Baptism of the Phoenix

'Are you sure that it has come to this Moony?' Sirius asked his friend as they walked towards Dumbledore's office.

'I can't say too much.' Remus replied 'In fact we don't really know that much, nothing factual that's for sure.'

'So we are just relying on Snape here?' Sirius enquired sceptically.

'Yes,' Remus admitted. 'But Snape is the only inside source we have at the moment and he seems convinced. Dumbledore must be too. Why else would he recall the Order? Why else would he put us into action so soon?'

Remus opened his mouth to give the password that would gain him access to Dumbledore's office when Professor Snape appeared from behind the great gargoyle.

'You're late,' the potions master sneered. 'Surely the deputy headmaster was informed of the change of time.'

Snape's lip curled in satisfaction as Lupin's cheeks reddened.

'No, Severus, I had not been informed.'

Snape disappeared back into the headmaster's office looking very pleased with himself.

'What was all of that about?' Sirius demanded, seething. 'Smug little git!'

'Leave it Sirius.' Remus flushed an even brighter shade of scarlet.

'No Moony. He's right, you are the deputy headmaster and you deserve a little respect.'

Remus sighed heavily.

'I'm not though Padfoot. I'm not the deputy headmaster and Snape obviously knows it.'

Sirius looked at his friend with confusion.

'It's a front Padfoot. A stupid façade. I'm not the deputy head, I couldn't even hold down the Dark Arts job.'

'Then why…'

'I'm secretary to the Order. Dumbledore decided that the deputy thing would be a good cover to stop people from asking questions regarding my visits to the castle. I only taught Dark Arts for the first term to keep the job open for you and there is no way that Dumbledore needs an assistant. Come on, Dumbledore could run Hogwarts with his eyes shut!'

Sirius's heart sank. He had no idea that things had been so bad for his old friend. It must have been terribly hard for Remus to take on the teaching job knowing full well that it was to be taken from him.

'But, you're secretary to the Order. That's an important job Moony.'

'Yeah,' Remus said dryly. 'Yeah it is.'

The pair then quietly made their way into Dumbledore's office. Inside they found a large round table had been set in the middle of the floor, replacing the headmaster's desk. Candles burned in the centre of the table, illuminating the faces of those already seated around it. Remus and Sirius took their places. Professor Dumbledore was not yet present.

Sirius recognised several faces that belonged to the surviving members of the original Order. It felt strange to be seated with these old colleagues, and even stranger to be joined by new, unfamiliar faces. His cousin Tonks had just been recruited, she sat opposite him, smiling a greeting. Other new members included a young, bald, black man with a pierced ear and a broad shouldered blond man with a disturbingly long chin.

When Dumbledore had requested that Sirius rejoin the Order Sirius couldn't have been happier. He had looked forward to this first meeting for days, but now that he was here, seated with these people, he couldn't have felt worse.

What had happened to the Order of the Phoenix?

What had happened to make things change?

Where were all of the missing faces that had once made the Order what it was?

Sirius glanced from one new member to the other, feeling slightly resentful of them and trying to detach himself from their welcoming smiles. What business did they have to be here?

What right did they have to sit around his table?

They had never fought Voldemort.

They had never had to sit by and watch as the Dark Lord picked off their best friends one by one.

Why should these people be allowed to sit around this table when so many true heroes could not?

What right did Mr Blond have to take the place of a brave man like Frank Longbottom? What made him think that he could ever be as great as Edgar Bones, the Prewett's and Dorcas Meadows?

This bloke had no idea.

No idea…

Sirius slowly drifted from Dumbledore's room, leaving everything and everyone behind. He was no longer a part of that situation, he now found himself in a very different place.

 In a much more familiar time.

A large thud sounded somewhere within the darkness that enveloped the damp, stale atmousphere.

'What was that?' came a frightened shriek.

'It's alright Lily it was just the trap door,' laughed a voice that Sirius knew so well; a voice that had become little more than a distant memory of late.

James.

'Oh,' the girl breathed.

Sirius found himself sat in another, very different room, at a small, rickety table. He was joined by several others, who, like him, were squashed around the edges of the shabby wooden surface. A single, flickering candle scarcely lit the underground room. The overpowering smell of dust made Sirius feel sick to his stomach. The surrounding stone walls were blanketed with a foul mixture of soot and decay.

Albus Dumbledore emerged from the shadows, brushing cob-webs from his lilac robes.

'Ah, as usual, I am the last to arrive.' Dumbledore smiled at his assembly.

He glanced around the small room, taking in the mouldy, stone walls and dusty floorboards.

