A/N:
Jessie9, and Fulldark, and mama 30, and Dean, and Orion the Hunter, and Burgundy, and MirokuLova, and ears91, and Kerry2, and Emma Leigh Warner, and oneiros Lykos, and shdurrani, and dan fan, and dreamer43, - Thanks!
The Wizened Wizard - At first I didn't know what the heck you were talking about then I remembered Empire. I think you need to turn that statement around.
PadfootsNoxed , and Jakia - Actually the OotP will be playing a stronger role in coming chapters, so Lupin will be back.
Crater212 - I have no idea how to respond to this. There are like 90,000 HP stories on ff.net alone. Odds are some sub-plot might be alike. And since I have no idea what author, let alone what story to which you are referring, has a problem with his/her use of the "English (not einglish) language" I'll try my best to make sure that everything is readable.
Daleia - Umm. No ... you don't. I have not revealed everything about the ring, so you can't know. Yes, the 'wedding thing' is necessary to the developing plot of the story. Thank you for the compliment on Dumbledore; he was my biggest worry. As far as the Snape/Harry relationship. JKR alluded to Harry's new attitude toward Snape at the end of OofP. Scene: Right before McGonagall comes back, Harry encounters Malfoy, et al, Snape comes out and asks what it is he thinks he's doing. Harry doesn't bat an eye in saying "I'm trying to figure out what curse to use on Malfoy, sir." Straight forward and sarcastic. the other reasons I can't go into right now because of story spoilers.
VivianeAeryn - Yes I do, and this is not a slight on the authors here at ff.net. The majority of them are young teenagers and I remember how I used to write at that age ... (shudder)
American Mione - ( in order) Read the first line of this chapter, apprehensive, I think is the best way to describe. Now! and Thanks!
Peter Potter - ? Find the time ... this is all I do! :) Who needs food or a bathroom.
Lovesbitch2 - I love that feeling of reading and my breath hitches. I'm glad I could make yours do the same.
Isabella Grace - I might reveal the entire contents of the Phoenix Prophecy, but it is not a major sub-plot to the story ... or at least not right now it isn't. I'll leave it for later when I screw up the continuity of the story, I can blame it on the Prophecy. :)
Keebler-elmo - It's called plot development. Not every chapter has to have a fight/cliffhanger/argument/etc. Patience.
Oriana - You are most welcome.
weatherbee - Portkey.com ... I'm like a virus now! Pretty soon everyone will have me on their computer. (Plots to get on all the H/Hr lists and the Pumpkin Patch) MWaaahahahahaha.
Enough Talk! Read On!
Chapter 29
"Why are your robes all singed?"
"I'll tell you after the meeting, Mione. I have to wait until everyone is here before we begin," said Harry.
"Who else are we waiting for?" asked Ron.
"Neville and Ginny."
They sat in silence for a few minutes more. Ron and Hermione were nervously twitching around looking for something to occupy their time and Luna was scribbling on a scrap piece of parchment.
"Couldn't we as least have met in the Great Hall, I'm hungry."
Luna smiled up at her boyfriend. "I'm sure this is supposed to be a secret meeting, Ronald. That's why we're in Harry's office. Nobody is likely to go looking in empty classrooms for the fun of it."
He nodded.
"Has anyone else noticed that he's called a meeting of the same people that accompanied him to the Ministry of Magic."
Harry held up a single finger to his lips, "Shhh."
Harry heard the door to the Defense classroom open and close. He peeked around the corner and spotted Ginny and Neville heading up the steps.
"They're here."
"Finally, I was going to start gnawing on my arm." Ron held out his arm to Harry, "This isn't going to take long, is it?"
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Neville, Ginny come on in, take a seat." Harry indicated two free seats.
"Um ... thanks for coming at such short notice. I've talked with Dobby and he's making sure to leave some dinner for us just in case we're late to the Great Hall."
This seemed to grab Ron's attention and subsequent pleasure.
"First I need to tell you a few things and then ask a question of each of you. What I'm about to say has to be kept secret, well because if it got out a lot of people could -- well -- die. Can everyone do that?"
Heads nodded all around.
"There is a secret society that has been around since Voldemort's last rise to power. They have connections in every important aspect of the wizarding world."
Luna raised her hand, interrupting, "Is this about the Caretakers of the Crumple Horned Smoke Stack? If so, then I already know all about them."
"Erm ... no."
"Okay," she said and went back to doodling.
Hermione ran her hand down her face in mild frustration.
"Anyway, they've been behind the scenes fighting against the rise of Voldemort, his control over the Ministry and recruitment of Dark Creatures."
This was old news for Hermione, Ron, and Ginny, but it sent shocking waves to Luna and Neville. Though it was kind of hard to determine if it was surprise or just the natural set of Luna's face that made her seemed surprised .
"They call themselves the Order of the Phoenix."
Next came the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort.
"Blimey, Harry!"
Neville was visibly relieved to find out that he hadn't destroyed the only chance to hear the prophecy, but nonetheless disturbed about hearing it. "So that means ... it could have been me?"
