Disclaimer: Not mine

His Calling

Chapter 24

The Order

Remus sat at the kitchen table pushing the eggs around on his plate, having no appetite since he had been woken by angry voices. Across the table, John watched him from under his brows while at the sink his mother slammed dishes down in her way of telling John to shut up. Knowing the sound well, Remus smirked and poked at his eggs again.

"What aren't we talking about this time?" he asked the room, trying to look innocent.

"Don't be cheeky," Rhea said, with a hint of caution in her voice.

"Rhea?" John said, with more then a hint in his own. "I thought we could go fishing today."

"Fishing? We only go fishing when you want to talk about sex."

"Remus John Lupin!"

John began to laugh and leaned back in his chair. "No, I think we covered the sex thing quite well for a couple of years, at least we should have. You remember that Remus. If you don't know what to do next you don't do anything, and that includes… "

"John?" Rhea looked at him and shook her head.

"What did I say?" He looked at her blankly. "He needs to know if we didn't cover it he's not ready for it. We didn't and he's not."

"Do we need to discus this at breakfast?" she hissed.

"Better at a breakfast he is here for then a breakfast he misses because he was up all night…"

"John, I think he gets it."

Remus smiled and pulled his plate back in front of him and began eating. "So, what is it this time?"

"Yesterday I was injured. Your mother was here by herself and you were off without a plan on what to do. It won't happen again. You were lucky this time, lucky you were with friends and lucky that Moody was there to bring you back."

"The fighting is over?" Remus looked up grinning.

"No, it's …" John shot a look to Rhea, "it's going to get worse, Remus. A lot worse, and you need to know what to do."

"Remus?" Rhea joined them at the table. "Do you remember that nice lady at Three Broomsticks? Madam Rosmerta?" She waited for his nod before continuing. "If you are ever caught outside, and can't get back here, or to school, you are to go there. If she isn't there or if something happens, she said to go to see Aberforth Dumbledore."

"The one at the bar? The old guy?"

"Yes, but only as a last resort. He's not a … he is a little … gruff."

"First, you need to learn what to do here. In case something happens." John stood and frowned at him. "Finish eating. We start this morning."

John showed Remus how to take the floo off the network, and stressed that this was the first thing to do, the most important. Cautioning that while it was still open, anyone and everyone had access to the house. He then taught Remus the spells to stop apparition onto the property and to reset stronger wards on all the windows. John ignored both the asked and unasked questions as to the why that he could hear and see Remus swallowing back.

After lunch, he surprised Remus by walking him down to the barn and tossing his wand to him. Pulling out his own, he cast a Patronus and watched Remus' face light up as a graceful white lynx slipped from his wand and circled the barn, only to return and disappear.

"If you ever have to close the floo, if you are ever stuck here you need to communicate, and I don't want to hear that you and your mother are dead because you thought you needed to tell someone what was happening first. You close the floo, you set the wards, then…and only then you send me your Patronus. You do not wait, do you understand? You do not … ever, try to handle it yourself. I am an Auror, and I would never, never go into a duel by myself and I don't ever want to hear that you were foolish enough to try."

They practiced late into the night. Rhea brought plates to the barn and sat and watched as they continued to practice. She saw Remus weakening and tried to call a stop to the lessons, earning a scowl and tongue-lashing. John insisted that unless he could cast a Patronus, no matter how tired, how injured, how scared, it was nothing more then a cheap parlour trick. Remus became frustrated when he finally produced a wisp of white vapor, only to have it fizzle and drop to the ground. Looking up at John, he dropped his arm and let his wand point at the ground.

"You are not concentrating," John ran his hand through his hair.

"He is too young," Rhea said. "At thirteen what do you expect?"

"I expect him to stay alive!" John shouted at her. "New memory, Remus. Whatever the bloody hell you are thinking about isn't working."

"My dad, I am concentrating on my dad."

"Change it." John demanded. "Remus, I am sure you have happy times to remember him by, but the sadness of his death may be overshadowing it. Pick another."

Remus looked at the ground and thought of the best thing he could remember, and then suddenly snapped his head up at John. Smiling he lifted his wand and shouted "Expecto Patronum!" watching as a silvery wolf leapt from his wand, charged into the air and ran above his head.

