Chapter 6

Albus took a sip from the tumbler looking at his friends sitting around him. It was another bad day they had just received news of the murder of Tabby Clarkson an up and coming Auror and they were each sombre.

"Albus we need to be doing more but Crouch he's not allowing it. There must be a way around it."

He nodded looking into the bottom of his glass. Alastor Moody had arrived half hour earlier with news of the death. Dyfan and he had already been up in his office having a quiet drink and catching up after two months of missions.

"There is, we use the Order members in the fight."

"Alastor we're still a small organisation made up of old men."

"What about Taliesin, Potter and Scott."

But as it was said Dyfan closed his eyes shaking his head.

"Sorry I keep forgetting that Henry is gone."

Albus looked at his desk draw and back up at the Auror sitting there.

"Have you had anymore leads about his death?"

"None all we know is that a rogue dragon stood on him. Must have been a painful death."

"But where did the dragon come from?"

"No idea Dyfan. Nobody seems to have any ideas."

"I might be able to shed some light on the matter."

Both men turned to look at Albus. He opened his draw pulling out a scribbled note.

"I received this a few days after Henry's death. He wrote it that night I'm not sure how long before his death."

"What does it say?"

"He saw Cepheus Black in Romania."

"Black?"

"Yes Alastor and if my suspicions are correct then I believe he had a part in the murder."

"Why didn't you tell us before?"

"Alastor Crouch is in charge. What do you think would happen?"

"He'd go to Pettigrew about it."

"And who is Pettigrew always seen with?"

Moody closed his eyes looking very tired.

"The Black brothers."

Albus nodded but Dyfan spoke up.

"Well then the Order will have to do something."

Albus nodded taking another sip of his drink.

"Of course but look at us. There's the three of us and Aberforth and then who else do we have involved Taliesin and now Thomas Scott. We need more people to win this war, and Alastor I think that you know your Aurors better than anyone. If you think that any of them could help and more importantly are able to keep a secret then we should ask them to join. We need all the help we can get."

"I'll look into it for you. But it'll take years to get enough people."

Albus nodded but smiled lightly.

"Thomas has gotten Aaron involved. Aaron is young and knows quite a few youngsters that have left Hogwarts within the last three years. He's sounding some of them out, and I plan to speak to some of the older students that are going to be leaving at the end of the year. I'm sure I can get some of them involved."

A knock sounded on his door and he glanced at the two men. He wasn't expecting anybody at this time.

"Enter"

The door opened and he saw the Dixon girl, Amanda, enter and following just behind her came Branwen. Both girls wore scowls and didn't seem at all happy with having been sent to the office. Albus though smiled lightly waving his wand and making two seats appear.

"Couldn't wait to see me again could you Miss Dixon?"

She smiled lightly taking a seat.

"Of course not sir! Two and a half months without a lecture from you is too long. I thought about maybe setting fire to something during the summer so that you'd come and tell me off but thought it best to wait."

"Yes a wise choice. Now why are you here?"

"Because Amanda's being a bitch."

"Branwen!"

Albus could see that Dyfan was unhappy with his granddaughter's choice of word. Alastor on the other hand had snorted into his drink, a small smile playing on his features. Albus however just looked at her.

"I'm sorry I believe I just missed what you said. But why don't you explain yourself."

"Lily and I had gone to bed and she was talking to Dunn and Scott. When I asked for her to keep her voice down she used this spell on me that made me hang in midair."

Albus could see Dyfan's eyes narrowing as he looked at the Dixon girl and Alastor was still smirking.

"Miss Dixon is this true?"

"Well yes but she started it. Her and Evans acting like complete … well lets say they're so far up their bottoms that I'm surprised they can walk."

"Oh like your not."

"I'm not as bad as you. Miss I'm bad."

"Girls that's enough. Let's start at the beginning."

"Who are you to say that?"

"Ddraig that's Alastor Moody, not that you'd know."

"Oh so now you're calling me thick!"

Albus watched as Branwen lost her temper and made to stand up. But Dyfan had caught hold of her.

"Leave it Caried."

"Professor I can tell you what happened if you'd like."

Albus nodded at the girl and she turned smiling at Branwen.

"She's acting completely different and so is Evans. They came into our dorm room totally blanking me, Ginny and Alice and pulled cigarettes out of their trunks."

"No we did not!"

"Yes you did and then you hung out of the window puffing away calling us babies. Before making this huge song and dance about how they'd been sneaking out all summer and getting drunk."

"We've done no such thing."

"Would you like to tell this story?"

"Maybe I should since you're getting it all wrong."

Albus hid the smile that was threatening his face as he caught the unsure look on Dyfan's face. He cleared his throat.

"Branwen please remain silent and let Amanda finish her version. You can contradict it when she is finished. Please continue Miss Dixon."

"Thank you Professor. Anyway Evans and Ddraig went to bed and we were talking and then she yelled at us to shut up and I told her no. She threatened me and I was like I'm a Dixon. I know the Dark Arts I'll so kick your butt in a fight. Then she punched me. Which was when I put the Scourgify spell on her."

He nodded and looked at her.

"Have you left anything out?"

The girl looked thoughtful for a moment and nodded.

"She called me a gast, which of course we both know the meaning of. Oh and Evans tried to curse me so Ginny put her in the body bind. But Andromeda came in and made her remove it and made me put Ddraig down and then sent us here."

"Right so that's everything Miss Dixon."

"Yes Professor and if you wish to give me a detention I'm happy to take it."

He saw the smile and knew she would love to have the first detention of the year. She'd be able to rub that in to Black and Potter since both boys were always fighting for detentions. His eyes though travelled to the other girl who didn't look at all happy.

"Would you like to say anything Branwen?"

"Yes Dixon is lying. Lily and I were tired so we went straight to bed and then I asked her polity to be quiet and she refused and flung me up into the air."

"Oh so where'd I get this bruise from then?"

"Fighting. Its all you ever do after all you are a Dixon."

"Why you little –"

"Enough! I have heard enough from the pair of you. Miss Dixon you will be serving a detention tomorrow night with Professor Ddraig while you Miss Ddraig will also have a detention tomorrow night with Professor Slughorn. Now the pair of you please forget this argument and get to bed it is late."

"Yes Professor. May I ask what time my detention will be tomorrow?"

"I shall see Ddraig and Slughorn tomorrow and you will be told at lunch time. Now off you go."

Albus watched the two girls stand up and as they reached the door he called out.

"Branwen I expect the cigarettes in my office tomorrow first thing and don't think about keeping any. The house elves will check yours and Miss Evans' trunks tomorrow night along with all the other places you would be able to hide them."

The face she pulled could have scared the toughest of men but Albus just picked up his glass and took a mouthful as the door shut. They sat in a moment of silence and then Alastor laughed loudly.

"Got guts that girl has."

"Which one?"

"Not your granddaughter Dyfan the other girl. Dixon wasn't it?"

Albus chuckled lightly.

"You have no idea how much Alastor. She's Alistair Dixon's youngest daughter."

"Really, doesn't remind me of him at all."

"No, now about these people we're going to get to join…"