'I regret to say that I could not find a more suitable location but, rest assured, what this room lacks in charm it makes up for in safety. We have little chance of being discovered here.'

'What is this Dumbledore?' Alastor Moody growled in his usual uncharismatic tone.

Dumbledore pulled out a chair that creaked loudly across the floor and sat down, giving himself time to ponder upon his reply.

'Well, Alastor,' he began slowly. 'I suppose you could call this the recruitment of an army.'

'An army?' Lily Potter asked, seemingly as confused as everyone else around her.

Dumbledore smiled politely at Lily and flexed his long, bony fingers before switching his gaze to Mad-Eye.

'It seems that everyday,' Dumbledore began sadly, 'I awake to hear the news of another old friend's death. If not a friend then a fellow wizard non the less. Am I…are we…to sit around in waiting of more bad news and pretend that the Dark Lord is not gaining power more rapidly than before?'

Mad-Eye Moody returned Dumbledore's pain-filled glance.

'The Aurors are doing their best Albus,' Alastor declared solemnly. 'It's the Ministry that's gone to the dogs. They're all frightened out of their wits…spineless aristocrats…They'd rather let people die than speak out and allow us to take proper action.'

Dumbledore looked into his old friend's eyes and spoke with heart-felt sincerity.

'I do not blame the Aurors Alastor. As you know, I regard your colleagues with the greatest respect. The fact remains, however, that Voldemort is becoming stronger.'

An involuntary shudder passed from person to person.

'I  believe that it is time for us to take independent action. I do not claim to have all of the solutions, but I can no longer simply watch from afar.'

'It should never have come to this,' Sirius heard himself growl.

'The Minister is playing with fire. He's losing Aurors to You-Know-Who by the shed-load and doesn't seem to be making an effort to recruit anymore. The man's an idiot!'

Dumbledore scratched his beard thoughtfully. 'Yes, I have been telling the Minister for some time that he ought to recruit more Aurors. He maintains that the Ministry simply does not have the funding to support such 'extravagances.''

The members of the assembly all let out sighs of disbelief. They had all long ago lost faith in the Ministry. It seemed incredible that the Minister should regard the Aurors as an uneconomical extravagance. The Ministry's army was the only hope any wizard had of survival and yet it had now dwindled down to nothing.

'So what are we going to do?' Alice Longbottom inquired.

'We're going to take on Voldemort ourselves.' Sirius concluded, glowing with excitement.

'I hope that we will be a little more resourceful than that.' Dumbledore smiled. 'But, yes, I do propose that we take a little more action ourselves. After all, we too are losing our loved ones by the minute.'

Sirius and James both looked at each other with an air of satisfaction. They had both been applying to become Aurors for months in the hope that they could contribute to the war effort. Now they would be able to take immediate action, fighting alongside their mentor, Albus Dumbledore.

Marlene Mc Kinnon got up from her chair.

'You have my support Dumbledore.'

'Me too,' Caradoc Dearborn agreed.

One by one each of the gathering pledged their allegiance.

All but one.

'Peter,' Lily said softly. 'Aren't you going to join us?'

'Er, yes. Yes, of course,' said the small, blond boy unsurely. 'Why not?'

The freshly appointed members of the Order of the Phoenix all looked at Peter Pettigrew with exasperation, but no one was given the chance to speak. The sound of the trapdoor creaking open again echoed through the room.

'Who else are you expecting?' Moody asked Dumbledore gruffly.

Albus allowed his eyes to wander around the sea of faces before concluding, 'No one.'

Moody automatically got to his feet, his wand poised ready to attack.

The thin figure that appeared from the darkness revealed itself to be a thin, oily man with long black hair and a crooked nose.

'Snape!' Sirius cried reaching for his wand. 'He's a Death Eater.'

'STOP!'

It was Dumbledore who had shouted. Sirius and Moody both held on to their wands but did not act.

'What is it that you want Severus?' Dumbledore asked calmly.

'To kill us that's what,' said Moody outstretching his wand arm.

'No, please.' Snape begged. 'Don't attack. I have come to join you. I have left the Dark Lord's services. Please, believe me. I no longer serve the Dark Lord, I promise you. He wishes to kill me!'

Sirius noticed that Snape's face and hands were covered in scratches. He panted in a way that suggested that he had been running.

'You wish to fight against your old master?' Dumbledore asked.

'Yes, Merlin yes! Snape's voice was filled with eager desperation.

'Then take a seat.' Dumbledore replied calmly.

'What?'

' No!'

'This is an outrage.'

'After all he has done?'

