The following day flew by in a whirl of needles, tubes, and gauze. Audrey counted herself lucky that she didn't spend her double shift in the ER. She knew she couldn't maintain the energy needed to work in that chaos for so long. Instead, she worked in outpatient surgery prep, easing the nerves of patients before they went to the operating room for their procedures. While she was constantly busy with the sheer number of patients to help, it wasn't too taxing considering she worked for 18 straight hours. Audrey awoke on Saturday at 2 p.m., noting she had fallen asleep in her scrubs when she arrived home early that morning.

Audrey showered, washing away the weariness from the hospital in preparation for her new role as a member of the Order of the Phoenix. She still had no idea what to expect at the meeting that night so she willed herself to be enthusiastic and open for anything. She sincerely wanted to help, and Moody thought Dumbledore had a plan for her and Natalia. She couldn't ignore her apprehension at what this plan might entail.

Viewing herself in her towel in her bedroom mirror, Audrey noted how long her hair had become. Blond tresses hung near her elbows, and she cringed. It had been ages since she had a proper haircut. Boldly, she gathered her hair and grabbed her wand. With a swift spell, she cut her hair so that it brushed her shoulders. Her bangs, which had become overgrown, now swept to the side at her cheekbone. She grinned and dressed in jeans and an old T-shirt. The August heat struck again, and Audrey wasn't used to wearing full robes. Besides, she hadn't bought new ones yet. She was sure the Order wouldn't mind her Muggle attire.

Audrey descended to the kitchen and began cooking pasta. As the water boiled, she heard the click of the mail slot. On the mat, she saw a magazine was delivered. She retrieved it and flipped through it casually. A large photo of Jerry Garcia from the American rock band The Grateful Dead encompassed an entire page. Audrey gasped—the man was dead from a heart attack. He abused drugs in his lifetime as a rock and roll star of the 1970s, but his death was a shock all the same. Almost mechanically, Audrey went to her vinyl collection in the living room. She pulled out The Grateful Dead's "American Beauty" and played it. The first song, "Box of Rain," began with twanging guitars and melodic vocals. It was hippy music, and Audrey never considered herself a huge fan of the band. For some reason, she felt waves of nostalgia, though the album was released just before she was born. With a sigh, she returned to her pasta.

In what felt like no time, the sun set, and Audrey readied herself to depart for Grimmauld Place. She regretted not arranging with Natalia that they would show up together but shook away the thought quickly. She was a socially mature adult who could arrive places alone, wasn't she? With a nervous energy, she Disapparated and appeared where she parked her car several nights before outside of Sirius's house.

Audrey approached the ancient front door but then froze. Hurrying down the street was a small, dirty-looking man wearing a thick jacket. She wasn't sure how the Fidelius Charm worked exactly—would this man see her disappear down an alley? Would he try to follow her? This could be a major security breach for the Order, and she didn't want to make a major mistake before the first meeting. From the looks of the man's dusty robes, he was a wizard. Audrey had a feeling this made the situation worse. Finally, the man reached her, stopping beside her in front of number twelve. He noticed her hesitation and gave her a curious look.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Audrey," she said. She wasn't sure if she should be giving this man her name at all.

He glanced up at the house and lowered his voice. "Are you one of the new girls?"

Audrey felt relief flood through her body. "Yes, I am."

"Mundungus Fletcher," he said roughly, shaking her hand. "Shall we?"

Audrey followed him up the steps to the townhouse, and Mundungus knocked. Moody opened the door and, with a grunt, let them pass into the dimly lit hallway. Molly greeted them at the entrance to the kitchen.

"Audrey, dear, good to see you again," she said. Her smile became more strained as she turned to Mundungus. "And you, Mundungus. Please have a seat anywhere."

The long wooden table was nearly filled. At the head of table sat Dumbledore, who gave her a smile that crinkled his eyes. Sirius sat to his right, shooting her a nod and a smirk. On his other side was Severus Snape, the greasy-haired potions master at Hogwarts with the infamous hooked nose. He didn't even look at her as she came in, but Bill and Tonks waved. Moody regained his seat beside a middle-aged woman with pretty brown hair who Molly introduced as Emmeline Vance. Audrey was also introduced to a large man with gorgeous dark skin named Kingsley Shacklebolt; a black-haired, athletic woman named Hestia Jones; a short man with a tall hat perched precariously on his head named Dedalus Diggle; and a man who looked to be as old as Dumbledore named Elphias Doge. Natalia sat between Arthur and Remus and beckoned for her to sit across from her. Audrey did, and Mundungus slid in beside her. Molly took a seat at the table's other end, looking none too thrilled to be so close to Mundungus.

