Chapter Eleven:

Answers

Dinner that night had been far more enjoyable than it had been the past few weeks. Having Harry back lifted Elizabeth's mood a lot, and she spent the entire dinner sitting next to him, talking.

"I've hated so much not having you here, Harry," Elizabeth said, "You're the one who saw him come back, you should have been here from the start. I don't know what Dumbledore was thinking, keeping you out of all this..."

"Yeah, on that," Harry said, lowering his voice, "Thanks so much, for the visit. If you hadn't shown up, told me what was going on..."

Elizabeth grinned at Harry, unable to keep a blush from her face. For the first time, she realized the last time she'd seen Harry, she'd left by kissing him on the cheek. He seemed to think it was better off left unsaid. Elizabeth wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing...But if Harry wasn't going to mention it, neither was she. Still, she was very aware of how close Harry was when he'd leaned in to whisper...

"Like I said, you deserved to know," Elizabeth whispered, "I hated having to keep you in the dark."

Harry grinned back at Elizabeth and she felt her stomach do a small flip. She quickly preoccupied herself with her meal, though she could see Hermione watching from the corner of her eye over where Tonks was displaying different noses with her ability.

"By the way, Harry," Elizabeth said softly, "I've been wondering something...It's something I thought about at the end of the school year, and the attack on you made me think of it again..."

Harry frowned, and for a moment, the thought left Elizabeth's mind. But she knew Harry would want to know what it was, so Elizabeth took a deep breath.

"Do you think you could teach me to cast a Patronus?"

Harry's frown turned into a look of surprise and confusion.

"What?" he asked.

"I want to learn how to cast a Patronus," Elizabeth said, "I first thought about it when Dumbledore tried to talk Fudge into getting the dementors away from Azkaban. Something like that meant dementors would be roaming free. Something that's already happening, considering what happened to you..." Elizabeth watched him closely. "So, can you teach me?"

"I'm not a teacher, Elizabeth..." Harry said slowly, "Maybe you should ask Lupin?"

Elizabeth glanced to the end of the table where Lupin was arguing with Bill and Mr. Weasley over whether the goblins could be convinced to join against Voldemort. She turned back to Harry.

"He's busy with the Order," Elizabeth said, "Please? I'd like to learn."

Harry was quiet for a bit, and Elizabeth watched him closely.

"Just think about it," she said softly.

"No, I can do it," Harry whispered, "Tomorrow morning, okay? Early, before everyone else is up."

Elizabeth grinned brightly at that, fighting the urge to lean over and kiss him on the cheek like she'd done at the playground the week before.

"Thank you," she said.

"Nearly time for bed, I think," Mrs. Weasley said suddenly from the other end of the table, stifling a yawn.

"Not just yet, Molly," Sirius said as he looked towards Harry, "You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort."

Elizabeth tensed just slightly at the name. She might be trying to get herself used to it, but it didn't mean the change was overnight. She wasn't the only one to shift uncomfortably. The room had gone instantly quiet, everyone staring towards Harry and Sirius.

"I did!" Harry said, "Elizabeth said they didn't know anything, that they're not allowed in the Order—"

"And she's quite right," Mrs. Weasley cut in, "You're too young."

Elizabeth noticed a hard look on Mrs. Weasley's face and she was glaring towards Sirius, who ignored her.

"Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?" Sirius asked, "Harry's been trapped in that Muggle house for a month. He's got the right to know what's been happen—"

There was a sudden uproar by the others.

"Hang on!"

"How come Harry gets his questions answered?"

"You haven't told us anything, no matter how much we asked!"

"'You're too young, you're not in the Order.' Harry's not even of age!"

"We've got a right to know, too!"

"It's not my fault you haven't been told what the Order is doing," Sirius said simply, "That's your parents' decision—and your aunt's," Sirius added when Elizabeth opened her mouth to argue more. "Harry, on the other hand—"

"It's not down to you to decide what's good for Harry!" Mrs. Weasley cut in, glaring at Sirius with the same expression she'd given Elizabeth the week before after she'd been caught seeing Harry, "You haven't forgotten what Dumbledore said, I suppose?"

"Which bit?" Sirius shot back sourly.

"The bit about not telling Harry more than he needs to know," Mrs. Weasley said with a sharp emphasis on the last three words.

