NEAR GAIRLOCH, THE HIGHLANDS, SCOTLAND
Continued
The common room and dining table expanded with the arrival of each subsequent Order member. Hermione sat in a back corner, sipping a glass of water, eyeing the new arrivals with a great deal of interest. She didn't recognize most of them.
"Podgers, what the devil is he doing here?"
"I owe him one, the condescending flobberworm—"
"I'll punch him while you hold him down, eh?"
"I don't think so. I'll punch him while you hold him down—"
Draco's smile was a grim sight to behold. "I'll hold him down while you both punch him, yes?"
"Excellent, excellent," both twins nodded, grinning once more.
The twins then continued their rundown of the arriving members as if nothing had happened. "Ah, Vladimir, old boy, Armenian, one hell of a poker player. Clay, American bloke, he's good for a laugh. Graduated from Ilvermorny about ten years ago. Ah, look who he's got with him, George. Former Prime Minister, Collins. Bugger; slippery devils, politicians. David Grey, the old man with them, he's—"
"Wicked, that's what."
"Michaels," Fred laughed, "he's barmy. Doesn't like Snape much. Well, can't blame him—"
"Isabella—oh, Merlin," both twins breathed, straightening their shoulders and fussing with their hair. Hermione laughed at their sudden earnest faces. It was easy to see they were both smitten with the older witch.
"Isa!" Fred hollered, whistling.
She looked over from her discussion with Snape and smiled at them, waving her hand in a I'll-be-right-there manner, and turned back to listen to whatever Snape was telling her.
Then a red cloak caught Hermione's eye. She craned her neck to just see who could only be Kingsley, flanked by Aberforth and Hagrid. A delighted grin on her face, Hermione scooted back her chair and weaved through the crowded room until she reached their side.
"Her-miney!" Hagrid bellowed, lifting Hermione up into the air and fairly smothering her to death with his exuberant hug. Hermione laughed and hugged him back around his scratchy beard, tears coming to her eyes. "Kingsley wa' jus' tellin' meh that ye were back when we met up at Hog's Head Inn jus' now! I've been outta the country, outta reach, an' could hardly believe th' good news!"
"It's so wonderful to see you!" Hermione managed to say with the little oxygen she had.
Hagrid set her down, patting her shoulders, which caused her to bump into Kingsley. Hermione righted herself with his help. "It's so wonderful to see all of you. Hagrid, Kingsley, Aberforth, how have you been? What news do you—"
Green sparks spread out across the ceiling, calling for everyone to be seated. The table expanded as more and more chairs and Order members were added.
There were thirty-two Board members, core members, Ginny had explained to her, around the table, not including their local group, and they were a diversified but fierce-looking lot. It wasn't a surprise to her, exactly, when, after everyone was seated, Snape stood and addressed the gathered members.
"Pleasantries have been exchanged, so let's just cut to the chase, shall we?" Snape said, his eyes carefully studying everyone in the room. "Grey, proceed."
Snape sat back down and the meeting began.
David Grey, an older man, a general of the United States Marine Corps, was worth his weight in Galleons. Grey inclined his head at Snape and eyed the room with sharp eyes. His white hair was cropped close to his skin, and he sat ramrod straight in his chair. His voice was low, but it carried easily to every corner of the table. "Two of our raids have been successful, and we've safely hidden the merchandise—"
"Muggles do what Muggles do best," George whispered in Hermione's ear.
"Blow stuff up," Fred added, grinning from freckled ear to freckled ear.
Hermione's eyes widened.
Grey continued, sparing a stern look at the twins, "One raid is underway at this very moment. All precautions have been taken and there's no reason to think it will not be successful, but we must not repeat the same mistakes twice. Do not," he warned everyone present, "let any victory, no matter how big or how small, cloud your judgment. We have a long ways to go."
"Indeed," Kingsley intoned. "We've had tremendous successes so far, but they're not going to keep making the same mistakes forever."
The meeting passed in a whirlwind of information. Hermione's hand didn't have time to rest as she took page after page of notes.
Her head shot up about two hours later when Snape addressed her.
"We have a few tasks to assign. Miss Granger, you'll be working with Miss Bocelli," he said, nodding at the Italian woman the twins had gushed at, "and her sister, starting tomorrow afternoon." Hermione's shoulders straightened and she nodded, eyeing Isabella Bocelli with curiosity. "They have been working with advanced Arithmancy matrixes, to project eventualities and causes and effects in the open war that looms before us, among other experiments. Isa, you can fill her in on the details after the meeting."
He focused on Longbottom and the twins. "And again, everyone staying here needs to make it a point to attend the self-defense and hand-to-hand combat classes starting tomorrow morning at eight. For everyone else, find those qualified to teach in your own community and begin classes as well. Pass on the word. Tonks has made a valid point—we've not yet focused any energy on defense and combat outside of Muggle military operations, and this is an oversight we cannot afford. Let us keep in mind, too, the stronger we are physically, the more fit and in tune with our bodies, the stronger our magic." He paused, drumming his fingers on the table, eyeing both David and Christie. "Barclay, I may reassign you later, but for now you'll be in full contact with the general, and we'll be glad to have another eye for military strategy. Currently, we have three submarines—and could use a hell of a lot more. A few of our encampments focus on training and ops. Longbottom," Snape paused, holding in a sigh (it was a very close thing), "I need to speak to you privately after we're cleared here."
