Do I even need the disclaimer statement anymore?
Also... new character introduction...
Chapter 4
Brothers and Sisters
- - - - -
He was thankful all the same that he would no longer need to take Divination. He knew what his dreams meant now. But this nightmare had been different.
Hearing a noise behind him, Harry turned to see Hermione walking into the kitchen, wrapped in a robe, looking half-asleep. "You should go back to bed."
"I heard you walking around," she replied, taking the seat across from him. "I wondered if you could use some company." Without waiting for an answer, she stretched out on the chair and eyed him, while pushing her bushy hair aside. "What is it, Harry?"
"Scar," he replied lightly, touching the scar, which tingled with pain. "I can feel his happiness, his elation." The thought left with him with an intense feeling of disgust.
"Are you still having the dreams?" Hermione asked bluntly.
Harry nodded. "This time was different though. I wasn't watching Sirius die again. I was watching someone else..." he lost his voice for a moment as he struggled to collect his thoughts. "Crucio."
Hermione winced slightly. "What do you think it means?"
"It means that Voldemort is pleased someone is having the living hell tortured out of him," Harry replied bitterly. He pressed his hands to his temples to get rid of the dark thoughts.
"I'm sorry, Harry," she said genuinely, picking up Crookshanks who was wrapped around her feet, snoozing comfortably. She settled the cat in her lap and began stroking its fur thoughtfully. "That's my good little cat."
"Hermione," Harry began, "why was Crookshanks here and you not?"
"Because that woman who lived here needed a cat around. It was something about becoming an animagus."
"Tara transforms into a cat?" Harry asked, amazed.
"Not yet," Hermione replied. "She keeps saying she's holding the potion for someone else. I haven't heard her speaking of seeing anyone else every since she came here after..." her voice dropped off and she looked away.
Harry was puzzled about something. "Did she know Sirius?"
"She knew the Black family," Hermione explained. "Lupin told me something the day I got here. I think it was her mother being a friend of Mrs. Black before the war started. The reason why Sirius' brother was killed was because he refused to kill Tara's mother. Even though Sirius was quite a bit older than her, she said she had no where else to go."
"That makes sense," Harry yawned.
"What makes sense?" Ron asked, grumpily walking into the kitchen and squinting at the two sitting at the end of the table. "It's too early to talk about anything that makes sense."
Hermione shook her head and gently set Crookshanks back on the cold floor. "Everyone will be up soon anyway. We're going to Diagon Alley today."
Ron brightened considerably as he turned to Harry. "Just think... no more Divination!"
"Yeah," Harry said, a dreamy smile spreading across his face. "No Divination."
"But how in blazes did you pass Potions?" Ron asked, gaping at Harry. "I would have thought that Snape would be too happy to fail you."
"Ron, you know that Professor Snape didn't grade us in the Potions test," Hermione said sternly. Footsteps were sounding above them as the house came alive. "Harry passed because he did brilliantly on the written and the practical, didn't you?"
Harry nodded. Ron made a strange face as he gazed at the table. "I wish I could have passed my Potions O.W.L.," he replied softly.
The look on Hermione's face softened as she reached across the table and patted Ron's arm. "I'm sorry you only got an 'A', but you probably did loads better than half the Gryffindors."
"You both got 'O', didn't you?" Ron asked instead.
Both Harry and Hermione nodded.
Footsteps sounded, descending the stairs until the new witch, Tara, entered the kitchen, smiled in greeting, and retreated to the oven, using her wand to prompt the dead logs to life. The fire was a welcome sight and warmed the dank room.
Harry, Ron and Hermione went upstairs to continue their discussion, meeting Mr. Weasley, already dressed for work, on the way down. "Have a good time today," he said cheerfully as he disappeared out of sight.
"He hasn't had to work this much since the last war," Ron said regretfully as they spilled into his and Harry's bedroom. "Mum might have a bit if he's not around more, considering what happened to Percy."
Hermione suddenly had a bitter look on her face. "I can't believe he still stands by everything he said last year."
"He's come around though, slightly," Harry pointed out, also trying to hide the deep dislike he had for Ron's third brother. "He came to dinner last week."
"That's only because Fudge was here," Ron said sharply. "Like he'd go anywhere else. I swear, he's Fudge's shadow."
