JKR owns the people and places, Iown Karista, Julia, Amaia and the dream...
Chapter 8: The Order of Phoenix
Harry, too stunned to move or speak, stared blankly at Dumbledore. He could tell by the look on Dumbledore's face that Karista, Ron, Hermione and Draco were doing the same thing. Dumbledore let out a small laugh and sat back in his seat.
"Now, you all know that the Dark Lord has his supporters, more commonly known as Death Eaters." Harry could sense Draco flinch as Dumbledore went on. "Well, I have my own supporters known as the Order of Phoenix. Underground and powerful are the best adjectives that I can use to describe it."
Harry could see the nodding of heads as well as smiles out of the corner of his eye. He knew what was coming next.
"And I would suppose now is a better time than any to ask this of you. Karista, Harry…the two of you would become our most powerful allies. Even more powerful than anyone in the Order."
Karista dropped her gaze to the floor.
"I know why that is," she muttered, twiddling her thumb.
"Thank you for realizing that, Miss Flannigan," Dumbledore smiled, resting his hand against his cheek. "And I trust that you see my point of view on the subject."
Harry turned his head to watch Karista as she furrowed her brow.
"You want us to join you, right?" Karista asked. Harry knew that she caught everyone off guard except for Dumbledore.
"Well, that would be part of it…yes," he said quietly.
It seemed that Karista was about to turn and walk away from the room before Dumbledore stopped her.
"Karista, I find you to be more powerful than anyone in this room combined…that is, besides Harry. You must understand a few things, however."
Karista looked up into Dumbledore's face, then backed away.
"I need some time to think about this, headmaster. I think after last spring's activity, ye olde uncle Voldie wants my head still."
Most everyone in the room let out a heavy snigger, yet Dumbledore's eyes showed a look of rare concern. Harry, if confused before, was now in desperate need of information.
"Why?" was all he could manage.
"Harry, your parents were aurors with the ministry and the Order. And I also seem to figure that there is something else both you and Karista should know about yourselves."
Karista and Harry looked at each other, then at Dumbledore.
"Very well then. This obviously can't wait. Fellow Order members, please brace yourselves for what you will hear. Karista, being as you are Voldemort's niece," Dumbledore stopped as the room filled with a gasp. "You will be in a sense honored to know that you are the Heir of Slytherin behind your Uncle. Harry, you are the Heir of Gryffindor."
The silence and tension in the room at that point had become deafening.
"I will also have you know that the two of you are the only way to actually get rid of Voldemort," Dumbledore said quietly, twirling his wand between his fingers.
Karista nodded her head and turned on her heel towards the door.
"I'll be up in the Gryffindor tower wallowing in my self pity for anyone who wishes to bug me," Karista said, pulling rather hard on the door and exiting in a flury of robes. The room stood stunned around the group in the center while Harry stepped forward to speak.
"I'm in."
"Us too," Ron and Hermione chorused at the same time, standing next to Harry. Draco fidgeted in his spot before stepping forward.
"Count me in then," Draco said simply as the eyes wandered across the four.
"Very well then. I will contact the four of you soon and have my own private chat with Karista in the meantime," Dumbledore said happily, standing from his seat again and coming around his desk. "For now, anything that you wanted to talk to me about will have to wait until the morning."
The four nodded and turned to leave to room before Harry stopped.
"My mother and father were aurors?" he asked curiously, turning fully to face Dumbledore.
"Damn good ones, Harry," Sirius said from the corner with a mischievious smile. "Your mother was more of a medi-wizard, though."
Harry smiled and left the room with Ron, Hermione and Draco.
***
Karista laid back on her bed after walking slowly up from Dumbledore's office. Of course I want to kill Voldie, she thought savagely as she wiggled her way underneath the covers of her bed. I'm just really tired right now.
She closed her eyes and as soon drifting off into a deep sleep.
"My lord, we have reason to believe that Dumbledore has asked Potter and Flannigan to join the Order," Lucius Malfoy said, adjusting his mask so that Karista could clearly see his facial expression. Lucius almost looks scared, she thought to herself. It was another out of body experience, yet she now had her invisibility cloak with her. She had discovered how to do this after her third or fourth try.
