(Note from the author: These are not my characters, my world, and my
situations. They all belong to J. K. Rowling, and are protected by
copyrights.)
(Note from the author: Okay, this is where all fanfics go in different directions, and people have their own thoughts on what exactly happened after they graduated Hogwarts. I have studied the canon, thought about it long and hard, and came up with the rest of the book the way it is. From here on out, there may be differences between what happened in reality (or in the canon to be released at a later date), what all of the different readers think, and what I came up with. Please bear with me if you feel as if something isn't as you thought it would be. (: )
(Blooper alerts: Thanks to Feronia for this one. Yes, I have been spelling the "Killing Curse" wrong. It's really spelled Avada Kedevra, not Avada Kedevera. Thanks again, Feronia. Also, as "jan" pointed out, the motorcycle speeds are not realistic (not to mention backwards). I have no clue about vehicles, so please excuse my stupidity while I change Sirius's motorbike statistics.)
It was only an hour later that the five called students were sitting in a row of chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk. Lily was still in her pajamas, with a robe tied around her. James would have paid more attention to her if he hadn't been preoccupied with what had happened in the park. Remus sat next to Lily. He had stopped shaking a long time ago. The two of them (James and Remus) had been the first to arrive, and had waited while Lily had taken her time walking from Gryffindor Tower to Dumbledore's office.
Peter and Sirius had walked in a half an hour after the incident. They were both dressed in their wizarding robes, and carrying their wands, as if someone was going to attack them at any time.
Sirius stared at James and Remus, eyes worried. Remus tried to give him a reassuring smile, but James didn't even look at him. James hadn't looked at anyone since the park.
Prongs had left again, and a shell of this angered and scared boy reigned.
"Would you care to explain what happened?" Sirius asked as he took a seat next to James. Peter pulled up a chair, and sat down on the other side of Sirius.
James shook his head,"It's my fault they know your name."
"Who's name?"
Remus sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair, "Prongs, please don't do this right now."
"It's my fault," James said.
"If it wasn't for you, I'd be dead right now," he retorted.
James fell silent again, and then Sirius gave a look to both boys. Lily hadn't dared to speak up. She was looking from the shaken body of Remus to the hallowed one of James. She had no idea what had happened.
And then, the door opened.
The five of them turned around in their seats to face Dumbledore. He was looking worn, beaten . . . determined. The glint in his eye was gone.
Sirius was about to speak up, when he noticed that the Headmaster wasn't alone. Frank Longbottom's brown hair could be seen from behind him.
And then, they entered. All of them. Following Dumbledore to the desk, and then flanking him like guards on either side. Frank Longbottom, Alice Longbottom, Professor McGonagall, Rubeus Hagrid, the black man that had returned with them, the five students that had disappeared last year, Sturgis Podmore, and finally . . .
Next to a witch that James had never seen before, stood his father.
Sirius scanned the crowd for the man that they had seen at the Leaky Cauldron. He wasn't there. Well, then this couldn't be all of them. There had to be more. There had to be a whole army of them. They weren't doomed. They weren't outnumbered. These were just his most trusted members.
Dumbledore seated himself in his chair, and folded his hands. He looked to each of the five students seriously, and then began to speak a well rehearsed speech.
"What happened tonight," he said, "Was just one instance in many that has occurred over the course of these past years. Thousands of people have died like the man you saw tonight, Mr. Lupin and Mr. Potter. And thousands of people have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. They usually have not lived to tell the tale."
"He said that he was coming back for us," James said quietly, "They know our names. They know our families."
Mr. Potter glanced over to his son, sitting in front of Dumbledore. But before James could see, he turned away again.
"That is why we have decided to tell you about the five recruits tonight," he said, "To quickly prepare you for what is to come. I am guessing that you have found out who these five are?"
If they did know, they didn't seem to want to acknowledge it. Remus had guessed. James was sure of who it was.
"Every year, we invite five students that we have watched throughout their seven years of schooling. These five are chosen for their bravery, skill, cleverness, loyalty, and, of course," he looked at the four boys, "friendship.
