It's offically been another 2 weeks. Five weeks since I...appeared here. I'm fully settling in, I think. Dumbledore gave me a secret apartment area on campus. It's easily accessible, and most students don't wander the halls near the wing, he's said. We'll see, I guess. But it's so comfortable! And it's mine. All mine….
But training has gone really well. McGonagall helps tons, and I've officially met Hagrid! He's so sweet, even more than I figured. He helps me relax at the end of the day, make me forget my...destiny.
Dumbledore and McGonagall say I've improved extremely. Which is...amazing to hear. I think I'm officially going to meet the Order of the Phoenix soon. I just hope...nothing goes wrong when I do.
"Avery?"
Her gaze snapped up from her journal, smiling as she saw Dumbledore in the doorway of her space. Avery called it an apartment, but Dumbledore and McGonagall called it a "wing".
Shutting her journal and setting the quill aside, she said, "Yes?"
Dumbledore smiled, looking at her over his glasses. "Would you like to come with me tonight?"
Every Saturday, sometimes more even, Dumbledore and McGonagall would go to Order meetings and had been leaving her with Hagrid the past few times. Avery had wanted to join them every single time but knew they would bring her when it was time.
Avery instantly sat straight in her chair. "Really?!"
He chuckled and nodded. "Yes, I think it's time."
Avery launched herself out of her seat, grabbing her hand and jacket as she rushed towards him. "Okay! Let's- let's go!"
He chuckled again. "First, we must discuss your...background."
Avery froze. "Oh...right."
"I'm going to say you are the daughter of a friend from America," he explained. "You knew of Voldemort's terror in America, and traveled here to help me."
Avery nodded. "Right. Got it."
He nodded and smiled. "Good, let us go then." Avery took a deep breath and followed him down the halls as he continued speaking, explaining that they would use the Floo network to get to the abandoned pub the meeting was at today.
Dumbledore was still teaching Avery how to apparate, so she didn't mind using the Floo network. It was a relief after the training and trial of apparating.
Avery turned her attention back to Dumbledore, who was now explaining who would be there. "Everyone should be in attendance, so it's a good chance you'll meet everyone."
Everyone. That meant Moody, Kingsley, Abeforth, the Longbottoms, the Prewett twins (Molly Weasley's brothers), and...Lily Evans, Peter Pettigrew, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin.
"Don't panic," Avery muttered softly. "Just stay calm…"
Dumbledore glanced at Avery, knowing this was a big step for her. But a good step, he hoped. And a step in the direction they were both aiming towards.
Remus glanced around the pub, relieved to see everyone there. It had been a while since their last full meeting, lots of the members of the Order being on separate meetings and such. Everyone was mingling, eating food the Prewett twins had brought, and drinks Sirius and James had brought.
"I can't wait for you to meet her," Hagrid said to Lily, a large smile on his face, just as the four Marauders made their way to the two.
"Who?" James asked, furrowing his eyebrows as he handed Lily a drink.
"Dumbledore apparently has a new recruit," Lily informed them. "From America."
"What?" Sirius replied, coughing as he choked on his drink. "An American wants to help us?"
Remus and Lily rolled their eyes as Hagrid said, "She's brilliant, really. Trust me. Dumbledore wouldn't take her under his wing if she wasn't."
Now that caught Remus's attention. "He took her under his wing?"
Just then the fireplace sparked and lit up in green flames, everyone falling silent as a figure stepped out. They all relaxed as they saw it was McGonagall, who smiled and nodded to them all before turning back to the fireplace. A second later, the green flames returned. But this time, an unfamiliar figure stepped out, a woman.
She was short, about 5'4" is Remus had to speculate. She coughed and moved towards McGonagall, brushing the soot off of her pale skin and clothes that almost looked too big on her, or wrong. Remus looked over her, noticing the wand tucked into her knee height boots, her long chestnut brown hair pulled into a braid, and her movements stiff. She looked over the room, her amber eyes studying everyone and everything. He noticed she paused as their eyes met, but she looked over the group he was with, before quickly looking away.
