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"It's gotta be from Harry!" Fred emphasized his words by waving the letter, which had been enchanted to only reveal its content at the words I solemnly swear that I am up to no good, around. It had said nothing more than "Meeting at the Hog's Head. First day of Christmas holidays. 10am."

Ginny snatched the letter away from him. "Are you sure?" She scrutinized the letter. "I've never seen magic like this before."

"Harry is not alone," replied Luna, eyes fixated on the piece of parchment.

"Yeah," agreed Fred. "Hermione could have helped him."

George shook his head. "You think it's from Harry because he knows of the Marauder's map. But Harry isn't the only one who knows about it. It could be from one of the Marauders, they created the map and the spell in the first place."

"The map Harry uses to spy on everyone?" asked Daphne. "I've seen him use it before."

"He doesn't spy on anyone," replied Ginny crossly. "Professor Lupin returned it to him. To keep Harry safe. He created it when he was still at Hogwarts."

"So, it could be from Professor Lupin or from Sirius?" asked Astoria.

Neville reached for the letter and looked at it again. "Could be. But another member of the Marauders is also still around. One who isn't on our side."

"Pettigrew," whispered Astoria, reaching for Daphne's hand. "You think it might be a trap?"

"It could be. It's a possibility we can't rule out. But I think it's unlikely. The school is run by Death Eaters. If they want to attack us, they don't have to lure us out of the school. Besides, we'd be on our way home that day. No reason to get us out of school…"

"I wanted to celebrate Christmas with my father. Should I stay at Hogwarts?" Luna asked.

Ginny had her eyebrows furrowed. "I think most of us wanted to leave the school over the holidays. I can't think of anything more depressing than spending Christmas with the Carrows and Snape."

"I'm staying," Theo said. "I can go and tell you what it was all about after Christmas."

"Oh, sorry Theo," Ginny said quickly. "I didn't mean to imply-"

"No, it's alright. You are right – I'm not exactly looking forward to spending Christmas with those sadists." He sighed. "But Sirius is on the run, and I am certainly not going to join my father for the holidays… so Snape and the Carrows it is."

Astoria shook her head. "I really don't think it is a good idea for you to meet whoever sent us this letter on your own. What if it is a trap?"

"I'll stay," Neville said.

"Hell you will!"

"Daphne-"

"This is your first Christmas with your parents! You're not gonna miss that. I'll stay, keep Theo company in Slytherin." Daphne elbowed Theo, "Maybe we'll brew the Carrows a nice Christmas present."

Theo laughed. "If you put it like that – I think I've got a few ideas."

"Sounds like a party!" laughed George. "We'll stay, right Fred?"

"Right!"

"Mum will kill you," sighed Ginny.

"Eh, she's got seven kids, I'm sure she won't notice if one or two are missing."

Ginny glared at him. "With the three of us staying in school and Ron on the run, it would be four out of seven missing. I think she'd notice. And in times like these, she'd care."

Fred and George looked at each other, then shrugged. "Fine," Fred finally agreed.

Ginny sighed. "Great. Theo, Astoria and Daphne are going to the meeting. Luna and Neville can spend the hols at home."

"Luna should stay as well," Neville suddenly said. When everyone looked at him, he added, "I just worry about you. Your father speaks out very publicly against the Death Eaters. What if they try to get to him through you?"

Luna crossed her arms. "They are looking for your family as well. And it is not like there are no Death Eaters at school. If they want to kidnap us, they don't have to do that outside of school."

Neville sighed. "Fine. But be careful."

"We'll all be careful," said Astoria.

"Great," Fred said, "it's a plan."

"Not really." Daphne looked at each of the room's occupants. "How are we going to get to the Hog's Head without anyone noticing? The passages have all been sealed."

"Oh yeah. I take it they are monitoring the fireplaces?"

"When the Aurors interrogated me, Snape told me that all channels of communication are being monitored, including the Floo Network. The only one that is not watched is Snape's own."

"Oookay," Fred laughed, "let's keep sneaking into Snape's office as a plan B."

Astoria shook her head. "We can't do that, not even as a last resort. Perhaps we could find out whether or not Snape is in his office or not. Maybe we can even figure out the password of the day. But we have no way of knowing who would be in his office when we return. We could run straight into him. Or worse."

"You-Know-Who?" asked George.

Theo laughed nervously. "I think she meant the Carrows. But honestly, who knows. They are all Death Eaters. Maybe he'll stop by to check in on them when there's fewer students and teachers around."

