Chapter III The First War

May 15, 1979

Today I attended the wedding of Miss Evans and "the arrogant toe rag" Mr. Potter. Knowing both the bride and groom, and seeing that his family lives in my home town I felt I must accept the invitation though the situation with Voldemort is getting to the point my attention to the problem is needed desperately.

Ministry officials seem to be either in denial about the seriousness of the Voldemort problem or they are afraid for their lives and the lives of their families. My every effort to get them to act has been fruitless. Two young Aurors, Frank and Alice Longbottom, have also been trying to get the Auror's office to do something about Voldemort. I asked my old friend in the Auror's office Alastor Moody to check into the Longbottoms and with his recommendation I have asked them to come to the next meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. I remember them from school and both were talented and powerful individuals. Though they are only in their early twenties I think the can be helpful because most of our members are older and the Longbottoms will be able to tap information sources we can't.

Headmaster APWBD

June 1, 1979

The Longbottoms convinced the ministry to raid a shop on Nockturn Alley and made an arrest of the shop keeper for possession of prohibited dark artifacts. The shop was known to be frequented by death eaters and its loss as a place to buy poisons and other cursed items will be a blow to Voldemort's effort to recruit more followers by intimidation.

Headmaster APWBD

June 20, 1979

The Longbottoms success made me think of other young people that could be of help to the cause. While in Godric's Hollow I approached the Potters and explained how I began to gather information about Voldemort and about the Order of the Phoenix. The Potters want to join the order and suggested I contact their friends Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.

When I hesitated, James told me the story of how they discovered Lupin was a werewolf in their third year and how they became animagi to help him. Lupin could certainly be useful in

gathering information since there is a class of people who would talk to a werewolf but not to

us. James said the loyalty of Black and Pettigrew is beyond question and their animal forms could be useful in spying on death eaters; especially Pettigrew's rat form.

I agreed to let James contact the three others but insisted he did not tell them why I wanted to talk. I would rather feel out their attitudes for myself. Perhaps I am getting even more paranoid about secrecy now that I know Voldemort is watching me.

Headmaster APWBD

July 12, 1979

The order has gone into high gear in gathering information on Voldemort. He gets bolder every day in recruiting new death eaters, intimidating people, and murdering people that oppose him. The Longbottoms, the Potters, Lupin, and Black have been particularly good at this since our older members have tapped out most of their sources years ago and the younger crowd is reaching new sources unknown to us old timers.

Headmaster APWBD

Aug 1, 1979

The Longbottoms and the Potters have both thwarted attacks by death eaters on people who refused to help Voldemort. Peter Pettigrew has brought in information directly from death eater meetings he infiltrated as a rat. I have some hope we are making progress against Voldemort at last.

Headmaster APWBD

Sept 20, 1980

Acting on information collected by Peter Pettigrew the Potters waited at the house of a ministry official and exposed a death eater trap before the official's children could be kidnapped. The Longbottoms acting in their capacity of Aurors raided the house of a death eater and confiscated several poisons and dark artifacts. Two more strikes against Voldemort.

Headmaster APWBD

Oct 5, 1979

Voldemort struck back killing a member of the order, Marlene McKinnon and her entire family in their home. She was checking into a story about Voldemort's past and must have been careless in asking questions. Voldemort doesn't want people to learn his secrets.

Headmaster APWBD

Dec 1, 1979

The Potters again thwarted a kidnapping attempt by death eaters on the family of the editor of the Daily Prophet newspaper. Holding his family could force him to withhold news of Voldemort's actions or even print articles favorable to Voldemort's cause. It is hard enough to alert people to the danger without the paper covering for Voldemort. I look on this as a major victory for the order.

Headmaster APWBD

Feb 14, 1980

There was a disturbing and important incident today. I went to the Hog's Head Inn to interviewed Sybil Trelawney, the great-great grand daughter of the famous seer Cassandra Trelawney, for a position as divination teacher. I hesitate to even teach divination at Hogwarts since I believe seers are born not taught; but I felt I owed her the courtesy of an interview. At first I thought she showed no seer powers but as I was preparing to tell her I could not take on the cost of another professor at this time she went into a trance and told me what I feel is an important prophecy concerning Lord Voldemort.

In the middle of the prophecy we were interrupted by a noise at the door. My brother Aberforth who is the inn keeper caught Severus Snape listening at the keyhole. I know that Snape who graduated less than two years ago was recruited as one of Voldemort's death eaters. He has been staying in Hogsmeade, the only all magical village in Great Brittan. He is apparently is assigned to watch me when I am in town, pick up gossip, and report to Voldemort.

