I own nothing, JK Rowling owns HP.
Row of "S.J." signifies a scene break
The Dog
Sentimental Joe
Chapter Two
Albus Dumbledore was an old man, older than most knew. But even in his old age he was spry, fit and almost sane. This night though, was an exception. He felt older now than he ever had, the death of the Potter's had hit him like a fist to the gut. His eyes were red from crying and his face and snow white beard were wet from salty tears. He was crying so hard that he was glad he was a strong swimmer. He curled his fingers around the armrest on the Hogwarts headmaster's chair so tight that the skin covering his knuckles turned as white as a Death Eaters mask, bone white.
It was now nearly two o' clock in the morning, he had been sitting at his desk grieving for a few hours now. Albus glanced at his desk and saw a golden locket, shinning through his blurred vision. Blinking, he wiped away the tears and stared at the phoenix pendent, the mark of the Order.
Most people thought that Dumbledore had started the Order of the Phoenix when the war against Voldemort began back in the early seventies. This was untrue; The Order had been created much further back in history, the earliest record of it being the time when Merlin headed it. The name changed though, each new leader changed the name of the Order so as to hide its identity; the phoenix pendant though remained the same since the beginning. In fact the very same pendent that Dumbledore now wore was the only belonging of Merlin's ever found. The pendent consisted of defensive spells and charms that not even he, Albus Dumbledore, could understand.
As he was thinking about his pendent he realized with a new wave of sadness sweeping over him that the rest of the Order would need to know of Lilly and James's death. They were friends with them after all, and it wouldn't be right to keep something like this from them for even a little while longer. With a heavy sigh and a heart much the same he gripped the pendent in his fist, making all the other pendants glow and become warm. When the members of the Order felt their pendants, which they wore at all times, become heated they would know that Albus was calling an Order meeting. It was a rare thing that someone would be late or skip an order meeting, but it wasn't like the Death Eaters meetings where missing meetings without the Dark Lord's permission was basically the same as walking up to the Dark Lord with a "Kill me, I'm a Mudblood" sign taped to your forehead.
Mad-Eye Moody, as he was called, was in his basement checking for any charms that someone could have come in and placed on his belongings while he was asleep last night. He felt his phoenix pendant heat up against the skin on his chest. With one last suspicious glare at the dark dank basement he ran to the sitting room upstairs, grabbed the necessary pinch-full of floo powder and flooed to the Order's secret location, shouting the address as the flames turned green and flashed him away.
Remus Lupin had been sitting in a comfortable chair in his living room reading a book on magical theory when he felt his pendant warm. He carefully marked his page and set the book down on a slightly shabby coffee table. He went to his fireplace, called out the address sombrely with a serene look on his face. Something bad must have happened, he thought. But he never suspected what the Headmaster would tell him, not in his most depressing nightmares, and he had very depressing nightmares.
Sirius Black, or Padfoot, had been sleeping since early that afternoon because the last couple days were hectic with Death Eater attacks. When he got home this morning from an overnight battle in the outskirts of London he had never even made it to his bed before he was out like a light. Sirius felt something warm, but it didn't wake him, it only annoyed him slightly before he shifted positions and could no longer feel the pendant. He fell back into a deeper sleep, missing the summons, he wouldn't hear of his best friend's death until the sun shed some light on it.
Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks were very busy these days, what with all the Death Eater raids, so when their pendants heated up they could be found in the Ministry of Magic building. Shacklebolt was upstairs in the Head Auror's office. Three other high-ups were there as well, all bent over a map, carefully speculating it trying to guess where the next attack would take place.
While Kingsley was a few floors up trying to burn holes through a piece of parchment with his eyes, Tonks was downstairs writing reports. All Auror's had to write out detailed reports every time they raised their wands at work, offensively or defensively, much like a muggle police officer and their guns. Both felt their pendants heat up at the same time, while Tonks just left straight away for the Ministries floo system without a word, Kingsley had to make up some sort of excuse, luckily the stoic Auror was smart enough to create a believable excuse and was whispering the address only minutes after Tonks.
There were many other members of the Order, many working in the ministry, sharing curious looks with each other as they met in a rush in the hallway, all trying their very best to look inconspicuous. To look as if they were only out for a night time stroll in mostly Death Eater infested streets. If the ministry wasn't such a zoo at the time, they would have been found out.
There was only one fireplace connected to the floo network in Number 12 Grimmauld Place, so people were coming out of it one after another, almost falling over each other, with one exception. Tonks did not almost fall over someone, she did, spectacularly. Tonks fall had a domino affect, knocking over four others, luckily, no one died, death being entirely possible when Tonks was near a fire place or anything else above thirty degrees.