"Yikes. We could sneak into the forest. Once we are past the apparition wards, Fred and I could apparate you all to Hogsmeade. We could join you for the meeting and then apparate all of you back and us to King's Cross."

Neville shook his head. "Too risky. Besides the obvious danger of being caught – I've heard there's a curfew, and Death Eaters and Dementors patrolling in Hogsmeade - apparating is difficult. Are you sure you are good enough to side-along four people?"

"Okay, a valid point," agreed Fred, not the least bit dejected. "How about we brew you some Polyjuice? Or make you invisible? We could also-"

"Uhm, sorry to interrupt you guys," said Luna, "but has that door always been here?"

"What door?" asked the twins in unison, turning around to look at what Luna was looking at.

"Blimey," breathed George. "Where'd that come from?"

They all stared at the door in quiet awe when Neville started to laugh. "God, I love this room."

"Oh my goodness, Draco!" Neville had just left the Room of Requirement, rounded a corner, and run straight into Draco.

"Watch it, Longbottom!"

"I- What are you doing here? Are you following me?"

"I-uhm- no. I am a prefect. Patrolling the halls is my job. What are you doing here?"

"Nothing. Thinking. I told you I like to come here and think."

"Lots of thinking going on."

Neville sighed, starting to walk away from the Room of Requirement so his friends could leave as well. They should ask Harry for the Marauder's Map. But since they had no idea where he was, that was out of the question. Luckily, Draco followed Neville.

"Troubling times – there's lots to think about."

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Finally regretting the side you chose?"

Neville laughed. "Is that what you are thinking about? Because I certainly am not. Even if I knew that I would die tomorrow and switching sides could save me, I wouldn't."

Draco bit his lower lip and looked away. After a few tense seconds, he looked at Neville again. "You know you aren't allowed to have group meetings."

"Who's having any group meetings? I'm on my own. And I know the rules; I'm a prefect too. Thinking isn't against them." Or it wasn't yet, anyway. And the Carrows showed that one did not need to be able to think to make it to something in this world.

Draco laughed. "They only made you one because there aren't any viable options left in your house."

That stung, if only a little. He knew that he had not been a prefect in the original timeline. But perhaps in this timeline he would have stood a chance against Harry and his friends. His grades had been a lot better since he met the new Draco. He'd fought Death Eaters just as much as Harry and Ron. He had friends in all the houses. Who knew.

"I'm not gonna have this fight with you," Neville finally replied. Draco did not have much ground to stand on if he chose to pursue this course. He would have never made it onto the Quidditch team if his father hadn't paid for him to be there. Pansy would probably break up with him if his family decided to disinherit him again. And Snape was friends with Draco's parents. Or at least pretended to be. Neville had never been quite sure about that, which probably meant that the other Draco had not known either.

"Fine," huffed Draco, ready to leave Neville behind and continue his patrolling.

"Are you gonna go home this Christmas?" Neville asked.

"Of course I will, whyever wouldn't I?"

Neville shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. School's a good place to think." It was also a great place to avoid the Dark Lord if one did not want to spend the holidays with a murderous sociopath. "You got a girlfriend as well." He shrugged his shoulders again. He didn't think that Draco liked Pansy much, but who knew. He certainly did not know this Draco well enough to say with any degree of certainty, but he'd seen a Draco madly in love before, and he saw none of that in Draco now.

Some emotion flitted over Draco's face – too fast gone for him to analyze it, but he did not think that it was anything positive.

"That's none of your business," replied Draco, and this time he did leave Neville alone in the hall.

After that day, new hope filled the halls of Hogwarts. At least amongst their group of Defense trainees. The meeting with whoever had sent the letter seemed like a light at the end of a very long, torturous tunnel. The fighting among students grew worse with each passing day, everyone dreaded reading the Daily Prophet in the morning, as it might announce the death of a loved one, and the Carrows kept torturing animals and students for the fun of it.

It was only the hopes of meeting one of their long-lost friends that kept them going for the weeks after. But finally, the day had arrived.

"Bye Luna," said Astoria, nearly suffocating said girl in a bone-crushing hug. "Merry Christmas."

"You too, Tori. Take care."

Astoria released her, only to pull Neville into a similarly painful embrace. "Say hi and merry Christmas to your parents for me, will you?"

