The Longest War
Chapter 1: The Strangest Arrival
The first strange thing to happen that night was Sirius dropping to his knees, the breath knocked from his chest and his face scrunching in agony. Panic had poisoned Harry's blood as his godfather collapsed under some invisible threat across the room.
The second strangest thing was how not a moment later they were all distracted from Sirius' plight by a grave Remus Lupin and a disturbed Albus Dumbledore.
The third thing that was strange yet also painfully familiar was how easily his entire life could be forever altered by one single event.
Something in the air that swirled through Grimmauld Place was always different on the nights the order met. Homework, chores and the mammoth undertaking of clearing out Black Manor were typically the first tasks to be abandoned. Blessedly, Mrs. Weasley would usually become too busy to oversee their activities instead occupied by the preparation for both the meeting itself and for the large group of witches and wizards that would descend on the house.
Pranks too were far from anyone's mind, a tremendous feat considering the Weasley twins were harboured on the second floor, constructing some sort of base for the development of their latest concoctions and experiments. Even Sirius, growing more and more ill-tempered with what, from his perspective had become his second imprisonment seemed to experience some kind of shift.
Harry's gaze, following his thoughts, found his godfather in the growing crowd. On the opposite side of the room, Sirius appeared to be engaged in what seemed to be a rather serious conversation with a man Harry knew to be an auror yet whose name eluded him. Their brows were furrowed yet Sirius winked towards his godson when their gazes met, the mischief and magic having been reignited for the evening.
On the nights when the order's meetings were called Sirius' shoulders began to fold back, the hope building between his shoulder blades and the promise of purpose working its way up his spine. His fingers and spirit itched to do something, anything that could help – help Harry, help his friends turned family and honour the fallen, ever present in his mind; none more so than James and Lily themselves. Something that would feel normal. Something that would push back at the powerlessness and helplessness that built up under his skin. Something outside of the house he cursed each time his mother's shrill voice shook its walls or he encountered a cantankerous Kreacher or heard the heavy door seal shut bricking him off from the outside world time and time again.
As another woman joined their conversation effectively blocking Harry's view the fifth year turned to see Hermione on his right flicking through a book that looked vaguely familiar, that probably should have been more familiar knowing Hermione as he did. Harry could tell, however, that she was in fact tuned in to a conversation happening behind them between two witches he had seen at previous meetings. Unable to hear however and knowing Hermione would be able to reproduce all the details later he left her be and turned towards Ron who was seated on his other side.
As he turned to his left Harry smothered the laugh that threatened to escape his lips as he realised he was not the only one, nor the first one that had been watching Hermione. Rolling his eyes and wondering when his friends were going to finally catch on Harry's eyes, not for the first time that night, floated over towards Ginny.
She was sat just beyond Ron and angled slightly behind George and his lips quirked upwards as he noted the slouch of her frame. Harry knew that she was trying to blend in, become invisible amongst the growing numbers of bodies that filled out the room and crowded around the table, so as to escape Molly's stringent decree that her youngest would not bear witness to the goings-on of the meetings. Unlike Ginny, Harry could understand the act as the matriarch's stretch of her dwindling control and will. As the war grew her ability to hide her children away, to control and organise receded. Although he was also too aware that his new insight had only developed once Mrs. Weasley's focus had shifted away from himself. And after losing the battle of Harry's attendance followed swiftly by Ron and Hermione's, who flanked him even at the table that night, Molly's focus turned solely on her only daughter. This, of course, resulted only in daily reminders of the likeness between mother and daughter particularly when it came to temper and stubbornness as they battled it out in their now commonplace rows.
Leaving Ginny, Harry's eyes began to wander the room. The faces were becoming more familiar with each meeting; witches and wizards assembling to plan, strategise and organise their defence. Many were aurors, but more were not – they were teachers, writers, ministry employees, shop-keepers, even a quidditch player and most obvious to him, parents of Harry's peers.
