A/N: Thanks for all the positive reception - and for the negative, which may be brutal, but really does point out some of the weaker points of the story. Keep in mind if some of the narrative seems choppy, inconsistent, or anything, this is my first story, and I'm still learning the ropes. If anyone is interested in helping me edit or teaching me more about how to tell a story, please PM me, I'm working hard to improve. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

The three men walked along the concrete pavement, from streetlight to streetlight. The two Marauders walked close enough to brush arms, while Harry trailed after them. Both of them had attempted to include him, but Harry was reluctant to speak. It was enough that they got him out. He didn't have to converse with them.

As a quarter of an hour passed, Harry, having not much to do, began to observe the very different gaits of Sirius and Lupin. While Sirius walked with an air of bumptiousness, with his steps flashy and relaxed, Lupin, on the other hand, seemed nearly to sidle; his footsteps staccato in rhythm - strained movements involving the entire body.

He eavesdropped on their conversation. Sirius and Lupin were discussing Order business as they walked. Lupin's identity had been revealed during the battle at the Department of Mysteries, and he was no longer able to maintain his cover with the werewolves, who had declared support for the Dark Lord. He was coming now to live with Harry and Sirius. In a few days there would be a meeting at headquarters, where the group would decide their next course of action. Along with the preexisting members of the Order, some new faces were due to arrive.

The night air was nippy and there were spurts of drizzle that weren't heavy enough to make the three wet, but enough to be irritating - licks of moisture tickling the arms, and blurring the lashes.

They finally reached their destination and stepped into the bar. There were tens of people inside, bluegrass music played rhythmically. The walls were panelled with dark wood, and there was a fetid miasma of alcohol and tobacco. A server guided them to a booth where they ordered ale and chips.

As the three began their meal, they noticed something strange. There were people staring at them. On a table in the centre of the room, two men, one tall with sunglasses, the other clumsily built with a brown duster, continuously made eye contact with them. They looked dangerous. Remus was the first one to spot the two, and he nudged Sirius, who was sitting ons his left, to make him aware of possible enemies.

The mood had shifted, and an urgent energy filled the room. The two strangers ate their meals in silence before paying their bill and standing up, walking over to Harry's table.

"Mates, I think we have trouble." Sirius warned, sipping in his ale, his right arm swiftly reaching under the table for his wand.

Sirius and Lupin looked up, catching their glances and glaring back. Harry, still deep in his thoughts, rubbed his head in frustration, accidentally revealing his scar.

"It's him! It's him!" The tall man shouted.

Lupin stood up, and without warning, lifted his wand and stunned the man. Sirius took to action as well, and threw curses at the man with the brown jacket. People screamed. The tables and chairs surrounding them flipped over. A chaotic rush of fear flew through the room. The other Death Eater was trying to get away. Sirius dropped to the floor and lifted the sleeve of the stunned man.

"The Dark Mark. We need to leave now." The combat exhilarated Harry, suddenly he could focus again, he knew he had to stop the man before he fled.

"Harry, go!" Sirius shouted.

Harry stood up on his table and jumped over the multiple booths, chasing the man who was running out the exit.

They were out on the street now, Harry threw a barrage of red spells at the escaping Death Eater, who scrambled and dived to dodge. Harry kept up a relentless assault, but he was too slow; as his spell finally hit his enemy, his foe, half laying on the floor, was already limply pointing at the firmament, and the Dark Mark hovered over the sky. They were coming.

Harry needed to assess the battlefield, and quickly too. The street was tightly packed with buildings, there wasn't much space for actual combat. Direct conflict was not an option. He scanned the area for whatever angles might be used to their advantage. He jogged over to the opposite building which had a red door, it was one with only a small hallway on the first floor, which led to a staircase - there was no vantage point here. He looked around the corners of the street before going around the block, there was also a back door from which they could escape.

He ran back into the pub into a frantic sight. Sirius and Lupin were trying to calm people down. There was panic, people flailing about hysterically, screaming, and others ready to face down the three wizards in combat.

Pointing his wand to his throat, and stepping on top of a table, Harry began. "Everybody calm down!" The room fell silent. "We need you to leave through the back entrance in an orderly fashion."

Turning to his side, he relaxed his wand and gestured for Lupin and Sirius to come closer. "Lupin, you help evacuate the customers, if they refuse to be Obliviated, you know what to do. The exit should be over there. Sirius, I need to you to come with me."

His two friends were confused at the change in Harry, it seemed like the situation had flicked a switch on him. They weren't accustomed to taking orders from him, but the situation's unfamiliarity encouraged them to follow him. The Muggles too, hearing a voice of authority, began to calm down, somewhat. The evacuation began, Lupin hurried over to the exit, guiding the confused Muggles away. They were making foul noises and rabbling in panic and fright, but the werewolf did his best to assure them that everything was alright.

