Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- Chapter 14
"Derek, if you and your group would head to the station in Catchwitch Forest we can perhaps monitor the activity of Death Eaters. Sarah, if you take two others to Ganboard then we can keep our eyes on the suspects." Dumbledore surveyed the room. The whole Order of the Phoenix were watching him, waiting for direction. Some were holding scraps of paper, which they were to destroy after absorbing all the information. Dumbledore called an end to the meeting and looked over at the five who would be remaining after everyone left. He gazed at Severus, Minerva, Remus, Arabella and Snuffles.
"Are you alright, Severus?" He asked softly. Snape nodded, he was quiet and pale, but he had a determined glint in his eye. Snape looked at the clock and stood up.
"I had better prepare." He said. Minerva wished him good-luck, Arabella gave him an encouraging smile, Dumbledore gave him a few words of consolation and Remus snorted at him. Snape left to prepare for his first Death Eaters meeting in fifteen years. The other four soon left Professor Dumbledore to his work. As Snuffles and Remus away from the stone gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office, something caught Snuffles' attention. He stopped and turned, sniffing the air. Remus followed him to a corner beside the gargoyle. Remus caught sight of ginger fur as it skulked in the shadows.
"Crookshanks! What are you doing down here? Come on, Hermione's probably looking for you." Snuffles watched at Remus tried to catch the cat with no luck. Finally, after a struggle, Remus managed to grab Crookshanks and he, Snuffles and the cat hurried to the Gryffindor Tower.
"Patience is a virtue." Remus gave the password to the Fat Lady, who swung forward to admit them. Remus had no idea why Dumbledore had chosen the passwords to be, well, sayings. He supposed it was Dumbledore's way of teaching the students things, like to be patient, taking the password from Gryffindor Tower. He scanned the room for Harry, Ron and Hermione and only spotted them when Snuffles went bounding up to them. Hermione looked surprised when she was presented with Crookshanks.
"Crookshanks! You naughty boy! How did you get out of the Tower?" She scolded gently, stroking her ugly cat. Ron rolled his eyes and Remus heard him mutter something like, "shame Professor Lupin had to bring the thing back. Couldn't we have let it wander into he woods to be torn apart by wild animals?" Hermione heard this and glared furiously at Ron. Remus turned to Harry to remind him about the extra lessons in two days time, but stopped when he saw the distant look on Harry's face. His eyes were squinted and there was a slight frown on his face.
"What's wrong, Harry?" Remus asked softly, ignoring the sound from the common room around them. Harry started at being addressed.
"Oh! Hello, Professor. Sorry, I was just thinking." Remus studied his face for a moment and knew that there was indeed something bothering him.
"Is there something on your mind, Harry?" Harry shook his head quickly and Remus decided not to push it.
"In that case, don't forget the lesson Thursday afternoon, Harry, and see three you in class tomorrow! Good night." Remus smiled at them and left and silently as he had entered. Snuffles spent a few more hours with them, before heading back to Hagrid's hut.
"Well, I'm going to bed now. 'Night Ron, 'night Harry." Hermione stood up, stifled a yawn and stretched. Ron yawned loudly and nodded.
"I'm going to bed too. Coming Harry?" Harry closed his book and stood up. He bid Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan good night and followed his friend's up the stairs.
As Harry lay in bed he kept thinking about the odd "dream" he had had in Divination. Finally Harry fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
"Harry." A voice, that whispered as softly as the wind, seemed to flow from one side of his bed, through his ear, into his brain and out the other ear. He tossed restlessly in his sleep. The voice spoke again.
"Harry. I see you, Harry. I know you, Harry. I'm here, Harry." The voice sent a cool chill down Harry's back. There was a chuckle, which sounded more like hissing.
"You sleep, I'm here. I'm always here. I'm always near by. Just you sleep. I will wait patiently for the time. Your time will come soon enough." There was a loud laugh and a flash of bright white light.
