A/N: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
". . . and finally," Dumbledore concluded his report the to the assembled Order in the secret room within Valahost Hall, "the High Lord is not particularly pleased that Voldemort was able to gain access to the contents found in Gringotts vault but recognizes that nothing could have really been done."
"So the High Lord wants us to keep our eyes open for any strange activity in or around antiquated magical locations then?" a newer member of the Order asked. He was from the Ministry and was in a better position to do so than most. He shifted in his high back chair that sat like the other chairs around the long table.
"That would be correct," Dumbledore answered. "Now on to other concerns of the Order. . ."
Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat to speak, "The next topic of discussion should be our concerns for Harry Potter. Could we have a progress report from Ronald and Hermione?" She looked down the table towards where Ron and Hermione flanked the newest official member of the Order.
Hermione stood up and shot a nervous glance to Ginny before proceeding with her report. "Um. . . yes. Ron and I kept a close eye on him and he is safe as ever. I guess that is all there is to it."
"Were there any incidents or anything out of the ordinary? What does he spend his time doing and how are his concerns about You-Know-Who addressed?" asked an older woman who was known for her nosiness.
At this point Ginny sighed, rolled her eyes and stood up, "I must really object to putting such restraints and eyes on Harry. He has more than proven that he can look after himself in the past and such watching will only make him chafe and be unhappy."
"Now young lady," said Mr. Jekyll, an older member of the Order, "just because you've just been inducted into the Order does not mean that you should presume so far. Nor even does the fact that you stand on a similar footing as your brother and Miss Granger. You will abide by the judgements of your senior members who have practiced magic far longer and have taken orders from the High Lord of Phoenix himself."
Ginny cooly arched one of her eyebrows at Mr. Jekyll. "Should I?" She observed Dumbledore wince and felt Ron and Hermione shift very uncomfortably in their seats next to her.
"Now Ginny," Mr. Weasley said as calmly and gently as possible. "We realize that you and Harry don't appreciate the safety restraints that have been placed on him. The Order has decided however and will stand by their decision."
Dumbledore leaned forward before Ginny could respond, "Perhaps Miss Weasley would not find such restraints. . . objectionable if she was allowed to participate and make sure that Mr. Potter is not uncomfortable."
"That would be fine." Ginny said simply. Actually what she really wanted to do was blast the nosy snobs present and tell them who was who and what was what. That would not serve any purpose though. She calmly sat back down in her chair.
"That would work out just fine," Mr. Weasley said before anyone could object to the arrangement.
"Now, Alastor, would you give us a report on your team's activities since our last meeting?" Dumbledore asked.
*
"I'm sorry Harry, but not even Dumbledore could do much about the current situation. If it comforts you any I think that my dad is on your side," Ginny explained to Harry as she joined him on one of the couches that sat in the Gryffindor common room.
Harry sighed and closed the book about magical law he had been studying. He set it on the table before speaking. "I'm sure that you did your best. Where are Ron and Hermione? Didn't they come back with you?"
"They had to Portkey to Dumbledore's office. They haven't quite reached the advanced stages of the transportation we use." Ginny replied as she randomly grabbed a textbook from the stack on the table in front of them.
Harry leaned back to relax and studied the ceiling of the room. "Anything else interesting happen?"
Ginny shook her head as she thumbed through the book looking for an interesting topic to examine. "Dumbledore just doled out your commands and then everyone and their 'special' teams reported what they had accomplished and how important they were."
Harry laughed out loud causing the other students who were studying in the room to look at them. "At this point are they there to be important or to be helpful?"
Ginny smiled but did not answer. Shortly thereafter Ron and Hermione arrived through the portrait hole at the same time Colin Creevey did. The younger boy seemed rather excited.
"Harry!" Colin practically panted, "Have you heard? The staff has decided to hold a Halloween Dance to accompany the usual feast! I don't know who I'm going to ask though. . ."
