Author's Notes: Let's give a big round of applause for the newest members of the F.U.: Twilight's Dawn and Daggerquill! Wow, we have to have an F.U. pledge or something…

Fangirls(boys) united,

Your job is to review!

Proudly spread the word around,

And shout to folks, "F.U.!"

And finally, the answer to the question you've all been asking: How much does this barking mad chick Fanciful Sovereign love me? Answer: A whole damn lot! ^_^

Monday, 17 July

11:09 p.m.

They had another meeting today! And (I never thought I'd be saying this) thanks to Fred and George, we now have some inkling as to what's going on. We also almost got caught and would have been punished severely by Mrs. Weasley, but I'm willing to overlook that in the light of the new information we gained.

Yesterday was quite uneventful; we spent the entire day finishing our "decontamination" of Ron's room, and we had just barely started my room before we all decided we were too tired to continue, and went to bed. I was so exhausted that I fell asleep straight away and didn't even have time to write in here. Not that anything that was worth writing down happened yesterday…but it's become somewhat of a stress reliever to write things down in here…to my chagrin, of course, but at least Mrs. Crick will never know.

I suppose I should start at breakfast today, because things happened then that are worth mentioning. I'd forgiven Ron for his stupid comment about Viktor on Saturday, and we were sitting together at the breakfast table trying to write a letter to Harry that Mr. Weasley would approve of. So far, our first three drafts (one of which referred to "an Order", and another which gave him the hint that we're staying in a "grim old place") had been canned, and the fourth was just sounding plain stupid. We finally sent a letter off that went something like: We've been told not to say anything important in case our letters go astray, so we can't say anything about you-know-what, obviously. But we'll tell you everything when we see you…

Harry's going to hate us.

Anyway, Bill was there this morning, reading the Daily Prophet and shaking his head. "Listen to this rubbish! They've demoted Dumbledore from Chief Warlock on the Wizengamot!"

There was a sharp intake of breath all around the table. "When did that happen?" Sirius demanded.

"Just yesterday, it seems. It says that 'Other members of the Wizengamot made the decision based on Dumbledore's increasing age and his recent eccentric ramblings.'"

"Eccentric ramblings," said Mrs. Weasley softly and sadly. "Arthur, have you heard about this?"

"No, but I'm sure it will be a hot topic at work today," said Mr. Weasley bitterly, rising from the table. "Speaking of which, I should be off…have a good day, everyone."

He Disapparated, and Bill crumpled up the paper and threw it in the trash.

"And good riddance!" Mrs. Weasley said approvingly. "In the trash, where it belongs. I absolutely refuse to read that rubbish from now on."

At this, Fred and George exchanged gleeful looks and then excused themselves from the table, rushing upstairs. Ron caught my eye and grinned. I'm not sure if I even want to know what they're up to.

We spent the remainder of the day cleaning my bedroom. Mrs. Weasley popped in now and then to help or to yell at the twins for taking "well-deserved" breaks every five minutes, but she seemed oddly pre-occupied and flustered. Ginny and I spent most of the time cleaning out the cobweb-covered chest in the corner, which had a variety of strange and unusual objects in it. Sirius had to come up to identify a mysterious black box that no one wanted to touch, and we heard him swear loudly after he had left the room with it. Ron thinks that it tried to bite him.

I became much more wary about objects in this house after I found a silver figurine of a wizard crouching over a blue stone in the chest. I started staring at the stone, and I couldn't stop…it was the queerest feeling, like I was entranced. Ginny told me later that my eyes went all glazed and that I started moving closer and closer to the figurine in my hand, but I just remember wanting to get a better look. Then Ron noticed and mercifully snatched the thing out of my hand before I did anything foolish. We threw it into the bag of things that we wanted to throw away, but I think that Kreacher took it when we weren't looking. He kept tip-toeing in and trying to salvage things from the bag. The poor thing; he doesn't know that they're dangerous, he just wants to save what's left of the family he used to serve. Sirius's parents must have completely turned his head when they were alive.

At about five o'clock, when we usually have tea, the doorbell rang and Mrs. Black went wild. By then only the five of us were left in the bedroom, and we all exchanged looks and then ran out onto the landing.

