Truths
By Neurotica
Twenty
"I didn't want them to die, just, you know, pay for what they did to Harry..." Sirius said quietly to Remus.
Remus, like the rest of the wizarding community, quickly learned of the events in Surrey.
Both wizards had their heads buried in their hands as they sat on the sofa. They were awaiting word from Dumbledore. The Headmaster of Hogwarts had been in meetings all day and now late into the night, with newly-appointed Minister of Magic Amelia Bones. She had only been in office a few days, and was already facing very difficult times.
Luckily, nobody had gotten wind of the message written in blood on the Dursleys' kitchen wall. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement had somehow covered it up and were now guarding the house so that no snooping reporters could get inside. Rita Skeeter, a new special correspondent for the Daily Prophet, was present at the scene when Sirius and Kingsley were leaving to report to Moody, and when her questions were not answered, she came to her own conclusions. Sirius, however, snapped her Quick-Quotes Quill in half before anything could be written down.
"Maybe we should get some sleep. Dumbledore might not owl again until morning," Remus said dully, without any conviction.
Sirius grunted in agreement, but neither of them moved.
Another quiet hour passed without movement until the two heard the sound of Harry moving quietly from his bedroom to the kitchen for a glass of water.
"Should we tell him?" Sirius asked quietly as he watched Harry in the kitchen.
"Not right now. I don't know how he'll take it. Let's just wait to hear what Dumbledore says," Remus replied.
Harry finished his water and stumbled sleepily to where Remus and Sirius were seated.
"Hey, kid, can't sleep?" Sirius said as Harry climbed between him and Remus on the sofa.
"No, I was thirsty." Harry yawned.
Sirius nodded. "Well, what do you guys say about just sleeping out here tonight? I don't feel like walking all the way to my bedroom."
Remus chuckled quietly. "All twenty feet... lazy bum," he said, getting more comfortable on the sofa.
Sirius kicked off his boots and stretched his feet out on the coffee table. Harry laid down with his head in Remus' lap, and his legs in Sirius'. Not ten minutes later, three separate snores sounded through the quiet house.
"Where is Lucius?" hissed the cold high pitched voice from behind the chair.
Wormtail gulped nervously, afraid to get any closer. "H-he will be-be here s-soon, m-my Lord."
"Have the Muggles been disposed of?"
"Y-yes, my Lord. L-lucius saw to it p-personally," Wormtail stuttered.
"And the boy?"
"He i-is still w-with the w-w-werewolf and B-black, my L-lord."
"My dementors did not do their job, Wormtail. You assured me that they would Kiss Black and the werewolf," the Dark Lord hissed. "Come closer, Wormtail."
Wormtail's teeth began to chatter as he stumbled before his master.
The thing in the chair grinned up at Wormtail evilly. "I do hope," it said softly, "that you will rectify your mistakes soon, Wormtail. I do not wish for my plan to be delayed any further." It raised a wand with its feeble arm. "CRUCIO!"
A high cruel laugh cut through the air as Wormtail writhed and screamed in pain on the floor.
Remus awoke suddenly the next morning to the unmistakable sound of an owl at the window. He opened his eyes blearily and looked down into his lap. He barely contained a laugh.
Sometime during the night, Sirius had transformed into dog form. His long shaggy tail sat motionless on Remus' knee. Harry had moved to the other side of the sofa, his head level with Sirius', and had one of his arms wrapped around Sirius' neck. The other was at a very odd angle behind his back. Harry's legs also lay motionless in Remus' lap.
The pecking grew louder; the owl knew somebody was awake and ignoring it. Remus untangled himself from the mess of legs and tail, and moved Harry's arm to a more comfortable position gently so he wouldn't wake the other two. Quickly and quietly, Remus moved to the window to allow the owl in. The brown barn owl dropped its letter on the windowsill, pecked Remus' hand for good measure, and flew off into the growing day light.
"Ow," Remus said, rubbing his hand.
