The New Leader of the Order of the Phoenix.
Hogwarts was virtually empty, many of the muggleborn students had been taken out of the school, including the pureblood students when their parents realised that the old and fabled school was no longer the pure place of learning it had been for a thousand years. But the damage now was beyond description, the school may not recover.
Many pureblood families, furious that Dumbledore had stolen from the pure, did the same. Now Hogwarts seemed closer to closure than ever. Something Voldemort, even at the height of his powers, had never been able to do. Dumbledore had destroyed many illusions, one being Hogwarts was safe, and Albus Dumbledore was a good man.
Minerva McGonagall was nervous, she was meeting with the two people responsible for Dumbledore being revealed. When Lara, her parents, and the Grangers and Hermione, much to the old professor's surprise, appeared with Amelia Bones, McGonagall looked like she couldn't take anymore surprises.
Amelia greeted her friend, but her voice was formal, " Hello Minerva."
" Madam Minister, thank you for coming. I must say I'm surprised that you brought the Grangers." Minerva said, looking curiously at the Grangers.
Dan was in no mood for pleasantries or the superiority of the magical world, " I wanted to ask you a few questions, the first being, why did you lie to me ?"
McGonagall frowned, " I'm afraid I don't under - "
" I mean you telling me and my wife our daughter would be safe ! What do we find, dragons, people falling off brooms, dark lords rising, mystical stones, giant petrifying snakes, trips to the infirmary. On top of that, being raped by the headmaster on a regular basis, being deaged and having their minds wiped ! Is that what you call safe ? Does that ring any bells ?" Dan asked dangerously.
McGonagall closed her eyes, unable to face the Grangers. They were right, she had essentially lied to them, just like the magical world had lied to the muggle families. They'd told them that they would be welcome, that Hogwarts would provide them with a decent and complete education in magic. She'd lied to them. Dumbledore had raped their children, indulging in his sick fantasies.
She was just about to respond when she caught the smirk on Lara Potter's face, " Why are you smirking at me ?"
Lara's smirk became a Malfoy - Snape grade sneer, " It's not often I see a witch squirm, particularly a Hogwarts professor."
" But you've never been to Hogwarts, by what right do you have to make judgements ?"
Lara leant back in her seat, she gestured to her parents, who were staring at her and wondering what she was going to say next. Lara had a gift for observing and pointing out the flaws in people and their logic.
" Ah, you're right, of course, I've never had the displeasure of coming here, and being a student," Lara pointed at her parents, " Do you know how long I've been hearing of this place ? Hearing about how Gryffindors are good, Slytherins are evil, Hufflepuffs are fools and Ravenclaws are brainiacs ? On top of that I was treated lower than pond life. I learnt, from an early age I might add, the meanings of prejudice, stupidity, wanton ignorance. The list is endless," Lara's look of contempt was so thick that it could be sliced off with a blowtorch, added to that her smirk made the whole thing worse.
" You know, Professor, Hogwarts isn't the school it was. Even if you could, you couldn't ever restore Hogwart's reputation. Not after what Dumbledore's done. Stealing money, rape, wiping memories, using the mind arts on children, employing death eaters, allowing harm to come to the students without lifting a finger. There's nothing you can do. The cloud Dumbledore's now hung over this place will stay here forever." Lara stated, folding her hands and looking at McGonagall with a twinkle in her eyes, but it was nothing like Dumbledore's, this one was cold.
McGonagall was trying to hold her patience, but Lara caught up with her, " Why did you ask to see me ? I'm a busy girl."
" I need your help to repair the damage. With your help, with your name…."
" No." Lara's answer was final.
Minerva floundered, " But why ? Your parents came to this school and - "
" Don't I know it, I have had to listen to these two," she pointed once more at her parents, " talk about Hogwarts as if it's heaven. Don't use that little fact with me again. I don't care about Hogwarts. If this place is stamped into the ground then so be it."
Minerva couldn't believe anyone would like to see Hogwarts destroyed. In her mind, such an idea was sacrilege.
" But why don't you care ?"
Lara got up and moved close to McGonagall, leaning over the table. She came so close Minerva could see all the freckles on her face.
