Dumbledore sat at his desk. The old wizard looked tired and worn, but
then, they all did. In chairs positioned in a circle sat several
professors. McGonagall, Snape, Black, and Figg, as well as Madame Pomfrey,
all sat together there. There were a few others, not on the teaching staff.
Mundungus Fletcher, a former Hogwarts student and a Gryffindor, Arthur,
Bill, and Charlie Weasley, Alastor Moody, and Remus Lupin, the former
professor.
There were three seats left empty as well. Two were for Hagrid and Madame Maxime, for when they returned from their diplomatic missions. The third seat, draped in black, was always empty. It was a reminder of everyone who had fallen in their struggle against Him.
Dumbledore banged his gavel quietly. There was really no reason for him to do it at all, for no one was talking, but they needed it. At least that was how Dumbledore rationalized it to himself. They needed something to rally behind, for it seemed to be a losing battle they were fighting. "I call this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to order!"
Everyone sat at attention in their seats. On Dumbledore's right was Professor McGonagall, to his left was Snape. Snape sat next to the two empty seats reserved for the half-giants, so he was basically alone beside the headmaster. To McGonagall's right were all three Weasleys. Next to Bill Weasley was Professor Figg, and she was seated beside the Chair of the Fallen. On the other side of that chair was Professor Black, then Remus Lupin and Mundungus Fletcher. Next to Fletcher was Madame Pomfrey, sitting on the other side of the two empty chairs for Hagrid and Madame Maxime.
Dumbledore looked at them all gravely. "I believe the first order of business is Snape's update in his undercover work. Professor?"
Snape seemed extremely agitated, tired, and bitter as he delivered his report. The keen observer would have noticed that he winced when he breathed deeply and his slight favoring of his right side. "Voldemort is proceeding cautiously, but he does not appear especially worried. I wonder if he suspects that we have Harry hiding somewhere!" he added with a harsh laugh, a brief and angry bark that did not sustain in the still air. He tensely cleared his throat and added, "He does not tell me his plans. I am not yet within his most trusted circle, and I fear I will nothing but a pawn of his for some time to come. My usefulness is limited."
"Did anything occur of note during your meeting?" asked McGonagall sharply.
Snape shook his head, wincing a bit more noticably. "Not unless you count what Madame Pomfrey has been kind enough to patch up already. I fear he is toying with me, using me to suit his foul amusement. It seems that the Cruciatus has become his favorite plaything."
There was bitterness in Snape's voice, Arabella thought. Not that he had no right to be that way. He had been playing secret agent since he was in his twenties, and that was a long time ago. He was not young anymore, none of them were. Still, Snape distantly reminded her of who he used to be, the little brainy brat they had hated at Hogwarts. Yet, he had changed somehow. Or maybe I've changed, she amended silently.
Dumbledore brought Arabella's thoughts back into focus as he spoke. "Who do we have on our sides?"
"The Aurors are united behind you, as always," Moody said without hesitation, and Black nodded immediately. Arabella noticed that Sirius's gaze kept straying to her, and to the empty chair between them. They both knew who THAT chair represented. Yet, they did not speak. After the events last night, (had it only been last night) they were both reluctant to communicate at all.
Arthur Weasley were discussing the Ministry's reaction to recent events. "It's still as if the Ministry does not notice any of the goings- on. The upper eschellons refuse to acknowledge a thing, though they've finally been persuaded to take away the dementors' control of Azkaban, instead simply putting a dementor in every cell. It actually tightens security and the foul things haven't seemed to mind much. We do have support in most quarters, especially among my department, and the charming branch. Some of the clean-up crews who'd seen what You-Know-Who did firsthand are our strongest supporters."
"Fudge is still in denial, though," Bill Weasley added with a sigh. "He has been making more trips to Gringotts than he did before the Triwizard Tournament. I think he suspects me of doing more for The Order than I am. What exactly he suspects me of, I'm not sure." He acknowledged the silent questioning look from Lupin. "I've been doing exactly as Dumbledore suggested: scouting for information, looking for human support and any reactions among the goblins. Far as I can tell, they stay where we have put them as long as the pay is good. So unless You-Know-Who decides to rob from us, we should be safe."