"I see Lucius. Someone is here though. I know who it is," Voldemort seethed, standing from his chair and looking at the spot where Karista stood. She shook her head and dropped the hood to the cloak.
"I trust your first night at Hogwarts was enjoyable?" Voldemort asked quietly, retaking his seat across from Lucius Malfoy who was glaring daggers at her. She then noticed that two more people were in the room. One was Snape, yet the other one she didn't recognize.
"Yes, actually it was quite…er…intriguing if I do say so myself," Karista muttered sarcastically, crossing the room to another seat that was open by the fire.
"So I assume then, from what Lucius and Snape, who has yet to inform me of the meeting, that you are joining the Order?"
"Actually, she didn't say anything, my lord," Snape said placidly, his eyes fixing themselves on Karista for a second.
"True," Karista said quietly, looking down at her bare feet.
"My lord, why don't you just do away with her now?" the second hooded figure mumbled from behind his hood.
"You fool…she is in a dream state and therefore cannot be harmed. I could hex her all I like and she would just sit there and laugh at me, wouldn't you Karista?"
"Yes, I would find it quite amusing," Karista chuckled, glancing at the fire which strangely wasn't giving off much heat.
"Much like your mother, if I do say so myself," Voldemort chided, sipping a cup of tea. "So Lucius, Snape, and my…er…new accomplise, you can just put your wands down."
Karista watched as the three death eaters relaxed immensly as she stood to go.
"You aren't leaving yet," Voldemort chimed, halting her with his tone. "You are instead going to explain to me why you haven't joined the Order yet and also if you are going to take me up on my offer."
Karista turned to see Snape's mouth wide, as well as the confused expression on the new recruits face.
"I only have one answer for both of those statements, uncle Voldie…as one person dear to my heart once said, 'that is for me to know and you to find out'," Karista said in one breath. She finally made it to the door, yet turned around again to face Voldemort. "Try as you might, I think you will find it rather difficult to hide any of your plans from me because I am you. I know how your mind works, Uncle."
With a final glare, the room slowly swirled from the cold, stoned room and back into the comfort of her four poster bed.
She shifted her gaze slightly to realize that it was almost four in the morning. With a final yawn, she drifted back into sleep, unperturbed and slightly happy that her decision had been made.
***
"Headmaster, I think you might be interested in what Draco and I saw tonight," Snape cursed flinging his death eater's mask down on the desk amidst stares from the few aurors that remained in the morning.
"What is it, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, a solemn and tired look on his face.
"Karista can speak to the Dark Lord…in her dreams," Draco answered sharply as soon as he entered the room. "They can have an actual conversation."
Dumbledore's face creased with concern as he begged them on.
"She was having what I would suppose was an out-of-body experience. She is the same person in real life, yet she can't be harmed," Snape explained rather crookedly. "She can bring objects with her and I am almost certain that she can perform magic, too."
Dumbledore stood up and crossed the room to a bookshelf and studied the titles until he finally found the one he had been looking for.
"This was a book I found not long ago about the subject. Sirius, I am sure that you would like to read this for me and figure out exactly what might be happening. This can be a very, very powerful trait that can help us," Dumbledore murmured, placing the book in Sirius' hands and turning back to the shelf. "I think that is all I have at the moment. As for Draco, I cannot thank you enough for what you did tonight with Severus."
Draco nodded his head and left the room while Snape stood, his face tired and slightly plexed.
"Any more word on the 'appearances'?" Snape asked, trying to point the question towards Dumbledore.
"Not as of yet, Severus. I have Alastor and Mundungus on the issue at this moment."
Snape nodded his head as he left the room through a hidden door in Dumbledore's office and headed down a corridor until he entered the teacher's common room. After climbing the last stairwell to his room and entering, he slowly thought through the nights events. Placing the mask on his dresser and slowly changing into his pajamas, he couldn't help but think exactly what Karista had been offered and he was thankful that he didn't tell Dumbledore.
"If only I could have Vanessa back, that would make everything easier," he said half-heartidly, finally falling asleep.