He picked up the letter and sat in an armchair to read it. It was from Dumbledore:
Remus and Sirius—
After an immensely long meeting with Madam Bones, she has agreed with me that this was no random attack on Muggles. I am sure you have already come to the same conclusion: it was Death Eaters. Only they know how to correctly conjure the Dark Mark found above Number Four, Privet Drive.
The wards I had in place fell the afternoon Harry changed residence, and thus, there is no way to know exactly who murdered Vernon and Petunia Dursley. The message on the kitchen wall is being analyzed for information. But at the moment, it looks like a dead end.
I am arranging a meeting of old friends tonight at midnight. Please bring Harry; he will be safest here. Arrive on the seventh floor across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy—we will be meeting in the Room of Requirement.
I hope to see you there.
Sincerely,
A.D.
Remus finished the letter and slowly refolded it. It didn't take a genius to know that Death Eaters were the ones responsible for the Muggles' deaths.
And it did not take a genius to figure out why Dumbledore was calling a "meeting of old friends" in the Room of Requirement at midnight that night. He immediately came to that conclusion without much thought: Dumbledore was recalling the Order of the Phoenix.
That meant the headmaster was worried and he was obviously not taking chances this time. If Voldemort was coming back, they weren't going to be caught off guard like last time. They would be prepared.
Of course, they would be there. Remus had jumped to the chance to join the Order just out of Hogwarts. He wanted to do anything he could to help—as did Lily, James, and Sirius—Peter was a bit more hesitant—and Remus damn sure wasn't going to sit on the sidelines this time, either.
If they were able to act early enough, perhaps they could delay Voldemort's return. They didn't know how far he was from gaining full power once more; perhaps he was still months—or years—away. If they kept delaying him, maybe he would never return to power.
"What's that?" a sleep-filled voice said from the sofa.
During his thoughts, Remus hadn't noticed Sirius' transformation back into human. He looked down at the letter in his hand that Sirius had been referring to, and sighed. "Letter from Dumbledore."
Sirius took the envelope. Remus watched his face as he read the letter—he betrayed no emotions.
Once he finished, Sirius nodded twice to show he understood what was happening as well, and ignited the parchment with his wand. Remus raised an eyebrow, but Sirius shrugged and replied, "Habit." The two watched the parchment burn quietly and disappear from sight.
A large yawn broke the silence as Harry woke. "What's for breakfast?" he asked, rubbing his eyes free of sleep.
"Why are we coming to Hogwarts so late?" Harry asked, yawning into Sirius' neck.
"We have to talk to Dumbledore, Harry. We'll find somewhere comfortable for you to sleep," Remus replied as they crossed onto the dark Hogwarts grounds.
"Where's Prongs?" Harry said, now fully awake looking around for his stag.
Sirius chuckled. "Right here; I've got him." He showed Harry the stuffed animal in his other hand to prove the point.
Harry relaxed against Sirius once more.
Through Hogwarts' dark corridors, the only sound was the footsteps that Sirius' and Remus' shoes made against the cement floor. Not a ghost or professor was in sight as they made their way to the seventh floor.
"This brings back memories," Sirius said with a grin, looking at the Barnabas and Barmy tapestry.
Remus smiled and opened the door that appeared when they walked up to it.
The inside of the room was simple, yet elegant. The walls were bright gold, and it was comfortably lit. A large round mahogany table sat in the center of the room—a large bowl of yellow candies Remus suspected to be lemon drops in the middle. There were enough seats for at least thirty people placed around it.
At the moment, however, only two people occupied the room: Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall. The two were talking quietly close to a window until Dumbledore spotted the new arrivals. "Good evening, gentlemen, or should I say good morning," he said with a smile.
"Hello, Albus, Professor McGonagall," Remus said, shaking both hands.
"Nonsense, Remus, call me Minerva." McGonagall smiled as she greeted Sirius and a very tired Harry. "You, Black, can continue to call me Professor," she said jokingly.
Sirius laughed. Wait, am I laughing at something McGonagall said? What is the world coming to? he thought.
"I have arranged a small chamber just over here for the children during our meeting. If Harry would like to sleep, I will setup a small bed for him," Dumbledore said.
Remus and Sirius followed their former Headmaster to a side room.