"Sirius, we need to make a choice now, either we run or we fight. How quickly can the other members arrive?"

"It's going to take at least twenty minutes. We'll need to hold them off until then. Do you think the Dark Lord will come?"

"He won't, there isn't a big enough audience, and he's still afraid of facing me, considering the Priori Incantatum."

"What should we do?"

Harry pointed his wand slowly at each of the panel windows, the blinds closed in succeeding fashion.

"We don't need assistance. I'll think of something. This could be a good moment to send a message."

Lupin came back into the room.

"The Muggles are gone, what's the plan, Sirius?" Remus had regained his composure, somewhat, and was now thinking only of protecting the Chosen One. "Harry, we need to get you out of here."

"Lupin, there isn't any time to argue. We're staying. Just let me think of something, we only have a few more minutes before they come." Harry went to sit in his booth, offhandedly finishing his ale.

"We should just apparate away. We don't have to fight them this time. We're hopelessly outnumbered." Lupin complained to Sirius.

Harry responded. "Lupin. The Death Eaters have had the upper hand until now. We need to fight back and not just wait passively. The last time...I mean, just trust me. It's war. We're not letting them chase us down again."

"Harry, you're still a child. You don't understand the ante. We need to leave, now!"

Harry shot Lupin a dirty look, and started to argue but didn't get far.

Sirius interjected. "I trust Harry. He took on the Dark Lord by himself. I'm about tired of running away from these fuckers, anyway." Although Sirius had some reservations, he had a wild side that wanted to engage in combat.

"They don't know what they're walking into. We can ambush them. We have the home ground." Harry explained, with a smirk.

"Fine. Fine! But I don't like this. If this goes wrong... This is bigger than all of us. Sirius, if we lose Harry, we lose everything."

Harry stood up suddenly, and looked intently around the room. This building had two stories.

"We're going to blast the foundation of this building. Don't ask any questions. After we do, the two of you need to head inside the building opposite this one, it's the one with the red door. Wait for me in the hallway inside. I'll apparate onto the staircase behind you, after I take care of this."

In tacit agreement, the wizards began their work, casting Reducto on the columns at each of the corners, at their weak points. In moments, the corners became shoddy and began to near a state of collapse.

Lupin attempted to break the last column, the one on the back right. "Wait, not this one. Now go, get out." Harry interrupted.

"Harry, what are you planning?" Sirius asked.

Harry explained his plan.

"Harry, this is a gamble. I can't let you do this alone." Lupin said, worriedly. He couldn't leave Harry. He had a responsibility to his parents.

"None of you can pull this off. Just go. I promise I know what I'm doing." Harry gave a brave smile.

Sirius and Lupin turned to each other, conveying something to each other with that non-verbal communication that only the best of friends can access. Lupin gave Harry a quick hug, but during their embrace, before Harry could react, he got him in a sleeper hold, and began dragging him out of the building.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I can't let you take this risk."

"No! Sirius! It's too dangerous! Lupin let go of me!"

Lupin pulled Harry away, kicking, screaming into the other apartment. Harry was helpless, again.

It was quiet in the pub now. A looming calmness filled the room that felt humid as air does before large storms. Sirius went over to the bar and poured himself some whiskey. He rolled a cigarette and smoked it while he waited, watching the eddies of smoke fill the air of the room - casting a misty fog all over. It had been around five minutes since the Dark Mark was cast. They should be here any second.

Loud popping noises. Four, five, ten, twelve.

"Harry Potter. We know you're in there. We don't have to hurt you. The Dark Lord wants you alive." A voice bellowed.

Sirius shouted in response. "If you promise to leave Harry alone I'll come quietly. But you must let him leave." A noble act - worthy of a Gryffyindor. Would they fall for it?

"Sirius Black. Very well. We promise." A laugh.

The Death Eaters stepped inside. Sirius waited at the back corner of the bar, putting his hands up, his right hand clutching his wand. There were only eight of them, and each was slowly encroaching upon him. He couldn't identify any of them; they were each wearing masks. The other four must have been covering the back entrance, or the front one, probably in duos. The room was dead silent but for the soft thuds of the Death Eater's footsteps. Sirius could hear his small breath pant, his heart beat out of his skin arrhythmically.

"You should have run away with your boy." The leader said, his voice gravelly.

"And you would have caught him." Sirius said, looking submissive.

"Where is he?"

"Not here.

"Stop lying to us you filthy blood-traitor!"

Sirius acted surprised and fearful. "How did you?"

"We know everything."

Downtrodden, and worried, Sirius dramatically glanced at the stairs. "He's probably long gone by now. I fooled you all."

One of the Death Eaters noticed the movement of Sirius' eyes and whispered to their leader something that Sirius couldn't hear.

"He's upstairs isn't it?" Pointing to three of his lackeys, the Death Eater ordered. "You three, go!"

