Chapter 24

Albus is cognizant that there are too many loopholes in this contract and they are all in Black's favor. He can't even place stronger wards than the goblins or the Black family wards, with both combined with a a blooded Black living there, the place is impenetrable.

The issue of Molly is troublesome. Also is the fact that no one is allowed to venture beyond the three allowed rooms or stay. Albus had planned to have the Weasleys move in for the summer. With this, all his plans are up in smoke.

The last worrisome group of things are that it makes no mention of Remus or Sirius himself rejoining the Order. That could prove troublesome when the time comes to recruit Harry. Next, if Harry was able to get the will read, he might not go back to Surrey. Albus needs him there. The weaker Harry's will, the easier he'll be to convince to sacrifice himself, but what's this about the Veil and them knowing about the Horcruxes.

Then again, he has no other option than to go through with this.

Kreacher is overjoyed that he has so much to do.

The Order members arrive all somber and quiet. They are escorted to the kitchen and then to a lower back parlor that Sirius has set aside for the meetings.

The whole Weasley family shows. Sirius tips his head to the side.

"I must commend you Molly on your stance against Voldemort. To let all of your children come to the meetings is very forward thinking." Sirius opens the door and motions everyone back towards the Order's allotted space.

"No. Arthur, Bill, Charlie and I are here for the meeting. The others are not allowed in there. They are too young." Molly pushes out her chest, attempting to overrule Sirius. It was laughable to the grim, knowing that the twins were seventeen already.

"And pray tell, what are the younger two here for?" Sirius asks, knowing already what she will say. The overbearing heifer.

"Freddy and George were invited to Harry's party. So we figured (Arthur and the twins point to Molly. "All her." they mouth.) that Ron and Ginny's were just dropped by the owl."

Sirius pretends to think for a moment. "M mm, NO! They were not invited. Seeing as I invited George in person and told him that the invite was strictly just for him and Fred, I know that is not true. You have a choice, take your extra children home or let them come to the meeting. As this mistake is on your head, it's your choice, but I am not ruining my godson's first ever birthday party by letting a gluttonous glory hound and little Miss brainwashed in there." Sirius crosses his arms over his chest.

Molly puffs up to the size of a balloon. "How dare you talk to me that way, you good for nothing serial killer." Arthur rolls his eyes.

"Why do I let her leave the house?" He would have said more, but a wave of pure power comes through the closed dinning room doors. The doors slam open. An enraged Harry Potter stands there with an equally angry Hermione Granger and her parents. "Fred, George nice to see you, come in." Harry politely bites out. The twins know where the power is, and move behind Harry. "Mrs. Weasley, please kindly shut the hell up. You are in Sirius' home, have some common decency and button it. If you have that many objections to this place, kindly leave, never come back and do expect the Headmaster to seek out why the Order can't meet here because you couldn't keep your yap shut or from a blatant attempt at destroying something that my godfather was trying to do for me.

You already made your opinion clear about my best friend/sister and now my godfather, care to take a crack at my parents while we are at it? We all know that apparently you are the only one that knows how to raise a child, but that isn't true Molly.

I asked Sirius to only invite Fred and George, because they are my friends because they want to be my friends. The same can't be said about Ginny and it definitely can't be said for Ron. Have a good meeting." Harry turns around and goes back to the dinning room. Inside is a large cake, a pile presents and tons of food.

Sirius and Remus start the stereo, getting in a local top 40 station. Inside, Hermione, her parents, Harry, George, Fred, Susan, and Neville relax back into the festive mood. "Harry, don't let them get you down. This is your party." Neville tells him.

"So what's up with you and Gin, Nev? You didn't jump to defend her." Sue observes, taking a seat next to Harry. The dark haired boy welcomes her attention. He smiles at her.

"She may have given up on the Boy Who Lived as a husband, Sue, but Ginny is not just looking for a boyfriend, she's looking for a husband. When she started writing Ginny Longbottom, I was out of there. I told her when we decided to see each other that it was casual. I don't have any major problem with her, but she is clinging to anything. I'm sorry guys, but she isn't even close to being up for that."