Chapter 8: The Order of Phoenix
Harry, too stunned to move or speak, stared blankly at Dumbledore. He could tell by the look on Dumbledore's face that Karista, Ron, Hermione and Draco were doing the same thing. Dumbledore let out a small laugh and sat back in his seat.
"Now, you all know that the Dark Lord has his supporters, more commonly known as Death Eaters." Harry could sense Draco flinch as Dumbledore went on. "Well, I have my own supporters known as the Order of Phoenix. Underground and powerful are the best adjectives that I can use to describe it."
Harry could see the nodding of heads as well as smiles out of the corner of his eye. He knew what was coming next.
"And I would suppose now is a better time than any to ask this of you. Karista, Harry…the two of you would become our most powerful allies. Even more powerful than anyone in the Order."
Karista dropped her gaze to the floor.
"I know why that is," she muttered, twiddling her thumb.
"Thank you for realizing that, Miss Flannigan," Dumbledore smiled, resting his hand against his cheek. "And I trust that you see my point of view on the subject."
Harry turned his head to watch Karista as she furrowed her brow.
"You want us to join you, right?" Karista asked. Harry knew that she caught everyone off guard except for Dumbledore.
"Well, that would be part of it…yes," he said quietly.
It seemed that Karista was about to turn and walk away from the room before Dumbledore stopped her.
"Karista, I find you to be more powerful than anyone in this room combined…that is, besides Harry. You must understand a few things, however."
Karista looked up into Dumbledore's face, then backed away.
"I need some time to think about this, headmaster. I think after last spring's activity, ye olde uncle Voldie wants my head still."
Most everyone in the room let out a heavy snigger, yet Dumbledore's eyes showed a look of rare concern. Harry, if confused before, was now in desperate need of information.
"Why?" was all he could manage.
"Harry, your parents were aurors with the ministry and the Order. And I also seem to figure that there is something else both you and Karista should know about yourselves."
Karista and Harry looked at each other, then at Dumbledore.
"Very well then. This obviously can't wait. Fellow Order members, please brace yourselves for what you will hear. Karista, being as you are Voldemort's niece," Dumbledore stopped as the room filled with a gasp. "You will be in a sense honored to know that you are the Heir of Slytherin behind your Uncle. Harry, you are the Heir of Gryffindor."
The silence and tension in the room at that point had become deafening.
"I will also have you know that the two of you are the only way to actually get rid of Voldemort," Dumbledore said quietly, twirling his wand between his fingers.
Karista nodded her head and turned on her heel towards the door.
"I'll be up in the Gryffindor tower wallowing in my self pity for anyone who wishes to bug me," Karista said, pulling rather hard on the door and exiting in a flury of robes. The room stood stunned around the group in the center while Harry stepped forward to speak.
"I'm in."
"Us too," Ron and Hermione chorused at the same time, standing next to Harry. Draco fidgeted in his spot before stepping forward.
"Count me in then," Draco said simply as the eyes wandered across the four.
"Very well then. I will contact the four of you soon and have my own private chat with Karista in the meantime," Dumbledore said happily, standing from his seat again and coming around his desk. "For now, anything that you wanted to talk to me about will have to wait until the morning."
The four nodded and turned to leave to room before Harry stopped.
"My mother and father were aurors?" he asked curiously, turning fully to face Dumbledore.
"Damn good ones, Harry," Sirius said from the corner with a mischievious smile. "Your mother was more of a medi-wizard, though."
Harry smiled and left the room with Ron, Hermione and Draco.
***
Karista laid back on her bed after walking slowly up from Dumbledore's office. Of course I want to kill Voldie, she thought savagely as she wiggled her way underneath the covers of her bed. I'm just really tired right now.
She closed her eyes and as soon drifting off into a deep sleep.
"My lord, we have reason to believe that Dumbledore has asked Potter and Flannigan to join the Order," Lucius Malfoy said, adjusting his mask so that Karista could clearly see his facial expression. Lucius almost looks scared, she thought to herself. It was another out of body experience, yet she now had her invisibility cloak with her. She had discovered how to do this after her third or fourth try.