"Every year we invite these five into my office, and give them an offer," Dumbledore said.
"What sort of an offer?" Lily asked.
Dumbledore looked at her, and continued, "An offer that is quenching for the brave, and deadly for the weak. We invite them to join us."
He waved his hand at the crowd behind him, and the five of them looked in awe at the Aurors.
"We invite them to become a part of the Order of the Phoenix," he said, "Surely by now you know who we are. What, with all of the publicity the Daily Prophet gives us."
"Not to mention Michael's obituary," one of the unknown members huffed behind him.
"That is enough, Elphias," Dumbledore raised one hand to quiet him, and then turned back to the students, "Lily, we chose you for your intelligence, patience, and one of the best talents for dueling that I have ever encountered."
Lily's face turned the color of her hair, and she tried to hide her expression behind her hands.
Dumbledore looked to Remus, "And you, for your courage and strength to do whatever your mind sets itself to do. You battled your own monsters, and now we must ask you to battle them once more."
Then, he looked to James, who was glaring at his father, "And James, for your speed, cleverness, and loyalty. I know that you would die for your friends, as you have shown me tonight. You were willing to give your life for another, even if the fight was futile. You defied Voldemort, Mr. Potter. And you lived to tell the tale.
"And Sirius Black," he said, and Sirius came to attention. This would be a first that Dumbledore would say anything positive about him. He wanted to hear every word of it.
"My, my, weren't you a surprise to all of us," Dumbledore said, his eyes glinting again, "I knew from the moment that the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor that there had to be more to you than what meets the eye. And there is. We have chosen you for your fire. For your willingness to do what is right, and to fight a good fight."
"And finally, Peter Pettigrew," Peter jumped, "We have also chosen you for your loyalty. For seven years, you have never said a wrong word to any of your friends, even if sometimes you feel as if you should. You stand by their side with pride, and I hope that you shall also stand by mine with the same courage."
And then he sat back in his chair, and sighed, "You are the five recruits," he said, "You are the five students that we have decided to draw into this war. Usually, we wait until the end of the year. Yet after what happened tonight, it is vital that you know exactly what awaits you outside of these castle doors. Especially you, Mr. Potter and Mr. Lupin.
"The truth is, that we cannot protect you outside of Hogwarts or the Order," he continued, "If you join, then we can at least tell you when you are in danger. We have many spies working as Death Eaters, and they alert us when one of our own is going to be pursued. Mr. Potter and Mr. Lupin will have to be hid if they do not decide to join. At least for a while. You are right, James. He does know your names. We will have to set up a secret location for you two if you refuse our offer."
"What would we have to do if we did take your offer?" Remus asked.
Dumbledore looked at Remus, and then the twinkle in his eye returned, "Well, Remus, you will have to give up your lives. You will have to swear allegiance to the Order, and you two will have to move into the Headquarters for a while until we can find you new homes."
He pointed to James and Remus.
"And you are going to stick our necks out for us to keep us safe?" Sirius said, disdainfully, "All of you . . . even if we didn't join your Order, are going to risk your lives for our hides?"
"We do not let the innocent die," Dumbledore said, "Only the guilty."
"Very biblical," Sirius commented, "But I'm still not getting this. What do we have to do if we join, other than give up everything that we own?"
"You will do as Albus tells you to do," Frank said from behind him, "You will be expected to protect the world as we knew it seven years ago."
James knew that they didn't have to force this propaganda down Sirius's throat. Sirius had told him and the others that he was looking into joining the Order anyway. Now he was leading them on, and they were sure that he would not heed to their word.
"You do not need to answer this question now," Dumbledore said, "You still have your whole second term to decide. We do not expect any of you to give your word to us tonight. We would not take it seriously. This is an offer that you all need to think about long and hard. But please, do not tell your families or your friends about anything that you witnessed or heard tonight. It is vital that we keep the names of the recruits, and the names of the members as secret as we can."
"What about our families?" James asked, "What about them? Aren't they in danger, too?"
Mr. Potter tensed, and gritted his teeth.
