CHAPTER THREE: Letters

Hermione gasped her brown eyes as big as saucers.

"EXCELLENT!" Ron shouted.

"Why?" Harry asked, completely awed.

Dumbledore chuckled. "I take it you accept?"

"Of course!" Ron and Harry said quickly.

"But Professor, why do you ask us to join now when - "Hermione began, but Ron poked her, whispering, "Don't ask questions now!"

But Dumbledore was stroking his long white beard thoughtfully. "Like I said before Ms. Granger, due to the events in the last few months, it is vital that all who know the truth stand united. I believe that all of you deserve the chance to fight."

"So will you tell us now what's happened lately?" Ron said excitedly.

Dumbledore smiled. "I'm afraid that will have to wait until we are at Hogwarts."

Ron's face fell.

"You see, we are being watched."

"Watched?" Harry repeated. Hermione raised her eyebrows, exchanging looks with Ron.

"Yes. You are aware that you were being watched at the Dursleys, Harry?"

Harry was shocked. He hadn't told anyone about the intercepted note during the summer. Are they watching me again? He thought angrily.

"Yes, we are Harry. If we hadn't been watching you, we wouldn't have known that several Death Eaters have been watching and surrounding your house ever since you returned there at the end of last term. Several members of the Order were keeping guard over your house while Hagrid went to escort you back here."

"Is everyone okay?" Harry asked quickly.

Dumbledore nodded and looked at him over his half moon-shaped glasses. "They are all fine. But you must all be careful - Voldemort's followers are continually watching and following the Order's members as we speak. So you can imagine the importance of speaking of these matters in a more secure location."

"You mean Hogwarts, Professor?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, Ms. Granger. Hogwarts is the safest place - right now. Until then, we are assembling the necessary forces and allies in our struggle against Voldemort. You understand?"

They all nodded. But Harry looked worried still.

"But then how come you asked us to join the Order here?"

Dumbledore's mouth went firm. "They already believe you are a part of the Order. It really is no use in hiding this from them."

"What's going to happen to Grimauld Place, then?" Ron asked.

"We will continue to stay here until school begins, and after that, well...I will soon tell you. You will be taken to the school a few days early so that we may talk then. For now, I must see to some affairs at the ministry. Good night to all of you," Dumbledore nodded to each of them, giving them a small smile. "I trust your O.W.L. results will arrive with your school letters soon. Good luck." And with a loud POP, Dumbledore disappeared.

Ron, Harry, and Hermione stood still for a few seconds, staring at each other in shock, slowly grinning at each other.

"YES!" they shouted.

"OY, EVERYONE! LETTERS!"

Harry took a long time in opening his eyes. For the first time in a long time, he had not had any nightmares. He supposed that the news of finally entering the Order had wiped the anxious thoughts that were now gradually emerging once more.

Last year, Mad-Eye Moody - a member of the Order whose actual name was Alastor Moody - had shown Harry a picture of the members in the Order of the Phoenix of fifteen years ago. Harry's mum and dad had been grinning up at him, while Sirius and Lupin waved; others who had died or been tortured mercilessly at the hand of Voldemort's supporters (such as Neville Longbottom's parents) had been beaming, innocently unaware of their future fate. What if it happens all over again? What if Ron or Hermione die? Or Lupin? Or Hagrid?

"Hey, Harry - catch!" Fred popped into his room, throwing a large letter addressed to Harry in green ink.

"Hey, Fred. We were wondering where you and George had gone..." Harry tried to clear his mind and reached for his glasses on the night table.

"Well, er, we were...discovering the wonders of the basement! Right George?" Fred said mischievously, looking at George, who had just appeared on top of the bookshelf.

"Yep. Never know what you can find in these old houses," George answered, sliding smoothly off the shelf.

"Did your mum ever find out about the fireworks?" Harry said, grinning.

"Well, not exactly. At least, she suspected it, but we're experienced enough to know how to cover ourselves, right Fred? We apparated to their room and hid the fireworks. Only thing is, we were too late to stop them from destroying the whole room - " George began.

"-so we blamed it on Kreacher instead," Fred said slyly. "Mum'll believe anything of Kreacher nowadays, after..." He looked at Harry furtively and made an obvious effort to change the subject. "So, er, what'd you get on your O.W.L.s? " He nodded at the envelope sitting on Harry's covers.

Harry looked at it blankly. How many times had he excitedly ripped open this letter before? Now, it seemed so...pointless.

"Harry, Harry, what'd you get?" Hermione ran in, gasping. Ron trailed in after her, his many freckles standing out brilliantly on his pale face. "Harry, you open it for me...I can't - can't..." Ron shook his head, handing the letter to Harry.