"Excellent! Excellent, Remus. Well done!" John clapped his hand on Remus' shoulder as the silvery wolf returned and Remus dropped his wand, letting the Patronus disappear.

"It was the time in the tower," he looked at his mother. "Not dad, but … the night Sirius told them and they didn't hate me."

"Hold it boy, don't lose that memory. No matter what happens, no matter what changes, just hold onto that memory." John smiled at Rhea. "Now, off to bed. We do it again in the morning."

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"It's all here," Sirius said, dumping old copies of the Daily Prophet on the ground. "Well, it sort of hints at it, but never really comes out and says it. Like here…"

Potter picked up the newspaper that had gone out the day after they had gone to the Tonks' and smirked. "Disturbance it says. Two got wasted in a disturbance?"

"That's ripe," Peter grabbed the paper from him and scanned the story quickly. "Doesn't even give the names. Who was the other one?"

"Bones, don't know which one, but I think it was the youngest kid." Sirius flopped down. "My father said that they were sending a message."

"Message?" Remus looked at him incredulously. "What kind of message other than wanting to take revenge would that send? Says here he, must be the Bone's kid, was nine. Nine? Bloody hell!"

Sirius shrugged and dropped down on the ground next to Peter. "If Riddle wanted to shut up Dawlish, and killed you, don't you think it would work?"

"Why not just go after Dawlish?"

"He may want something. He may want information, or for the other Aurors to back off. If he can kill an Auror's kid it would make the rest a little less likely to keep fighting," Sirius said and then looked up at Remus. "How old were you when Greyback got you?"

"That's... that's different … Greyback isn't …" Remus looked down at the papers and picked up another, reading about an attack on another Muggle. "You think it was because of my dad?"

"He was a Muggle, and some are saying Greyback…"

"That's stupid." Peter put the paper he was holding down. "Riddle only wants wizards. Werewolves aren't even human."

Remus sat and stared at the paper he still held, feeling a surge of magic wash over him, feeling his hands crush the edges of the paper and felt the wolf under his skin. Slowly he raised his head and drilled Peter with his eyes, his top lip curling back.

"Take it back."

"What?" Peter looked up innocently, blanching as Remus came to his feet.

"I said take I back."

Sirius was already on his feet and stepping between the two, placing his hand on Remus' chest. "Come on, you know he's stupid. He didn't mean you."

"Yeah, come on." James looked back at Peter and snorted. "Since when do you care what a rat says?"

Remus looked over Sirius' shoulder at Peter and remembered the night in the barn and what he had done. He turned away angrily and putting his back to the rest shoved his hands in his pockets and lowered his eyes. "I need to leave."

"Ah, come on Moony, you know I didn't mean you. But, werewolves are … that's how they are counted. My dad says even their birth certificates are changed or thrown out. They don't count them anymore."

"Why were you talking about werewolves?" Potter frowned.

"I wasn't, honest. They were talking about where they could find help. You know, with …" He nodded towards the stack of papers. "Riddle went to Hogwarts. He tried to get a job teaching but they wouldn't have him. At least that's what Grams said. She said even back then, there was something wrong about him and he got Hagrid in trouble back when they were in school. Big trouble. He got Hagrid's wand snapped and everything. Course if they had known he was half-giant they wouldn't have let him in anyway."

"Yeah, I guess that's when Slytherin house was one of the smallest. They had different … standards. Now Dumbledore has opened it up to everyone. Riddle hates him for it. He lets half breeds in, but he wouldn't give Riddle the time of day." Sirius lowered back to the ground watching Remus. "Come on Moony. I nicked these papers for you."

"No," Remus shook his head and looked across the field. "I should leave. Something's not right. I have to leave."

The three boys sat on the ground and watched as Remus began to run, knowing not to follow or to get to close when he was like this, when they could see the wolf's eyes in broad daylight.

"Way to go Peter!" Potter spat. "You know how he gets."

"I told him I didn't mean nothing by it. He knows I don't think he isn't human."

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Remus ran across the field, towards the crest of the hill where he could look down and see what his mum now called their farm. Farm, he thought bitterly. This was nothing like the farm they had once. This was what was left for them, what they could handle before John had come. Just enough for a widow and a kid. He ran until his chest hurt, until the stitch in his side told him to quit, until his throat was raw and the taste of blood was on his tongue.