Several key and familiar faces were missing from the milling crowd, however, including Mr. Weasley, Moody, Remus, Tonks, Kingsley, Bones and Dumbledore himself of course. They had set off earlier in the day, after lunch, out on a mission, the details of which had not yet been relayed to Harry himself. Sirius had indicated that it was simply an observation mission, to collect evidence regarding the presence of death eaters in a remote village somewhere north of Wales. A bout of skepticism had flamed inside of Harry however as he'd taken in the group that had departed earlier, certain that he'd not witnessed a group made up of such high-ranking order members before, and unsure that a simple observation mission would call for such.
It was the waiting, of course, that was causing the buzz of anticipation and nervous energy to swirl around the room. They were late, Harry knew, the mission's group having been expected to have returned prior to the meetings start. This was not abnormal however as Sirius, Mrs. Weasley and Hermione had reminded him all catching his frequent and far from subtle glances towards the clock. Harry had chosen not to point out Mrs. Weasleys doubling efforts in the kitchen, keeping her mind and hands busy, or the fact that Sirius had begun to pace the floor. They were right of course, missions rarely stuck to schedule, but they were all too well-versed in the game to keep the worry from mounting with each passing minute.
"Where on earth did those bowls go?" Harry heard Mrs. Weasley ask no one in particular as she rifled through the cupboards, forgoing her wand completely. A moment later she was upright again clucking with displeasure and blowing a strand of red hair out of her face. Sirius stepped back quickly, well-practiced in moving around the Weasley matriarch to avoid being in the way, and also a potential run-in, Sirius being the only one to beat Ginny in his ability to cause the older woman to lose her patience.
"They're recruiting" Harry cricked his neck sideways to see Hermione who had leaned towards him and he noticed the two women had disappeared from behind her.
"You-know-who" she clarified and Harry felt the immediate twinge of annoyance at the name – the correction easily coming to lie on the tip of his tongue – he bit it down as she continued,
"There have been reports he's been recruiting, well rather the death eaters have been recruiting locals from northern towns, through whatever means necessary" she informed him,
"What means are we talking about" Ron questioned uneasily, also having leaned towards them,
"Imperius curse" Hermione replied darkly causing Harry to nod grimly in understanding and Ron to swallow the lump that lodged in his throat. It had been a common theme of discussion at previous meetings, the question of how to identify witches and wizards acting under the curse, practices in the field, and what to do with those they had recovered. The details were dark, worse than the textbook, scholastic version they'd studied in defence against the dark arts. There was a reason it was unforgiveable, and Harry could recall the stories some of the members around the table had recounted of their own experiences under the curse, things they'd done – the guilt shining in their eyes even as they spoke about the feeling of complete powerlessness.
"So, Sirius was right then? Dumbledore and the others, they've gone to see the state of things up there?" Ron surmised and Harry could only nod as he took in the new information, enfolding it into previous knowledge and filing away the questions that formed for a later time.
"I suppose so, but I heard them talking about-" the words died on Hermione's lips as a loud yell came from the other end of the room. Harry was on his feet in a moment his chair scraping loudly across the floor as the room grew quieter,
"Sirius?" he yelled as he watched his godfather brace himself against the countertop folding almost in half. Sirius' face had turned pale and his breathing ragged,
"What's going on…Sirius what happened?" Bill asked having been seated the closest to the man who was now doubled over in pain. Sirius rubbed his side before straightening up. His face scrunched up in pain and Harry felt the panic start to build in his own veins,
"Sirius?"
"I'm fine Harry" his godfather reassured breathlessly which failed to provide any comfort to Harry at all. If anything, Harry was more concerned by the pain he could hear clearly in Sirius' voice,
"I need –" but Harry didn't find out what his godfather needed as a loud bang `reverberated around the room causing everyone to swivel towards the entrance. The door flung open, hitting the wall with a thud, revealing a harried Mrs. Weasley, her eyes wide, clearly having been distracted from the matter of the missing bowls.