But Fred snatched it before it reached Harry's hands. "As your brother, Ron, it is only right that I bear the bad news..." He snickered and started scanning the letter.

Harry took a deep breath and opened his own thick envelope.

Dear Mr. Potter,
Welcome to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You have been chosen as the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Congratulations! Additional instructions will be given to you by your Head of House at the start of the new school term.
Enclosed you will find your O.W.L. results and the list of the necessary books and equipment needed for your acquired classes. Term begins September 1st. Yours sincerely,

Claudius Flitwick

Claudius Flitwick,
Deputy Headmaster

Course Books:

An Advanced Anthology of Spells and Charms (Grade 6)
by Miranda Goshawk
A Deeper Understanding of Magical Theory
by Adalbert Waffling
Advanced Transfiguration
by Emeric Switch
Two Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore
Practical Magical Drafts and Potions
by Arsenius Jigger
A Monster's Monster Book of Monsters
by Newt Scamander
Advanced and Practical Defense Against the Dark Arts
by Quentin Trimble

Harry's hands trembled. If he had received these books, then that meant...
He hurriedly took out another letter inside the envelope and searched it excitedly.

O.W.L. results

Charms: Exceeds Expectations- accepted into Advanced Charms
Transfiguration: Exceeds Expectations- accepted into Advanced Transfiguration
Herbology: Acceptable
Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding- accepted into Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts
Potions: Exceeds Expectations - accepted into Advanced Potions
Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding - accepted into Advanced Care of Magical Creatures
Astronomy: Acceptable
Divination: Dreadful
History of Magic: Poor

Harry looked up from his letters, his face set in stupefaction.

"What happened Harry? " George asked.

"Don't tell me YOUR'RE a prefect too!! This is too much, too much, I tell you!!" Fred moaned, clutching his head.

Hermione took Harry's O.W.L. results and scanned them quickly. "Oooh Harry! You got all the O.W.L.s you needed! You're in advanced Potions! You can be an Auror! But wait..." Hermione looked up, confused.

"Yeah, I know Hermione. How can I be in advanced Potions if I didn't get an Outstanding on my Potions O.W.L.?" Harry said thoughtfully. He looked up at Fred and George.

"Am I right? Doesn't Snape only accept those who get Outstanding in his advanced Potions class?"

Fred and George nodded simultaneously. "Too bad, Harry. I guess Old' Snape can't get enough of you..." George snickered. "What about you, Ronnikins?"

Ron groaned, falling down on his bed. "I got Snape too....the same as Harry pretty much. Except I got 'dreadful' in Astronomy...can't they cut us a break? I mean, it's not everyday you see your Headmistress terrorizing a half-giant..." He rolled over and groaned again.

Harry looked at Hermione, who looked as if she was about to burst. "Got all eleven Outstanding O.W.L.s, did you?"

Hermione nodded furtively, her pink face beaming. "And Ron and I are still Prefects!"

George shook his head sadly. "Complete humiliation...tainting the family name...twice in a row?"

Hermione scowled at George. "I hardly think Ron is tainting your family name! Don't you- "

"Hey, Hermione, do you know why Flitwick signed our letters instead of McGonagall?" Ron said loudly.

"Lupin said something about McGonagall going to Ireland or something..." Hermione said, still scowling at George. George gave her a wide smile. "Now Hermione, you don't want to be spoiling that lovely complexion of yours..." He looked at Ron slyly and left the room. Hermione blushed as red as Ron's hair and hastily left the room. Ron rolled over on his bed again.

"Well gents...we've got to dash. You'll see us again sooner than you can expect," Fred said, winking. He nodded at Harry and Ron. "Don't forget about our shop...advertise for us, won't you?"

George hurried back in the room and stuffed a bunch of brilliantly colored fliers into Ron's and Harry's hands. "Post these around school...make sure McGonagall doesn't catch you though. See you!" And with a loud POP, they disapparated.

Harry tossed the fliers in his trunk. "When are we supposed to leave anyway?"

Ron shrugged and read Harry's letters again. "I think tomorrow...hey, we got all the same classes - great! Whoa! Harry, you're captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team! EXCELLENT!" Ron exclaimed, reading Harry's letter with wide eyes.

Harry grinned. He had completely forgotten that their House's Quidditch team would need a new captain now that Angelina was gone...a small flutter of excitement sparked inside of him as he thought of flying around the Quidditch pitch again...But that would mean going back to Hogwarts...Harry thought glumly.