Scattered, weak laughter accompanied the long-haired man's statement. It was not an especially humorous remark, but good jokes were running low, and morale with it.
McGonagall asked, rather hesitantly, "How goes our diplomatic mission to the giants?" The reason for her hesitation was apparent. Though most everyone liked Hagrid, the groundskeeper was not necessarily the best person for delicate diplomacy.
"Though I feared it would have been much worse, we are not getting the results we desired," Dumbledore said with a sigh. "They do not trust us. Wizards have backstabbed them before, and they suspect we will again."
"I suspected as much," Mundungus Fletcher replied. A few years older than Arabella, Fletcher was known as much for his stinginess and pessimism as for his sarcastic, macabre humor. "They have no reason to do anything but get us back for all the years that we have mistreated them. Even someone with peabrains like those could figure out that we cannot offer what the Dark Lord can."
There was distraught, relenting nodding from the room. As much as they hated to admit it, no one truly expected the giants to come to their aid.
Everyone slowly began to engage in their own side conversations as the meeting gradually disintigrated. Arabella caught Remus gazing sadly at The Chair, and she found herself wondering who he was remembering. Lily, James, Harry, any number of them could have been the one that Remus could see. Then, with a shivering sigh, she saw the look on her friend's face. He was remembering Hazel, he had to be. Arabella still missed her too, they all did. Not that many were left to mourn for the fallen. Who would mourn for her when she was gone...
Arabella was jolted out of her reverie by a tap on the shoulder. "Professor Figg?" Charlie Weasley asked. "I need to speak with you about something."
Charlie led Arabella out of the meeting room, took two lefts and a right, and then entered the door. Arabella followed. "Charlie, what's going on?"
Charlie Weasley was excited, grinning wickedly and bearing a striking resemblance to some of his more mischevious siblings. "My coworkers and I thought up a rather odd idea for combating You-Know-Who, something that has never been tried before. If it's going to work, we need more manpower, and people with your experience. I have Dumbledore's approval, and he agreed that I should approach you about this..."
After a moment's silence, Arabella was extremely curious. "Well?"
TO BE CONTINUED }:)
There were three seats left empty as well. Two were for Hagrid and Madame Maxime, for when they returned from their diplomatic missions. The third seat, draped in black, was always empty. It was a reminder of everyone who had fallen in their struggle against Him.
Dumbledore banged his gavel quietly. There was really no reason for him to do it at all, for no one was talking, but they needed it. At least that was how Dumbledore rationalized it to himself. They needed something to rally behind, for it seemed to be a losing battle they were fighting. "I call this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to order!"
Everyone sat at attention in their seats. On Dumbledore's right was Professor McGonagall, to his left was Snape. Snape sat next to the two empty seats reserved for the half-giants, so he was basically alone beside the headmaster. To McGonagall's right were all three Weasleys. Next to Bill Weasley was Professor Figg, and she was seated beside the Chair of the Fallen. On the other side of that chair was Professor Black, then Remus Lupin and Mundungus Fletcher. Next to Fletcher was Madame Pomfrey, sitting on the other side of the two empty chairs for Hagrid and Madame Maxime.
Dumbledore looked at them all gravely. "I believe the first order of business is Snape's update in his undercover work. Professor?"
Snape seemed extremely agitated, tired, and bitter as he delivered his report. The keen observer would have noticed that he winced when he breathed deeply and his slight favoring of his right side. "Voldemort is proceeding cautiously, but he does not appear especially worried. I wonder if he suspects that we have Harry hiding somewhere!" he added with a harsh laugh, a brief and angry bark that did not sustain in the still air. He tensely cleared his throat and added, "He does not tell me his plans. I am not yet within his most trusted circle, and I fear I will nothing but a pawn of his for some time to come. My usefulness is limited."
"Did anything occur of note during your meeting?" asked McGonagall sharply.
