TITLE: The Darkest Hours
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and
owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to
Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros.,
Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is
intended.
This is my first fic so any comments are appreciated. This fic should be updated quite quickly because I know how frustrating it is to have to wait!
CHAPTER 1
The group sat around the table. Albus Dumbledore at the front, flanked by Arthur Weasley, the new minister of magic, and Minerva McGonagal. On the Right side of the table sat Tonks, who now held the position of Chief Auror. Next to her was Remus Lupin, who functioned as the dark creatures correspondent, as he himself was a werewolf. Next came a long line of red heads. Starting with Molly Weasley, who functioned in multiple purposes to the order, followed by Bill Weasley, who kept tabs on Gringott's Bank, and his brother Charlie Weasley who brought dragons into their service. At the other end of the rectangular table was the famed auror Mad Eye Moody, Mundungus Fletcher, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Sturgis Podmore and yet another red head, Percy Weasley, who had assumed his father's old position in the Ministry of Muggle Artifacts after pleaing his parents forgiveness for his folly. On the right side of the table sat the last four of the Weasleys, three of which were new to the order. Ginny Weasley and her two older twin brothers Fred and George were new to the meetings, as they had only been selected at the previous meeting to join for various reasons. One was that all the rest of their family had been selected, though the other reasons were more important. George and Fred had become the Hogsmede correspondents, keeping an eye on the ongoing events from their joke shop located there. Ginny was a valuable tool in ascertaining information from the Hogwarts student body, as she was the only one in the room still in school. Next to her sat her brother Ron, who along with his partner and best friend Hermione Granger, worked as an evil fighter, just as they had since their youth. He worked as an operations tactician, putting his chess logic to good use. Hermione added her personal intellect to the team, and together they made a good team, frequently used for consultation even though they were only 18. Finally came foreign correspondents Victor Krum and Fleur Delacore, who sat beside her old head mistress, Olympus, and her husband Rebeus Hagrid. The couple functioned as correspondents with the giant population, which was used to guard Azkaban prison. Lastly was the grumpy looking professor Severus Snape, who functioned as an insider amongst the death eaters. The Order of the Phoenix sat in full numbers, prepared for another meeting, yet not quite complete, for the hero whom everyone had always expected to kill their ultimate nemesis was missing.
Harry Potter had not been heard from for three years.
~ Hemione could remember when Harry had disappeared. It had been the summer after their fifth year. During the first two weeks, Hermione had gotten letters from Harry, all short and of a depressed manner. It occurred to her that he was blaming himself for Sirius Black's death, and she grew increasingly concerned for him, especially as his letters stopped coming. When Ron told her that he wasn't hearing from Harry either, they decided to send an owl to Dumbledore, notifying him. Hermione could still remember his response:
Dear Mr. Weasley & Ms. Granger,
I am sorry to inform you that I have no helpful information for you. I cannot tell you weather Mr. Potter is okay or not, however, I can assure you that you shall not be seeing him this summer, or for some time after. I am sorry for the pain this may cause you, however, I ask you not to persue the matter any further.
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
Hermione had been saddened, angered and confused by the headmaster's response, and all Ron and Hermione could hope for was Harry to return soon. Hermione had not gone to see Viktor that summer, and had in fact broken off her relationship with him soon after Dumbledore's letter. She couldn't focus on Viktor when Harry was potentially dead, though she refused to even consider it. She and Ron had begun to spend a lot of time together, life without Harry was difficult, and though they had never truly moved on, they had re assembled their lives. Hermione and Ron had dated in sixth and part of seventh years, however, the closeness they had developed in Harry's absence did not compensate for their differences, and they continued to bicker as they always had.
"Let the Order of the Phoenix Commence." Dumbledore spoke, his voice as commanding and authoritative as ever. Hermione snapped out of her reverie and directed her attention to the headmaster. "Let us recap on our past actions, so that our new members may better understand this semblance. Four years ago, Lord Voldemort was reborn to power, his coming resulting in Cedric Diggory's going. The minister of magic, Cornelius Fudge, hesitated to join in a resistance with us, and despite our best attempts to avoid it, we were powerless to Voldemort's attack on the Ministry of Magic, due to our lack of higher power amongst the ministry. 50 people died in the attack, including Cornelius himself. Since that time, as you can see, we have gotten many more helpful allies, and have succeeded in keeping the death eaters from attacking the ministry again, as well as keeping them from attacking Hogwarts. However, we have been unable to stop the murders, and the schism that has split the magic community is beyond our control, at least, as of now. That is generally all. Any questions?" As no hands went up, Dumbledore resumed.