' Can you be serious?'

The basement exploded in an uproar. But suddenly became silent…

'Sirius? Are you listening?'

Sirius once again found himself in Dumbledore's office, the head watched him intently. Both Snape and the blonde man smirked in amusement.

'Sorry…no…what were you saying?' Sirius stuttered with obvious embarrassment.

'I understand, Sirius, that as a member of the original Order this reassembly must revive a lot of old memories. Don't worry, I will keep this meeting as brief as possible.' Dumbledore told his old friend.

Sirius felt his face redden as the smirk on Snape's face grew wider and wider.

'As I was saying, we will start with a few introductions.' Dumbledore continued as though there had been no interruption at all.

'Most of you will already be acquainted with each other, but there are a few new faces.'

Dumbledore outstretched a welcoming arm towards the broad set blond.

'May I introduce Odephius Herschel and… (Dumbledore's arm gestured towards Tonks) Nymphoradora Tonks. Both finely skills Metamorphmagi.'

'Kingsley Shacklebolt.' Dumbledore nodded towards the pierced, black man. 'He joins us from the Ministry, an exceptional Auror recommended by our own Alastor Moody.'

'I will leave you to get on with the more informal introductions outside of the meeting.' Dumbledore concluded. 'There is little time and a lot to get through.'

Dumbledore cleared his throat politely, arching his long bony fingers beneath his chin.

'I do not see it necessary to explain why I have chosen to reform the Order of the Phoenix. The facts speak for themselves…unless of course, you are one of those too weak to listen.'

Sirius realised that Dumbledore was referring to Cornelius Fudge and his Ministers. His mind flitted briefly back to the first Order meeting.

 'I suppose you could call this the recruitment of an army.'

…But these know-it-alls did not need an explanation. They knew everything about fighting Lord Voldemort…they had probably read it in a text book.

'Since Voldemort's return I have had spies and aides positioned to act, but so far we have found very little.'

'Excuse me Headmaster but…'

Professor Snape got to his feet.

'Please let me finish Severus,' said Dumbledore calmly. 'Interruptions will only cost us time.'

Snape sat down again looking horribly affronted.

'The fact that we have found very little worries me.' Dumbledore explained. 'Yes, we know that Voldemort has taken over Azkaban, but why? Why does the fortress hold such importance to him?'

'Well I'd have thought that was obvious,' Snape spat. 'We all know the origins of the fortress. We all know who founded it.'

Dumbledore waved an impatient had. 'I doubt that Voldemort has time for such sentimentalities, Severus. He has, however, taken a great risk in occupying such a public building. There must be a deeper reasoning.'

Dumbledore scratched his whiskered cheek thoughtfully.

'Maybe he just wanted control of the Dementors?' Tonks suggested.

'He did not need to do that personally,' said Dumbledore. 'Even if he did he would not have to remain in the fortress once control was gained.

Sirius listened to Dumbledore's theory with interest.

'Maybe there's something else…something hidden inside the fortress,' he suggested.

Dumbledore nodded, as though considering Sirius's idea.

Snape gave a loud, extremely fake laugh.

'Well, if it's inside information on Azkaban we need who better to ask? So, Black, did you notice anything interesting lying around in you old dwelling?'

Sirius' eyes flashed with anger as he got to his feet.

'Oh really?' he snapped. 'If there's anyone in this room likely to be holding information it'd be the Death Eater among us!'

His dark, fathomless eyes bore straight into Snape's soul.

'So come on, Professor… What is your old pal up to these days?'

Professor Snape seemed to have lost the ability to speak, his expression was absolutely livid.

Sirius gave a sharp, bark-like laugh.

'What's up Severus? Have I touched a raw nerve?'

Vivid pools of hatred built up in Snape's eyes. His lips tensed into a thin, straight line, his hands quivered upon his lap in rage.

Before the potions master could react, Professor Dumbledore was on his feet.

'I realised, at the end of last term, that the two of you still harboured old school grudges. I had hoped, in the light of recent events that you would both see fit to act more maturely. Obviously, I had you confused with a pair of adults.'

Dumbledore did not seem angry, his voice carried its usual serene calmness.

Sirius and Snape both grew pink with embarrassment and fell silent.

'Professor Snape,' said Dumbledore. 'I realise that you are no longer trusted by Voldemort but I understand that you are still seen favourably amongst some of the Death Eaters.'

'Crabbe and Goyle seniors' still regard me as a part of their team, that is correct.' Snape said stiffly. 'As does Lucius Malfoy.'

'Then I should like you to press them for information regarding the occupation of Azkaban. In particular I would like you to investigate Professor Black's theory.'

