Chapter Thirty-Four: Peaceful Resolutions?
Saturday 16th July
"You're going to have to stay up here," said Sirius as Harry sat on his chair at his desk. "Dumbledore's instructions, otherwise I would allow you to come to the meeting."
"Right," smiled Harry. "You promise to tell me what you can?"
"Sure, but don't say a word to anyone."
Harry laughed. "If you can't trust me, who can you trust?"
"Remus," stated Sirius, grinning, despite the darkness of the situation. "We don't need any minors getting hold of information that needs to stay within the circle. You, of course, are the exception. As your legal guardian, Dumbledore cannot prevent me from keeping secrets from you, especially if things said in the meetings are about you."
Harry shook his head, a smile plastered on his face. "Why can't I go to the Weasley's like before?"
Sirius shrugged. "It's too much of a risk now. It was fine last time since Voldemort was concentrating on securing the Prophecy – now however he seems intent on getting hold of you. He either knows the Prophecy – and I know for a fact that a few select Order members have been told the contents – and we've been betrayed by one of those trusted few, or Voldemort has more important things to do such as threatening the community until they agree to hand you over."
"That might work," said Harry sullenly. "He's terrorising the Wizarding Community into handing me over and sooner or later they'll demand it for that sake of their children's futures."
Sirius shook his head, a little stunned that his godson appeared calm and collected. "Dumbledore wouldn't allow that to happen and neither would I." He had to wonder who in their right mind would hand over a child to a murdering, raving lunatic. The answer came to him immediately: those that were threatened with the lives of their own family. Sirius knew he couldn't hold a grudge against those people – he understood their reasons, but unlike them, he would rather die than sacrifice the hope of the Wizarding World.
"I know you wouldn't," replied Harry, "but Voldemort aims to create fear and he's succeeding little by little. People are scared, Sirius, and someone will try to appease him. What if you are not there to protect me if someone from the Order gets fed up with the constant deaths?"
"This house is protected, no one can get inside it," said Sirius.
"Except those who have been told by Dumbledore," Harry mentioned as he folded his arms.
"But they cannot bring anyone else in here."
"So?" Harry met Sirius's eyes. "What if several members decide enough is enough? What will you do then?"
Sirius was slumped by his godson's questioning. Harry was right – anyone involved with the Order could betray them at anytime.
Just like Wormtail did, he remembered.
"If anything happened to you by betrayal of an Order member I can personally say that Voldemort wouldn't be happy for too long," stated Sirius.
Harry's eyebrows rose, a small smile crossing his lips.
"What?" asked Sirius curiously.
"Why wouldn't Voldemort be happy for long?" prompted Harry.
"As Dumbledore and I would get you out before that bastard has a chance to lift his wand against you." Sirius tapped his head with a finger. "You forget that bonding spell – it has its uses."
"Welcome to the meeting," said Dumbledore as he stood at the foot of the table, hands raised in the air.
Sirius sat next to Snape (much to his disgust) but the greasy-haired git had priority today as he had valuable information relating to Voldemort's war efforts. No matter what Dumbledore thought, Severus Snape was not a person that Sirius Black was willing to trust.
Albus Dumbledore clasped his hands together tightly, his shining, intelligent eyes bore round the table and Sirius was certain that just for a second that the old man could see into their souls and question their belief. He could never look the headmaster in the eye when he did this at each Order meeting – and Dumbledore knew why.
The only one who could meet Dumbledore's intent gaze was always Severus Snape.
"As you know the Wizarding World is now in a state of war. Lord Voldemort –" several people flinched – "has been launching many attacks on muggle-borns in attempt to scare the Minister into handing over Harry Potter. This cannot come to pass. I will admit that Harry will play an important part in this war –"
"He's just a boy, Albus!"
Sirius glanced over at Molly Weasley, her face in shock. "I don't like it much either, but Harry will have to fight, no matter what."
"I would have thought you would be against this!" muttered Molly, glaring at Sirius.
He raised his eyebrows. "I am against Harry fighting, but I can't stop him. Voldemort won't fight anyone but Harry. What does that say about Voldemort, Molly?"
She didn't answer, but Snape interjected: "That he views Potter as a threat that he must eliminate himself. Much as I sympathise with you Mollythat Potter is just a child, I agree with Black. We cannot prevent Potter from fighting."
Severus was defending Harry?
Sirius shook his head. He sat back in his chair waiting for the headmaster to speak again.
"I have learnt by spies within Voldemort's inner circle that he is no longer concerned with learning the full contents of the prophecy however that doesn't mean we can stop guarding it. I intend to move it from the Department of Mysteries with Harry's help, providing I have your permission Sirius?"
He nodded. "That's fine. I don't why you didn't consider that in the first place considering that Harry already knows it."
"Where will it go?" Alastor Moody asked his one-eye swivelling in its socket.
"I will keep it safe," answered Dumbledore, "in a secure location." He leaned forward in his chair meeting each Order member's eyes. "We need to focus our attention on protecting Harry Potter. We know that Voldemort is adamant to get hold of him and his safety is paramount to us all. He is currently in residence here, however his safety at Hogwarts is another issue. Every day Voldemort is gathering strength, gaining more followers, and when he has enough, he will attack the school in an attempt to kill Harry. There are already counter plans in place. There are other concerns – particularly the Minister of Magic."
"Why does Cornelius concern you?" asked a blonde hair witch who Sirius knew as Avril Leverg. She was one of the only few Order members loyal to both Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge.
"In tomorrow's Daily Prophet, Fudge will announce his plans about a peaceful resolution with Voldemort. The statement in the paper will reach him and I expect an answer from Voldemort within a few hours of the news leaking. Fudge believes that the war can be stopped if we invite Voldemort for peace talks – he is desperate enough to consider this. Fudge thinks he can win the war like this – Cornelius wants to believe that he alone can end the war, but that cannot be so. I do not know what Fudge is planning to announce, but whatever it is the public will not fall for it, not while we fight back against this policy."
"Peace cannot win wars when your opponent is someone like Voldemort," whispered Sirius.
Even Avril Leverg had to agree that Fudge's decision to attempt peace would not end well for the Minister.
To be continued...