"Yes, James," Professor McGonagall said blankly, "They will be in danger as well. But it is a risk that you must be willing to take."
"A risk?" James stood, and stared at his two teachers, "A RISK? More of a death sentence!" he turned to the small group of people huddled behind his desk, "This is all of you, isn't it?"
There was no answer.
"This is the entire Order, standing right here," he said, turning back to his friends.
"Alastor Moody couldn't make it tonight," Dumbledore said quietly.
"One person doesn't make that much of a difference," James spat back, and Dumbledore looked at him, surprised at such a reaction.
"Well, it seems you have a bit more to learn before Graduation, Mr. Potter," he said.
"One person doesn't change the fact that you are outnumbered! There were as many of you as there were Death Eaters in the park, and those were just Voldemort's trusted advisors! You're all dead men! Have you not been reading the papers?"
"You saved Mr. Lupin's life tonight," Dumbledore said gently, "When you thought that you too would die in the process. Did that stop you from doing the right thing?"
"And I got us killed," James said, "I learned my lesson. I'm never going to be that stupid again," he turned to look at his father, who was trying to avoid his gaze. James felt anger well up in his heart. He had heard his voice at the park. What he had said. The one time when he had taken his advice, he had put not only himself, but Remus, and Remus's father and mother on the blacklist.
"You're right, Dad," he said coldly, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair, "There ARE things worth fighting for. And pride isn't one of them."
He then turned, and walked to the door without another word. Dumbledore looked sadly behind him, but didn't say a word.
Sirius got up out of his chair, and ran to follow him.
"Don't, Sirius," Dumbledore said sharply. Sirius turned, and stared at Dumbledore, "Let him be alone for a while. He's had a hard night."
But Sirius shook his head slowly, looked to Mr. Potter, and then ran down the staircase leading to the corridor.
"Well, that only leaves three," Frank sighed, taking a seat in Sirius's vacant spot.
"No," Dumbledore said, "No, it does not."
"Sir?"
The Order turned to look at Remus, who had grown his color back in his cheeks. He looked straight at the old Headmaster, and then said, "I know that you said you wouldn't take us seriously if we told you our answer tonight. But I believe that I feel confident enough to tell you right now."
"And what are you going to do, Mr. Lupin?" Dumbledore asked.
Lily and Peter looked to him, as if wondering the same thing themselves. He took a breath, and then stood.
He outstretched his hand to the old wizard, and said quietly, "I want to do the right thing."
Dumbledore's glint returned, and the bony fingers grabbed Remus's strengthened hand, "And so you shall, Remus. So you shall," he said quietly.
"James! Just . . . just wait up."
"Leave me alone, Sirius," he shouted over his shoulder, and continued walking down the corridor.
"No, James! I'm NOT going to leave you alone!"
Arms spun him around, and he came face to face with his old friend that he had known for seven years. God, how Sirius had grown. He wasn't that first year that he had met in the train compartment. He was a warrior. He had a fire in his heart that was wanting to be released.
He was a Black.
Dumbledore had been right about him.
He would make a perfect addition to the Order.
"Now you listen to me," he said, "I'm not sure what happened in that park, but I know that you stayed behind for Remus. And that's why they want you."
"Get off of me."
"No, I'm not letting you go until you hear me out. I'm not letting you walk back up to your room to sulk about this," Sirius looked at James, who had a cold and hard expression on his face, "Whatever happened to you?"
"Get off."
"James, remember when we used to talk about fighting Voldemort when we were younger?" he said, almost pleading with him. His grip was so hard on his shoulders. James couldn't move. Sirius had always been stronger than him.
"Let go of me," James snarled, trying to tug himself away. But there was no chance that he was going to lose Sirius's grip. Or his stare. His eyes were hollow.
"No, James, I'm not," he said, "Do you remember? When we were younger? And all you wanted to do was defend your family? To stay alive?"
"AND THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING!" James cried, struggling even harder, "THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING!"
"NO! THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" Sirius shouted back, louder than James. His voice echoed down the hall, "YOU'RE RUNNING AWAY! YOU'RE RUNNING AWAY FROM IT! IT SCARES YOU!"