"You won't be asking Ginny because I'm asking her right now," Harry replied. He turned to Ginny. "Would you please go to the dance with me?"
Ginny smiled brightly, "Do you have to ask, Harry?"
~ ~ ~ ~
Harry calmly surveyed the student body as he, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Elizabeth sat at their table during the Halloween feast and dance. Everyone was chatting and eating in a very un-concerned and innocent manner. Except for the majority of the Slytherins, they would never be innocent.
If Death Eaters were to attack Hogwarts, Harry thought idly, they would be slaughtered. At the beginning of the year the prefects and teachers had been divided into groups and assigned ranks like in the military if anything should ever happen. He very much doubted that the prefects had assigned any ranks to anyone below them.
Harry's eyes fell onto Draco Malfoy who was talking with his date Pansy and sitting with Crabbe, Goyle and their respective dates. Harry had not seen much of that group for a while. Most likely too busy with certain activities to bother. Harry smiled grimly, maybe they needed some excitement in their life. Perhaps he and Ginny could think of something.
Harry turned his attention back to the conversation at his own table. They were all discussing matters concerning the Order. The main discussion was whether or not Harry should make his identity public. Neville and Elizabeth now knew that they were Phoenix nobility and they also knew who Harry was. Ginny had finally gotten around to telling them.
"I definitely think that Harry should show up for a meeting and show them who is who and what is what!" Ron said. "I'm sick of them looking down on us and underestimating our abilities."
"What about secrecy and security mate?" Neville asked as he clumsily dropped his fork and leaned over to pick it up.
"Voldemort and his cronies certainly know who Harry is at this point. Secrecy doesn't matter," Hermione explained calmly to Neville. "Ron is definitely right though. How can we operate efficiently when they look down on us? What do you think Ginny?"
Ginny shrugged as she sipped from her goblet of pumpkin juice. "Works for me either way. It is really up to Harry you know." She turned to Harry. "What do you think? It is your life and identity they're talking about after all."
"Who would you have more respect for?" Harry asked everyone. "A High Lord who gives his commands secretly through a very powerful wizard who obeys him absolutely or a boy named as a High Lord who is supposed to be wise and all knowing."
"The former," Hermione replied. "But I don't understand. . ."
"If he speaks to the Order secretly through Dumbledore then they'll do it because they don't want to steam off the High Lord. If they know who he is then he'll have to badger them, explain, and threaten the Order to get things accomplished." Elizabeth burst in. She had quickly caught on to Harry's logic.
"Very good," Ginny said. "At this point it would be much easier to work under the burden of the Order until they've seen or know about enough of Harry's power before they realize who he is."
They continued to eat their dinner as they talked idly about less important subjects until the band that Dumbledore had hired began to play music for the couples to dance to. Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Elizabeth quickly made their way out to the center of the room.
"Don't you want to dance?" Ginny asked Harry.
Harry shook his head, "I have something else in mind actually." He leaned over and whispered his idea to her while her grin grew wider and wider.
*
Ron and Hermione briefly returned to their table to find Harry and Ginny sitting there with very innocent expressions painted over their faces. They greeted Ron and Hermione but their attention was obviously elsewhere.
"What gives?" Ron asked suspiciously.
Ginny grinned and nodded toward Draco Malfoy's table.
Ron and Hermione turned just as pandemonium broke out. Malfoy and all of his friends had not danced yet and had spent the whole evening talking in low voices. Now they were scrambling all over the place. Their plates had been Transfigured into giant spiders, the chairs were beginning to dance while their occupants remained on them and the silverware had become mobilized to the point that it was chasing the group about while they tried to remove themselves from the chairs.
Ron and Hermione grinned and began to laugh while Harry and Ginny sat with sweetly innocent expressions on their faces.
*
I'm sorry that the chapter is so short and that the wait was so long. I've had the time to write but when I open the document to type, nothing comes to my head. Ether be patient or give me some serious feedback in your reviews. Someone and their friend have already given me some wonderful ideas, but more would make the story richer. :)