The Summer of the Phoenix

by JolieBlack

“We’ve set up Headquarters somewhere undetectable. It’s taken a while…” Remus Lupin to Harry in OotP - Here's the story of the rebuilding of the Order, bridging the gap between GoF and OotP from Sirius's point of view - all canon. COMPLETE!

26. Chapter 26

PLEASE NOTE:

Chapter 26 exists in two versions. This one is short and rated PG. The Alternate Version has the full story, but gets a PG-13 rating for featuring a disturbingly graphic bit of emergency surgery. So if you can't abide the sight of blood, don't read the Alternate Version, but jump straight to Chapter 27 after this one. Both versions of No. 26 will tie in seamlessly with No. 27, and the short version has all the information that is essential to the plot.

Chapter 26

"We didn't have enough last time," Mrs Weasley said, carrying a chair out to the hall and setting it down with as little noise as possible. "Would you be so kind – "

"Yeah, sure," Sirius said curtly, grabbed a back of a chair with each hand and made to follow Snape down to the kitchen. He spent as little time in there as possible, setting his chairs down near the door and turning immediately back to get some more, when it suddenly struck him that he had just witnessed a rather unexpected scene. In the shadows outside the open door, he stopped and glanced furtively back into the room.

Snape was standing at the fireplace, leaning against the mantelpiece. At first, it had looked as if he'd folded his arms casually, but Sirius realised now that Snape was in fact clutching his left forearm rather hard with his right hand. Next to him, sitting in a chair and looking up at Snape with an expression of pity and deep concern on her face, was Hestia Jones. They must have been in a quiet conversation when Sirius had come in, and they were resuming it now they thought him gone.

"Is it that bad already?" Hestia Jones asked sadly.

Snape didn't answer.

"There's no way to ease it?" Hestia insisted.

"Only one."

"Which one?"

"Go."

Hestia's eyes grew wide in alarm. "You're not – "

"Not yet. But soon." Snape turned away from her to stare into the fire, still clutching his left arm.

There were voices in the hall upstairs, and Sirius could hear footsteps approaching. He quickly went to meet the newcomers before they found him eavesdropping on something that was clearly not supposed to be his business, regretting all the same that he had to.

TBC in Chapter 27 (the next entry contains an Alternate Version of Chapter 26, rated PG-13).