-1Chapter 7: Surprise and Sorrow

After returning home from Flourish and Blotts, anger and embarrassment were soon forgotten as the days drifted by as they are wont to do during the summer. Hermione went back home to spend a few more days with her parents before the start of the term, which put a bit of a damper on Ron's mood. Harry and Ginny did their best to bring him out of his funk, as did Fred and George everyday after coming home from their shop, but nothing seemed to work. Ron spiraled down a well that was deep and dark, indeed.

One day, however, Harry suggested that they go outside and practice Quidditch. That did the trick, for Ron's spirits picked up as soon as he and Ginny donned their new Quidditch robes. Harry felt a bit of despair at the thought he wouldn't be playing for Gryffindor this up coming year, but Ginny was a fairly good Seeker, and he had no desire to try to take her position. Besides, his lifetime ban was, in all probability, still intact.

Harry and Ginny ran Ron through an intense series of drills with multiple Quaffles. Ron had vastly improved since last summer, and no matter how hard they tried, they just could not get the Quaffle past him. It was as if he were in a world where only he and the Quaffle existed, nothing else could vie for attention. The only time Harry and Ginny succeeded was when they fired two Quaffles at once, and even then, Ron managed to get a part of the second one. After several hours, Ron was completely worn out from practice, and opted to sit out for a while, as did the other two.

Later in the day, Harry and Ginny started up Seeker practice, as Harry did everything in his power to teach Ginny every secret and technique he had learned as a Seeker. They practiced spirals, dives, feints, as well as loops and spins. They participated in flat out races, sudden stops, close formation flying, and obstacle avoidance drills. Harry taught her various forms and methods of Snitch capture, how to read her opponent's intentions, how to get a feels for the direction a Snitch would take, so on and so forth.

He put her through every drill he could think of, thoroughly running Ginny through the wringer. Ginny was already a good Seeker, but her skills, especially in flying, dramatically improved as the days passed. Harry was proud of his student's progress, even if he did catch the Snitch every time. It felt good to fly and play once more, as old reflexes slowly returned to their prime.

The Thursday before they were scheduled to return to Hogwarts, Hermione returned, saying a tearful farewell to her parents. Ron wasn't happy seeing her cry, but he was ecstatic at her return. He didn't even need his broom to fly that day, he had such a bounce in his step. Harry and Ginny fought back a severe case of the giggles at seeing Ron fall all over himself at Hermione's return. Hermione didn't seem to notice much, as she had her face buried in the book Ron had given her for her birthday. Harry did catch a glimpse of a small smile, once, which Hermione hurriedly covered up.

Ron sat out practice that day, much to the delight of Fred and George, who teased him mercilessly about it. Harry and Ginny launched themselves into an immediate, full blown Seeker practice, the most intense one to date. Ginny came close to catching the Snitch several times, but Harry always managed to get a hand on it first.

Several hours later, the two finally landed, thoroughly exhausted, but still thrilled from the rush of flight. They staggered back toward the house, wearily dragging their brooms behind.

"Well, Ginny, that's it," Harry said, "I've taught you everything I know. You have definitely turned into an expert Seeker!"

"But, Harry, you still beat me!" she replied, still somewhat out of breath.

"I have a faster broom, that's all."

"No, I don't think that's it," she countered, "I think you have a natural talent for flying!"

"Oh well, I guess that doesn't matter much, anymore," he said rather sadly, "but you'll be able to beat any Seeker the other Houses throw at you!"

"Oh, Harry, you are so silly!" Ginny giggled.

"I'm serious!" he said as he and Ginny kept bumping into each other as they staggered home, "You should be able to catch the Snitch in record time, with all the practice you've had."

"Harry," Ginny said between giggles, "you really don't know, do you? All that practice, it wasn't for me!"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked incredulously, beginning to feel as if he were the butt of a rather large joke.

"Ron and I, we've already spoken to everyone," she said as she stopped and turned to face him, tucking a stray strand of red hair behind her ear, "I'm to be one of the Chasers this year. All that practice was to get you back in shape. You're 'lifetime ban' was lifted as soon as Professor Dumbledore took back control of Hogwarts, last year!" Ginny was trying hard to hide the smile that was slowly creeping onto her face.

"You mean…?" Harry asked, with just the smallest amount of hope beginning to form in his heart.

"Yes, silly! You are Gryffindor's seeker, once more!"

Harry's jaw hit the ground, as the world seemed to stop around him. There was a sparkle in Ginny's eye as she looked up at him, a large smile on her face. The sky was bluer than it ever had been before, the singing of the birds had never sounded more beautiful, nor had the flowers ever smelled sweeter.

"You're kidding! This is great!" Harry shouted as he snatched Ginny up in a hug to end all hugs, and spun her around in circles, the both of them laughing their heads off in sheer joy. He had never dared hope that he would ever play for Gryffindor again, always feeling like he would be trying to take Ginny's job from her if he ever tried. He never wished to hurt her, so the thought was never seriously entertained. This, however, had changed things, so much for the better.

