Chapter 6 A New Order

The four of them returned to Grimmauld Place after seeing Mr. Prewett, paying for the adoption fee and signing the papers. In ten days the twins would be theirs to care for, love, and protect. It was overwhelming but Harry knew that it was worth it. A chance to help innocent lives, since he had lost his when he was one.

Hermione was changing in the bath while Harry changed in the bedroom. As he hung up his dress robes in the wardrobe, he spied his book on Occlumency. He picked it up, stretched out on the bed and started reading. He had finished chapter one by the time Hermione came out of the bath. She seemed nervous, he noticed. She hung her dress robes next to his and was looking around the room for something else to do. She spied her new bag and opened it up on the bed, pulling packages out, piling them so high that they were threatening to fall on top of Harry. He quickly got off the bed, in fear of being buried alive. He then remembered his new trunk. Opening his own bag, he found the trunk and resized it.

"Hermione, before you worry about were this is all going to fit, I bought a special trunk." He set it on the floor, next to a wall and opened it, revealing a set of stairs. Both descended into the trunk and Hermione was surprised and happy at the size.

"Harry, this is perfect. It will hold all of our things plus the babies' things." She threw her arms around him, hugging him tight, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm uh, glad that you like it. Maybe Winky can help you put everything away."

The rest of the afternoon Hermione and Winky put all the clothes in the trunk while Harry and Dobby set up the furniture in the nursery. Harry had been surprised at the room, for Winky had painted a continuing mural on the walls. It was a fairytale land complete with castle that resembled Hogwarts, a fire breathing dragon, that breathed real fire, a sea that held mermaids swimming, and pirate ship that moved all over the room where there was water. It was totally cool. He could watch the walls for hours. That's how Hermione found him wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, leaning into his back.

"What are you thinking about" she asked softly.

"How much my life has changed drastically for the better. I have a family, a home, and people who care about me. I have something to live for and I'm not going to give that up so easily." He turned around and held her for a few minutes and said "I was thinking that maybe we could go to Godric's Hollow, for a few days, to see what's been done and what needs to be done, so that maybe we could spend the holidays there. What do you think?"

"That sounds like a plan. Maybe do some homework and research there."

"I'll see if Winky will come and leave Dobby here with the Weasleys and Moony. I would like your help with Occlumency while we are there. I think we should both try to master it and perhaps work on becoming animagi while we are there."

"I'd be happy to help. I saw your books. I'll read them if you want."

"I was hoping that you would say that. We better get downstairs before our guests start arriving."

Winky was putting dinner on the table when Harry and Hermione arrived in the kitchen. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick had already arrived and were talking with Moony, Tonks, Bill, Fleur, and even Ginny. The doorbell rang just as Harry sat down next to Hermione. Dobby literally ran to the front door before anyone else could move and returned with Neville and his grandmother. Dinner ended with a desert of a small wedding cake that Winky had made. The Weasleys were slightly confused until Harry explained that he and Hermione had gotten married earlier that afternoon. He didn't know who looked more surprised Bill, Fleur, or Neville. Ginny, however, looked beyond furious and Bill reached over and took her wand from her before she could hex anyone. She didn't say a word, just got up from her chair and went to her room, slamming the door.

"Congratulations you two. It certainly is a surprise" said Bill shaking Harry's hand while Fleur hugged Hermione. Harry explained why they had gotten married and that the babies were arriving in ten days.

"Is this why you asked me here" asked Neville.

"No, I want to talk to you about something in private." Standing up he left the room, with Neville following him into the hallway. "I want to ask you if you would be willing to be the secret keeper for the Order and this house."

"Are you sure that you want me to" squeaked Neville.

"Yes, I trust you and I trust the lives of my family's safety with you. You're the only one who stood beside me at the Ministry that night, even though you were hurt. This mess has affected you as much as me and to be honest no one would suspect that I asked you to. The only ones who would know would be myself and Professor Flitwick, since he would be performing the charm. You don't have to do this, I can find someone else."

Neville looked Harry straight in the eye and said "I'll do it, but I want Hermione to know."

"Thank you Neville and if I know Hermione, she's already figured out what I'm talking to you about. Stay here I'll go get Professor Flitwick."

A couple of minutes later Harry returned with the tiny Professor. "Professor, Neville has agreed to be the secret keeper for the Order and the house."

