Harry Potter and the Dark Lord's Castle
Return to Safety
When Harry got back to the safe house he was surprised to see that it was crowded, the entire house seemed to be packed with wizards. As Harry surveyed the scene he could see several people he knew, he saw Professors Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Sprout and Flitwick. He also saw Arthur Weasley, Remus Lupin, Mad-eye Moody and Sirius Black. They all looked very sober and distraught, when Harry first walked in he assumed that it must be for Hagrid but Harry saw Hagrid on the bed being tended to by Madam Pomfrey. When the people inside noticed Harry they let out a collective gasp. Sirius practically jumped on other people's heads trying to get to him; Dumbledore looked at him with a disappointed look that made his inside writhe. Sirius came over to him and enfolded him in a hug, he was holding him so tight that Harry suspected that he was trying to ensure that Harry wouldn't try and leave. Snape, who happened to be next to him, took this moment to speak his mind.
"You foolish boy! Why didn't you listen to my note, it said DO NOT LEAVE THIS ROOM!" Snape yelled the last part; everyone in the room was instantly silenced. They all stared at Snape in surprise but to Harry's disappointment no one came to his rescue; even Sirius who had his arm around Harry didn't say a word. Harry suspected that this was because everyone in the room agreed with Snape. Harry, who had decided that he would not talk back to Snape, forgot his own advice and answered,
"But Hagrid was in trouble, I thought that he would die if I didn't get help." Harry looked around for support but many in the room had picked that moment to look at the floor or find some other way to avoid the hard stare of the boy.
"You foolish brat do you know what you would have done if you had been kil-" Snape was cut off by the angry words of Albus Dumbledore.
"Severus! Quiet, the boy is safe; there is no reason to continue this. Albeit the boy made a bad decision but he was trying to help a friend, if everyone in the world had his kind of bravery there would be no division between dark and light."
Harry felt as though every one knew something about him, but that none of them wanted to tell him, he didn't think that now would be the best time to ask the question. He stared down at his shoes, but didn't reply, he was surprised to hear Snape speak up.
"I'm sorry Potter, I think that maybe the lack of sleep is finally catching up with me." Harry and Sirius both stared at Snape, they both looked amazed, had Severus Snape apologized to Harry Potter. Harry decided that the lack of sleep really had caught up to Snape if he was apologizing to him.
"I'm sorry too," He stammered out to the crowd, "I really thought that I had to help Hagrid, how is he? Will he be alright?"
Dumbledore looked down at him; the familiar twinkle was back in his eyes.
"Hagrid will be fine, now get some rest." Harry looked around but could see no place where he could rest, Dumbledore seemed to notice this so he pulled out his wand. Harry expected Dumbledore to conjure a bed but instead he tapped a picture on the wall three times, whispered a password 'gum drops' and a passage opened up where the wall used to be. The passage went underground all the wizards and witches walked down the path in small groups talking and muttering to each other. Harry was distinctly aware that almost everyone around him was watching him very closely, Harry avoided their glances and instead decided to concentrate on Hagrid's body, which was floating along the path in front of them, held aloft by Dumbledore's wand.
The large group continued walking for some time until the passage finally began to turn uphill, marking the end of their walk. The group came to a stop at a dead end and opened a path; they appeared to be waiting for something, but whatever it was Harry didn't know. Slowly Dumbledore began to walk forward; he reached the dead end and prodded the wall with his wand. A hole appeared where his wand had touched it, the hole widened until the entire wall was missing, and Harry was reminded of the opening in to Diagon Alley. One by one everyone that was standing in the passageway stepped through the opening until it was Harry's turn, he stepped through and looked around in surprise, the passage led directly to Hogwarts. Harry recognized the passage he was in as the one that led to Dumbledore's office; the crowd seemed to know where they were going because each of them was heading in the direction of the Headmaster's office. They walked along for a few minutes but surprised Harry by passing Dumbledore's office and heading in to a corridor that Harry had never been to, he hadn't even seen it on the Marauder's map. As Harry and the group walked further Harry even had the distinct impression that this passageway had been recently made, Harry was getting more nervous by the minute, where were they going, and why was everyone watching him as though they were afraid he would leave again?
