As soon as Harry felt the hard cobbled road under his feet he knew he had Apparated to the right place. The warmth that emitted from the rowdier of the local taverns beckoned to Harry but he knew better than to just walk into a bar in these troubled times, especially since the barmaid had been under the Imperius Curse for the past year before anyone realised. He walked on past the bar and further down the long main street, past the boarded up windows of Zonko's Joke Shop, continued past the sweet smells of Honeyduke's and down a lane that broke off just past the sweet shop. "Lilystain Lne" was written on an old sign that was barely hanging from its post at the mouth of this dark alleyway. No gas lamps continued down this part of Hogsmeade and it looked as though not many people had used this route for a couple of years. There were massive cobwebs that began on one side of the lane to the other without stopping. What's worse is that these spider webs hadn't looked as though they too had been used for years aswell.
What was he doing here, Harry asked himself, then remembered he was here to meet Hermione and Ron before setting out for the long forgotten Godric's Hollow and the graves of Harry's dead parents. He kept reminding himself of this as he brushed the cobwebs off his face whilst looking for the number twenty-one on any of the old oak doors. Hogsmeade had changed over the past year, once filled with many happy faces and people going about their daily business but now during the day it was occupied by very little people and those who did hurried quickly out of the way of others and avoiding any contact with any of their old friends.
The evil Dark Lord, Voldemort had filled these innocent wizards and witches with fear and was threatening them with their families lives unless they helped him in his evil quest. This is what brought Harry to stand outside Number Twenty-one, Lilystain Lane, the new Headquarters for The Order of the Phoenix. Even Though the Order had lost it's leader Albus Dumbledore to Lord Voldemort the previous July, it had still remained in order and was still out in search of Lord Voldemort's lair and waging the war against his followers. Their job of fighting the Death Eaters had been made alot easier since the alliance with the Ministry of Magic.
As Harry knocked on the door of the splintering oak, he heard voices arguing from the other end of the alleyway, oddly familiar voices. When the two people came in to sight Harry recognised them instantly. The first an oddly beautiful Muggle-born witch and the brainiest witch in Harry's year, Hermione Granger was tall and had a large head of bushy, brown hair that went to below her shoulders. The second was a bulky yet oddly tall boy who belonged too one of the last pure blood families in England, Ron Weasley. He was easily recognisable because of the mop of red hair that covered half of his head. When they finally realised that he was standing at the door and looking at them with a highly affectionate expression, they hurried up to him, receiving a very long-winded hug from Hermione and a hard pat on the back from Ron.
Smiling, Harry commented, "I see you made your descisions . . . thanks."
"We weren't going to leave you to face . . . L-Lord V-Voldemort by yourself Harry. Besides Ron and I insisted on coming otherwise you won't know where Bill and Fleur are getting married," she said knowingly.
"Yeah mate, like we would leave you out in the open with Death Eaters and Dementors attacking left, right and centre," said Ron obviously still pleased with himself that he finally managed to produce a Patronus over the holidays.
"Well this is where it begins," Harry said grinning as he knocked on the hard oak door.
After two minutes Harry heard the many locks on the door undoing before a head poked out the door. The head belonged to Mad Eye Moody who looked them up and down before asking them a question each. Harry's question was first and answered it without any trouble. He was allowed in and was shortly followed by Ron and Hermione. As they entered the vast living room Harry noticed a worn out young man dozing in the nearest armchair. His hair was greyer than usual and there were more scars on his weather beaten face. Remus Lupin was one of few members of the Order that hadn't been killed or thrown into Azkaban. Lupin twitched in his sleep and suddenly woke as a young woman with bubblegum-pink hair walked into the room from the kitchen. Nymphadora Tonks was a well known Auror but even better known for her clumsy-ness. She greeted them with strong hugs and then came to stand by Lupin holding his hand affectionately.
Moody limped back into the room and began yelling, "Mundungus get your filthy rotten backside down here and greet the Secret Keeper, Ron and Hermione otherwise I will jinx you back to Azkaban!"
Hermione and Ron began to laugh as a short rather dirty wizard by the name of Mundungus Fletcher stumbled into the room looking terrified by the fact that Moody had threatened him with the dreaded wizard prison, Azkaban. He greeted Ron and Hermione with a vigorous hand shake before turning to Harry who gave him a deathly look and shook his hand quickly before retreating back next to Ron.
Lupin began the conversation, "Now Harry you should find it quite easy to find Godric's Hollow as. . . as the enchantment that was cast so many years ago is now ceased because of Dumbledore's . . . Dumbledore's death. Whatever you find there, even if it makes you angry beyond reason, you must not and I say, MUST not let your anger take control. We have people all over the United Kingdom and many of the European countries in search of these Horcruxes that you have mentioned. It is essential that you survive for it is you and you only who can kill Voldemort."
At that Tonks began, "Now Harry stay safe and if you ever need any of us, use the mirror method that Sirius taught you of, because Remus has the other mirror now. Don't be afraid to ask for assistance. Now Ron don't you let anything happen to Harry, Hermione or yourself because I don't want to have to answer to your mother if anything does. I have to tell you she does scare me abit. Now Hermione I know you will keep the boys safe 'cause you are smarter than them and you are a quick thinker. All of you stay safe and if you do find a Horcrux bring it straight back to the Headquarters for the Order to deal with. Okay?"
They all nodded silently and said there own goodbyes before being escorted out the door and out of the village by Mad Eye and dark Auror known as Kingsley Shacklebolt. It was here that they would begin there quest and into the unknown