Tori passed a fork onto the table, laying on our at each placement. She hummed to herself a bit, the past summer she had found it a bit soothing.

"Fred— George— NO, JUST CARRY THEM!" Molly shrieked, causing everyone to turn in her direction.

Fred and George had bewitched a large cauldron of stew, an iron flagon of Butterbeer, and a heavy wooden breadboard, complete with knife, to hurtle through the air towards them. The stew skidded the length of the table and came to a halt just before the end, leaving a long black burn on the wooden surface; the flagon of Butterbeer fell with a crash, spilling its contents everywhere; the bread knife slipped off the board and landed, point down and quivering ominously, exactly where Sirius's right hand had been seconds before.

"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" screamed Molly. "THERE WAS NO NEED—   I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS —   JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERYTHING!"

"We were just trying to save a bit of time!" said Fred, hurrying forward to wrench the bread knife out of the table. "Sorry, Sirius, mate —  didn't mean to — "

Harry and Sirius were both laughing; Mundungus, who had toppled backward off his chair, was swearing as he got to his feet; Crookshanks had given an angry hiss and shot off under the dresser, from where his large yellow eyes glowed in the darkness.

"Boys," Arthur sighed, lifting the stew back into the middle of the table, "Your mother's right, you're supposed to show a sense of responsibility now you've come of age—"

"— None of your brothers caused this sort of trouble!" Mrs. Weasley raged at the twins as she slammed a fresh flagon of Butterbeer onto the table, and spilling almost as much again. "Bill didn't feel the need to Apparate every few feet! Charlie didn't charm everything he met Percy—"

Tori felt a boiling fit of rage in her gut and couldn't help herself from slamming a fork down. "They are not them!" She shouted back. "They are not Bill, or Charlie, or Percy! They are Fred and George! And that should be good enough!"

Molly stopped dead, catching her breath with a frightened look at her husband, whose expression was suddenly wooden. Tori took a deep breath, the normal feeling sinking slowly back in. Her eyes widened realizing she had not only just yelled at Molly, but mentioned Percy.

Tori quickly turned on her heels and left the kitchen for a quick breather. She sat on the grimy stairs, calming herself down slowly as she hid her face in her hands. She couldn't believe she had just done that. There were footsteps coming closer to her.

"We're about to eat." A low voice said. Tori glanced up to see it was Sirius. He slowly took a seat next to her on the stairs, staring down the hallway and at the door.

"I know how what it feels like to lose a friend." He said softly. "It hurts, a lot."

"I'm just angry, all the time," Tori admitted, scratching the back of her head. "No one seems to get it. Everything I do, it reminds me of the fact that he can't do those things anymore..." There was a loud scream from upstairs, no doubt from the painting of Walburg Black. "BLOOD TRAITORS! IN MY HOUSE!" She shrieked.

"My mother." Sirius sighed, whipping his wand out and slamming a door to keep her quiet. "She wasn't exactly the kindest. She's the one who ruined a few of those pictures in that room."

He pointed to the family tree room that Tori had came across the previous day. "I shouldn't have gone in there... I'm sorry—"

"Ah, rubbish." Sirius shook his head, patting her on the shoulder. "When I said you can explore any room, I meant it. Yes, my mother did that the day I ran away..."

"Why did you run away?" Tori asked. She immediately kicked herself, knowing it wasn't polite to ask so many questions. Sirius, however, didn't seem to mind. "My family and I never got along. Ever since I was sorted into Gryffindor and made some friends..."

Tori's eyes widened as she stared at him with her mouth hung open. "Don't look so surprised. You thought you were the only one?" He joked, shortly chuckling to himself.

Tori shook her head. "Of course not... I just... no ones ever really understood..." Sirius nodded. "It's not easy. Trust me, I know. But you seem to have some good groups of friends."

Tori nodded, watching as Sirius rose and extended his arm out to her. "I'm starving. Let's go eat, yes?"

The two entered the kitchen taking a seat. Tori couldn't meet anyone's eyes and she stared down at her bowl of stew. "Let's eat," Bill said quickly.

"It looks wonderful, Molly," Lupin told her, ladling stew on to a plate for her and handing it across the table.