They stopped spinning around and just stood there and held each other for a few moments, enjoying each others company and strength. They looked deep in the other's eyes, as Harry noticed the golden glow on Ginny's face. For just one brief moment in time, they were happy, plain and simple. The moment, however, passed, and then they realized what was going on.

"Ginny, er, um, well.." Harry stammered a bit, "Sorry." Slowly, ever so slowly, Harry and Ginny released each other, as both blushed madly.

"Hush, don't be," she said as she raised a finger and put it to Harry's lips, "I…" Ginny started when she heard something off in the distance.

"Come on, Harry, Mum's calling us," Ginny said as she took Harry's hand and led him back toward the house, "besides, we have something for you up there!"

Harry gladly followed her up to the house, his emotions running a roller coaster with every step. He did not want that moment to every stop, he wished to revel in the feeling of true happiness, the likes of which he had never truly experienced before in his sad life. Longing was there, but so was the other end of the spectrum: fear. Something deep within Harry was extremely frightened in what had just happened, and he could not understand why, and it took from the joy he felt. His emotions continued to flip flop all the way back to house. One thing was certain, the feelings between he and Ginny had deepened greatly, and he knew within his heart of hearts, it was good.

"Hermione, I'm so glad you liked your gift," Ron said, somewhat perplexed and perturbed, "but how many blessed times can you read the same bloody book?"

"Leave her alone, Ron," Ginny called out as she and Harry walked in hand-in-hand. They quickly let go before anyone could notice, or at least so they hoped. "You know she had been looking for that volume for a very long time, let her enjoy it!"

"It's not just that," Hermione piped up when she was finally able to tear herself free from the contents "It is a veritable encyclopedia set, listing so very much more in the wizarding world than I had ever dreamed!"

"How's that?" asked Harry as he came back in the room with two large glasses of pumpkin juice for he and Ginny.

"Well," she began, using her best teaching voice, one that Harry and Ron had come to dread in the years since they had first met her, "after our little experience with the Dark Arts text, I noticed something rather interesting about this book."

"Come on, Hermione, whatever could interesting about a book?" Ron quipped. She shot him a look that could melt steel. Ron looked a bit hurt, as her eyes softened involuntarily.

"At first, I thought it was just about famous, as well as infamous, witches and wizards from throughout world history," she explained, "but it's much more than that! Take a look at the spine, it has five circles on it!"

"So, this book is enchanted, just like our Dark Arts books?" asked Ginny.

"Yes!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly, "It's five books in one! The second book," she said as she pressed the corresponding circle, "is a tome on very ancient magics, most of which I have never read about before!"

"Something Hermione has never read about before, now that's a rarity!" Ron snickered as he nudged Harry's arm with his elbow. Hermione continued to ignore him.

"The next one is on Magical Weapons, Amplifiers, and Potions. I think there are potions in here that Professor Snape has never even dreamed about," she continued with a slight, mischievous grin, "I can't wait to try a few of these!"

"Anything we can use to turn Snape into a slug?" asked Harry rather grumpily, he had no desire to think about Professor Snape whatsoever.

"Oy! Don't say 'slug'!" Ron said, turning slightly green. Ginny started to giggle at his discomfort, as Harry and Hermione just smiled, saying nothing.

"Book four deals with Schools of Magic, as well as Magical Orders: what they teach, what they specialize in, and even where they are located!" This one raised everyone's eyebrows, for schools kept their locations as highly guarded secrets.

"Whoa," exclaimed Harry, "who ever wrote that one must have been one powerful wizard, to know where all the schools are located!"

"Believe it or not, it's written by the same wizard who wrote our schoolbook," replied Hermione.

"This 'M. Emrys'?" asked Ginny, still just a tad wary of the whole enchanted book situation.

"The same! From what I can see, he's written all five books in this volume," Hermione said with wonder, "but the most fascinating book is the last!"

"Okay, don't keep us in suspense, Hermione," Ron said, getting rather annoyed, "what's in the last book?"

"It's a complete history of the Order of the Lone Star," she said triumphantly, but was met with blank stares from the others, "You know: The Knights!"

"Bloody hell!" exclaimed Ron as he ran over to look at the book with Hermione, "How on Earth did we manage to stumble onto this? No one has a complete history of the Knights!"

"That's not quite true," Mrs. Weasley said as she and her husband walked into the room, ignoring Ron's curse, "Very few people know the true history of the Knights, Ron. Hermione, dear, count yourself very fortunate indeed that you were blessed with that book!"

"This is just so fascinating…" Hermione murmured to herself as she delved further into her reading.

"There will be more than enough time for that later, dear," Mrs. Weasley commented, "you lot need to pop on upstairs and get cleaned up. I've already set all your dress robes out, so everything is set."

"What do we need our dress robes for, Mum?" asked Ron, a little dubious of his mother's reasons.

"There's a meeting of the Order tonight, and everyone must attend! Now, come along, let's get cracking!" Mr. Weasley answered.

