Butter Beer brewery. "Yous is wanting to see Winky Mr. Harry Potter-Black sir?" She said then hiccupped.
"Winky, Dobby is working for me now, and I was wondering if you would consent to work for me as a free elf. You will get paid on the same terms as Dobby." She looked about to interrupt so he cut her off. "You will be part of my family Winky, but I don't want slaves, I would like friends." He added.
She seemed to think it over for a moment, then looked around at Grimmauld Place. "Winky would like that sir, can Winky clean this place?" She said hopefully.
"Yes Winky, I would like you and Dobby to get to work right away, please separate any dark objects out, and anything you think should be sold into another pile. I want you two to take rooms as well, no sleeping in the boiler room or the pantry. Oh, and I already told Dobby, you are to address me as Harry unless there are other present you do not know. And to address others as Mr. or Ms. unless they otherwise request of you." He finished.
She did not look especially happy, but seemed to decide it was still worth it. "Okies Harry, may we gets to work now?"
Harry laughed before nodding, and both elves disappeared with a pop to start cleaning. After a moment he turned back to the Headmaster. "Sir, when we recast the Fidelus, is there a way to revoke the memory once it has been revealed?" he asked.
Dumbledore regarded him apprehensively for a moment but nodded. "It is possible if the spell is cast correctly, I assume you would like to be secret keeper then?" He asked.
Harry nodded. "We need to get that up as soon as possible, and I will write you a few parchment slips with the address on them so you can bring Order members in. However, if I trust you with that, you must promise that if I decide to revoke the secret, you will not bring that person back into my home. Are we agreed?"
Dumbledore sighed, but knew that in a week he would be an adult and indeed this would be his place of residence. In order to keep him safe he acquiesced. "Very well Harry, let us step outside and cast the spell."
Harry followed him out front and into the small garden where they were still safe from view. Dumbledore performed a long incantation and his wand did not seem to stop moving. After about two minutes of solid casting he stopped and said softly, but breathing hard. "Harry now repeat after me. The headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix is at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place." Harry repeated the phrase. "And to seal it inside your memory repeat the phrase Fidelus Memoriam three times." Harry did as requested, and noted the blank look in Dumbledore's eye even as he felt the pressure of the secret settle into his memory. Interesting, he would have to examine the memory later in his mindscape to see what made it different.
"Harry where are we? I know I cast the Fidelus but it is disconcerting not to be the secret keeper for once." The old man said.
Harry considered for a moment before replying. "We are outside my home, before I give you access I have a request and I am going to require a wizards oath from you. You still remember my terms from earlier correct?"
Dumbledore nodded for him to continue. "I will be a legal adult in ten days. At that time I wish to become a member of the Order along with anyone I deem necessary." Dumbledore began to object but Harry cut him off. "If you are going to use my home as a base of operations I think I am entitled to information. If I had the information you did earlier this year, I could have made better decisions. Like it or not I am a part of this war and I am no longer a child. I am not asking to be included on missions; I simply want access to information."
Dumbledore mulled it over for a few minutes. Finally he decided he could not think of an argument and nodded to Harry before raising his wand "I swear on my life and my magic that if the memory of this place is revoked by Harry Potter, I shall not reveal the location to such persons unless agreed upon with him. I also shall strive to include him in the Order of the Phoenix, if not approved by the members I will supply him with all related information. So mote it be!"
He considered the Headmasters words, looking for loopholes before nodding and saying. "So mote it be!" Accepting the oath. People made wizards oaths all the time, but they were not binding unless accepted as such by both parties. "Professor listen carefully. The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is located at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place." Harry watched as comprehension dawned in the old man's eyes.
"Thank you Harry, while I am saddened that you required a wizard's oath to bind me to my promise, I understand your reluctance to trust me fully after my past actions. I hope that from this point forward we can start anew." Dumbledore said sadly.
"Headmaster, I do not agree with many of the things you have done in regard to me in the past, but I am willing to leave it in the past. Despite my feelings I need the Order and I need you in order to destroy Voldemort once and for all. I want to take my Godfathers advice and start living, but I can't really do that until we take care of Tom Riddle." Harry stated firmly.
Nodding they headed back inside and to the kitchen where Harry found parchment, quill and ink and wrote out a few slips for Dumbledore to show Order members. "Just to be clear sir." He said as he handed them over. "I am taking the top two floors for me and my guests. The second floor you are free to offer to Order Members on a guest basis, but not as a residence unless I agree. Please limit order traffic to the main and second floors. I suppose if there is a basement we will need to find out what is down there before I make a decision."
"Very well Harry, thank you for letting us use your home as a base. I will stress to the others that they respect your privacy and your home. Now I think I shall head to the Burrow to collect the Weasleys and Ms. Granger. We shall return shortly. If I am not mistaken the Floo and Anti-Apparation wards are still in place. Are you able to feel them yet?" He asked.
Harry nodded and felt for his connection to the house. Finding what he needed he lifted the two but left them in place to be snapped up in an emergency. "There, I lifted both so you can get people here. I am going to go check on the elves." Harry watched as Dumbledore nodded before disappearing with a soft Pop!