Snape looked as though he'd much prefer to tie a rope around Professor Black's neck but he nodded amicably.

'If there is something to be gained within the fortress it is highly likely that Voldemort knows it' said Dumbledore.

'I am sorry,' Odephius Herschel spoke, 'but it does seem rather unlikely.'

Sirius noticed that Herschel spoke in an unusual European accent, and a very pompous one at that.

Dumbledore watched the man intently through his half-moon specs.

'Azkaban has been under Ministry control for centuries. If anything incriminating had been hidden there surely we would have found it by now.'

Dumbledore smiled grimly.

'Then, similarly, you would have expected the Chamber of Secrets to have been found long before it was.'

'Well…' Herschel began. 'Perhaps.'

Although Sirius was pleased that Dumbledore thought his theory was valid he was becoming very weary with this mindless discussion. He saw no point in sitting around fabricating theories when there was work to be done. The original Order had always been about action, about getting out and fighting-saving innocent lives. At this rate the Orders' members would die of boredom before Voldemort had even raised his wand. And, of course, Sirius had one particular worry that concerned him great deal more than the occupation of Azkaban.

'How are we going to protect Harry?'

Dumbledore did not seem surprised at Sirius's rapid change of subject. He smiled weakly and said,

'Of course, as Headmaster, my main concern has been Harry's safety. Voldemort is only too aware of the risk Harry poses to him and is sure to make targeting him a priority. There are several Order members teaching here, and others will be present at Hogwarts on occasion so, fear not, he will be well protected.'

'Is that all?' Sirius asked, warily.

'As well as staff members, I have asked Odephius to keep an exceptionally close eye on Harry after school hours. Once we have more information regarding Voldemort's plans I will step that up to a permanent guard.'

'And you've told Harry?'

'No,' Dumbledore admitted. 'No, it would seem foolish to tell Harry at this stage, the boy will only worry unnecessarily. As I said, Odephius is a skilled Metamorphmagus, he can keep an eye on Harry incognito.'

Sirius considered this for a moment and then shook his head.

'No…no, that's not right. You can't just spy on him like that.'

Hershel gave a long, high pitched laugh and then folded his arms importantly.

'I'll have you know that my skills are second to none. Harry will never find out.'

Sirius balled his fist, itching to wrap it around the annoying stranger's throat.

'That is hardly the point. Dumbledore, I can't allow Harry to be stalked like this, it's wrong.'

Before Dumbledore could speak Hershel cut across in his airily superior tone.

'I hardly think that you are any judge of what is wrong Mr Black.'

Sirius tipped his chair back and looked as though he was going to argue but Remus silenced him with a warning glance.

'Sirius is simply concerned for his godson's well-being and I would have to agree with him. I see no reason why Harry should be followed so secretly,' said Remus.

Dumbledore flexed his long fingers, considering Sirius and Remus' point of view.

'Well,' he said slowly. 'I am afraid I have to give Professor Black authority on this matter, after all…'

But before Dumbledore could make his point Herschel began to speak loudly over the top of him.

'It would be highly foolish, in my opinion, to inform Harry of my guarding him. After all, a young boy could hardly be trusted to keep such a thing secret.'

Dumbledore listened politely to Herschel's point, however very few others gave him such grace. Professor McGonagall tensed her lips, her nostrils flaring in disgust. Nobody ever spoke over Albus Dumbledore. Other members of staff looked just as appalled but the headmaster simply asked,

'And why not?'

'Well, I mean,' Odephius began, 'If Potter were to realise what special treatment he is receiving it would go to his head! He would boast and brag and very soon the school would be in uproar. All of the students would expect a highly trained guard like myself.'

Sirius looked as though he might explode.

'I assure you, my godson does not boast or brag and he certainly would not be pleased about being followed around by you'

'I have to agree,' Dumbledore nodded. 'Harry is fully aware of his own situation and he has never allowed attention to go to his head, on the contrary he …'

'Ah but how wrong you are!' Herschel interrupted for the second time. 'Any child would think himself superior to others if he…'

'Look who's talking!' Sirius scoffed.

Snape glared across the table at his old enemy and sneered.

'Oh, I think it is very safe to say that Mr Potter thinks himself a special case. He has been given a free reign over this castle since the day he arrived, just like his father.'

'How dare you!' Sirius jumped to his feet, his dark, fiery eyes fixed upon Severus Snape. 'How dare you speak of my best friend like that!'

Snape's lip curled unpleasantly. 'Best friend? Excuse me, but I thought that we were discussing your godson.'

