A/N: Okay peoples, don't you listen? Or in this case read? I have said it
before, and I will say it again: I do not like romance. I hate writing it.
This story will have a bit of R/H fluff every now and again to keep some
unnamed people happy, but aside from that nothing. This is a strictly
bachelor Harry fic. I am not against any particular ships, but for my
purposes he will not be hooking up with anybody. Not Ginny, and not Eva.
He's got enough problems without adding a girlfriend. That little scene in
the lab was for establishing the fact that while Ginny and Harry might
become better friends (if she would just stop drooling over him), he is not
available. If you crave a good H/G story, don't look at me.
*Breathes deeply and relaxes* Okay, enough ranting. On with the show. Review if you want more.
Disclaimer: I only own the chick with the attitude. Yes, the exercise endorphins quote is paraphrased from Legally Blonde. All else is JKR's.
Chapter 17
Arabella escorted the entire Order of the Phoenix into the war room as they arrived. Many were staring around in amazement as they took their seats around the table. Harry stifled a yawn, then smiled as Eva handed him a strong cup of tea. *Thank you.* He sniffed appreciatively. *Much better than that coffee junk you like to drink. It's going to be a long night.*
^Yep. Long, hard, and rough.^ Her eyes twinkled as he snorted into his cup. *You had to do that when I was drinking, didn't you?* He mock glared at her. ^What? I was just agreeing with you^ she protested with an innocent look.
*It was the accompanying mental image, o evil one. Now quit that. This is serious.* Everyone was gathered around the table as Dumbledore sat, except for Harry who chose to prowl around the room.
Dumbledore was a bit surprised to spot Severus seated halfway down the table, between Minerva McGonagall and Mundungus Fletcher. He dismissed it for later, and called the meeting to order and began. "First off, I know many of you are wondering about the presence of some non-Order members.
"Misters Fred, George and Ronald Weasley, Miss Virginia Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger, would you please stand."
The teens all rose from their seats, a bit apprehensive under the scrutiny of the adults. "After careful consideration and due deliberation, we would like to offer you all membership into the Order of the Phoenix."
For a moment there was silence, as they gaped at the headmaster and the elder Weasleys, then Ginny spoke up. "What exactly does this membership entail?" Dumbledore gave a slight grin and explained, "We are an elite group dedicated to fighting the dark arts in any way possible. Normally we do not recruit until after graduation, but you three have proven yourselves.
"You will be assigned different roles in the battles to come based on your individual strengths, and at Hogwarts you will be taking extra dueling classes to prepare you. As for you, Fred and George, you are excellently placed to monitor Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. You will also receive some preliminary Auror training. It will be very dangerous for all of you, so consider carefully."
The five teens all glanced at each other with uncharacteristically solemn frowns, weighing the risks, then announced simultaneously, "I'm in." Dumbledore nodded in approval as Fawkes flew in the room and landed on the table. Bowing to the five new initiates in turn, he dropped a single tear in each of their right palms which sparkled before being absorbed.
"Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix." As they sat down again, Fawkes soared over to Harry and bowed deeply in greeting. {Hello again Lord Phoenix. It is good to see you well.} *Hello Fawkes. I'm glad to see you again as well. I never had the chance to thank you for your tears after Azkaban.*
The phoenix ruffled his feathers. {It was the least I could do for the Lord Phoenix. We will talk more later.} He fluttered back to Dumbledore's shoulder as the headmaster continued.
"As you all by now know, Severus has been our spy in the Death Eater ranks since before Voldemort's first defeat. We've been working on integrating more spies in, but they are still but initiates. Unfortunately, Severus was discovered a few days ago, and he barely escaped with his life. He will be in hiding until Hogwarts classes resume. Severus, if you would?"
Snape cleared his throat and detailed his last Death Eater meeting. He particularly paid attention to the Dark Lord's reaction when Snape spat in his face; even Sirius laughed at that. However, he paused after he recalled passing out in the throne room, and one of the younger Aurors from the Ministry, a recent Ravenclaw graduate named Tori Black blurted out, "How did you escape?"
Snape glared at her for a moment, but she simply returned his glare as she used to back in Hogwarts, and he gritted out, "I had help." "From whom?" McGonagall spoke up, hiding her amusement at Snape's discomfiture.
"I believe you have all heard of Wraith," he sneered sarcastically. Harry had turned at the pretense of examining a wall screen, hiding his grin at the proceedings. The answer seemed to placate the Order, except for one.
Mundungus Fletcher abruptly exclaimed, "Albus, who is this renegade running around? How do we know he isn't another Dark agent sent to infiltrate us? For all we know, he's working with You-Know-Who and they're planning these attacks as a way of gaining our trust."
Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, seated opposite him, broke in with a disgusted snarl of "And people accuse me of being a conspiracy theorist. Just look at what Voldemort had lost due to Wraith's interventions. He doesn't have that many Death Eaters to spare. Not to mention that Wraith almost died at Azkaban helping us.
"What I want to know, Albus," he turned his attention from the blustering old man to the distinguished one at the end of the table, "Is who he is and why isn't he a member of this Order? Merlin knows we could use his information, wherever he gets it."
Dumbledore's mustache quivered as he fought a grin. "Wraith may come as a surprise to many of you. As to why he is not technically a member, well," he paused, thinking of the best way to phrase it, "the simplest explanation is that he does not need to be, yet he is already."
Several people were quite perplexed at his statement; actually, everybody was. As Tori opened her mouth to ask for clarification, another voice silenced her. "He means that the head of the Order is both a part yet apart from it."
They all turned to Harry, who stood against the far wall with his hands clasped behind his back in a parade rest. "The head? Albus is the head of the Order." McGonagall looked confused as Dumbledore shook his head.