"I don't intend to tell him more than he needs to know, Molly," Sirius shot back, mocking Mrs. Weasley's emphasis, "But as he was the one who saw Voldemort come back, he has more right than most to—"

"He's not a member of the Order of the Phoenix! He's only fifteen and—"

"—and he's dealt with as much as most in the Order. And more than some—"

"No one's denying what he's done! But he's still—"

"He's not a child!"

"He's not an adult either! He's not James, Sirius!"

Elizabeth stared at Mrs. Weasley and Sirius, her eyes wide. She knew they were at odds with each other, but she'd never seen them have a row like this. Mrs. Weasley's face was almost as red as her hair, and Sirius's face had gone very still, a cold glare on his face as he stared back at Mrs. Weasley.

"I'm perfectly clear who he is, thanks, Molly," Sirius said evenly.

"I'm not sure you are!" Mrs. Weasley hissed, "Sometimes, the way you talk to him, it's as though you think you've got your best friend back!"

"What's wrong with that?" Harry asked.

"What's wrong, Harry, is that you are not your father, however much you might look like him!" Mrs. Weasley said, though she didn't look at Harry. Her gaze was locked on Sirius, and it was clear who her comment was meant for. "You are still at school and adults responsible for you should not forget it!"

"Meaning I'm an irresponsible godfather?" Sirius asked sharply.

"Meaning you've been known to act rashly, Sirius, which is why Dumbledore keeps reminding you to stay home and—"

"We'll leave my instructions from Dumbledore out of this, if you please!" Sirius had gotten to his feet now, his face hardening and Elizabeth found herself remembering when she thought Harry's father was nothing more than a madman escaped from Azkaban.

"Arthur!" Mrs. Weasley turned to her husband now, "Arthur, back me up!"

Elizabeth looked towards Mr. Weasley, as had everyone else in the room. He was staring down at his glasses in his hands as he slowly cleaned them, as if trying to put off an answer for as long as possible. Finally, he returned his glasses to his face, though he kept his gaze down.

"Dumbledore knows the position has changed, Molly," he said, "He accepts that Harry will have to be filled in to a certain extent now that he is staying at headquarters—"

"Yes, but there's a difference between that and inviting him to ask whatever he likes!"

"Personally, I think it better that Harry get the facts—not all the facts, Molly," Lupin was the one to speak up now, much to everyone's surprise, "But he should get the general picture from us, rather than a garbled version from...others."

Elizabeth felt heat rising to her face. She had a feeling Lupin had heard of her visit to Harry, and knew that, unlike as she said, she did indeed tell Harry what she'd heard over the Extendable Ears.

"Well," Mrs. Weasley said, looking furious as she rose to her feet, "Well, I can see I'm going to be overruled. I'll just say this: Dumbledore must have had his reasons for not wanting Harry to know too much, and speaking as someone who has got Harry's best interests at heart—"

"He's not your son," Sirius cut in.

"He's as good as! Who else has he got?"

"He's got me!"

"Yes. The thing is, it's been rather difficult for you to look after him while you've been locked up in Azkaban, hasn't it?"

The room went still, Elizabeth staring at Mrs. Weasley in shock. It was not like her to take shots like that towards others, and Elizabeth had thought that she and Sirius were friends, despite the fact they didn't see eye-to-eye about everything.

"Molly," Lupin said in a sharp tone, "You are not the only person who cares about Harry. Sirius, sit down."

Sirius, still with a cold look on his face, sunk back into his chair. Mrs. Weasley was still red in the face and seemed to be shaking slightly. Elizabeth stared between them, afraid they would begin arguing again.

"I think Harry ought to be allowed a say in this," Lupin said calmly, "He's old enough to decide for himself."

"I want to know what's been going on," Harry said instantly.

"Very well," Mrs. Weasley said in a shaking voice, "Ginny—Ron—Elizabeth—Hermione—Fred—George—I want you out of this kitchen, now."

"We're of age!" Fred and George yelled.

"If Harry's allowed, why can't I?" Ron was on his feet.

"Mum, I want to!" it was Ginny now.

"Harry's going to tell us anyway!" Elizabeth added.

