Chapter 51
A New Order begins
Notes from the Authors: This week has been a sad week, with Robbie Coltrane passing away. He may not have been liked by everyone, but his portrayal of Hagrid was so beautiful and perfect. He brought Hagrid to life, and I honestly can't picture anyone else doing a better job. May he rest in piece.
The next few days passed in a haze for Lily. She learnt that Fleur, who had returned first, was named the Tri-Wizard champion, but she refused it, stating that Lily was the winner, that she got there first. She had insisted that Lily be given the cup and the thousand galleons prize money, which was done, despite Lily's protests.
Krum had been officially cleared of attacking Cedric, but what angered Lily was that Elpenor White, who had been named the new Minister of Magic, refused to accept that Voldemort was back. It was being reported that Fudge died of a heart attack.
Rita had been given a safe place to hide, although Lily couldn't be told where it was. Before Rita had left, Lily had explained about her aura to her. Rita was thankful that she didn't feel so vindictive and bitter anymore, and made Lily promise to be careful. Lily was going to miss Rita; the woman had become like another aunt to her.
She learnt that Karkaroff had fled shortly after Fleur reappeared, and no one had seen Bagman since either. She wondered what had happened, but a part of her was glad he wasn't around to bother her anymore.
She hadn't been left alone since that night. Sirius and Remus were always within distance of her, not wanting to let her be alone, especially since Moody had been replaced for the whole year. The real Moody had been looked after and had also been angry at what happened. He kept looking around the school, checking everywhere for danger. Lily didn't blame him; a part of her felt like doing the same.
Still, having felt the euphoria of being addressed as Lily by the shades of her parents had given Lily a sense of happiness, feeling more confident in her choice. She would never hide who she was ever again, and knowing that she wasn't Harry magically, that helped her a little, although that was a small amount of joy, compared to the darkness she was facing.
Ginny, of course, had refused to leave Lily's side, and no one dared try to fight her decision. Ginny had explained that when Fleur had returned, she explained what had happened, and when Dumbledore asked for volunteers, not only had Fudge been the first to agree, but Ginny had explained she told Dumbledore that she would be going, or else she'd make life hell for everyone.
Fleur and Hermione had come by, with Molly offering Fleur a place to stay, as Fleur wanted to stay in England, to help the Order of the Phoenix and spend time with Hermione. Lily was grateful to Molly for it, although she suspected part of it was also because Bill had started to date Fleur's cousin, Sophie, who would be staying with Fleur.
Hagrid, meanwhile, was going to be going on a mission for Dumbledore, although he couldn't say what it was. What was clear, however, was that Madame Maxime, or Olympe as she was called, would be joining him. Lily felt happy that the two were getting closer; Hagrid deserved happiness.
When she was finally released, Lily spent most of her time sitting just outside the castle with Ginny, or Ron, Hermione, Fleur, Krum, Cedric, Cho, Alicia, Lavender, or Parvati, sometimes all of them. Not long before the end of term, she was sitting with all of them as she looked up at the cloudless sky.
"I wish I knew what was going to happen next," Ron said, holding Lavender's hand as the group looked at one another. "I mean, we know he's back, so how do we go forward from here?"
"Uncle Sirius has made sure that our house is even more secure and has brought a number of muggle properties as backup, although he won't say what or where. I think the thing that I'm mostly worried about is how the ministry is refusing to allow anyone to report that Voldemort is back," Lily explained.
"Zen they are idiots," Fleur said. "I will not let zem hurt any of you eef I have anything to say about it."
"Thanks, Fleur," Ginny said, smiling at her. Hermione sighed as she looked at the group.
"Everything's going to change, isn't it?" Hermione asked, her voice shaky as a tear rolled down her cheek. Lily looked at her friend as Fleur wiped the tear away. The touching moment sent a feeling of happiness through Lily, happy that her friend was open and happy.
"Everything has changed," Lily replied. "Nothing's ever going to be the same for us again, not now. The thing is, as angry as I am at Crouch, and myself for not seeing this, we all got stronger together, didn't we?"
"She's right, look at us, we know spells we didn't know before, and we're stronger than we ever were. On top of that, all of us are friends, so we'll be able to support each other," Ginny said. "Viktor, will all of you be able to get back to school okay?"
