Harry Potter And So It Begins

In preperation for Raven's plan new room assignments were handed out. The teens were moved to the cottage so as not to interfer with their training but also to keep them out of the Order's way. Harry, Ron and Neville shared a room that had been redecorted to resemble the room at school. The girls'room had also been redesigned the same way.

Angela loved it since she would be attending Hogwarts this year and wanted to get used to sharing a room with more then one roommate. The others didn't have quite the same reaction but they still thought it was fun since they had all different roommates at school.

They had all gone to the makeshift clinic and visited with Fred and Billy shortly before they had moved to the cottage. The two Weaslies had sustaned serious injuries in the battle but they were expected to make a full recovery in a few days.

They now sat at the table and were enjoying the lunch that Athos had brought them. As they ate they began to talk about the war and what had been going on since they left Hogwarts. Harry told them all about the night Raven and McGonagall had come to get him and what Raven had said about Dumbledore's mission.

Ron filled them in on what he could remeber about Raven's past, including how he, Charlie and Tonks had been best friends at Hogwarts. He told them that Raven had been a great keeper, was top in his year and how Raven had even taught him to play wizards chess. "Something happened at the end of thier seventh year." He told them. "Raven had been expelled from Hogwarts just two days after they had taken their N.E.W.T.s.

"I don't know what it was since Charlie never talks about it but I over heard him tell Billy once that he had been at Tonks' bed side in the hospital wing when it happened. After that Raven just seemed to drop off the face of the planet." Ron said.

"He went to America and lived down the hall from us. "Angela offered. "After he ran off my dad for hurting mommy we lived with him till he got an owl asking him to come back here."

"Raven killed someone." Susan's voice was so soft that they had barely been able to hear her. "My... my Auntie had told me when... when she visited us a couple weeks ago." She was on the verge of tears but refused to give in. "She told me that the guy had hurt Raven's fiancee' and had almost killed her. In a fit of rage Raven killed the guy infront of the entire school and then left England."

The others waited with baited breath for her to continue. They refused to press her for fear of upsetting her further so they just waited. "My Auntie told me that she had known Raven's parents before they died in the last war. She said that Raven's dad had saved her and my parents when they were attacked by Death Eaters after my Uncle Edgar's death. She told me that Raven is just like his father and that if he killed that guy then he had a could reason. But..."

"But even if he didn't the Ministry can't do anything to him anyways." Neville finished. His face was a mask of resolve. "My Grams once told me that Mikalo Shantor was a banished Prince from the Isle of Avalon and as such the Ministry has no authority over him or his decendants. As we were preparing to come here she told me how Mikalo had saved my family from a Deather Eater attack too." He looked towards Susan before continueing. "Grams said that Mikalo had been a good man and that Raven is just like his father. She told me to listen to Raven and learn what he had to teach us. She said that he would teach me to be strong just like my dad." Neville clintched his fists tightly. "I just hope he trains me so I can avenge my parents."

Later that night Harry and Susan were talking downstairs in the living room. They talked about the people they lost and how they missed them. Harry told Susan about what Raven had done for him his first day on the island. "He made me realize that while I may miss my folks and Sirius I can't mourn them forever. He's right you know, this is a war and until Voldermort is stopped A LOT more people are going to die. It's okay to miss the dead but we have to keep fighting to protect the living." Harry told her.

"You're right" Susan said quietly. "My aunt knew what was going on. That is why she joined The Order. She knew what the risks were but she took them so she could protect me and my parents." She closed her eyes as she fought back her tears. She had cried enough for her Aunt, now she had to be strong so she could continue her Aunt's work and help stop Voldermort for good.

Harry placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He knew how much she was hurting. Until the other morning he too had been hurting as well. He wanted to tell her that everything would be alright, but the truth was things were going to get worse before they got better, much worse.

Ginny watched them silently from the top of the stairs. As Harry's hand rested on Susan's shoulder for the briefest instant she felt the faintest twinge of jealousy. She knew she had no reason to be jealous of Susan. She knew that Harry was just being kind to her because they had both lost someone they loved very much. He knows how she feels because he feels the same way. She though to herself. Besides you're dating Dean. You've been writing to him every few days and care about him. So why are you getting upset? She couldn't answer because she didn't know herself. She was over her crush on Harry, she knew that. He was a friend and had been through a lot recently. So has Susan. It's not like Harry has feelings for her. He's just being a friend.