For a few minutes there was silence but for the chink of plates and cutlery and the scraping of chairs as everyone settled down to their food. Then Molly turned to Sirius.

"I've been meaning to tell you, Sirius, there's something trapped in that writing desk in the drawing-room, it keeps rattling and shaking. Of course, it could just be a boggart, but I thought we ought to ask Alastor to have a look at it before we let it out."

"Whatever you like," Sirius said indifferently.

"The curtains in there are full of doxys, too," Molly went on. "I thought we might try and tackle them tomorrow."

"I look forward to it," Sirius said, the sarcasm was thick in his voice, but Molly didn't seem to notice.

Tori spent a good chunk of the dinner listening to Mundungus's stories. Tori laughed loudly at the one he was telling now, covering her mouth.

"And then," choked Mundungus, tears running down his face, "and then, if you'll believe it, 'e says to me, 'e says, ''Ere, Dung, where did ya get all them toads from? 'Cos some son of a Sludger's gone and nicked all mine!" And I says, 'Nicked all your toads, Will, what next? So you'll be wanting some more, then?" And if you'll believe me, the gormless gargoyle buys all 'is own toads back orf me for a lot more'n what 'e paid in the first place—"

"I don't think we need to hear any more of your business dealings, thank you very much, Mundungus," said Molly sharply, as Ron slumped forwards on to the table, howling with laughter.

"Beg pardon, Molly," Mundungus said at once, wiping his eyes and winking at Tori. "But, you know, Will nicked 'em orf Warty Harris in the first place so I wasn't really doing nothing wrong—"

"I don't know where you learned about right and wrong, Mundungus, but you seem to have missed a few crucial lessons," Molly snapped coldly.

Fred and George buried their faces in their goblets of Butterbeer; George was hiccoughing. For some reason, Molly threw a very nasty look at Sirius before getting to her feet and going to fetch a large rhubarb crumble for pudding.

Tori had to bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. She was sure she was in enough trouble from already yelling at Molly.

Three helpings of rhubarb crumble and custard later there was a lull in the general conversation. Arthur was leaning back in his chair, looking replete and relaxed, Tonks was yawning widely, and Ginny, who had lured Crookshanks out from under the dresser, was sitting cross-legged on the floor, rolling Butterbeer corks for him to chase.

"Nearly time for bed, I think," said Molly with a yawn.

"Not just yet, Molly," Sirius said, pushing away his empty plate and turning to look at Harry. "You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort."

The atmosphere in the room changed with rapidity. Where seconds before it had been sleepily relaxed, it was now alert, even tense. A frisson had gone around the table at the mention of Voldemort's name. Lupin, who had been about to take a sip of wine, lowered his goblet slowly, looking wary. Tori couldn't help but shudder now every time she heard the name spoken, her mind flashing immediately to Cedric.

Fred reaches for her hand under the table, squeezing it tightly. Tori squeezed back.

"I did!" said Harry indignantly. "I asked Ron and Hermione but they said we're not allowed in the Order, so—"

"And they're quite right,' said Molly harshly. "You're too young."

She was sitting bolt upright in her chair, her fists clenched its arms, every trace of drowsiness gone.

"Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?"
asked Sirius. "Harry's been trapped in that Muggle house for a month. He's got the right to know what's been happen—"

"Hang on!" interrupted George loudly.

"How come Harry gets his questions answered?" Fred demanded angrily.

"We've been trying to figure out what has been going on for months!" Tori crossed her arms.

"And you haven't told us a single stinking thing!" George snapped. '"You're too young, you're not in the Order,"' said Fred, in a high-pitched voice that sounded uncannily like his mother's. "Harry's not even of age!"

"It's not my fault you haven't been told what the Order's doing," said Sirius calmly, "That's your parents' decision. Harry, on the other hand—"

"They're not my parents! And if my father or brother have anything to do with this, I want to know!" Tori said loudly, standing up at the table. She only sit down because of the dangerous look Molly gave her.

"It's not down to you to decide what's good for Harry!" said Molly sharply back to Sirius. "You haven't forgotten what Dumbledore said, I suppose?"