"Indeed I am not. That position belongs to the Phoenix Lord, and I am not he." "And this Wraith is?" Fletcher asked suspiciously. "You mentioned once, Potter, that you know Wraith." Harry chuckled dryly. "Of course I do. He's me."
His features shifted and morphed in the blink of an eye to the mysterious wizard the Ministry owed so much to, and he smiled as several gasps and exclamations of shock were heard. "Potter?! How . . . what . . . impossible!" McGonagall spluttered.
"I assure you it is quite possible, and even the truth." Harry discreetly removed the remaining mental blocks on the members present that Halloween, then continued. "I felt it necessary to keep this secret until it became imperative that you should all know. I find that working in the shadows is very useful, especially when no one knows who I am."
He nodded to Mad Eye. "I have on occasion passed information along, such as the Azkaban invasion. As to where I get it, you're looking at it." He gestured to the screens behind him. "At first I did the spying myself, but that has become too dangerous, unfruitful and basically impossible. Voldemort's forces have increased and formed cells in over 12 countries, so I've devised another way to track them."
Harry pointed out clusters of red dots. "These represent Death Eaters, while the orange are their supporters who are not initiated. The blue dots are the Ministry forces in each country, specifically those who directly deal with the dark arts. Yellow are our spies. This group of blinking green is us, the Order of the Phoenix. It's blinking because this house is completely Unplottable and undetectable to anything but this map."
Tori pointed out a single black dot. "And what is that?" "That is Voldemort." A few people in the room shivered, and others winced. Harry scowled. "Quit that. There's no reason to be scared of a name. Anyway, Voldemort," he emphasized the name as he turned back to the map, "is hard to keep track of. The dot appears and disappears at times, I think due to the influence of the demons, which are indicated in gray."
Arthur rose and inspected the screen with appreciation. "Why don't we have one of these over at the Ministry?" Several of the Aurors agreed, with Tori being the most vocal. Harry shook his head. "Too dangerous." He pulled on a pair of fingerless gloves and started directing the screen. He zoomed in on the Ministry building in London, displaying the inner workings of the government.
"See? Despite your best efforts Voldemort still has several spies in the Ministry itself, and more might turn. Even the Aurors aren't completely immune, and security is not the best. What can really turn this war for us is secrecy, and that we can track their movements without them knowing. Frankly, I don't trust anyone outside this room."
Just them there was a flurry of movement from a bunch of red and gray dots. "What the hell?" Harry muttered as he watched. Everyone sat up and focused intently as he tracked what was happening. Without looking he summoned two small spheres, tapped them twice with a whispered word and they shimmered before disappearing.
Another screen off to the side lit up like a Muggle TV set to show moving scenery. "Harry, what . . .?" "Spy cams. Muggles have several ingenious inventions that can be adaptable to magic. This was we can see and hear what is really going on." He evaluated the scene before him, mumbling, "Okay, looks like there's a big meeting over in the Ukraine."
The main screen now showed a mass of crimson surrounding the black dot like the aura around a black hole. Words appeared over each dot, the names of the people they represented. The red was joined by a group of orange, and Harry frowned.
"Damn." He glanced at the images the spy cams transmitted back, which confirmed his suspicions. "It's a Death Eater initiation ceremony. Looks like we're not the only ones recruiting in school." The names hovering over the dots corresponded to the majority of the fifth through seventh year Slytherins, with a few adults joining them. Hermione saw Draco on the screen, standing next to his father and looking smug and excited, and she shivered in disgust.
The Order grimly observed as one by one the children were initiated into the Death Eater ranks and their dots turned blood red. Some screamed as Voldemort himself branded the Dark Mark into their arms, and Snape shuddered as he grabbed his own. They were given new robes and masks and joined the circle surrounding their new master.
Harry shook his head and muttered, "Congratulations. You've now been branded his slave, to do his bidding until he decides you are expendable. You'll be lucky if you get out alive." Silence descended over both groups of people watching as Voldemort began his speech.
"My loyal friends, our forces are increasing daily. Soon we will be strong enough to topple the bumbling Ministry and institute our own Dark Order." A short cheer rang out, led by the enthusiastic new members. "But first, we must remove a few nuisances from our path. Thos Muggle loving fools Arthur Weasley and Albus Dumbledore." His sneer was almost palpable in these words.
"They have managed to annoy me and complicate our plans more than once. Weaver, what of your preparations for the Ministry?" A short masked man stepped forward. "My lord, the initial organization and coordination is done. Our spies have managed to send us some very useful information on the Minister's schedule that reveal when our attack should take place. We will be ready in two weeks."
The glowing red eyes narrowed in satisfaction. "Very well. Now, my younger Death Eaters, your first assignment is to report back to Hogwarts in September as per usual. To those few who can be discreet about it, try and recruit your classmates. Your main task, however, is to scout out the castle and report back its secrets, its defenses, anything you can find and we can exploit.
"If my dear Professor Snape shows his face, you have my blessing to convey my . . . displeasure with him. Do not kill him, and do not be caught." Voldemort glared with his hideous eyes. "Oh yes, and the same applies to Harry Potter. That infuriating little boy will soon learn the consequences of challenging me. I will make him suffer the pain of a thousand deaths before I kill him and all he holds dear."
While the Dark Lord was pontificating, Harry was conversing silently with Eva in the corner. After a few moments she nodded and glided unnoticed out the door. Harry concentrated on a tome he pulled out of the bookcase onto a side table, flipping pages here and there.
Ron leaned over to Hermione and muttered out of the corner of his mouth, "Is this guy in love with the sound of his own voice or what?" She tried to scowl at him, but a grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. More minor reports were made, the various Order members taking notes and already plotting how to counter their plans.
As the meeting wore on, Voldemort started again on his irritating speeches, reveling in his plans to defeat Harry Potter and conquer the world like he did every night.
