72. New Order
Albus rapped on the door four times in quick succession, exactly as agreed upon. In response the door was opened just wide enough for Albus to slip inside swiftly. He lifted his Disillusionment Charm and turned to greet the inhabitants of the small cabin that seemed even smaller with two people living in it. Well, three, if one counted the Hippogriff in the corner.
"Did you have any trouble getting here?" Remus Lupin asked anxiously.
"No. Any problems here?" Albus asked in return.
"Everything's been quiet so far. I'm a little surprised actually that no one's come looking for Sirius."
"It's a shame, really. I wouldn't mind some action." Sirius Black was lounging on a chair next to Buckbeak. In the two years since his escape from Azkaban he had visibly recovered from the ordeal. He now looked a lot healthier and more like the proud, handsome man he had always been. He also had the look of a predator who was stuck in a cage – more so, in fact, than the Hippogriff next to him, who seemed perfectly at ease by comparison.
Remus shot his friend a warning look. "But I would mind. I just got you back, Padfoot. I'd like to keep it that way."
"You always worry too much, Moony," Sirius said dismissively, but the grin on his face was full of warmth.
"How could I not, having you as a best mate?" Remus retorted, his voice tinged with the same affection. "Thankfully, the Ministry seems to have other priorities at the moment than catching you."
"I believe they're still very interested in apprehending Sirius, but it is me whom Cornelius would like to get out of the way the most," Albus chimed in.
Remus' brow furrowed. "He still won't listen to reason?"
"On the contrary. I have been declared persona non grata at the Ministry and I have just been informed that I will no longer be serving as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot either," Albus said matter-of-factly. In the grand scheme of things this really did not matter. In all likelihood he would have been forced to resign anyway. There simply wasn't enough time for him to do everything that needed to be done. But he had always been proud of his work with the Wizengamot and he could not deny that the dismissal stung just a little.
The expression on Remus' face was sympathetic. Sirius only gave a snort. "What is Fudge afraid of? That you'll overthrow him and declare yourself the next Minister for Magic?"
"That is, in short, exactly what Cornelius is thinking," Albus nodded.
"Perhaps that's what we should do then. Stage a coup and take over the Ministry before Voldemort gets the chance." It was hard to tell whether Sirius was joking or not since his face was half hidden in shadows.
Either way, Remus decided to shut down that idea quickly. "I think you've been cooped up in this house for too long."
"That's what I've been telling you all!" said Sirius, jumping to his feet.
"I apologise for the crammed living arrangement," Albus replied. It had been his suggestion that Sirius should lie low in Lupin's cabin until they could come up with a better solution.
"I don't mind sharing this place, though I do feel a little bad that Remus had to take in both me and Buckbeak…" Sirius admitted.
"Don't be ridiculous," Remus cut across him. "This sorry excuse for a house was never much of a home. I'm glad it could serve as a temporary refuge for you."
Sirius gave him a grim smile. "All right, so it might be big enough for the three of us but not for the rest of the Order. We need more space. A house that's big and secure enough to be used as Headquarters and I think I have an idea, which is why I asked you to come, Dumbledore. But first things first: How's Harry?"
"He's safe at his aunt and uncle's," Albus assured him.
"Safe and miserable, you mean," Sirius replied sharply.
Albus heaved a sigh. "Sadly, there are often moments in life when one cannot have everything. If I have to choose between Harry's happiness and his health, I shall choose the latter for the time being."
"What if we didn't have to choose? What if we could all live at my house?"
"What house?" asked Remus before he answered his own question and his eyes widened. "You don't mean your father's house – the one you hated so much that you ran away at sixteen?"
"That's the one," Sirius confirmed. "Legally it's mine now and it's completely useless to me. But it could be just what the Order needs. It's unplottable and my father added every Protection Charm he could think of – and I'm willing to bet that you could think of a few more," he glanced at Albus. "It might just be the safest place in all of Britain – aside from Hogwarts, of course."
Albus took a moment to think about Sirius' proposal. "That is a very generous offer. But are you quite certain that you'd want to return to a place that holds so many memories for you?"
Sirius shrugged, though it was obvious that he was not as indifferent as he pretended to be. "It's not about me. It's about Harry and the Order and stopping Voldemort. It's about making sure we have a future, not just memories."
Neither Remus nor Albus could argue with that.