"I see Lucius. Someone is here though. I know who it is," Voldemort seethed, standing from his chair and looking at the spot where Karista stood. She shook her head and dropped the hood to the cloak.
"I trust your first night at Hogwarts was enjoyable?" Voldemort asked quietly, retaking his seat across from Lucius Malfoy who was glaring daggers at her. She then noticed that two more people were in the room. One was Snape, yet the other one she didn't recognize.
"Yes, actually it was quite…er…intriguing if I do say so myself," Karista muttered sarcastically, crossing the room to another seat that was open by the fire.
"So I assume then, from what Lucius and Snape, who has yet to inform me of the meeting, that you are joining the Order?"
"Actually, she didn't say anything, my lord," Snape said placidly, his eyes fixing themselves on Karista for a second.
"True," Karista said quietly, looking down at her bare feet.
"My lord, why don't you just do away with her now?" the second hooded figure mumbled from behind his hood.
"You fool…she is in a dream state and therefore cannot be harmed. I could hex her all I like and she would just sit there and laugh at me, wouldn't you Karista?"
"Yes, I would find it quite amusing," Karista chuckled, glancing at the fire which strangely wasn't giving off much heat.
"Much like your mother, if I do say so myself," Voldemort chided, sipping a cup of tea. "So Lucius, Snape, and my…er…new accomplise, you can just put your wands down."
Karista watched as the three death eaters relaxed immensly as she stood to go.
"You aren't leaving yet," Voldemort chimed, halting her with his tone. "You are instead going to explain to me why you haven't joined the Order yet and also if you are going to take me up on my offer."
Karista turned to see Snape's mouth wide, as well as the confused expression on the new recruits face.
"I only have one answer for both of those statements, uncle Voldie…as one person dear to my heart once said, 'that is for me to know and you to find out'," Karista said in one breath. She finally made it to the door, yet turned around again to face Voldemort. "Try as you might, I think you will find it rather difficult to hide any of your plans from me because I am you. I know how your mind works, Uncle."
With a final glare, the room slowly swirled from the cold, stoned room and back into the comfort of her four poster bed.
She shifted her gaze slightly to realize that it was almost four in the morning. With a final yawn, she drifted back into sleep, unperturbed and slightly happy that her decision had been made.
***
"Headmaster, I think you might be interested in what Draco and I saw tonight," Snape cursed flinging his death eater's mask down on the desk amidst stares from the few aurors that remained in the morning.
"What is it, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, a solemn and tired look on his face.
"Karista can speak to the Dark Lord…in her dreams," Draco answered sharply as soon as he entered the room. "They can have an actual conversation."
Dumbledore's face creased with concern as he begged them on.
"She was having what I would suppose was an out-of-body experience. She is the same person in real life, yet she can't be harmed," Snape explained rather crookedly. "She can bring objects with her and I am almost certain that she can perform magic, too."
Dumbledore stood up and crossed the room to a bookshelf and studied the titles until he finally found the one he had been looking for.
"This was a book I found not long ago about the subject. Sirius, I am sure that you would like to read this for me and figure out exactly what might be happening. This can be a very, very powerful trait that can help us," Dumbledore murmured, placing the book in Sirius' hands and turning back to the shelf. "I think that is all I have at the moment. As for Draco, I cannot thank you enough for what you did tonight with Severus."
Draco nodded his head and left the room while Snape stood, his face tired and slightly plexed.
"Any more word on the 'appearances'?" Snape asked, trying to point the question towards Dumbledore.
"Not as of yet, Severus. I have Alastor and Mundungus on the issue at this moment."
Snape nodded his head as he left the room through a hidden door in Dumbledore's office and headed down a corridor until he entered the teacher's common room. After climbing the last stairwell to his room and entering, he slowly thought through the nights events. Placing the mask on his dresser and slowly changing into his pajamas, he couldn't help but think exactly what Karista had been offered and he was thankful that he didn't tell Dumbledore.
"If only I could have Vanessa back, that would make everything easier," he said half-heartidly, finally falling asleep.
