Chapter two - back with the order
After only a few minutes Harry and Ginny managed to revive Mrs Weasley and she agreed, all be it rather faintly. The preparations went ahead and the christening of Anissia Lilly Potter went ahead perfectly ending up in a drunken pair of red headed twins being escorted up to their rooms for sleep and a hangover cure. Just after the twins were sent up to their room, and the guests had left Ginny was feeding Annie from a bottle and Harry was tidying, trying not to look at his young family he knew that Ginny would know what was up with him, she always seemed to know.
"What is it Harry, you've not been yourself since the party began, come here, sit and tell me what's troubling you"
"He didn't come, I invited him and-"
"And he arrived late" said an old warm voice "do you think I would miss this Harry? Really, I thought you knew me better than this" he said, smile lighting up his twinkling eyes.
"Professor!" Harry said, turning
"Yes indeed it is" replied the old man "I thought I would come later than the rest, rather selfish of me, but after hearing Minerva's description of her, I though I would like to see your daughter all to myself, its strange, the only thing I have ever known to melt Minerva McGonagall's heart is a small child, its truly amazing the power they can hold, even a smile or a chuckle from them can hold more magic than I could ever dream of possessing, you must remember, Harry, that you were only a year old when you nearly destroyed Voldemort"
"Yeah…" replied Harry, in awe of the speech from the professor and staring at nothing in particular.
Several minutes passed as one of the greatest wizards of all time sat with a bundle of blankets on him, staring into the eyes of the child, as if searching for something and rocking on a rocking chair. Then, he put her into a basket and went over to Harry and said
"Is there somewhere we can go Harry? We need to discuss something to do with the Order"
"Erm, of course" said Harry, wondering if he had heard Dumbledore right the words 'the Order' hitting him like a body blow. "Follow me professor"
He led Dumbledore to a secluded orchard, where the Weasley's and he had practiced Quidditch so many years ago
"What is it? I thought they had disbanded after… after you know" Harry said remembering what had actually happened, how it still haunted him when he slept.
"One second Harry" the wizard said, looking at his twelve handed watch and then with a swish of his wand conjuring a table to seat twelve just at the moment Harry was trying to figure out what was happening and who the twelve people were, several pops and one loud CRACK made him instinctively draw his wand and dive to take cover behind a chair.
"It's ok Harry, we don't mean to startle you" said a calm voice, he recognised it, it was Remus Lupin.
"Moony" Harry said getting up and grabbing him into a one armed hug out of relief more than anything.
"I thought, I…. I thought it was the death eaters again"
"No Harry" said Dumbledore "although it's not them, it's the order, but they are what we shall be discussing today"
He said, his voice now sombre
"Please Harry sit"
Harry did so, next to Dumbledore who was seated at the head of the table. Also there were most of the order, straight away Harry's eyes were drawn to Tonks, who was wearing her hair a bright red today, sat next to her, and if Harry wasn't much mistaken holding her hand under the table was a tiered looking bill Weasley, his ginger hair still as long as it ever was. Seated opposite them both were Fred and George, the latter of which was making kissy faces at Tonks and Bill and Harry could see the anger showing itself in the tips of his ears, as they had gone bright red, as was the usual for the Weasley boys when bated next to Fred sat Cho Chang and in between himself and Cho, was Lupin. At the other end of the table sat moody, his eye whizzing round in its socket probably searching for any signs of danger. Next to Dumbledore sat an old bearded wizard who Harry knew quite well, Aberforth, Dumbledore's younger brother. Next to him sat with his arms calmly folded and giving off an aura of just plain calm sat Kingsley Shacklebolt. And next to him, sat a wizard who Harry knew extremely well indeed, it was a man, whom as a boy, you could have never guessed that he had been induced into the Order, it was Neville Longbottom who Harry had spotted and grinned at, and he had received a happy nod back. As they were all sat, moody started to speak
"Now, it's been a while, but we have information, as we all know, the running of what was left of the Death eaters and the other things Voldemort had under his control have been taken under the wing of one Lucius Malfoy. Now we have intelligence brought to us that he's planning an attack on the platform as the young 'uns are boarding the train"
Harry was shocked at this, he knew Malfoy had been evil, but to attack children like that was beyond belief.
"I have asked Dumbledore to summon you all here today because you're the guard for the train and, don't forget the muggles in the station, they're our responsibility, now, do we all agree to the guard, or is there anyone who wants to back out?"
There was a general murmur of accent around the table and Alastor said
"Good then, right"
He said turning to Dumbledore
"Albus, you said about wanting a word?"
"thank you Alastor, now, to our youngest three here, I am here, to seek your help, Neville, Mrs sprout has decided not to return to Hogwarts this next year, and when asked who I should see as a replacement there were two names put forward, unfortunately, Hannah abbot is now a healer, and I thought you better qualified anyway, so Mr Longbottom, will you work for me?"
Neville looked as if he'd been struck in the face
"What? Whoa! What? Teach? At…At Hogwarts? Me? No! You can't be serious!"
Dumbledore just nodded
"My god, all right then headmaster, id be delighted!"
"Excellent!" said Dumbledore with pleasure "now Miss Chang madam Hooch's tragic death in the holidays has left us with a space at the Quidditch pitch, will you grant me the pleasure with your company at the staff table next year?"
"I'm sure I could arrange something sir" she said with a broad smile illuminating her features beautifully. Dumbledore then turned to Harry.
"you're the most qualified, Harry, I am having a house built on the school grounds for you and your family, please tell me you will fill it, hargid will be broken hearted of you don't.
"I'll have to talk it over with Ginny, but I'm sure it will be fine sir, id love to teach, do I need to ask the subject?" he said with a small laugh
"I don't believe you do" said Dumbledore "I don't believe you do. Now Aberforth, I believe you said you had some news of a suspected warning?"
"I do indeed Al!" said the old wizard with much gusto "I was sitting in a bar on the mainland not far from where I live and a man came up to me all confused, he said "are you Dumbledore?" and I said well no not really but I can get a message to him for you, anyway, he seemed very confused and then he decided to collapse on me and the barman just presumed he'd had a few at another bar and he thought he was my mate so I got lumbered with the bloke, as I was loading him into he boat, he went all rigid and said, well, ill show you" he said removing a bag at his feet. He pulled a strand from his temple with his wand and poked it into the silvery liquid stuff inside, at once a scene of a man on the end of what Harry recognised as the dock in the town on an island not far from where Harry and the Weasleys had stayed. The man looked up and said
"Sad wings of destiny
Rise up from the abyss
Into the infernal heaven
Heralding a new age
That beckons revenge
From the angel of retribution"
"And then he dropped dead, and I was left with him!" he declared, Dumbledore looked into the sky, over his half moon glasses.
"Does this mean he's back professor?" Cho said after a very pregnant silence
"No, no my dear, but I do believe it's one of his followers, the "heralding a new age" seems to confirm that, but I have no idea whom the "angel of retribution" is"
"Well" growled moody "who do they all want revenge from?" he said, as his magical eye spun and focused directly on Harry.
"Me again, then?" Harry said, exasperated
"You again potter"