Chapter One: Order of the Pheonix
The lone figure ran along the dark corrider, his polished black shoes sending echoes as he walked on the marble floor. Finally, he stopped at a large marble door. Panting, he took out a hanckerchief and whiped the sweat from his brow. He was a scwarny young man in his late twenties, and he was a little bit short. He threw his hood back, revealing short-cropped black hair.
This was it. He had traveled long and far and gone through many dangers in the past few days to deliver the peice of parchment that was in his robes. But it had to be done. If he delivered the message quick enough, it meant that many lives would be saved. He took a deep breath, and pushed the large doors open.
There was a round marble table, and on it sitting about sixteen figures, all in black or brown robes, about ten of them men and the rest women. At the head of the table was a rather tall woman with black hair and sharp features. She got up when the man walked in the room.
There was a silence. All eyes were on the man, the roll of parchement now in his sweating hands. And then the woman asked, in something that was almost a whisper, "Do you have it? Have they been able to complete the mission?" She was pale, and was trembling a little.
The man nodded, and the people around the table gave sighs of relief, some even giving a small laugh. The man walked over to the woman at the head of the table and handed her the parchment. He then sat down between two of the women in the group.
The woman at the head of the table blinked a few times and cleared her voice after scanning the parchment. "We have found out where they are planning to hide next. They are going to station themselves near a small muggle village to terrorize it and get supplies. Apperantly, there is a high-ranking Ministry Official that will be staying there for the next few days, and they intend to put him under the Imperius Curse," she said without any emotion or expression.
The group remained silent, some of them exchanging looks. The woman cleared her voice and went on. "Frank, you'll take Fabian, his brother, and Remus with you to deal with the Death Eaters," she said. The man named Frank, who had delivered the letter, nodded silently, as did a hooded man in patched brown robes sitting opposite from him. "Remus, you're the youngest one here; this is your first asssignment, and be careful. The Official must not me infiltrated," she said.
A tall hooded man in a rich black cloak stood up. He was standing opposite the woman. "No, I'll go as well. They'll need my . . . skills t take out a group of Death Eaters."
The woman shook her head, still standing. "No, you can't go," she said simply. "One more will only attract more attention, and the Death Eaters will know that we know their plans."
The tall man shook his head. Only a little bit of his grey eyes were showing, but even then you could tell he was barely twenty years old. "Not if I use my skill through the entire time; I can help them. You know I can," he growled angrily.
The woman narrowed her eyes. "Besides," the man continued, "you don't have the authority to decide who or who doesn't go on the assignments, do you?"
The woman's face paled a little but she said, "Fine, go with them. You might be right anyways," she sighed and sat back down. For many long minutes there was silence, the men and women in the room digesting what they had heard.
BAM!
Some of the people jumped in their seats. All eyes darted to the door, which was now wide open. Some people gasped. Others widened their eyes. The man who had opened the door was standing in the doorway. His face was smeared with dry and fresh blood. His dirty and dusty hairwas hanging down, And he was completely pale.
The man limped a few steps forward, his left lef at an akward angle. He stopped right behind the tall man. Suddenly, he gasped, "They know we are here. They're on their way. We have five minutes - t-to get out of here." He gave a rasp of breath and collapsed to the ground, unconcsiouss.
The reaction was immedeate, and a lot of things happpened at once. The tall, young man immedieately stood up and sealed the door shut with a flick of his wand; the woman at the head Summoned two large cauldrons and started whispering, tapping her wand to them; one of the women dragged the unconcsiouss man back behind the group of people, who were now all standing up, and in a semi-circle, pointing their wands to the door.
BAM!
The door shook a little, and heaps of dust fell to the floor. The woman now pushed one of the cauldrons aside and began frantically bewitching another one.
BAM!
The door was weakening. One more blast and it would collapse. Some stepped back a little.
BAM!
The door was blasted open, and the debris came flying toward the group of people, bet several were ahead of time. seven people shouted, "PROTEGO!" and a huge, silvery sheild - almost shelter - covered the entire group. The debris hit the sheild and shattered into smaller peices, flying the opposite direction. There were screams from the other end, and thuds as the marble hit people. The figures that ran into the rom through the dust stumbled back from the power of the combined sheild, and they slid on the floor.
But it was failing. Three people and lowered their wands and panting, while the other four were desperately trying to keep the shield working. The other nine people were pointing their wands at the attacking Death Eaters, ready to strike.
Then, all four let down the sheild. Immedieately, the nine at the back moved forwards in a line and started raining scores of curses upon the Death Eaters, who were stil stumbling around, trying to see through the dust . . .
"CAULDRON! NOW!" the woman. Suddenly, the seven people at the back turned around and all grabbed some part of the cauldron, then dissappeared.
"Incendio!" yelled one of the men at the front, and flames erupted from the end of his wand. At that moment, the rest of them all leapt to the portkey, closing their hands around it, one of the grabbing the unconcsiouss man tightly.
tarted raining scores of curses upon the Death Eaters, who were stil stumbling around, trying to see through the dust . . .
"CAULDRON! NOW!" Yelled the woman. Suddenly, the seven people at the back turned around and all grabbed some part of the cauldron, then dissappeared.
"Incendio!" yelled one of the men at the front, and flames erupted from the end of his wand. At that moment, the rest of them all leapt to the portkey, closing their hands around it, one of the grabbing the unconcsiouss man tightly.