"Karkaroff didn't do any vork, he vould stay in his cabin," Krum replied. "I vill be returning home briefly, then coming back to help. I spoke to Dumbledore; he asked if I vould be villing to help."
"I'm going with you, Viktor," Alicia said, smiling at him. "So I'll be away for a couple of weeks, but I'll be helping the Order after."
"They'll be lucky to have you," Lily said, smiling. "We've got the end of term feast, and then… I just… I'm trying to make sense of everything."
"How are you feeling though?" Ron asked, frowning. Lily looked at him.
"I'm okay," Lily forced a smile onto her face. She raised an eyebrow as the whole group snorted in derision, before jumping in fear as Hermione clapped her hands together loudly.
"Really?" Hermione stared at Lily.
"That wasn't funny, Hermione," Lily said, holding her chest.
"It wasn't meant to be mate; it was meant to prove that you're not okay. You're jumpy and anxious, and that's just the beginning. You watched Cornelius Fudge die, we know you're not okay," Ron said firmly.
"Did you lot meet up before joining me to discuss me?" Lily narrowed her eyes as she spoke.
"Yes. Now tell the truth, how are you feeling?" Ginny asked. Lily sighed and put her head in her hands.
"I'm not sure how I'm feeling," Lily confessed. "Every time I close my eyes, I see his face, Fudge's face, staring back at me. He died to protect me and Ginny. He saw what the Death Eater was going to do, and he reacted. He… he sacrificed himself… for us…"
"He cared for you, Lily. He knew you were worth it, and he didn't hesitate," Ginny said, her voice soft and gently as she held Lily's hand. "We all have faith in you."
"Why? Why am I worth dying for? Why does Voldemort want to kill me so much? Why did he want to kill me back then? I was one, I never had a chance to do anything, not even walk at that point," Lily felt the tears she had been holding back finally flowing. She sobbed softly as Ginny pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly.
"I don't know Lily," Hermione's voice was weak as she spoke, tears in her eyes. Lily knew she wanted to help, because for Hermione, she had to have the answers. It was who she was. "I wish I did, but I don't know, and nothing I've researched has helped me find any."
"Fudge… he was a good man. He made… he made mistakes… but he cared… he was always so kind to me," Lily sobbed softly.
"He liked you, that much was always clear," Lavender pointed out.
"He shouldn't have had to die at all! I… I should have been stronger… I should have stopped Pettigrew, then Voldemort wouldn't be back," Lily wept.
"Hey, Pettigrew was with Voldemort, he's stronger than we are, and you couldn't have stopped this. This has happened Lily, and now we'll be helping to keep you safe. We're Dumbledore's Army, right?" Ginny asked, kissing Lily's forehead as she stroked the back of her head.
"Lily, please, don't blame yourself," Parvati said kindly. "We're thankful you're here, and now we can work together, right?"
"I've been thinking," Lavender said. "Professor Dumbledore has his Order of the Phoenix, right?"
"Yeah, Sirius told us about it," Ron confirmed.
"Maybe we should have our own Order, a group of us working together, keeping Hogwarts safe, training and protecting one another," Lavender suggested.
"Our own order?" Ginny asked, still holding onto Lily as she kept sobbing softly.
"I'm not sure that would be a great idea," Cedric mused. "I mean, no offence, but you're just students."
"So was Voldemort when he killed his dad, right? That's what Dumbledore told us," Ginny pointed out.
"No, no, I can't… I won't… I won't let you put yourselves at risk!" Lily sniffed.
"Lily, we're choosing to stay by your side, no matter what," Hermione insisted.
"She's right, mate, and we're not letting you face this alone," Ron added.
"We're all in this Lily," Cho told her firmly. "We're all in as part of this new Order."
"What do we call ourselves?" Ron asked. Hermione smiled.
"I have an idea that'll be perfect. Do you know the motto of the school?" Hermione asked. Ron rolled his eyes.
"Does anyone other than you?" Ron asked, smirking.