"But what about dinner?" whined Ron, "I'm famished!"

"We will eat when we get there, Ronald!" snapped his mother, "As will everyone else. Tonight is a very special occasion, and Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George will meet us there!"

"What sort of occasion, Mrs. Weasley?" asked Hermione as she and Ginny started up the stairs, followed by the boys.

Mrs. Weasley had a sad little look in her eyes, as her husband looked down at his feet. "It's the reading of your godfather's will, Harry," she said with great sympathy, "we've only now just discovered it, and we're holding a wake, according to his wishes."

The mood dampened a bit as they trooped upstairs to get ready. After Harry cleaned up and went to put on his dress robes, he noticed a large, wrapped package laying on the bed. He looked at Ron questioningly.

"Go ahead! Open it up!" said Ron, excitement creeping in to his voice.

Harry ripped it open and stood there aghast. "Is this…?" he asked, letting the question hang in his throat.

"Yep! The Excelsior!" Ron said happily at his friend's surprise.

"Wow, Ron! This is fantastic!, " Harry exclaimed then looked a bit troubled, "You didn't have to do this, it's so expensive!"

"Eh, call it a return on investment," Ron replied, with a bit of a twinkle in his eye, "Dad and I know all about your investment in Fred and George's shop. Don't worry, we've never said a word to Mum! We kind of like you being on her good side!"

"Thanks, Ron! You'll never know how much this means to me!" Harry beamed as he carefully folded his new Quidditch robe and placed it reverently in his school trunk, before donning his dress robe.

"You know, sometimes it's rather handy having a father who's Minister of Magic," Ron added with a wink as he got dressed. Harry nodded in agreement.

After everyone was ready, and had gathered downstairs, Remus Lupin arrived in a Ministry car to ferry them all to London. Lupin was looking much better than he had in a very long time, no longer pale and drawn, with newer robes on than Harry had ever seen him wear before.

"You're looking like you're feeling much better, Professor," commented Hermione as they all climbed into the car.

"Thank you, Hermione!" replied Lupin, beaming somewhat, "You can blame it all on Arthur!"

Mr. Weasley blushed a bit as his wife added, "One of the first things Arthur did when he became Minister was to offer Remus a job."

"Believe me," replied Lupin, "he did not have to ask twice! This is the first steady work I've had since Hogwarts."

"Well, I did need a personal assistant," Mr. Weasley stated, "and Remus seemed to fit the bill nicely. However, I shall have a better job for him as soon as I can get the anti-werewolf laws declare illegal."

"Can you really do that, Mr. Weasley?" asked Harry, his heart lifting a bit for his former teacher, and current friend.

"Seeing how the main sponsors of the law are now in Azkaban, and how they often granted favors in exchange for donations from certain individuals, I should have no trouble issuing a directive declaring the law discriminatory and illegal. It blatantly flies in the face of all the anti-discrimination laws in the books already. I'm going to send the case before the Wizengamot for a judgment, and Albus has already given me his promise to support the bill with all his power."

"It will be an uphill battle, though," commented Lupin as he carefully guided the car across the night sky, through the billowing clouds, heading for the huge Muggle city of London.

"You can't punish people for something that's not their fault," Ron chimed in, "It's not their fault they were attacked and became werewolves. It's just plain wrong!"

"From your lips to their ears, Ron," called Lupin over his shoulder, quite proud of his former student's stance on the issue.

Everyone's mood, as they stood before Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, grew solemn. Harry, especially, seemed to withdraw within himself. Ron and Hermione both came up and gave him a pat, to let him know that everything would be alright. Professor Dumbledore met them at the door.

"Hello, everyone, I'm glad you could make it," he said as he led the group through the front door. Harry, however, stayed planted to the spot.

"Is there something the matter, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, with a look of sorrow on his aged face.

"I-I-I-I don't think I can do this," stammered Harry. He had gone deathly white, and trembled slightly. He felt that if he walked through that door, that any hope he had of Sirius returning, no matter how absurd, would be completely dashed. Walking through would make it final.

"Harry…," Dumbledore started, until Ginny shot past him in a run, and took Harry's hand. Dumbledore's eyebrows rose up into his hairline, "Ginny?"

"Oh! Sorry, Professor!!' apologized Ginny as she lent her strength to Harry, "Come on, Harry," she said as she led him by the hand into the building. Dumbledore had to smile a bit as he watched the two teenagers.

The mood within the old house was even more somber, as everyone crept past the painting of Sirius' mother (so as not to set her off), and entered the main room, where the wake was to be held.

Harry's feet felt as if they were made of lead, as Ginny dragged him forward. His heart was in his throat as he looked about at the assembled members of The Order of the Phoenix that occupied the cavernous space. There were many there whom Harry recognized: Kingsley Shacklebolt, Dedalus Diggle, Hestia Jones, Mundungus Fletcher, and Mrs. Figg, just to name a few. Several came over to speak to Harry.