Harry woke up with a jerk. He was shaking and sweating. The sheets were tangled up around his legs and the bedspread was in a heap on the floor. Harry got up and fixed the covers as he waited for his heart to stop pounding. His mind whirled. What was that voice? Who was that voice? Why did it make his blood run cold and make him feel so scared and jumpy? It had only been a voice. Harry looked around the room at his sleeping friends and debated whether or not to wake Ron up and tell him. He finally decided to tell him and Hermione together in the morning.
* * *
"I don't understand, Albus. How could they have known?" Minerva stood before the Headmaster in her night-gown, twisting her hands nervously. Remus and Arabella were present with Snuffles. Dumbledore looked wearily back.
"I don't know." He sighed, looking old and tired.
"But, sir, the Death Eaters would have had to have been told that the group was there. I mean, they couldn't have figured it out themselves. No group of Death Eaters ever passes through Catchwitch Forest. How could they have known that the members were stationed there." Remus looked at the ageing Professor.
"Don't you dare accuse Severus of betraying their cover!" Arabella shrieked at him.
"I am simply saying that it's a coincidence. Isn't it? I mean, after twelve years of using that spot as a work station for the Order, without the slightest hint of a Death Eater ever walking past, suddenly a whole group appears out of the blue and attacks Derek and the rest of the crew?" Remus stared back at Arabella with a cold look in his eyes. That was a very rare look for Remus since he was usually the warmest, kindest, good-natured man you could find.
"I'm afraid I agree with Arabella, Remus." Dumbledore sided, "I trust Severus, and have for years, even though I know you do not." His kind blue eyes travelled down to Snuffles as well, when he said this. Remus nodded respectfully. He accepted everyone's decision to appoint Severus as the spy, but he still didn't trust Severus completely. This was for a number of factors. One; what Severus had been like to James, Sirius, Peter and himself back in Hogwarts, and Two; what had happened the last time the Order put all their trust in a spy.
Remus agreed to go with Arabella to console the families who had been in Derek's group in Catchwitch Forest and to help the Ministry cover up the story from the press.
*~;~;~;~;~;~;~;~;~;~;~;~;*
Hello? Anyone there? Well? What do you think? Won't anyone review? :-(
"Derek, if you and your group would head to the station in Catchwitch Forest we can perhaps monitor the activity of Death Eaters. Sarah, if you take two others to Ganboard then we can keep our eyes on the suspects." Dumbledore surveyed the room. The whole Order of the Phoenix were watching him, waiting for direction. Some were holding scraps of paper, which they were to destroy after absorbing all the information. Dumbledore called an end to the meeting and looked over at the five who would be remaining after everyone left. He gazed at Severus, Minerva, Remus, Arabella and Snuffles.
"Are you alright, Severus?" He asked softly. Snape nodded, he was quiet and pale, but he had a determined glint in his eye. Snape looked at the clock and stood up.
"I had better prepare." He said. Minerva wished him good-luck, Arabella gave him an encouraging smile, Dumbledore gave him a few words of consolation and Remus snorted at him. Snape left to prepare for his first Death Eaters meeting in fifteen years. The other four soon left Professor Dumbledore to his work. As Snuffles and Remus away from the stone gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office, something caught Snuffles' attention. He stopped and turned, sniffing the air. Remus followed him to a corner beside the gargoyle. Remus caught sight of ginger fur as it skulked in the shadows.
"Crookshanks! What are you doing down here? Come on, Hermione's probably looking for you." Snuffles watched at Remus tried to catch the cat with no luck. Finally, after a struggle, Remus managed to grab Crookshanks and he, Snuffles and the cat hurried to the Gryffindor Tower.
"Patience is a virtue." Remus gave the password to the Fat Lady, who swung forward to admit them. Remus had no idea why Dumbledore had chosen the passwords to be, well, sayings. He supposed it was Dumbledore's way of teaching the students things, like to be patient, taking the password from Gryffindor Tower. He scanned the room for Harry, Ron and Hermione and only spotted them when Snuffles went bounding up to them. Hermione looked surprised when she was presented with Crookshanks.