"Now, what information has been brought to the order today?" he asked a calm to his voice that was unheard in such dark days. Usually, a person's tone was either meek, as though they expected if they spoke to loudly to the wrong person, their voice would betray their allegiance, or else it was panicky sounding, as though any minute they may be either murdered or taken prisoner by death eaters. Those who were muggle born found themselves under great risk, though all who did not support Voldemort were under great danger for their lives.
Severus Snape was the first to stand. "I have been informed by my connections within the death eater's circle that what we feared of happening has been confirmed. Voldemort is planning on opening this war into the muggle world, and will be opening concentration camps for muggles and muggle borns. The plan is in its earliest stages." His eyes darted about and he sat down.
A strangled cry escaped Mrs. Weasley's mouth. Dumbledore's eyes lost their twinkle. McGonagal went pale. Ron looked dazed, and Hermione's heart merely stopped. Things were getting worse, just when a beacon of light had seemed to be opening, things began to grow worse than ever in history. What hope was there? What hope could there ever be? Even the boy who lived lived no more. "Don't think that!" She scolded herself, forcing herself to redirect her attention to a now standing Remus Lupin.
Remus had grown older and sadder looking every year since Harry's disappearance and Sirius Black's death. It made Hermione want to cry just to see him. Now he spoke, his voice a bit shaky. "The auror's have tracked down the location of a member of the inner circle's home. If we could put off a successful raid, we may be able to bring this death eater, Jaques Farrier under our control, and get some information out of him." Dumbledore looked up at this. "Ah, some good news Remus. What would such a raid require?" Remus looked nervous. "Well, sir, it would be very dangerous. I feel it's safe to say that casualties will be expected. We would need at least three teams of aurors led by only the best." Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I fear we have no choice but to take the risks Remus. Whom do you have in mind to lead the three squads?" "Well," Remus began hesitantly "each squad would require 5 aurors a piece. I would like to have Tonks and myself take one squad, you and Minerva take another, and Hermione and Ron take the last." Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to protest, however Remus spoke quickly before she got the chance. "I know you don't want Ron in such a dangerous position Molly. However, the fact of the matter remains that Ron and Hermione have seen more evil than your family combined, and they also make an unbeatable team. Hermione's intellect in unmatched, and Ron happens to know more about tactics than I myself do." Mrs. Weasley's eyes were tearing up, however, she forced herself to nod consent.
Remus turned back to Dumbledore. "What do you have to say sir?" Remus asked, his voice weary. "I believe your plan is the best we've had in some time Remus. As long as all your elected leaders agree to their positions, I conclude this meeting, fully expecting another within a few days." All the leaders nodded in agreement to the plan, and Dumbledore rose to his feet. "Very well then. Keep up the good work everyone, and as my friend Moody would say, constant vigilance. Now, those elected need to formulate individual battle plans with Remus. Until we meet again, may all remain in good health and fortune." With that, the meeting was dismissed. Hemione and Ron made their way towards the door, but before they got there, Dumbledore called out to them. "Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, please make your way up to my office. I wish to speak with you."
~ Hemione walked about Dumbledore's office, recalling all the times she had been there. She remembered Harry describing it to her, as he had been there many times before she and Ron. Later, as head girl, she had been there more times than she could recall. She saw looked for Godric Gryffindor's sword, however, she found the stand empty. She wasn't surprised. The sword hadn't been there for many years. She wished it was still there however. All she and Ron had to remember Harry by were pictures, though Ron often mentioned how Harry's empty bed in the dorm had often troubled him, a constant reminder of his best friend's absence, something Hermione certainly did not envy Ron for.
The door opened and Dumbledore strode in. "Please take a seat. Lemon drop?" After both refusing, Dumbledore sat behind his desk and looked both of his recently graduated students square in the eye. "I first want to be sure you both understand the dangerous implications of your assignment. You do realize you could be either killed or taken prisoner?" They both nodded with grim determination. "Very well. Now, I would like to apologize to you both. If I had a choice, I would not drag such young persons into this dangerous life. However, I have no choice and I thank you for your allegiance. I am very proud of you both. I suspect you both have a great deal of preparing to do, and will stall you no further."
He rose to his feet, signifying their dismissal, however, Hermione spoke quickly. "Is Harry dead professor? Please, I must know." Dumbledore looked sadly at the two children, after all, they were still just children. They had their best friend stolen from them at such a young age, and now they faced death themselves. He dropped his eyes. "I do not know Miss Granger. I wish I did, however, I do not. I cannot tell you anymore. Trust me when I say, that if Harry still lives, it is as I told you, best not to pursue the matter. I am truly sorry. I assure you, if he does live, he will always try to return to you."
