Chapter Title: Recruits and Recalls

Author: Sam

Story: Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Army: 01 / ?

Chapter Setting: Friday, August 6, 1995: 12 Grimmuld Place, London

Chapter Summary: Harry's first meeting of the Order of the Phoenix.

Note: My goal is not to restate everything from the books but to add to it and reveal the changes that are made with the new characters and situations.

Feedback: Please? I love comments.

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Just beyond Arthur Weasley and his son Bill, near the cavernous fireplace in the gloomy rock-walled kitchen, stood a man Harry had never met. Standing perhaps six foot tall with hair as black as Harry's own and eyes a mix of greens, browns, and grays often called hazel, the stranger seemed intent on something in his hands: a small ball of midnight-blue crystal. At Molly Weasley's throat clearing, Arthur turned to greet Harry while Bill quickly tried to stow the parchments they'd been studying, Tonks rushing in from the hall to help and making rather a muddle of things in her eager clumsiness.

Sirius Black's voice piped up from behind Harry, a falsely chipper tone. "Staying for dinner, Johnnie?"

The stranger's head snapped back as if he's been dealt a rather severe blow. He turned a serious look on the wanted man, firelight flashing across a deep scar from his right cheek all the way back to his ear. With great care, he slid the crystal into a pocket of his plain dark robes, a frown settling across his face and making the mutilated half twist almost grotesquely. His voice came as a subdued baritone, as stern as his demeanor. "Please, Sirius. Jon if you must but never . . . Johnnie." Turning at Molly's inquisitive 'hmm?' the man continued, "Actually, I cannot stay. Manda's expecting me. I'm off, but," he turned once more, graceful as a cat, to face Sirius and Harry, his eyes resting on the fifteen year old, "I did want to meet Harry since I will be working with him this term."

"Of course," Sirius grumbled and walked past Harry.

Arthur grinned widely and nodded enthusiastically. "Of course, of course!" The patriarch of the Weasley family turned his smile on Harry. "Harry Potter meet Jonathan Dunraven. He's just come back from the United States to help . . . ah . . . er . . ."

Molly glared at her husband then smiled. "His daughter will be starting at Hogwarts this term. You and Ron and Hermoine can keep an eye on her."

"What!" Ron squeaked, pushing past Harry into the kitchen. "Mum!"

The twins, Fred and George, snickered at Ron's wounded look while Hermione glared at the lanky redhead.

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Mum! It's school," Ron added.

"We'd love to take care of your daughter, Mr. Dunraven," Hermione jumped to reassure the tall man.

A strange look crossed Jonathan's face, a cross between amusement and concern before he seemed to mentally shrug. "Well, I'm sure her cousin won't let her completely on her own either."

"Uh . . ." Harry interrupted, not quite sure what to say. As everyone turned to him, he flushed and blurted out the first thing he could think of. "Why do you sound British, sir, if you're from America?"

Jonathan nodded as if it were the most sensible question in the world. "Because I have always been British. I lived in the States for fourteen years but in London before that." He bowed at the shoulders formally. "Good evening, everyone." And Jonathan Dunraven left the kitchen followed by Remus Lupin, who showed him to the door.

Sirius turned to the group and reintroduced Harry to a pile of rags, which turned out to be Mundungus Fletcher, the wizard who'd disappeared while guarding Harry allowing two dementors to attack Harry and his cousin, Dudley.

Quickly, controlled chaos ensued while Molly had everyone help prepare dinner followed by a huge and delicious meal. Finally, Molly suggested everyone go off to bed. But this had the opposite effect of ending a rather pleasant evening.

Protests exploded from around the table, the twins trying logic while increasing volume with each new argument; they felt they had a right, as newly legal adults, to listen to any plans the adults might make to thwart any future attacks by their enemy, Voldemort. Sirius added his own voice in loud support for Harry remaining to have his questions answered. Molly grew shriller in protest against any of the teenagers being included, until the cacophony threatened to awaken Mrs. Black's foul portrait in the upstairs hall.

"Arthur! Arthur back me up!" Molly turned to her husband for support.

It did not come.

Finally, Molly managed to herd the youngest teen, her daughter Ginny, alone from the room while the adults and five older teens remained behind. The group talked; the subjects of Harry's reputation, Fudge's fears, and the Order of the Phoenix's efforts at recruitment were all discussed before Sirius said, disgustedly, "Albus has even tried recalling wizards who went abroad during the worst of it."

He looked at Harry, a sneer in his voice. "People like Jon Dunraven, who ran overseas rather than stay and fight."

"Now, that isn't fair, Sirius," Remus said calmly. "He had a family to think about . . . to protect . . ."

Slamming a hand on the table, Sirius flew to his feet and screamed "so did James and Lily! But they didn't turn tail and run. They stayed!"

"And they died," Remus shot back, effectively silencing his old friend.

Pale, shaking, and looking more wounded than he had even after the dementor attack of the previous year, Sirius sank down into his chair.

Harry looked from his godfather to his former professor and back again. Carefully, he asked, "so, if he went overseas to protect his family from Voldemort last time, why'd he come back now?"

Silence met the question for a long while.

Arthur cleared his throat. "Yes, well, Albus asked him to, Harry. Same as a lot of good wizards and witches who escaped . . ." Sirius snorted at the word but Arthur ignored him and went on, "the last time. We're getting responses every week. But Jonathan's a real boon. He's one of the best aurors ever come out of the Ministry."

"An auror?" asked Harry. He wanted to ask why one of the best aurors ran away from a fight his own parents were killed in, but Harry pushed back that question. Instead, he asked "what'd he mean he'd be working with me this term? Is he the new Defense teacher then?"

"Albus hasn't specified," Arthur answered. "Just said Jonathan's to be stationed at Hogwarts for the term. He's placing other recalled wizards in key spots to help defend and recruit, because you can be sure that You-Know-Who will be trying to fill up his own ranks again."

Harry's head began to swim at all of the information, but he continued asking questions, gleaning information about what Voldemort might be doing or even looking for – including a possible weapon.

From the doorway, having entered unnoticed some time before, Molly called "that's enough. Too much more and you might was well make him a full member."

"I'll do it. I want to join!" Harry jumped to his feet, eager to finally be doing something.

Fred and George added their voices but Molly managed to shout them down. "No!"

"Why not?" Harry protested and was surprised when the answer came from Remus rather than Molly.

"The Order of the Phoenix only allows full wizards and witches – ones who've reached age and are no longer in school. The dangers involved . . . you have no idea what . . ." He shook his head, sadness in his soulful eyes. "Sirius, Molly's right. That's enough."

The shaggy-haired man gave a disinterested shrug and stared at his fingers, and Molly shepherded the younger people out of the kitchen and up the stairs for bed.

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To be continued in Chapter Two: Accumulated Dirt