*~* Chapter eight "Being Public about it and September 18th" *~*

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything, and it's still really bad, I was reading the last chapter, and *Ugh* I was ready to throw up, but then again this was my first story... *shudders at the thought of H/H*

Saturday came in no time. Harry and Ron went down to the Quidditch field ten minutes before tryouts were to begin. Harry and Ron were shocked that Lavender was standing there waiting for them at the door to the Quidditch field.
"Lavender? What are you doing here?" Ron asked.
"I have as much right to be here as much as you do Ron."
"No, it's not that, I'm just making sure that my girlfriend isn't competition for the Keeper position."
"Nope, I'm trying out for the extra Chaser spot."
"Oh good," Ron said relived.
"You weren't scared, were you?"
"No," Ron said. Harry found it hard to believe, especially seeing how Ron's ears had turned pink.
"Well let's go in, shall we?" Harry asked.
"Sure," Lavender and Ron said.
"Okay, well I've got to go to the team, you guys go over there, by Angelina, where she'll give you directions. She's the new captain after all."
"See you," Ron called as he and Lavender walked off with there brooms over their shoulders. Ron had talked his parents into buying him a new broom, a Firebolt at that. Ron had been so happy when that had came in the mail two days ago. He had also gotten robes that were the right length and new. He looked as if he couldn't hold it in; he switched into them right away. Of course Malfoy wasn't nice about it, but what did you expect from a stinking Slytherin, Harry thought.
"Hey Harry!" Katie called from the middle of the field.
"Hi guys!" Harry called back.
"We are going to start with the Keeper position," Fred told Harry.
"Okay great, we've got five more minutes until we said we'd start. Now how are we going to do this?"
"Katie and Angelina will be trying to score on the person and the one who blocks the most and plays the best will get the part. You, Fred and I will be watching and trying to figure out which one it is. Then after that we will hold tryouts for the other
Chaser position. And Oliver is here to help us, but not for anyone to know that he's helping us decide, hey look there he is," George said pointing at a blue jay that was sitting on one of the goal posts, "he's an anigmus."
"That's cool, now Harry you understand that no one is to know, not even Ron or Hermione."
"Okay, I got it."
"He's going to tell us which ones he likes better, he told me his signals. So whoever I suggest is the best bet," Katie told them.
"Great Katie," Harry said.
"Well lets get started." Angelina said, who had come up with out Harry noticing.
"Oh hi, Angelina," Harry said.
"Okay, all of you aspiring to be the new Keeper, please come here," Angelina said to the group of kids that were standing across the field from them. Three students came over to where the team was standing. "I assure you that there is no guarantee that Ron here will get the spot, even if two of his brothers are on the team and his best friend, but there's no saying that he won't. Plus Professor McGonagall is sitting in the stands there; she will help make the decision. I'm just telling you that it is all up onto how well you play. It doesn't matter on what type of broom you have either; Fred and George were on the team with Comet260s last year, so don't worry. Good luck, all of you. Well lets start with the youngest, that would be you Sharon." A girl with blond hair hopped on a Nimbus 2000 and flew in to the air by the goal posts.
"Would the rest of you please go into the stairwell, so there is no pressure, Professor Lupin will be in there," Katie told the other people trying out for either position. So the nine hopefuls went into the stairwell.
"In the air we go," Fred said. Harry positioned himself near the goal posts and waited for the tryout to begin. Harry looked at the blue jay, which would be Oliver, he saw Oliver give him a wave, well sort of, it must be hard with wings, Harry thought.
After all the tryouts were finished, Harry personally thought that Ron was the best Keeper and Lavender the best Chaser, but what did Oliver think?
"To the ground we go," Fred said after the last person was done trying out for the Chaser position.
"I'm going to go tell them that we'll have the names posted tonight," Angelina said, and flew off to where the stairwell was.
"So what do you think?" Harry asked as soon as Angelina returned.
"Let us call Professor McGonagall over so we can here what she thinks, I know what Oliver thinks, but lets get her opinion too," Katie suggested.
"Okay, I'll fly over there," Harry volunteered.
"Okay Harry."
" Professor McGonagall, we're ready to discuss who we think should be appointed to the team, we want your opinion too."
"Thank you, Potter." And with that Harry flew back to where the team was talking, and Professor McGonagall got up and started walking to the stairwell to meet the team on the field.
"So what did Oliver think?" Harry asked before Professor McGonagall reached them.
"He liked Lavender for Chaser and Ron for Keeper. But lets se what she has to say," Katie said as Professor McGonagall came on to the field.
"Well who does the team feel should be placed on the team," she asked as she reached them.
"Umm, we like Ron and Lavender," Angelina said.
