A/N: Thanks to everyone who favorited/alerted/my lone reviewer, read on!

Disclaimer: I don't own HP. Sorry.

Chapter 3: Dungbombed

Up until today, I'd never even been inside the Headmaster's office. Sure, with my knack for detention I spent plenty of time in McGonagall's office, in fact, I had it memorized right down to the scuffs on the floor from my Mary Janes, but I'd yet to be sent here.

Dumbledore's space was different. Rows and rows of books and artifacts lined every wall floor to ceiling, though there was little clutter on the desk, save for several tins of assorted candies.

I stared at the little tin boxes, hoping my stomach wouldn't rumble too much during this meeting. The atmosphere felt important, maybe a little too important for someone like me.

Sirius was a Black, at least. I mean, the Blacks are horrible and dark wizards with a serious complex about blood status, but everyone knows the name. DeLestrade, on the other hand, is non-existent, especially amongst British wizards.

See, when my dad's family came over from Italy after they were disgraced from pure-blood society there (something about a card game and several prize-winning hippogriffs), they decided to try their luck in Britain.

Of course, there being only a few pure-blood lines left in the region, the DeLestrade clan were encouraged to mingle. And mingle they did, only instead of with other wizarding families, the family line of magic ended, save for my father, when they all got together with muggles and denounced their ways, since it had never done them any good anyway.

My dad, asshole that he is, did however marry into wizarding blood when he met my mum, and the rest is history.

The point being, DeLestrades are historically unimportant, and up until this very moment when I sat in Dumbledore's office sweating and fidgeting like a child that has to use the bathroom, I thought I'd be included in that proud tradition.

Maybe I still will be, because the silence that was permeating the room right now was stretching on with no end in sight.

Was Dumbledore waiting for something?

As soon as I opened my mouth to ask him just what in the ruddy hell he meant about Sirius and I doing something, he interrupted, holding out a dish of yellow candies.

"Lemon drop?"

I glanced at Sirius, who shook his head. I did the same.

"No thanks," I said, quickly adding "sir" to the end of my statement.

Let's try not to offend the headmaster while 7th year is still afoot, shall we?

"You are both wondering what I mean when I say you are to do something, are you not?" Dumbledore began.

Sirius and I both nodded.

"There are rumors circulating the school that some of our students are interested in fighting Voldemort and his Death Eaters, however, I must inform you I am most surprised to see you both here, given your families' loyalties."

I eyed Dumbledore carefully. I was sure that he knew full well Sirius nor myself would ever join up in all that rubbish. Although, I was unsure as to how he knew my father and Devon had joined the Dark Lord, but I wasn't going to press it.

I've failed enough exams to know a test when I see one.

Sirius, however, took the bait.

"I think you'll find that I'm not very like my family at all," Sirius said, as calmly as he could probably manage, "I think the whole lot of them deserve whatever's coming for what they've done, and you can be bloody sure that I'll be the one watching when this whole thing blows up!"

Dumbledore raised a greyed eyebrow. I resisted the urge to put my head in my hands.

"Sir, what I think he's trying to say is that neither of us have any connections to all of that. I've denounced my family, and so has Sirius. We could never turn our backs like that on our friends," I said.

"Very well then, Miss DeLestrade. Then I shall see you both here tomorrow night at 8 o'clock," Dumbledore said, then apparently sensing my oncoming question, added, "You will of course, bring your friends?"

Sirius rose from his chair and I followed suit, taking a lemon drop as I went.

"Of course, sir."

I guessed that meant we were dismissed, and Sirius followed me down the winding staircase from the office.

"I don't think I needed my wits anyway," I said, still chewing on the sweet. "That was scary."

"I thought for sure we were being expelled or something," Sirius agreed. "But why'd he say 'families'? Your family's not-"

"Let's save it, shall we?" I said, cutting him off. "I don't really want to talk about it."

"Is it because of your brother? You know, the one that's a werewolf?" Sirius said, ignoring my previous request.

No of course not Sirius, my family just joined up for the free branding! Can't get a dark mark like that just anywhere!

"A little, yeah," I said. "Raffie, my other brother, got sent a letter by my dad asking him to join too. He thought it was the only way to protect Devon. That and he's a right arse."

Sirius stopped and sat inside a windowsill, and I joined him, figuring I'd missed dinner already anyway.

"Is that why Regulus was getting to know you?" Sirius asked. His face was unreadable, as it usually is, but I could tell just mentioning Regulus' name was getting to him.

