One particularly bright Tuesday morning, her owl, Newt came swooping down into the garden where she had been pruning her roses. The owl landed on her shoulder and dropped from his beak a letter, addressed in green ink.
"What's that you've given me, Newt? I say, I don't recognise that curly handwriting, who could it be from?" she asked the bird. Newt looked pleadingly at her. " Oh yes, there's some oats on the table for you, go on." And the owl flew swiftly into the cottage.
The lady took the letter into the house and closed the door and sat down in her armchair in the sitting area. She took the letter and saw a crest containing a lion, snake, eagle and badger stamped on the back. She tore open the letter, and gasped.
Dear Elise,
You may be surprised I am writing to you after all these
years but I am in need of your help. I will get straight to the point. Our
world is in grave danger and we need more wizards/witches to join our alliance,
The Order of the Phoenix. The Dark Lord has returned to our once happy lands,
which although is not surprising, has turned everything upside down. We are
facing dark times and I am asking you to join us.
Our alliance is based at Hogwarts, all of whom are able
to help, are congregating here on September 2nd of this year. I hope
you can attend, and also not just for me, there is someone you will be pleased
to meet. I won't say any more here, as it is not safe for him.
Please send a reply as soon as you can, Elise. Things are
going to be difficult, but with more help we can try to succeed in fighting
Lord Voldemort. Also keep this to yourself; we do not want to be responsible
for panic nor of alerting the enemy to our plans.
I hope you are well.
Yours in friendship
Albus Dumbledore
After reading the letter through a few times, Elise hesitated. The Dark Lord, Voldemort? It couldn't be true, but having known Albus Dumbledore for many, many years, she knew it must be. Dumbledore would not joke about such things. She pulled a spare piece of parchment to her, a bottle of ink and quill then she began scribbling her reply. Although retired, she was not old or frail in any way. She could see nothing wrong in joining the alliance. One thing she did ponder about was the identity of the person mentioned in Dumbledore's letter. Who could this be? Someone important? She could not say.
Elise finished the letter and whistled for her owl to take it to Hogwarts.
"Hurry won't you, Newt? Come back as soon as you can. We have plans to make; we could soon be leaving this place. You'd like that wouldn't you? And guess where we're going, Newt?" she asked the bird.
The owl hooted as if to say yes, he did know. He'd seen the letter. Elise tied her response to his leg.
"Yes that's right, you clever thing, we're going back to Hogwarts!"
Newt hooted loudly in reply and flew off towards the sun where the lands were troubled and dark.