Mrs. Figg was happy that he looked so much better, then gave her condolences at his loss, wrapping him up in hug. Harry hugged her back, not minding the smell of cats on his neighbor. The closest Harry came to tears was when Tonks came over and gave him a big hug, then broke down in a flood of tears. Sirius, while Harry's godfather, was Tonks' cousin, and she was obviously not handling his death very well at all.

Tonks was a Metamorphmagus, changing her appearance at will. It was a very handy talent for an Auror to have, but now it reflected her inner anguish. Her hair, normally some sort of wild color and style, was now flat black and cascading past her shoulders. Her skin was the color of Death, and she literally had dark circles around her eyes. Tonks actually seemed shriveled up, as if all the life had drained from her.

Harry's heart went out to her, as he held her and let her cry out her grief. She and he were much more alike now than before, what little family she had left despised her just as much as the Dursleys did him, if not more so. Tonks had never realized how much Sirius' love and support had meant to her until he was gone.

Slowly, her crying wound down to an occasional sniffle, as her skin regained some bit of it's normal coloring, and her hair was no longer as dark a black as it once was. Harry led her to her seat next to Dumbledore, and then went and sat with the Weasleys. Ron was seated in a stiff, high back chair between his mother and Hermione, who was seated in an identical chair. Harry's chair was reserved between Ginny and Hermione, much to his utter relief. Ginny had supported him so much this past summer, he did not believe he could get through this without her. As he sat, she reached over and took his hand, filling him with warmth and well being.

Harry looked around the room, desperately trying to keep his mind from what was to come. He studied the old, heavy drapes that covered the ornate windows, the high vaulted ceiling covered in paintings that harkened back to what was thought to be a simpler time, the ancient carpeting that covered the floor, so old and used it looked as if no amount of cleaning would ever brighten or revive it ever again.

He watched the gaslights as they cast strange shadows about, their eerie yellow glow causing everyone and everything within their range to appear ill. Harry's eyes next fell on the Black family tree tapestry that hung in a prominent spot within the room, worn and ancient. He sadly looked at the spot where Sirius' name had once been, blasted off in a fit of spite by his overbearing mother. Harry recalled Sirius telling him the story of how he ran away from home when he was sixteen, because he could not stand his family's hatred for those wizards not of 'pure-blood'.

The room gradually filled up with faces both familiar and strange. The Order had more members than he had ever thought, either that or Dumbledore had done some serious recruitment this past summer. Harry was pleasantly surprised to see several of his teachers arrive, notably Minerva McGonagall, and Rubeus Hagrid. Seeing the two of them, the former the Transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor, and the latter the Care of Magical Creature professor, gave Harry a warm feeling. Both smiled warmly at him, and went to take their seats.

There were two faces there that startled Harry somewhat. The first was Professor Snape, which didn't make any sense to him. Snape and Sirius had an extreme dislike for each other, dating back to their days as students at Hogwarts. The idea of him showing up to a memorial for Sirius was strange indeed. Harry didn't care too much for Snape himself, so seeing him here for the wake irritated him somewhat. Snape stood in the corner, dressed in black as was his norm, arms crossed and scowling fiercely at the second stranger in their midst.

Sir Vladimir von Weighant sat close to Professor Dumbledore, dressed in black robes of a slightly different cut from the ones he wore that day in Flourish and Blotts. His hair hung loosely in back, reaching a point well past the ends of his shoulder blades. The braids at his temples swayed slightly as he spoke with Dumbledore, the silver chain woven into the left braid catching the gaslight in such a way as to create a slight star effect.

The rest of the Order gave the Knight no undue notice, none of the fear and loathing Harry had felt at the bookstore was apparent. Many members actually went over and shook hands with the Knight, reaffirming Harry's belief that there was nothing sinister about the man.

Harry's three friends, however, were obviously still terrified of him, despite all of the Weasley's reassurances. Ron turned as white as a sheet, while the girls trembled violently. Harry reached over and took Ginny's hand in both of his.

"It's alright," he assured her, "He's not the enemy! If he's friends with Dumbledore, then he must be on our side."

"I-I-I know," she stuttered, calming down somewhat from the touch of Harry's hand, "I just can't help it!"

"It will be okay," stated Harry, then he noticed that Ginny was getting worse. He looked up and saw Sir Vladimir and Dumbledore looking directly at them. A small smile was on the faces of both men, as Sir Vladimir stood up and walked toward them.

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Weasley," Sir Vladimir greeted as he stood before them, "Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley. My condolences on the loss of your godfather, Mr. Potter. Sirius was a good man."

"Did you know Sirius, sir?" asked Harry, his throat beginning to hurt somewhat.

"Aye, that I did, Mr. Potter, from a long time back," replied the Knight as he reached over and put a hand on Harry's shoulder, "I knew he and your father well."

"Y-y-y-you knew Harry's dad, sir?" asked Ginny very shakily.

"Yes, Ms. Weasley, he and Sirius were good friends," replied Sir Vladimir as he took a knee before Ginny and reached within his robe, producing a single, perfect white rose and handing it to a startled Ginny, "a beautiful rose, for a beautiful young lady!"

