Chapter 12: The Order of the Phoenix Reforms
October 29, 1994
I am extremely worried, although I don't want you to know I am. Someone, neither one of us know who, has entered you in the Triwizard Tournament. I am nervous for you, because the tournament is a dangerous event, and I don't want to lose my only godchild to a game.
It's hard being a godfather. I've only just realized that. Whenever I write you a letter or talk to you through the fire place, I can show no fear, because I know if you see I'm afraid, you will be afraid as well. As Gryffindors, you and I both know fear is never a good thing. However, I am not being very Gryffindor-like at the moment.
I am completely clueless as to who would want you in the tournament so badly. It certainly wasn't me, and I know it wasn't Dumbledore either. I can't see any of your professors doing something as outrageous as that, and I don't think an older student would enter your name and risk lessening their own chances of being chosen for the tournament. I just don't see it.
I just hope you stay safe. This year, Voldemort is the least of your troubles.
June 12, 1995
Well, my dear Harry, the Triwizard Tournament is over, and the good news is you're still alive. The bad news is Voldemort is back. You're going to need all the help you can get now. Fortunately, I think we have found that help.
Two days ago, I was pacing outside my shelter, wondering how I could possibly help you now that Voldemort was back. Suddenly, I heard a noise behind me, like the sound of someone clearing their throat. I jumped and spun around.
"Hello, Sirius." The person said with a grin.
"R-Remus," I stammered. "How… how did you find me?" I had been doing my best to stay in hiding, and I was always on the run, never staying in one place for more than a few days. If Remus could find me, I knew the Ministry could find me just as easily. It was very concerning.
"I've been tracking you ever since we met at Hogwarts last year." Remus said softly. "I thought I should keep track of you, in case Harry ever needed our assistance. You do know about the Triwizard Tournament, don't you?"
I nodded. "Voldemort's back! Harry needs us more than ever now."
Remus sighed. "I know, but we are just a werewolf and a convicted murderer. What can we possible do? No one listens to Harry, so why should they listen to us?"
I thought for a moment. I didn't have the slightest idea. I wished James were here to help us. Suddenly, an idea came to me. "The Order of the Phoenix!" I exclaimed.
Remus stared at me. "Sirius, they've been disbanded for years, since Lily and James died and you were sent to Azkaban."
"I know that!" I exclaimed. "That's why we need to bring it back together! We can reform the Order of the Phoenix!"
Remus grinned. "Why didn't I think of that?" he wondered.
Remus sat down next to me under the big oak tree, and we wrote of list of all of the people – the ones who were still alive anyway - who were in the Order of the Phoenix fourteen years previous. Remus and I went to all of them yesterday, asking them to rejoin the Order. Only a select few did. When we contacted Professor Dumbledore, he told us he had been doing the same thing as us. He gave us the very important task of recruiting new members.
After brainstorming a list of all the wizards and witches we knew, Remus and I came up with several people we could invite to join the Order, the first being Kingsley Shaklebolt, an Auror. Kingsley was a fine choice in both of our minds, and he quickly agreed. We also managed to recruit another member, a witch named Hestia Jones. We still wanted a few more members, but were having trouble coming up with them.
"I got it!" Remus exclaimed suddenly. "What about the Weasley family?"
"The… Weasleys?" I asked uncertainly. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember exact who they were. A pure-blood family no doubt, hopefully not the kind that thought they were better than everyone else, just as my family had.
"They're a very kind – and very large – pure-blood family." Remus explained. "Their youngest son, Ron, is one of Harry's best friends – the one you dragged into the shrieking shack. I'm sure they'll be happy to help. They also have three sons who are old enough to join the Order as well. Two of them live away from home, but I'm sure they'll be willing to pitch in when they can. "
Remus and I quickly set off for the Weasley's home, unsure of how they would react to me. When Remus knocked on the door, the woman I assumed was Mrs. Weasley opened the door.
"Can I help..." Mrs. Weasley began, but her eyes grew wide when she saw me. "Just a minute please." Mrs. Weasley was in such a hurry, she left the front door wide open.
Curiously, I looked inside the house and saw a rather large family crowded around the dinner table, enjoying their dinner.