"You're expecting more children, sir?" Sirius asked curiously, walking into the room.
A small amount of toys and coloring books lay neatly on the scarlet plush carpeting.
"Yes. I have asked Molly and Arthur Weasley to join us as well, and they will be bringing their youngest children, Ronald and Ginevra."
"How many kids do they have now? Last I heard it was six," Sirius muttered, while Dumbledore conjured a small bed for Harry.
"Seven. Six boys and one girl," Dumbledore replied with a smile.
Sirius laid Harry down on the bed and left his stag in his arms. "We'll come get you as soon as our meeting's over. Okay?" he said to Harry.
"Kay," Harry replied as he rolled onto his other side.
Together, the three wizards left the room, closing the door quietly. Back in the meeting room, more people had arrived in their absence. Many of whom Sirius recognized from the old Order: Elphias Doge still wearing that stupid hat; Dedalus Diggle; Arabella Figg, who was talking quietly with McGonagall; Sturgis Podmore; Emmeline Vance.
There were also a few new people in attendance: Kingsley Shacklebolt had just walked in behind Moody, a pink-cheeked black-haired witch who seemed just fresh out of Hogwarts, a witch and wizard who could only be Molly and Arthur Weasley with their bright red hair accompanied by children around Harry's age (a boy and girl) and two twin boys—Molly looked furious over something—and a smell of stale cigarettes and old whiskey that could only have been—
"Dung! I was wondering when I'd be seeing you!" Sirius greeted his old school friend that looked like a pile of dirty rags.
Mundungus Fletcher hadn't changed since the last time Sirius had seen him five years ago; he was still rough-looking and dirty. He had three days' worth of unshaven stubble growing on his face, and hugged his bulky trench coat tightly.
"Sirius! How you been? Lupin said you was staying wit 'im for the past few weeks," Dung said, shaking Sirius' hand.
"Yeah, just like old times. So I was sorry to hear you didn't get Minister of Magic."
"Eh, don't worry 'bout it. Too much work for me to deal with anyways," Dung said carelessly, sitting down. His trench coat clanged against the wooden table.
"So what's in the coat, Dung?" Remus asked, sitting next to Sirius.
"Eh? Oh, uh, nothing important, Lupin. You know, just business," Dung said a bit too casually.
Sirius and Remus exchanged a knowing grin.
Once Molly and Arthur's four children were in the side room, Dumbledore cast a spell to allow sounds out, but not in—just in case one of them (mainly Harry) needed them. He stood at a podium at the head of the table with a large phoenix emblem on the front. All in attendance must have been former Hogwarts students; the chatter died instantly.
"Good evening. I thank you all for coming on such short notice, and at such a late hour. This, however, was necessary for your safety and the safety of what will be said tonight." Looks of surprise were evident on the faces of the new people in attendance. "For those who are aware of the reasons of such secrecy, I am sure you will understand. Those of you who have no idea what I am referring to, let me explain." Dumbledore paused to survey the room. All eyes were on him.
"During the war, I organized a group of people known amongst ourselves as the Order of the Phoenix. Our mission was to stop Voldemort—" a collective shudder went around most of the room at the name, "—once and for all. Unfortunately, this was not an easy task. Many of our members were murdered by Death Eaters or by Voldemort himself."
Remus and Sirius exchanged a brief look.
"Many mistakes and oversights were made." Sirius snorted inwardly. "Those we thought we could trust betrayed us. Those we did not trust took the fall." Dumbledore looked at Sirius for a brief moment. Sirius looked calmly back. "This time, however, we will be prepared."
"What do you mean, 'this time'?" Molly Weasley asked before she could stop herself.
Dumbledore considered the group before continuing. "Voldemort is once again attempting to regain power."
The effect of this sentence was immediate. Dedalus Diggle slipped off of his chair; Hestia Jones let out a small yelp; and the others gripped the table in front of them, panicked whispers going between them. Sirius and Remus were among the few who stared calmly back at Dumbledore, waiting to hear more.