"You would if you ever read Hogwarts: A History," Hermione pointed out. "The motto of the school is Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus, which is Latin. It translates to 'Never tickle a sleeping dragon.' Whilst I don't understand it, let's face it, facing a dragon was the first task, and we're protecting Hogwarts, so how about we call ourselves The Order of the Dragon?"
"That's… actually perfect," Ron looked stunned, as Lily looked at the group.
"I… I don't…" Lily started, but Ginny put a finger on her lips.
"Don't argue, love. You're my girlfriend, and I love you, but in this relationship, I wear the pants," Ginny said, smirking. Lily laughed softly as Ginny wiped Lily's eyes and kissed her. "I love you, Lily."
"I love you too," Lily told her.
"So, anyone disagree?" Hermione asked. Everyone shook their heads, so Hermione smiled.
"Then it's settled. From now on, we are the Order of the Dragon!"
The End of Year feast came, and whilst Gryffindor had won the house cup, again, no one was celebrating it. The entire hall was decorated in neutral Hogwarts colours, with the students from all three schools sitting together, other than the Slytherin students, who sat on their own table.
Dumbledore spoke of Fudge, of his bravery and friendship to the school, and the return of Voldemort. Lily listened as he spoke of friendship among all, and how everyone was welcome back to Hogwarts as a friend if they should wish to return.
The meal went well, with everyone talking amongst themselves. Lily noticed the glare that Malfoy and other Slytherin's were giving her and her friends. She knew it was because she had named their parents as being part of Voldemort's Death Eaters, but that had been ignored by the Ministry (something that no one was surprised by) and by the Daily Prophet (Which did surprise Lily, given how much support that had been given to her by the paper, although she surmised that without Rita, her support was quickly drying up).
With the Order of the Dragon now set up, Lily had been named the leader of it, and whilst she didn't feel comfortable knowing her friends were willing to risk their lives for her, she knew she needed all the help that she could get. The morning of the end of term, Lily was sitting in Dumbledore's office, looking at Dumbledore and Minerva, having told them of the Order of the Dragon.
Minerva had objected and told Lily that she was not to partake in any such group. Dumbledore, however, seemed more curious than anything else.
"I must confess, Minerva, it does warm my heart to see so many ready to stand by Lily's side," Dumbledore said.
"They're children, Albus," Minerva said, her lips quivering as she spoke. "I will not allow my niece, or any of the students, to risk their lives like this."
"Minerva, as much as I wish to deny it, this may be a safe course of action, especially if you supervise. After all, when the youth make a decision, it tends to take a power greater than any we can muster to alter that decision, something Lily, I believe, would understand?" Dumbledore asked. Lily's eyes widened.
"How…" she started, but Dumbledore chuckled.
"I understand you and your friends quite well, Lily, and I trust that they insisted upon this. The name, I believe, sounds like something Miss Granger would come up with," Dumbledore said.
"Are you… always listening to us?" Lily asked, her jaw slightly agape. Dumbledore chuckled again, smiling at her.
"Merely a logical conclusion, I assure you," Dumbledore replied. "Minerva, I think this Order of the Dragon can be of great help. It will give the students a group to train together, and help them, I think, to feel safe, something that will be important in the coming days."
"Albus, you cannot be serious!" Minerva exclaimed.
"Would you prefer Lily and her friends to continue on without supervision?" Dumbledore asked, looking over the rims of his glasses. Minerva pursed her lips together, sighing as she did.
"Of course not," Minerva conceded.
"Lily, I must caution you not to do anything without the approval of your aunt or myself. Train together, using your considerable skills, spend time together as a group, but do not go looking for trouble," Dumbledore told Lily firmly, staring into her eyes. There was no twinkle in his eyes now, just determination and a demand to be listened to. "There are going to be difficult times ahead for us all, and I do not wish to see you, or others, put needlessly in danger. If your aunt or I tell you that something is too dangerous, you are to listen, do you understand?"
"Yes, sir, I understand. I promise, I won't let anyone do anything silly," Lily promised. Dumbledore smiled.