In the end, Mrs. Weasley relented—but only if she could still force Ginny on out of the room. Elizabeth felt bad for her, but knew that Hermione would tell Ginny anything once they all went on to bed anyway. And Elizabeth was hoping not to see the hostile look on Mrs. Weasley's face again anytime soon...

"Okay, Harry..." Sirius said, settling in once Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were gone, "What do you want to know?"

Harry leaned forward, his words coming out in a long, fast rush.

"Where's Voldemort? What's he doing? I've been trying to watch the Muggle news, and there hasn't been anything that looks like him yet, no funny deaths or anything—"

"That's because there haven't been any suspicious deaths yet," Sirius said, "Not as far as we know, anyway...And we know quite a lot."

"More than he thinks we do, anyway," Lupin said.

"How come he's stopped killing people?" Harry asked, and Elizabeth fidgeted a little, thinking of Cedric.

"Because he doesn't want to draw attention to himself at the moment," Sirius said, "It would be dangerous for him. His comeback didn't come off quite the way he wanted it to, you see. He messed it up."

"Or rather, you messed it up for him," Lupin said, giving Harry a smile.

"How?"

"You weren't supposed to live!" Sirius said(Elizabeth's chest tightened at that thought), "Nobody apart from his Death Eaters was supposed to know he'd come back. But you survived to bear witness."

"And the very last person he wanted alerted to his return the moment he got back was Dumbledore," Lupin said, "And you made sure Dumbledore knew at once."

"How as that helped?" Harry looked confused.

"Are you kidding?" Bill leaned forward on the table, "Dumbledore was the only one You-Know-Who was ever scared of!"

"Thanks to you, Dumbledore was able to recall the Order of the Phoenix about an hour after Voldemort returned," Sirius said. Everyone shuddered at the name, though Elizabeth only tensed a little. Spending the past week forcing herself to say the name herself was starting to let it sink in.

"So what's the Order been doing?" Harry asked, straightening up some in his chair.

"Working as hard as we can to make sure Voldemort can't carry out his plans," Sirius replied simply.

"How d'you know what his plans are?"

"Dumbledore's got a shrewd idea," Lupin answered, "And Dumbledore's shrewd ideas normally turn out to be accurate."

"So what does Dumbledore reckon he's planning?"

"Well, firstly, he wants to build an army again," Sirius said, "In the old days he had huge numbers at his command; witches and wizards he'd bullied or bewitched into following him, his faithful Death Eaters, a great variety of Dark creatures. You heard him planning to recruit the giants; well, they'll be just one group he's after. He's certainly not going to try and take on the Ministry of Magic with only a dozen Death Eaters."

"So you're trying to stop him getting more followers?" Harry asked.

Elizabeth was keeping herself as still as possible, as if afraid that if she moved, they'd notice she was still there and she wouldn't be able to keep listening in on what was going on. She knew that she was allowed to stay, but it didn't stop her from staying far too still, as if she were eavesdropping instead of welcomed in.

"We're going to do our best," Lupin said.

"How?"

"Well, the main thing is to try and convince as many people as possible that You-Know-Who really has returned," Bill said, "To put them on their guard. It's proving tricky, though."

"Why?"

"Because of the Ministry's attitude," Tonks was the one to answer this time, "You saw Cornelius Fudge after You-Know-Who came back, Harry. Well, he hasn't shifted his position at all. He's absolutely refusing to believe it's happened."

"But why?" Harry asked, "Why's he being so stupid? If Dumbledore—"

"Ah, well, you've put your finger on the problem," Mr. Weasley said, "Dumbledore."

"Frightened of Dumbledore?"

"Frightened of what he's up to," Mr. Weasley said, "You see, Fudge thinks Dumbledore's plotting to overthrow him. He thinks Dumbledore wants to be Minister for Magic."

"But Dumbledore doesn't want—"

"Of course he doesn't. He's never wanted the Minister's job, even though a lot of people wanted him to take it when Millicent Bagnold retired. Fudge came to power instead, but he's never quite forgotten how much popular support Dumbledore had, even though Dumbledore never applied for the job."

"Deep down, Fudge knows Dumbledore's much cleverer than he is," Lupin said, "A much more powerful wizard, and in the early days of his Ministry he was forever asking Dumbledore for help and advice. But it seems that he's become fond of power now, and much more confident. He loves being Minister for Magic, and he's managed to convince himself that he's the clever one and Dumbledore's simply stirring up trouble for the sake of it."

