Chapter 7: Preparation

"Alright, people, listen up!"

The room quieted immediately, and all attention was focussed on Professor Austeros, the Headmistress of the Auror School.

"As you will all remember, your final exams are coming up in a week," (there were groans from around the room as people did, indeed, remember), "And while I realise you are all busy with your assignments from the Ministry, this is no excuse for doing poorly on your exams. You are expected to pass, or you will be removed from your Ministry assignments. We have had few or no problems with people in the past, and I do not expect you to be any problem at all. Anyone having difficulties should see their professors sooner rather than later, to ensure success."

There was a scraping of chairs as the small graduating class stood, stretched and left for the day.

Though Khyana would never say anything, Kelria could tell she was nervous about her Disguises exam. She had never been much good at potions at Hogwarts, and her hair was a constant reminder that she hadn't done much better since being at Auror School. Despite the fact that her illness was responsible for her hair, Khyana took it personally, knowing that she was a failure when it came to potions.

Despite the fact that Professor Austeros was a member of the Order, she would have no nonsense from her students. In fact, she expected much more from her fellow Order members. Knowing this, they all hurried out of the lecture hall before she could catch them, apparating almost as soon as they'd left the room.

Kelria collapsed on her couch, exhausted. She hadn't seen her boyfriend in nearly a week--he was doing work for the Order--and she was starting to really miss him. She needed a break from all the work James and her professors were piling on her. It had been two weeks since the aurors had been assigned specific Death Eaters, and she was no closer to convicting the Malfoys than she'd been the day she yelled at Khyana about her Malfoy pride. Of course, after a comment like that, Khyana was still not speaking to her.

She closed her eyes and groaned. Though Andi had been most helpful in the past few weeks, Kelria still had yet to catch Malfoy in one of the strange meetings she had mentioned.

She had an Order meeting in an hour, but in the meantime she intended to relax and do nothing. She grabbed a pizza out of the freezer and put it in the oven, which she set to turn off when the pizza was done--one of the many conveniences of a magical oven.

Then she ran upstairs and ran water for a bath. She decided that she deserved at least that much, with all the running around she'd done lately.

She knew that tonight she would probably be given an assignment, since she had skimped out on the last five, and she knew that that meant more work for her, on top of her auror work.

And in two weeks, the graduation ceremony for the Auror School graduates, of which she was hopefully one, would be held. Which meant she had exams next week.

She sank into the bath water and sighed, then groaned. Exams, Order assignments, and Auror assignments, all at the same time.

"Well," she said aloud, "c'est la vie, as Yana would say."

And indeed, Khyana said that almost daily now. What with all the complaining people were doing about how much work they had, and her irritation with Kelria, and all the work she had to do herself…she'd been given an Order assignment last week. Dumbledore was not lenient with his auror students. In fact, like Professor Austeros, he expected much more from them.

Kelria enjoyed her bath for half an hour, then got out, dressed and ate her pizza.

By the time she was done, she knew she was going to be late. Dumbledore was not impressed when people were late, and she knew she had no excuse, except that she spent too much time in the bath…which she didn't think Dumbledore would accept.

She spun on the spot, appearing seconds later in the Order of the Phoenix headquarters, just in time to hear Dumbledore ask, "Where is Kelria?"

"I'm here," she replied, smiling.

He nodded. "Okay. Now that everyone's here, we have some things to discuss."

Looking around at her fellow Order members, Kelria was struck by how many people were missing this week. Gideon and Fabian Prewett were off doing something-or-other, Remus was away, James was missing, Hagrid was conspicuous only by his absence, and Moody was also missing. Professors Austeros, North and McGonagall were missing as well, likely getting exams ready, and Edgar Bones was working late. Dedalus Diggle was also missing. Of course, not everyone showed up at every single meeting, but to have eleven people missing at one meeting…that was most odd.

She took careful note of who was there as well, as she always did. She looked at Marlene McKinnon beside her with a new sense of respect, knowing now about Rob Marsden and how he had left…Emmeline Vance looked ill, and Kelria wondered if maybe there was a flu bug going around. Khyana and Sirius were sitting together, as were Alice and Frank. Lily was sitting beside Alice, and beside Lily was Hestia Jones, a young woman who worked for the Ministry, doing what, Kelria didn't know. Sturgis Podmore was sitting between Hestia and Benjy Fenwick, who, as always, looked as if he were about to be convicted of a terrible crime. Peter Pettigrew, who continued to come to meetings despite the suspicion of Khyana, looked nervous and afraid, and Kelria couldn't help wondering why. Khyana had not even spoken to him yet, as far as Kelria knew, and that was the only reason she could think of for Peter to look the way he did…unless he really was meeting with Malfoy, in which case, anyone would look scared.