"No! Please. Don't go up there!" Sirius shouted. The man in charge laughed.

"Bellatrix always told me you were a naive little shit."

The other five continued to approach Sirius, cautious for any sudden movements. They were but two meters away, at this point.

"I'm going to kill dear cousin for saying that." Sirius smiled, slowly. "But I'm going to kill you first." Sirius pointed his wand and casted a powerful Reducto at the last column. The building came down in a resounding crash that sounded almost like the thunder on an empty field. It crushed everybody inside.

Another popping noise.

In the opposite building. "Harry, Remus, there are four more Death Eaters out there, I hope you're all ready for a some duelling."

"Thank goodness, you're ok, Sirius." Harry hugged his godfather tightly, "But don't you ever force me to watch while you endanger yourself again." He glared at Sirius. "I'm not being funny."

Harry lazily turned to the door, and pointed his wand at the door and blasted it open.

The three wizards ran into the dark streets outside. In one fell movement, as he was running, Harry hit one of the Death Eaters with a stunning spell before it could turn around. There were still three opponents in front of them, one of whom had turned around to fight. It casted a spell at Remus who conjured a shield charm to defend himself, while Sirius threw stunners in retaliation. The Death Eater was downed. Harry ran to confront the other two but after a short chase, in cowardice, they had apparated away.

"They got away." Harry grumbled, returning to the two, and panting from his sprint. He was too slow, again. They had won.

The three looked forward at the ramshackle ruins of the pub they had just enjoyed their drinks in. They could still see some of the bodies of their downed foes, distinctly pink, buried by the shattered wood. Lupin had conjured ropes to bind the two Death Eaters that they had stunned.

"What do we do with the rubble? Won't the Muggle police suspect something?" Sirius asked. He was anxious to leave before more trouble ensued.

"We leave no evidence. The Dark Lord will have gotten the message." Harry looked solemnly at the wreckage. "You're right, the police will be here soon. We need to go."

Remus and Sirius casted weightlessness charms on the bodies, and took the Death Eaters and slung them over their backs.

"We'll take these two somewhere safe for interrogation. Dumbledore will be thrilled."

Harry took a deep breath and pointed his wand at the rubble - flames came burning from the end of his wand, growing higher and higher as the wooden rubble and carcasses caught fire. Adrenaline pulsed through out his body, making his heart beat ferociously. Staring at the orange flames which brightened the night, feeling the heat crackle on the hairs of his skin while the scent of burning human flesh filled his nose, in those moments, he had forgotten about Hermione, he felt instead a sense of completion, a rush of power,

Lupin looked at him in shock.

"No half-measures."

"I suppose it's necessary." Lupin whispered, still horrified, looking at Sirius worriedly. What had happened to Harry that he would be acting this way?

Sirius clenched his teeth, with little surety in his eyes, aghast at Harry's actions. "They deserved it." The words felt alien to him, was this really what James would have wanted?

The three disapparated.

At the house, after Remus and Lupin had delivered their captives to Dumbledore, the three wizards sat on the kitchen table, cups of coffee in hand and eyes deep in contemplation.

"Harry, something is different about you." Lupin began.

"He's just growing up, Remus."

"No, I can almost feel it. You've changed for some reason."

"Remus, Sirius. Things have changed. They've been changing ever since Cedric died. I've spent all this time worrying about my future, depending on the two of you, and on Dumbledore. But it's time I took my fate into my own hands. If the Death Eaters were fine with slaughtering my mother and my father." Remus winced. "If the Ministry insists on hiding what has happened. Then we take the fight to them. They chose their fates the moment they took the Dark Mark." Sirius nodded in agreement.

Harry looked at the only two people he could comfortably call family. "They slaughtered your best friend in cold blood. We can't sit idly by while Dumbledore plays his politics. My parents deserve to be avenged."

"But at the cost of this much bloodshed?" Lupin asked, incisively.

"Those Death Eaters that escaped Azkaban. How many years did they spend inside?" Harry asked.

"Fourteen years." Sirius responded. "I was in there with most of them."

"And what happened when Voldemort returned?"

A car rushed by.

"I know they didn't change. But we must be careful with how far down we tread this path of violence. Lest we become the very monsters we are fighting." Lupin admonished, frantically.

"These monsters killed my parents!" Harry shouted, banging his hand on the desk. He glared at Lupin until his mentor looked away. His words, which were once unsure and feeble, now had deliberation. It was magnetising.

Lupin was still hesitant, after all, this was the young boy he saw faint at the very presence of a Dementor. But he trusted Harry with his life, and he thought he would trust him now.

"You're right." Lupin stated. "But what about the two Death Eaters that got away."

"We've dealt a blow to Voldemort's forces. Those two will tell him that we're to be feared," He replied. "If we have to, we'll kill them all."