Neville stared down at the table, but made no reply, which Snape wholly ignored.
The meeting went on for another hour, and as enthralling as it was, fatigue began settling into Hermione's bones. She blinked, tilting her head as she focused what was left of her energy on the comments volleying around her. Things got heated as often as not, but there weren't but a few hotheads who got the arguments rolling. They were just relentless in their objections.
Isabella Bocelli was cool and unruffleable with a sharp wit and Grey had absolutely no sense of humor at all, Hermione suspected, but he was a steady source of clearheaded and perceptive ideas.
The power surrounding a few of the elder witches and wizards from various parts of the world left her in a humbled state of fascination.
The meeting ended and Hermione turned to her companions. The light of the moon illuminating the trees and grounds outside of the window caught her eye. "Hmm," her brow furrowed as she thought about the kind werewolf professor sadly. "What happened to Lupin?"
Neville retreated, leaving the room as silently as he had inhabited it. Witches and wizards and Muggles alike parted to let him pass, but he acknowledged no one.
Hagrid watched him go with sad eyes. "Ye should get Neville to talk about i' sometime, Her-miney, if he'll open up te ye about it, tha' is." He took a large gulp of his very large tankard and ran a rough hand along his very whiskery beard. "Ye'll no' be surprised tha' Remus died defending Neville, helping him to escape from The Dark Tower." Hagrid sighed.
"Oh." Her throat tightened and she didn't say anything else for several long moments.
Nearby, Isabella Bocelli was standing next to the fireplace and Hermione approached her, her curiosity and enthusiasm beginning to burn away the rising anxiety talk of Nikolai and The Tower had created. "Hello, piacere di conoscerti, la Signora Bocelli."
Isa grinned. "Piacere di conoscerti, la signorina Granger," she said warmly, staring down at Hermione, her gaze appraising. The Italian witch was easily six inches taller than Hermione and another inch and a half was added from the heels she wore. Switching to English, Isa led into the topic of Arithmancy, much to Hermione's delight. "We're very glad to have you join our team, I must say. Septima was positively beside herself with joy when Severus informed us of your discovery."
Hermione's eyes shone brightly. "Professor Vector? Truly? Oh, do tell me, Signora Bocelli, how is she?"
"She's very well. I must say, my ears have been ringing from the exultant praises of your earlier studies. She would have been here but for a rather sudden cold." Isa lifted a vial out of her pocket. "Neither of us are much use at potions, but Severus does come in handy."
Hermione nodded, trying not to blush at the praise. "I'm glad she'll be feeling better soon, then," she said, smiling, and asked about their work.
"Ah, correcto come al solito, she said you were the curious sort." Isa pulled a few shrunken objects out of her other pocket and returned the worn leather portfolio and hardbound books to their normal size. "We copied our most legible notes for you, and here," she said, handing them over, "Complex Arithmancy Matrixes, Unraveling the Matrix, and Practical Arithmancy: Mastery Level Two. She assured me you were up to such heavy reading. Ah, I seem to recall Severus saying you inhaled the written word and exhaled it with the same breath. He was grumbling, but it was a carefully concealed compliment, all the same."
Hermione had to bite back a laugh. "Oh, no, you may have misunderstood. My penchant for memorizing text was nothing but a thorn in his side."
Isa shook her head, smiling, but let the matter drop. "We'll be here at eight every morning for the class, I'm quite excited about it, and you can travel with us back to the villa by side-along apparition until we find you a wand. Does that sound agreeable?"
Hermione grinned. "Yes, very much so." She stared down at the books in her hands for a minute, trying to still the impulse to start reading then and there, but the impulse was too strong. She opened Practical Arithmancy to a random page and got lost in the text.
Hagrid's booming voice cut into her diverted attention and made her jump. "Wellll, Her-miney, we've got to go, but we'll see ye real soon."
Hagrid wiped away several stray tears and patted her on the shoulder fondly. Hermione's knees buckled, and she had to grasp at her books before they landed in the floor. She grinned up at Hagrid, then at Kingsley and Aberforth, and set her new reading material carefully on the fireplace's mantle before giving them each an exuberant hug. "I've missed you all dreadfully. Be safe! When do you think I might see you again?"
Hagrid was still wiping his eyes, so Aberforth answered in his stead. "At the longest, in a fortnight, for the next meeting, Miss Granger. Be safe, good night."
"Stay out of trouble, Hermione," Kingsley laughed, his white teeth gleaming against his coffee-toned skin, "good night."
Piacere di conoscerti, la signorina :: Nice to meet you, miss
correcto come al solito :: correct as usual
Happy new year!