"Breakfast!" Hermione called from downstairs. Ron scrambled into his robe, looking at Harry. "Come on, let's go!"

Harry put on his robe too, following Ron downstairs. How can I go back to Hogwarts after all that's happened?

"We'll be leaving tomorrow. Be sure to pack your trunks tonight. We'll have to leave early...Arthur and Sturgis are coming too," Lupin said, settling back into his chair. He had arrived as the others were coming into the kitchen. They were all sitting around the table after lunch, while Mrs. Weasley was supervising some mops and rags that were cleaning the kitchen.

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Sturgis Podmore? I thought that he was locked up in Azkaban?"

Lupin nodded grimly. "Yes, well, after the Ministry realized their, er, mistake about not believing Voldemort had returned, they let off Sturgis with an apology," He scowled. "As if that would make up for 6 months of living with Dementors..." He shook his head.

"So he's back in the Order now?" Hermione asked.

"No, no...clean the floor, not the broom...oh dear, we really do need some new cleaning supplies..." Mrs. Weasley sighed and flicked her wand at the unruly mop, which instantly fell on the floor.

"Yes, he is back," Mrs. Weasley said distractedly. "Fudge seems to think that it was all a mistake that he wasn't responsible for...but Sturgis is fine now. He's looking forward to meeting you lot. Well, I might as well get the those when I go to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies. I might not be back until late, so don't forget to pack your trunks..." She bent to kiss a squirming Ron and Ginny and hugged Hermione and Harry. Waving to them all cheerfully, she disappeared with a sharp SNAP.

Lupin turned to Ron, Harry and Hermione. "So did Dumbledore tell you...what he needed to tell you?"

"What?" Ginny asked curiously.

"We're-" Ron began.

"-going to go to Hogwarts early. Dumbledore wanted to ask us if that was all right. Right, Ron?" Hermione asked him, raising her eyebrows as high as they could go.

"Oh, well. If it's only that..." Ginny said, looking slightly hurt.

Harry smiled at Ginny. "Are you coming with us?"

Ginny nodded. "Yes, Dumbledore said I should go early too. He said he wanted to tell me something,"

Ron stood up. "Well, I reckon we should get started on packing. I can't even remember where half my stuff is..." He shook his head and left the room.

Hermione stood up too and looked at Harry. "Do you think that I could borrow Hedwig, Harry? I need to send for some books I left at home." Harry nodded.

As she left, Ginny turned to Harry and smiled. "Congratulations on being made captain, Harry! Bet you can't wait to get to the Quidditch pitch, huh?"

"You're captain, Harry? Good for you! Your father would be proud...he always wanted to be captain, but I suppose our Head of House thought him a little too...unruly...." Lupin smiled.
At the mention of going back to Hogwarts and his father, Harry's face went glum. "Yeah, well...I think I'm going to tell Dumbledore I'm not going to accept it."

"What?" Ginny said, shocked. "But you can't Harry! Why-"

"Yes, I can. I can at least control some part of my life, can't I?" Harry snapped. "Besides, I can't go back to Hogwarts - "

"Because that would mean going back to face the thing you fear, right Harry?" Lupin asked him quietly. Ginny looked at him, confused.
Harry glanced at Lupin and stared at his hands. "I can't go back after what happened," he muttered.
"Why? Is it because you think you're the cause of the destruction for everyone you care about?" Lupin said.
Harry's head shot up. "How'd you...?"

"I'm a werewolf, remember?" Lupin laughed bitterly, and ran his hands through his hair. "I am the epitome of destruction. One bite from me and someone might as well be dead. Being a werewolf is having a half-life, unless you have those who care about you around you, supporting you," he sighed and looked at Harry sadly.

"Don't think that you're some kind of walking death case Harry...lay that, instead, on Voldemort. He's the reason why you have to live like this. The death of your parents, Sirius, or Cedric - they're not your fault at all. But it is your fault whether to let that burden of carrying that scar push you down or make you into the Harry we all know you really are," Lupin patted Harry on the shoulder, his sad gray eyes looking at him intently. "Don't make the same mistake that I did, Harry. I went into hiding after I became a werewolf. I thought that I could protect everyone I cared about by shutting them out of my life.

"It didn't work, needless to say..." Lupin leaned back in his chair. "If it weren't for Dumbledore, James, Sirius...everyone who truly cared about me, I would probably still be hiding. They had enough faith in me to believe that I could live a normal life, despite this wretched curse. I know that it isn't the same kind of burden you have to carry, but..."

"It's ok, I really do understand. And...thanks. Thanks a lot," Harry said, giving Lupin a genuine, relieved smile.