"Which bit?" Sirius asked politely, but with the air of a man readying himself for a fight.

"The bit about not telling Harry more than he needs to know," Molly snapped, placing a heavy emphasis on the last three words.

Ron, Hermione, Tori, Fred, and George's heads swiveled from Sirius to Mrs. Weasley as though they were following a tennis rally. Ginny was kneeling amid a pile of abandoned Butterbeer corks, watching the conversation with her mouth slightly open. Lupin's eyes were fixed on Sirius.

"I don't intend to tell him more than he needs to know, Molly," said Sirius. "But as he was the one who saw Voldemort come back" (again, there was a collective shudder around the table at the name), "He has more right than most to—"

"He's not a member of the Order of the Phoenix!" Molly threw her hands into the air. "He's only fifteen and—"

"—and he's dealt with as much as most in the Order,' said Sirius, "And more than some—"

"No one's denying what he's done!" said Mrs. Weasley, her voice rising, her fists trembling on the arms of her chair. "But he's still—"

"He's not a child!" said Sirius impatiently.

"He's not an adult either!" Molly said, the color rising in her cheeks. "He's not James, Sirius!"

"I'm perfectly clear who he is, thanks, Molly,"
Sirius replied coldly.

The two continued to bicker back and forth, leaving everyone else to glance at each other awkwardly.

"But there's a difference between that and inviting him to ask whatever he likes!" Molly was now arguing.

"Personally," said Lupin quietly, looking away from Sirius at last, as Molly turned quickly to him, hopeful that finally, she was about to get an ally, "I think it better that Harry gets the facts—  not all the facts, Molly, but the general picture—  from us, rather than a garbled version from... others."

"Well," Molly sighed, breathing deeply and looking around the table for support that did not come, "Well... I can see I'm going to be overruled. I'll just say this: Dumbledore must have had his reasons for not wanting Harry to know too much, and speaking as someone who has Harry's best interests at heart—"

"He's not your son," said Sirius quietly.

"He's as good as. As is she." Molly fiercely pointed at Tori. "I've raised her for seven years the same way I'd taken care of Harry. Who else has he got?"

"He's got me!"

"Yes," Molly said, her lip curling, "The thing is, it's been rather difficult for you to look after him while you've been locked up in Azkaban, hasn't it?"

Sirius started to rise from his chair.

"Molly, you're not the only person at this table who cares about Harry," said Lupin sharply. "Sirius, sit down."

Molly's lower lip was trembling. Sirius sank slowly back into his chair, his face white. Tori felt very uncomfortable with the energy in the room, and she could see the twins felt the same way.

"I think Harry ought to be allowed a say in this," Lupin continued, "He'd old enough to decide for himself."

"I want to know what's been going on," Harry said at once.

He did not look at Molly. "Very well," said Molly, her voice cracking. "Ginny—  Ron—  Hermione—  Fred—  George—  Tori— I want, you out of this kitchen, now."

There was instant uproar.

"We're of age!" Fred, Tori, and George bellowed together. "If Harry's allowed, why can't I?" shouted Ron.

"Mum, I want to hear!" wailed Ginny.

"NO!" shouted Molly, standing up, her eyes overbright. "I absolutely forbid—"

"Molly you can't stop Fred, George, and Tori," Arthur sighed wearily. "They are of age—"

"They're still at school—"

"But they're legally adults now," said Arthur, in the same tired voice.

Molly was now scarlet in the face.

"I—  oh, all right then, you three can stay, but Ron—"

"Harry'll tell me and Hermione everything you say anyway!" Ron said hotly. "Won't  —  won't you?" He added uncertainly.

"Course I will," Harry said. Ron and Hermione beamed at him.

"Fine!" shouted Molly. "Fine! Ginny—  BED!"

Ginny did not go quietly. They could hear her raging and storming at her mother all the way up the stairs, and when she reached the hall Mrs. Black's ear-splitting shrieks were added to the din. Lupin hurried off to the portrait to restore calm. It was only after he had returned, closing the kitchen door behind him and taking his seat at the table again, that Sirius spoke.

"Okay, Harry... what do you want to know?"

i love fred and george so much

ALSO 200K READS WHAT