"That will be difficult, especially with the Weasley Twins involved, something I am certain of, but I will settle for you not doing anything dangerous," Dumbledore said, the twinkle in his eye back again. Lily nodded, smiling at him as they began to talk about ideas for how to teach the group, and what they could do together. Knowing Dumbledore supported her, and the group, made it seem more… official and legitimate now, and she also suspected it wouldn't be long before Hermione designed an official logo for them.
It wasn't long before Lily was sitting in a cabin on the Hogwarts Express with Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati, who were talking excitedly about the Order, and how they'd need to think of cool things to do.
"I mean, yeah, we'll be learning new skills and such, but it's nice to have a group to belong to, right? We can disguise it as an after-school group, so people like Malfoy won't know what we're doing," Lavender said.
"I've been coming up with ideas for a symbol," Hermione said. Lily snorted softly, before looking at Hermione.
"Sorry, I just… I didn't think it'd be long before you did that," Lily explained. Hermione went to reply, but the door to the carriage opened, revealing Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.
"Suppose you think yourself so big, don't you? Well, your time's coming, Potter," Malfoy sneered. "The Dark Lord's back, and Mudbloods like Granger will be the first to go! Well, second, after freaks like…"
Malfoy didn't finish his sentence. He, Crabbe, and Goyle were thrown backwards into the wall, and down to the ground as they were hit with different spells from everyone in the cabin. They also weren't the only ones to have done so, with Fred and George coming in, and deliberately stepping on them.
"Who used Bat Bogey?" Fred asked, looking at the pile.
"I did," Ginny revealed. Fred chuckled.
"I used Jelly Legs. Guess they shouldn't be used together," Fred commented, as little tentacles had sprouted over Malfoy's face. The group magically moved Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle into another cabin in the next carriage, before sitting down again.
"I've been meaning to ask, why were you chasing down Bagman, or trying to?" Lily asked, now she had a chance to speak to them.
"You noticed, huh? You remember back at the World Cup, the bet we made with him?" Fred asked.
"Yeah, you won, right?" Hermione replied.
"Well, he paid us in Leprechaun Gold, which vanished after a few hours," George said.
"By mistake, right?" Ron asked.
"That's what we thought," George answered.
"At first, anyway. We kept writing to him, but he kept dodging us, and when we asked for our money back," Fred continued.
"The slimy bastard refused," George finished. "We heard from Lee Jordan that he was in debt big time with the Goblins, all his gambling debts."
"But that was your savings, you were saving up for your joke shop," Hermione gasped.
"Well, we found out why he disappeared," Fred said. "He put a big bet on you, Lily, said you'd win the tournament."
"But I did, so he could've paid you back, right?" Lily asked, frowning.
"Nope, the Goblin's said Fleur won, even if she did insist you took the prize, and didn't win. They grabbed him when Fleur reappeared, and he hasn't been seen since. I doubt anyone will miss him," George replied.
"They wouldn't kill him, would they?" Lily asked, horrified.
"No, they're smarter than that. Way we figure it, they'll torture him, or make him a slave or something, I dunno, but they won't kill him because it could start a war, and no one wants that," Fred assured her.
The journey continued happily, but as the train pulled into Kings Cross Station, Lily called the twins back. She grabbed her trunk, opened it, and found the bag with the Tri-Wizard winnings in it. Fleur had refused to accept any of the money, so it contained all one thousand galleons, which she thrust into Fred and George's arms.
"What… Lily, what?" Fred asked.
"Take it, use it for your joke shop. The way things are going, we'll be needing some laughs, and if anyone can run a joke shop, it's you two," Lily said, smiling.
"But Lily, this is… hundreds of galleons," George said weakly.
"A thousand, actually, and it's worth it. If it helps, consider it an investment from me and Fleur, since she refused to accept any of the winnings. I want you to make your dreams come true, just like you've helped me make my dream of becoming a woman come true," Lily insisted. Fred and George smiled and hugged her.
"We'll make you proud, Lily," Fred promised.
"You already have. I can't wait to shop at your joke shop," Lily told them. Fred and George looked at each other, nodded, and grinned at Lily.
"Well, you'll be the most important guest at the opening of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes," Fred and George promised at the same time. As they left the train together, Lily felt confident of her choice. Laughter would be needed, and if anyone could make an entire nation laugh, it was Fred and George Weasley.