Aberforth tells me when he saw Snape follow me upstairs he became suspicious. Aberforth followed Snape and when he saw what Snape was doing threw him out of the inn. Aberforth said he could hear Trelawney talking in a funny voice so Snape must have overheard at least part of the prophecy. I am sure he has relayed the news to Voldemort by now.

The prophecy concerned the birth of a person who has the power to defeat Voldemort; and thus is important information to both Voldemort and the family of the child who will certainly be in danger if Voldemort finds out who they are. The full prophecy is as follows and I have sent a copy to the Ministry of Magic hall of Prophecies as required by ministry regulations.

I have hired Sybil in order to protect her. Voldemort will certainly want to hear the rest of the prophecy and will be after her for it. She will have at least some protection if she stays in the castle.

Headmaster APWBD

Record of a Prophecy

Sybil Trelawney to APWBD

Concerning the Dark Lord (Voldemort?) and ?

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches….

Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies….

And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not….

And either must die at the hands of the other for neither can live while the other survives….

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…

Feb 28, 1980

I have learned that both the Longbottoms and the Potters are expecting babies around the end of July. Both may fit the prophecy having struck Voldemort's organization three times each and if either child is actually born at the end of July the whole family will be in danger. I will have to talk to each family and be sure they understand the situation.

Headmaster APWBD

Mar 16, 1980

More members of the order were killed today by Voldemort or his death eaters. An attack on the house of Edgar Bones killed him and his family. We don't know how Voldemort found out about him being in the order.

Headmaster APWBD

Mar 22, 1980

From the few facts we could gather I think Voldemort personally killed Dorcas Meadowes yesterday. Someone must have talked under torture. I can't understand how Voldemort learned the names of so many members.

Headmaster APWBD

Mar 30, 1980

Lupin reported in on several planned attacks on magical families. It seems Voldemort is recruiting werewolves to join his cause and a particularly vicious one by the name of Fenrir Grayback has been trying to intimidate others to join. Lupin overheard them planning the attacks and we were able to stop four attacks killing five werewolves in self defense.

Headmaster APWBD

Apr 26, 1980

I convinced Alice Longbottom and Lilly Potter not to go out on missions since both are six months pregnant and some things we do are strenuous therefore bad for the babies. I told the two women about the prophecy which I have been keeping secret from everyone to protect Sybil Trelawney. They agree that if one of the babies is the one with the power to defeat Voldemort they should not be placed in danger. Both women agreed to keep the prophecy secret from everyone but their husbands.

Headmaster APWBD

May 12, 1980

Another loss for the order; death eaters trapped and killed Gideon Prewett and his brother Fabian. They must have put up quite a struggle because damage to the buildings showed extensive blasts from powerful magical curses.

Headmaster APWBD

June 5, 1980

I have received information from Lupin that Voldemort has ordered all members of the order to be captured alive and tortured for information on the prophecy. It will do him no good since the Potters, Longbottoms, and I are the only ones who even know there is a prophecy and only I know it in its entirety.

Headmaster APWBD

July 31, 1980

The Potters had a boy today and they named him Harry. The Longbottoms also had a boy today and they named him Neville. Which if either is the one foretold by the prophecy?

Both families have defied the Dark Lord and both recently had three important victories in the

war. The prophecy says the Dark Lord will mark him. Will we have to wait to see or will there be some other sign?

Headmaster APWBD

Aug 20, 1980

The war against Voldemort continues but my duties as headmaster are taking more of my time as the school year approaches. Lupin and Pettigrew continue to be our best sources of information and I am glad James convinced me into recruiting them. Sirius, James, and

Frank do most of the dirty work of acting on the information to stop attacks and kidnappings while Lilly and Alice care for the babies at home.

Our older members are doing most of the analysis of the information gathered trying to find new clues about Voldemort's activities and plans. The loss of our friends in the last three months hurts us all deeply.

Headmaster APWBD

Sept 15, 1980

The school year started smoothly but the war on Voldemort had another set back. Another member of the order has disappeared and we think has been killed. The Body of

Caradoc Dearborn was never found and but he has not contacted anyone for days and must be assumed lost.

Headmaster APWBD

Oct 12, 1980

Severus Snape contacted me and asked for a meeting. I assume he carries a message from Voldemort and I have agreed to meet him on a bald hilltop where the chance of an ambush is small. I can't imagine what Voldemort want except perhaps a trade to get Caradoc Dearborn back. Maybe he wasn't killed but has been held captive and Voldemort feels I will be willing to trade information for his safe return.

