It had been exactly six days since she had gotten the owl from Albus Dumbledore. Upon the parchment scrawled neatly in emerald ink was the following:
Miss Lavender,
I would be delighted if you could join me for tea on August the 6th at seven o'clock.
Best Regards,
Albus Dumbledore
The message had been a simple one but considering that Lilian hadn't been in contact with the Headmaster since her time at Hogwarts nearly eighteen years ago, it struck her as odd and she had a feeling that this meeting would not be pleasant one.
Indeed, she was right. While it surely was wonderful to see Albus after so many years, their exchange in pleasantries died away as quickly as they began. Before he even opened his mouth to speak further, she saw it in his eyes. She knew what he was going to say before he even spoke – she heard it whispered everywhere. At first Lilian did not want to believe it, but out of the mouth of Dumbledore, her worst fears came flooding back.
Voldemort was alive and gaining power.
As he explained everything to her – what Harry Potter had experienced, Voldemort's rebirth, and the Death Eaters – a vicious wave of fear, sorrow, and anger rose inside of her. Lilian hardly even noticed when the ginger snap she was holding crumbled to the floor in a heap of crumbs from the extreme amount of pressure she had been unconsciously exerting onto it.
After she recovered from the initial shock of the news, the purpose of their meeting now became clear to her. Albus Dumbledore needed her service and thus Lilian was called forth to join the Order of the Phoenix. After having experience horrifying things firsthand in the First Wizarding War, there was absolutely no way that she could refuse him. Memories of the War flashed before her eyes – her lime green Healer's robes soaked in a dying wizard's blood, a young witch screaming for her dead mother. These nightmarish memories were ones that she could never forget. She looked up at him, her voice slightly quavering but defiant, and accepted without hesitation.
But of course there was a little more, which he saved for last. The accused murderer, Sirius Black, was innocent and part of the Order. It felt as if her heart had sank into her stomach. She hadn't spoken to Sirius since she was in her Seventh Year at Hogwarts. Once close friends and lovers, she and Sirius had a falling out in their last year at Hogwarts. Doubling back to the greenhouse one sunny afternoon because she had left her Herbology book behind, Lilian had walked in on Sirius heatedly kissing another girl. She refused to speak with him from then on and had never forgiven him. Knowing that she would have to see him on a regular basis after eighteen years of attempting to forget it ever happened made her feel nauseous.
Now she knew why Albus had saved that part for last.
At the end of their meeting Albus informed her where the next meeting would take place – Number 12 Grimmauld Place, just three days from then. She solemnly thanked him and left.
She had only three days. Three days to think over everything that Albus had told her. Three days to come to terms with the fact that Voldemort was back and gaining power. Three days to prepare herself for seeing Sirius Black again.