"Let go of me, Black," James ordered, but Sirius didn't.
"THINK OF LILY! THINK OF YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER!"
"That's exactly who I am thinking about!" James shouted back, "I'm not going to be like HIM! I'm not going to endanger Lily or you or Remus or Peter for my stupidity again!"
"It wasn't stupidity!" Sirius barked, "It was courage!"
"And that's where you've always been wrong," James glared. He was angrier than he had ever been in his life. He felt that he had so much emotion in him that he would just burst out and explode. He wanted to get away from Sirius. He wanted to run and run and never look back . . .
"The world is dying, James," Sirius said very sternly now. His face was cold, and his fingers dug into James's shoulders, "And it's our responsibility to try to save it."
"Like you said, Sirius," James said, "What are we going to do? Dungbomb them to death?"
"I don't know," Sirius said, "But whatever it is, whatever happens, at least we would have tried."
"Get off of me now," James retorted, his face set, "I'm giving you three seconds to get your hands off of me, and then I'm going to make you."
"James, please," Sirius said.
"One."
"They need you, James."
"Two."
"I'M NOT LETTING YOU GO THIS TIME, JAMES!"
And in a blink of an eye, James had taken out his wand, and had pointed it at Sirius, "Expelliramus!"
Sirius flew into the air, and fell with a thump on the floor. He slid into the corner, and held his arm. He stared back at James, in a daze. His best friend had just hit him! James Potter had just hit him!
James looked as equally as shocked.
"Padfoot . . ." he started, but Sirius glared, and shook his head. He stood up, groaning and still holding his arm.
"Don't," he said, "Just . . . don't."
He turned around, and walked back down the corridor towards the staircase leading to the Order. James felt his grip on his wand weaken as Sirius shook his arm, and ran his fingers through his longer hair.
"You know," he said, turning around at the last second, "Anyone can say that they're something special when the stakes are low. But it's times like these when you find out who people really are."
And then, without another word, Sirius climbed the stairs to rejoin the others and Dumbledore.
(Note from the author: Okay, this is where all fanfics go in different directions, and people have their own thoughts on what exactly happened after they graduated Hogwarts. I have studied the canon, thought about it long and hard, and came up with the rest of the book the way it is. From here on out, there may be differences between what happened in reality (or in the canon to be released at a later date), what all of the different readers think, and what I came up with. Please bear with me if you feel as if something isn't as you thought it would be. (: )
(Blooper alerts: Thanks to Feronia for this one. Yes, I have been spelling the "Killing Curse" wrong. It's really spelled Avada Kedevra, not Avada Kedevera. Thanks again, Feronia. Also, as "jan" pointed out, the motorcycle speeds are not realistic (not to mention backwards). I have no clue about vehicles, so please excuse my stupidity while I change Sirius's motorbike statistics.)
It was only an hour later that the five called students were sitting in a row of chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk. Lily was still in her pajamas, with a robe tied around her. James would have paid more attention to her if he hadn't been preoccupied with what had happened in the park. Remus sat next to Lily. He had stopped shaking a long time ago. The two of them (James and Remus) had been the first to arrive, and had waited while Lily had taken her time walking from Gryffindor Tower to Dumbledore's office.
Peter and Sirius had walked in a half an hour after the incident. They were both dressed in their wizarding robes, and carrying their wands, as if someone was going to attack them at any time.
Sirius stared at James and Remus, eyes worried. Remus tried to give him a reassuring smile, but James didn't even look at him. James hadn't looked at anyone since the park.
Prongs had left again, and a shell of this angered and scared boy reigned.
"Would you care to explain what happened?" Sirius asked as he took a seat next to James. Peter pulled up a chair, and sat down on the other side of Sirius.
James shook his head,"It's my fault they know your name."
"Who's name?"
Remus sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair, "Prongs, please don't do this right now."
"It's my fault," James said.
"If it wasn't for you, I'd be dead right now," he retorted.