Harry nodded, "There was no difference between the two of us, Neville. The only one who knows why Voldemort picked me is Voldemort."
"Perhaps he would have gone after Neville as well but never got the chance after ..." said Hermione.
Neville was almost quaking from the thought, however something else came to mind. "Harry, does the end of the prophecy mean that you ..."
Harry had gone over this so many times now that he was almost comfortable with telling ... almost. "It means that I am the only one with the power to kill Voldemort." He thought of Dumbledore, "Or rather I'm the only one that has a chance."
Luna nodded, "It makes sense."
Everyone looked at her.
"Well it does. When Voldemort faced Professor Dumbledore he was prepared for the fight of his life. With you he won't realize your potential until it is too late. It's like a cat playing with a mouse until the mouse pulls out a big hammer and whacks him one on the head."
They still stared.
"Well, who expects a mouse to have a big hammer. I mean they have such little hands and hammers are so big in relation ... ? By the way who is in the Order of the Phoenix?"
Harry dodged the question. "Um ... need to know only."
Luna nodded passively.
"When I was in my Defense lesson with Dumbledore, I gave him an ultimatum to teach me what I need to know or I was going to find someone who will. That's when I found out about the Phoenix Prophecy."
Ron sighed, "Not another one."
Hermione looked very nervous.
He ignored the comment. "They didn't tell me what it said, but it comes down to this. If I join the Order then one of you two will die."
He pointed at Ron and Hermione.
"So much for knowing what's going on," said Ron depressingly. "I was really looking forward to turning seventeen this spring and getting to know what they're doing in the kitchen all the time."
"But see, we still can know. It said I couldn't join the Order of the Phoenix, nothing about starting my own Order."
"Are you saying, you want me to be in a club?" asked Neville.
"Harry, are you sure about this?" asked Hermione.
Ron held his hand up, "I'm in."
"If Ronald is in then I'm in as well." volunteered Luna.
Harry held his hands up. "But you don't even know what it is we're doing."
Luna quirked a very light colored eyebrow, "I assume we are going to learn advanced spell-casting and offensive procedures in order to learn how to fight as a group against Voldemort."
Harry blinked, "Um ... what she just said."
"I think it's a brilliant idea, Harry." Hermione said supportively.
Ron gulped, "Of course you would. I just volunteered to fight one of the strongest Wizard of all time."
Harry looked down to him, "Ron, you don't have to join. that's why I've got us all here. It's to see if you're interested."
"I think you made a mistake inviting me, Harry."
Neville' s sense of self-worth was dropping low as ever at the thought of being depended on to do anything much less fighting Voldemort.
Hermione jumped up, "Neville, how could you say that?"
"Well ... "
Harry pushed forward. "You should probably know something, Neville, all of you. You all were hand-picked by Dumbledore himself. "
"Count me in, Harry, " said Ginny. "Mum is gonna be all kinds of angry with this. She might actually explode."
Ron nodded. "You'll have to break it to her, Ginny."
"Me?"
"Mom likes you. You're her only little girl," Ron commented. "She could kill me and still have lots of other sons."
"Hermione?" asked Harry.
She gave him a reproachful look, "Should you even ask?"
He smiled. "Neville?"
He looked like he was thinking it over, "My Gran would be proud of me."
Hermione nodded, "Neville, she's already proud of you and so are we."
He gave a quick smile and nodded.
"Great, " he looked around and beamed with pleasure as if he had accomplished something grand.
"I have a few particulars and then we go eat. I want everyone more than capable in the air. That means Hermione and Neville too."
They flinched.
"We'll go down to the Quidditch pitch and I'll teach you my self."
They weren't convinced.
"We have no idea where the final battle is so I want to be prepared for anything. Do you want me to leave you two behind while Ron, Ginny, Luna and me go off?"
He ignored their responses. Whether they liked it or not they were going to fly. "Next," he turned to Hermione, "I want someway to communicate with the members of our Order. The Galleon last year was brilliant, but we need something that all of us can talk to each other with."
Hermione nodded.
"Ron, get a hold of your dad. I doubt we'll be ready to go by the end of this school year. We'll need somewhere to practice. I was thinking about the Burrow."
He nodded.
"Neville, too many of us were disarmed in our battle with the Death Eaters. I want an alternative offensive weapon for each of us as back up. I was thinking of some type of poison or something to knock them out quickly."
His eyes lit up like he already knew what he wanted to do and he nodded eagerly.
"Luna, when the time comes I'd like your father to publish something in the Quibbler. Do you think he'd mind?"
She shook her head, "The last interview with you sold out four editions, Harry. I think he would welcome anything you donated."
"Good. Ginny, I have a special assignment for you. I'll tell you about it in the common room tonight."
She frowned at not having something to do right away.
Harry felt the energy of forming the beginning of his Order start to melt away and leaned against the desk. "Any questions?"
Hermione raised her hand and spoke without being called on, "What are we called?"
This caught Harry off guard. He had spent so much time thinking about organizing the Order that he hadn't even thought of a name.
"I have no idea. Let me sleep on it. Anyone else?"
Nobody said anything.
"Let's go eat."