"Th-thank you," she replied, visibly calming down as she clutched the rose to her chest and took a sniff, smiling demurely, "you can call me 'Ginny'."

"You are most welcome," Sir Vladimir replied, as he caught Harry's eye and gave him a quick wink. Harry grinned, happy that Ginny was calming down. "And thank you, Ginny!"

"S-sir?" began Hermione, as she tried her best to clamp down on her fear, drawing strength from Ron as she squeezed his hand. As for Ron, he never knew Hermione was as strong as she was, her grip on his hand causing his eyes to bulge out of his head.

"Yes, Ms. Granger?"

"H-Hermione, if you please, sir. Th-that necklace you wear, sir, the design looks s-strangely familiar. Could you t-tell me what it is, p-please?"

The Knight smiled as he reached up and removed the strangely shaped symbol from the silver chain, the same type of chain that had been woven into his braid. "Of course, Hermione. This is a representation of a Thunderbird, it's a type of talisman of protection," he said as he placed it in her hand.

"My, but this is lovely!" Hermione replied, almost all trace of fear vanishing at the thought of learning something new. "What kind of jewel is this, the one in the center?"

"That, Hermione, is the Tear of the Thunderbird."

"Whoa! Wicked!" exclaimed Ron, who had been listening intently to the conversation. He had feared that this Knight planned some harm to Hermione, so had readied himself to take action. Now, however, he was enraptured with the jewel. Leaning forward, Ron studied the Tear. It appeared to be perfectly round, but upon closer inspection, a thousand tiny facets could be made out, each one throwing back the light in such a way that it seemed as if it were shooting sparks of lightning. Looking even more intensely, Ron could swear he could see a storm raging within.

"Incredible!" gasped Hermione, "I've never heard of such a thing!"

"It's beautiful," said Ginny, as she watched the jewel sparkle.

"Beautiful, yes, and extremely powerful," replied Sir Vladimir, pleased that all traces of nervousness and fear had bled from everyone.

"A Thunderbird's Tear? Is that anything like a Phoenix's Tear?" asked Harry, remembering the healing powers of Fawkes' tears.

"In a way, Mr. Potter," started the Knight.

" 'Harry' , please sir," interrupted Harry.

"Harry," quoted the Knight, smiling, "Now, where as a Phoenix Tear has incredible healing abilities, a Thunderbird's Tear is somewhat different, but magical, none the less. Utilized properly, it can be used to boost the effect of any spell, charm, or potion."

"And if not used properly?" asked Ron, beating Hermione to the question, that being no small feat in itself.

"Well…'Ron' , is it?" asked the Knight, to which Ron vigorously nodded his head. "I hear, from Professor Dumbledore, that you're quite the Quidditch player, one of the better Keepers he has ever seen. That's quite a complement you know, coming from the headmaster. Perhaps we can get together later tonight and discuss how you won the Quidditch Cup last year?" Ron puffed up with pride over Professor Dumbledore's assessment of his Keeper skills. The Knight smiled, for he had finally won all three over.

"Sir, what would happen if the Tears were used improperly?" Harry asked, repeating Ron's question.

A haunted looked flashed across Sir Vladimir's face before he answered, causing Harry a bit of concern. He hoped he had not upset the Knight.

"Well, Harry, they are known as the Seeds of the Storm for a reason. Trust me, you would not wish to see the results." replied the Knight, somewhat sadly. "Now, if you ladies wish, I shall try and see if I can get each of you one of these necklaces, if you like them so well. Until that time, however…,"

Sir Vladimir produced another perfect rose from his robes, this one in a light pink, and gave it to Hermione, causing her smile to beam brighter than the sun. "Now, these are very special roses, grown only in my homeland, and bloom during the brightest moon of the year. Only the most special ladies are given these, and will last you forever, giving you as much love as you give it." With that, he took his leave of them and went back to his seat across the room.

"Smooth, very smooth," Harry murmured to himself as he watched the two girls out of the corners of his eyes. They, as well as Ron, actually looked at the Knight with admiration, not realizing that he, himself, was doing the same thing. That pleased Harry to no end, perhaps they had finally learned. Much to his surprise, Harry discovered that he wanted to be like this Knight.

His pleasure was short-lived, as Professor Dumbledore took to the center of the room. The lights automatically dimmed, except in the spot where Dumbledore stood, drawing everyone's attention to the old wizard. Professor Dumbledore seemed older than his years, this night, for sorrow and loss can do this to even the most powerful person.

"My friends," he started, "thank you for coming. We gather this night to honor the memory of a great man…" Professor Snape snorted in the background, drawing venomous stares from the assembled crowd.

"A great man," continued Dumbledore with a harsh glare to the offending individual, "who sacrificed his life for our noble cause, and for those whom he loved."

"He was a good friend, a loving cousin and godfather, and a loyal soldier. He was the first casualty of this renewed war, and he knew that his life could be forfeit at any time. When the call came, he was the first to rush to the scene, even thought he could have easily stayed behind, where it was safe."