James fell silent again, and then Sirius gave a look to both boys. Lily hadn't dared to speak up. She was looking from the shaken body of Remus to the hallowed one of James. She had no idea what had happened.
And then, the door opened.
The five of them turned around in their seats to face Dumbledore. He was looking worn, beaten . . . determined. The glint in his eye was gone.
Sirius was about to speak up, when he noticed that the Headmaster wasn't alone. Frank Longbottom's brown hair could be seen from behind him.
And then, they entered. All of them. Following Dumbledore to the desk, and then flanking him like guards on either side. Frank Longbottom, Alice Longbottom, Professor McGonagall, Rubeus Hagrid, the black man that had returned with them, the five students that had disappeared last year, Sturgis Podmore, and finally . . .
Next to a witch that James had never seen before, stood his father.
Sirius scanned the crowd for the man that they had seen at the Leaky Cauldron. He wasn't there. Well, then this couldn't be all of them. There had to be more. There had to be a whole army of them. They weren't doomed. They weren't outnumbered. These were just his most trusted members.
Dumbledore seated himself in his chair, and folded his hands. He looked to each of the five students seriously, and then began to speak a well rehearsed speech.
"What happened tonight," he said, "Was just one instance in many that has occurred over the course of these past years. Thousands of people have died like the man you saw tonight, Mr. Lupin and Mr. Potter. And thousands of people have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. They usually have not lived to tell the tale."
"He said that he was coming back for us," James said quietly, "They know our names. They know our families."
Mr. Potter glanced over to his son, sitting in front of Dumbledore. But before James could see, he turned away again.
"That is why we have decided to tell you about the five recruits tonight," he said, "To quickly prepare you for what is to come. I am guessing that you have found out who these five are?"
If they did know, they didn't seem to want to acknowledge it. Remus had guessed. James was sure of who it was.
"Every year, we invite five students that we have watched throughout their seven years of schooling. These five are chosen for their bravery, skill, cleverness, loyalty, and, of course," he looked at the four boys, "friendship.
"Every year we invite these five into my office, and give them an offer," Dumbledore said.
"What sort of an offer?" Lily asked.
Dumbledore looked at her, and continued, "An offer that is quenching for the brave, and deadly for the weak. We invite them to join us."
He waved his hand at the crowd behind him, and the five of them looked in awe at the Aurors.
"We invite them to become a part of the Order of the Phoenix," he said, "Surely by now you know who we are. What, with all of the publicity the Daily Prophet gives us."
"Not to mention Michael's obituary," one of the unknown members huffed behind him.
"That is enough, Elphias," Dumbledore raised one hand to quiet him, and then turned back to the students, "Lily, we chose you for your intelligence, patience, and one of the best talents for dueling that I have ever encountered."
Lily's face turned the color of her hair, and she tried to hide her expression behind her hands.
Dumbledore looked to Remus, "And you, for your courage and strength to do whatever your mind sets itself to do. You battled your own monsters, and now we must ask you to battle them once more."
Then, he looked to James, who was glaring at his father, "And James, for your speed, cleverness, and loyalty. I know that you would die for your friends, as you have shown me tonight. You were willing to give your life for another, even if the fight was futile. You defied Voldemort, Mr. Potter. And you lived to tell the tale.
"And Sirius Black," he said, and Sirius came to attention. This would be a first that Dumbledore would say anything positive about him. He wanted to hear every word of it.
"My, my, weren't you a surprise to all of us," Dumbledore said, his eyes glinting again, "I knew from the moment that the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor that there had to be more to you than what meets the eye. And there is. We have chosen you for your fire. For your willingness to do what is right, and to fight a good fight."
"And finally, Peter Pettigrew," Peter jumped, "We have also chosen you for your loyalty. For seven years, you have never said a wrong word to any of your friends, even if sometimes you feel as if you should. You stand by their side with pride, and I hope that you shall also stand by mine with the same courage."
And then he sat back in his chair, and sighed, "You are the five recruits," he said, "You are the five students that we have decided to draw into this war. Usually, we wait until the end of the year. Yet after what happened tonight, it is vital that you know exactly what awaits you outside of these castle doors. Especially you, Mr. Potter and Mr. Lupin.