"Arthur's patronus arrived, the wards are down" she informed the group, a severity making her words sharp. No sooner had she finished her sentence did a loud crack startle everyone seated around the table and those that lined the walls for a second time,
"Arthur, what happened?" Molly cried as she caught sight of her husband's expression – his eyes glassy and distant, his mouth dropped open slightly and forehead creased in concentration – almost as if he'd been stunned.
"Dad?" Charlie asked, standing from the table quickly and moving towards his father who had taken the moment to lean back against the wall, steadying himself,
"Arthur?" Molly repeated finally reaching him and laying a hand on his forearm. Her touch pulled the man from his thoughts, his features creasing as if he were trying to remember something he'd long forgotten,
"Healers" the word slipped from his lips once he registered his wife standing before him,
"What's happened Dad?" Bill asked having turned from where he stood beside Sirius,
"Healers…we need healers, contact them" but Molly had already straightened into action having realised the severity of the situation. Harry, Hermione, Ron and the rest of the youngest Weasley siblings watched as a flurry of action swirled before them in some kind of well-practiced coordination that made Harry realise and remember this was something that many of the order members were in-fact terribly familiar with, having been through a war once before. The older members moved automatically, wands in their hands communicating easily and efficiently. Several more pops saw Tonks and Kingsley enter the kitchen. Amelia, who had been speaking with someone through a device Hermione stared curiously at, trailed behind them.
"Sirius" a quieter, more worn voice permeated the low hum of activity. The familiarity of it caused Harry to sigh with relief for a moment as his eyes found Remus only to see his old professor searching the group until he found Sirius who had been speaking with Mr. Weasley at the head of the table, his pain or whatever had happened appearing to be momentarily forgotten. For a moment, a silence cloaked over the room as eyes focused on the pair of old friends. There were no words spoken but a million seemed to pass between the two before all present witnessed a flicker of understanding that caused the blood to drain from his godfather's face. Several heavy beats passed as the air in the room grew thick with questions, the silence far louder than anything Mrs. Black could produce that quickly served to make Harry suddenly uncomfortable and equally as confused,
"Where is she?" Sirius croaked out urgently his words stilted with a horror and fear that Harry hadn't heard before. His words however quickly causing many brows to similarly crease with confusion, she?
A quick glance to Ron and Hermione confirmed that his friends were just as clueless as he was,
"Albus is bringing her" Remus supplied his voice wavering just slightly. Tonks, though her expression bewildered, not unlike Mr Weasley's had been, looked towards Remus and placed a hand on his shoulder in silent support. Before anyone could speak however Kingsley's voice cried out through the room, urgent and strict,
"Everyone without clearance needs to leave immediately, children out!" he commanded, and Arthur nodded from his side. More and more order members were delving into discussion, their tasks having been accomplished and their murmuring growing louder as they spoke with the returned aurors and order members. There was a sense of disbelief growing in the air and Harry had no intention of leaving the room as he tracked his godfather closely who had been joined by Remus.
"Out…out come on all of you upstairs" Mrs. Weasley instructed having crossed the room hurriedly. She began to usher them out of their chairs, her hand firmly on Ginny's shoulder who quickly shrugged off her mother's grip. But despite her best efforts, Molly was too late to enforce Kingsley's order. A large crack, the loudest yet, silenced everyone,
"Help me Alastor" Harry had never heard the headmasters voice as urgent…disturbed even. A moment later Albus Dumbledore himself moved into the room holding something in his arms. Harry reflexively turned as Hermione let out a sharp gasp and he followed her gaze to see the trail of blood left behind on the floor as the headmaster swept passed them. For a moment Harry's chest tightened, a familiar flare of panic and dread, was Dumbledore injured?
The mumbling returned after several beats and Harry listened intently for some kind of information that could help him understand and process the events unfolding. He watched Moody vanish everything that had been atop the kitchen table in a second.