"Wait," muttered George, holding us back with his arm as people filed into the hall. I recognized Tonks, Moody, and Professor Lupin, but anyone else I could see was unfamiliar.
"They must be having a meeting!" Ginny whispered.
"Quick, George, the Extendables," Fred said hastily. George dug into his pockets and emerged with several pieces of what looked like skin-coloured yarn – the Extendable Ears.

"These aren't…dangerous, are they?" I asked warily as he passed them out to everyone.

"Well, we haven't tested them yet, so you never know," whispered Fred cheerfully. He instructed us to place them in our own ears, which we cautiously did, and then we dropped them. The Extendable Ears hung over the landing, descending to dangle over the heads of the people in the hall.

" – never mind, Black," hissed a familiar-sounding voice. Ron and I risked peering over the railing.

"Snape!" Ron hissed in surprise. There was Professor Snape, smirking at a furious-looking Sirius. Ginny elbowed Ron to be quiet, so that we could hear what Sirius said back.

"Hey Snivellus, why don't you – " But we never got to hear what Sirius wanted Snape to do, because they then moved out of Extendable Earshot, and the rest of the group disappeared around a corner. Fred motioned for us to follow him down the stairs. We tried to move as quietly as possible through the front hall, which was now empty, and hurried over to the stairs that led to the basement kitchen. We stationed ourselves at the top of the basement stairs, and George nodded for us to let the Extendables go again. The stringy things wriggled down the stairs and out of sight, presumably slipping under the door to the kitchen .

" – to give us a brief report. Arabella?"

"That was Dad," murmured Ginny.

"So far, I haven't seen anything suspicious around Magnolia Crescent, or the boy," said an elderly female voice. "I think its best that we keep someone watching him at all times. But from what it looks like, if anyone's going to try and kill him, it won't be You-Know-Who, it'll be his uncle."

There were a few scattered chuckles, then a disapproving noise that was probably made by Mrs. Weasley, and then the sounds of a chair scraping against the floor as Arabella sat down.

"She was talking about Harry!" I whispered. I suddenly felt a huge wave of relief wash over me. Harry's being watched by members of the Order. He's fine, and nothing bad can happen to him if they're always around. I sighed in relief out loud, and George put his finger to his lips, nodding towards the stairs.

" – I believe. Our newest members, Tonks and Kingsley, are proof that some people can still be convinced of the truth. As Aurors, Tonks and Kingsley are very useful sources within the Ministry. They're risking their jobs and their reputations by being here tonight, and by being members of this Order. We have to continue our recruitment efforts, and can't be discouraged…no matter what the cost."

"Dad again. He must be talking about them demoting Dumbledore on the Wizengamot," George said in a low voice.

And then Ron sneezed. Loudly.

The voices downstairs abruptly died away. We all exchanged apprehensive looks.

"Run," was all Fred said. He and George Disapparated, leaving Ron, Ginny and I to hoist up the Extendable Ears and run like mad for our bedroom. Panting, we took the stairs two at a time and practically flung ourselves into Ginny's and my room. Ginny and I buried our heads in the chest again, breathing hard, and Ron stuck his head into the closet, trying to look as if he had been cleaning it for hours. So when we heard the tell-tale sounds of Mrs. Weasley coming up the stairs and throwing open the door to our room, we knew that she couldn't see our flushed faces. Mrs. Weasley stood at the door for a few seconds in silence, evidently surprised to find us cleaning my bedroom and not hiding someplace after eavesdropping in on the meeting.

"…Where are Fred and George?" she finally asked suspiciously. As if on cue, Fred and George walked in, both carrying bottles of black liquid.

"Oh, hi Mum," said Fred innocently, crossing over to Ron and handing him a bottle. "Just ran off to get some bottles of Doxy repellent, Ron's found some in the closet."

Feeling my flushed cheeks cooling, I took my head out of the chest and chanced a look at Mrs. Weasley. She was standing at the door with her hands on her hips, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"If I find out," she said in a deathly voice, "that you lot are sneaking around, trying to eavesdrop on the Order's business, you will be very, very sorry indeed." She then glanced at me, and I quickly tried to look busy. "Except for you, Hermione, dear," she added pleasantly, "I know you're a good girl, these four are just a bad influence."