" I've been going to dozens of schools, Professor. Since I was seven, and in all that time I never saw or heard of a school that believed so much in its own reputation. That's the trouble. Hogwarts breeds stereotypes, you believe one 4th of your students are good, courageous people who run headfirst into danger, you believe one 4th is too smart, you believe one 4th is a load of boring squibs, doormats. Last, but not least, you point fingers at the final quarter of the school, calling them death eaters in training. How many Death eaters have been in Slytherin ? I've checked. Only a few have been in Slytherin. Believe me, I know, I've killed enough." Lara paused, before she started again, " Even if you can restore even a smidgen of Hogwarts to what it had been before, would you stop the senselessness of the stereotypical ignorance of the magical world ?"
McGonagall knew the house system wasn't perfect, far from it, but she didn't understand why this girl was being so critical, at least, that was how she saw it.
" I don't follow - "
Lily interrupted, " She means that it's the system at Hogwarts, and the way the Ministry and the rest of the magical community seems to destroy lives and force people to become dark lords, whilst praising people that don't do anything. Like the order." she added.
McGonagall winced, the order was now in total disarray. The newspaper articles had destroyed Dumbledore's credibility, and that of those closest to him. The order had fractured, part of them blindly believed in the old man and his now shattered image, one third wanted to give up, the rest simply wanted to keep fighting. That contingent was led by Alastair Moody. Moody was taking the order group he had and was trying to make them fight the way he wanted.
Dumbledore's old philosophies were no longer valid after he'd raped the new generation of witches and wizards without care or remorse, and to make matters worse the old man had fled before the Ministry aurors had managed to get hold of him. Dumbledore may be powerful, but he was one man. Minerva had every belief he'd be back, his stubborn pride would demand no less.
Maybe if Moody and Lara could….it might be worth a try.
" About the order, Miss Potter, I was wondering if you might help me there. The Order is fractured, one third is blindly loyal to Dumbledore, even after the proof came out, one third is still fighting under Alistair Moody and finally, the last third that wants to simply give up." Minerva looked Lara in the eye, hoping she was sounding reasonable.
But Lara looked uninterested, " Why should I care about the Order ? You lot have spent more time looking and trying to detain me, hoping to mould me into someone and something I'm not and will never be. What guarantee would I have that Moody is nothing like Dumbledore ?"
McGonagall took a deep breath, " Alistair is an ex auror - " It was at that moment Lara lost what little patience she had, and she snapped.
" I know that ! Give me something interesting, something realistic !" Lara shouted. Taking a deep breath to control herself, she hissed, " Do you really believe I don't know every single member of the Order ? Minerva McGonagall, Arthur and Molly and Bill and Charlie Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks, Emmaline Vance, Hestia Jones, Alistair Mooody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, those are just the tip of the iceberg. I know the names, the addresses of all your members. Be grateful that I didn't kill someone, or worse," she added, giving her voice a sinister menace that made the people in the office shiver, " You certainly gave me more than enough reason too. Breaking into my home, watching me, multiple attempted kidnap attempts, spying on me, trying to attack me when I was busy fighting against the death eaters, trying to make me into a brood mare for some useless coward who thinks he's better than everyone due to an inferiority complex a mile wide, trying to make someone my guardian when there's proof, if any be needed, that I am more than capable of looking after myself. Don't insult my intelligence. You'll live longer."
Lara went back to her seat, and then simply waited for the aged professor to speak. When she didn't, Lara did. She'd just had an epiphany. She sent a look towards the others, telling them to be quiet. They did as they were told mentally, knowing Lara's terrible temper.
" Alright, have Moody meet me in Potter manor tomorrow morning at . Advise him that if there's any treachery, then I'll make sure me spends the rest of his paranoid life in St. Mungos."
" Why do you want to meet Moody ?" James asked curiously, he had no problem with the old auror. Out of the rest of the Order he was by far the most with common sense. The disputes between him and Dumbledore had been legendary. The two men were completely different. Moody was an extremist, willing to take life, whilst Dumbledore was the opposite.