"I will." He hesitated for a moment, then he added, "I really wish I could spend Christmas with my family and join you guys for this meeting. Maybe… I know communication isn't safe right now… But maybe you could ask the mysterious stranger you are meeting how to enchant letters like they did, so you can tell me what happened."

Astoria released Neville and smiled. "Brilliant idea."

Soon, the Weasleys, Luna and Neville left for the Hogwarts Express. And Daphne, Astoria and Theo made their way toward the Room of Requirement.

Daphne went first. Behind the door were smooth stone steps. It looked as though the passageway had been there for years. Brass lamps hung from the walls and the earthy floor was worn and smooth; as they walked, their shadows rippled, fanlike, across the wall.

Nervous anticipation filled the air between them, which led to a tense silence.

It took ages, but eventually, they reached the end of the tunnel. There was another set of stairs leading to a door.

"Okay guys," mumbled Daphne, "this is it." She climbed up the stairs and pushed open the door, walking into one small, dingy, and very dirty room that smelled strongly of something that might have been goats. It was rather dark, as the bay windows were so encrusted with grime that very little daylight could permeate the room, which was lit instead with the stubs of candles sitting on rough wooden tables. The floor seemed at first glance to be earthy, although there was stone beneath what seemed to be the accumulated filth of centuries.

Daphne couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at her surroundings.

Her eyes met those of the barman. Something about his blue eyes seemed familiar, but Daphne could not say why. The man grunted, "Albus, your students are here."

Daphne spun around. At a table in a dark corner, across from a young woman and next to a dark figure Daphne did not recognize in the dimly-lit room, sat indeed one Albus Dumbledore.

A mix of emotions filled Daphne, the most prominent of which was confusion. She let her hand hover over where she kept her wand, just to be safe.

"I am afraid they are no longer my students, Aberforth."

"Professor Dumbledore?" Daphne could hear Astoria gasp behind her.

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. "You may call me Albus. I no longer hold any position at Hogwarts."

"So you also don't have to listen to anything he tells you to do," said the barman. He shook his head and muttered, "Recruiting children – the nerve."

"Thank you, Aberforth," said Dumbledore, and the barman left them to their own devices.

Daphne turned around to look at her friends. Astoria looked confused, whereas Theo had a tight grip on his wand.

"Now, now," said Dumbledore, his eyes on the wand, "there will be no need for that." As he said that, he placed his own wand on the table in front of him.

"Ha," laughed Theo, "as if you couldn't do more without a wand than we ever could together with ours."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "You got a point, Theo. But if that's true, there's not really any point in fighting at all, is there?" She turned towards Dumbledore. The old man moved a little, and suddenly, with his shadow no longer falling on the figure beside him, she did recognize the man sitting there.

"Sirius!"

"The one and only," he said, a radiant smile on his lips. He got up and as he reached them, pulled all of them into a hug.

"I missed you," mumbled Astoria. "Things have been crazy since the summer holidays."

"You have to tell me all about it," he replied. "But first, sit down. Have a cuppa."

They did as they were told. Cups of tea were already waiting for them, but the cups themselves were so revoltingly dirty that Daphne decided not to drink out of them.

"Who is that?" Daphne asked, motioning her head towards the woman across from Dumbledore.

"Wotcher, I'm Tonks."

Daphne took a closer look at the raven-haired woman, but her appearance sparked no recognition. Of course, Daphne knew that she was a Metamorphmagus, and as such could take on any appearance she liked.

"Tonks?" asked Theo. "I thought you were in Azkaban."

"Would have been if it weren't for the Order. They got me out, well, the both of us, actually. But sit down, then we can explain proper."

Daphne looked at the others, but ultimately, they all did as they had been told and sat down around the table.

"Sir," Astoria started, "why have you asked us to come here?"

"And why did you attack Harry?" added Theo.

Daphne elbowed him. "If that is what really happened, sir."

"Ah – that is a rather long and complicated story, I'm afraid."

"Was it the object you were looking for? Did it do to you what the diadem did to Crabbe?"

Daphne briefly glanced at her sister – apparently, there were still a lot of things she did not know about her. She turned her attention back to the man in front of them. If Dumbledore was surprised by Astoria's questions, he did not show it. "Perhaps the story is not as complicated or unbelievable as I had feared. You are correct, Miss Greengrass. I took Mister Potter and Mister Malfoy on a quest to find an object just like the one you just described. It took possession of me in a way I was unable to fight. What the newspapers reported, unfortunately, really transpired. To my great shame, I attacked the two of them, leading to Mister Malfoy's capture."