"Well, I have to agree with you, but this isn't biased is it? I do know that you are 'involved' with Mr. Weasley here," she said pointing at Fred.
"What?" Harry asked. Harry also notices that Fred was turning the same color that Ron's ears turn when he's embarrassed.
No one seemed to hear Harry because no one responded.
"It's not biased at all, Professor," Angelina said.
"Good, well then appoint them, hurry up now, your first game is in a month. October 16th to be correct. It's against Hufflepuff, but even that, they're not to be taken lightly."
"Okay Professor," the team chorused.
"It's time for dinner now, it's five o'clock. Now don't tell them, I'll go post their names in the Common room, I'll see you in the Great Hall."
"You and Angelina are going out?" Harry asked again.
"Yes we are, hey look at that it's official. No more running around. But I wonder how she knows?"
"I have no idea," Angelina said. She took Fred's hand and walked up to the castle.
"I knew," George told Harry.
"Well, no duh, you are his brother, twin brother at that."
"Oh yeah, I forgot…" George said jokingly.
Dinner went by and Ron barely ate anything, which is incredibly odd, as you might know. But he was so nervous he was afraid it might come back up, and he wouldn't want to ruin his new robes.
"Are you going to tell me or not!" Ron demanded as the pudding vanished from the table.
"You'll find out in a few minutes, the names are posted in the Common Room. Go now!" Harry told him.
"Okay!" Ron said and started sprinting out of the Hall, up to the stairs before barely anyone had got up from the table.
"Well did he make it?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah," Harry whispered in her ear.
"Oh, I'm so happy!" she said, and shocked Harry. How? Well, she kissed him right there in the Great Hall.
"Well let's go up there, before he dies of happiness," Harry told her.
"Okay."
When they reached the Fat Lady, Ron was still standing outside her.
"What's wrong Ron?" Hermione asked.
"I'm to nervous. I don't want to go in there."
"Oh come on, you have nothing to worry about," Harry told him.
"Okay," Ron said, "sylvestris pinus."
"Ron that's not the password," Hermione said, "its pinus sylvestris." And the Fat Lady swung open.
"Okay Ron, you are going to look at that bulletin board," Hermione said taking him by the shoulders, and steering him towards the bulletin board, "now read it."
"Chaser – Lavender Brown, oh well that's good. Keeper – Ron, Ron, Weasley. Hey that's me! I made it! Yeah! Okay Harry down to the kitchen, I'm starving!"
"Fred and George have already taken care of that look," Harry said. Fred and George had just walked in with some eclairs.
"Here you go Keeper," Fred said handing Ron some eclairs.
"And for you Chaser," said George handing Lavender some eclairs too. Lavender was sitting on the couch writing a letter, with the biggest grin Harry had ever seen on her face, even bigger than the one that she had on her face when Professor Trelawney had told her that she had the makings of a true seer.
"He congratulations!" Ron told her.
"You too!" Ron bent down and hugged her.
"Well I guess there, public too, eh Fred?" Harry told him.
"Yeah, you and Hermione are too, aren't you Harry."
"Umm, yeah I guess so."
***
Harry didn't think that September the 18th could have come any faster. It seemed as no time had passed since school had started, but Harry wasn't complaining. So at quarter to 7 on the 18th Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed downstairs to the
Transfiguration classroom to attend their meeting.
"Hello, you three," Dumbledore said as they entered the Transfiguration classroom.
"Hello Professor," the three chorused.
"We just need to wait for Professor Lupin, he should be here soon. He said he had a few tests to finish correcting, the full moon is in two days so he has to get ahead in his grading."
"Totally understandable," Harry said.
"Yeah, totally," Ron said he seemed preoccupied, but Harry didn't notice.
"Sorry I'm late, but I had problems reading a first year's handwriting, and then it came to me make it read it to me... ah the way the mind works..." Professor Lupin said stepping into the classroom.
"Yes a trully facinating subject, sometimes the best ideas come late....well, would everyone sit down?" Dumbledore said. So Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Professor Lupin sat down around the circular table that Dumbledore had set up in the middle of the classroom. "I'm sure you all know the task in front of us. Clearing Sirius's name is eminent to win the battle against Voldemort." Harry saw Ron jump at the sound of the name; he really needs to work on that Harry thought.
"The first task isn't that hard, but it is incredibly important. So are you ready?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes!" Harry exclaimed, that made Hermione jump, who was sitting next to him. But Harry wanted to get away from the Dursleys so badly; he couldn't wait to start.
"I know that Harry and Professor Lupin know what a pensive is and what it does. Ron and Hermione, have you ever seen or know what a pensive is, what it looks like, and what it does?"