"I believe that's everyone who is able to join us tonight," Dumbledore said. When he spoke, all other chatter ceased. "For our first order of business, I'd like to welcome two new faces, Natalia Laurie and Audrey Callahan. Thank you for joining us."

Audrey and Natalia both nodded in acknowledgement, and Dumbledore continued. "Next, I have received an owl from Madame Maxime. It appears she and Hagrid are making their return from the mountains, but they have separated. She reports that they are safe. We should have a full report regarding the giants' stance in a few months, I expect."

Audrey tensed. Giants? She was glad that mission seemed nearly complete because while she wanted to help the Order, interacting with giants fell a bit too far out of her comfort zone.

"What is the news from the Ministry?" Dumbledore said, looking to Kingsley.

"Right now, I'm feeding evidence to our team that Sirius has been spotted in Bolivia," Kingsley said. He had a deep, soothing voice. "Fudge is as restless as ever. Still feeding the Prophet nonsense about you, sir, and about Harry Potter."

"When is Harry's trial?" Doge asked.

"Twelfth of August," Arthur responded. "I'll be escorting him."

"That's only in a few days," Doge said, surprised. He looked to Dumbledore. "I expect you'll be testifying, Albus?"

"Yes," he responded, "with Arabella Figg as witness."

Audrey's eyes widened. Mrs. Figg was a little old lady who lived in Little Whinging and owned countless cats. Was this woman a witch? Beyond that, was she part of the Order? Audrey couldn't believe her prissy neighborhood was such a magnet for magic.

"Is everyone comfortable with the guard schedule?" Kingsley continued. "Sturgis Podmore is on duty tonight. We'll be adding Natalia to the rotation starting next week."

"What will I be guarding?" Natalia said. She cast a glance at Audrey, noticing that Audrey wasn't chosen for the task as well.

"A prophecy," Moody said. "One of many filed away in the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry. Voldemort desires it very strongly, and he must not obtain it. It holds the secret of the connection between him and Harry. You'll be trained, of course."

Natalia nodded curtly. Dumbledore turned to Snape.

"Any news on your end, Severus?"

Snape cleared his throat importantly. "The Dark Lord still seeks the prophecy, obviously, but he has no plan yet to retrieve it himself. He still wishes to remain out of the public eye, letting the Daily Prophet spin stories for him while he recruits Death Eaters and other creatures alike. I can tell you for certain that Hagrid and Madame Maxime were not alone in the mountains with the giants."

Audrey had to clench her jaw to keep it from falling open in disbelief. Snape was the spy with You-Know-Who? Even from the other end of the table, Audrey could feel dodgy vibes radiating from the man. Could they be sure he wouldn't switch sides? Sirius said that Dumbledore trusted him, but she could see the frown lines on Sirius's face as he listened to Snape. It was clear Sirius thought otherwise.

"A possibility they were prepared for," Dumbledore nodded. "Thank you, Severus, as always.

"Now, Audrey, I have an offer for you." Dumbledore stared at Audrey along the table. "I know you're in a unique circumstance living with Muggles and I have the utmost respect for that. However, I have a vacancy in my staff that I'm hoping you can fill. Are you willing to accept a position as the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts?"

Everyone followed Dumbledore's gaze to look expectantly at Audrey. There was no stopping her mouth from dropping open this time. She had never considered teaching as a profession, and she only took Muggle Studies as an elective for three years while she was in school.

"Wow," Audrey finally said. "Sir, do you really think I'm qualified for that?"

"I think you'll provide wonderful insight into the Muggle world for our students," Dumbledore said calmly. "You come from a very diverse academic background and have plenty of real world experience. It would be an honor to have you on my staff."

"You'll be grand, Audrey," Natalia said, beaming. "You're great with kids."

Audrey fought a snort. She could handle young children—adolescents were another story. And this decision was more than just a job offer. She would have to leave her Muggle life permanently, living at Hogwarts for most of the year. What would she tell Paul?

Dumbledore must have sensed her agitation because he said, "You don't have to decide immediately. But I do have one more favor to ask of you. It may impact your decision."

Audrey swallowed. She had a feeling Dumbledore was about to suggest something equally as difficult to consider.

"I must ask you to no longer live in Little Whinging," he said.