"The truth is, that we cannot protect you outside of Hogwarts or the Order," he continued, "If you join, then we can at least tell you when you are in danger. We have many spies working as Death Eaters, and they alert us when one of our own is going to be pursued. Mr. Potter and Mr. Lupin will have to be hid if they do not decide to join. At least for a while. You are right, James. He does know your names. We will have to set up a secret location for you two if you refuse our offer."
"What would we have to do if we did take your offer?" Remus asked.
Dumbledore looked at Remus, and then the twinkle in his eye returned, "Well, Remus, you will have to give up your lives. You will have to swear allegiance to the Order, and you two will have to move into the Headquarters for a while until we can find you new homes."
He pointed to James and Remus.
"And you are going to stick our necks out for us to keep us safe?" Sirius said, disdainfully, "All of you . . . even if we didn't join your Order, are going to risk your lives for our hides?"
"We do not let the innocent die," Dumbledore said, "Only the guilty."
"Very biblical," Sirius commented, "But I'm still not getting this. What do we have to do if we join, other than give up everything that we own?"
"You will do as Albus tells you to do," Frank said from behind him, "You will be expected to protect the world as we knew it seven years ago."
James knew that they didn't have to force this propaganda down Sirius's throat. Sirius had told him and the others that he was looking into joining the Order anyway. Now he was leading them on, and they were sure that he would not heed to their word.
"You do not need to answer this question now," Dumbledore said, "You still have your whole second term to decide. We do not expect any of you to give your word to us tonight. We would not take it seriously. This is an offer that you all need to think about long and hard. But please, do not tell your families or your friends about anything that you witnessed or heard tonight. It is vital that we keep the names of the recruits, and the names of the members as secret as we can."
"What about our families?" James asked, "What about them? Aren't they in danger, too?"
Mr. Potter tensed, and gritted his teeth.
"Yes, James," Professor McGonagall said blankly, "They will be in danger as well. But it is a risk that you must be willing to take."
"A risk?" James stood, and stared at his two teachers, "A RISK? More of a death sentence!" he turned to the small group of people huddled behind his desk, "This is all of you, isn't it?"
There was no answer.
"This is the entire Order, standing right here," he said, turning back to his friends.
"Alastor Moody couldn't make it tonight," Dumbledore said quietly.
"One person doesn't make that much of a difference," James spat back, and Dumbledore looked at him, surprised at such a reaction.
"Well, it seems you have a bit more to learn before Graduation, Mr. Potter," he said.
"One person doesn't change the fact that you are outnumbered! There were as many of you as there were Death Eaters in the park, and those were just Voldemort's trusted advisors! You're all dead men! Have you not been reading the papers?"
"You saved Mr. Lupin's life tonight," Dumbledore said gently, "When you thought that you too would die in the process. Did that stop you from doing the right thing?"
"And I got us killed," James said, "I learned my lesson. I'm never going to be that stupid again," he turned to look at his father, who was trying to avoid his gaze. James felt anger well up in his heart. He had heard his voice at the park. What he had said. The one time when he had taken his advice, he had put not only himself, but Remus, and Remus's father and mother on the blacklist.
"You're right, Dad," he said coldly, grabbing his coat from the back of his chair, "There ARE things worth fighting for. And pride isn't one of them."
He then turned, and walked to the door without another word. Dumbledore looked sadly behind him, but didn't say a word.
Sirius got up out of his chair, and ran to follow him.
"Don't, Sirius," Dumbledore said sharply. Sirius turned, and stared at Dumbledore, "Let him be alone for a while. He's had a hard night."
But Sirius shook his head slowly, looked to Mr. Potter, and then ran down the staircase leading to the corridor.
"Well, that only leaves three," Frank sighed, taking a seat in Sirius's vacant spot.
"No," Dumbledore said, "No, it does not."
"Sir?"
The Order turned to look at Remus, who had grown his color back in his cheeks. He looked straight at the old Headmaster, and then said, "I know that you said you wouldn't take us seriously if we told you our answer tonight. But I believe that I feel confident enough to tell you right now."