Headmaster APWBD

Oct 13, 1980

The result of the meeting with Snape proved totally unexpected. He claimed he was acting on his own and told me Voldemort thinks the prophecy means the Potter boy. Voldemort wants to kill the entire family and Snape asked me to protect Lilly. I was repulsed at first, I remember his feelings for her while in school but to ask me to save her and disregard the

lives of the boy and James disgusted me. I told him so and he reversed himself asking me to save them all. Seeing the opportunity I asked him what he would pay me to do this. His feelings for Lilly must be deep for he promised me anything I want. If this is not a ruse I may just have acquired a spy among Voldemort's death eaters.

Headmaster APWBD

Oct 15, 1980

The Potters have been told of the threat from Voldemort but like most young people

they claim not to be afraid. James told me if Voldemort comes after them, "It will be a bad day for Voldemort." I don't know if this is just bravado, or to comfort and assure Lilly, or if he underestimates Voldemort that much. James is powerful and a few victories of some death eaters may have made him over confident at his chances against Voldemort face to face.

The Longbottoms showed relief for their own situation offering to help the Potters in any way but I warned them this information could be wrong and they must maintain precautions just in case Voldemort wants to take no chances and attacks both families.

Headmaster APWBD

Dec 2, 1980

The war goes on and I have tried to convince the Potters to go into hiding but they refuse. James insists they must fight Voldemort if their son is to live a happy life and both he and Lilly have gone on missions for the order.

Headmaster APWBD

Jan 15, 1981

Snape contacted me for another meeting. He claims Voldemort has a spy in the order. On questioning him he admitted Voldemort did not actually come out and say that but at meetings of death eaters he referred to getting good information about the location of the Potters and also names of other members of the order. It seems he is really turned against Voldemort and helping us.

I feel this claim of a spy in the order must be taken seriously and have decided to compartmentalize all further activities of the order which may help determine if there is a leak and whom it might be. I also renewed my plea for the Potters to go into hiding.

James resisted again. His father died a few months ago and his mother refuses to leave

the family home. I assured James if he, Lilly, and Harry move it will make his mother safer since they are the target for Voldemort not her. Also members of the order will check on Mrs. Potter and see she is well.

After they talked it over James agreed to move the family to a small bungalow I know at the outskirts of Godric's Hollow. The location will be kept secret and he will be close enough to check on his mother daily. I warned him about being seen at his mother's and then followed back to the bungalow but he assured me he could move without being seen and showed me an invisibility cloak he claims has been in his family for generations. He admitted it allowed him

and his friends to move around Hogwarts without being seen and that is why my sources in the castle were unable to catch them

I took one look and realized the cloak must be the third Deathly Hallow. If it is really generations old and in such perfect shape it can not be a normal invisibility cloak since they all wear out as the charm on them looses its power.

I agreed to his visits to his mother and asked if I could borrow the cloak some time to examine it. He agreed but I do not think he knows what the cloak really is.

Other members of the order have also moved their families to safe locations and I am the only person that knows them all.

Headmaster APWBD

Mar 20, 1981

It is harder for the order to function with this secrecy but unless I can be sure there is not a spy among us it is better to be safe. No one in the order has been killed recently.

Headmaster APWBD

July 15, 1981

James continues to go out on missions along with Frank Longbottom and Sirius Black.

Pettigrew and Lupin provide most of the intelligence reports and the women are continuing to stay home for the most part protecting the babies. The older members have used up their sources of information and except for an occasional mission they help only in analyzing the information from Lupin and Pettigrew.

I am tied up with school activities and am the only member not in hiding to some extent. I feel the castle's thousand year old defenses will give me adequate warning of any

attack and I feel I can defend myself or escape if necessary from any attack Voldemort can mount against me.

The war is going bad. Voldemort is taking over the magical world, the order is on the defensive, and the Ministry of Magic is disorganized and ineffective. I see no good end coming from this.

Headmaster APWBD

Oct 1, 1981

There is very little we can do without fresh information. For this reason I have convinced James to stay with Lilly and Harry and they have placed a Fidelius charm on their bungalow that will prevent Voldemort and his death eaters from finding it even if they are standing ten feet away. Only people told personally of the location by the secret keeper for the charm can find it. I told James I would be his secret keeper but he picked his oldest and best friend Sirius Black.

If the Potters stay inside the area of the charm they should be safe. Since James will not be going out he lent me the invisibility cloak so I can examine it.

Headmaster APWBD

Nov 1, 1981

I got a message from my old friend Bathilda Bagshot; the Potters neighbor who has been bringing them food since they went into the Fidelius charm. Voldemort found the Potters and killed them. I do not know how but I am leaving for Godric's Hollow to check the situation.

Headmaster APWBD