The Order talked well into the night. Conversation turned from the events of Hermione's capture to the errand that had held Dumbledore up. He had been at the ministry.

Fudge had all but outlawed Dumbledore for his "radical" ideas nine years before. Now, he had been forced to admit the return of Voldemort. However, he continued to refuse Dumbledore's advice and theories.

For the first few years, Dumbledore had tried to sway Fudge's opinion. Again and again he had appealed to the Ministry. But Fudge would not be moved. Instead, he was carefully covering up Voldemort's return, quickly falling from omitted truths to blatant propaganda.

At 12 Grimmauld Place, a radio was always tuned in to the Wizarding Wireless so they could monitor Fudge's "successes" against the "rebel" Order and Voldemort, who, over the course of the last year or so, had apparently joined forces. No one really liked listening to it, it tended to upset people.

Dumbledore had eventually given up trying to enlist the Ministry and instead snuck into the building to attempt conversions of sorts. In particular, he tried to reunite families. He had been in Percy Weasley's office while Ginny was blasting her way through Voldemort's castle. Percy was not the only stray within the Ministry, but he was Dumbledore's special case. Out of basic respect, Percy never reported Dumbledore's visits, but he never seemed to sway. Dumbledore's report today was the same. The Weasley's mourned their missing member, but he was hardened against them.

Hermione fell asleep on Ginny's shoulder during the discussion. She cared about the Weasleys very much, but she needed sleep. When her head fell heavily on Ginny's shoulder, Harry finally picked her up and took her to bed.

When he returned, it was to a different Ginny. While Hermione had been in the room, Ginny had showered affection on her, tried to make her as comfortable as possible. Now, the redhead was hard, angry. When he stepped into the room, she wheeled on him.

"What are we going to do about it?"

He held his hands up innocently. "I'm sorry, what?"

She was on a roll. "Voldemort's popping Order members right off Hogwarts grounds! We have waited too long! It's time to do something!" She was addressing the room as a whole, but now she turned back to Harry. "So, what are we going to do?"

Harry put his hands down. "Sit down, Gin."

Ginny sat and Charlie put a hand on her arm. "You can't force Harry's hand. He'll fight when he's ready."

"No, Charlie, she's right." Harry sighed and took a seat. "I have waited too long, putting off the war. It's time to do something, it's been time to do something for a while."

The room was silent. Great things were happening. The WWN floated in from the next room.

"...The Dark Lord and the radical Order of the Phoenix have taken to vandalism, breaking windows in the old preserved Malfoy Castle. It is suspected that this is a reminder of the murders of Lucius, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy three years ago, all of which have been attributed to Order members..."

"Look what they've done to us," Mrs. Weasley murmured quietly. They all knew that Voldemort had killed the Malfoy's when Draco had rebelled. He had assumed that Draco's usurpation stemmed from his parents and murdered them all. The castle Hermione had been at hadn't belonged to the Malfoy's though. While they had a large manor, the castle was actually an old abandoned ruin. No one could say to whom it belonged.

Ginny turned to Harry again. "What are we going to do?"

He looked up at her, remorse in his eyes. "You mean what am I going to do."

"No, I mean what are we going to do." Ginny stood and walked over to Harry. "We are all in this together. He has done awful things to all of us."

"But, Ginny, you know the prophecy. It has to be me, and I might not make it."

"Yes, Harry, you have to fight, but nothing says you have to do it alone. I can't speak for anyone else, but I will be fighting right beside you. No matter what. Together, we'll make it."

Ron stood behind her. "Me too, mate."

This was followed by a round of nods and 'of course's. Harry graced them all with his quirky smile. "We'll see. We should begin planning. I need - we need as many advantages as can be arranged."

Mr. Weasley interrupted him. "Let's plan tomorrow. It's getting far too late."

"You're right, of course," Harry conceded. Everyone stood and said goodnight with hugs in abundance.