This is my first fic so any comments are appreciated. This fic should be updated quite quickly because I know how frustrating it is to have to wait!
CHAPTER 1
The group sat around the table. Albus Dumbledore at the front, flanked by Arthur Weasley, the new minister of magic, and Minerva McGonagal. On the Right side of the table sat Tonks, who now held the position of Chief Auror. Next to her was Remus Lupin, who functioned as the dark creatures correspondent, as he himself was a werewolf. Next came a long line of red heads. Starting with Molly Weasley, who functioned in multiple purposes to the order, followed by Bill Weasley, who kept tabs on Gringott's Bank, and his brother Charlie Weasley who brought dragons into their service. At the other end of the rectangular table was the famed auror Mad Eye Moody, Mundungus Fletcher, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Sturgis Podmore and yet another red head, Percy Weasley, who had assumed his father's old position in the Ministry of Muggle Artifacts after pleaing his parents forgiveness for his folly. On the right side of the table sat the last four of the Weasleys, three of which were new to the order. Ginny Weasley and her two older twin brothers Fred and George were new to the meetings, as they had only been selected at the previous meeting to join for various reasons. One was that all the rest of their family had been selected, though the other reasons were more important. George and Fred had become the Hogsmede correspondents, keeping an eye on the ongoing events from their joke shop located there. Ginny was a valuable tool in ascertaining information from the Hogwarts student body, as she was the only one in the room still in school. Next to her sat her brother Ron, who along with his partner and best friend Hermione Granger, worked as an evil fighter, just as they had since their youth. He worked as an operations tactician, putting his chess logic to good use. Hermione added her personal intellect to the team, and together they made a good team, frequently used for consultation even though they were only 18. Finally came foreign correspondents Victor Krum and Fleur Delacore, who sat beside her old head mistress, Olympus, and her husband Rebeus Hagrid. The couple functioned as correspondents with the giant population, which was used to guard Azkaban prison. Lastly was the grumpy looking professor Severus Snape, who functioned as an insider amongst the death eaters. The Order of the Phoenix sat in full numbers, prepared for another meeting, yet not quite complete, for the hero whom everyone had always expected to kill their ultimate nemesis was missing.
Harry Potter had not been heard from for three years.
~ Hemione could remember when Harry had disappeared. It had been the summer after their fifth year. During the first two weeks, Hermione had gotten letters from Harry, all short and of a depressed manner. It occurred to her that he was blaming himself for Sirius Black's death, and she grew increasingly concerned for him, especially as his letters stopped coming. When Ron told her that he wasn't hearing from Harry either, they decided to send an owl to Dumbledore, notifying him. Hermione could still remember his response:
Dear Mr. Weasley & Ms. Granger,
I am sorry to inform you that I have no helpful information for you. I cannot tell you weather Mr. Potter is okay or not, however, I can assure you that you shall not be seeing him this summer, or for some time after. I am sorry for the pain this may cause you, however, I ask you not to persue the matter any further.
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
Hermione had been saddened, angered and confused by the headmaster's response, and all Ron and Hermione could hope for was Harry to return soon. Hermione had not gone to see Viktor that summer, and had in fact broken off her relationship with him soon after Dumbledore's letter. She couldn't focus on Viktor when Harry was potentially dead, though she refused to even consider it. She and Ron had begun to spend a lot of time together, life without Harry was difficult, and though they had never truly moved on, they had re assembled their lives. Hermione and Ron had dated in sixth and part of seventh years, however, the closeness they had developed in Harry's absence did not compensate for their differences, and they continued to bicker as they always had.
"Let the Order of the Phoenix Commence." Dumbledore spoke, his voice as commanding and authoritative as ever. Hermione snapped out of her reverie and directed her attention to the headmaster. "Let us recap on our past actions, so that our new members may better understand this semblance. Four years ago, Lord Voldemort was reborn to power, his coming resulting in Cedric Diggory's going. The minister of magic, Cornelius Fudge, hesitated to join in a resistance with us, and despite our best attempts to avoid it, we were powerless to Voldemort's attack on the Ministry of Magic, due to our lack of higher power amongst the ministry. 50 people died in the attack, including Cornelius himself. Since that time, as you can see, we have gotten many more helpful allies, and have succeeded in keeping the death eaters from attacking the ministry again, as well as keeping them from attacking Hogwarts. However, we have been unable to stop the murders, and the schism that has split the magic community is beyond our control, at least, as of now. That is generally all. Any questions?" As no hands went up, Dumbledore resumed.
