The Reader
Disclaimer: JKR is a much better writer. And I don't own the Wizard of Oz, Battlestar Galactica, Sunshine, The Lord of the Rings, or anything else I may reference. (This list is gonna get seriously long if I have to keep mentioning every one.)
Rating: T until further notice.
Summary: See prologue.
Chapter 28: The Newbies
The first official Order meeting went about as expected. It began with a certain tension in the air, which may have been due to the presence of a certain convicted murderer, or it may have been because of the house elf heads staring at everyone.
It was really interesting watching different people's reactions to Sirius. Some, like Professor McGonagall, were apologetic, even warm. She even gave him a short hug. Others, like Kingsley, were more wary, having spent so much energy searching for him.
Mad-Eye just went, "Hmph!" and went back to being vigilant.
Tonks nearly drove me crazy. She settled happily next to her cousin from the start, which, consequently, meant she was situated near me as well. During the space before the actual meeting started, when Sirius was off elsewhere, she leaned over and asked:
"You're with my cousin, eh?"
"Hardly," I said, annoyed, but unfazed. I was past blushing at this point.
Dumbledore began with the basics: Voldemort was back. No one wanted to know. Then he moved into our responsibilities, some of which we had already begun. They were fairly straightforward: guarding Harry, guarding the Department of Mysteries, bringing new members into the fold, constant vigilance.
Oh, yeah, and lots of waiting. It seemed I was always waiting for something.
A few people had more specific jobs, like Snape. I had managed to avoid him since seventh year, and our reunion went better than expected. By that I mean we ignored each other.
There were only really an handful of us left, a tiny remnant of the original Order of the Phoenix. Of course, there were only a few Death Eaters who hadn't escaped Azkaban, so we weren't too concerned about our numbers.
The main thing was making sure the rest of the world was ready.
"We'll be using Grimmauld Place as Headquarters," Dumbledore was saying. "We'll be having out meetings here. I understand that some of you have jobs that will make it difficult to be always available to the Order, at least not without arousing suspicion. Secrecy is a priority for the moment. Please, be vigilant, and even if you encounter anyone you believe would make a good addition to the Order, speak to us about it first. Now, I believe Alastor has a few things to say to our newer recruits."
Mad-Eye stood up and addressed the room. "Some of you young ones–" he shot a glance at Tonks– "have yet to fully get a handle on how we do things here. Consequently, Tonks, Bill, I'm going to want you working with a more seasoned Order member at first. Yes, I know you're an Auror, Tonks, but this isn't the classroom."
Tonks closed her mouth and pulled her hand out of the air.
"Now, Thrace," Mad-Eye continued. "I'll want to talk to you later about the mission I'm sending you lot on."
"What lot?" I asked, thinking I'd missed something.
"You and Tonks and Bill. I'm putting you in charge."
"Say what?"
Mad-Eye rolled his magical eye. "Keep up, girl. You'll be leading the task force for the time being. I'm sending Dung with you too, but I can hardly put him in charge."
My mouth fell open, but Mad-Eye moved on to other business, ignoring me. I looked to my left to see Sirius grinning at me and Tonks with a little frown on her face. She probably resented a bartender telling her what to do. I really hoped Sirius wouldn't tell her I wasn't especially fantastic with a wand.
"Once again, I would like to welcome all of our new members," Dumbledore said, when the meeting was over. "Not all of us are here tonight, of course, but we are united in spirit and purpose, and that will have to do. I will be in touch as events unfold. Good luck to you all."
The meeting was adjourned. Dumbledore went about the room, talking quietly, and I reluctantly turned my attention to Sirius.
He was ready for me, smirk plastered firmly on his pale face.
"Shut it," I told him.
Tonks leaned around him to eye me suspiciously. "I take it you're good at defensive spells?"
Sirius snorted. I glared at him. Fortunately, I was saved from further comment by Dumbledore, who had just joined us.
"Kara," he said, and I started at his use of my first name. Although Dumbledore was one of those people who could pretty much call you whatever he wanted.
"Yes, sir?" I said. Obviously, I didn't have the same privilege.