Abruptly Voldemort's voice cut off in mid-rant, but his lipless mouth continued to move for a few seconds. The assembled ranks shifted nervously, and suddenly his voice was back. Except now he sounded like a hyperactive house elf on helium.
He appeared shocked and enraged for a moment, then with a *snap!* *crackle!* *pop!* his skin turned lime green with orange polka dots. A neon pink fro sprouted from his head decorated with bows, his tall thin form shrunk until he now stood knee-high. Finally the robes vanished to be replaced with a matching pink leotard with yellow smiley faces, and a pink tutu.
For an eternal moment utter silence dominated. Then Fred and George caught each other's eye and cracked up, setting off a wave of gasping laughter that swept over the entire Order. Even Snape was seen snickering. On the screen, the majority of Death Eaters were coughing, trying to hide their sniggers. Then Crabbe guffawed, and soon they were giggling like a bunch of kids who had had too many cookies at snack time.
Voldemort started yelling at them, but his voice only set them off further. Furious, he tried to curse them all with the Cruciatus, but found that he could no longer lift his wand as it was almost as tall as he was. Even the most hardened Aurors and sadistic Death Eaters had tears in their eyes, and several were doubled over with laughter.
Obviously they could be forgiven for failing to notice the shadowy figure that crept among them until the first couple Death Eaters dropped, not from laughter but from Stunning spells. Their bodies shimmered then disappeared. With that complete chaos broke loose.
The robed and masked wizards ran around confusedly, searching for their attacker, who kept to the shadows while cursing them left and right. More collapsed and vanished, sowing more panic. The new initiates at first tried to hold their ground by their chosen master, until a swarm of snakes appeared at their feet ready to strike.
Draco, identifiable even beneath the mask, shrieked like a five year old girl and ran into the woods, followed closely by his father and the remainder of the standing Death Eaters. After a few moments, the only one visible on the screen was Voldemort, still in his tutu.
Harry stepped forward and transformed into Wraith as he muttered a few words, invoking a glow around the screen. Obviously this enabled Voldemort to see him, because his discolored face screwed up in pure hatred and he began shouting furious threats.
Harry chuckled. "I must say, pink is definitely not your color." A colorful stream of invectives, none of them pink, was directed at that comment.
"This has been a productive evening. Another 19 insects to add to my collection. Although I'm still missing the head cockroach. And look, you drones have abandoned you. You know, you just can't find good help nowadays in the dregs of society."
Harry shook his head in mock sadness, then abruptly turned dead serious. "You know as well as I that your days are numbered. I'm coming for you, and when we meet again fate will be decided once and for all." He laughed, a low threatening chuckle that sent chills down one's spine, then with a snap the glow vanished and the spy images blinked out.
Harry turned back and allowed the persona to dissolve as he faced the Order. Mad Eye Moody demanded, "What the bloody hell was that for?" But before he received an answer, Eva entered, practically swaggering. Harry made eye contact, she nodded and smirked, and he smiled.
He answered Moody's question, "A distraction." He gestured at Eva. "She was sent to abduct three particular Death Eaters who were getting a little too close to deciphering the clues to finding the second talisman. The rest was purely misdirection and comic relief. Speaking of that," his eyes lit up with a diabolical gleam, "does anybody want copies of that picture?"
A still image of Voldemort in that ridiculous prank outfit sprang to life on the screen, and immediately several people raised their hands, including the twins, Tori, and Sirius. Fred grinned. "We should frame this . . ." "And put it up in the shop!" George finished, his eyes twinkling.
Dumbledore chuckled at their enthusiasm, then sobered. "Well, this changes a few things. What should we do about the Death Eaters?" Mundungus snorted. "What do you mean? We arrest the bleeding lot of them and ship them off to . . ." "Azkaban? You forget it's not longer safe nor secure. Besides, we cannot arrest them without proof."
Tori protested, "But we just saw . . ." "Yes, but our testimony based on an unknown magical object is not enough. I believe what I saw, but that is not proof enough for a warrant. Remember, we are not above the legal system." Dumbledore sounded tired but firm.
Mundungus slammed his fist on the table as he stood. "Damn it man, we are in a war. In war all rules are thrown out the window if you want to win. We know they're guilty, and all we need for proof is that stinking Mark on their arm. Hell, that son of a bitch is recruiting students in Hogwarts now. Do you want to keep the students safe or not?"
Several people also stood up, and for a moment it looked like the beginning of a Jerry Springer show. Harry spoke up calmly. "Dumbledore is right. If for no other reason than publicity, this Order needs to act within the boundaries of the law. If the wizarding public gets word that we are arresting people at home without a warrant, or barring students form returning to classes, they'll turn against us."
Snape scowled. "Then what do you propose we do?" "Catch them in the act." Harry began to slowly prowl around the table. "As much as I'd like nothing more than to take a preemptive strike on these idiots, their tendency towards secrecy shields them to some degree. And the Ministry no longer has adequate facilities to hold them either. People are starting to notice when their 'fine upstanding' neighbors disappear, but we can't afford the luxury of holding them until trial."
He gnawed his lower lip as he thought. "At Hogwarts I've been using a Detection Parchment and personal alarm to track attacks I can make more to improve our response time, but it'll take about a week. Once we catch a few and interrogate them for more names, we can start moving in on the others, with the help of the Aurors and the law in general. The sooner we can expose them the more we can discourage others from joining."
A few Aurors nodded in satisfaction, but McGonagall was not. "What about those at Hogwarts?" she pressed, and Harry grimaced. "If we can catch them during an attack, that would be great. But since it seems like their role will be spying and harassment, we can feed them misinformation. That could actually help us if Voldemort believes them.
"At Hogwarts I can put up some more protections, specific to hide the true wards while strengthening them. Also, Severus is a target, as am I. We can add discretionary wards and alarms to his office, quarters, and the Gryffindor Tower. The professors in general need to keep and eye out for recruitment efforts and directed harassment from the Slytherins. Any other suggestions?"