The group finally stopped in front of a door that looked so normal it was almost odd, in a castle where Harry thought nothing would ever surprise him, this door did. The door looked like it would belong on a muggle's house, it was plain and red, and it had a plain brass knocker on it. Dumbledore knocked on the door three times, the door slowly opened and the group walked in; it looked to Harry like a war room. The room had a long oval table in the middle, on the table were maps that reminded Harry of the Marauder's map, it had moving dots with name tags on them, but it was of different places in the magical world. Harry saw one map of Diagon Alley, one of the Ministry of Magic and many more places that Harry couldn't identify. Dumbledore must have seen the puzzled look on Harry's face because he turned to him and began explaining.
"Harry, first I would like to say that everything you see here is going to be kept strictly confidential, do you understand?" Harry nodded his compliance but was still looking around the room. Dumbledore continued, "Welcome to the war room of the Order of Phoenix, here is where we, as the group that works against Voldemort, plan and organize our resistance. We monitor attacks on the wizarding and muggle world and help out where we can. You probably know many of the members, but I beg you not to talk about this group to them because someone might hear you and that would mean the end of this group." Dumbledore looked at Harry but Harry said nothing so he continued. "Your parents were members and although you don't know it yet, you will one day be a member."
At this Harry looked up, "Me? What's so special about me? I'm not even the most powerful wizard of my year." Harry looked at Dumbledore's piercing eyes and looked away. Dumbledore responded but it was not the answer Harry wished to hear,
"You will know in time, but I can tell you this, if you die the resistance is over, you are our only hope for survival. You will need to learn the proper skills this year, so you will be taking auror classes throughout the year, you will be let out of certain classes to take these lessons. Now I must again tell you to keep this a secret from everyone, including Hermione and Ron. Harry looked at him in surprise; he had never kept a secret from his two friends. "Now I am going back to the hospital wing, Hagrid should have awoken by now, would you like to join me?"
Dumbledore walked away and Harry followed wearily.
Return to Safety
When Harry got back to the safe house he was surprised to see that it was crowded, the entire house seemed to be packed with wizards. As Harry surveyed the scene he could see several people he knew, he saw Professors Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Sprout and Flitwick. He also saw Arthur Weasley, Remus Lupin, Mad-eye Moody and Sirius Black. They all looked very sober and distraught, when Harry first walked in he assumed that it must be for Hagrid but Harry saw Hagrid on the bed being tended to by Madam Pomfrey. When the people inside noticed Harry they let out a collective gasp. Sirius practically jumped on other people's heads trying to get to him; Dumbledore looked at him with a disappointed look that made his inside writhe. Sirius came over to him and enfolded him in a hug, he was holding him so tight that Harry suspected that he was trying to ensure that Harry wouldn't try and leave. Snape, who happened to be next to him, took this moment to speak his mind.
"You foolish boy! Why didn't you listen to my note, it said DO NOT LEAVE THIS ROOM!" Snape yelled the last part; everyone in the room was instantly silenced. They all stared at Snape in surprise but to Harry's disappointment no one came to his rescue; even Sirius who had his arm around Harry didn't say a word. Harry suspected that this was because everyone in the room agreed with Snape. Harry, who had decided that he would not talk back to Snape, forgot his own advice and answered,
"But Hagrid was in trouble, I thought that he would die if I didn't get help." Harry looked around for support but many in the room had picked that moment to look at the floor or find some other way to avoid the hard stare of the boy.
"You foolish brat do you know what you would have done if you had been kil-" Snape was cut off by the angry words of Albus Dumbledore.
"Severus! Quiet, the boy is safe; there is no reason to continue this. Albeit the boy made a bad decision but he was trying to help a friend, if everyone in the world had his kind of bravery there would be no division between dark and light."
Harry felt as though every one knew something about him, but that none of them wanted to tell him, he didn't think that now would be the best time to ask the question. He stared down at his shoes, but didn't reply, he was surprised to hear Snape speak up.
