Chapter 06
Harry Potter was at the hidden room checking some papers after a meeting of the secret group that had finished a few moments ago. He had founded it after his first year and had been gathering students since then.
No one knew that they existed and they made all the possible to keep like that. Sometimes he wondered how they had done it for so long.
A 'pop' made him look up from the papers to see 3 people arriving: 'Steel', one of the elves but the third made him to arch an eyebrow: Filius Flitwick, who looked confused all around.
"He saw me entering by accident." The girl said, still wearing her cloak.
"I guess you want an explanation." Harry said, assuming the role of 'Dragon'.
"That would define the situation, Mr. …" Flitwick started to say seriously.
"On this room, Professor, we don't use our names. We use codes. Mine is Dragon and hers is Steel." Harry said seriously, inviting the teacher to sit. Then he turned to the student and said: "I handle this. Be more careful from now on, ok?"
"I will." The Ravenclaw said with a nod before she left.
"Steel?" Filius asked arching an eyebrow.
"That's the purpose, Professor. If someone ever gets a list of the people here, they'll start to try to connect codes to names and they'll fail because they don't make sense at all." Harry said with a twisted smile, before saying: "Before we continue, I need you to swear that whatever is said here doesn't leave this room. I worked so hard to make sure that this is not known to make a sacrifice at this moment,"
"I can't make that swear unless I know what's going on. But rest assured, I won't run to tell it to Umbridge." Flitwick said seriously.
"She's not the one who I'm worried about, Professor. It's Dumbledore." The teen said, with a tone of voice as serious as the teacher's.
"Why is that?" The tiny man said confused.
"Because I have reasons to believe that the Headmaster's intentions are so… good." Harry said before he added: "I'll tell them later and you'll see my reasons for not trusting him so much. Or at least, to have some doubts."
"And what is this place?" Filius asked, changing the subject momentarily.
"I found it by accident in my first year, during the Christmas break. I hadn't thought of a use to it till second year when I planned this little group." The student said before he elaborated his explanation and the Professor listened with high attention:
"On my second year and after the fiasco of the snake, and also having in mind what had happened the previous year, I tried to find a way to form a little group of students who could see beyond the lies that are around. People who could see that Voldemort's return could happen sooner or later. But most importantly, people who could see past the crest in their robes and any kind of prejudice towards the Muggle world and would be up to some changes.
"You may believe it or not, but finding said people, wasn't that hard. I found several students of the 4 Houses and on my year or older ones. We met from time to time and we played some pranks, nothing too harmful or too complicated. The reason was that if we followed those rules, the twins would be blamed and no one would ever think of someone else."
"Did the Weasley twins…?" The Head of Ravenclaw asked surprised with the revelation of a hidden prankster that was in the shadows.
"Professor, the word stupid is not one that I would associate with those 2. And please don't fool yourself thinking otherwise. Those 2 could beat several students at your house on their exams if they had the intention to do so and you know it." Harry stated very seriously, and Flitwick couldn't argue that as he knew that the teen was right. Then he answered the unfinished question: "Did the twins suspect of another prankster? They did. I heard them several times cursing us. Unfortunately, they had no evidence and no one would believe them without a proof to support their claims."
"To trick your enemies, first trick your friends." The Professor muttered and the student nodded with a smile.
"As long as we kept a low profile, we were safe." 'Dragon' said with a nod, before he added: "And no, they weren't part of this group till a few weeks ago. Besides you, they were the last people to know our existence."
"Besides the pranks, what other purpose do you have?" Flitwick asked very curious.
"We try to make fun of Umbridge's decree and get rid of her. We have a way to know them before published, so they are checked and we find the mistakes and how to make sure that they don't survive long." The leader of the group said with a wide twisted smile.
"The Alien was your work?" The tiny man asked shocked.
"It was a house elf. We had it set up so we could kill 2 birds with the same stone: the decree and the Prophet. We knew what would say the Ministry so we… convinced everyone to stop buying it after the decree. They might have not thought too much of it, but when too many subscriptions were cancelled, they went to the source of the problem: Hogwarts and Umbridge. And it worked so nice."
"I don't think that many people would like to know how they were manipulated." Flitwick said seriously, in a tone of accusation.
"The manipulation is an art and at this School lives the greatest manipulator: Dumbledore. So, please save any speech you have when you fall on his as much as anyone around." Harry said very seriously.
"In what ground do you say that?" Flitwick asked shocked and confused with his words.
"What would you say if I told you that my friendship with one of my best friends was something arranged from the beginning?" Harry asked with an ironic smile.
"That you have my full attention." The Professor said with a nod.
"Let me tell you a story then and you can decide if I have grounds to support my claims." Harry said before he told them about what had happened at his first year when he had to cross the barrier. When he finished, he asked: "What do you find so odd on the tale?"
"You can't mean…" Flitwick started to say, as he had realized the problem.