Not human, Peter had said. He felt his blood rushing through his body and echoing in his ears. Dropping to the ground, he landed on his knees, gasping for air and rasping out sobs. Crying was for sissies. Crying was for weak sissies that everyone would laugh at and call names. He sat up on his knees and looked down at the cottage with the small barn. He had never noticed before how small and unkempt it appeared. Not nearly as grand as the Pettigrew house, but few houses he had ever been in were as grand at that.

Potter's house and Andromeda's were much the same. Each with crisp lines and manicured lawns, fenced in gardens and lace and draperies on all the windows, not just flimsy curtains made by hand. From where he sat, he could see his mother as she crossed the space between the house and the barn and looked at her with fresh eyes.

She was older than any of the other mothers. Her hair, pulled back and tied at the nape of her neck, showed grey at the temples, and her walk was not as sure and firm. He puzzled that he had never noticed before, or noticed that she wore the same two pairs of jeans from day to day or that her shoes no longer would hold a shine although he had seen her pull out the small tin of polish and a small brush when her spells had even failed to make them look better. Remus looked back at the cottage, saw its thatched roof and small windows, and felt a tug to be inside and safe.

Movement caught his eye and he turned to the right, seeing the white lynx that he knew was Dawlish's Patronus slither through the air and head for the barn. A moment later his mother rushed out, running with her wand in her hands, stumbling in her rush to reach the house. Without hesitating Remus stood and began to run to meet her, calling out to her as he ran headlong down the slope, seeing her stop in her flight to the house and turn to him, hearing his voice, her attention from her path suspended.

He saw the look of abject horror on her face and heard the sound of apparation behind him. He stopped and turned, seeing forms appearing, black robes, men with wands drawn. His mother's voice cut the air, screaming as she ran to him, all thoughts of reaching the house gone, all thoughts of setting wards and casting protection spells forgotten. Remus lurched down the hill, intent on reaching his mother but unable to take his eyes off the growing number of black robed men he kept slowing to look at over his shoulder, counting now six on the ridge behind him.

In front of Remus, Moody appeared, soon followed by other shapes that were still shimmering into sight as he ran past them. Again Remus stopped, amazed at the sight of Aurors that took so long to materialize, knowing they must have come a great distance. Rhea's voice pierced the air, forcing Remus' attention and again making his feet obey. He ran to her, seeing her run away from him, toward the house, holding her hand out behind her back, encouraging him to catch her, to run faster, to reach the house.

His arms windmilled the air, the momentum of his downhill flight carrying him across the flat lawn, enabling him to catch his mother's hand as the sounds of battle began. He ran with her, soon in the lead, and pulled her into the house and slamming the door behind him. Rhea stood, her chest heaving in attempts to suck in air, pointing to the floo and brought it off the network as Remus rushed to his room, grabbed his wand and began to set ward upon ward over the windows.

Running downstairs, he saw his mother run to the kitchen and seal the back door.

"Mum?"

"My gods." She threw her wand on the table and rushed to him, pulling him into a hug. "I didn't know where you were."

"Down at the orchard with the guys," he muffled into her shoulder. "Mum…"

"Sorry," she said, letting him push away. "Is James still there?"

"Yeah."

"Stay here." She grabbed her wand and ran to the door, paused just long enough to look back and slipped outside, shutting the door behind her.

Remus ran to the window in the sitting room, pulled back the curtain and watched his mother sprint to the edge of the property. He saw Moody turn to her, and although Remus could not hear the words, he could tell Moody was angry and demanding that she go back. He watched as Rhea continued to run and spin out of sight, knowing she was rushing to the three still down at the orchard.

Again, Remus turned to the battle on the hill. Dawlish was now there, and several others. He saw the flashes as one curse after another flew and saw Dawlish throw up shield after shield as he stepped over a fallen Auror, shielding his body with not only his magic but also his life. Remus focused on Moody who was now limping so badly he could hardly stand. As the powerful wizard turned to avoid a hex, Remus saw blood pumping out of his thigh, forcing him down to one knee. Dawlish looked at the wizard at his feet, and then making a decision stepped to Moody, wrapped his arm around him and disappeared.