"And he apologized to your father," Harry continued. Ron and Hermione exchanged a significant glance before Ron sadly shook his head.
"As far as I'm concerned... he's no longer my brother."
A voice drifted up the stairs from far below. "Breakfast!" Mrs. Weasley shouted.
And they trooped out of the room, one by one, each lost in their own thoughts.
Buffy had just walked out of her room at the Three Broomsticks when Dawn assaulted her on their way to breakfast. "Dawn, can we please discuss this later?"
"No, we will talk about it now," said Dawn, jumping in front of Buffy at the top of the stairs. "For the past two weeks, I've had to spend my days in front of weird witches with textbooks teaching me how to swish and flick a wand. I think I can take five minutes without wasting your time. We used to be family, anyway."
"Dawn, I..." Buffy paused, before sighing. "It's safer for you not to be my sister. I've asked Xander if you could use his name and he agreed it's for the best."
"Oh, good," Dawn said bitterly as Buffy stepped aside and went down the stairs. "When my owl arrived addressed to 'Dawn Harris', I thought I was in a bad dream."
"Dawn," Buffy moaned, stopping at the bottom, causing Dawn, who hadn't been watching, to knock into her. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm not perfect."
"All I'm saying," Dawn continued after she regained her composure, "is that I've been alone for the past two weeks. You've been going to get your magic potions, the Slayers have been in training, and Giles and Xander and the others have been holed up in some underground Ministry."
"The Slayers are going into the magic village this afternoon," Buffy said kindly. "Why don't you go with Faith? Willow and I have business at the Ministry. And you only have a few days left before your classes start. We can spend Thursday together if you'd like, but I have an entire morning of meetings with the Hogwart's staff. And tonight I'm meeting with a group called the Order of the Phoenix."
"You're really busy, huh?" Dawn asked softly as they walked into the main area and out the back door.
"I don't have much time," said Buffy, checking her watch, a recent purchase. She took her wand from the inside of a large handbag and tapped the bricks on the wall in front of them. Dawn gasped as the walls opened on their own. Suddenly, a large brick gateway appeared.
"Wow," Dawn whispered.
"Here," said Buffy, taking a large velvet bag from her bag and placing it in Dawn's hand. "You can take that note the owl gave you and go and buy what you need. If you need help with the currency, just ask. I hope I exchanged enough."
Dawn grinned as she placed the heavy bag in her own purse. "Thanks, sis."
"Anytime," Buffy replied, stepping back inside.
"What time is Faith due?"
"When else would a Slayer be hungry?" Buffy asked with a lofty smile. "Lunch time!"
"That was interesting," Ron huffed, since he'd been brushed aside by the last few girls struggling into the store.
"Who are they?" Harry wondered aloud, watching as the girls spread through the store inside. He could see fellow Hogwart's students turning to stare at them too.
"Strange," Hermione muttered as they strolled the street. "Very strange."
"Hold up a moment," Harry said suddenly, spying two women in the same navy robes right in front of the Apothecary. They were having an animated conversation, until a third stepped out, carrying a bag, but this time she wore long black robes with a Hogwart's crest.
"Harry?" Hermione breathed behind him. "What is it?"
Harry took her by the hand and pushed past the three to just inside the doorway, Ron running behind them, muttering. From here, they could hear the entire conversation and pretend they weren't eavesdropping.
"Hey, Dawn, did you find everything you needed?"
"Everything on the list," the girl in the black robes said. "Can we stop over there? I want to look at owls before we get back to the inn."
"Yeah, sure. Go on."
The dark haired girl turned back to the blonde one, who was leaning against the outer part of the store, her arms crossed. "So you're leaving when?"
"Tomorrow night," the dark-haired girl replied. "The girls are just getting whatever they need now, in case we need it."
"Everyone has their wands now?"
"Yes."
"And potion ingredients? Spell books? Broomsticks?"
"Yes. Yes. And yes." The dark-haired girl looked annoyed. "Why are you pretending suddenly to be mother hen? I told you, this is my arena. It'd be best to stick to yours."
"Of course," the blonde replied quietly. "We'd better get going. My meeting starts in a few hours and I want to make sure Willow's ready."
"Right," the dark-haired girl agreed and they turned and blended back in with the crowd leaving Diagon Alley.