"I had a mission I wanted to offer you," Dumbledore said.
I sat up straighter, noting, out of the corner of my eye, that Sirius was no longer smiling.
"In June," said Dumbledore, "I was hoping you would be able to go to Romania, to–"
"No," I cut him off before he could finish. "I'm not going anywhere in June."
In July you can send me anywhere you want, to the four corners of the earth, or to death's own door, but I have to be here in June.
Sirius and Tonks were both staring at me in shock.
Dumbledore frowned. Then his eyes widened a little, shifting from me to Sirius.
I may not have been able to do anything, but my expression sometimes said more than those thousand-word pictures people are always going on about.
I must have looked truly miserable for him to have picked up on that.
"Very well," he said. "Perhaps it can wait, or you can go earlier in the year."
I nodded my consent to this.
"I must be off," Dumbledore said. "I will contact you all within the next few days." He moved away to exchange last words with some of the others, and then sifted out of the crowd completely.
"Excuse me," I said to Sirius and Tonks, and then got up without waiting for a response.
I made my quickly up the stairs to my room, locked myself in. Then, like that day so long ago, when I thought my friends were hallucinations, I slid to the floor and proceeded to teach myself how to breath again.
This was the worst, the hardest. The others were terrible, but this parting would rip a piece out of me that I had only just managed to hold intact over the years.
We had so little time...
And then what? I would stick by Remus for two more years, fulfilling my promise to myself, and then he too would be gone. Like Sirius to Harry, Remus was the closest thing to a family I had.
I thought back to my old life, the one that I could never get back to. I thought of my parents, and wondered, not for the first time, what it must have been like to loose me.
There are some pains you can bear, and some you cannot. I wasn't sure I could bear losing Sirius.
He didn't come this time. He nearly always came, never leaving me on my own for long, except for when he was in prison, and that he could not help.
I had to take care of myself, but I was already an expert at this. I wiped at my face, squared my shoulders, and went back downstairs.
Mad-Eye actually had a bit of risky business planned for the new recruits and I. A few days later, he, Bill, Tonks, Dung, and I met in the kitchen. The mission was set for that night, and, as promised, I would be in charge.
"I want you to go to the Riddle House," he explained.
"Are you nuts?" I said, alarmed. "Voldemort's last known headquarters?"
Mad-Eye nodded. "I doubt he'll be there anymore, so you're in minimal danger."
"He could be still watching the place," I pointed out.
"Which is why there's four of you and not just you yourself going," he growled. "I doubt you'll find anything, but I want the place checked out all the same. Report back here when you're done. I'll be waiting."
I watched him hobble out of the room, shaking my head.
I heard a cough. Turning around, there was my team, looking at me expectantly.
I can do this.
"Alright then," I said. "Tonks! Fletcher! Weasley! Let's get moving."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sirius, who was watching in amusement, salute me.
"You all know how to get where we're going?" I asked. I had a vivid picture in my mind, concocted from the movies and the description Mad-Eye had been given.
Tonk perked up in response to the question. "I do! Been to the village once, actually."
I nodded at her. "Very good. You take Bill as a side-along. Dung, you're with me." He twitched, and I narrowed my eyes at him. "And no funny business, you got that? Anything not helping us on this trip is getting hexed."
I got the thumbs-up from Sirius on the way out.
As Mad-Eye had predicted, the place was clean. We went over the house, poor old Frank's place, and the graveyard.
You could feel the evil there. Once I was convinced we had done all we could, I had us get out of there as quickly as possible. I was shivering badly.
I met Sirius in the library after the debriefing. He was holding a letter in his hand and staring absently at the fire.
I sank into an armchair across from him.
"How did it go?" he asked, not looking at me.
"As expected," I said. "What's that you got there?"
He shook himself a little, coming out of his daze. "Letter from Harry. He's really angry."
I nodded. "I'm not surprised."
"Trouble is," Sirius went on, "I know exactly how he feels."
"Which is why you're the best person for him to talk to," I said. I got up and patted him encouragingly on the back as I passed. "I'm going to bed. Goodnight."