"So can I show you the place? You can see for yourself that it's safe," Sirius prompted, eager to leave the cabin.
Even though Sirius' motivation for doing this was layered, Albus agreed to the impromptu trip. The current situation was not sustainable. Albus had come up with fairly safe ways of communication for the Order, but they could only begin to operate efficiently if they had a place to meet.
The ancestral home of the Black family was not exactly welcoming at first glance. The dark, gloomy hallway smelled as though it had been slowly rotting away for years and a large portrait of Mrs Black started screaming at them as soon as they entered. Apparently, she did not think much of the prodigal son returning – especially not in the company of a werewolf and a Mudblood-lover. Albus was a little impressed that Mrs Black was so well informed about who they were.
Sirius on the other hand was highly embarrassed and furious with his late mother. "Will you shut up, you stupid, old hag!" he bellowed and pulled a couple of moth-eaten curtains closed so that the painting disappeared from view.
"Er, charming woman, your mother," Remus said drily. "Can't imagine why you ever wanted to leave this place."
Sirius let out a huff of laughter. "We'll have to take her portrait down, obviously, before we invite anyone else from the Order to come here."
"That might be easier said than done. Looks like she put a Permanent Sticking Charm on it," Remus said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, that sounds like her. She would have wanted me to be stuck with her for the rest of my life, even though she practically disowned me. I'm surprised she didn't come back as a ghost to haunt me," Sirius said wryly.
Looking worried, Remus placed a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "None of us can choose our family."
"Actually, yes, we can," Sirius replied, squeezing his arm in return. "Anyway, if the portrait won't come down, we can always just blast a hole through the wall."
"Master has returned." The voice and sudden appearance of an old, dirty house-elf surprised them all.
"Bloody hell, Kreacher! I forgot you were still alive! I thought for sure that you had bitten the dust by now," Sirius exclaimed nastily.
"Kreacher lives to serve." He bowed to Sirius, but at the same time he muttered furiously under his breath, "Master is a filthy murderer returning from prison and now he wants to hurt Kreacher's Mistress all over again. Kreacher won't allow it. No, he won't. He won't let him sully the good name of the house of Black…"
Sirius took a quick step towards the house-elf. "You won't let me sully this house? That's rich! What have you been doing these past several years, eh? Nothing in here is even remotely clean, including your mouth. But if you're so convinced that I'm a murderer, I can give you proof right now…"
"Sirius," Albus spoke up for the first time, making the other man pause. "I realise that this is your house, but I cannot permit you to harm anyone in my presence. And I'm afraid you can't set him free either now that he has seen and heard us."
"I'm sorry. I really had forgotten all about him," Sirius said, chagrined. "What do we do with him now?"
"I often find that a little kindness and compassion can go a long way," Albus replied quietly.
"Not in this house," Sirius muttered, unable to hide how much pain and resentment from his childhood years he still carried with him to this day. Kreacher was the only one left at whom Sirius could direct his anger. "Stop staring at us and make yourself useful! Clean something in this awful place, so someone can live in this shithole again!"
The dislike between the two of them was clearly mutual. "Kreacher will do whatever his Master wishes," the house-elf vowed, but as he shuffled down the hall, he kept murmuring to himself, "Master should have died in prison and left poor, old Kreacher and his Mistress alone…"
Sirius grimaced. "He was never quite right in the head. Being alone for so long must have made it worse."
"It is up to you how you treat your house-elf." Albus watched Kreacher leave. "But if this is to become the Order's new Headquarters, please bear in mind that Kreacher could prove dangerous to us."
"I'll just order him not to talk about any of it. Actually, it might be a good idea to tell him not to talk at all."
"If you make him want to betray us by antagonising him further, you'll have to phrase those orders very carefully," Albus warned him.
"Yes, all right," Sirius agreed offhandedly. He wasn't usually a cruel man, but when it came to Kreacher, he showed a distinctive lack of sympathy. It was understandable and Albus decided not to press the issue when Sirius changed the subject. "What do you think about the house? There are enough bedrooms for people to stay here, Buckbeak can have the attic all to himself and until the sitting and drawing rooms have been checked for any nasty surprises my mother might have hidden in there, we can use the kitchen for meetings."
Looking not at the gruesome decor but at the magic in the walls of the house, Albus said, "It is impressive. With the addition of the Fidelius Charm it should be virtually impenetrable."