Harry turned to see the openly confused looks on both Ron's and Hermione's faces. "What was that about?"
"I have no idea," Harry replied, as they left the shop. "But I'm dying to find out."
- - - - -
"This is more like it," Willow sighed, lounging in the black car being driven by a Ministry driver. Next to her, Buffy giggled. "No, really, it is! No more standing around, pretending we know what to do with a wand when we're jinxed other than shove it up our attacker's nose... it's perfect."
"What would I do without you, Wil?" Buffy asked fondly.
"I'm not sure," Willow said thoughtfully as the car pulled in front of a long row of houses. "Instead of being able to countercurse your enemy, you might be able to kick its ass instead."
"I'd be dead, before I tried," Buffy said with a wince, remembering Willow's powerful disarming spell. "I still have a few I need to practice on."
"The summoning charm, for one," Willow said, pulling out a small black notebook. "The Cruciatus curse, two. And your enflaming spell probably wouldn't make an ordinary vampire wince."
"Did we get the shipment in?" Buffy asked lightly as the car came to a stop.
"The Ministry confirmed and said the package would be waiting at Hogwart's on your first day of teaching," Willow confirmed, closing her notebook. "Where would I be without this?"
"Remind me to stick it in a fire."
"Only if you don't charm the match."
"Very funny," Buffy said, rolling her eyes as the car door opened. Both she and Willow stepped out. "I guess this Order of the Phoenix doesn't really go for style points, does it."
"Here," a deep, slow voice said at her elbow. Buffy glanced over to see Kingsley Shacklebolt standing there, a slip of parchment in his hand. "Both of you, read this over, memorize and think about what you've just read."
They both hunched over the paper.
Suddenly, a large house appeared between the other two, seemingly pushing the other two houses aside. Buffy's jaw dropped as she took a step forward, yet the house was building itself upwards, shingle by shingle, until a large house stood in front of them.
"Wicked," Willow whispered behind her.
"Go inside," said Shacklebolt, using his wand to prod the parchment and thus burning it to ashes. "They'll be waiting for you."
The two girls walked apprehensively up the steps. It was Willow who knocked.
The door was opened by the most curious man they had yet seen. He was older and hunched over. His face was lined and scarred, a large chunk missing from his nose. But what really caught their eyes was the fact he had two different eyes. One was dark and was squinting suspiciously at them, the other was a vivid electric-blue and was looking at their feet.
"It's us, Moody. Let them in."
The man stepped aside with a growl, his wooden leg clunking. Buffy stepped inside and looked at the strange decorations adorning the long hallway. "Where are we?"
"At the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix," the man Kingsley had called Moody growled. "Where is the other guard?"
"Outside," Kingsley replied.
"Fetch him," Moody ordered, before lifting his hand and gesturing down the hallway. "Last door on your left, you will find the Order assembled in the dining room. Go on now. Introductions can wait."
Buffy and Willow glanced at each other and hurried down the hallway and to the left, where a short, pale woman with red hair stood, waiting nervously on her tiptoes.
"You must be... Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg."
"Yes," Willow said, gesturing herself as Willow and Buffy as the other. "Only Buffy has agreed we use the name 'Anne' when teaching."
"It sounds a little bit more like a Professor would," Buffy explained hastily.
"I'm Molly Weasley," the woman greeted them, ushering them into the kitchen area. "Please, have a seat."
The room was half-full of members sitting down, staring at the two new arrivals. Molly was waiting by the door when Kingsley returned, a taller, older man at his side.
"I suppose I should do the introductions," Molly said, closing the dining room door behind her and sealing it with her wand. "You've met me. I'm Molly, and that's my husband, Arthur, and my two eldest sons, Charlie and Bill. Next to Bill is Mundungus Fletcher. Next to him is Remus Lupin. Across from Arthur is Nymphodora Tonks. This is Alistair Moody," she continued, pointing the man who had just showed them inside. "And you already know Kinglsey and I suspect you've met Arden Fortescue. He is the great-great grandson of the late Hogwart's head. And that should be all of us, except for... oh, dear." Molly stepped forward to a corner and took the arm of another person and drawed her into the light.
Next to Buffy, Willow gasped. Buffy could hardly believe her own eyes.
"This is Tara McClay," Molly said, at the same time that Buffy and Willow gasped out, "Tara!"