"How can he think that?" Harry's voice rose a little, "How can he think Dumbledore would just make it all up—that I'd make it all up?"

Their answer was the same thing that Elizabeth had already knew was coming: No one wanted to believe Voldemort was back, and the Daily Prophet was hiding the truth. That made it very hard for them to get any word out.

"But you're still telling people, aren't you?" Harry asked, looking around, "You're letting people know he's back?"

"Well, as everyone thinks I'm a mad mass murderer and the Ministry's put a ten-thousand-galleon price on my head, I can hardy stroll up the street and start handing out leaflets, can I?" Sirius asked bitterly.

"And I'm not a very popular dinner guest with most of the community," Lupin said, "It's an occupational hazard of being a werewolf."

"Tonks and Arthur would lose their jobs at the Ministry if they started shooting their mouths off," Sirius added, "And it's very important for us to have spies inside the Ministry, because you can bet Voldemort will have them."

"We've managed to convince a couple of people, though," Mr. Weasley said, "Tonks here, for one—she's too young to have been in the Order of the Phoenix last time, and having Aurors on our side is a have advantage—and Elizabeth's aunt, Ginger, alerted us before the Ministry started sending letters that you'd cast a Patronus Charm, Harry—"

"How?" Harry asked, looking to Elizabeth.

"My aunt works in the Department for Monitoring Underage Magic," Elizabeth answered, "She monitors the Trace, and it alerted when magic's done around someone who's underage. They usually ignore it at homes of half-bloods and pure-bloods, because they don't know if it was done by the parent or child, but—"

"And her uncle is a member of Wizengamot," Mr. Weasley cut in, "Which is good, since Dumbledore was removed from his position as Chief Warlock. And they're talking about taking away his Order of Merlin, First Class."

"But Dumbledore says he doesn't care what they do, as long as they don't take him off Chocolate Frog cards," Bill said with a smirk.

"It's no laughing matter," Mr. Weasley said sharply, "If he carries on defying the Ministry like this, he could end up in Azkaban and the last thing we want is Dumbledore locked up. While You-Know-Who knows Dumbledore's out there and wise to up he's up to, he's going to go cautiously for a while. If Dumbledore's out of the way—well, You-Know-Who will have a clear field."

"But if Voldemort's trying to recruit more Death Eaters, it's bound to get out that he's come back, isn't it?" Harry asked.

"Voldemort doesn't march up to people's houses and bang on their front doors, Harry," Sirius said, "He tricks, jinxes, and blackmails them. He's well-practiced at operating in secrecy. In any case, gathering followers is only one thing he's interested in, he's got other plans too, plans he can put into operation very quickly indeed, and he's concentrating on them at the moment."

"What's he after apart from followers?" Harry asked.

Sirius and Lupin shared a look, staying quiet for a moment. Finally, Sirius cleared his throat, speaking very carefully.

"Something he can only get by stealth."

Elizabeth perked at this. So far, everything they'd been told was things they already knew. This, however, was new. They hadn't heard anything about Voldemort after something besides supporters right now.

"Like a weapon," Sirius went on, "Something he didn't have last time."

"When he was powerful before?" Harry asked.

"Yes."

"Like what kind of weapon? Something worse than Avada Kedavra—?"

"That's enough."

Elizabeth, who had been so focused on what was going on, jumped with the tiniest of squeaks as she spun to Mrs. Weasley's voice. She'd come back into the room without them realizing and was standing there, arms crossed over her chest and glaring.

"I want you in bed, now," Mrs. Weasley snapped, "All of you."

"You can't boss us—"

"Watch me," Mrs. Weasley cut Fred off, then glared at Sirius, "You've given Harry plenty of information. Any more and you might just as well induct him into the Order straightaway."

"Why not?" Harry asked. "I'll join. I want to join. I want to fight—"

"No," Lupin said shortly, "The Order is comprised only of overage wizards. Wizard who have left school," he added when Fred and George opened their mouths, "There are dangers involved of which you can have no idea, any of you...I think Molly's right, Sirius. We've said enough."

It was clear they weren't going to get any more information. Elizabeth glanced over at her friends as they got to their feet, heading on for the stairs.