"Now, what information has been brought to the order today?" he asked a calm to his voice that was unheard in such dark days. Usually, a person's tone was either meek, as though they expected if they spoke to loudly to the wrong person, their voice would betray their allegiance, or else it was panicky sounding, as though any minute they may be either murdered or taken prisoner by death eaters. Those who were muggle born found themselves under great risk, though all who did not support Voldemort were under great danger for their lives.
Severus Snape was the first to stand. "I have been informed by my connections within the death eater's circle that what we feared of happening has been confirmed. Voldemort is planning on opening this war into the muggle world, and will be opening concentration camps for muggles and muggle borns. The plan is in its earliest stages." His eyes darted about and he sat down.
A strangled cry escaped Mrs. Weasley's mouth. Dumbledore's eyes lost their twinkle. McGonagal went pale. Ron looked dazed, and Hermione's heart merely stopped. Things were getting worse, just when a beacon of light had seemed to be opening, things began to grow worse than ever in history. What hope was there? What hope could there ever be? Even the boy who lived lived no more. "Don't think that!" She scolded herself, forcing herself to redirect her attention to a now standing Remus Lupin.
Remus had grown older and sadder looking every year since Harry's disappearance and Sirius Black's death. It made Hermione want to cry just to see him. Now he spoke, his voice a bit shaky. "The auror's have tracked down the location of a member of the inner circle's home. If we could put off a successful raid, we may be able to bring this death eater, Jaques Farrier under our control, and get some information out of him." Dumbledore looked up at this. "Ah, some good news Remus. What would such a raid require?" Remus looked nervous. "Well, sir, it would be very dangerous. I feel it's safe to say that casualties will be expected. We would need at least three teams of aurors led by only the best." Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I fear we have no choice but to take the risks Remus. Whom do you have in mind to lead the three squads?" "Well," Remus began hesitantly "each squad would require 5 aurors a piece. I would like to have Tonks and myself take one squad, you and Minerva take another, and Hermione and Ron take the last." Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to protest, however Remus spoke quickly before she got the chance. "I know you don't want Ron in such a dangerous position Molly. However, the fact of the matter remains that Ron and Hermione have seen more evil than your family combined, and they also make an unbeatable team. Hermione's intellect in unmatched, and Ron happens to know more about tactics than I myself do." Mrs. Weasley's eyes were tearing up, however, she forced herself to nod consent.
Remus turned back to Dumbledore. "What do you have to say sir?" Remus asked, his voice weary. "I believe your plan is the best we've had in some time Remus. As long as all your elected leaders agree to their positions, I conclude this meeting, fully expecting another within a few days." All the leaders nodded in agreement to the plan, and Dumbledore rose to his feet. "Very well then. Keep up the good work everyone, and as my friend Moody would say, constant vigilance. Now, those elected need to formulate individual battle plans with Remus. Until we meet again, may all remain in good health and fortune." With that, the meeting was dismissed. Hemione and Ron made their way towards the door, but before they got there, Dumbledore called out to them. "Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, please make your way up to my office. I wish to speak with you."
~ Hemione walked about Dumbledore's office, recalling all the times she had been there. She remembered Harry describing it to her, as he had been there many times before she and Ron. Later, as head girl, she had been there more times than she could recall. She saw looked for Godric Gryffindor's sword, however, she found the stand empty. She wasn't surprised. The sword hadn't been there for many years. She wished it was still there however. All she and Ron had to remember Harry by were pictures, though Ron often mentioned how Harry's empty bed in the dorm had often troubled him, a constant reminder of his best friend's absence, something Hermione certainly did not envy Ron for.
The door opened and Dumbledore strode in. "Please take a seat. Lemon drop?" After both refusing, Dumbledore sat behind his desk and looked both of his recently graduated students square in the eye. "I first want to be sure you both understand the dangerous implications of your assignment. You do realize you could be either killed or taken prisoner?" They both nodded with grim determination. "Very well. Now, I would like to apologize to you both. If I had a choice, I would not drag such young persons into this dangerous life. However, I have no choice and I thank you for your allegiance. I am very proud of you both. I suspect you both have a great deal of preparing to do, and will stall you no further."
He rose to his feet, signifying their dismissal, however, Hermione spoke quickly. "Is Harry dead professor? Please, I must know." Dumbledore looked sadly at the two children, after all, they were still just children. They had their best friend stolen from them at such a young age, and now they faced death themselves. He dropped his eyes. "I do not know Miss Granger. I wish I did, however, I do not. I cannot tell you anymore. Trust me when I say, that if Harry still lives, it is as I told you, best not to pursue the matter. I am truly sorry. I assure you, if he does live, he will always try to return to you."