The Order used this as an invitation for an open forum, and for some time friendly debates and discussions echoed through the room. Several plans were introduced and rejected, tempers rose and fell, questions asked and answered. Sirius pulled Harry to the side at one point, while Mundungus and Arabella were having a heated argument, and quietly chuckled before he said, "You are such a hypocrite."
Harry looked bemused, so his godfather continued. "Lecturing us about staying within the boundaries of the law and all that jazz, when you've been running around like a vigilante for the last nine months. Just tonight you kidnapped 19 Death Eaters. Breaking every possible school rule and Merlin knows how many laws. And didn't you know that flying motorcycles are now illegal?" His eyes twinkled as Harry just gave him a look.
"You know as well as I that unfortunately the rules are always bent or broken when it comes to me. I do what I need to in this war against Voldemort, and I have the means to stay out of trouble while doing it. You do not. I have responsibilities that for some reason Fate has decreed that only I can deal with, so at this point I really do not care about the laws of this world, nor about my public image since that can be altered and hidden.
"The Order, on the other hand, must present a unified front against tyranny and lawlessness. That is why I am letting Albus remain as the head of the Order. He can be a general, while I am a guerilla." He stared Sirius straight in the eye during his little speech, and the ex convict simply stared back before heading back to the main table, his emotions rioting within him. Who knew being a godfather to a War Mage could be so difficult?
Albus had pulled Fred and George over to the side to speak with them about their Auror training. "With your skills at, shall we say, creative mischief," his blue eyes were twinkling brightly, "I believe that you would help us the most by utilizing them in the areas of surveillance and exotic weaponry. I hate to have to direct your energy this way, but I must ask you if you can develop some of your pranks into debilitating or even lethal weapons."
He met their gaze solemnly, conveying the impact of his suggestion. With none of their character mischief, the twins agreed. "Good. Then we need to have you take some preliminary Auror training, and be updated on current counter surveillance techniques." He waved over two Aurors to join them and introduced them to the twins. "Fred, you will be working with Cody "Spike" Williams, and George will be with Tori Black."
Fred mock whined, "How come he gets the cute one?" Albus fought a smile as he continued, "Tori will also work with both of you on developing and distributing your new inventions." George blushed as Tori smiled at him, and found himself admiring the way the light shone on her hair before shaking himself out of it.
By the time the meeting broke up well after midnight, a firm battle plan had been established and they all went home happy but exhausted. The people staying at the house wandered upstairs and collapsed in their respective beds to sleep soundly until morning.
They awoke late to the sound of Harry and Eva bickering in the kitchen, and descended sleepy-eyed and tousle- headed to observe as they ate. It was quite amusing, almost as much as Hermione and Ron's fights, as Harry and Eva had obviously been sparring earlier and there was a question on whether or not a particular move had been executed properly.
The debate was settled when, fast as a cobra strike, Eva leapt at him and in a rapid flurry of movement had him pinned on the ground. "See? That's how you do it properly." Harry scowled at her. "How did I do it earlier?"
She helped him up, then showed him by tackling him back down. This time however, he was able to twist out of her hold and within seconds had her pinned beneath him. She grinned. "Good, perfect execution of the counterattack. Know what you did wrong now?" "Yep, my hands were placed incorrectly for the proper amount of leverage."
Harry hoisted her to her feet then joined the others at the table with a glass of milk. "Morning." Ron groused, "How can you be so cheerful this early?" Harry grinned infuriatingly. "Exercise releases endorphins in your body. Endorphins make you happy, and happy people don't kill people in the mornings," he chirped with a saccharine sweet smile.
Ron scowled and promptly threw a bowl of cereal at his head.
Sirius caught Harry's eye. "Harry, can I try out your bike later?" Harry shrugged. "Just be nice to it." The he smirked and stage whispered, "Hey, if you're really nice, Eva might take a shine to you and get you one too." "Not bloody likely," Eva interjected with a snort.
She sat down by Molly and addressed Dumbledore, "So, what are your plans for their training?" She indicated the newest and youngest Order members. "I have an idea about what they should learn, but the actual details have not been worked out yet," the headmaster admitted.
Eva's eyes sparkled. "I thought so. How about they stay here for the rest of the summer, and Harry and I can train them. We have the facilities and capabilities, plus it's protected."
Ron interrupted, "Oi! Harry hasn't seen our new house yet. We'll need to stay there at least a couple days before we go back to Hogwarts." He glanced at his mum for approval, and she nodded her agreement. "Yes, and they'll need to get their school supplies too."
Eva relented, "All right. We have three weeks before school resumes, so two weeks here and a week at the Burrow." All those involved readily agreed, and the details worked out quickly. Ron, Harry and Sirius all headed outside so Sirius could ride the Shadow.
The two friends watched as he took off with a roar and a yell of sheer joy, then they sat down on the porch to talk for a while. It had been so long since they had indulged in guy talk together, so they enjoyed it immensely and spent a lot of time laughing. As the sun rose higher in the sky, their conversation inevitably turned to war.
"I'm scared," Ron admitted, a bit uncomfortably. "About which part?" Harry looked over at him as he reclined back on his elbows. "All of it." He gestured helplessly with one hand. "I mean, we're only 16. I want to focus on girls, school, and Quidditch, not necessarily in that order," he smiled.
Harry continued his line of thought, "and instead we're considering death, torture, and destruction of our world." Ron nodded, and for a moment there was silence. Abruptly Harry said, "I'm scared too." The redhead started at that, and stared a bit shocked as Harry gazed at his hands.
"I'm scared of what might happen, the choices I'll have to make, and . . . everything. I'm scared . . . that I'll fail." An awkward pause, then he resumed in a quieter voice, "I get this feeling, y'know, that this will be over soon. And one way or another, I don't have much time left here."