I sighed. "I think, yeah. I dunno. I tried to talk to him about it, but all he said was that it was on important orders. Apparently they decided I'm not worth it though, cause they didn't mention my name in the letter."

"I s'pose that's a good thing though, isn't it? I can't imagine you'd look too good in one of those masks."

I smiled and bumped Sirius' shoulder. "You know, if you'd have told me a year ago I'd be sitting in an alcove with Sirius Black talking about our Death Eater families instead of snogging, I think I might have spontaneously combusted."

"I'm offended, Elsa! You really think I'd have only snogged you in the fifth floor alcove? That's insulting."

I could feel myself blushing, but tried to play it off. "Yeah, I guess I forgot that it's barely a sterile eating environment when you and one of your lovely girlfriends is down in the Great Hall. You think you could lay off while we're eating at the very least?"

Sirius laughed. "I won't make any promises. And don't worry, Marlene isn't speaking to me anyone."

I snorted, thinking of the way Sirius had been eyeing Dorcas earlier. I probably should have asked about the whole baby situation.

Ah, well.

"It's not her I'm worried about."

"So all he wanted to do was talk?" Alice said as we made our way into Potions.

Ever since Sirius and I had come back to the common room last night we'd both been bombarded with questions. However, other than suggesting we all go up to his office the following night, there really wasn't much to discuss besides that going in with no idea what to expect nearly killed me.

I shrugged. "He said he hoped Sirius and I would do something. He must of heard about our plan."

Alice furrowed her brow as we stepped into the dungeons. Even in the dim lighting I could see her trying to come to any logical conclusion other than the usually reached 'Dumbledore just knows these things'.

"Your guess is as good as mine," I said, not bothering to wait for an answer. "Talk to you after class? I'm pretty sure Lily'd be peeved if you didn't get to catch up on her Head Girl duties."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Fine then. And you just tell Remus to keep the snogging to a minimum, eh?"

I stuck my tongue out and slid into my seat next to said boyfriend, who gave me a look as I reached into my bag and found no spare parchment and instead just a partially-eaten chocolate frog. Fortunately, (or not, depending how you look at it) he did have a spare quill and a bit of parchment for me to write on.

"Damn you," I muttered as Slughorn quieted the room.

"Now that's enough chatter! Today, we will be attempting to brew Amortentia," Slughorn announced. Several 'oohs' echoed around the room as he did.

"That's enough, yes, Amortentia is widely known, colloquially, as the love potion, but you needn't get any ideas, these are for academic purposes only."

James turned around, I'm sure to make some vulgar comment to Remus or myself, but barely had his mouth open before Slughorn called him to the front of the class.

"Ah yes, Mr. Potter, would you care to demonstrate?"

James reluctantly got up from his seat and stood in front of the cauldron on Slughorn's desk.

"Now, as we all know, Amortentia smells different to each person. For example, Potter, what does it smell like to you?"

I've never seen James go so red. He bit his lip and looked at Lily for a moment, almost apologetically, before apparently deciding against whatever he was about to say. Instead, the James Potter the whole school knew and loved made a reappearance.

"Well professor, to me, it smells a bit like dungbombs."

I managed to put my sleeve over my nose, but most of the class was not so lucky as James hurled a dungbomb into the center of the classroom.

Remus and I moved to the back of the room to open the door, still covering our noses as things descended into chaos.

You could say that his was not the first time this has happened.

"Bloody idiot," Remus said, waving the air in front of him.

I looked at Lily, who seemed furious as James and Sirius laughed hysterically.

I opened the door and escaped out into the hallway, most of our class on my heels.

"Do you think he'll ever learn?" I said.

Remus shook his head as we walked quickly up the corridor to the fresh air that surely awaited us outside the dungeons.

"I keep telling him, he's never going to win her over with that nonsense."

I finally removed my hand from my face. "Do you think he'll have to give himself detention?"

Remus and I laughed as we did our best impressions of James' snooty Head Boy alter ego (something James did not find nearly as funny), and continued up to the common room.

Merlin, I need a shower.

"Oi! Remus, wait up!"

James was running down the corridor, Peter and Sirius fast on his heels.

I had half a mind to jinx James on the spot for pulling a dungbomb out in bloody seventh year, but seeing as he's also Head Boy, I decided not to risk the detention.

"I panicked, alright?" James said, nearly out of breath.

I snorted. "And a dungbomb was the best you could come up with? Honestly."

James ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"I mean, it was funny mate, but you're Head Boy!" Peter exclaimed.