"But that was not the kind of man Sirius was, he had to be in the thick of things. When his godson needed his help, he could have stayed in hiding, but instead rushed to his side to help him, support him, and protect him. Doing so could have easily landed him back into the hands of the authorities, who did not know his true nature, nor his innocence."

"Sirius didn't care about himself, though, or his freedom, when it came to helping those he loved. I believe that he would have walked through the fires of Hell itself, and back, to protect and defend those closest to him."

"He lost so many years of his life, being falsely imprisoned, because of his loving nature. He tracked down the person who betrayed his best friends to the enemy, and then wrongly thought he had caused the deaths of that person, as well as innocent Muggles. He punished himself for failing his friends by staying in that retched pit they threw him in, knowing he could have escaped at anytime, but feeling that doing so would not have been right. He believed himself to blame. We all know that the blame was not his, the punishment should not have been his to bear."

Dumbledore looked about the room, looking everyone in turn straight in the eyes. "My words do not do the man justice," he continued, opening his arms wide to encompass the entire room, "as we all have our own memories of Sirius, both fond and familiar," this brought forth yet another snort from the corner, "and my heavy handed eulogizing will not speak better of the man than those memories. Remember him in your heart!"

With that, Professor Dumbledore took his seat as Alastor Moody thumped his way to the center of the room, his walking staff in one hand, and a crystal globe the size of a Bludger in the other. Holding the globe at waist level, he released it and left to take his seat, bowing ever so slightly toward Sir Vladimir as he limped by.

The globe remained hovering at the level at which Moody had released it. A slight humming started to issue from it, slowing filling the room. It wasn't an unpleasant sound, in fact, it actually seemed to calm everyone somewhat. Harry felt the lump in his throat disappear as he thought of all the fond memories he had of his godfather. There weren't many, but they were, for the most part, good.

A small point of light appeared in the center of the globe, slowly growing to encompass the globe entire, causing it to glow like a small star. It was then the light began to pulsate, and with a blinding flash, the globe was gone. In it's place, stood Sirius!

Well, a recording of Sirius, at least, Harry thought to himself as he did his best to calm his breathing and heart rate. He had thought, for just the briefest of moments, that his godfather had returned to him. It was a bit of a let down, and he chided himself for thinking the impossible.

"My friends," began the simulacrum of Sirius, as it looked about the room, "if you are seeing this…,well, you can figure it out!" he said with a wry grin.

"It has been a pleasure to know you all, even those who may think otherwise," Sirius said, and everyone in the room swore that he looked directly at Snape when he said the last part.

"Now, for the first part, I want to make this perfectly clear: None of you are responsible for my death! In all probability, I fell in battle, or at least I hope so! Knowing my luck, I slipped on a bar of soap and broke my neck, either that, or my wand exploded in my face!"

"I sure hope I died in battle," Sirius said with a smile and a wink, causing Harry and most of the rest laugh somewhat, relieving the tension. "To tell the truth, after so many years in Azkaban, death holds little fear for me. I just pray that I haven't let any of you down!" he said, looking around a bit, and settling on where Harry sat. Harry swore Sirius was staring right at him.

"The second thing I ask is to please, do not grieve for me! This is supposed to be a wake, so I expect someone passed out on the sofa before the night ends, and Professor Dumbledore to dance a jig with Professor McGonagall while wearing a lampshade upon his head! Don't disappoint me, Professor!" Albus Dumbledore remained in his seat, but was laughing himself silly, while Professor McGonagall blushed somewhat.

"Right now, I suppose I'm sitting back with all those we lost in the War, downing a warm butterbeer, and relaxing. At least, I hope so!" he said with a wink.

Harry sat there and smiled, holding Ginny's hand and feeling at peace. Leave it to his godfather to stare Death in the face and still retain his sense of humor, he thought to himself. He felt a light touch on his arm, and glanced over to see Hermione patting him reassured. He felt so lucky to have friends such as these, willing to put up with his nonsense and still be there to support him. Harry turned his attention back to the pseudo-Sirius as he spoke once more.

"Well, let's get on with the business at hand. I ,Sirius Black, being of sound mind and body …DON'T say a word, Severus!" barked Sirius as Snape choked back a snide remark, turning somewhat red in the face at being told off by a recording.

"I knew he was going to say something," grinned Sirius, giving everyone assembled a good chuckle, well, all but Snape, who looked absolutely livid.

"Okay, enough levity, back to business. First, my lovely cousin Tonks, it is to my deep sorrow that I leave you, but remember, you are not alone. The Order has been family to me for more years than I deserve, and they shall be a family to you. It is to this that I charge the Order entire. You folks are Tonks' family, now and forever."

"To Nymphadora Tonks," started Sirius, as he stuck his tongue out at her, causing her to giggle a bit, "I leave my love, and one third of my personal fortune, as well as the family estates in Scotland. If anyone gives you any grief over the estates, remind them who the rightful owner was, and who the owner is now!"