"Yes, I've read all about them. They come in many different variations. Some are copper, gold, silver, stone, or pewter. Basically any metal you can think of they come in. But all pensives have the same inscription around the mouth of the basin. Which needs to be deciphered in order to activate and use the pensive."
"That is correct Miss Granger."
"They store your thoughts so that you can recall them at any given moment. They let you see the similarities and other things that might help you figure out something else. But everyone can see them this way. If someone else looks into your Pensive, they can see your memories and thoughts. So you've got to be careful what you put in there. If someone is looking in it but not requesting information of it, the pensive will read the person's thoughts and the Pensive will show them something that the owner thinks or remembers about that topic. Like when Harry used yours last year, Professor, he was concerned about who the Death Eater was here at Hogwarts. Well what did he see? He saw trials of the accused Death Eaters that you, Professor, were at and remember. But you had to have put them in there. For Harry to see them."
"I'm impressed Mr. Weasley! You are definitely living up to your brother's standards if not surpassing them," Dumbledore said.
Harry saw Ron grin so big that Harry was sure that his face was going to split in two. But at that moment Ron saw Harry looking at him he tried to cover it up. So Harry looked to Hermione who looked proud but yet upset. Harry was sure that this was because she hadn't gotten to say all that she wanted to about pensives, but Ron had finished it so beautifully Harry was close to saying that she was in awe. But he wasn't quite sure he was going to go that far.
"You will each need to buy your own Pensive, no silver of course, unless you feel like killing your teacher that is,"
Dumbledore laughed at his own joke, which Lupin joined in so Harry, Ron and Hermione did too, "you all will probably all want one when you are older anyway. So please tell me when you've got one. Is there something I'm missing?"
"The Order, Professor," Lupin said.
"Oh yes, the Order. Well how do I begin telling you three about the Order?"
"Uh, the beginning," Harry said.
"Very good idea Mr. Potter, the beginning. It all started at the beginning of Voldemort's rise in power. I along with 18 other witches and wizards felt that we needed to join together to fight him. He had to be stopped! He had his Dark Order, so we have ours; the Order of the Phoenix. Fawkes to be precise, we knew that Voldemort's wand possessed one of the two feathers that Fawkes had given. I also thought that the person the other wand chose would be his downfall, which has proven itself true, well at least partially. He has not yet been completely defeated, but Harry you even as a baby were able to strip him of his powers and body. We in the Order want you to join up with us, you too Hermione and Ron. What do you say?"
"Harry! Your wand has the same core as 'You-know-who'? Why didn't you tell me?" Ron asked.
"I thought you'd hate me for it, I don't want any connection with that thing!"
"NO! My parents are in the Order and I've heard for my life that we are waiting for the boy or girl to have the brother wand, and you Harry, you've been in my house countless times and there you are!"
"Your parents are in the Order? Professor who else was in the Order?"
"Well there's me, Ron's parents, Professor Lupin, Sirius, Mundgus Fletcher, Hagrid, Dedalus Diggle, Mr. and Mrs. Jordan those are Lee's parents, Professor Snape, Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom, Amos Diggory, Matthew and Melissa Turpin, Lisa Turpin's parents, she's in Ravenclaw, she's in the same year as you three, your parents Harry, Doris and David Crockford; David was killed by Death Eaters two weeks before your parents were killed, Harry, and Arabella Figg. Of course the three that are dead aren't part of it, but they were. And Mr. Diggory, he just joined last month, he decided he needed revenge against the man that killed his son.And both of the Longbottoms, well you know..."
"Mrs. Figg? You mean my baby-sitter?" Harry interrupted.
"Yes, that one," Dumbledore said looking amused.
"She's a witch?"
"Oh yes and a very good one," Dumbledore said, "She's your secret-keeper Harry, that way Voldemort can't get you when you are at your aunt and uncle's."
"Really?"
"Yes, but it's not as safe as it used to be, that why we've got to get Sirius's name cleared. I think that that is all I need to say, oh Remus don't forget to take your potion."
"I already did, and I'm using that Muggle thing, a refigeigator, to keep the rest at the right temperature."
"A refrigerator, Reamus."
"Yes that. I'm just so surprised how well Muggles can get on with out magic, it's so fascinating."
"Professor, you just sounded like Mr. Weasley," Harry said. Ron and Hermione laughed at Harry's remark.
"You did just sound remarkably like Arthur, Reamus," Dumbledore said while getting up from the table, "Now to bed all of you."
"Where are we going to find three different pensives?" Harry asked as they reached the portrait of the fat lady.
"I'm sure that there are order forms in Witch Weekly," Hermione said.
"Or in the Daily Prophet, we already get that," Ron said.
"You are on a roll today, Ron," Harry said, "pyrus malus." And the fat lady swung open.