"Do you know what happened to him?" asked Sirius, leaning forward. "Did they… did they…"

"No!" replied Astoria and Sirius sighed in relief. "Thank God not. But… he's different. He- They tortured him. And now he's one of them. He doesn't remember the last two years. It is as if we are strangers to him. Strangers he hates."

Daphne slung one arm around her sister. She knew how much she was still hurting. "But at least he is alive."

There was an awkward pause as they digested the news.

"You expected this, didn't you?" asked Theo.

Dumbledore looked at Theo. "It was one of three possible outcomes I foresaw. And while it is in and of itself nothing positive, it is the best one out of those three."

"In the other two he would have died, wouldn't he?" Astoria whispered.

Dumbledore nodded solemnly.

"He changed once," Sirius said, "he can change again."

Perhaps. Perhaps not. But Daphne really did not want to linger on this. "Hold on a second," she said to change the topic, "so Snape really did fight you and won? Does that mean he is still on our side?"

"On your side?" Dumbledore looked intently at Daphne. "Most certainly, as he has always been. Although it is better for everyone if you do not let anyone know about this. On my side? I do not know. We have not been in contact since that fateful day. He arrived at the scene, seeing me attacking two of his students… He does not know why I did what I did. And trust, once broken, is not easily repaired."

"Perhaps," agreed Astoria. "But you never broke his trust. If you explain what happened, I am sure he will understand."

"Besides," added Sirius, "if he and I can get along, then forgiving you for trying to kill him and his godson and Harry shouldn't be such a big problem."

Dumbledore looked lost in thought for a second. "We shall see," he said. "He is a very loyal man."

"He's protecting us," Astoria said, "I think. As well as he can, given the circumstances."

"Really?" asked Tonks, one eyebrow raised. "I hate to say this, but you really don't look like anyone's protecting you."

Daphne took a look at Theo and Astoria. Astoria had a bruised lip and Theo sported a black eye. Her own face probably also spoke of the rough times at Hogwarts, but Daphne did not even see the scrapes and bruises anymore. And there really wasn't a point in trying to heal them. They had become normal for all of them.

"It's the Carrows," said Theo. "They are sadistic monsters. They make us torture each other in class. And they torture us in detention. Or when they just feel like it. And there's a lot of fighting going on between students. That doesn't help."

"I am sorry," Dumbledore said.

"It's not your fault, sir," said Astoria. "Once the ministry fell, it was only a matter of time. They wouldn't have let you stay at the school."

"Argh – things have been a mess since that day," growled Tonks. "Aberforth, bring me a glass of Firewhiskey… You can leave the bottle here."

The barman also brought more tea for the rest of them, although Daphne continued to refuse to drink it.

Tonks gulped down a glass of Firewhiskey and refilled the glass. "The ministry is run by Death Eaters. The Order is a disorganized mess… We've lost a few members. Some to Death Eaters… Some because they don't trust us anymore. We also haven't the slightest idea where Harry is."

"All hope is not lost," said Dumbledore. "Things may seem bleak, but we are in contact with several Order members. We know where Voldemort is currently hiding. We are organizing an attack for Christmas Day. Most Death Eaters will spend that time with their families; thus we are hoping for little security."

"Oh my God, does that mean that it could be over soon?" Theo asked.

Dumbledore nodded. "If all goes according to plan."

"That is… amazing," Daphne breathed. An end to the torture was in sight. "Why are you telling us? Do you want us to join the attack?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, you will stay at school. We have met with you today to exchange information. I am running from the law, the portraits no longer cooperate with me, and communication is monitored. I have not been in contact with anyone inside of Hogwarts. You have most likely not been in contact with anyone on the outside. We can inform each other of what is going on."

"And we have a few errands to run in the area," added Sirius. "But I am really glad we gad to see you."

"That is great," said Astoria. "But wouldn't one of the teachers be better suited for this?"

"We had no way of contacting them," replied Tonks. "But we've written a few letters. It would be great if you could give them to your teachers as soon as you return to Hogwarts." She got a few envelopes out from her bag and put them on the table.

Daphne reached for one of them. McGonagall was written on it in cursive. She took the stack and put them in her robes. "Consider it done. We're happy to help in any way we can."