"Arthur, there are two men at the door, and one of them is the man that escaped from Azkaban two years ago!" Mrs. Weasley said quickly, clearly afraid. One of the boys looked up quickly, and I immediately recognized him as your friend, Ron.
"Blimey, that's Harry's godfather!" Ron exclaimed. "He's innocent, Mum! He's the one that gave me Pigwidgeon."
Mrs. Weasley frowned. Before she could say anything, Mr. Weasley said softly, "It's alright, Molly. I'll go talk to him."
Mr. Weasley got up from the table and came outside, shutting the door behind him. Clearly his throat nervously, he asked. "What can I do for you, gentlemen?"
"I'm Remus Lupin, and this is Sirius Black." Said Remus. "I was some of your children's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher two years ago. We were sent by Professor Albus Dumbledore to recruit people to help reform the Order of the Phoenix, an organization whose primary goal is to help protect the wizarding community from… You-know-who, and we were wondering if you, your wife, and your eldest children were interested joining us. All the information you need is right here."
Remus handed Mr. Weasley the letter Dumbledore had given us to hand out to people in order to try to convince them to join the Order and waited patiently for the red-haired man to finish reading it. When he was finished, Mr. Weasley smiled. "I'll have to talk to my wife, but I'd be happy to join you. Will you give me a moment?" Even though the letter mentioned that I was wrongly accused of murder, and Remus was a werewolf, Mr. Weasley seemed to be completely unfazed by that information.
Remus nodded, and a few minutes later, Mr. Weasley came back with his wife. "Molly and I are one hundred percent willing to join the Order of the Phoenix, despite the risks." Mr. Weasley said.
After talking to Arthur and Molly Weasley for a few minutes, Remus and I learned that their two oldest children, Bill and Charlie, would be mostly likely would be joining the Order as well. However, their third oldest, Percy, wasn't getting along with the family at the moment, so he most likely wouldn't be. Remus and I were just happy with the four members we had gained.
July 5th, 1995
Well, here I am, back at Number 12, Grimmauld Place. I never intended on coming back to my childhood "home", but here I am, just the same. I'm not actually sure how I got here. One minute, I was suggesting to the Order that they use this place for their headquarters, and the next, I'm living in it again. The Order had agreed to use Number Twelve, but on one condition: that I would live here and be a secret keeper. I'm not sure why I agreed. This place brings back so many painful memories. I must be crazy.
Yesterday, I was roaming around the house, bored out of my mind, when suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I opened the door slowly to find Kingsley Shacklebolt and a young woman in her early twenties. I quickly realized the young woman was Nymphadora Tonks, my cousin Andromeda's daughter.
Nymphadora smiled. "Hello, Sirius."
I had not seen Nymphadora in years. She was thirteen years younger than me, and I babysat her a few times when she was young. I didn't watch her very often, because she was hard for me to handle.
"Hello, Nymphadora. What brings you here?" I asked.
Nymphadora grimaced. "It's Tonks." She reminded me. "I'm here to talk to you about the Order of the Phoenix. May I come in?"
I nodded. After Tonks entered, I held the door open for Kingsley. "Aren't you coming?" I asked when he did not move.
Kingsley shook his head. "No, I really must be going. I just came along to show Tonks the way."
I nodded. Kingsley and I said our goodbyes, and I shut the door behind him. I led Tonks to the kitchen and offered her something to drink.
"I'll just have a glass of water, please." Tonks said politely. I poured her a glass and sat across the table from her.
"So, Nym… Tonks, how have you been since I saw you last?" I asked.
Tonks explained that when she went to Hogwarts, she also broke the family tradition and was sorted into Hufflepuff, not Slytherin. After Hogwarts, she went to work for the Ministry of Magic and became an Auror. Kingsley told her about the Order, and she wanted to join us.
Suddenly, I got a fabulous idea. It was so splendid, I couldn't hold it in a second longer.
"Tonks, are you in any romantic relationships?" I asked.
Tonks laughed. "I'm sorry Sirius, but you're not my type. Anyway, we're kind of too closely related for that aren't we?"
"No, I'm not talking about myself!" I said quickly. "Tonks, how would you like to go on a blind date?"
Thanks for reading! :)