Harry turned and saw Professor McGonagall standing there, looking as though
she was about to cry. Ron hadn't moved. His hand was still on Hermione's
cheek, and his other was grasping hers.
"Come on, Ron," said Harry gently.
"No, I want to stay with her," said Ron stubbornly, his voice strained.
"Weasley, there's nothing you can do. Please come," said Professor McGonagall.
Ron shook his head and squeezed his eyes tight for a moment, then opened them with a deep breath. He moved his other hand from her cheek and now held her hand with both of his. Harry wished there was something he could say, but there was nothing.
"Weasley, this is important. You may come back in a little while," said Professor McGonagall, very gently.
"I can't leave her, not like this - look at her," said Ron, finally turning just his head a bit to face Harry and McGonagall.
"Ron, you have to, just for a bit. Please," said Harry. "I don't want to either, but we have to. Just for a bit."
"No," said Ron, more firmly.
Professor McGonagall looked as though she were about to insist that he come, then thought better of it. "Come along, then, Potter. You may come back to visit Miss Granger after Professor Dumbledore has spoken to you."
"I'll be back later. If she wakes up, let her know where I've gone," whispered Harry to Ron as he left. Ron nodded, not taking his eyes off Hermione.
Professor McGonagall led Harry out of the hospital wing and down towards her office. They didn't say anything the whole time. Harry couldn't shake the image of Hermione lying there as though dead, of Ron's expression when he looked at her, of the way Madam Pomfrey had gasped. Through the door of Professor McGonagall's office they went, where there was a group of people sitting. Harry started.
There was Sirius, looking much better than he had when Harry had last seen him. Next to him was Harry's favorite Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin. To the right of Lupin sat a wizard that Harry had never met before. He had an impressive way of holding himself, like a soldier. His eyes were deep brown to match his rather shaggy hair. He was a little shorter than Sirius.
"Mr. Potter," said the wizard in a deep voice. "Very nice to meet you."
"Right, hi," said Harry, very subdued as he shook the man's hand.
"I'm Mundungus Fletcher," he introduced himself.
"Oh," said Harry. The name rang a sort of bell.
Harry shook Lupin's hand as well, and then Sirius clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder. The door to the office reopened, and in walked Dumbledore. He looked shaken, but determined. All the others shook his hand when he entered. Harry knew that something very important must have been happening.
"But where is Arabella?" asked Dumbledore, glancing around.
"Right here, Albus," said someone from the door.
A woman walked in and Harry's jaw dropped. It was Mrs. Figg, his mad old neighbour and baby-sitter from Privet Drive. Only now, and perhaps just because Harry was in the wizarding world, she seemed very tall and strong. She shook everyone's hand, and when she got to Harry, she bent a bit.
"Nice to see you again, Harry," she whispered, patting his head like a grandmother.
"Er - right - hi, Mrs. Figg," Harry replied, very confused.
"Call me Arabella," she said, straightening up. "What's happened, then, Albus?"
Dumbledore hastily explained what had happened. Harry kept seeing flashes of the terrifying Death Eaters plowing through the stadium, blasting apart everything in sight, hurting everyone, and of Hermione, Hermione in the hospital wing.
"What do we do, then?" said Fletcher.
"That," said Dumbledore heavily, "is a mystery."
"Sir?" said Harry, very confused. "Why am I here?"
Dumbledore looked at him sharply, and Harry felt his bright blue eyes seeing through him. Sirius's grip on Harry's shoulder tightened slightly.
"Harry, you are a very brave person," said Dumbledore. "Especially in the face of Voldemort. There are wizards and witches beyond your years that cannot show that type of courage in the presence of such evil. Harry, you are here to help us."
He stood up and crossed the room to look out his window for a moment. He turned back around and looked at Professor McGonagall.
"Potter," she said, as though continuing Dumbledore's words, "We are part of a group called the Order of the Phoenix."
Harry simply stared. He had no idea what the Order of the Phoenix was, let alone why he was supposed to be a part of it and help them. What exactly would he have to do?
"The other members should be along soon," said Lupin, glancing at the door quickly.
"Anyway, Potter, you are one of our key players in this. We ask you to help us in our work," said Professor McGonagall.
"Work?" Harry repeated before he could stop himself. "What do I have to do to help you? I don't know anything about the Order of the Phoenix! I'm not even a fully trained wizard! How could I help?"
"Harry, you will be very surprised to see how important you are in this. We almost can't do this without you," said Lupin.
"Well, but, I mean, what is the Order of the Phoenix?" asked Harry.
Sirius answered this time. "It was formed when you were just a tiny baby, Harry. We're a resistance movement, to fight Voldemort. We have spies, double agents, fighters, everything. Your parents were our most important members, before." he trailed off. The deaths of Harry's parents were very difficult for Sirius to talk about.
"So, now, I'm in it?" asked Harry. Everyone nodded or agreed.
"Minerva, I'm sure that Harry would like to see how his friend Miss Granger is doing in the hospital wing, am I correct?" said Dumbledore.
"Yes, sir, please," said Harry, utterly relieved.