Lara was looking out of the window, watching the rain. She'd always liked rain, more than snow. Rain was pure, it gave life into the soil.
" I want to know where he stands, Dumbledore had the others wrapped around his finger. Even you," she added looking at her father. Turning back to the window, " Lara carried on with her idea.
" Moody is known as an extremist, if he's willing to work with me instead of locking me up, and gives his word, then I'll give him a chance."
Lily came in with some tea and coffee, she was followed by Hermione and Emma. Lily overheard part of the conversation.
" I think you can trust Moody Lara, he's determined to stop Voldemort and the death eaters, but he doesn't think it should be done in Dumbledore's way." Lily said, setting the tray down and letting everyone take some tea and biscuits.
Lara didn't sit down. She carried on talking, " I'm worried, I admit. This deal can go both ways or pear shaped. Moody could do, or try, to do what Dumbledore wanted."
Hermione frowned thoughtfully, " If everything goes well what is it you want to do with the Order ? I can't see you sitting in on meetings."
Lara laughed, " How well you know me Hermione, you've come a long way from the arrogant fool that came with the old man into my home." she sobered up, but Hermione knew this was a compliment regardless of how she said it.
Lara sighed, " If Moody and the others, and I'm confident that he'll bring someone or someone's here tomorrow, and he does try something, I will stick to my threat."
Emma was puzzled, " But aren't you on the same side ?"
Lara looked at her with a smile, " Ah, to be a non magical person, with normal wants and values. You have no idea how blurred the lines between common sense and recklessness are. In a sense, the order and I want Voldemort dead and buried, but they think the best way to do that would be to lock me up, all to see the blessed light. They don't see that my methods get results. For the past month, I've executed dozens of death eaters. The Order ? They haven't done a fucking thing to stop Voldmeort. They haven't closed down the vaults of suspects, they don't go to some of the so called dark families and persuade them for help, they don't raid death eater camps. When an attack comes, they do nothing. They send members to the aftermath, where there are no survivors."
Lara took a deep breath, " Does that answer your question.
The next day, preparations were being made for Moody's arrival. The Potters and Grangers were hiding small black objects around the manor. Lara said they were magical dampening fields, more powerful than the one she generated herself. Only this one was a wide spectrum blocker, they were incredibly powerful, and capable of stopping port keys and any other form of transport.
When 10 o clock came, the Potters and Grangers were waiting. The Potters were looking at Lara closely, keeping an eye on her and hoping she was making the right decision. When Moody arrived, Lara found she'd been right on the money. Moody had brought company. Tonks and Black were with him. Sirius looked nervous at being here, back with his friend, or the person he still hoped was his friend.
The newspapers had shattered the Orders credibility, and now they needed Lara to help them back to their feet, something many of the Order didn't want, Sirius and Remus among them.
Lara activated the dampening fields at once the moment the 3 had fully materialised, but she wasn't going to tell them that. If they tried anything she wanted to see their looks of surprise in case they did try something, if there was one thing Lara liked about arrogant people, it was showing them up. Magical kind was too easy, it was kind of pathetic.
Keeping her face and tone neutral, Lara said, " Thank you for coming on time. We have much to discuss."
Alastair Moody looked carefully at Lara, wondering if this was a trap. Minerva had sounded almost, emphasis on almost, positive about this meeting. Moody and the rest of the Order had tried to get this girl, but she was always a step ahead of them. It was embarrassing, losing to a teenage girl.
Moody spoke at last, " Yes, we do."
Lara led them into the sitting room, the Order members sat on one side, the Grangers and the Potters sat on the other side, both watching each other.
Finally Lara broke the silence, " Answer me something, why should I help the Order of the Phoenix, and what can you offer in return ?"
Black broke in without thinking, " See I told you, she thinks only about money." he looked with contempt at Lara, who sneered back.
" No, moron. I just asked a couple of very important and key questions. Like why I should help such a decadent organisation. Do you want to win this war or not ?" Lara asked leaning back in her seat, looking as nonchalant as possible.
Moody shot Black a look, cursing the mans inability to keep his big gob shut. Couldn't the fool see how crucial this meeting was ?