The fireplace lit again, this time Dumbledore stepping out. He glanced at the girl, who nodded, before looking over the room, smiling. "Well, I am happy to see everyone here."
Moody shambled forward, embracing his friend. "You're late."
Dumbledore chuckled. "I supposed we are. I apologize." McGonagall coughed, nodding to the girl beside him. "Ah, right." Moody stepped to his side as Dumbledore stepped forward slightly, addressing the group. "Everyone, I want to introduce you to a new member, Avery Thomas."
The girl nodded, a small smile on her lips as all eyes went to her before going back to Dumbledore. "She is the daughter of a friend of mine in America. After the trouble he caused there, Avery decided to travel here to help."
Everyone slowly nodded, trusting Dumbledore more than anything. If he trusted her, they wouldn't question her place.
Kingsley stepped forward. "Albus."
Dumbledore nodded instantly, glancing at Moody. "We have something to discuss. Excuse us."
The three left the room, everyone sitting in silence for a moment before going back to their groups, the conversations clearly changed.
"Well, she's...interesting," Peter commented, glancing at the girl.
Remus glanced at her as well, noting her folded arms as McGonagall left her side. Clearly, she knew people were talking about her.
"Well, she looks our age," James added.
"That means we should introduce ourselves," Lily stated, before taking James's hand and dragging him in the girl's direction.
McGonagall glanced at Avery as Dumbledore left the room. "I have to go discuss a few things, will-"
"I'll be fine," Avery stated. "Go ahead." The older woman nodded before moving farther into the room, leaving Avery alone.
Slowly, Avery folded her arms over herself. She said she would be fine, but that didn't mean relaxed in the slightest. Or comfortable.
Avery glanced around to see a redhead dragging a man towards her, Avery's stomach twisting instantly.
"Hi," the girl said, smiling at Avery, the redhead not noticing the man gesture the rest of the group over.
"Um...hi," Avery responded, feeling her nerves triple. She was talking to Lily Evans and James Potter. And the rest of the marauders (along with Hagrid) were coming over too. Oh god.
The redhead, Lily Avery knew, let go of the man's hand and held it out. "I'm Lily. Lily Evans."
Avery swallowed the lump in her throat before shaking it. "Avery."
Lily's smile grew as they shook hands, before she gestured to the group, pointing to each man as she introduced them all. "These are James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and well, you know Hagrid."
The men waved, Hagrid more enthusiastic than the rest. Avery waved back, before meeting Hagrid's eyes as he spoke. "I was telling Lily o' you."
Avery instantly flushed. "Hagrid, you didn't have to do that."
"Well you're amazing!" he cried. "'ou deserve it."
Avery shook her head, glancing at Lily. "I'm nothing special, really."
"Not from what he said," Lily replied.
Avery's blush worsened, and she tried to ignore the gazes on her. "Well...I'm sure they were exaggerations."
"Hagrid never exaggerates," Remus stated, making Avery meet his eyes.
She pursed her lips before looking at the large man, who had been called away and was talking with a few of the others now. "...supposed that's true."
"So you're our age?" Peter asked, admittedly curious about the girl.
"You mean 17?" Avery responded.
The group nodded Lily's smile widening. "Exactly! Oh I'm so glad. Everyone else is so much older."
Avery shrugged, sliding her hands in her jacket pockets. "Age doesn't determine ability, though."
All five of them looked surprised at her words, but Remus smiled softly. "True."
Avery felt her cheeks heat up again, but she was saved as Sirius asked, "So how long you been with Dumbledore?"
Avery met his eyes, shrugging. "About a month now, little over."
"A month and he's introducing you now?" James asked, raising his eyebrows.
Avery replied smoothly, "I had some skills that needed refining, and we needed to discuss what I already knew from...He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Name's time in America."
"Did he cause a lot of trouble?" Lily asked softly, her tone changed from the happy-go-lucky it had been.
