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I got up from the familiar chair and left Dumbledore's office, Dumbledore's mind still running around in such a scurry that I wasn't able to pick very much out of it. I had tried to keep my cool while I was in the office with him, but as I was practically sprinting back to the Gryffindor common room I couldn't help but wonder why my mother hadn't told me about this earlier. I mean she knew that I was friends with Harry since my first year at Hogwarts, and right after the whole incident with the Triwizard Tournament seemed like a pretty good time to mention her connection with Voldemort. Whatever the connection was anyway.

I was dying to wake Hermione up and vent to her about everything that was going on, but to wake her up at one in the morning would be unfair to her. After all everyone needs their sleep.

I fell into the chair in the common room and laid my head down on the table. The fat lady had muttered something at me as I went through but I didn't pay attention to what she had said. The room had practically been a fuzz to me, and I had been lucky to even fall into an actual chair as opposed to the floor or some other non-sittable piece of furniture.

"Abby?"

I jumped so hard at the sound of the voice that I toppled over, my body flipping over the chair and landing with a loud thud on the carpet.

"Oh my god! I am so sorry!"

It wasn't until I opened my eyes and looked that I realized it was Harry. He grabbed my hand in his and pulled me up, holding me to make sure I didn't fall over again.

"Harry...what are you doing up at this hour?"

Realizing I could stand on my own, Harry bent down and picked up the chair and placed it back in its original spot. He sat down in the chair across from it and looked up at me. I resumed my seat once I had realized that it was firmly on the floor.

"I could ask you the same thing," Harry said, his face completely blank.

I sighed. "Why are you doing this Harry?"

"Because I don't understand why Dumbledore is keeping me in the dark! I mean come on Abby! It was me who saw and fought Voldemort, wasn't it?!"

I could feel the rage steaming off of Harry's body and I couldn't help but flinch. I had never felt him so angry before in my entire life.

"Harry..."

"Abby...I am begging you...please."

I sat there, my emotions being torn in so many directions I had no idea how to look or act. I wanted to tell Harry and share the shocker I had just found out myself, but Dumbledore had asked me not to, and I had felt his desperate need for me to trust him on this. There had to be a compromise. Some way to assure Harry that it wasn't keeping him from information but a way of protecting him.

"Harry I understand that you're upset and I don't blame you. If I was in your shoes I would be too. All I can tell you, all Dumbledore will let me tell you, is that we are doing it to protect you."

Harry stared at me. "To protect me? How is this protecting me by keeping me guessing as to what's going on with Voldemort?"

"We don't talk about that Harry. I know as much about where Voldemort is as you!"

Harry looked surprised by that statement. "You don't?"

I shook my head. "I don't know anything. All I want to do is help you through this Harry."

Harry let out a sigh that he seemed to be holding since the beginning of the summer.

"I know Abby, and I am sorry. I shouldn't be stalking you like this, constantly interrogating you like you're a murder suspect or something."

"It's okay Harry."

"Please don't think that it's you I am angry at. Ultimately I am just angry at Dumbledore for not trusting me."

Harry slid his chair back and stood up to go back to bed. I stood up and as well, stopping him when we got to the steps.

"It's not you that he doesn't trust Harry. It's the unknown that he doesn't trust."

Harry nodded. When he looked up at me it was the first time I could really notice the darkness that was hanging behind his eyes. I would have been concerned but I could tell, in my own little way, that Harry was pushing the darkness back. He was fighting, even if he didn't know what he was fighting against.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following morning I woke up to the sounds of feet moving across the floor in the girl's sleeping room. Hermione waited for me as I got dressed and listened intently as I told her everything that happened last night, including the encounter with Harry.

"This is all just happening so fast," Hermione said, her eyebrows furrowed. "It seems like every second something unknown that has massive consequences is coming forward."

"I just can't believe my mom didn't tell me about the whole thing. I had to hear it from Dumbledore! And I am so nervous my friendship with Harry is withering away to nothing with this whole arrangement."

Hermione wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "Don't think like that Abby! You know Harry will always find you a great friend and deep down he knows you have no choice. I mean, it's Dumbledore we're talking about here."

We were both quiet for a moment. All the girls had left except for Hermione and I.

"I think he's wrong," I said, more to myself than Hermione.

"Why?"

"Because I can feel it in Harry, and I can see it. He's struggling, on the inside, and instead of finding a way to let it out he's having to handle it by himself. How is that fair to Harry? If anything it is making him more vulnerable not understanding what's going on with him."

"Do you know what's going on with him Abby?"

I shook my head. "Sometimes I can see it in his eyes, and I can feel it, but I can't fully get into him you know what I mean? I'm afraid to try and go that deep into someone without hurting them."

"I don't think you should try, especially with how fragile Harry is right now." Hermione stomped her foot in frustration. "We have to do something Abby, even if Dumbledore won't. He has to know he's not alone in all this."

I nodded sincerely. "I can't keep lying to him Hermione. It's only going to make things worse."

"Well, just because Dumbledore doesn't want you saying anything about your meetings to Harry, that doesn't mean I can't."

I sighed. "Dumbledore will know."

"Don't worry. I'll think of a way we can convince Dumbledore that Harry needs to know. Besides how does Dumbledore expect you to hide being in the order from Harry?"

"He has so much to think about right now, I don't think his mind can think that far into the future."

Hermione smiled grimly. "Poor Dumbledore."