Before his friend could comment, a low roar was heard, then Sirius came soaring back in to land in the yard, grinning ecstatically. Harry got up with a small smile as his godfather babbled on, leaving Ron to his own thoughts.
*Breathes deeply and relaxes* Okay, enough ranting. On with the show. Review if you want more.
Disclaimer: I only own the chick with the attitude. Yes, the exercise endorphins quote is paraphrased from Legally Blonde. All else is JKR's.
Chapter 17
Arabella escorted the entire Order of the Phoenix into the war room as they arrived. Many were staring around in amazement as they took their seats around the table. Harry stifled a yawn, then smiled as Eva handed him a strong cup of tea. *Thank you.* He sniffed appreciatively. *Much better than that coffee junk you like to drink. It's going to be a long night.*
^Yep. Long, hard, and rough.^ Her eyes twinkled as he snorted into his cup. *You had to do that when I was drinking, didn't you?* He mock glared at her. ^What? I was just agreeing with you^ she protested with an innocent look.
*It was the accompanying mental image, o evil one. Now quit that. This is serious.* Everyone was gathered around the table as Dumbledore sat, except for Harry who chose to prowl around the room.
Dumbledore was a bit surprised to spot Severus seated halfway down the table, between Minerva McGonagall and Mundungus Fletcher. He dismissed it for later, and called the meeting to order and began. "First off, I know many of you are wondering about the presence of some non-Order members.
"Misters Fred, George and Ronald Weasley, Miss Virginia Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger, would you please stand."
The teens all rose from their seats, a bit apprehensive under the scrutiny of the adults. "After careful consideration and due deliberation, we would like to offer you all membership into the Order of the Phoenix."
For a moment there was silence, as they gaped at the headmaster and the elder Weasleys, then Ginny spoke up. "What exactly does this membership entail?" Dumbledore gave a slight grin and explained, "We are an elite group dedicated to fighting the dark arts in any way possible. Normally we do not recruit until after graduation, but you three have proven yourselves.
"You will be assigned different roles in the battles to come based on your individual strengths, and at Hogwarts you will be taking extra dueling classes to prepare you. As for you, Fred and George, you are excellently placed to monitor Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. You will also receive some preliminary Auror training. It will be very dangerous for all of you, so consider carefully."
The five teens all glanced at each other with uncharacteristically solemn frowns, weighing the risks, then announced simultaneously, "I'm in." Dumbledore nodded in approval as Fawkes flew in the room and landed on the table. Bowing to the five new initiates in turn, he dropped a single tear in each of their right palms which sparkled before being absorbed.
"Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix." As they sat down again, Fawkes soared over to Harry and bowed deeply in greeting. {Hello again Lord Phoenix. It is good to see you well.} *Hello Fawkes. I'm glad to see you again as well. I never had the chance to thank you for your tears after Azkaban.*
The phoenix ruffled his feathers. {It was the least I could do for the Lord Phoenix. We will talk more later.} He fluttered back to Dumbledore's shoulder as the headmaster continued.
"As you all by now know, Severus has been our spy in the Death Eater ranks since before Voldemort's first defeat. We've been working on integrating more spies in, but they are still but initiates. Unfortunately, Severus was discovered a few days ago, and he barely escaped with his life. He will be in hiding until Hogwarts classes resume. Severus, if you would?"
Snape cleared his throat and detailed his last Death Eater meeting. He particularly paid attention to the Dark Lord's reaction when Snape spat in his face; even Sirius laughed at that. However, he paused after he recalled passing out in the throne room, and one of the younger Aurors from the Ministry, a recent Ravenclaw graduate named Tori Black blurted out, "How did you escape?"
Snape glared at her for a moment, but she simply returned his glare as she used to back in Hogwarts, and he gritted out, "I had help." "From whom?" McGonagall spoke up, hiding her amusement at Snape's discomfiture.
"I believe you have all heard of Wraith," he sneered sarcastically. Harry had turned at the pretense of examining a wall screen, hiding his grin at the proceedings. The answer seemed to placate the Order, except for one.
Mundungus Fletcher abruptly exclaimed, "Albus, who is this renegade running around? How do we know he isn't another Dark agent sent to infiltrate us? For all we know, he's working with You-Know-Who and they're planning these attacks as a way of gaining our trust."
Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, seated opposite him, broke in with a disgusted snarl of "And people accuse me of being a conspiracy theorist. Just look at what Voldemort had lost due to Wraith's interventions. He doesn't have that many Death Eaters to spare. Not to mention that Wraith almost died at Azkaban helping us.
"What I want to know, Albus," he turned his attention from the blustering old man to the distinguished one at the end of the table, "Is who he is and why isn't he a member of this Order? Merlin knows we could use his information, wherever he gets it."
Dumbledore's mustache quivered as he fought a grin. "Wraith may come as a surprise to many of you. As to why he is not technically a member, well," he paused, thinking of the best way to phrase it, "the simplest explanation is that he does not need to be, yet he is already."
Several people were quite perplexed at his statement; actually, everybody was. As Tori opened her mouth to ask for clarification, another voice silenced her. "He means that the head of the Order is both a part yet apart from it."
They all turned to Harry, who stood against the far wall with his hands clasped behind his back in a parade rest. "The head? Albus is the head of the Order." McGonagall looked confused as Dumbledore shook his head.
"Indeed I am not. That position belongs to the Phoenix Lord, and I am not he." "And this Wraith is?" Fletcher asked suspiciously. "You mentioned once, Potter, that you know Wraith." Harry chuckled dryly. "Of course I do. He's me."
His features shifted and morphed in the blink of an eye to the mysterious wizard the Ministry owed so much to, and he smiled as several gasps and exclamations of shock were heard. "Potter?! How . . . what . . . impossible!" McGonagall spluttered.
