(A/N: I don't own anything in the stories apart from Roseline and anything
else you don't recognise. Everything else belongs to the wonderful J.K.
Rowling.)
Prologue
It was the summer after Harry's fifth year in Hogwarts. He was currently sitting in his and Ron's bedroom at No.12 Grimmauld Place, playing Exploding Snap with Ron, Fred and George, while Ginny played with Crookshanks and Hermione read in the background. Fred had just won for the fifth time in a row, when they heard noises from the hall. It sounded like some more people had arrived for the meeting. They snuck out of the room and looked over the banisters. Below them, they could Mrs. Weasley whispering a welcome to Dumbledore and a tired-looking middle-aged witch they hadn't seen before. She had pale skin, a long nose and stormy grey eyes. Her tall slim frame was wrapped in a heavy black travelling cloak, and her long black hair, which was held back in a messy bun, looked windswept and untidy. They watched until they disappeared from sight, before returning to their game.
Roseline Kehst followed in Dumbledore's shadow as Mrs. Weasley led them to the kitchen. She traced her fingers along the walls. He lived here, she thought to herself, he hated it here, and yet this was where he lived for almost a year before he died, trapped because the public would not believe the truth. It felt weird to her to be pacing the floors she knew he must have once tread, felt weird to think that he had been alive in this place just a few months before, felt weird that her thoughts had been with him, wherever he had been, for so long, yet when she had finally found his hiding-place, he had just recently left, never to return.
She sighed and pulled herself together as Mrs.Weasley turned the handle of the kitchen door. She followed Dumbledore into the dingy room which was crowded with people. Mrs. Weasley had already taken her place at the table. "My friends," said Dumbledore, "allow me to introduce to you the newest recruit to the Order, Miss Roseline Kehst." Lupin, who had until now been absorbed in the organizing of a large pile of papers, looked up with a start, his expression one of shocked amazement. Professor McGonagall, who had watched them enter, gave Roseline a small nod and a smile. Only one other person gave any sign of recognition-Snape heard the name and shot Roseline a look of utmost contempt, before returning to the scroll he had been reading.
"A few of you may recognise Ms. Kehst, but for the rest of you I shall give you some more information, while Ms. Kehst takes her place." Dumbledore nodded to her and Roseline sat down between Bill Weasley and Sturgis Podmore. "Roseline Kehst was at school with Lily and James Potter, and some more members of the Order, both past and current. She was a Gryffindor, and a friend of Lily's. She now works for the Ministry, as she has done for the past twenty-two years, in the department of Magical Transportation, and does a lot of work in international travel between the various wizarding communities. She lost her entire family during the previous war, and was cut off from many of her close friends. She has long sought to join the order, after hearing about it years ago, but after the war she could find no way to get in touch, until recently. I hope you will all make her feel welcome. Thank you." Dumbledore sat down, and the meeting began.
Flashback
Prologue
It was the summer after Harry's fifth year in Hogwarts. He was currently sitting in his and Ron's bedroom at No.12 Grimmauld Place, playing Exploding Snap with Ron, Fred and George, while Ginny played with Crookshanks and Hermione read in the background. Fred had just won for the fifth time in a row, when they heard noises from the hall. It sounded like some more people had arrived for the meeting. They snuck out of the room and looked over the banisters. Below them, they could Mrs. Weasley whispering a welcome to Dumbledore and a tired-looking middle-aged witch they hadn't seen before. She had pale skin, a long nose and stormy grey eyes. Her tall slim frame was wrapped in a heavy black travelling cloak, and her long black hair, which was held back in a messy bun, looked windswept and untidy. They watched until they disappeared from sight, before returning to their game.
Roseline Kehst followed in Dumbledore's shadow as Mrs. Weasley led them to the kitchen. She traced her fingers along the walls. He lived here, she thought to herself, he hated it here, and yet this was where he lived for almost a year before he died, trapped because the public would not believe the truth. It felt weird to her to be pacing the floors she knew he must have once tread, felt weird to think that he had been alive in this place just a few months before, felt weird that her thoughts had been with him, wherever he had been, for so long, yet when she had finally found his hiding-place, he had just recently left, never to return.
She sighed and pulled herself together as Mrs.Weasley turned the handle of the kitchen door. She followed Dumbledore into the dingy room which was crowded with people. Mrs. Weasley had already taken her place at the table. "My friends," said Dumbledore, "allow me to introduce to you the newest recruit to the Order, Miss Roseline Kehst." Lupin, who had until now been absorbed in the organizing of a large pile of papers, looked up with a start, his expression one of shocked amazement. Professor McGonagall, who had watched them enter, gave Roseline a small nod and a smile. Only one other person gave any sign of recognition-Snape heard the name and shot Roseline a look of utmost contempt, before returning to the scroll he had been reading.
"A few of you may recognise Ms. Kehst, but for the rest of you I shall give you some more information, while Ms. Kehst takes her place." Dumbledore nodded to her and Roseline sat down between Bill Weasley and Sturgis Podmore. "Roseline Kehst was at school with Lily and James Potter, and some more members of the Order, both past and current. She was a Gryffindor, and a friend of Lily's. She now works for the Ministry, as she has done for the past twenty-two years, in the department of Magical Transportation, and does a lot of work in international travel between the various wizarding communities. She lost her entire family during the previous war, and was cut off from many of her close friends. She has long sought to join the order, after hearing about it years ago, but after the war she could find no way to get in touch, until recently. I hope you will all make her feel welcome. Thank you." Dumbledore sat down, and the meeting began.
Flashback