Dumbledore was saying something.

"-I want you all to make him feel welcome."

"What's going on?" Kelria hissed to Marlene beside her.

"Dumbledore's found a new member for the Order," Marlene replied very quietly. "He's here tonight, and Dumbledore wants us to make him feel welcome."

"Oh," Kelria replied, nodding. "I got it."

"Alright then, Professor," Hestia said, smiling.

"I'm glad you approve, Hestia," he replied, with a pointed look at Sirius, who looked confused.

Kelria was also a little lost. Hestia had spoken, not Sirius. So why was Dumbledore looking at Sirius like that?

Dumbledore swept his arm behind him with a flourish, something like a ringleader introducing his top act, and a man appeared behind him with a slight pop.

Sirius made a cry of anger and stood from his seat. "Bloody hell, Dumbledore, you're not serious!"

"No, that would be you," Dumbledore replied lightly, as Khyana stood and grabbed Sirius' arm. "Sit down please, Mr. Black."

Sirius sat, his face red with fury, and the man behind Dumbledore smirked.

"For those of you who do not know," Dumbledore began, "This is Severus Snape."

"Oh, I think everyone knows who he is," Khyana said, her voice filled with contempt.

"Watch your tone, Malfoy," Snape sneered.

Khyana was on her feet with her wand out faster than Kelria could blink, and before anyone could say anything, hexes were flying.

"ENOUGH!" Dumbledore roared, and a series of sparks came out the end of his own wand. He looked ready to murder Khyana. "I will not have this! You are on the same side, whether you like it or not. You will get along, do you hear me?"

Khyana looked incredulous. "You can't trust him, Professor! He's a Death Eater!"

Dumbledore glared at her. "He was a Death Eater, Miss Malfoy. He has agreed to turn spy for me, at great personal risk. The matter is not up for discussion."

"I don't believe this!" Sirius cried furiously.

Kelria, Khyana, Sirius, Alice, Frank, Peter and Lily were sitting in the Three Broomsticks. The Order meeting had finished about ten minutes previously, and the friends had immediately escaped to their customary "after meeting" spot: Madam Rosmerta's cozy pub.

Khyana seemed to have forgotten that she was angry with Kelria, in her fury with Dumbledore.

"I can't believe him!" Khyana agreed, just as furious as her boyfriend.

"Hey, guys, sorry I'm late," James hurried over to the table, kissed Lily on the cheek, and sat in the empty chair beside her. Then he noticed their faces. "Hey, I'm just a little late. That's no reason to murder me, Sirius."

"It's not you I want to murder," Sirius replied through clenched teeth.

James looked totally lost, and Lily explained, "Dumbledore brought a new member to the meeting tonight."

"O…kay?" James said, still confused. "How is that bad?"

"The new member is Severus Snape," Kelria replied.

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah," Khyana muttered. "Tell me about it."

"I don't believe it!" James cried, running his hand through his hair. "What is he thinking?"

"Apparently, Snape's changed," Khyana replied, wrapping her hands around her bottle of firewhiskey. Everyone had shot her an odd look when she'd ordered it, but she claimed her nerves were so shot from that meeting, she wouldn't even notice it in her system. In contrast, Sirius had ordered a Butterbeer, claiming he didn't think his system could handle a firewhiskey.

"Not a chance," James said surely. "Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater."

"Maybe he has changed," Peter said quietly, his face hopeful.

He was immediately shut down, as everyone at the table, even Alice and Lily, starting crying that there was no way, especially with Snape. Peter slumped down in his seat and said nothing more.

"I just can't believe Dumbledore actually thinks Snape's really changed," James said.

"Or that he actually expects us to work with him and get along," Khyana added. "I had to put up with him for seven years. It's not going to happen again quickly without a fight."

"The rest of us had to put up with him too, Na," Sirius replied.

"Not like I had to. He wasn't in your house."

"Thankfully."

"So you lot don't know what it's like. I will not put up with him again! Merlin and Salazar!" she cried angrily.

Sirius covered her hand on the table with his own, and everyone else gave her sympathetic looks.

Kelria smothered a smile at Khyana's choice of words. Merlin and Salazar hardly seemed to go together…and indeed, she almost felt bad for old Merlin, having his name associated like that with Salazar Slytherin…but she knew Khyana's family days had been spent using Salazar, not Merlin, as the curse, and she had only been using Merlin for ten years.

When the friends parted later that night, Kelria knew she wouldn't be sleeping much that night. Dumbledore let Snape into the Order…it wasn't just a bad dream. He must be out of his mind…

A/N: There you are, ladies and gents! I haven't had any reviews lately...:(. So if I don't get some soon, I'll stop writing. I know, exams are on right now and stuff, so I'll cut you some slack...but you better start reviewing after next week!