Disclaimer: I will say this once and once only - I do not own any charactors of Harry Potter. I do not mess with 'God'.
Chapter 1
"The decision is final," Dumbledore said, taking off his half-moon glasses and laying them down on the table. His eyes were not bright and sparkly as they were usually, but worn and tired, which brought out his age. The Order of the Phoenix was seated around the large table in the kitchen of number 12 Grimmauld Place, Dumbledore sitting at the head of it. "We must make alliances with the Gwinevra, they are our only chance."
"Surely there aren't any other alternatives, Dumbledore?" McGonagall asked looked rather concerned.
"I'm sorry Minerva, but we do not have any other alternatives."
"But," Hestia Jones interrupted. "The people of Gwinevra are very stubborn and won't easily be willing to give up their lives for us. We have already asked for their allegiance but have already declined once."
"My dear Hestia, you must understand that this is our only hope. They do not have much of a choice in this matter. If we do not join forces with them, we will certainly not find a chance of survival, and I highly doubt that they shall also." Mr and Mrs Weasley, who were sitting close to Dumbledore exchanged looks of worry. Mr Weasley gently patted her hand.
"But what are the chances of us actually creating partnerships with these Gwinevra, Dumbledore?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked in a low voice.
This time, Mad-Eye Moody was the one to answer. "One in Three," He growled. "Our chances are against their possible choices. They can either accept our alliance or stay neutral as before or…"
"Voldemort could succeed in persuading them to their side…" Hermione finished, the words diminishing towards the end of her sentence.
"Precisely," Dumbledore said. "And we must not let that happen."
Lee Jordon, who sat in between Fred and Alicia, blurted out a question, "Sorry, but who – or what – are these Gwinevra thingies?"
"They're wolf-like creatures. They're a sort of Animagi, I guess. They use alternative magic, or magic without the use of wands, so most of them don't go to a magical school like Hogwarts," Luna finished her explanation. Lee gave a small nod to say that he had understood.
"Very good," Dumbledore said and folded his hands on top of the table. "Now, the question lies on who is willing to address the matter with the Gwinevra." There was silence. Reluctance hung in the air. Dumbledore cleared his throat and said, "I can understand that people may be reluctant, and there is no doubt that it will be very tricky, not to mention very dangerous. The Gwinevra are excellent hunters and deadly behind their swords and knives. But they are our only hope and we are theirs. It must be done."
A sigh came from Dumbledore's right. "I will go."
It was Harry.
An uproar was instantly aroused, words of concern and protest. "Do you think it's a good idea, Harry?" Ron asked.
"Harry, no. I'm absolutely forbidding you from going!" Mrs Weasley wailed.
"Yes, we just can't let you go," agreed Elphias Doge.
Dumbledore quietened the Order. "Thank you, Harry," Dumbledore raised his voice slightly when seeing that Mrs Weasley was going to object. "Yes, I understand that this is a very risky step, but I think it to be a good idea."
"Now, Dumbledore…" Tonks started to protest.
"I could be a sort of decoy, you know," Harry interrupted. "I could change into my Animagus form and be like their prey. That way, we could lure them out. But I can't do this alone." He hoped that he might be able to get a bit of support in his campagne.
More silence followed, however the reluctance felt before had changed into a mixture of determination, fear and bubbling courage.
Harry looked to the people seated around the large table. "Hagrid?" he asked.
Hagrid jumped and looked distinctly edgy. Clearly his experiences with the giants with Madam Maxime had been enough to unnerve him. He stuttered a little, "Sorry, mate. I'm allergic to cats and wolves alike." Hagrid quickly lowered his eyes and started to fidget with the sleeve of his enormous overcoat.
All around, Harry could see uneager faces with their avoiding eyes and self conscious postures. People, people and more people, but none that he could fully trust. At last he came to a familiar face – one that he had known for the last ten years.
"Ron?" he asked.
Ron's face was pale, but he gulped, bit his lip and put on a brave face. He slowly nodded and showed a lop-sided and rather weak smile. Harry patted him on the back, grateful.
"In that case, I shall go too." It was Lupin. He gave a smile and beamed at the two young men sitting opposite him. "Besides, it will probably do good to spend some time with my ancestors. But mind you, we must embark on a full moon."
"In which case, I shall immediately start preparing for your potion," added Snape, who got up and left the room.
"Very well." Dumbledore put his glasses back on and addressed the Order. "Harry, Ron and Remus will set out for the forests near the Welsh boarder and the rest of us will see to it that the work here is kept under way."
A/N: R&R! The deal is this, my friend: you review me and I'll review you - solid promise.
So, what do you think so far? A good start? A bad start? Some suggestions would be great, and I'm happy to open up the floor for some of your ideas!