"I assure you it is quite possible, and even the truth." Harry discreetly removed the remaining mental blocks on the members present that Halloween, then continued. "I felt it necessary to keep this secret until it became imperative that you should all know. I find that working in the shadows is very useful, especially when no one knows who I am."
He nodded to Mad Eye. "I have on occasion passed information along, such as the Azkaban invasion. As to where I get it, you're looking at it." He gestured to the screens behind him. "At first I did the spying myself, but that has become too dangerous, unfruitful and basically impossible. Voldemort's forces have increased and formed cells in over 12 countries, so I've devised another way to track them."
Harry pointed out clusters of red dots. "These represent Death Eaters, while the orange are their supporters who are not initiated. The blue dots are the Ministry forces in each country, specifically those who directly deal with the dark arts. Yellow are our spies. This group of blinking green is us, the Order of the Phoenix. It's blinking because this house is completely Unplottable and undetectable to anything but this map."
Tori pointed out a single black dot. "And what is that?" "That is Voldemort." A few people in the room shivered, and others winced. Harry scowled. "Quit that. There's no reason to be scared of a name. Anyway, Voldemort," he emphasized the name as he turned back to the map, "is hard to keep track of. The dot appears and disappears at times, I think due to the influence of the demons, which are indicated in gray."
Arthur rose and inspected the screen with appreciation. "Why don't we have one of these over at the Ministry?" Several of the Aurors agreed, with Tori being the most vocal. Harry shook his head. "Too dangerous." He pulled on a pair of fingerless gloves and started directing the screen. He zoomed in on the Ministry building in London, displaying the inner workings of the government.
"See? Despite your best efforts Voldemort still has several spies in the Ministry itself, and more might turn. Even the Aurors aren't completely immune, and security is not the best. What can really turn this war for us is secrecy, and that we can track their movements without them knowing. Frankly, I don't trust anyone outside this room."
Just them there was a flurry of movement from a bunch of red and gray dots. "What the hell?" Harry muttered as he watched. Everyone sat up and focused intently as he tracked what was happening. Without looking he summoned two small spheres, tapped them twice with a whispered word and they shimmered before disappearing.
Another screen off to the side lit up like a Muggle TV set to show moving scenery. "Harry, what . . .?" "Spy cams. Muggles have several ingenious inventions that can be adaptable to magic. This was we can see and hear what is really going on." He evaluated the scene before him, mumbling, "Okay, looks like there's a big meeting over in the Ukraine."
The main screen now showed a mass of crimson surrounding the black dot like the aura around a black hole. Words appeared over each dot, the names of the people they represented. The red was joined by a group of orange, and Harry frowned.
"Damn." He glanced at the images the spy cams transmitted back, which confirmed his suspicions. "It's a Death Eater initiation ceremony. Looks like we're not the only ones recruiting in school." The names hovering over the dots corresponded to the majority of the fifth through seventh year Slytherins, with a few adults joining them. Hermione saw Draco on the screen, standing next to his father and looking smug and excited, and she shivered in disgust.
The Order grimly observed as one by one the children were initiated into the Death Eater ranks and their dots turned blood red. Some screamed as Voldemort himself branded the Dark Mark into their arms, and Snape shuddered as he grabbed his own. They were given new robes and masks and joined the circle surrounding their new master.
Harry shook his head and muttered, "Congratulations. You've now been branded his slave, to do his bidding until he decides you are expendable. You'll be lucky if you get out alive." Silence descended over both groups of people watching as Voldemort began his speech.
"My loyal friends, our forces are increasing daily. Soon we will be strong enough to topple the bumbling Ministry and institute our own Dark Order." A short cheer rang out, led by the enthusiastic new members. "But first, we must remove a few nuisances from our path. Thos Muggle loving fools Arthur Weasley and Albus Dumbledore." His sneer was almost palpable in these words.
"They have managed to annoy me and complicate our plans more than once. Weaver, what of your preparations for the Ministry?" A short masked man stepped forward. "My lord, the initial organization and coordination is done. Our spies have managed to send us some very useful information on the Minister's schedule that reveal when our attack should take place. We will be ready in two weeks."
The glowing red eyes narrowed in satisfaction. "Very well. Now, my younger Death Eaters, your first assignment is to report back to Hogwarts in September as per usual. To those few who can be discreet about it, try and recruit your classmates. Your main task, however, is to scout out the castle and report back its secrets, its defenses, anything you can find and we can exploit.
"If my dear Professor Snape shows his face, you have my blessing to convey my . . . displeasure with him. Do not kill him, and do not be caught." Voldemort glared with his hideous eyes. "Oh yes, and the same applies to Harry Potter. That infuriating little boy will soon learn the consequences of challenging me. I will make him suffer the pain of a thousand deaths before I kill him and all he holds dear."
While the Dark Lord was pontificating, Harry was conversing silently with Eva in the corner. After a few moments she nodded and glided unnoticed out the door. Harry concentrated on a tome he pulled out of the bookcase onto a side table, flipping pages here and there.
Ron leaned over to Hermione and muttered out of the corner of his mouth, "Is this guy in love with the sound of his own voice or what?" She tried to scowl at him, but a grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. More minor reports were made, the various Order members taking notes and already plotting how to counter their plans.
As the meeting wore on, Voldemort started again on his irritating speeches, reveling in his plans to defeat Harry Potter and conquer the world like he did every night.
Abruptly Voldemort's voice cut off in mid-rant, but his lipless mouth continued to move for a few seconds. The assembled ranks shifted nervously, and suddenly his voice was back. Except now he sounded like a hyperactive house elf on helium.
