Chapter Eight

A New Order

His bones ached and the groaning from either side of him confirmed that he was not alone.

'I feel like my arms dropped off and were sewn on wrong,' Ron groaned from his left, 'Who stitched me back together again?'

'I did, and your welcome,' Harry murmured dropping an arm over his eyes to block out the light.

'Dunno if I am welcome just yet,' Ron grumbled.

'Shut up about your arms,' Hermione moaned from his left, 'I feel like my legs are made out of jelly. He tortured us rather well today, don't you agree?'

'Shu' up Hermione,' Ron spoke into the pink spotted pillow, his voice muffled from the feathers.

They lay in silence for a few moments enjoying feeling softness on their backs rather that the cold hard earth. Harry could have happily lain there all night with two of his most favourite people in the world; the third was missing. He sat up slowly and glanced around the room hoping to catch sight of Ginny lying on her chaise by the window, but she was gone. Noticing the twilight glow of the sky he realised he must have briefly fallen asleep, and therefore, not noticed Ginny leaving the room.

Bang! The door slammed open jolting Ron and Hermione out of their own nap in surprise.

'What are you three doing on my bed?' Ginny barked striding into the room; her shorter hair seemed to crackle with electricity.

'Dying,' Ron groaned into his hands.

'Well that's a shame, seeing as you will be missing the first Order meeting of the month.' Ginny said folding her arms across her chest.

'Order meeting?' Harry asked, bewildered.

'Yes the one we were told about a week ago!' Hermione said springing from the bed and straightening her clothing. 'I completely forgot! Thank you for coming to get us Ginny.'

'What time does it start?' Ron asked also standing up and stretching.

'In five minutes,' Ginny replied.

'Who's the new leader of the Order?' Harry asked sliding off the bottom of the bed.

'I dunno, I came to get you before finding out,' Ginny said.

'Two minuets to get down there,' Hermione, now shuffling towards the door, said.

'Alright, alright we're coming. Don't get your wand in a knot,' Ron said cracking his neck. Hermione, looking slightly affronted spun on her heel and marched out of the room. Ginny glared over at Ron.

'What?' he demanded unabashed

'Hermione's right, you do have the emotional range of a teaspoon,' Ginny spat before turning and following in Hermione's wake.

'What did I do?' Ron asked Harry confused.

'Merlin knows mate, it's been three years since my Cho fiasco and I still don't have a clue,' he said as they left the room.

'Yeah but you had the chance to practice on Ginny last year as well didn't you?' Ron whispered as they entered the hall, 'You must have some sort of idea now.'

I do, he smirked to himself. Outwardly he shrugged and threw an apologetic look over at Ron.

'Sorry mate, I am at as much a loss as you are. Ginny wasn't half that complex,'

She is double, he thought privately.

I am double what Harry Potter? Ginny's thought said.

The beauty of every woman on the planet, he thought back immediately.
There was silence in his mind for a moment and Harry gulped at what she was going to think back to him.

I know you're lying Potter, but I will let you off this once due to that sweet compliment.
Harry laughed aloud and caught sight of Ron staring at him in his peripheral vision.

I just received an 'are you mad,' look from Ron for laughing aloud for apparently no reason. You're a bad influence Miss Weasley.
He heard her giggle reverberate through his mind.

Hurry up down here; someone just came in that I don't want to be in the same room with. Her thought had turned angry all of a sudden, and Harry quickened his pace down to kitchen.

Whatever it is, be calm Gin, will be there soon.
'What's the rush for?' Ron asked as they jogged down the stairs.

'I just don't want to be late for the meeting.' He threw back over his shoulder.

Hurry up Harry, Ginny voice grated.

I'm here, he thought back as he skidded to a stop at the top of the stairs leading down to the kitchen.
Just remember you have a girlfriend now, Ginny thought as he walked down the stairs. Wondering what she could be so angry about he hesitantly pushed open the door and walked into the meeting.

The Order members were not yet seated; instead they were milling about and discussing different matters of the war. He could see the usual faces of Lupin, Tonks, The Weasley's, Kingsly, McGonnagal, Flitwick, Hagrid and he assumed behind the acrid green smoke Mundungus Fletcher was hiding. But new faces were there also, many from the DA. He could see Neville, Luna and Angelina Johnson discussing the issue of Inferi in the corner; they looked up and waved as he walked past. Susan Bones and her Aunt were beside the fireplace warming their hands, and the Patil twins stood beside the table alongside Dean Thomas looking extremely nervous as they gazed about the room. There were a few unknown faces including a small witch with flowing, long blonde hair and another with a slight greenish tint to her skin highlighting she was more than a simple witch. Ginny and Hermione were stood at the head of the table talking to a witch with shimmering black hair that reached her waist.
Her hair is beautiful, Harry thought without thinking about who could overhear. Perhaps she didn't hear, he hoped. He glanced at Ginny and found her brown eyes as flashing in his direction.
Oh I heard. She thought. Harry gulped at the tone of her thought, why don't you come over and say hello?
Before he had even made a decision about as to whether to avoid the situation or confront it, the girl with the shimmering hair answered for him.
'Hi Harry.' She said, he automatically glanced up and came face to face with Cho Chang.