"Is that her?" someone asked from behind him,
"Who is that?" asked many voices from around the room until finally his ears caught a name,
"Merlin, that's Alora Lestrange" the wizard that had previously been talking with Sirius exclaimed suddenly, his words hollowed out in stunned shock. Gasps were heard around the room and several followed the wizards lead as he immediately raised his wand towards the body Dumbledore had begun setting carefully on the table. For a moment Harry caught Ron's confused, questioning gaze mirrored by Ginny and the twins who sat beyond her, but it was clear from the outrage that began to contort the faces of the order that their confusion was not shared. A low but heated murmur began to erupt,
"What the hell is she doing here?"
"Is she dead?"
"You-know-who's-interrogator" he heard Kingsley's voice but was distracted by Hermione's sound of recognition, the same one that signalled she knew an answer in class. Harry turned back to stare at the unmoving body on the table, only able to see a pair of black boots.
Voldemort's interrogator. Or, the dark lord's interrogator as she was referred to in the papers, in the hushed conversations on sidewalks and in the school halls. Her name almost as infamous as Voldemort itself, or as his own, Harry considered. She was spoken about with measured reverence, equal horror and curiosity as the stories spanned what was likely sensationalised fables of what she was capable. Her daughter, Harry knew, belonged to Slytherin, and was in Ginny's year.
He'd heard about her, they all had, the things she could do, she was one of Voldemort's greatest weapons…laying right where they'd eaten breakfast that morning, right before them. Harry felt his own hand move towards his wand despite the presence of the best defence against the dark arts professor he'd ever had, the entire Order of the Phoenix, his own godfather and Albus Dumbledore himself. Before he could however another voice claimed his attention,
"Put it down" but it wasn't his godfathers voice this time, it was Remus' and Harry stared as he felt the creeping realisation that there was something larger, greater and far more important happening that he was unable to comprehend,
"Lower your wands" Remus ordered to the group his voice deadly causing everyone to stare at him,
"Don't you dare fucking die…not now" Sirius' words reclaimed the attention of the Order, his plea echoing around the silent room each word laced with an unsettling combination of anger, distress and panic,
"She needs to go to Saint Mungo's" Hooper, an auror who worked also as some kind of medic exclaimed. She had introduced herself to Harry several weeks earlier popping in and out of Grimmauld place often with Tonks, an old friend.
"She will be treated here" Dumbledore stated calmly but firmly,
"But how can-"
"You cannot leave!" Moody's voice cut off the young woman's question as did the slam of the door; a result of the older auror's flick of his wand.
"Everyone who is currently present will not leave until they have been debriefed and dismissed" Moody instructed, his voice hard with no give and eyes swivelling across the assembly. They all turned back to the huddled group at the other end of the table, however, clearly a decision had been reached and Harry watched as Sirius began to scoop up the woman on the table. Harry observed him carefully; the way he placed her arm on her chest before sliding his own under her knees. Hooper lowered her wand and Harry realised she had been readying to move her newly appointed patient. As Sirius lifted her Harry got his first glimpse, not failing to note Remus taking care to hold a wadded piece of padding that seemed to glow a dark shade of red on the unconscious woman's shoulder. Harry took in her extraordinarily pale face and her closed eyelids. There was blood dripping down her face from skin split open somewhere above her hairline and a bruise was blossoming over her cheek. Her head rolled against Sirius' chest as he pulled her closer to his body.
Harry didn't think he'd ever seen Sirius Black be as careful with anything, or anyone. When he adjusted her Harry could see that his shirt had already become stained red with her blood, as had the table once she'd been lifted into the air. The group began to move, Sirius, Remus, Alastor and Dumbledore following the healers back out the kitchen and into a separate room of the house.
The room was plunged into silence as the door closed behind them.
Who are your favourite couples? Let me know!
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Also, I know it's just the beginning but let me know what you think and if you'd like to read some more!
Hope 2019 is going well for everyone!