When everyone had picked themselves up, giving Tonks, who was doing her best impersonation of a tomato, an exasperated glare; Remus Lupin, who had arrived third, only coming after Dumbledore and Moody, eyes the scene with a glint in his eye.
"Well, now that everyone has fallen into place, we can begin the meeting!" The almost-joke was met with glares and groans. Remus turned to Dumbledore, who was the one to usually make such comments. But not today, Remus noted, his stomach twisting into a knot. Albus looked horrible, his red rimmed eyes and pale, drawn face spoke volumes. Remus was especially worried because Dumbledore, their leader, was usually the one to keep so much hope alive. He looked jovial on a regular basis, weather he felt it or not.
With that everyone walked into the kitchen, where a large table was set up with many uncomfortable wooden chairs surrounding it. Once everyone was seated, a red haired man asked the question that was on everyone's mind.
"What's going on, Albus?" his voice shook with anxiety and a trace of fear, but this man, like the majority of the Order, was a Gryffindor. Dumbledore stared at the tablecloth's intricate patterns, trying to find words in his vast vocabulary to break the news, especially to Remus and Sirius. Taking a look around Dumbledore realized Sirius wasn't here!
"Where is Sirius," questioned Dumbledore urgently, he dearly hoped Sirius hadn't heard of this before and done something rash that would get him killed or imprisoned. Remus was the one to answer.
"He told me he was going to sleep all day and night because he hardly got any sleep lately; the Auror office has been more than a little busy, he says." Remus stated formally, with a questioning undertone. All the other Auror's in the room made affirmative sounds, from grunts and sarcastic snorts, to heavy sighs. Dumbledore was a little relieved.
"We shall let him sleep then…" Albus stated, obviously thinking about something else.
"Albus, you seem unnaturally tense tonight, what's happened?" Molly Weasley, the wife of the red haired man asked. She looked the place up and down and deciding that it was too dirty, dark and dusty for her likes. A full scale make-over was definitely due, she'd see to it someday.
"Something has happened…. something terrible." Albus started tentatively. Curious but fearful looks were on all the faces of the order with that said. Dumbledore looked like he really didn't want to carry on finishing what he started saying. Moody decided to give him a bit of a nudge, to encourage him to not leave them hanging, dreading.
"Whatever has happened Albus, we must know. The rules of the Order state that…" Moody was cut off by Dumbledore's voice cutting through his comment like a cutting curse through butter.
"I know the rules of the order moody!" Albus' voice cracked like a whip. Moody drew himself up as if to pounce on Albus, verbally of course… "I'm sorry Alastor, I'm unusually emotional right now for reasons I shall reveal to you at this time." Dumbledore said in a resigned tone of voice. "There's been a terrible loss… Not even I am sure how this could have happened but…" Albus was cut off by a sudden statement from Remus.
"I know why Sirius isn't here, but what about Lilly and James? Why aren't they here? Do they have to stay in hiding, even during the meetings?" Dumbledore just stared at Remus, eyes filled with pain and the only sparkle in his sky blue eyes was the one of a tear. Remus made the connection the fastest, quickly followed by Moody and Kingsley. Remus' face paled drastically. "No!" Remus shouted as he made his way to the fire place. H crossed the room in speed only available to people with certain 'diseases.' With one swift motion he had gripped a handful of floo powder, much more than necessary, and screamed at the top of his lungs, "Godric's Hollow!" But nothing happened. "It's the fidelius, right Albus? That's why I can't floo right!" Remus asked in desperation. By now all of the Order had made the connection, and were looking at each other, but mostly towards Remus with looks of extreme sympathy. The Potter's had been great people, not to mention very beneficial to the Order.
"I'm sorry Remus, Their House no longer exists. It was burnt to the ground and the Dark Mark is even now resting over the ruins." Albus said, ignoring his own sorrow in Order to try and placate Remus just in case he decided to do something rash.
"You're lying! What about Harry!" Remus spat the first part out viciously, and the second part about his best friend's son was exclaimed with much apprehension.
"Harry is nowhere to be seen; we figure his body was destroyed completely, for reasons… unknown." Remus stared at him for a few seconds, not believing that the reasons really were unknown, before jumping forwards with speed only a were-wolf like he could manage; he had Albus' neck in his tight grip faster than anyone could react.
"How do you know… why didn't you stop it!" Howled Remus in such a rage, he had never been this angry in his life; anger fuelled by fear, extreme sadness and an immeasurable sense of loss. Order members pulled Remus off Albus with ease, as the middle-aged werewolf's grip lessened, due to him being lost in thought. James accepted him, even though he was a 'dark creature,' Lilly too. Where most people would have and did shun him and his kind, they didn't. They judged him by his personality and things he could control. They didn't judge him over something he could not even get rid of no matter how hard he tried, and he had tried.