"Why would Molly Weasley need to ask her children how to access the magical station when she made that trip before for 20 times at least?" The teen asked seriously, before he answered his own question: "It wasn't an accident, they were looking for someone: me. Who ordered her to do so? Guess." When the other man said nothing, the student continued: "Where did I always end up staying for my holydays? It was in The Burrow. Who allowed this to happen? The same person who sealed my parents' will to make sure I stayed ignorant of the Wizarding World."
"Sweet Merlin!" Filius exclaimed as he saw the ramifications of those words: Albus Dumbledore had manipulated Harry Potter's life from the beginning and no one had realized it.
"What would you say if I told you that last year, my name could have been withdrawn from the Tournament within the first 12 hours? Oh and casually, the books of the Tournament's rules disappeared the next day of my picking as Champion. Can you imagine where it was found?" Harry asked rhetorically, as he knew that the Professor realized the answer.
"He forced you to participate even if there was a way to prevent it?" Filius asked with great shock and he got a nod as answer. Then he asked: "Why would he do that?"
"Because he needed Voldemort back and he knew that this was a scheme to make him recover the body." Harry stated before he added: "Don't you find odd that Hogwarts' anti Portkey wards were not working that night?"
"But it doesn't make sense. Why would he want Voldemort back?" The professor asked really confused.
"Because of a Prophecy that says that only one of us will live and that that person will kill the other." Harry said seriously, before he added: "Dumbledore doesn't need a hero, Professor. He needs a martyr, one that will kill the Dark Lord and will follow his orders and do as he wishes."
"What if you kill him?" Filius asked seriously.
"The Headmaster then has a way to make sure that the Potter's line is kept alive through this." The teen said giving him a parchment that the adult read carefully.
"The less I hear, the less sense I find." Flitwick said with shake of his head.
"Welcome to the club." Someone said joining the group with a nod to both.
"She's my second in charge here: 'Badger'." Harry said to Flitwick, who nodded in answer to the new arrival.
"Is it safe to think then that you have more than one plan for all of this?" The Professor asked.
"We have plans for everything and everyone. But we have to be careful. That's why we still act friendly to the 2 redheads. If we broke the friendship, too many questions would rise. And that attention is not something we look for." Hermione, or 'Badger' as she was known at the room, said with a smile.
"Why 'Badger'?" The man asked arching an eyebrow.
"It makes sure that no one can figure out who's who here." The brunette said with a smile. Then she explained: "If we used codes that would be easy to decipher, we would be in troubles if someone got a list of the members. Using names that don't match us, we protect ourselves."
"Very intelligent." The tiny man said with a nod.
"Your students are not the only ones known to be smart." Harry said with a smile.
"How many students are on this?"
"Let's say that we are more than the 3 you met and less than 50. That is, counting the students that are at Hogwarts and those that are graduated." Harry said before he added: "And no, we won't give you a list of names or codes."
"I wouldn't have expected otherwise." Flitwick said seriously.
"Would you like to be an 'unofficial' member of this?" 'Badger' asked suddenly, surprising both. Then she asked her friend: "How many times have we discussed the chance of a teacher as one of us?"
"What would it entitle exactly this 'unofficial' membership?" Flitwick asked interested on the idea.
"Mostly, it would be the exchange of information from both sides, when it's considered important to anyone." Harry said before he added: "And for that, we use the elf that took you here. This is, by the way, the only way to enter. The passage you saw being used, works as exit but not as entrance."
"This room is connected to the 4 Towers?" Flitwick asked curious and confused.
"Not directly. There are passages that go from a room that is next to this, that end at each common room." Hermione explained.
"How is it possible that no one ever saw someone using it?"
"It's simple: from the passage you can see the Common room. If someone's there, they have to wait till it's empty to open it."
"So far you've explained me what are your plans for Umbridge and I can get a good idea for the Headmaster, but what about Voldemort?" Flitwick asked very seriously to the duo.
"We have something beautiful in mind. But it's still no time to set it in motion." Harry said with a sneer that matched Hermione's. Then he asked: "What's the answer then?"
"As long as I can do it, I'll help. I'm loyal to Hogwarts, no matter who is the Headmaster. That's the only thing I can promise." The tiny Professor said after he remained in silence for a few moments.
"Welcome board then. We get in touch through the elf as we make no mention of this group outside. We'll ask that you do the same." Hermione said, and the teacher nodded. Then she stood and said: "Let me show you the way to the Tower, as it's time for us to leave too."
"Show the way, Miss Badger." Flitwick said with a nod as the trio left the room.
AN: A few surprises about the names, eh? Don't try to guess more names because you'll fail!
This chapter should give you the idea of what relationship will exist between Harry and the Order from now on.
For the idiot who reveiws as Timber, go to the hell! Before leaving a flame to any review, have the guts to have a profile and then write a fic!
One last thing: what do u prefer for next: Harry as a superhero or Looney Toons? (I will write both anyway, but i'm not sure about the order of those 2 walking disasters.)