Author: Ravenclawer

Title: After the Order: An AU story

Rating: Most likely will be PG13, but PG for now

Summary: *OoPt Spoiler* In a turn of events, Sirius finds out about Harry's misled journey to the Department of Mysteries much sooner. How will this affect the outcome of the fight between You-Know-Who and the Order?

~***~

"But you know!" shouted Harry. "Don't you? You know where he is!" There was a moment's silence, then the elf let out his loudest cackle yet. "Master will not come back from theDepartment of Mysteries!" he said gleefully. "Kreacher and his Mistress are alone again!" }

~J.K. Rowling, from The Order of the Pheonix

- - - - - - -

"Kreacher! Who was that?"

The house-elf turned around in surprise, but managed to keep his wrinkly face in a suspicious imitation of innocence. "Kreacher not know of anything important to tell Master," he said hopefully, but still could not suppress that last expressive smirk before it quickly fled from his face.

Sirius was standing in the entrance of the kitchen; a large blanket for Buckbeak was slung over one arm. He stepped in from the hall, stopped suddenly, and stared hard at the suspicious house-elf for a moment.

It knows something, he decided immediately. That part, at least, was obvious. A flitter of anger appeared in his eyes for a second: It knows something important, and it's treating it like an inside joke by not telling me.

"Kreacher."

"Yes, Master?" That gleeful smile was back now.

"Tell me."

"What will Kreacher tell Master now? First Master tells Kreacher to go away-"

Sirius grabbed his house-elf roughly, interrupting him mid-sentence.

"YOU! I'm warning you, tell me NOW, especially since I know for a FACT that there was something in the fireplace! Who was it? Dumbledore? Was Rem-"

"It was only a boy," admitted Kreacher finally. Suddenly he laughed. "SO... Master wasn't in the Department of Mysteries after all, was he?"

"WHAT?" Sirius exploded, and immediately bent down until he was level-faced with the creature in front of him. "Was. That. My. Godson?" he growled.

But Kreacher refused to answer him after that with anything but a vague hint of "maybe."

Though Furious, Sirius had no choice but to give up his questioning on the disobedient house-elf for the time. Harry was probably in trouble by all the hints that Kreacher had given him anyway, he thought, so he had better hurry. Sirius quickly ran upstairs (having remembered about the injured hippogriff still in his room), and covered Buckbeak with the heavy blanket that he'd had in his hands before.

And as soon as he was downstairs again, he wasted no time getting the floo powder.

Damn. Why is it that my Godson's always getting into trouble?

- - - -

"Sirius, what's up?" It was Kingsley emerging from the fireplace into the kitchen, covered in dust. "Sorry I couldn't get here immediately," he apologized. "Ministry needed-" He stopped, shaken by the grim expressions of Tonks, Sirius, Remus, and Mad-Eye. "What happened?"

Remus filled Kingsley in briefly as the others prepared for the upcoming conflict; eventually, they'd decided on a plan that involved Apparating to their destination, locating Harry as quickly as possible, and generally being as cautious as possible.

"Does Dumbledore know about this?" interrupted Tonks hastily as the present members all took out their wands.

"I already sent a note to him," replied Sirius grimly. "Even though he's not here now, he'll probably know or come, soon. . .. Ready, everyone?

They disappeared.

But as they arrived to their destination, neither the woman with the striking purple hair, the gruff man with the swirling mad eye, the werewolf, or the large black dog knew that what they were seeking for was still a few steps behind them- still clinging to the thestrals, riding in the air.