Avery took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "...yeah. More than...more than expected."
Everyone looked somber at that, but Remus kept his eyes on her. There was...something about her.
"Why did you come here?" Remus asked after a moment.
Avery met his eyes, noticing Sirius elbow his friend. "...what do you mean?" she responded.
"If he caused damage and trouble there...why come here?" Remus questioned. "Why not stay and help repair things?"
Avery studied Remus for a moment, none of the others speaking. After a moment, Avery said, "Because I've lost all I would ever want to repair. And...between the choice to repair or stop more damage to someone else...wouldn't you chose the later?"
Remus was shocked at her answer. The bluntness of it, and yet the thought was...something not seen often. Who was this girl?
As he opened his mouth, Dumbledore, Kingsley, and Moody moved back into the room, making everyone fall silent.
Avery stayed by the group, though on the outer edges. She did notice though, that Lily was beside her, James staying slightly behind Lily, his hand on her back. But the rest of the group was on the other side of James, away from her. Seemed like Lily was the most trusting out of them…
"Thank you all for gathering here tonight," Dumbledore said. "We appreciate it."
"This gathering is not a sunny event though," Moody growled, looking around.
Kingsley took a deep breath then, before saying, "We have information of another attack from the Death Eaters."
"Where?" Frank Longbottom asked. Avery only knew half of these people because McGonagall had shown her a picture before they left, telling her who everyone was.
"That is the difficult part," Dumbledore stated. "We believe it is being split into two separate locations."
Silence hung in the air for a moment. Everyone knew the Order was small, and even with Avery now, they were still outnumbered.
"We split up, no one is saved," Moody said, stating the obvious.
"Where?" a man named Edgar Bones asked.
"Two villages," Kingsley answered. "One purely muggle, one mostly wizard."
"They're doing this on purpose," one of the Prewett twins curses.
"We know," Dumbledore responded. He looked around the room then, his gaze stopping on Avery for a moment longer than everyone else. "But it is our duty to help however possible."
"But...how can we?" a woman named Emmeline Vance asked.
Silence hung over the room, before Avery spoke up. "When are the attacks?"
Everyone's gazes shot to her, but she stood her ground and kept her gaze on Dumbledore. He recognized the spark in her eyes, knowing she was taking the first step to help. "Next week."
"So...who says we can't evacuate the no-mag's...sorry, muggles, beforehand...and surprise attack them?" Avery responded.
"Not much of a surprise attack if they're expecting us," Moody stated, his eyes locked on the woman.
But to everyone shock, again, Avery didn't back down. "They're expecting us, but they don't know what we'll do. If we evacuate and get however many wizards we can to help in one, they'll be surprised, and we have the upper hand."
Dumbledore studied the girl for a moment, before pushing forward. "Surprise them how?"
She sighed, whether in annoyance or relief no one really knew, or could tell. "Survey the town. Know the full layout- that's the easiest upper hand in any situation."
After a moment of silence, McGonagall spoke. "It...could work."
Moody and Kingsley exchanged a glance, Moody sighing. "Yes. It could."
Dumbledore smiled softly, a few noticed, before glancing at Avery again. "You suggested this idea, so you will survey one. Which would you prefer?"
"The muggle one," Avery stated in a heartbeat.
Dumbledore nodded and glanced around the room. "Does anyone wish to join her?"
After a beat, Lily raised her hand. "I will."
James sputtered before sighing and raising his hand. "I...I will too."
Dumbledore glanced over the full group of Marauders. "Do you all want to join Miss Thomas?"
The men glanced at each other, before Remus nodded, looking at Dumbledore. "Yeah, we will."
Dumbledore nodded before turning to the rest of the group, Avery tuning him out slightly. She was going on a mission with the Marauders.
Oh my god.
A/N: And another chapter, with the people we've all been waiting for! ;) I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I had a blast with it. And now that we've met the group, more fun is coming. ;)
Comment what you're looking forward to in future chapters!