'Cho,' he said, his voice slightly hoarse, he cleared his throat before speaking again, 'how err, how have you been?'

'Been good,' she said smiling, 'yourself?'

'Yeah not to bad, you know how it is,' he replied.

'I was sorry to hear about you and Ginny breaking up,' she said sympathetically.

'Yeah, yeah it was hard,' he said smiling ruefully.

'Well, know that I am here for you,' she placed one hand on his arm and began to rub it slowly.

'Thanks Cho,' he said, 'that err helps a lot.'
She lent forward slightly and brushed some of the hair from his face.

'I'm here for anything you need,' she emphasised and winked. She squeezed his arm before moving away and taking a seat at the table; as she moved away she revealed Ginny standing behind her looking murderous. Harry opened his mouth to say; well anything to quench the expression upon Ginny's face, but was interrupted by the bark of the new Order leader.

'Order! Come to order!,' barked Alastor Moody standing in the doorway of the kitchen, 'new members, forward and centre!'

The new recruits hastened to stand before Moody's glaring scarred face; whilst the members took their seats at the table. They stood there in silence as Moody looked them up and down imperiously, grunting and nodding approvingly at some, smirking at others and briefly smiling at Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny who returned the brief smile with broad grins.

'You are here to protect the innocent, should you choose to join. However, you should know that if you do not, you shall not leave this house until the war comes to whatever end; for your own protection of course,' he added with a smirk. 'I should tell you that it is likely that at least five of you will die, five will be tortured and the rest will be plain lucky.' Moody began to stump up and down the line, glaring at them all individually with his magical eye going haywire, seeing the hidden reactions of each new recruit.

'We are not running some silly school project, we are the real threat to The Dark Lord, if you cannot handle the responsibility and are unable to bear the burdens you shall carry, leave. Now.'
Nobody moved they all stared at Moody in defiance, refusing to move. Moody's lip curled into a crooked smile,

'Good,' he grunted, he marched closer to them and pulled his wand out from within his robe, 'middle fingers out.'

After a quick check around to make sure all were about to do this, each person hastily withdrew their middle finger from either their robes, fists or pockets. Moody made a slashing movement with his wand and Harry felt his finger pierced by something that felt like a knife, judging from the intake of breath from around him he was not the only one with blood dripping on the floor.

'Come place your finger upon this piece of parchment and sign your name,' Moody unrolled a large sheet of parchment and lay it on the table with a quill next to it, 'in doing so you shall become a part of the Order, unable to betray our secrets or whereabouts and are willing to lay your life on the line for our cause. Sign when you are ready.'

Surprisingly the first person to break free from the group and sign his name was a dark haired young man, often laughed at by many of his peers and bullied for his weakness's, named Neville Longbottom. Moody clapped him on his back, nearly bowling him over and gestured to him to take a seat at the table. After Neville there was a brief struggle to reach the parchment next from the rest of the young members. Cho signed next, then Dean, Angelina, the strangely green cast girl, the Bones's, Hermione followed closely by Harry and then Ginny.
As Ginny was signing her name, the kitchen door banged open and a furious Molly Weasley stood in the doorway; her hands on her hips and eyes flashing about the room.

'Who was the instigator that told my husband to inform me the meeting began half an hour late?' she demanded, glaring about the room her eyes skipping over Mr Weasley as he squirmed in his chair, 'and for what reason was I mis-informed?' Her eyes blazed as they rested on Ron sat at the table beside Lupin and then searched the room to land upon Ginny standing with a quill in her hand looking shocked.

'Ginerva Weasley! Don't you dare sign that contract! You're far too young for all this!'

Ginny drew her self up and threw down the quill before striding to stand before her Mother

'Am I? I feel far older than sixteen; I have seen enough death to age me to middle age!' Ginny said quietly. 'I know more magic than half of the people in this room and have been trained for the past three weeks in things many couldn't even dream about. My entire family is in the Order, did you really think I wouldn't join to protect you? Not only that, but I am probably the most hunted witch in England right now, what with breaking Harry's heart and running off with Voldemort.'