" We do want to end this war, with us as the victors," Moody said.
Lara was satisfied with the way that answer went. It was genuine to her, besides it made sense. But she still wanted answers to her original questions.
" You answered that one the way I expected. But you didn't answer my first two questions, why should I help you, and what can you offer me in return ?"
Tonks interjected, " What would you like ?" She asked, thinking that Lara wanted something.
Lara shook her head and looked down at her manicured fingers, " I don't mean like that, I'm a thief and I can get whatever I need or want. Besides the magical world has nothing that I'd want. I meant can you offer me resources, people willing to get the job done. I'd think twice about the last example, from what I've seen of the order there aren't many that could curse their way out of a paper bag."
" Answer my questions."
Moody tried, " Because it's your duty, you're prophesised to kill Voldemort."
Lara closed her eyes, and Moody's heart clenched. Wrong answer ?
Yes, it was.
Lara opened her eyes, fixing Moody with a look of ice, such withering contempt that Tonks' already pink hair became grey.
" No, I know that I'm prophesised, something that could have been avoided if you'd done away with Voldemort in the first war. He's not indestructible. But Dumbledore, with his belief that he and he alone can be trusted with such details, neglected to tell others. Because of you," Lara took a deep breath, letting her resentment surface, " I am meant to do something in a world I despise with the very fibre of my being."
" You mean you hate being a thief ?" Black asked stupidly.
Lara glared at him, " Compared to being one of you, no. I love it. Constant danger, I love it. I never want to give it up. Didn't you listen ? I hate the magical world, because of you and your precious order. Answer my question, why should I help you ?"
Moody tried to respond, but then he stopped. He knew this girl wouldn't accept the moronic platitudes like the rest of the Order, even Lily and James seemed more cynical. Evidently their time with their only living child, their last child, Moody remembered, had made them rethink certain things.
They'd trusted Dumbledore, they all had, look where that got them. Dumbledore hadn't left the Potters alone, he'd poked and prodded his way into their lives, even their home. Instead of waiting to see which of the twins were the one, he'd instead told the magical world Harry was the chosen one. Bit stupid really, getting everyone worshipping a child like that.
But then the truth had come out, as it always did in the end, and then there was trouble. Dumbledore had been hoping for someone like Harry, but he found himself tangling with Lara Potter, someone who was a confirmed thief, someone who believed in her own abilities, and didn't like putting herself in other people's hands.
Now look what was happening.
Dumbledore was far from the light leader he'd portrayed to the world all these years, and now the Order was in disarray. Their only help was Lara, the one who they'd been watching and following all summer.
" Because you want to see Voldemort gone as much as we do." Moody said.
Lara nodded, " You've got that right, but then again you are missing the point. I know enough about the first war to know that you did little to stop him. You didn't know about the Horcruxes, because your wonderful former leader believed he, and he alone, could handle such information. So much for that idea. I've spent the past year gathering the fucking things, and destroying them. What've you done ? Nothing. You don't," she held up a hand and counted off her fingers.
" Recruit members from the Auror department, people who have the ears of others, people who hear things. Instead, you recruit from the society where your members are talent less, old, unable to hold their own in a duel, " a finger.
" The intelligence gathering system of the Order is also shoddy. You could track down suspected death eaters, or death eater sympathisers. They can't be that hard to find, your people have no subtlety, even the Slytherins. You don't cast tracking spells on said suspects, you don't keep them under surveillance. Instead, you trust the word of a confirmed death eater. Did you know that he is loyal to Voldemort, that he's actually reporting back to his real master ? Voldemort may be mad, he may be a psychopath. But he knows how to fight a real war, and it isn't the namby pamby baby way you do it. He knows the value of killing enemies whilst you lock the bastards up," another finger.
" You don't question your own members. From what I gather you trust them all, just because Dumbledore told you too. Did you never hear of double agents ? They could be playing both sides for fools," another finger down.
" You don't bother training the least able of your group. No diets, no running, no fitness. It seems you depend on your aurors to save the day. No spell training to keep you all on your toes." one more finger down. Another point.