"And what are you going to do, Mr. Lupin?" Dumbledore asked.
Lily and Peter looked to him, as if wondering the same thing themselves. He took a breath, and then stood.
He outstretched his hand to the old wizard, and said quietly, "I want to do the right thing."
Dumbledore's glint returned, and the bony fingers grabbed Remus's strengthened hand, "And so you shall, Remus. So you shall," he said quietly.
"James! Just . . . just wait up."
"Leave me alone, Sirius," he shouted over his shoulder, and continued walking down the corridor.
"No, James! I'm NOT going to leave you alone!"
Arms spun him around, and he came face to face with his old friend that he had known for seven years. God, how Sirius had grown. He wasn't that first year that he had met in the train compartment. He was a warrior. He had a fire in his heart that was wanting to be released.
He was a Black.
Dumbledore had been right about him.
He would make a perfect addition to the Order.
"Now you listen to me," he said, "I'm not sure what happened in that park, but I know that you stayed behind for Remus. And that's why they want you."
"Get off of me."
"No, I'm not letting you go until you hear me out. I'm not letting you walk back up to your room to sulk about this," Sirius looked at James, who had a cold and hard expression on his face, "Whatever happened to you?"
"Get off."
"James, remember when we used to talk about fighting Voldemort when we were younger?" he said, almost pleading with him. His grip was so hard on his shoulders. James couldn't move. Sirius had always been stronger than him.
"Let go of me," James snarled, trying to tug himself away. But there was no chance that he was going to lose Sirius's grip. Or his stare. His eyes were hollow.
"No, James, I'm not," he said, "Do you remember? When we were younger? And all you wanted to do was defend your family? To stay alive?"
"AND THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING!" James cried, struggling even harder, "THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING!"
"NO! THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" Sirius shouted back, louder than James. His voice echoed down the hall, "YOU'RE RUNNING AWAY! YOU'RE RUNNING AWAY FROM IT! IT SCARES YOU!"
"Let go of me, Black," James ordered, but Sirius didn't.
"THINK OF LILY! THINK OF YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER!"
"That's exactly who I am thinking about!" James shouted back, "I'm not going to be like HIM! I'm not going to endanger Lily or you or Remus or Peter for my stupidity again!"
"It wasn't stupidity!" Sirius barked, "It was courage!"
"And that's where you've always been wrong," James glared. He was angrier than he had ever been in his life. He felt that he had so much emotion in him that he would just burst out and explode. He wanted to get away from Sirius. He wanted to run and run and never look back . . .
"The world is dying, James," Sirius said very sternly now. His face was cold, and his fingers dug into James's shoulders, "And it's our responsibility to try to save it."
"Like you said, Sirius," James said, "What are we going to do? Dungbomb them to death?"
"I don't know," Sirius said, "But whatever it is, whatever happens, at least we would have tried."
"Get off of me now," James retorted, his face set, "I'm giving you three seconds to get your hands off of me, and then I'm going to make you."
"James, please," Sirius said.
"One."
"They need you, James."
"Two."
"I'M NOT LETTING YOU GO THIS TIME, JAMES!"
And in a blink of an eye, James had taken out his wand, and had pointed it at Sirius, "Expelliramus!"
Sirius flew into the air, and fell with a thump on the floor. He slid into the corner, and held his arm. He stared back at James, in a daze. His best friend had just hit him! James Potter had just hit him!
James looked as equally as shocked.
"Padfoot . . ." he started, but Sirius glared, and shook his head. He stood up, groaning and still holding his arm.
"Don't," he said, "Just . . . don't."
He turned around, and walked back down the corridor towards the staircase leading to the Order. James felt his grip on his wand weaken as Sirius shook his arm, and ran his fingers through his longer hair.
"You know," he said, turning around at the last second, "Anyone can say that they're something special when the stakes are low. But it's times like these when you find out who people really are."
And then, without another word, Sirius climbed the stairs to rejoin the others and Dumbledore.