"Crookshanks! You naughty boy! How did you get out of the Tower?" She scolded gently, stroking her ugly cat. Ron rolled his eyes and Remus heard him mutter something like, "shame Professor Lupin had to bring the thing back. Couldn't we have let it wander into he woods to be torn apart by wild animals?" Hermione heard this and glared furiously at Ron. Remus turned to Harry to remind him about the extra lessons in two days time, but stopped when he saw the distant look on Harry's face. His eyes were squinted and there was a slight frown on his face.
"What's wrong, Harry?" Remus asked softly, ignoring the sound from the common room around them. Harry started at being addressed.
"Oh! Hello, Professor. Sorry, I was just thinking." Remus studied his face for a moment and knew that there was indeed something bothering him.
"Is there something on your mind, Harry?" Harry shook his head quickly and Remus decided not to push it.
"In that case, don't forget the lesson Thursday afternoon, Harry, and see three you in class tomorrow! Good night." Remus smiled at them and left and silently as he had entered. Snuffles spent a few more hours with them, before heading back to Hagrid's hut.
"Well, I'm going to bed now. 'Night Ron, 'night Harry." Hermione stood up, stifled a yawn and stretched. Ron yawned loudly and nodded.
"I'm going to bed too. Coming Harry?" Harry closed his book and stood up. He bid Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan good night and followed his friend's up the stairs.
As Harry lay in bed he kept thinking about the odd "dream" he had had in Divination. Finally Harry fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
"Harry." A voice, that whispered as softly as the wind, seemed to flow from one side of his bed, through his ear, into his brain and out the other ear. He tossed restlessly in his sleep. The voice spoke again.
"Harry. I see you, Harry. I know you, Harry. I'm here, Harry." The voice sent a cool chill down Harry's back. There was a chuckle, which sounded more like hissing.
"You sleep, I'm here. I'm always here. I'm always near by. Just you sleep. I will wait patiently for the time. Your time will come soon enough." There was a loud laugh and a flash of bright white light.
Harry woke up with a jerk. He was shaking and sweating. The sheets were tangled up around his legs and the bedspread was in a heap on the floor. Harry got up and fixed the covers as he waited for his heart to stop pounding. His mind whirled. What was that voice? Who was that voice? Why did it make his blood run cold and make him feel so scared and jumpy? It had only been a voice. Harry looked around the room at his sleeping friends and debated whether or not to wake Ron up and tell him. He finally decided to tell him and Hermione together in the morning.
* * *
"I don't understand, Albus. How could they have known?" Minerva stood before the Headmaster in her night-gown, twisting her hands nervously. Remus and Arabella were present with Snuffles. Dumbledore looked wearily back.
"I don't know." He sighed, looking old and tired.
"But, sir, the Death Eaters would have had to have been told that the group was there. I mean, they couldn't have figured it out themselves. No group of Death Eaters ever passes through Catchwitch Forest. How could they have known that the members were stationed there." Remus looked at the ageing Professor.
"Don't you dare accuse Severus of betraying their cover!" Arabella shrieked at him.
"I am simply saying that it's a coincidence. Isn't it? I mean, after twelve years of using that spot as a work station for the Order, without the slightest hint of a Death Eater ever walking past, suddenly a whole group appears out of the blue and attacks Derek and the rest of the crew?" Remus stared back at Arabella with a cold look in his eyes. That was a very rare look for Remus since he was usually the warmest, kindest, good-natured man you could find.
"I'm afraid I agree with Arabella, Remus." Dumbledore sided, "I trust Severus, and have for years, even though I know you do not." His kind blue eyes travelled down to Snuffles as well, when he said this. Remus nodded respectfully. He accepted everyone's decision to appoint Severus as the spy, but he still didn't trust Severus completely. This was for a number of factors. One; what Severus had been like to James, Sirius, Peter and himself back in Hogwarts, and Two; what had happened the last time the Order put all their trust in a spy.
Remus agreed to go with Arabella to console the families who had been in Derek's group in Catchwitch Forest and to help the Ministry cover up the story from the press.
*~;~;~;~;~;~;~;~;~;~;~;~;*
Hello? Anyone there? Well? What do you think? Won't anyone review? :-(