Hermione Granger was seeing the Order for real, she'd known that the Order was far from perfect but hearing it laid out like this by Lara, who'd obviously known this for some time, was probably embarrassing them. The Order members did indeed look like they were on the point of squirming.
But Lara was getting into her stride, she was enjoying herself immensely. It wasn't everyday she got to show up the Order of the Phoenix, to her, one of the most hated organisations in the world.
" You don't have autonomous cells of a few people, you never space out certain groups. One cell for intelligence gathering, one for recruitment and so on," another finger.
Moody looked like he was going to stop her from going to stop her, but Lara was on a roll. James and Lily knew their daughter well enough now to know that she wasn't going to stop.
" Then there's me," Lara said, dropping her hands, and folding her arms. She faced the three unfortunate members of the Order of the Phoenix, her green eyes cold and icy. They felt small and insignificant. They didn't realise at that point they were facing Lady Saint's persona. Again Hermione, her parents and Lily and James were awed by the ease Lara had in assuming different identities.
" You find out the truth, but instead of contacting me by using Fawkes the Phoenix, who is now my familiar I should add and emphasise at this point, you find me just by chance. You take some of my hair and use that to track me down. Then you break into my home, knocking my possessions around and touch my stuff. Didn't it occur to you to contact me first, arrange a meeting ?" Lara asked coldly, fixing them with a stare that made Lily's and Molly's look like a glaring toddler.
Tonks was the only one out of the three who gathered the courage to answer, " We -we were desperate. We didn't think - "
" Exactly !" Lara shouted. " You didn't think at all, proving you couldn't be trusted. You barged your way into my affairs, you followed me, you tried to kidnap me. When I moved into Potter manor you seemed to know right away, then you started to watch my every move. The number of times I wanted to shoot your spies in the head…." Lara shook her head but then carried on, " Not only that, but you also abandoned one of your junior members. Why ?" Lara pointed towards Hermione.
" We…forgot."
Lara took a deep breath, " You're the saddest organisation I've ever met, even the crime families have more balls than you do. But then again they knew the risks and the stakes, you don't, you don't seem to get it into your heads that there are greater things at stake than the " greater good."
" But that is going to change." The three order members looked at her strangely, wondering where she was going with this.
" I do have an idea to make Voldemort pay for what he's done, but I also intend to restructure the Order of the Phoenix."
The order members were looking at her strangely, hell everyone was looking at Lara strangely. But Hermione's eyes widened as she caught the double meaning of her statement. No…way. She thought.
" You're looking at your new leader." Lady Saint smiled, then laughed at the members.
" You can't be serious Mad eye, she's a slip of a girl." Sirius argued with Moody. Tonks, Black and Moody stood in the doorway to the living room. Moody sighed. He'd known that negotiating with Lara Potter would bring problems, but he hadn't imagined she would list the many problems that he himself was aware of. Moody had known that the Order was, at best, ineffectual to fight Voldemort. From what he'd seen and heard about Lady Saint, Moody knew that Dumbledore was at best a mere amateur. Now it was known he was a pervert the Order was fractured. Lady Saint may be able to rebuild the order.
Morons like Black weren't going to be the ones who held that back. The situation was desperate.
Moody growled, " Just because you don't like her doesn't mean she doesn't have ability. Lara Potter is the one to defeat Voldemort, and she's succeeded so far. Did we manage to neutralise that many death eaters?
" She didn't need to kill them - " Tonks tried to point out. But Moody shook his head, shaking the mane on his head around, " You two don't know the first thing about war. She does. I've already made my decision, if you two don't like it, then leave the Order."
Moody walked back into the room, followed closely by Tonks and Sirius.
Lara looked at them, noting the grim looks on all their faces. They were agreeing, she could see that without reading their minds. It was obvious in their body language as well.
Moody looked Lara into the eye, " Very well."
That was agreement in his eyes.
Lara nodded.
The Order members that turned up later that day for a meeting were both confused and wary. After being let down by Dumbledore it had taken all of Moody's persuasiveness just to call them here. Even the Weasley family, who thanks to their mother, had lost a lot. Arthur Weasley wasn't looking forward to being back in the manor, he had to restrain his children to stop them from taking out their wands and cursing the Potters.
