Author's Note: PLEASE REVIEW! I really need to know what you think, what I could do it improve, etc.
Another Day in the Department of Mysteries--Chapter FourThe next morning, the sky was covered in a blanket of gray and the wind was blowing hard, making it abnormally cold for summer. Sirius awoke to the aroma of bacon, eggs, and cinnamon that had drifted into his bedroom from the kitchen below, as did a muffled shouting.
When he walked down the stairs, the old wooden steps creaking all the way down, he spotted Molly in the kitchen talking sternly with Ron.
"You and Hermione may not join the Order. It's far too dangerous," she shouted.
Ron began to whine. "But Mum, we're almost adults. I'm sixteen and Hermione will be seventeen in September. We're old enough. Plus, Fred and George joined last summer."
"Yes, they did," Molly replied, looking regretful. "But that was a huge mistake. They were far too irresponsible to understand what goes on here. They don't even do anything, except sit in that joke shop of theirs all day."
"I think it's a wonderful idea, Molly," Sirius said as he stood in the kitchen door. "Ron and Hermione are much more responsible than Fred and George, and they've already seen so much. Much more than probably half of the Order." He ran his fingers through his hair absentmindedly. "They know how to fight, and they aren't children."
Molly looked frustrated, her face reddened with anger. "Fine! Fine! Just don't come crawling to me when a Death Eater cuts off your arm or an ear or—" She stopped abruptly and sniffed. "What's that smell?"
Ron started to laugh. Molly had become so distracted when arguing with Ron that she'd forgotten about the eggs. Smoke was rising from the pan and fire was issuing from the burner.
Later that day, Albus Dumbledore arrived at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. As a first order of business, he discussed the matter of Ron and Hermione's membership in the Order to Molly and Arthur.
"I know they've seen much," said Dumbledore thoughtfully, "and they can handle much. I believe they have the potential to be adequate members, Molly." He had noticed Molly's whimpers of protest. She was still not satisfied with them joining.
"Speaking of the two of them," continued Dumbledore. "I came to talk to them, Remus, and Sirius personally. May I ask where they are?"
"Here we are, Professor." Hermione's brown bush was visible in the doorway as she stuck her head in the room. Ron followed her.
"Excellent." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he moved his half-moon spectacles up his crooked nose. "Ronald, would you please be so kind as to fetch Sirius and Professor Lupin?"
"Yes, sir." Ron said immediately. He sprinted from the room with his sneakers squeaking behind him.
Dumbledore then turned back to a quivering Molly Weasley. "I'll think over Ron and Hermione's membership some more before I make a final decision, don't worry."
When he had left the room, his light blue robes sparkling behind him, Ginny appeared in the doorway.
"Can I join the Order, too, Mum?"
Sirius did not remember the room very much, mainly because he had never been allowed in it as a child. It had been his father's personal library, no doubt filled with the worst kinds of Dark Magic available, considering no one else had ever been allowed in. It was perhaps the largest room in the Black household, but certainly not the most luxurious. The walls were painted a dark green, almost black, color. The lamps gave off a limited amount of light, barely enough for anyone to see the face in front of him or her, and the chairs and sofa (for there was only one) were dusty and uncomfortable. The bookcases were small and only about half full, probably because books of the sort were few.
Dumbledore sat in the center of the room so that the other four occupants could see him. Ron and Hermione sat on the sofa, and Remus and Sirius sat in two of the chairs, but not before wiping them down.
"I have some very important information to give to the four of you," Dumbledore began. "Of course, it concerns Harry, and of course, I'm giving it to you because you were the ones closest to him during his lifetime."
Everyone listened in silence, only the wind could be heard whistling through the trees outside.
Dumbledore continued. "Now, this information you can share with the other members of the Order. It is your decision to make among the four of you whether you want to do so or not." He paused for a moment to look at the four in front of him and began again. "First, all of you need to understand why Harry was a target for Voldemort in the first place." Here, Dumbledore flicked his wand and his silver pensieve appeared. "There was a prophecy made concerning Harry and Voldemort. Sirius, you already know of it, but the others do not."
Sirius nodded. The others listened intently.
Dumbledore placed his wand in the pensieve and twirled it around. Then, the silvery image of Sibyll Trelawney, the Hogwart's Divination professor, arose from the pensieve like a volcano rising from the ocean.
Her mouth opened and a voice none of them had ever heard before issued from it.
"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 hand 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."
"Everyone knows what happened as a result of that prophecy," said Dumbledore. "Voldemort found out about it, he went after the Potters, and Harry stopped him. That's why Voldemort had been after Harry so many years after."
"Wait," said Hermione. "It says 'either must die at the hands of the other,' and 'neither can live while the other survives,' so why isn't Voldemort dead if Harry is?"
"Because Harry wasn't killed by Voldemort himself," Sirius told her. "The prophecy meant that only if Voldemort tried to kill Harry, not if someone else did. Right?" He looked over to Dumbledore for support.
"That's my interpretation as well," Dumbledore nodded to Sirius. "If Voldemort had killed Harry, then he would have died, too. And now I am under the impression that 'either must die at the hands of the other' could mean that either must die under the leadership of the other. For example, Harry was killed by Bellatrix, who was under Voldemort's leadership. So, that means someone on our side must kill Voldemort. "
"So, what are we supposed to do if the prophecy is no longer valid?" Ron asked, looking confused.
"Well," replied Dumbledore. "That is the most important item this meeting concerns. Have any of you ever heard of a Horcrux?"
"Yes," Remus Lupin spoke for the first time. "It's a device in which a person can place a piece of his or her soul. The maximum anyone can break a soul into is seven pieces, and the only known way to destroy a Horcrux is through the use of basilisk venom."
"Exactly right, Remus," said Dumbledore.
"So," Ron's blue eyes widened with understanding as he shifted his weight on the sofa. "That's how Yo-I mean-Voldemort managed to survive the killing curse that rebound on him the first time he tried to kill Harry. Because he used Horcruxes."
"Yes," agreed Dumbledore. "He originally split his soul into seven pieces. However, I have reason to believe that he accidentally split himself into eight pieces. Harry was a Horcrux as well."
Everyone gasped. Sirius started speaking in anger. "So that's why Voldemort could plant visions in his head? Because he had a piece of Voldemort's soul inside him?"
"I believe so, Sirius."
Sirius growled in anger. Hermione reached out from the sofa and took his hand in hers.
"So that means one of them is already destroyed?" asked Remus.
"Three of them, actually," corrected Dumbledore. " Harry, Riddle's diary that he destroyed in his second year, and this ring." Dumbledore held out his hand to show them all. On his left index finger was a ring with a small cracked stone in the middle. "I destroyed it myself."
"And…you want us to destroy the others? And so…kill Voldemort?" asked Sirius, still clasping Hermione's hand.
"Yes," Dumbledore surveyed all of them closely through his half-moon glasses. "You see, when I destroyed this ring, a deadly poison somehow passed through me. I've been given an estimated nine months to live. So, I won't be able to take care of all the Horcruxes myself. Therefore, I leave the task to all of you since Harry can no longer complete it."
Another Author's Note: That's chapter four. I'll probably have chapter five ready tomorrow, but I'm not so sure after that. Again PLEASE REVIEW so I can know how I'm doing. Merci!
Beaucoup d'amour à tout le monde,
Amélie