A/N: And here is the third chapter of our tale. I'm sorry for the wait- having a full time job has really cut back on writing time. But I'll try to keep up with this story. Also, I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two at midnight last night. And... I'm not quite sure how I feel. I need to watch them in a row to really see how it wraps up the series. But... overall, it was good. I just need time to... let it set in. It's over. More or less. Anyways, here's chapter three. Enjoy! (And thanks for all your reviews and everything!)
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"I would like to welcome you all, even though this may not be the best of situations." Albus Dumbledore stood in front of a long table, around which were several witches and wizards, including Kingsley Shaklebolt, Andromeda and Nymphadora Tonks, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, and Mad Eye Moody.
"Now, I do believe most of you know each other, so we're not going to bother with introductions. It is of the upmost importance that we begin right away. As you all know, it was only a little over a decade ago that we were all here before, only with several more members. And today we're here for the same reason; Lord Voldemort has returned."
At this statement, the faces of the members of the Order of the Phoenix became much more serious. The people around the table had all see the effects of the last war with You-Know-Who. Their friends and families had been terrorized, and many people had been killed.
"As I'm sure you all know, Lord Voldemort has already taken it upon himself to break his Death Eaters out of Azkaban," Dumbledore continued. "While this does not pose an immediate effect, it will make our mission much more difficult. For now, the freed Death Eaters remain too weak to do us much harm. At the moment, we need to concentrate on the Death Eaters and others sympathetic to the Dark Lord's cause inside the Ministry. This includes Yaxley and Malfoy, as well as an assistant to Cornelius Fudge, Dolores Umbridge. They are believed to be the biggest threats."
The faces around the table nodded, signifying their understanding. "Kingsley, can I trust you and Nymphadora to keep an eye out for any suspicious behavior in the Auror Department?"
"Of course, Headmaster," replied Kingsley, as Tonks nodded in agreement, only the reddening of the ends of her hair betraying her annoyance at being called Nymphadora.
"Good. Well, on that note, there is not much else for us to discuss. I will contact you individually as necessary. For now, I would suggest you go and enjoy what I'm sure will be the last few days of calmness."
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In the dark hallways of Grimmuald Place, the members of the Order gathered after the meeting. Many of them were eager to meet the young Mr. Potter, whose parents had been friends of theirs.
Harry and Hermione were to be staying at Grimmuald Place for part of the summer. The Headmaster had already seen to it that Harry had stayed at his relatives' house long enough to still call it home, and as such, there were only four weeks remaining until the start of the new school year. The only real event that had happened over the summer was the mass breakout from Azkaban, and all had been quiet since then.
Members of the Order had been coming and going for the past few weeks, where Remus and Nymphadora, or Tonks, as she preferred to be called, were staying. Harry and Remus had become fast friends, with Remus regaling Harry with tales of the four Marauders- himself, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black. However, it was a sad picture for Remus, as James was dead and Sirius was still in Azkaban for murdering Peter.
Remus, Tonks, Hermione, and Harry were in the process of cleaning Grimmuald Place, trying to make it suitable for human habitation again, after so many years of belonging to the Black family, and then years of abandonment. It was a long process, as the house had acquired a myriad of pesky and dangerous creatures, not including the cantankerous house elf, Kreacher, who had the odd habit of mumbling insulting phrases under his breath.
This evening, several people were to be staying for dinner, including Professor McGonagall, Kingsley, and Andromeda. Harry and Hermione, who had seen the Daily Prophet and the stories about Bellatrix Lestrange, were curious about her and Sirius, who had grown up with Andromeda.
"I know what Sirius was like at school- Remus told us all about him- what was he like when he was younger? And what about Bellatrix Lestrange, what was she like? Was she crazy?" Hermione questioned, her curiosity getting the better of her, as she forgot that Bellatrix was actually at one point Andromeda's beloved sister.
"Sirius and Bella were quite similar, actually. They both loved a good prank, which I'm sure Remus has told you about Sirius. But Bella was just as mischievous. I remember once she bewitched Narcissa's hair invisible. Oh, Narcissa had a fit until it became visible again. She swore she'd gone bald and kept crying about how now she'd never find a boyfriend. Bella thought it absolutely hysterical. Bella and Sirius both were stunning, and charming, a dangerous combination. They were also incredibly persuasive, which helped them with their pranks. When we were all kids, they really were inseparable. But then Sirius got sorted into Gryffindor while we were all placed in Slytherin. I think Bella was jealous; she always wanted to get away from our overbearing family. But Sirius and I were the only ones who got out, Bella and Narcissa were just sucked in deeper."
Andromeda's eyes took on a pensive look; she sat still, staring at a point of the opposite wall. "Bella started…changing. She could be perfectly normal one moment, then be yelling and screaming the next. That's when she met L…Lord….Lord Voldemort." Andromeda stuttered over the name of the man who tore apart her family, but she was a firm believer that 'fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself.' And although Lord Voldemort and Bella's… disease, as she saw it, had stolen her older sister from her, she would be damned if she was afraid of either.
"Severus, have you any news?" Lord Voldemort relied heavily upon his most trustworthy follower, and he knew it. He saw Severus's appointment of Potions Master at Hogwarts and Dumbledore's 'right- hand man' as most advantageous to his cause.
"They are using an old Black manor as their headquarters, my Lord. However, there are strong enchantments in place by Dumbledore himself that keep anyone, myself included, from knowing the location of the Headquarters." Severus knew that the Dark Lord would appreciate the information given, and with a little Legilimency, would know the truth of the information. But it wasn't important; Dumbledore had given him permission to admit that the Order was using an old Black property for their Headquarters.
"Very well, Severus. Your information is most… appreciated." The Dark Lord stood at the head of a long wooden table, with his Death Eaters looking up at him. Around the table sat Severus, the Lestranges, the Carrows, Greyback, Yaxley, Malfoy, and Antonin Dolohov.
"Lucius, Yaxley. Have we any success at the Ministry?"
"N…Not yet, my Lord. We still have not had time to Imperius Fudge's aides. But once we do, we will be able to get to Fudge, the imbecile," responded Lucius, stammering at the admittance of his failure.
"See that you do, and quickly. I gave you until the end of the week. Two days. I need Fudge in two days. Without their Minister, the Ministry will fall. And who will be there to pick up the pieces?" The Dark Lord looked around the table, waiting for one of his servants to answer.
Bellatrix finally spoke up, her scratchy voice echoing in the bleak room. "We will, my Lord. We will take the Ministry, and finally put all muggles, mudbloods, half-bloods, and blood traitors in their place," she spat.
"Yes, Bellatrix. We will restore purebloods to their proper place. Remember that those who turn against us will not be spared, and failure within our ranks will not be tolerated." With these last words of warning, Voldemort ended the meeting. He had carefully observed Bellatrix through the whole meeting, noting with pleasure that she seemed no different from normal, with her intense hatred of muggles, and those associated with them. Bellatrix had continued to display her violent and rash tendencies, and her manic personality switches, but the bitterness in her voice and the disgust written across her face reassured him that Bellatrix would remain loyal to his cause.