"A little over a month ago, Peter Pettigrew made himself known, as I am sure you have all read about." The group nodded. "It is my belief, and the belief of Minister Bones, that Pettigrew has gone back to his former master to bring him back to the world."
"But that can't be," the pink-cheeked witch said, shaking. "You-Know-Who's dead. The Potter boy killed him!"
Remus and Sirius glared at her.
"Harry did not 'kill' Voldemort, Hestia," Dumbledore replied patiently. "Voldemort was not human enough to die. The curse that Voldemort used on Harry Potter backfired, leaving its caster as something weak and powerless. Voldemort lost his body that night and was forced to flee as a cloud of smoke. If Voldemort is gaining strength, it will only be a matter of time before he regains his body, and a second war begins."
There was more muttering and whispering before Arthur Weasley spoke. "What is it we're here for, Dumbledore?"
"Wonderful question, Arthur. That was my next point. I wish for you all to join—or in some cases rejoin—me in the effort to stop Lord Voldemort once and for all. Those of you who were in the Order last time know what I ask of you. I only ask that you do what you can. Every little bit helps. Those of you employed by the Ministry are of great importance in keeping a sharp eye for spies. Those not employed by the Ministry can help just as efficiently in other ways.
"This is not a commitment to be accepted lightly. If you accept—you are, of course, free to refuse—you must understand the risks involved. We mustn't speak of the Order to those who are not involved, or we risk exposure. Order members know how to reach one another—I will explain those ways in a moment.
"Any of you who do not wish to be a part of this will be free to leave once your memories have been modified. I am sure you will understand the reasoning behind this." Dumbledore paused.
Sirius took a look around the room. The new people looked as if they wanted to flee the country. The Weasleys were pale, Molly was shaking slightly. If he remembered correctly, Gideon and Fabian Prewett, who were in the Order last time, were Molly's brothers. The people who Sirius did know, those who had been in the Order before, looked anxiously at one another. Sirius hoped they wouldn't let fear of a second war stop them from helping. They needed to act fast...
"Those of you who wish to remain, I thank you," Dumbledore said. "Those who do not, I hold no hard feelings whatsoever, and I wish you much happiness in your lives. If you want to leave, please stand so I can modify your memory of the past half hour."
The only movement in the room was people looking around to see if anyone would stand.
After a moment or two, Dumbledore extended his arms to the crowd before him. "I welcome you all to the Order of the Phoenix."
"So... you're really Harry Potter?" one of the redheaded twins asked.
Harry looked back from his bed where he sat cross-legged clutching his stag, perplexed. "Yeah, I guess so..."
The other twin smiled broadly. "Wicked... Can we see your scar?" he asked excitedly.
"My scar? Why do you want to see that?" Harry asked with a small laugh.
"Isn't that where You-Know-Who tried to curse you?" the twin asked.
"You-Know-Who?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow he'd adopted from Remus. Then realization hit him; Sirius told him about that... "Oh, you mean Voldemort, don't you?"
All four redheaded children gasped. The youngest boy went pale and looked around the room. "You're not supposed to say his name," he whispered fearfully.
"Sirius and Remus said I should," Harry retorted defiantly.
"Who're they?" the girl asked.
"My guardians," Harry said proudly.
"So can we see your scar?" one of the twins asked hopefully.
Harry shrugged. "I guess." He moved his fringe and watched bemusedly as the other children gaped openly at his forehead.
"Wow..." muttered the youngest boy.
One of the twins stuck out his hand. "Fred Weasley, nice to meet you. This is George, Ron, and Ginny."
"Are you all wizards?" It was now Harry's turn for questioning.
"Yep," George replied. "All our lives. We heard you're the best wizard ever."
"Who told you that?" Harry asked, furrowing his brow. He had never been allowed to touch a wand, let alone do anything worthy to become the greatest wizard ever.
"Some kid." George shrugged.
"Dumbledore's the best ever. Remus says so all the time," Harry said.
"Oh. So what's your Quidditch team?"
The rest of the time spent in the side chamber was devoted to discussing Quidditch, and what kind of broomsticks the Weasleys and Harry owned (the boys were envious to over Harry's Nimbus 950).