"So, Snape's on our side, huh?" Theo started on their way back, although no one was really listening. They all were rather lost in their own thoughts. They had talked for two hours. Astoria, Theo and Daphne had more to tell than Sirius, Tonks and Dumbledore, as they had been on the run. But the students told them all about their new professors, the Aurors visiting the school, their resistance group, how Draco was doing, how Snape fared as headmaster. "That guy just keeps you guessing, doesn't he? I was so sure he was a Death Eater. But I was certain that Draco was one as well and I was wrong about that, too… But then he attends Order meetings, and you think like now you really know him – and then he goes and fights Dumbledore. And wins! Then you are certain you've finally figured him out-"

Theo stopped in his tracks and Astoria ran right into him.

"Theo, what are you doing?"

"Draco stayed with Snape, didn't he?"

"Huh?"

"When his parents kicked him out. I remember asking him about it, but he never told us what he did, where he went. And I still believed that Snape was a Death Eater back then. Hell, even now I'm not totally convinced he is not, no matter what Dumbledore says. But I know he is Draco's godfather… and if Draco knew he wasn't really a Death Eater… it would make sense."

"He never told me, actually," replied Astoria bitterly. "You should ask Neville, he probably knows. He's always known more than me- what?"

Theo stared at her with wide eyes and a slack jaw.

"What?" she asked, more irritated this time.

"Snape's the one who healed Neville's parents!"

Daphne turned towards him sharply. "What?"

"It all makes sense now, or it's starting to, at least. Draco knew all along that Snape was on our side. And Snape is obviously great with potions. And during the second task, Draco told us that Snape can invent his own spells. And Neville's boggart used to be Snape, he was so terrified of him. And now, well, Neville's still a little scared of him, I guess. But it's way less than it used to be. And Draco, well, our Draco, he was brilliant but nowhere near brilliant enough to pull something like that of on his own."

Daphne just stared at Theo. Apparently, Neville also still had some secrets that she did not know about. But it all suddenly seemed so logical. "Helbert Spleen… He lives with Neville's parents. He helped healing them… I remember now - Snape introduced Draco and Neville to him during the Slug Club's New Year's Party. Oh my God, Theo, I think you are right. But how did Draco know to trust Snape? His parents are real Death Eaters. There's no way Snape would have just randomly confided in Draco, even if he is his godson."

Theo shrugged. "I don't know. Draco has always known more than anyone else-"

"Stop it!" yelled Astoria, breathing heavily.

"Wh-"

"Just stop it," she hissed. "Don't figure it out. You can't. It is dangerous knowledge. Draco was right when he did not tell any of us. What if You-Know-Who actually does show up at our school? What then? What if he reads your minds? You cannot know this!"

"Calm down," replied Theo. "My working theory is that he is a natural Legilimens, and I am pretty sure I am way off with that one. I've even browsed through the library's edition of Living With Legilimens: Choose Your Minds Wisely, but that just convinced me even more that my theory is bollocks. Perhaps he is a Seer and knows the future-" Astoria started to cough. Daphne patted her on the back, while Theo just laughed and continued, "but that can't be it. If he knew the future, he wouldn't get into so much trouble and the Death Eaters would have never caught him."

"Soon," Astoria said. "You heard Dumbledore. It will soon be over. The end is near. Then I can tell you. Everything. Answer all your questions. But not now. And I promise you he is not a Legilimens." Astoria looked at both of them until they nodded. "And not a Seer, either" she tagged on. "Now let's return to the castle and have a wonderful Christmas with our favorite teachers."

Severus Snape had had a tiring day. Or rather, he did not remember the last time he had not had a tiring day. At least now most of the students had left the castle and with there being no classes, the Carrows had fewer reasons to torture students.

He was looking forward to relaxing in the sanctuary of his office for the remainder of the evening, but as always, life had different plans for him.

Severus had his wand raised the moment he had spotted Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall in his office. Minerva, who had lost none of her reflexes or speed since she had stopped playing Quidditch when she graduated Hogwarts, raised hers at him almost simultaneously.

"Severus, my boy, Minerva, there really is no need for this," said Dumbledore calmly.

"Drop the wand, you are outnumbered," hissed Minerva, ignoring Dumbledore, eyes focused on Severus.

Severus huffed. "The last time I saw you," he growled in Dumbledore's direction, "you tried to kill two children. And me."

Dumbledore started to say something in reply but was cut off by Minerva. "No one here believes your lies, Snape. And if you cared at all about these children, you wouldn't have hired those two monsters!"