"I know because I'm the once who cast the Fidelius on the Potter's home. The Fidelius creates a bond with the caster, my magical core was holding up the Fidelius, so I felt it in my core when it was nullified.
"You're core held up two Fidelius wards for more than six months?" a stern looking lady by the name of Minerva McGonagall asked incredulously, a look of shock on her face. Albus was about to responded when they were interrupted by a hiss from Remus.
"That. Doesn't. Matter. Right. NOW!" He shouted that last word so loud the house shook and the non-silverware rattled in the cabinets.
"Of course you are right Remus." Albus responded, ashamed, his face turning a slight pink, it was barely visible under his beard though.
"Well, that was of course the main reason I asked you all here, but there are other reasons. More pressing ones, I dare say." Dumbledore spoke gravely, a firm expression on his face. He tried to stare away from the livid expression on Lupin's face.
"What do you mean, Albus?" Asked a short witch, she looked to be in her mid forties as winkles were slowly sneaking up near the corners of her eyes and grey hairs were slowly invading the fading blonde ones. She looked as if she had been quite pretty in her youth.
"I mean, dear, that Voldemort has a habit of…celebrating after his victories. So, in other less subtle words, I believe that Voldemort and his servants will be or already are wreaking havoc in England, probably in smaller villages. This brought fearful but determined looks on faces all around the sturdy table.
"What I want done is this: I wish to send out people in groups of two, all over England to the small villages, trying to find Death Eaters. Do not engage them. If you find a group of them, for I am sure they won't all be together, come back here where I will wait. I will signal the order using the pendants. Use the emergency portkey if you're in a sticky situation or encounter anti-apparation wards and cannot escape an area.
All the people were assigned a partner and given a general area to search for the black robed enemies in, apparating from village to village in the vicinity. Only a few people remained in the head quarters: Albus, Remus and Molly Weasley. Molly had preoccupied herself by cooking, like she always did when Arthur went on potentially dangerous Order assignments. Soon enough the pleasing aroma of spices and baking floated to the air. Remus could have smelled the cooking easily with his heightened senses, if he cared too. His mind was on other, more depressing things. He thought of telling Sirius, but decided negatively. He would let his friend sleep; he needed to be alone right now anyway. With tears falling from his eyes he got up and walked toward the front door, under the careful hawk-like watch of his ex-Headmaster.
Albus knew to leave Remus alone, but he was worried for the boy. He knew Lupin hadn't much. He had a shabby home, shabby robes and he couldn't even acquire a proper job. Albus had been trying for a couple years now to get Remus a job in his school, but fighting the ministry on this topic proved infinitely more difficult than most others, where he was concerned. Usually he could bend the minister to his will, but it seemed unlikely in this aspect. The prejudice against so called dark creatures was strong. Still, he would continue trying.
The door shutting quietly awakened the Headmaster from his contemplating on manipulating politicians; Remus had left. Albus didn't know where he had gone but he had a reasonably valid guess: Godric's Hollow.
There was a snapping sound as a man with shabby robes and a five o' clock shadow suddenly appeared on the charred front lawn of Number 12, Godric's Hollow. The neighbours, hearing what they thought was a gun going off, quickly close their shutters and turned off the lights; to all appearances, they weren't home or were asleep. The man paid no attention to the trivial activities of the muggles though, he just stared at the sky; at a faint picture in the sky, one could barely make it out. It was ghastly he noticed, as Remus pieced at apart. The skull and snake: the Dark Mark. Remus collapsed to his knees, staring up at the starlit, not so beautiful sky – to him anyway. This made it concrete, set in stone. The Dark Mark, the burned house, all of this. He briefly wondered why there weren't any Aurors inspecting the crime scene, but then realized that most of them were out fighting Death Eaters now.
While he was surprised he had been able to concentrate well enough to succeed, Remus had apparated back to his home. He fell once more into his not-so comfy reading chair, forgetting all about his book, he just sat their and cried. He didn't know how long he just sat there, but soon enough the sun rose.
Beams of yellow light shot through his window, ricocheting off his glass cup that had been filled with water, and into his eyes successfully waking him from a nightmare-filled slumber. He blinked, and it all came back to him. In the blink of an eye he remembered that he had just lost two of his best friends ever. Two people who would accept him. On top of that, he lost their son. He would never be able to enjoy the almost constant laughing of the black haired boy again. He would never be able to scold him as he copied Sirius' and James' pranks. He wouldn't be able to try and make a scholar out of James son like he had threatened so many times before… He would never even see the boy again. He almost cried again, but didn't. Sirius had to know now. And it would be better if you heard it from a friend the skewed version The Prophet would put out. He left fro Sirius' place to break the news to his last best-friend.