Those that didn't flinch at the utterance of Voldemorts name stifled a laugh at the expression upon Mrs Weasley's face. There was a brief silence after Ginny's speech as she and Mrs Weasley stared one another down.

'I'm sorry Mum; I just can't stay out of it this time.' she whispered. Mrs Weasley gave her a small nod before bursting into tears.

'Mum?' Ginny said, hesitantly moving closer, 'are you okay?' Mrs Weasley grabbed Ginny and pulled her into a tight embrace.

'Don't you dare get hurt, understand?' Mrs Weasley ordered. Ginny nodded into her shoulder as Mrs Weasley's tears continued to wet her hair.

I understand Mum, she thought, but it's inevitable that I will. She glanced over at Harry and saw him slowly signing his own name upon the parchment.
I

won't allow you to get hurt Gin, he thought glancing up at her, I won't. She smiled sadly at him across the room.

I know Harry.

Made –Eye cleared his throat pointedly.

'I believe that as all have signed the contract we should begin the meeting, we have much to discuss.' He rolled up the parchment with a wave of his wand. 'Take a seat.'

Ginny attempted to sit beside Harry but was pulled along by Mrs Weasley to sit beside her, opposite Harry, and to her utter distaste. Cho Chang.

'Now,' Moody said seating himself at the head of the table, 'let's get down to business.'
He pulled out several pieces of parchment with written notes upon them, as Lupin withdrew his own blank pieces from his robes and laid them across the table. Moody waited until Lupin had his quill poised over the parchment.

'Today's meeting on the 2nd of August has acquired the following members to the Order of the Phoenix.' Lupin's quill scratched across the page recording everything Moody said, 'Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Cho Chang, Angelina Johnson, Susan Bones, Amelia Bones, Dean Thomas, Parvarti Patil, Padma Patil, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter, Iris Somerset and Adara Dianthus. All have signed and agreed to serve and protect as required. And so to business. Lupin, what is occurring on the werewolf front, any progress?'

'None,' Lupin replied, 'they are still steadfast in following Voldemorts reign where he has promised them free reign when he is in power. I may be convincing a couple but it isn't enough to brag about.'

'Do you believe that it is possible to change the views of a quarter of them by the end of the month?' Moody asked.

'No.' Lupin answered shortly.

'Then I am pulling you from the pack,' Moody said, 'instead I want you and Charlie to travel to France and begin to convince certain wizards to join our cause. Try, Pierre and Frederic Dumas, Aimee Balestra, Charlotte Marquette and Charles Rocque to start. They are well connected and can open some doors for us. Inform them that intel has told us that Voldemort is beginning to consider expanding his power into Europe, beginning in France. I have more information here,' he patted one of the piles of parchment, 'that understood?'

Lupin and Charlie nodded.

'Good. Next on the agenda. Hogwarts. Is the school remaining open Minerva?'

'Indeed it is,' McGonnagal replied haughtily, 'we shall not close in threat of Voldemort, and our doors shall remain open to protect young witches and wizards as long as possible.'

'Here, here!' piped up tiny Filius Flitwick sitting on three books to raise his head above the table. Moody nodded.

'The numbers of Muggle baiting are increasing more and more each day, how is the Ministry dealing with this Arthur?'

'Not very well Alastor, I believe that Voldemorts influence in the Ministry, in this department especially, is increasing at an alarming rate. I believe that soon the Muggles will have no protection.'

'Oh yes they will,' Moody growled, 'Arthur, you, Amelia, Neville, Dean and Filius, you are now a team. I want you to begin placing protection spells upon each Muggle household in the country, begin in London where the numbers are higher and then into Lincoln etc. You can draw up your own plan of how to do this, I don't care how it is done, just get it done.' The new Muggle protection team nodded gravelly.

'I would also like to draw up a response watch in which all members must respond. You can decide your own teams, but for new members I wish for at least one member of your team to have been in the Order previously, understood? Teams of five. You have an hour to decide upon your teams after the meeting and inform Kingsly who will be in charge of deciding who is on the clock at each time.' Moody glared around the table, 'do not take this lightly, if you are on the clock I expect your response to be instantaneous. These Muggles have no protection now, apart from us.'

Moody rose and threw a pile of parchment at Lupin and one at Arthur and the third at Kingsley. 'All the information you shall need is in those packs. Does anyone have anything else to discuss?'

Silence met Moody's question.

'Good. I call this meeting, over.'

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