"I'm sorry Potter, I think that maybe the lack of sleep is finally catching up with me." Harry and Sirius both stared at Snape, they both looked amazed, had Severus Snape apologized to Harry Potter. Harry decided that the lack of sleep really had caught up to Snape if he was apologizing to him.
"I'm sorry too," He stammered out to the crowd, "I really thought that I had to help Hagrid, how is he? Will he be alright?"
Dumbledore looked down at him; the familiar twinkle was back in his eyes.
"Hagrid will be fine, now get some rest." Harry looked around but could see no place where he could rest, Dumbledore seemed to notice this so he pulled out his wand. Harry expected Dumbledore to conjure a bed but instead he tapped a picture on the wall three times, whispered a password 'gum drops' and a passage opened up where the wall used to be. The passage went underground all the wizards and witches walked down the path in small groups talking and muttering to each other. Harry was distinctly aware that almost everyone around him was watching him very closely, Harry avoided their glances and instead decided to concentrate on Hagrid's body, which was floating along the path in front of them, held aloft by Dumbledore's wand.
The large group continued walking for some time until the passage finally began to turn uphill, marking the end of their walk. The group came to a stop at a dead end and opened a path; they appeared to be waiting for something, but whatever it was Harry didn't know. Slowly Dumbledore began to walk forward; he reached the dead end and prodded the wall with his wand. A hole appeared where his wand had touched it, the hole widened until the entire wall was missing, and Harry was reminded of the opening in to Diagon Alley. One by one everyone that was standing in the passageway stepped through the opening until it was Harry's turn, he stepped through and looked around in surprise, the passage led directly to Hogwarts. Harry recognized the passage he was in as the one that led to Dumbledore's office; the crowd seemed to know where they were going because each of them was heading in the direction of the Headmaster's office. They walked along for a few minutes but surprised Harry by passing Dumbledore's office and heading in to a corridor that Harry had never been to, he hadn't even seen it on the Marauder's map. As Harry and the group walked further Harry even had the distinct impression that this passageway had been recently made, Harry was getting more nervous by the minute, where were they going, and why was everyone watching him as though they were afraid he would leave again?
The group finally stopped in front of a door that looked so normal it was almost odd, in a castle where Harry thought nothing would ever surprise him, this door did. The door looked like it would belong on a muggle's house, it was plain and red, and it had a plain brass knocker on it. Dumbledore knocked on the door three times, the door slowly opened and the group walked in; it looked to Harry like a war room. The room had a long oval table in the middle, on the table were maps that reminded Harry of the Marauder's map, it had moving dots with name tags on them, but it was of different places in the magical world. Harry saw one map of Diagon Alley, one of the Ministry of Magic and many more places that Harry couldn't identify. Dumbledore must have seen the puzzled look on Harry's face because he turned to him and began explaining.
"Harry, first I would like to say that everything you see here is going to be kept strictly confidential, do you understand?" Harry nodded his compliance but was still looking around the room. Dumbledore continued, "Welcome to the war room of the Order of Phoenix, here is where we, as the group that works against Voldemort, plan and organize our resistance. We monitor attacks on the wizarding and muggle world and help out where we can. You probably know many of the members, but I beg you not to talk about this group to them because someone might hear you and that would mean the end of this group." Dumbledore looked at Harry but Harry said nothing so he continued. "Your parents were members and although you don't know it yet, you will one day be a member."
At this Harry looked up, "Me? What's so special about me? I'm not even the most powerful wizard of my year." Harry looked at Dumbledore's piercing eyes and looked away. Dumbledore responded but it was not the answer Harry wished to hear,
"You will know in time, but I can tell you this, if you die the resistance is over, you are our only hope for survival. You will need to learn the proper skills this year, so you will be taking auror classes throughout the year, you will be let out of certain classes to take these lessons. Now I must again tell you to keep this a secret from everyone, including Hermione and Ron. Harry looked at him in surprise; he had never kept a secret from his two friends. "Now I am going back to the hospital wing, Hagrid should have awoken by now, would you like to join me?"
Dumbledore walked away and Harry followed wearily.