I blushed, feeling spectacularly guilty. Mrs. Weasley spun on her heel and left the room, shutting the door behind her. As soon as she had left, the twins and Ginny rushed over to the door, pressing their ears against it.

"She's gone," Ginny announced.

"Thanks a whole lot, Ron," George said in a long-suffering voice.

"I had to sneeze!" Ron exclaimed defensively. "You try dusting the closet!"

"Damn, and they were just getting to the good parts!" Fred said dejectedly, sitting on Bill's bed.

"They're having trouble recruiting people!" Ron exclaimed bitterly. "What about us, eh? They've got five people who'd sign up in a heartbeat, and Mum won't let us join."

"But at least now we know that Harry's being watched," I pointed out, relieved. "So he'll be okay."

"Yeah," agreed Ron, "but I reckon Harry won't like that very much, will he?"

"Well, it's for his own good," I said.

"And who's this Arabella character?" George mused. "Haven't seen her around, have we?"

"Isn't she that old lady…the one with the carpet slippers?" Ginny asked, grinning.

"Yeah, maybe," Fred said, shrugging.

We spent the rest of the day discussing what else the Order might be up to, and wondering where they're trying to find new recruits. Ron thought that perhaps that's where Dumbledore sent Hagrid and Madame Maxime – to find giants that wanted to be part of the Order. But the rest of us pointed out that it's more likely that Hagrid's just trying to get on their good side before You-Know-Who does.

We didn't dare leave our bedroom until Mrs. Weasley came up to get us for tea a few hours later, and by then almost everyone had left. A few people stayed to eat with us, however – Tonks, Mundungus, and Professor Lupin, as well as the Auror Mr. Weasley had been talking about, Kingsley (who, ironically, is the head of the search for Sirius, and was sitting right next to him at the table), and a young, sort of pretty black-haired witch named Hestia. Ron got all flustered and turned red when she asked him to pass the potatoes. Honestly…

Snape didn't stay, thankfully. I know he's on our side and all, but I still can't forgive him for all the nasty things he's said to me and Ron and Harry and Neville, no matter what he does for the Order.

An hour ago, Ginny fell asleep talking about all the members of the Order that I hadn't met yet – Elphias Doge, who used to own an Apothecary; Emmeline Vance, who reminds Ginny vividly of Professor McGonagall; Manion DuGrey, who lost a thumb in a duel with a Death Eater; that Hestia woman, whom Ginny also speculates Ron secretly fancies, despite the fact that she's nearly ten years older than him, the idiot; Dedalus Diggle, a 'funny little wizard'; Professor Dumbledore's brother Aberforth, who is evidently very strange; Barty Hallaway, a Muggle-born like me…

Eventually Ginny fell asleep in the midst of telling a story about Barty Hallaway, and since I was wide awake, I grabbed my journal. It's nearly midnight now, though, and tomorrow I'm going to try and talk to Kreacher again…I'm sure he'll warm up to me if I keep trying. And we want to try out the Extendable Ears again…perhaps when Sirius and Ron's parents are alone together, because every time we catch the three of them talking, Mrs. Weasley jumps and changes the subject, so they have to be discussing something good.

I can't believe that I'm actually participating in schemes that have been planned by the Weasley twins. I've lost my mind.

Oh, right, I almost forgot…



Weekly Goals

1. Resume summer revision, moving on to Potions review. Living in secret Headquarters of Dumbledore's resistance against You-Know-Who is no excuse to stop revising.

2. Continue attempts to befriend Kreacher. Consider bombarding Sirius with accusations of cruelty towards house-elves until he gets him something new to wear and a few square meals.

3. Visit Buckbeak. Preferably not alone. Take Ron with me?

4. Attempt to convince Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to allow Harry to come to Grimmauld Place. Be pleasant yet persuasive. Do not resort to yelling and/or crying.

5. Find out what else is going on within Order of the Phoenix. Willing to sacrifice dignity and use resources provided by Weasley twins.