Chapter 6
Morning came swiftly for the young group with the anticipated excitement of their first official meeting of the Order. They hurried downstairs to see that the rest of the Order had already arrived and where waiting for them to come down from their rooms.
"Why didn't you tell us that everyone was here?" George asked his mother as he sat down in one of the chairs.
"I didn't want to wake you all. Now hush," she reprimanded. Dumbledore came forward, a sad smile upon his face.
"When Voldermort had first been vanquished I believed that there may be a hope for all of your young lives. I had believed that there may possibly be some thread of the chance a new life. Yet, deep down I knew that Voldermort would come back. I could only sit back and wait for that day to come. You all have proven yourselves time and time again. You continuously come to the aid of the school, your peers, your family, and your friends. In all of the wizarding world there have never been students like yourselves that continuously attack each challenge and survive from what the world gives each of you."
"However, I do not believe that any one of you should have to face the horrors of war, the horrors of losing loved ones, or the horror of having to be a part of the Order and being always aware and always on your guard. Yet I can not stop any of you. You have dealt with things that none of us have ever had to face and if there were qualifications to joining the Order then we are unworthy to be a part of it in the wake of what you have all done."
"Beyond that, you are children. Yes, Fred and George I include you two as well in that. In the scheme of life you are but mere children trying to grow up in the worst environment ever. Yet you have all grown up, no worse for the wear I see, but slightly damaged emotionally. Being in the Order will damage you more emotionally, but it is your choice and we as an Order can not stop you from that."
"Thus, on to the reason we are here today. We are here to join you all in to the Order of the Phoenix, first started over seventeen years ago as an attempt to take out the Dark Lord and his followers of evil. Each of your parents, except for yours Hermione since they are Muggles, have been a part of this order. They have fought side by side with gallant men and women. They have watched many struggle, fight, win, lose, and die to this fight."
"You have watched the same thing and you have all done something that this Order has failed to do. You truly defeated Voldermort. For that the Order and the rest of the wizarding world is eternally grateful. However, that does not mean that isn't danger afoot. There are still his supporters that are very angry about the outcome of the war and its length. They are waging war upon you all. Many parents, all of Slytherin students, have owled to tell me that their sons and daughters will not be attending Hogwarts this year. This means your class has dwindled drastically in size as well as the school."
"On a brighter note, you are our future. Without you we would have no life at all, no hope for any type of real life that is. You have given every one hope, a future, a life, and a dream."
"Upon this day, at this hour, in this very room. I, Albus Dumbledore officially welcome you into the Order of the Phoenix. You now are our brothers and sisters in this fight. We will rely on you. You will have missions. You will have duties. You will have orders. But beyond that you will all have a special bond. From this day forward you are a part of the Order and no one can change a thing about it."
He motioned for them to stand up. They did as a group, determined faces looking back at his. Dumbledore pulled out his wand and tapped each on the head.
"You are now a part of the Order. Welcome."
The room fell into applause and the group beamed, except for Harry.
"Who is the leader?" He asked Dumbledore.
"I am, Harry. Now, let us eat this delightful breakfast Molly has made for us all," he answered.
A twist hit Harry's stomach. Something wasn't going to be right this year.