Janet jumps when a loud pounding knock sounds from the other side of the door.

"What now?" Sirius mutters. "Well, you did tell them that only you and I are to retrieve things from the library. Knowing Albus, he'll keep you and I hopping in hopes that we will join up." Remus explains while dishing out some of the pizza. "By the way Kreacher, you outdid yourself. Great food." He calls to the little elf.

"Thank you, Master Siri's wolf man." Kreacher says as he loads the table with more food.

Sirius answers the door, steps out and closes it. "Yes?" He growls. Before him stands Ron Weasley. He and his sister have been sitting on the stairs of the Manor for ten minutes now. Ginny is fine, she doesn't really care that she wasn't invited. Once their parents and brothers had gone in for the meeting, she took out her nail polish, that she got in Hogsmeade before school ended.

Ron is insulted, hungry and wants to be at the party. He caught sight of Hermione in there and wants to convince her that they should be together.

"Why can't we come in? We are just waiting around out here." Ron whines. Sirius can see Ginny rolling her eyes. "I already explained to your mother that you were not invited. Knowing that, she obviously left you out here to wait until she was done. I suggest you do so quietly like your sister there. This is my family's home. You never know what horrible thing might be lurking around."

Ron cowers back from Lord Black. In the teen's eyes, completely reinforced by his mother, Sirius is still "Mad Sirius Black". Sirius turns around and enters the dinning room again, firmly shutting the doors again in Ron's face.

Down in the back parlor off the kitchen, Albus is not impressed by the turnout. Severus, Minerva, Arthur and Molly, Bill and Charles Weasley, Alistor, Diggle, Kingsley and Nymphadora Tonks. Even then, the younger Weasleys and Minerva are not happy about who's not here.

"Where's Remus and Sirius, Albus? We are in the man's house and he isn't here. Isn't that just a little strange to you?" Minerva reasons.

"Lord Black has kindly allowed us to rent this space to meet, but has refused my invitations to join back up. So has Remus. They intend to research and investigate this all on their own. Lord Black had me sign a contract for the use. In it are stipulations. If we violate them, we'll have to find another meeting place."

"What are these stipulations, Albus?" Kingsley's deep voice asks.

"Monthly rent of 50 galleons, we are restricted to this room, the kitchen and the bathroom on this floor. He and Remus are the only ones allowed to retrieve anything from the library. No listening, tracking or location spells are to be placed on the Manor. Aside from anyone that Sirius, Remus or Harry invites, no one but members of the Black family are allowed to stay the night. Lastly, Molly is not allowed to cook or order anyone around in this house. Lord Black is very expressive on that front. If he locks us out, we will never be able to get back in or even find the place. He enacted the Black wards as well as having the goblins and Kreacher ward the house. Even I could not overpower them." Albus explains.

"How dare he?" Molly boils over. She was already simmering angrily about the kids not being able to go to Harry's party.

"In his house Molly, he can dare anything he damn well chooses." Alastor Moody stands up to the ginger bitch. He decides that Albus is wrong to try and revive the Order again. They never get anything done. With Molly Weasley mouthing off about everything being too dangerous, they will get even less done. It was very telling that Albus was not included in the party for his supposed "protege" when it is taking place in the same house.

Minerva shakes her head. This is the last straw. She was worried that Albus had done something like this. Everyone knows that the only Weasleys that Harry, Sirius and Remus are speaking to are the twins and Bill, Charlie and Arthur. She'll wait until she sees Harry again to tell him in person that she will back him, not Albus. Moody, Arthur, Bill and Charlie are thinking the same. Minerva's resignation from the Order will be sent after she leaves.

The meeting breaks up and the members leave. Arthur and Molly knock on the door to the dining room.

Janet waves everyone down. "I'll get it this time. I have a hunch as who it could be." She smirks evilly. She opens the dining room door and closes it behind her.

"Yes?" She leans back against the door with her arms crossed and a raised eyebrow. She's been hoping for a run in with Molly Weasley.

Janet's curly hair and golden eyes are dead give-a ways to who she was to anyone, other than Molly and Ron Weasley. Arthur groans, knowing that his son's mother in law was about to lay into his wife.