Harry wanted to know what it was like at their home—apparently their father was obsessed with Muggles. And the Weasleys were interested to know what it was like living with Sirius Black—infamous mass murderer (Harry explained, quite angrily, that he was not a murderer; the children backed off)—and Remus. He told them of flying all day, and playing pranks on each other, leaving out the fact that Remus was a werewolf, and Sirius' Animagus abilities.
A few hours later, a redheaded woman came into the room.
Must be their mum, Harry thought a bit enviously.
"Mummy! Mummy, look! It's Harry Potter!" Ginny cried, running to the woman, pointing at Harry.
"Don't point, Ginny," the woman said. She smiled kindly at Harry who smiled back. "Hello, Harry, dear. I hope my children haven't been bothering you too much," she said with a glare to the twins.
"No, ma'am," Harry said quietly.
"Good. Sirius and Remus wanted me to tell you they will be in shortly to take you home. They're just discussing some things with the Headmaster."
"Okay, thank you," Harry said as Mrs. Weasley and her children left the room. He sat back on his bed, and waited for Sirius and Remus to come for him.
"So you say your son had a pet rat, Arthur?" Sirius asked.
Mostly everyone had left the room to go home. Dumbledore had inquired about the other Weasley children. Arthur mentioned one of his sons had just lost his pet rat, and how upset he had been lately about it.
Arthur turned to Sirius. "That's right. My son, Percy. He found it about five years ago, I guess it was, out in our garden. Scabbers was his name, and he was like a member of the family until he ran away last month. Molly and I think he might have just died, but we won't tell Percy that."
Remus' brow furrowed. "What did your son's rat—Scabbers, did you say?—what did he look like?" he asked in what he hoped was a tone of interested curiosity.
Arthur looked slightly taken aback in the question, but answered, "Er, well, he was brown, pretty fat— all he ever did was eat and sleep. Had a long scar on his stomach—Percy showed me once—bald tail, and the weirdest thing... he had the only blue eyes I've ever seen on a rat," he said with a chuckle.
Sirius nearly fell over where he stood, but Remus gripped his arm—probably to keep his own balance. Arthur didn't notice their strange behavior; Molly had exited the room with the children, and they were preparing to take their leave.
Before he left, Sirius asked Arthur, "D-did he, by any chance, have a toe missing from his right foot?" Sirius asked hoarsely.
Arthur thought for a moment, and answered cheerfully, "Yes, he did. That's why Percy called him 'Scabbers'; looked as if it was a recent injury when he found him."
"Oh my god," Sirius muttered over and over as they walked through Hogwarts once more.
Remus threw him a warning look. He had to carry Harry since Sirius was in slight shock over the recent revelation of Wormtail's location for the past years.
"So, Harry, did you have fun tonight with the other children?" he asked, hopefully calmly.
"Yeah," Harry said into Remus' shoulder. "All those kids wanted to see my scar."
"Did they?" Remus asked.
"Yeah."
"Padfoot, you okay to Apparate?" Remus asked, looking at Sirius. They didn't need the Magical Reversal Squad to show up.
Sirius nodded distractedly. "Yeah, I'm fine."
He's been hiding with a wizarding family. Must have left them before he went to Remus'. Bastard. I'll have to tell Arthur about who exactly had been sleeping in his son's bed for five years, Sirius thought.
They reached the Hogwarts gates and Apparated home.
Harry was asleep the moment Remus placed him in his bed and covered him with a blanket. This wasn't much of a surprise; it was 2:30 in the morning, after all.
Remus left the room, and found Sirius brooding in the kitchen, glaring at the table as if it was Wormtail.
"Sirius, maybe you should get some sleep. A lot's happened this week, and I know you're exhausted," Remus said quietly and hesitantly.
Sirius Black never liked to be told what to do when he was in a bad mood. There was no telling what he would do, whether it be to agree or start yelling. But to Remus' relief, Sirius nodded and stood without a word and walked to his bedroom. Remus stared at the closed door for a moment before going to his own room for much needed sleep.