Remus stepped back from the window, but kept his eyes on the fallen man. A flash of memory of boots, of a knee pressed to his back, a memory of the smell of wild animal and blood. He was frozen, unable to move, unable to watch and unable to look away. The man from the party, the one with the pretty wife that made treacle tarts, squatted down by the fallen man that Dawlish left, and digging something from his pocket, laid it on the man's chest, and stood already fighting as the portkey carried the injured man away.

Remus held his wand tightly and put his hand on the doorknob, wanting to go outside, wanting to do something. He pulled the door open at the same time more appeared on the ridge, just beyond the property line. The witch that had set out the treats and a sandy-haired wizard began to shoot hexes at the men in black robes, now caught in the middle of them and the Aurors. What stopped him, keeping his glued feet to the floor were the flowing robes of the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall.

They walked slowly toward the men, the Headmaster waving his hand, pushing magic, forcing the men to their knees, not needing a wand. His face dark and angry. Angrier than Remus had ever seen. He saw one of the men lift his wand and stand to face Albus, as another cast a shield around him. A spell fell a moment too late from the man's lips, as Gideon's Avada Kedavra split the air and the man fell in a blast of green light.

Silence fell, only punctuated by the pops of apparition as the remaining five black robed men left, leaving only the victors standing on the crest. Remus saw the one called Gideon toss something on the black robed body that lay on the ground and the body whisk away before he began to run.

"Frank!" Albus yelled down the slope and pointed to Remus, causing the younger Wizard to turn and hurry to intercept the boy.

"Whoa," Frank chuckled and stood in front of Remus, making him stop.

"What's happening?" Remus said breathlessly.

"Back in the house. We haven't cleared the area." Frank frowned at the boy and seeing he was not going to move, clamped down on his wrist and pulled him back to the house despite his protests.

"Come on," Frank said, shoving Remus bodily into the house. "I'll show you how to clear the house. You'll want it done before your mum gets back."

"I think she went to the orchard."

"Crazy witch should have stayed put."

"The guys were down there."

"What guys?"

"James, Sirius and Peter. I just left them."

"Listen kid, you stay put." Frank ran his hand through his hair. "Leave the wards up until we get back."

He turned and ran back up the swell of ground shouting out orders as he ran. Remus rushed to the door and stood watching as Gideon, Albus and the red headed, treacle treat witch left, wondering at the sudden fear he could read on their faces. Professor McGonagall started up to the house, her wand still held firmly in her hand.

"Back inside boy," she said crisply. "Once Arthur checks the barn and the house you can stand outside, but until then you will do as you are told."

"Arthur who?" He stepped backwards into the house, making room for her to follow him in.

"Weasley, Arthur Weasley. Now, put on a pot of tea, I am sure your mother will need a cup when she returns."

Remus walked out into the kitchen uncertainly. Peaking back into the sitting room, he saw her reset the floo and drop the additional wards his Mum had set on the windows.

"Who was just here? He said he was going to …"

"Frank Longbottom. Now, is the water on?"

"I don't feel like making a bloody pot of tea." He fumed. "I want to know what the …"

"Young man, you will conduct yourself properly, and what is proper at this time is not to show your mother that you are upset over this. Now, do as you are told."

"Yes, Madam," he sighed, and turned back to the kitchen and put a kettle on to heat as he replayed the attack in his mind.

The kettle clattered to the floor as he remembered Moody and Dawlish. Rushing back to the sitting room he arrived at the same time as the door burst open and Rhea rushed in, running to him, she engulfed him in her arms.

"Now, now," Minerva said. "We need none of this. All is fine here. Albus?"

"He is making sure Peter and Black go back. Seems they wanted to stay and watch. I got James home."

"Mum? Dad took Moody someplace, he was hurt awful."

"John?" Rhea looked to Minerva tearfully.

"He is fine my dear, If he left I am sure we will find him at St. Mungo's." She frowned. "When Molly gets back she will want to go to Fabian, perhaps you can go with her. You should stay in pairs for a few days."

"Molly? Is she the one that left with Albus and that Gideon guy?"

"Yes, Remus," Rhea bit her lip and looked down at him. "Gideon's brother Fabian is at St. Mungo's as well. Now, go change clothes and get ready, as soon as Molly … Mrs. Weasley gets here we can leave."

"Who are all these people? The other ones, not the Aurors, but the rest?"

"They are us, Remus," Albus said, as he walked in the open door. "The Order of the Phoenix."