"Why?" Audrey couldn't help asking. She had lived on Magnolia Road her entire life. Her father bought the house before she was born. Her mother died there. This was a lot to ask of her.

"Harry Potter must live with his aunt and uncle on Privet Drive," Dumbledore explained patiently. "It is the only place where he can be truly safe. Voldemort is aware of his residence. The neighborhood itself is dangerous, as the dementor attack has proven. If you are discovered, not just as a witch but as a member of the Order, the consequences would be deadly."

"But Mrs. Figg—" Audrey began.

"Arabella Figg is a Squib," Dumbledore told her. "She is not under any magical registry and blends well with the Muggles. You, on the other hand, should you accept my job offer, will be in a fairly public position in the Wizarding world. You will not have the same securities assured to Mrs. Figg."

Audrey pursed her lips. Dumbledore was right, as always, but it was going to hurt to uproot. She shivered at the idea of dementors roaming her street looking for her specifically. She didn't even want to consider the idea of Death Eaters searching for her.

"When?" She forced her voice not to waver.

"As soon as possible," Dumbledore said. "Tomorrow, if you can."

"You can stay with me in my flat," Natalia said. She stared at Audrey empathetically.

Audrey bit her lip. "On your couch?" Natalia's apartment was tiny. It had one bedroom and minimal furniture because the rooms were so tight.

"I have a spare room here," Sirius said, watching Audrey carefully. "If it's safe for me to stay here, it'll be safe for you, too."

Audrey hesitated, but feeling everyone's eyes upon her, she nodded. Dumbledore clapped his hands together.

"Excellent," he said. "I'll return to Grimmauld Place in two days. I hope to have your answer to my job offer by then. Now, Bill, how are the goblin negotiations?"

Bill launched into his update, and Audrey remained stone-faced, inclining her head to listen to him. Though she wanted to learn everything that was going on in the Order, it was difficult to concentrate. Natalia wasn't paying attention at all, instead watching Audrey with extreme intensity. She wished Tonks would speak to the group and distract her. Similarly, Sirius kept shooting her furtive glances, which Audrey avoided. She knew joining the Order would require sacrifices. She had to make peace with her life's new direction. But what would she tell Paul?

There was a sudden scraping of chairs, and Audrey realized the meeting was over. Snape darted out of the door without speaking to anyone, but the others hovered around the table, chatting. In the blink of an eye, Natalia appeared beside her.

"You okay, dear?" Natalia said. Audrey shrugged. Words seemed to escape her.

"It's not like you have to sell the place, see," Mundungus spoke up. "Just leave it sit for a while until this all blows over. What's the address on that, eh?"

Audrey didn't like the greedy look in his eye, and apparently neither did Molly because she interrupted quickly, "Will you all be staying for dinner?"

"That'd be great, Molly, thanks," Mundungus said. Molly's lips tightened. The invitation seemed to be extended to him only out of politeness, but Audrey and Natalia nodded.

"Yes, thank you," Audrey said weakly. She looked around for Dumbledore, but he had left. A moment later, the only remaining Order members were those who were present on Audrey's first visit to Grimmauld Place, in addition to Mundungus. They moved chairs to all be sitting at one end of the table.

"So Hogwarts," Tonks began eagerly, turning to Audrey. "Are you going to do it?"

"Well, I'm a healer, not a teacher," Audrey said. "And I'm not even that anymore. I'm a nurse."

"But you have real experience in the differences between the Muggle and Wizarding worlds," Bill said. "That's a unique perspective and should be really interesting."

"You've got the disposition for it," Tonks added. "You're very patient and easygoing."

"It's not that simple," Audrey said. "Moving house is one thing, but this would involve leaving everything behind."

Audrey found she couldn't elaborate more, as if her voice had vanished from her throat. Natalia took Audrey's hand in her own and squeezed.

"It's ultimately your decision," Remus said kindly. "The Order will continue either way. You've got time to decide."

Audrey didn't know what to say so she nodded. After a beat, Natalia looked up brightly, still holding Audrey's hand.

"So what's guard duty like?"

Audrey welcomed the change of subject and tried to listen with interest as Bill, Tonks, and Remus described the strange location of the Department of Mysteries. Audrey noticed that Ginny had wandered into the kitchen and was chatting with her mother by the stove. Arthur and Moody seemed to be holding a serious conversation by the door. She felt a little dizzy with so many people around. She locked eyes with Sirius.

"Where's your bathroom?"

"It's upstairs," he said. "Come on, I'll show you."

He stood solemnly, and Audrey followed him out of the kitchen.