"Sirius, will you escort him? I will need both of you back, along with Ronald Weasley, in thirty minutes, please," Dumbledore opened the door for them, and they left.
"Come on, Ron," said Harry gently.
"No, I want to stay with her," said Ron stubbornly, his voice strained.
"Weasley, there's nothing you can do. Please come," said Professor McGonagall.
Ron shook his head and squeezed his eyes tight for a moment, then opened them with a deep breath. He moved his other hand from her cheek and now held her hand with both of his. Harry wished there was something he could say, but there was nothing.
"Weasley, this is important. You may come back in a little while," said Professor McGonagall, very gently.
"I can't leave her, not like this - look at her," said Ron, finally turning just his head a bit to face Harry and McGonagall.
"Ron, you have to, just for a bit. Please," said Harry. "I don't want to either, but we have to. Just for a bit."
"No," said Ron, more firmly.
Professor McGonagall looked as though she were about to insist that he come, then thought better of it. "Come along, then, Potter. You may come back to visit Miss Granger after Professor Dumbledore has spoken to you."
"I'll be back later. If she wakes up, let her know where I've gone," whispered Harry to Ron as he left. Ron nodded, not taking his eyes off Hermione.
Professor McGonagall led Harry out of the hospital wing and down towards her office. They didn't say anything the whole time. Harry couldn't shake the image of Hermione lying there as though dead, of Ron's expression when he looked at her, of the way Madam Pomfrey had gasped. Through the door of Professor McGonagall's office they went, where there was a group of people sitting. Harry started.
There was Sirius, looking much better than he had when Harry had last seen him. Next to him was Harry's favorite Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin. To the right of Lupin sat a wizard that Harry had never met before. He had an impressive way of holding himself, like a soldier. His eyes were deep brown to match his rather shaggy hair. He was a little shorter than Sirius.
"Mr. Potter," said the wizard in a deep voice. "Very nice to meet you."
"Right, hi," said Harry, very subdued as he shook the man's hand.
"I'm Mundungus Fletcher," he introduced himself.
"Oh," said Harry. The name rang a sort of bell.
Harry shook Lupin's hand as well, and then Sirius clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder. The door to the office reopened, and in walked Dumbledore. He looked shaken, but determined. All the others shook his hand when he entered. Harry knew that something very important must have been happening.
"But where is Arabella?" asked Dumbledore, glancing around.
"Right here, Albus," said someone from the door.
A woman walked in and Harry's jaw dropped. It was Mrs. Figg, his mad old neighbour and baby-sitter from Privet Drive. Only now, and perhaps just because Harry was in the wizarding world, she seemed very tall and strong. She shook everyone's hand, and when she got to Harry, she bent a bit.
"Nice to see you again, Harry," she whispered, patting his head like a grandmother.
"Er - right - hi, Mrs. Figg," Harry replied, very confused.
"Call me Arabella," she said, straightening up. "What's happened, then, Albus?"
Dumbledore hastily explained what had happened. Harry kept seeing flashes of the terrifying Death Eaters plowing through the stadium, blasting apart everything in sight, hurting everyone, and of Hermione, Hermione in the hospital wing.
"What do we do, then?" said Fletcher.
"That," said Dumbledore heavily, "is a mystery."
"Sir?" said Harry, very confused. "Why am I here?"
Dumbledore looked at him sharply, and Harry felt his bright blue eyes seeing through him. Sirius's grip on Harry's shoulder tightened slightly.
"Harry, you are a very brave person," said Dumbledore. "Especially in the face of Voldemort. There are wizards and witches beyond your years that cannot show that type of courage in the presence of such evil. Harry, you are here to help us."
He stood up and crossed the room to look out his window for a moment. He turned back around and looked at Professor McGonagall.
"Potter," she said, as though continuing Dumbledore's words, "We are part of a group called the Order of the Phoenix."
Harry simply stared. He had no idea what the Order of the Phoenix was, let alone why he was supposed to be a part of it and help them. What exactly would he have to do?
"The other members should be along soon," said Lupin, glancing at the door quickly.
"Anyway, Potter, you are one of our key players in this. We ask you to help us in our work," said Professor McGonagall.
"Work?" Harry repeated before he could stop himself. "What do I have to do to help you? I don't know anything about the Order of the Phoenix! I'm not even a fully trained wizard! How could I help?"
"Harry, you will be very surprised to see how important you are in this. We almost can't do this without you," said Lupin.
"Well, but, I mean, what is the Order of the Phoenix?" asked Harry.
Sirius answered this time. "It was formed when you were just a tiny baby, Harry. We're a resistance movement, to fight Voldemort. We have spies, double agents, fighters, everything. Your parents were our most important members, before." he trailed off. The deaths of Harry's parents were very difficult for Sirius to talk about.
"So, now, I'm in it?" asked Harry. Everyone nodded or agreed.
"Minerva, I'm sure that Harry would like to see how his friend Miss Granger is doing in the hospital wing, am I correct?" said Dumbledore.
"Yes, sir, please," said Harry, utterly relieved.
"Sirius, will you escort him? I will need both of you back, along with Ronald Weasley, in thirty minutes, please," Dumbledore opened the door for them, and they left.