"Now, to my godson, Harry, I leave one third of my personal fortune, the house at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, and my eternal love. I am so sorry that I was unable to spend much time with you, and it pains me that I will not be there to see you fully grown, see you marry, or see your children. Just remember, I will be with you always, one way or another."

"Since you are still technically a minor, (but braver than most adults I knew,) I must leave conservatorship of the house with an adult until you reach the age of eighteen. To this I charge Albus Dumbledore, and ask that it may continue to be used as the headquarters of the Order, until such time as the coming war is over." Harry felt his chest tighten, as he watched Dumbledore nod his head in agreement with the recording.

"The remaining third of my fortune, as well as half the family fortune, I leave to Arthur and Molly Weasley, who have been good friends these last few years. It is to you that I leave legal guardianship of Harry for the times when he is not with his cursed Aunt and Uncle. You now have legal authority to act on Harry's behalf until the time he is eighteen years of age."

"I've already spoken to Arthur and Molly, Harry, and they readily agreed to take you in. They just didn't know about the rest of my plan!" grinned Sirius as he imagined the Weasley's reaction.

Harry's jaw dropped, and he felt the blood rush in his ears. The idea of actually being a part of a family that loved and wanted him was his dream, the dream he had almost every day of his young life. He had never thought that dream would ever come true, but never gave up hope, no matter how small. He felt his eyes grow hot, as his vision got somewhat misty. He felt someone place their hands on his shoulders, and looked to see Mrs. Weasley standing behind him, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Welcome to the family, Harry, dear," she whispered.

"Thanks," he croaked, his voice trying its best to crack, "I've felt as if I were a part of it for years now!"

"You were, dear, you were!"

The rest of the reading went rather quickly for Harry, who was enjoying the feel of being part of a family, as well as feeling quite warm now that Ginny had slid closer to him and leaned up against him. He could tell she was tired, but the smile on her face never gave it away. He wanted so to put his arm around her and hold her, but he figured that this was not the best time for such a display. So he just enjoyed the closeness of her. He felt content.

Sirius continued to dole out items and bits of wisdom to the other members of the Order, giving Professor McGonagall a huge ruby set in a silver pin that had been a family heirloom for generations. To Professor Dumbledore, he gave his prized collection of puzzles, jokes, and novelties from his school days in Hogwarts, as well as ten pairs of thick woolen socks. Dumbledore could not hide his delight, even if he tried!

He bequeathed the last half of the family fortune to Remus Lupin and the Order, split even amongst the two. Lupin had a haunted look on his face as he watched his friend's final image, and Harry could only guess as to what was going through his mind.

Hermione and Ron were even mentioned in the Will, much to the surprise of both. To Hermione, Sirius left the extensive Black library of magical books, minus the tomes on darker magic. He did admonish her to not try to take them all back to Hogwarts with her, and reminded her that he believed her to be the brightest witch of her age. Hermione, usually one to not shy from the attention, blushed mightily at Sirius' appraisal of her. The members of the Order looked at her approvingly.

As for Ron, Sirius had a very special treat: The Keeper's robe from the Eighteen Ninety-Two Chudley Cannons, the one worn the last time they had won The Quidditch League Cup. Sirius told him that it was to make up for injuring him the first time they met, several years ago. Sirius had gone out and bought it when Ron made Keeper of the Gryffindor Team, and had planned on giving it to him at Christmas, but that fell through, of course!

Hermione and Ron were both shocked senseless. Hermione's eyes glowed with anticipation of getting her hands on all those books, as a single tear ran from the corner of Ron's right eye at the thought of having the ultimate memento from his Favorite team's best year.

"I always knew he was a great guy," he sniffed as Hermione gave him a warm smile.

"And now, finally, for Snivel…er…Severus Snape," began the recording with a wicked grin, "Even though you and I have never been what could be called 'friends', with my death, I believe it is time to bury the hatchet…"

Snape suddenly came to full attention, glancing around, fully alert, to see if the aforementioned axe was heading in his direction. He turned even more pale than his usual shade.

"Don't worry, Severus," continued Sirius, "it's just a figure of speech, besides, I wouldn't dull a good axe that way!" Hermione stifled a giggle, while others cut loose with belly splitting laughs.

"No, I shall leave you something you will appreciate. Down in the cellar, behind the portrait of Reinbert the Rootmonger, and to the left of the bust of Simon the Snarky, you will find my family's prize collection of rare potions and ingredients. Many of these are nigh impossible to find these days. They are yours, use them well, or use them not, it truly doesn't matter to me! Consider it repayment for all the joy you have given me in the past!" concluded the recording, grinning still, obviously imagining the stunned look that was plastered on Snape's pale face. Harry could have swore that Snape's greasy hair was standing on end.

"Well, everyone, that's it! I have nothing else to give but my blessings and best wishes! Alright then, who's up for a party?" finished Sirius as he faded from view, resolving once more into the floating crystal globe. Dumbledore stood up once again, as Mad-Eye Moody reappeared and removed the globe, thumping over to Harry.