He appeared shocked and enraged for a moment, then with a *snap!* *crackle!* *pop!* his skin turned lime green with orange polka dots. A neon pink fro sprouted from his head decorated with bows, his tall thin form shrunk until he now stood knee-high. Finally the robes vanished to be replaced with a matching pink leotard with yellow smiley faces, and a pink tutu.
For an eternal moment utter silence dominated. Then Fred and George caught each other's eye and cracked up, setting off a wave of gasping laughter that swept over the entire Order. Even Snape was seen snickering. On the screen, the majority of Death Eaters were coughing, trying to hide their sniggers. Then Crabbe guffawed, and soon they were giggling like a bunch of kids who had had too many cookies at snack time.
Voldemort started yelling at them, but his voice only set them off further. Furious, he tried to curse them all with the Cruciatus, but found that he could no longer lift his wand as it was almost as tall as he was. Even the most hardened Aurors and sadistic Death Eaters had tears in their eyes, and several were doubled over with laughter.
Obviously they could be forgiven for failing to notice the shadowy figure that crept among them until the first couple Death Eaters dropped, not from laughter but from Stunning spells. Their bodies shimmered then disappeared. With that complete chaos broke loose.
The robed and masked wizards ran around confusedly, searching for their attacker, who kept to the shadows while cursing them left and right. More collapsed and vanished, sowing more panic. The new initiates at first tried to hold their ground by their chosen master, until a swarm of snakes appeared at their feet ready to strike.
Draco, identifiable even beneath the mask, shrieked like a five year old girl and ran into the woods, followed closely by his father and the remainder of the standing Death Eaters. After a few moments, the only one visible on the screen was Voldemort, still in his tutu.
Harry stepped forward and transformed into Wraith as he muttered a few words, invoking a glow around the screen. Obviously this enabled Voldemort to see him, because his discolored face screwed up in pure hatred and he began shouting furious threats.
Harry chuckled. "I must say, pink is definitely not your color." A colorful stream of invectives, none of them pink, was directed at that comment.
"This has been a productive evening. Another 19 insects to add to my collection. Although I'm still missing the head cockroach. And look, you drones have abandoned you. You know, you just can't find good help nowadays in the dregs of society."
Harry shook his head in mock sadness, then abruptly turned dead serious. "You know as well as I that your days are numbered. I'm coming for you, and when we meet again fate will be decided once and for all." He laughed, a low threatening chuckle that sent chills down one's spine, then with a snap the glow vanished and the spy images blinked out.
Harry turned back and allowed the persona to dissolve as he faced the Order. Mad Eye Moody demanded, "What the bloody hell was that for?" But before he received an answer, Eva entered, practically swaggering. Harry made eye contact, she nodded and smirked, and he smiled.
He answered Moody's question, "A distraction." He gestured at Eva. "She was sent to abduct three particular Death Eaters who were getting a little too close to deciphering the clues to finding the second talisman. The rest was purely misdirection and comic relief. Speaking of that," his eyes lit up with a diabolical gleam, "does anybody want copies of that picture?"
A still image of Voldemort in that ridiculous prank outfit sprang to life on the screen, and immediately several people raised their hands, including the twins, Tori, and Sirius. Fred grinned. "We should frame this . . ." "And put it up in the shop!" George finished, his eyes twinkling.
Dumbledore chuckled at their enthusiasm, then sobered. "Well, this changes a few things. What should we do about the Death Eaters?" Mundungus snorted. "What do you mean? We arrest the bleeding lot of them and ship them off to . . ." "Azkaban? You forget it's not longer safe nor secure. Besides, we cannot arrest them without proof."
Tori protested, "But we just saw . . ." "Yes, but our testimony based on an unknown magical object is not enough. I believe what I saw, but that is not proof enough for a warrant. Remember, we are not above the legal system." Dumbledore sounded tired but firm.
Mundungus slammed his fist on the table as he stood. "Damn it man, we are in a war. In war all rules are thrown out the window if you want to win. We know they're guilty, and all we need for proof is that stinking Mark on their arm. Hell, that son of a bitch is recruiting students in Hogwarts now. Do you want to keep the students safe or not?"
Several people also stood up, and for a moment it looked like the beginning of a Jerry Springer show. Harry spoke up calmly. "Dumbledore is right. If for no other reason than publicity, this Order needs to act within the boundaries of the law. If the wizarding public gets word that we are arresting people at home without a warrant, or barring students form returning to classes, they'll turn against us."
Snape scowled. "Then what do you propose we do?" "Catch them in the act." Harry began to slowly prowl around the table. "As much as I'd like nothing more than to take a preemptive strike on these idiots, their tendency towards secrecy shields them to some degree. And the Ministry no longer has adequate facilities to hold them either. People are starting to notice when their 'fine upstanding' neighbors disappear, but we can't afford the luxury of holding them until trial."
He gnawed his lower lip as he thought. "At Hogwarts I've been using a Detection Parchment and personal alarm to track attacks I can make more to improve our response time, but it'll take about a week. Once we catch a few and interrogate them for more names, we can start moving in on the others, with the help of the Aurors and the law in general. The sooner we can expose them the more we can discourage others from joining."
A few Aurors nodded in satisfaction, but McGonagall was not. "What about those at Hogwarts?" she pressed, and Harry grimaced. "If we can catch them during an attack, that would be great. But since it seems like their role will be spying and harassment, we can feed them misinformation. That could actually help us if Voldemort believes them.
"At Hogwarts I can put up some more protections, specific to hide the true wards while strengthening them. Also, Severus is a target, as am I. We can add discretionary wards and alarms to his office, quarters, and the Gryffindor Tower. The professors in general need to keep and eye out for recruitment efforts and directed harassment from the Slytherins. Any other suggestions?"
The Order used this as an invitation for an open forum, and for some time friendly debates and discussions echoed through the room. Several plans were introduced and rejected, tempers rose and fell, questions asked and answered. Sirius pulled Harry to the side at one point, while Mundungus and Arabella were having a heated argument, and quietly chuckled before he said, "You are such a hypocrite."
