Chapter 3 – Old Friends
Harry and Lupid boarded the Knight bus and darted off towards number 12 Grimmauld Place.
Harry immediately thought of Sirius and how much he missed him already, having only known him for two years and with his death less than two weeks ago. Lupid could sense his sadness.
"Thinking of Sirius, are you?" Lupin had a way of always seeing through Harry, perhaps because he was so like James, one of Remus' best friends. "Harry, I understand he was your Godfather, but you are certainly not alone in this world, don't ever think that."
"I know," said Harry, glumly, "I just miss him."
"We all miss him. He was a great friend and a great wizard." Proclaimed Lupin. The Knight bus came grinding to a halt in a dodgy alley of London's King Cross section, not far from the train station.
"Grimmauld Place." Said the conductor. Harry and Lupin stepped off the Knight Bus and walked together to the spot between 11 and 13 where the house of Black soon appeared. Number 12 was a distinct building, not only because it was invisible to anyone specifically going there, a black-painted door with a silver knocker in the shape of a twisted serpent greeted them. The windows are grimy. They pushed open the heavy door and entered the main room of the first floor to find it was packed nearly to capacity with wizards and witches, dressed all in the same distinct black cloaks, lined with a shimmery green velvet. Harry recognized most of them immediately.
"Harry!" said an excited male voice. Harry spun his head to his left and almost immediately was run over by his old school friends, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, and of course Ron Weasley.
"Hey guys!" Harry replied excitedly, guarding himself from the random arms which now flew in his direction, perhaps an attempt to hug him. "I didn't know you were gonna be here, whats going on?"
"Dunno," Replied Ron "Mum just told us to get out things and shoved us in the fireplace on our way here. We thought she was doing another of in 'invasion drills'. Like you-know-who and his lot are really gonna invade the burrow. Seems a bit out of the way, if you ask me."
"Did you guys get owls too from the Minister of Magic, about being able to use magic outside of school?" Harry asked the others.
"We did" Hermione answered, "I wonder if they changed the laws, seems a bit odd."
"Fred and George were steaming when they found out. Imagine if they would have been able to use magic last summer. I think mum is happy they moved out, makes her life a bit easier, that's for sure."
A heavy hand landed on Harry's shoulder, he turned around and peered up at the impressive figure of Kingsley Shacklebolt, the tall, black, bald-headed Auror who was in charge of bringing Sirius Black to justice after his escape from Azkaban. "Harry, we're ready to begin."
The noise subsided as everyone found a place around the massive wooden table, which looked quite shabby otherwise, but seems to fit nicely in the center of the Black Family great room. There were not nearly enough chairs so a fair amount of wizards were standing. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny Weasley, and Luna Lovegood were instructed to sit in empty chairs in the center of the table, opposite Professor McGonagall, Remus Lupin, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Nymphadora Tonks and the chair in the center was occupied by none other than Professor Albus Dumbledore. Harry was excited to be surrounded by so many of his school friends as well as the adult wizards he loved and trusted most.
"Thank you all for coming." Dumbledore said calmly as he motioned to everyone in the room. He redirected his attention to the teenagers across the table but was immediately interrupted by the small band entering at that moment.
"Sorry we're late, professor" a distinct and bellowing voice said. Harry, Hermione and Ron swung around in unison to see their old friend, Hogwarts gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, ducking to enter the room due to his massive size. Behind him entered Professor Severus Snape, Mondungus Fletcher, Elpheus Doge and limping slowly behind them, eccentric ex-Auror, Alastor "Mad Eye" Moodey. Harry and Snape exchanged glances, but neither spoke, Harry knew that Snape had been busy, he was wearing an agitated look as he did whenever he had to grade potions exams, and everyone in class seemed to be putting him in danger with their concoctions.
"As I was saying," Dumbledore continued "I have called you hear tonight to speak about your actions during the final days of the last school term at the Ministry of Magic." Dumbledore's tone was indistinct, but Ron suspected he was in a great deal of trouble and gulped slightly, he looked at his mother who wore and identical look to Professor McGonagall.
"In all my years of teaching, I have never seen such an organized disregard for regulation, policy and your own personal safety. Never have I witnessed students with such diligence to break rules laid down specifically to protect them. I hope you understand the severity of what you have done. However, I cannot deny the progress that you have made as individuals and together as a collective unit of wizards and witches. You're abilities extend well beyond the classroom and you have proven your valor when it was demanded of you. The ability to adapt, to learn, and to sacrifice have been demonstrated brilliantly, and we here recognize it. For your efforts at school, and your actions in battling some of the fiercest dark wizards in the modern era," Dumbledore stood up, the students leaned back in their chairs slightly "I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School, Chief Warlock of the Wizardgamut, Chairman of the International Confederations of Wizards, and of Merlin, 1st class, hereby induct you as the newest official members of The Order of the Phoenix."
Dumbledore waved hand across the table and six white boxes appeared, each with a glowing gold emblem of a Phoenix, much resembling Dumbledore's own bird, Fawkes. Ron looked at Harry, who in turn, looked at Hermione. Ginny glanced at her father who raised his eyebrows approvingly. The teens all reached for the boxes and tossed aside the lids to find a neatly folded robes, dark black with shimmery velvet green lining, exactly as everyone in the room was wearing, with the exception of Hagrid who wore his trademark moleskin coat and Kreacher, the Black family house elf, who wore shabby burlap pants. Ron was the first to jump from his chair and toss the cloak in a great swooping arc onto his shoulders. They fit like they were made exactly for him, and hung off his bony shoulders more elegantly than any of Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred or George's second-hand robes. The others followed suit and the room broke into great applause as the group stood, dressed in the garm of the Order of the Phoenix. Kingsley Shacklebolt then stood up.
"And for your outstanding self-training in defensive magic, all done in secret, no less," Shacklebolt's voice broke slightly as he chuckled, he regained his composure, "I confer upon you the rank of Junior Member, in the Dark Arts Defense League." He raised his wand and glowing gold pins appeared on their new cloaks, circular marks with the words 'Dark Arts Defense League – Junior Member' stamped encompassing the picture of an eagle with a wand in its beak.
"And now, to continue the tradition." Dumbledore pointed at Hagrid who reached into his coat and pulled out a camera with tripod. Within a few moments, the packed room had ordered itself nicely at the foot of the staircase for a second team photo. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and Luna sat with leg crossed on the floor in front; Fred, George, Bill and Charlie kneeled behind them, notably absent was Percy Weasley who still hadn't entirely made up with his family for his attitude the previous year. Fawkes was perched handsomely on Dumbledore's cane and Harry, front row and center, held a photo of Sirius. "Everyone ready?" said Dumbledore. Not hearing any objections, Dumbledore nodded his head at the camera and it let off a brilliant flash and a sequence of clicks, causing everyone to chuckle and smile, including Hagrid who shook the rickety staircase by doing such. Snape managed to keep a straight face.
"Thank you everyone. I will see you all again very shortly." Dumbledore adjourned the meeting and the members of the Order headed away in pleasant conversation. Lupin, Moody and Snape headed for the kitchen, McGonagall followed, motioning to Hagrid. Arthur directed his elder sons to stay put as he and Molly approached Dumbledore. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna, stood still, feeling somewhat out of place and extremely proud. Dumbledore approached, "If I may speak with you all in private." He asked politely, motioning them back towards the table.