"Here you go, Potter," growled Moody as he handed it to Harry, "Sirius wanted you to have this." Harry mumbled his thanks as the lump returned to his throat. The globe felt heavy and cold, and reminded him of nothing like it appeared just seconds before. It seemed to match the stone he felt in the pit of his stomach. He wondered why Sirius had wanted him to keep it?

"And now," began Dumbledore, "before we begin the celebration of Sirius' life, we do have some business to attend to. Sir Vladimir, if you please?" he asked as the Knight stood and joined him the middle of the room. The chamber felt as if it actually got more quiet than it was, like all the sound had been smothered. Everyone knew that if the Knight came forth, it had to be grim news, indeed!

"Harry, Ron, take the girls upstairs, and we will call you when the meeting is over," Mrs. Weasley said as she tried to usher them up and out of the room.

"Hold, Molly," called out Sir Vladimir as he held up his hand, "this involves them as well.

"But, Vlad," she protested, a very worried look crossing her face, "they are just children, and not proper members of the Order yet. They shouldn't have to hear all the sordid details!"

"Aye, children, that they are, but they are warriors bred and true," responded the Knight, "and they have seen more combat these past few years than most have their entire lives. Nothing can change this."

"Vladimir, please," Mrs. Weasley begged, trying to spare the children any harm that may derive from the information about to be revealed. She seemed to have shrunk within her robes as she pleaded with the Knight.

"Molly, in this time of crisis, we have need of all the allies we can muster," Sir Vladimir said gently as he crossed the room over to Mrs. Weasley, his footfalls strangely silent and light for such a large man, "these warriors have proven their worth time and again." Harry and Ron puffed up a bit with pride, as the girls blushed at the Knight's assessment.

"They are the Generals of a young army, and we cannot afford to ignore a force as large as the D.A., a force that I foresee growing by leaps and bounds this coming year! Look at what they have accomplished thus far: they actually managed to enter the Ministry, as well as the Department of Mysteries, despite the security precautions! They fought off fully grown Death Eaters, and kept them from accomplishing their mission! For goodness sakes, many of them can conjure a full fledged Patronus, a feat most adult wizards cannot not perform!"

"With a bit more training, they could be a fighting force the likes of which this world has rarely seen!" concluded Sir Vladimir, admiration in his voice and his eyes.

"Please, we can keep them out of this, can't we?' she cried, a sob escaping her. It was bad enough four of her sons were members and putting themselves in harm's way, she had no desire to see her youngest children in the same danger. The boggart's visions flashed before her eyes once more. "Arthur, Albus?" she asked, looking for agreement from the men, who just shook their heads.

"I understand your fear, Molly, truly I do, but they will involve themselves in this whether we wish them to or not. Generals are only as good as the intelligence they receive, thus, forewarned is forearmed. They stand a much better chance of survival if they have all the facts! Molly, you know we are right about this." he finished softly and kindly.

"I know," Mrs. Weasley sighed as she sagged, then took her seat looking miserable. Her husband sat there and held her as she continued, " but I still don't have to like it! What if they get hurt or…or…,"

"I understand," he said with sympathy as he placed his hands on her and Mr. Weasley's shoulders, his eyes softening somewhat, "I feel the same every time my children go into battle."

"I agree with Mrs. Weasley," called out Snape from the corner, sneering, "I don't think Potter and his friends should be involved with this. They have a bad habit of putting their noses where they do not belong. You never know when they are going to mess things up! Just look at the incident at the Ministry, if you need an example!"

Dumbledore and the Knight both turned to stare at Snape, as did most of the people in the room. He continued to stand there, arms crossed, and looking smug while staring at Harry. Without warning, he yelped and jumped away from the wall, rubbing the back of his leg, as if something had stung him. The two me in the center of the room smiled, then turned their attentions back to the rest of the Order.

"Friends, for those of you who may not have met him," said Dumbledore as he glanced around the room at the assembled members, his long beard and hair swaying slightly in the small air currents , "May I introduce Sir Vladimir von Weighant, of the Order of the Lone Star, Knight Commander, and our liaison between the Knights and the Ministry."

"It seems," he continued, with a twinkle in his eye, "that recent events have gone slightly in our favor, and the Ministry has authorized the Knights to operate in Britain, to help stop Voldemort. The international wizarding community has endorsed this decision, hoping for a swift end to the current crisis."

Dumbledore paused, as his mouth set in a grim line, his eyes hidden behind the glare from his half-moon glasses, "I fear that this is the only bit of good news we have at this time. The other news is, sorry to say, far from good. I turn this meeting over to Sir Vladimir."

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," the Knight replied, as Dumbledore took his seat with a swish of his robes. Dumbledore looked rather stern, which was something Harry was not used to, but had seen several times before.

"Unfortunately, this is not the time to mince words, so here goes: Lord Voldemort has stolen Hellcaster!"

End of Chapter Seven.