Author's Note: I feel horrible. I told you I would update at some point last week. I wrote half of this on the train down and then just never finished it. As I type this note, I'm on the train back up to where I go to college. I just finished the chapter. I apologize. I hope you enjoy this next one.

Chapter Three: 24 Hour Revenge Therapy

Dear James and Remus,

On Wednesday afternoon at 4:30 in the afternoon, please apparate to the alley behind the Leaky Cauldron (the one on the muggle-London side, if you will). There will be a half buried glass bottle against the brick wall. Stick your finger into the neck of the bottle and follow the path to find me.

Kindly throw this note into the fire once you've read it. As you have probably determined by the fact that Joseph has given it to you rather than me sending it by owl, this is a bit of a secret.

Looking forward to seeing you soon,


Albus Dumbledore

James Potter appeared out of nowhere in a back alley in London. Less than a second later, Remus Lupin appeared almost on top of him. "Were we seriously thinking of exactly the same spot?" Remus questioned as he balanced himself.

"Must have been," James said as he shrugged. "Ah, there it is," he added, spotting the bottle. He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Do you see anyone around."

"We're alone," Remus assured him.

James bent down and stuck his finger into the bottle. The hole grew until it was big enough for his entire body to fit through it. James looked up at Remus, his eyebrows raised slightly. "Is he serious?"

"I think so," said Remus solemnly. He looked over his shoulder to make sure nobody was watching. "We might as well get this over with," he said. "I have a feeling that this is going to be about as uncomfortable as apparating."

James bit his lip. "Cheers," he said, shrugging. He hopped into the bottle. It was like a gigantic slide. The tube twisted and turned. James thought that he must have gone at least a quarter of a mile when, finally, he came shooting out of a ceiling, landing comfortably in a very squishy armchair. He felt a bit disoriented and began looking around slowly.

In the far corner of the room, a fire was roaring, effectively lighting and heating the room. There wasn't much else to the room. Candles were floating in midair just like they did in Hogwarts' Great Hall. There were six desks and a lot of comfortable looking chairs.

"I suggest you move, Mr. Potter," a voice said from in front of him. James' head snapped around and he saw Professor Dumbledore. "Mr. Lupin should be arriving in just a moment." James jumped up and spun around just in time to see Remus drop into the seat he had just vacated. "Good morning, boys!" said Albus Dumbledore. He was exceptionally cheerful.

"It's half past four in the afternoon, sir," Remus pointed out hesitantly.

"Oh well," Dumbledore said. "I'm sure you're wondering why I wanted to see you both, so I will get straight to business." James and Remus glanced at each other confusedly but did not interrupt. "First, Mr. Potter, I would like to offer my condolences to you. Your parents were truly exceptional people and they will be missed by everyone."

James bit his lip as hard as he could. He had not cried in nearly twenty-four hours and he was hoping to keep it that way. However, he felt the familiar sting of tears behind his eyes and the lump forming in his throat.

Dumbledore went on, "Their murder was a senseless act of violence. They were only chosen because they were known, and it was very wrong. I would like to offer you a way to strike back against the people who have done this to you."

Both James and Remus straightened up at this. "How?" James managed to get out.

"I have formed an organization called the Order of The Phoenix," said Dumbledore. "Your father works with me, Remus. We are a very small but dedicated group whose aim it is to take down the one they're calling He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. His followers are called him the Dark Lord. However, I prefer to call him Voldemort, for fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself."

"They're calling him You-Know-Who and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in the papers because they're scared of him?" Remus asked.

"Yes, they are," said Dumbledore. "In letters sent to the Prophet, there have been threats. It is said that one such letter threatened to murder an entire muggle suburb if his true name ever appeared in print again. They say that we all must show the Dark Lord proper respect. That man deserves nothing of the sort. He is not a great man. He is a great wizard, this is true. He is very powerful magically, but he is not a great man, and he does not deserve anything near respect.

"However, people are scared. They don't want what has happened to your parents to happen to their families." He nodded at James. "And so they give this terrorist what he wants. And that is part of what makes him so dangerous."

"So what does the Order of The Phoenix do?" Remus asked. "And seeing what it took to get to this office and the fact that my father has never mentioned being a part of any order of anything, I'm assuming it's all a big secret...why is that? What can you do that the Ministry can't?"

"We can see the truth," Dumbledore said simply. "This group is a secret because some of the things that we do, and we do them with heavy hearts but for the greater good, are illegal according to Ministry laws. Your father never mentioned anything because he could lose his job as an auror were anybody to even suspect that he was in league with a secret lawbreaking society.

"You see, boys, the man who calls himself Lord Voldemort used to be a student of mine. Ever since I first met him, I knew that there was something about him that was not right. To make a very long story a considerably shorter one for your benefits, I collected evidence that he has been killing magical folk and muggles alike without so much as a droplet of remorse since before he even graduated from Hogwarts.

"The Minister told me that I was being absurd and that the reports were all accounted for. People had been caught and some had even confessed to the killings. He told me it was preposterous to think that such a bright young man would have done all of these horrible, unthinkable things. And so I left the Ministry and I knew that I had to do something. I've been recruiting some trustworthy people such as yourselves. I need people who are magically and mentally powerful...people who need to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do regardless of what that might mean for them.