Snape shook his head, wincing a bit more noticably. "Not unless you count what Madame Pomfrey has been kind enough to patch up already. I fear he is toying with me, using me to suit his foul amusement. It seems that the Cruciatus has become his favorite plaything."
There was bitterness in Snape's voice, Arabella thought. Not that he had no right to be that way. He had been playing secret agent since he was in his twenties, and that was a long time ago. He was not young anymore, none of them were. Still, Snape distantly reminded her of who he used to be, the little brainy brat they had hated at Hogwarts. Yet, he had changed somehow. Or maybe I've changed, she amended silently.
Dumbledore brought Arabella's thoughts back into focus as he spoke. "Who do we have on our sides?"
"The Aurors are united behind you, as always," Moody said without hesitation, and Black nodded immediately. Arabella noticed that Sirius's gaze kept straying to her, and to the empty chair between them. They both knew who THAT chair represented. Yet, they did not speak. After the events last night, (had it only been last night) they were both reluctant to communicate at all.
Arthur Weasley were discussing the Ministry's reaction to recent events. "It's still as if the Ministry does not notice any of the goings- on. The upper eschellons refuse to acknowledge a thing, though they've finally been persuaded to take away the dementors' control of Azkaban, instead simply putting a dementor in every cell. It actually tightens security and the foul things haven't seemed to mind much. We do have support in most quarters, especially among my department, and the charming branch. Some of the clean-up crews who'd seen what You-Know-Who did firsthand are our strongest supporters."
"Fudge is still in denial, though," Bill Weasley added with a sigh. "He has been making more trips to Gringotts than he did before the Triwizard Tournament. I think he suspects me of doing more for The Order than I am. What exactly he suspects me of, I'm not sure." He acknowledged the silent questioning look from Lupin. "I've been doing exactly as Dumbledore suggested: scouting for information, looking for human support and any reactions among the goblins. Far as I can tell, they stay where we have put them as long as the pay is good. So unless You-Know-Who decides to rob from us, we should be safe."
Scattered, weak laughter accompanied the long-haired man's statement. It was not an especially humorous remark, but good jokes were running low, and morale with it.
McGonagall asked, rather hesitantly, "How goes our diplomatic mission to the giants?" The reason for her hesitation was apparent. Though most everyone liked Hagrid, the groundskeeper was not necessarily the best person for delicate diplomacy.
"Though I feared it would have been much worse, we are not getting the results we desired," Dumbledore said with a sigh. "They do not trust us. Wizards have backstabbed them before, and they suspect we will again."
"I suspected as much," Mundungus Fletcher replied. A few years older than Arabella, Fletcher was known as much for his stinginess and pessimism as for his sarcastic, macabre humor. "They have no reason to do anything but get us back for all the years that we have mistreated them. Even someone with peabrains like those could figure out that we cannot offer what the Dark Lord can."
There was distraught, relenting nodding from the room. As much as they hated to admit it, no one truly expected the giants to come to their aid.
Everyone slowly began to engage in their own side conversations as the meeting gradually disintigrated. Arabella caught Remus gazing sadly at The Chair, and she found herself wondering who he was remembering. Lily, James, Harry, any number of them could have been the one that Remus could see. Then, with a shivering sigh, she saw the look on her friend's face. He was remembering Hazel, he had to be. Arabella still missed her too, they all did. Not that many were left to mourn for the fallen. Who would mourn for her when she was gone...
Arabella was jolted out of her reverie by a tap on the shoulder. "Professor Figg?" Charlie Weasley asked. "I need to speak with you about something."
Charlie led Arabella out of the meeting room, took two lefts and a right, and then entered the door. Arabella followed. "Charlie, what's going on?"
Charlie Weasley was excited, grinning wickedly and bearing a striking resemblance to some of his more mischevious siblings. "My coworkers and I thought up a rather odd idea for combating You-Know-Who, something that has never been tried before. If it's going to work, we need more manpower, and people with your experience. I have Dumbledore's approval, and he agreed that I should approach you about this..."
After a moment's silence, Arabella was extremely curious. "Well?"
TO BE CONTINUED }:)