Harry looked bemused, so his godfather continued. "Lecturing us about staying within the boundaries of the law and all that jazz, when you've been running around like a vigilante for the last nine months. Just tonight you kidnapped 19 Death Eaters. Breaking every possible school rule and Merlin knows how many laws. And didn't you know that flying motorcycles are now illegal?" His eyes twinkled as Harry just gave him a look.
"You know as well as I that unfortunately the rules are always bent or broken when it comes to me. I do what I need to in this war against Voldemort, and I have the means to stay out of trouble while doing it. You do not. I have responsibilities that for some reason Fate has decreed that only I can deal with, so at this point I really do not care about the laws of this world, nor about my public image since that can be altered and hidden.
"The Order, on the other hand, must present a unified front against tyranny and lawlessness. That is why I am letting Albus remain as the head of the Order. He can be a general, while I am a guerilla." He stared Sirius straight in the eye during his little speech, and the ex convict simply stared back before heading back to the main table, his emotions rioting within him. Who knew being a godfather to a War Mage could be so difficult?
Albus had pulled Fred and George over to the side to speak with them about their Auror training. "With your skills at, shall we say, creative mischief," his blue eyes were twinkling brightly, "I believe that you would help us the most by utilizing them in the areas of surveillance and exotic weaponry. I hate to have to direct your energy this way, but I must ask you if you can develop some of your pranks into debilitating or even lethal weapons."
He met their gaze solemnly, conveying the impact of his suggestion. With none of their character mischief, the twins agreed. "Good. Then we need to have you take some preliminary Auror training, and be updated on current counter surveillance techniques." He waved over two Aurors to join them and introduced them to the twins. "Fred, you will be working with Cody "Spike" Williams, and George will be with Tori Black."
Fred mock whined, "How come he gets the cute one?" Albus fought a smile as he continued, "Tori will also work with both of you on developing and distributing your new inventions." George blushed as Tori smiled at him, and found himself admiring the way the light shone on her hair before shaking himself out of it.
By the time the meeting broke up well after midnight, a firm battle plan had been established and they all went home happy but exhausted. The people staying at the house wandered upstairs and collapsed in their respective beds to sleep soundly until morning.
They awoke late to the sound of Harry and Eva bickering in the kitchen, and descended sleepy-eyed and tousle- headed to observe as they ate. It was quite amusing, almost as much as Hermione and Ron's fights, as Harry and Eva had obviously been sparring earlier and there was a question on whether or not a particular move had been executed properly.
The debate was settled when, fast as a cobra strike, Eva leapt at him and in a rapid flurry of movement had him pinned on the ground. "See? That's how you do it properly." Harry scowled at her. "How did I do it earlier?"
She helped him up, then showed him by tackling him back down. This time however, he was able to twist out of her hold and within seconds had her pinned beneath him. She grinned. "Good, perfect execution of the counterattack. Know what you did wrong now?" "Yep, my hands were placed incorrectly for the proper amount of leverage."
Harry hoisted her to her feet then joined the others at the table with a glass of milk. "Morning." Ron groused, "How can you be so cheerful this early?" Harry grinned infuriatingly. "Exercise releases endorphins in your body. Endorphins make you happy, and happy people don't kill people in the mornings," he chirped with a saccharine sweet smile.
Ron scowled and promptly threw a bowl of cereal at his head.
Sirius caught Harry's eye. "Harry, can I try out your bike later?" Harry shrugged. "Just be nice to it." The he smirked and stage whispered, "Hey, if you're really nice, Eva might take a shine to you and get you one too." "Not bloody likely," Eva interjected with a snort.
She sat down by Molly and addressed Dumbledore, "So, what are your plans for their training?" She indicated the newest and youngest Order members. "I have an idea about what they should learn, but the actual details have not been worked out yet," the headmaster admitted.
Eva's eyes sparkled. "I thought so. How about they stay here for the rest of the summer, and Harry and I can train them. We have the facilities and capabilities, plus it's protected."
Ron interrupted, "Oi! Harry hasn't seen our new house yet. We'll need to stay there at least a couple days before we go back to Hogwarts." He glanced at his mum for approval, and she nodded her agreement. "Yes, and they'll need to get their school supplies too."
Eva relented, "All right. We have three weeks before school resumes, so two weeks here and a week at the Burrow." All those involved readily agreed, and the details worked out quickly. Ron, Harry and Sirius all headed outside so Sirius could ride the Shadow.
The two friends watched as he took off with a roar and a yell of sheer joy, then they sat down on the porch to talk for a while. It had been so long since they had indulged in guy talk together, so they enjoyed it immensely and spent a lot of time laughing. As the sun rose higher in the sky, their conversation inevitably turned to war.
"I'm scared," Ron admitted, a bit uncomfortably. "About which part?" Harry looked over at him as he reclined back on his elbows. "All of it." He gestured helplessly with one hand. "I mean, we're only 16. I want to focus on girls, school, and Quidditch, not necessarily in that order," he smiled.
Harry continued his line of thought, "and instead we're considering death, torture, and destruction of our world." Ron nodded, and for a moment there was silence. Abruptly Harry said, "I'm scared too." The redhead started at that, and stared a bit shocked as Harry gazed at his hands.
"I'm scared of what might happen, the choices I'll have to make, and . . . everything. I'm scared . . . that I'll fail." An awkward pause, then he resumed in a quieter voice, "I get this feeling, y'know, that this will be over soon. And one way or another, I don't have much time left here."
Before his friend could comment, a low roar was heard, then Sirius came soaring back in to land in the yard, grinning ecstatically. Harry got up with a small smile as his godfather babbled on, leaving Ron to his own thoughts.