"In the middle of setting up our offices, the murder of your parents happened. I don't believe the Ministry has put together that the student I had brought them evidence against and this Lord Voldemort character are actually the same man. He has magically altered his appearance, it is quite disturbing...

"Anyway, as of right now, Order members are looking for followers. We need to get one step ahead of him and find out his next plans. I believe more very horrible murders are in store and I believe that they will be coming soon. I would like you two to join the Order because I believe that we truly can do some good. I believe that we can save lives and who knows, we may even get to Voldemort himself.

"If the Ministry were competent enough to realize the threat we are all facing, I wouldn't be asking this of you, especially because you're both still in school, but I am. Please join the Order. I need members to help defend Hogwarts in the event of an attack. And after you graduate you would move on to different types of assignments depending on the situation down the road."

Dumbledore paused and pierced both boys with his sharp blue eyes. "The world, wizarding and muggle alike, needs our help whether they know it or not," he said slowly, bringing his explanation to a close.

The boys sat in silence for a moment. They were both thinking about everything that Dumbledore had just told them. It was James who was the first to speak, causing Remus' head to lift. "Sir," he said, "if I could stop other people from having to feel the kind of pain that I'm going through... I'll do whatever you need me to do, sir."

Remus looked from James to Professor Dumbledore. "I'm in as well," he said. "I can't let James do this alone, he'd get lost or something."

All three of them smiled slightly.

August brought a considerable amount of mist to the area where the Lupins resided. People began to drag their winter clothing out of their basements in search of sweaters to combat the unseasonable chill that was gripping the area. James Potter zipped his jacked all the way up as he and Remus Lupin walked through the streets of muggle London.

"We could have just disapparated from the office," James grumbled.

"You know we can't disapparate from there," said Remus. "There's protective enchantments-"

"I meant from the alley," said James. "I hope Lily passed her test."

"We're about to find out," said Remus, pointing ahead of them. "There she is."

Lily Evans practically ran at them, a huge smile on her face despite all the dreariness of the weather. "I PASSED!" she exclaimed. "I PASSED!"

She skidded to a halt in front of them, her smile never leaving her lips. "Congratulations, Evans," said James, jokingly using her last name. "It only took you, what, four times?"

"Three," said Lily in a very matter-of-fact tone. "Don't be an ass."

"Lets go celebrate," said Remus. "Diagon Alley, we'll grab something to eat and then go shopping for all of our school stuff."

"Okay," said Lily. She linked arms with Remus and they all began to walk toward the Leaky Cauldron. "Some of my friends are meeting us at two, if that's alright," she said.

"It's fine with us," said James. "Although, I always got the feeling that Mary would rather die than breathe the same air as me..." he added as an afterthought.

"Yes, well...she'll warm to you once she knows that we're getting on alright," Lily said. Her tone was hopeful. James nodded. "Oh, Remus? Did you get Head Boy?" Lily asked, suddenly hyper again.

"No," Remus said, a small smile playing on his lips. "I know who did though. And I'm assuming you got Head Girl."

"Yep," Lily said happily. "Who got Head Boy, though?" she asked curiously.

"You'll never guess it," James said as he adopted Remus' small smile.

"Amos Diggory?"

"Nope."

"Severus?"

"Yeah, right."

"Hmm...Barry Smith?"

"Merlin, no!"

"Okay, who then?" James raised his hand slowly and waved at her. "You?! You got Head Boy?!"

"Don't sound so surprised," James said, pretending to be offended.

"I...I'm sorry, it's just that...well, I never saw this one coming."

James opened the door to the pub, letting her go in ahead of him. "Honestly, Lily, neither did I."

It was nearly two hours later when Lily friend Mary found them outside of Madame Malkin's Robes For All Occasions. She was with another friend of Lily's whose name was Anna.

"Lily!" Mary ran up to Lily and nearly knocked her down in the middle of their embrace. "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you both as well," Lily managed to choke out. "Oxygen!"

"Oh! Sorry!" Mary let her go as Anna stood there shaking her head at them.

"Hello," James and Remus said politely and in unison just as the other two spotted them.

"Lily," Mary said in an undertone. "Lily, Potter is behind you."

"I know," Lily said, smiling softly. "He and Remus are here with me." Both Mary and Anna looked completely flabbergasted. "I'll explain the finer details another time," she went on, ignoring their expressions. "James and I are trying to be friends now. We talked about a lot of things and...well, we're friends. And we are going to be working together a lot this year because we're the Head Students...so...yeah."

James looked around as if he were trying to memorize every last detail of the spot where they stood. He was almost certain that if he were to meet Mary's eye, he'd turn to stone or get struck by lightening or something equally unpleasant.

"Come on, James," Lily was saying. Upon hearing his name, he snapped out of his reverie. "You said you'd buy the robes I want as my finally-passed-her-apparition-test present. I want you to do it before I realize that I hate it when people buy me things because I really want him." She grabbed him buy the arm and pulled him into the store, leaving two very confused friends behind with Remus, who only shrugged and followed them into Madame Malkin's.

"It's a thin line between love and hate," he said to Mary as he passed her.