Ron and Ginny were without a doubt the most obnoxious and arrogant children Emma and Dan Granger had ever known, the fact they both lived in fantasy worlds filled them with horror that their own father didn't, or wouldn't, see that they were mentally subnormal.
As soon as everyone was seated the members of the Order noticed that the table only held names and didn't have any food or drink, something that the members weren't used to. Lady Saint had deliberately ordered the house elves to withhold food and drink and not accept orders except from her, her parents or the Grangers.
The Order members had seated themselves down on one side of the table, when they were joined by Lara, Amelia, Lily and James, Hermione, Emma and Dan.
" What're muggles doing 'ere ?" Ron roared and jumped out, not realising that he was on thin ice.
Lara glared at him, " Sit down. You hear me, sit down," she took out a gun and pointed it at him, " SIT DOWN! Unless you want your brains blown all over the table. SIT DOWN !"
Ron glared at her, but his father and his brother Charlie dragged him down.
Lara suddenly smiled, her bright smile shocked everyone since the anger when she'd confronted Weasley, who no could stand because of his loud mouth, coarseness and arrogance, seemed to evaporate. It put many on edge.
" Thank you for coming, as for the reason why the Grangers are here, they are going to become members of the Order of the Phoenix, and before the bigoted people in this room says muggles can't do anything, they can. They can help you develop fitness levels your bodies have never had."
Ginny sneered, " Who're you to decide for us ?"
" Because Mad eye Moody has stood down from being leader of the Order of the Phoenix. He's not the one you're going to answer too, I am. I am the new leader of the Order of the Phoenix." Lara stated softly.
" My parents, Hermione, the Grangers will be joining the order tonight, among others. Tonight, there will be many changes, the start of a new regime." no one spoke, they couldn't believe what was going on.
Lara carried on, keeping her eyes on everyone and making everyone see how confident she was, " The Order of the Phoenix, in theory, is supposed to fight Lord Voldemort. But in reality, you just sit in on meetings about stupid things. You don't take the fight to him. You don't contact the families that lean close to him, giving them other options. Instead you call them death eaters, shoving them into a corner. Of course they'll join Voldemort, because you can't help but point fingers and leave them with no choice."
" That's because they're evil!" Ron shouted.
Lara's face contorted with rage, her eyes narrowed into glowing slits. When she spoke everyone shivered in terror.
" Mr Weasley," she said to Arthur, who looked like he was about to piss himself, " if you do not pull yourself together, and keep this arrogant little shit under control, I will make sure he, and any member of your family who questions me, will not see their next birthday. You're supposed to be his father, act like it."
" As for you," she snarled at Ron, who looked like he was about to shit himself as well as piss, " If I hear your voice in this meeting one more time, I will cut out your tongue, and force your fairy princess of a sister to eat it." To show she wasn't joking, Lara took out Anne and held it against his mouth.
When she was convinced he got the message, she backed off.
When she got back to the head of the table, she said clearly. Her temper was close to the surface, but everyone could see she was controlling it.
" Let me make this plain, I don't care about your opinions. But if I form a strategy that you don't think will work, then tell me. That I do want to know. But if you disobey me, I will make Voldemort look like a choirboy. Those of you who saw me torture him in Diagon Alley will know that I am not joking. It'll be less bloody, but it will hurt. As for my choices, that's my problem. Let me worry about things like that. Who I choose for the order membership is my decision, mine alone. If you don't want someone to join, then leave. I will not tolerate any form of bullying towards anyone I invite into the order. If you do, then I will strip your memories until you cannot even member your name. Albus Dumbledore may have tolerated shit like that, but I am not him."
It took an hour for everyone to accept the new changes, by the time people left they were given their new roles in the order.
When they left the lazy ones, Mundungus Fletcher and Daedalus Diggle amongst them, realised that with Lara Potter they couldn't get away with as much.
For the more proactive members, they realised that the Order was finally going to do something constructive rather than spend time in useless meetings. But they knew it was going to be far from easy for Lara to actually do more complex changes, but swore they'd try to help her.