James slid down the wall onto the floor and put his head in his hands.

"I know, I know, I just couldn't say what the potion smelled like and I had some dungbombs left over from Lord knows when and I-"

I grinned. "It smelled like Lily, didn't it?"

James looked pathetic staring at the floor. It made me almost want to forgive him.

Almost.

I am heartless, remember?

"So the question stands," Remus said, offering James a hand up off the floor, "did it smell like Evans?"

"Like lavender," James mumbled.

Sirius, Peter, and Remus all looked confused.

Bloody boys.

"Lily wears lavender perfume," I clarified.

"Well, that's kind of sweet, I suppose," Sirius said.

I nodded. "You should have said that. Much more attractive than dungbombs," I said, clapping James on the back. "No girl wants to receive of Yardley's finest Dungbomb perfume as a gift."

Despite all the nonsense in Potions and the dirty looks Lily (and the rest of the NEWT-level potions class) gave James, our little group met up in the common room after dinner to go to Dumbledore's office.

"Why Remus, is that lipstick on your cheek?" Sirius asked jokingly, getting uncomfortably close to Remus' face.

I tried to keep from blushing as he and I had indeed just finished snogging on the 7th year couch before we heard footsteps.

Note to self: no more lipstick.

Remus wiped at his face quickly and Sirius gave me a wink as the others started to join us.

"Elsa, dear, your bun is lopsided," Alice said, reaching up on her tiptoes to fix my hair.

"Thanks," I said, glad James wasn't here to take the piss. "Are we all ready?"

"Trying to leave without me, chubs?" Marlene called, practically waltzing down the stairs.

I rolled my eyes. "Wouldn't dream of it, love."

Actually, I have, and it always ends with me cheering.

Lily was close behind her down the stairs and James descended the boy's at the same time, causing them to meet at the bottom.

"Er, I'm sorry about the incident, earlier," James said.

Lily narrowed her eyes. "We'll talk later, Potter."

"This everyone, then?" Sirius said. "Where's Pete?"

"Said he'd meet us there, he was going to talk to Dorcas Meadowes," Remus said, quickly adding, "and yes, she's real," before James or Sirius made any snide remarks.

We walked in relative silence to the Headmaster's office, where Professor McGonagall, Peter, and several other students were waiting outside the gargoyle statue.

"I'm impressed you made it on time," McGonagall said, particularly to James and Sirius. "Follow me."

She waved her hand in front of the gargoyle. "Licorice."

I followed her up the revealed staircase first, followed by Alice, who kept nervously looking back at the others who'd joined us.

I recognized Emmeline Vance, a 6th year Hufflepuff whose name I couldn't remember, and at least one Prewett twin.

Inside, we were all greeted by Professor Dumbledore, who motioned for us all to take a seat, as he conjured several more mismatched chairs.

I sat down and heard a ripping noise as a run in my stockings appeared.

"Reparo," I muttered, knowing I'd forget to mend them later. Dumbledore didn't seem bothered by the interruption, though Marlene did glare in my direction.

"As you all know, we live in the most dangerous of times," Dumbledore began. "And you have all gathered here, not only because I have called you, but because you no longer wish to remain silent, and for that, I must commend you. But any resistance against true evil comes at a high price," he motioned to Alice, who kept her composure, "and I want to make you all aware of that before I continue."

The faces of my friends and Marlene remained stoic, even a bit optimistic at the chance to stand up for ourselves. Peter looked a little nervous, but that was to be expected.

"Sir, if I may," Lily said cautiously, "I want to help, of course, but we're only students. What can we do?"

Dumbledore smiled slightly. "There are many secrets inside Hogwarts, Miss Evans. Ones far greater than even I can imagine. But, inside my imagination somewhere, I am poised to create another."

"Another secret?" James said.

"Yes," said Dumbledore. "Tell me, what do you all know about Phoenix's?"

Marlene raised her hand lazily. "They're immortal. Every time they die they're born again from their own ashes."

"Very good, Miss McKinnon. A Phoenix does indeed rise from a flame, and I intend for this very group to do the same," Dumbledore said, rising from his desk.

What I can only assume was his pet bird flew over to land on his outstretched arm.

It was all very, scenic and inspiring, really.

"It will be a society," Dumbledore said, stroking the bird. "An Order of the Phoenix."

A/N: ok you got me, I have no idea how the Order of the Phoenix got started, but according to my re-read of the books and extensive googling, there's no decisive history, so I'm making up my own.

Thanks for reading, and please review!

xx Val