"That's fine. Mr. Longbottom, you understand that this charm enables a secret to be placed inside your body. Only you can reveal its contents and it's location of you own free will. Do you accept this?" Neville nodded, too afraid to speak. "Very well. Let us go into the drawing room." Both followed the tiny Professor into the room. There Flitwick handed Harry a piece of parchment and a quill and told him to write a sentence for it would be the secret. Harry finished writing and folded the parchment and placed it in Neville's hand as instructed. They waited while Harry went for Hermione and made sure that the rest of the Order had arrived with the members of the D.A. Harry nodded to the professor, who began his charm, causing Neville to glow as if he was on fire. Suddenly the folded parchment left Neville's hand and entered his chest, burning upon impact. When that happened Harry could hear the shout of confusion from the kitchen, where the others were waiting. Neville wrote out the secret on a piece of parchment and Professor Flitwick sent it to the kitchen for all to read.

They returned to the kitchen where everyone was waiting, even Ginny, who was shooting daggers at Harry and Hermione. Harry ignored her and started the meeting. "I want to thank you for coming to the first meeting of the New Order of the Phoenix. You will notice that there is a mixture of old members and member of the Defense Association of Hogwarts. We need to work together to defeat Voldemort and his Deatheaters. That is our priority. We need to focus on his followers first, for without them Voldemort can't hurt us as much as with them. Perhaps we could plan some raids or traps to capture them and work on a way to keep them locked up somewhere or somehow so that they can't escape to do more damage. So think about those things. If any of you have any ideas please let myself, Moony, Minerva McGonagall, or Mad-Eye know, even if it does sound stupid or silly. It's usually those ideas that work the best. Are there any questions?" No one said anything. "Good. Now I'll let Hermione explain the communication system."

Hermione stood and said "For those of you who were members of the D.A., during our fifth year, you know that we used an enchanted coin to set meeting times and dates. We will be using the same system only Moony will be setting the meetings for those outside of Hogwarts and Harry inside." She handed Harry and Moony their controlling coins and passed the marked baskets around, taking one from the Hogwarts basket for herself.

"This concludes the meeting" said Moony. Most everyone got up and left. Neville and his grandmother thanked Harry for dinner and left. Fred and George hung back. They had a gleam in their eyes that had Harry wondering at who was going to get pranked and he hoped that it wasn't going to be him.

"Oh Great Leader."

"We have a plan"

"of sorts"

"and would"

"like your"

"permission"

"to start."

"What kind of a plan?"

"Pranks on Deatheaters."

Harry thought for moment, looked at Hermione, who nodded, and said "Alright, but Deatheaters only and you two have to stay here for your own protection."

Both twins turned bright red. "You see Harry, we aren't exactly alone. Angelina and Alicia have been staying with us, uh, comforting us" said Fred. Harry blinked and a slow grin started appearing. "Comforting? I don't think I have ever heard it quite put that way, have you Moony?"

Moony looked as red as a radish as he was trying not to laugh. "No, I don't believe I have."

Bill looked torn between shock and amusement and giggles were coming from Hermione and Fleur. Laughing Harry said "Tell the girls they can stay too, for 'comforting', but make sure that there's a silencing charm so that the rest of us don't have to hear the 'comforting'."

The twins snapped to attention and gave Harry a salute, still red faced, before leaving as those on the kitchen burst out laughing.

Preparing for bed, Harry noticed how nervous Hermione seemed.

"Hermione, are you alright?"

"Yes, why?"

"You seem nervous."

"Perhaps I am. I'm so afraid that I'll do something wrong or that I might not please you."

"You won't do anything wrong and you do please me very much. We might make so mistakes, but so do most couples and parents."

She faced him, with tears in her eyes and said "I will be a good wife and mother, I promise."

Harry grinned at her and said "I already know that but I still want you to remain my Hermione. Now can we go to bed?"

Her nervousness seemed to double and Harry realized why, it was their wedding night. "Hermione, all I want to do is sleep, so please come to bed." As soon as she lay down beside him, Harry turned out the lights. She snuggled up into his shoulder, her left hand on his chest.

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you feel anything when we kissed?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"It felt like the twins' fireworks had gone off in my head and chest. Did you?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Like someone had put me on your firebolt and sent me flying. Funny I wasn't afraid either."