READ!
Before I start this chapter I'd like to explain something to you all. I decided to have James descended from Slytherin and Hufflepuff because in most fics he's descended from Gryffindor and while I wished to give him the typical Gryffindor personality (because we all know our dear James is what Godric was thinking of when he made the requirements for Gryffindor ^^) I didn't want Harry's ancestry to be as predictable as that. To that end, Slytherin and Hufflepuff were combined, giving James the determination to succeed and ambition of Slytherin, and the good nature of Hufflepuff, which was the closest I could get to the Gryffindor qualities. As we don't know much about Lily it wasn't as important to make the right choices with her houses, and so she got Ravenclaw because I imagine her as being smarter than James (sorry, all you fans of James), and Gryffindor for the obvious reasons. Also, while Lily comes from a muggle family, I think it's possible that her Grandmother or Grandfather was a squib, because of how Petunia described her family's reaction to finding out that Lily was a witch. If the squib in Lily's family was related to both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw Lily would still have their blood, and pass it on to Harry. For now I won't say much more about Harry's heritage, but you'll find out more later and when you do I'll draw up a rough family tree, scan it in and post it on my Yahoo! Group.
I was surprised to see how many of you figured out that the idea for the bells came from 'Sabriel'. I haven't read it in ages so I can't remember what the bells do or their names, so if I do end up having them do the same thing I don't mean to. ;; This chapter is quite short, but I wanted to get it up now since I'm not sure if I'll be on when I was planning to update, which was Tuesday.
Also, I have a couple of links for you guys.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/innlefarseeker
That's my group, which I'm currently working on getting up and running again. I need a few more moderators so that if I do disappear for an extended period again it'll be able to keep running without me.
http://www.network54.com/Chat/89957
That's the temporary chatroom for my group, I'll be in there for about an hour and forty minutes from the time this chapter goes up.
Lastly, I'm in urgent need of a beta reader. Anyone who can help, please email me.
Chapter Forty-Three"What did you mean, part of the reason?" Hermione asked Harry as they hurried down the hall after him. After the four ghosts had left Dumbledore had decided that he would call an Order of the Phoenix meeting for the next day and hold onto the gifts Harry had received until then. Everything would be explained properly to Hermione and Ron then, if their parents gave their permission for the two to be included into the group. When asked what would happen if their parents didn't let them join Dumbledore had simply replied that it was up to Harry to tell them, as it was really his business.
"It's simple, really. I'm a threat to him because I'm related to all four of the Founders, and he also wants me dead because of what I did to him when I was a baby, and also for getting away alive each time he's tried to kill me over the past five years. There's also the fact that Slytherin has now recognised me as his heir, and not Voldemort. That he was descended from Salazar was a point of pride for him, and now that Slytherin has decided to support me he wants me dead for that too."
"What exactly is the Order of the Phoenix?" Ron asked.
"The Order of the Phoenix was one of the main defences against He Who Must Not Be Named during the war against him," Hermione said. "There were Aurors, Unmentionables and civilians in it – there wasn't really any need for qualifications because anyone who was brave enough to want to join the Order of the Phoenix during that time obviously had some kind of talent to offer, otherwise they wouldn't have taken the risk. It was disbanded after You-Know-Who disappeared, though. I guess Dumbledore has started it up again, now that Voldemort's back. Is that right, Harry?"
"Yeah, that's about it. It's still rather a small group because Dumbledore hasn't been able to locate all the past members yet, and some of the ones that he has want to wait and see what happens before they get involved. It makes sense, I suppose. A lot of the old members were young, and didn't really have any links to family. A lot of time has passed since then though, and I suppose the majority of them have people in their lives that they have to worry about now. Your father is a part of it though, Ron. So is Sirius, and most of the Professors."
"There can't be much use for it right now though, not with the Ministry not recognising that Voldemort is back and with him not attacking openly…"
"You'd think that, but we've actually got a lot more information than people would think. Professor Snape was spying for a while, until Voldemort figured out what he was doing, and with my dreams and the information Mundungus gathered while he was being held by the Deatheaters."
"Wait a minute…you mean the Deatheaters actually captured one of the Order's members?"
"Yeah, I don't know how long he was there but he was pretty messed up by the time Sirius got him out. I don't know if he'll be at the meeting tomorrow." Harry stopped. "Here's my room. If your parents give permission for you to be at the meeting I'll come and get you when it's time. Goodnight."
"Wait, Harry…" Ron took a step forward just as Harry's door closed. Ron sighed and turned to head to the Gryffindor Common Room when Harry's door opened again.
"What is it?"
"I just…I really am sorry, Harry. I didn't think, and…"
"I know, I know. You can't expect us to just become friends again just because you apologised, Ron. It'll take time for things to get back to normal between us, and even then it's unlikely that things will be the same."
"Yeah, I know. I just…I said some really awful things, and I didn't really mean any of them. Then I was too stubborn to apologise, and now…"
"A lot of the stuff you said was awful, yes, but some of it was true. I should have trusted the two of you more. What you said about Snape…that's also true. There's a reason for that though."
"Reason? What do you mean?" Hermione had stayed quiet until now to let the two boys have a chance to say their apologies.
"I started looking up my family history soon after our fight. Professor Snape is my half-uncle."