Minerva moved fast. Her wand slashed through the air, but the swiftness of Severus' Shield Charm was such that she was thrown off balance.

"I don't want to fight, Minerva," bellowed Severus, but she did not listen.

"Don't be such a coward," she hissed. She brandished her wand at a touch on the wall and it flew out of its bracket. Flames descended, which became a ring of fire that filled the corridor and flew like a lasso at him. Then it was no longer fire, but a great black serpent that Minerva blasted to smoke, which re-formed and solidified in seconds to become a swarm of pursuing daggers. Severus avoided them only by forcing a decorating suit of armor in front of him, and with echoing clangs the daggers sank, one after another, into its breast.

"Minerva!" said a squeaky voice. Filius and Pamona had sprinted into the room and toward them in their nightclothes, pieces of parchment in their hands, with the enormous Horace panting along at the rear.

"No!" squealed Filius, dropping the paper and raising his wand. "Your rule over Hogwarts has come to an end!" His spell hit the suit of armor behind which Severus had taken shelter. With a clatter it came to life. Severus struggled free of the crushing arms and sent it flying back toward his attackers.

"Enough!" roared Dumbledore, and Severus could feel his wand flying out of his hand. That is it, he thought. Without his wand, he stood no chance against them. Even with it, the outcome had been less than certain.

He glanced in Dumbledore's direction. To his surprise, Dumbledore did not just hold his wand in his hand, but also those of every other teacher in the room. "Severus, I owe you an apology, as well as a thank you. And I owe all of you an explanation.

That was, perhaps, the understatement of the century. Severus did not know what he wanted Dumbledore to say. But no matter how angry he was, how wary of Dumbledore; he could not deny the relief that he felt at seeing him. The world was a dark place at the moment, but with Dumbledore here, less of the burden of stopping the Dark Lord fell on his shoulders. And even though he hated to admit it, he had felt lonely since Dumbledore had disappeared.

"An apology?" Minerva hissed. "For attacking you? Betraying you to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? "Are you Confunded, Albus? Imperiused?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "Severus did what I could not at that time – protect our students."

"So it is true?" asked Filius. "You did attack Mr Potter and Mr Malfoy?"

"I was not myself," admitted Dumbledore, and Severus did not think he had ever heard him sound so chastened, "I was possessed by a dark artefact. I was torturing Mr Malfoy, when Severus arrived at the scene. For that, Severus, I cannot thank you enough, for I do not know what I would have done next."

There was a short silence in the room, which was soon broken by Filius. "I knew it! I knew it! Severus was too lenient in his punishments."

"Oh you did not," groaned Pamona. And Severus had to agree. He had experienced nothing but contempt from his colleagues.

"But- the Carrows… Why?" Minerva turned towards Severus. "We hated you. If you are still on our side, why did you not say anything?"

Severus shook his head. "I am your only man on the inside. It is imperative that my cover remains intact. The Dark Lord can read minds. It was easier this way."

Minerva took a few steps forward and pulled him into an embrace. Severus stiffened.

"I am sorry." Minerva released him and took a step back. "I missed you. Our chess games. Our little arguments."

"What are you talking about? You fought me every day since the term started."

Minerva laughed, "Yes, but I mean I miss fighting with you over which house is going to win the house cup, or the Quidditch cup. Trivial things. I was horrid to you. I should have seen… I should have known…"

Severus chuckled. "It's part of my job that you do not see, that you do not know. Which begs the question – why and how are you all here? Why reveal my true allegiance now?"

They all turned towards Dumbledore. "I have been at this school for decades – there are very few places I cannot access. As for the others, I have sent them letters, telling them to meet me here."

Horace nodded. "Mr Nott has delivered a letter to me just moments ago. I came here as soon as I was finished reading it."

"A plan is in motion that relies on all of you, if you are willing to once again put your faith in me."

They all nodded in agreement, which felt rather strange to Severus. He had long been a part of the Order, but never before had he actually felt like they were fighting together.

Dumbledore smiled. "We will also need the sword that is decorating your office, Severus." At that, Dumbledore motioned at said sword. Then he looked at each of them individually. "It is time for the Order to reconvene."

TBC


A.N.: I am still alive! And determined to finish this story, perhaps even within the year, but no promises.

How did you like this chapter? There is a plan to take down Voldemort - do you think they will succeed? What do you think will happen next? Let me know in a review!