Sirius reached inside his robes and fastened his fist around his wand. He was about to challenge Snape when Dumbledore yelled.

'That is enough!'

The headmaster's blue eyes shone with anger, his face turned almost white.

'How are we ever to defeat Voldemort when we are so busy fighting among ourselves? Sirius please sit down!'

Sirius angrily settled down into his seat, Snape smirked with satisfaction.

'For the time being we will stick to the original plan regarding Mr Herschel. Severus, you know what you are to do. The rest of us have little else to do but wait for news. That will be all.'

The meeting came to such an abrupt end that Sirius was sure that the headmaster was still angry at him. He swept out of the room feeling quite out of sorts. If it wasn't bad enough having to spend an hour with Snape, he now had Odephius Herschel to contend with. Sirius couldn't pin-point one aspect of Herschel's that he disliked, he simply could not stand the man in general. It seemed that he was not the only one harbouring these feelings. Professor McGonagall and Mad-Eye Moody were following on just steps behind Black and Lupin and by the sound of it they too had misgivings about the new-recruit.

'Absolutely disgraceful,' McGonagall said shrilly. 'Totally disrespectful.'

'Don't know why Dumbledore didn't tell him to shut his obnoxious little trap,' Moody growled.

'Well,' McGonagall said, 'Dumbledore has better manners, but I certainly wouldn't have hesitated in putting him in his place.'

'It's why we respect him,' Moody continued. 'But if the arrogant little weasel had cut me off mid sentence I'd have shown him the tip of my wand.'

Remus, like his friend, listened intently to the conversation behind. When McGonagall and Moody turned a corner and out of site he spoke quietly;

'Off to a brilliant start aren't we?'

'They're right though, he is a stuck up little git,' Sirius replied. 'It's not like we need him. Tonks is the best metamorphmagus I know…'

'She's the only metamorphmagus you know,' Lupin laughed.

'Even so, we don't need two of them and I know who I'd rather have.'

'Things have certainly changed.' Lupin smiled nostalgically. 'So many new faces, so many old ones gone.'

'We won't last five minutes like this,' Sirius decided. 'There was never any in-fighting last time around.'

Remus followed his old friend into his office. He perched himself on the edge of the wooden desk as Sirius copied notes for his next lesson onto his newly placed magical blackboard.

'Weren't you and Snape members last time around then?' Remus asked with a raised eyebrow.

'The man is a Death Eater!' Sirius protested. 'You and I both know that that man has always been a twisted little bugger! He was always mad about the Dark Arts, even at school.'

'He was a Death Eater,' Remus corrected.

'All the same,' Sirius argued. 'Hell will freeze over before I trust Severus Snape.'

Remus watched his friend with slight amusement as he bustled through stacks of parchment that lay on his desk, his face filled with agitation. Several text books crashed to the floor as Sirius impatiently searched through his things.

'Looking for something?' Remus asked casually.

Sirius ignored his friend and continued to throw the contents of his desk drawers to the floor in frustration.

'Padfoot what have you lost?' Remus sighed. 'Not that I care, but you're going to give us both a heart attack if you carry on like that.'

In a fit of rage Sirius threw a copy of the Standard Book of Spells Grade 3 off the wall and slumped into a heap on the floor.

'Padfoot?'

'I can't take it Moony' Sirius huffed while his friend settled on the floor beside him.

'I can't the Order, I can't take that idiot Herschel and I can't take bloody Defence Against the Dark Arts!'

'Dear, dear!' Remus laughed lightly. 'You're having a great day aren't you?'

Sirius scowled moodily at his old friend.

'I had drawn up a few notes for you before you began teaching just in case. I'll go and fetch them if you like. Which year are you teaching now?'

Sirius clambered back to his feet looking slightly more relaxed.

'Fifth years…Gryffindor.'

'Oh.' Remus said softly realising why his friend had become so wound up. 'Harry and Ebony?'

Before Remus could make further comment the fifth year class began filing into the office.

'I'll go and get you those notes then. Good luck Padfoot.'

Remus smiled reassuringly at his old friend before leaving the room.

Sirius turned to his new class and began the lesson with fresh confidence, knowing that his oldest companion would not let him down.

'Right fifth years, settle down! Everyone take your seats! As you may already know I am Professor Black, welcome to Defence Against the Dark Arts!'

Ok, that's another one done! I thought a little introduction to my version of the Order was needed and I'd never miss the opportunity of writing about Sirius! He's up again in the next chapter, obviously, as it's his first lesson with Harry, and he's going to be reflecting on his past even more.