Sirius smiled excitedly. It made him look years younger and his words were just as careless. "Excellent. Why don't you and Remus get started on that while I get Harry?" When Remus looked alarmed, Sirius added, "Don't worry. I'll be going as Snuffles, of course."
"You seem to forget that Peter Pettigrew will have told Voldemort and every Death Eater all about you being an Animagus," Albus reminded him. "It's no longer an effective disguise. And your Animagus form has always been too big not to attract at least some attention in an orderly Muggle street."
Sirius deflated a little, but he changed course quickly, "Fine, Remus can go and get Harry then."
"Harry will stay with his aunt and uncle," Albus said calmly.
"Why?" Sirius protested. "You just agreed that this house will be perfectly safe!"
"I said that it will be virtually impenetrable," Albus corrected him. "Being the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix makes it the very opposite of a safe place for Harry to be in."
"But we'll all be here to protect him! I'll be here! Plus, he'd want to know what's going on. He'd want to help us fight!" Sirius argued hotly.
This time it was Remus who cautioned, "He's barely even fifteen years old."
"I'm not saying he should join the Order today." Sirius rolled his eyes. "But he's in the middle of this no matter what and he might just be braver than all of us. He can take it and he deserves to be in the know."
"You're absolutely right," Albus said softly. Sirius' eyes lit up in triumph, but that light dimmed quickly when Albus continued, "Unfortunately, we've already discussed that what Harry deserves and what he needs are entirely different questions. What is of the utmost importance right now is that Voldemort cannot harm Harry as long as he lives under his aunt's roof. For Harry to stay out of Voldemort's reach and to give Voldemort no reason to look into the connection between them – a connection you're aware of, I believe, since Harry has confided in you about his scar hurting several times already –, it is vital that Harry is not told anything more than he absolutely needs to know. And finally, he must stay away from any kind of magic, specifically from being tempted to do magic himself, since the Ministry would jump at the chance to punish him to the fullest extent of the law and beyond."
There was a lengthy, heavy silence when Albus had finished. Eventually, Sirius shook his head, more in frustration than anger. "He'll go crazy if you do that to him. I know because I feel the same way!"
"You're right, mate. It's terribly unfair," Remus replied and Albus was glad for his presence. He stood a better chance of getting through to Sirius than anyone else. "But it's only temporary. We're only just starting to fight back and we know so much more than we did last time. We're better prepared. Still, it's like you said, we need to do everything we can to make sure we all live to see the future we're fighting for. For some of us that means to stay out of the fight for now. Because whatever we do, we can't lose Harry. And he can't lose you. And neither can I."
For a moment Sirius glared at them until his glare softened into a lopsided grin. "If people knew what a softie you are, Moony, no one would be afraid of the big, bad werewolf anymore. Fine, I'll stay in the house for now, but only if you move in here with me. I'm not cleaning this place all by myself."
"As for that, I have a feeling Molly might be willing to help," Albus suggested.
Sirius' expression brightened further. The more members of the Order joined him, the more bearable it would be for him to live in his childhood home again. "Good idea! I doubt letting Kreacher cook for anyone would end well."
"When you invite Molly to stay here, you probably shouldn't lead with asking her to cook and clean for you," Remus said with a chuckle.
"Not for me, for the Order," Sirius defended himself. "Perhaps you should talk to her. She likes you better than me."
"Well, she thought you were a convicted mass murderer for the past fourteen years…"
"Right. That might be it."
Remus looked from Sirius to Albus. "Molly might want to bring the children. Going back and forth between here and the Burrow would be too much of a risk."
"That's fine," Albus nodded, "as long as Harry's friends know that they are not to tell him anything. Certainly not in writing."
"It'll be hard for them, but we'll explain the situation to them." Remus turned towards the door. "Let's go and pack our things then. Not that there's a lot to pack."
Once Remus and Sirius had left, Albus didn't waste any time. He did a cursory examination of the house and found that Sirius was right. Mrs Black had amassed a number of magical objects and creatures, though some of those might have moved in after her death. Albus left them for Sirius and the others to sort out. He focused on strengthening the spells that hid this house from Muggles and other intruders and finished by performing the Fidelius Charm and appointing himself Secret Keeper for the Order. He also looked for Kreacher, but the house-elf kept hiding from him and Albus decided to let him be. He and Sirius would have to find a way to coexist. Until then, the house-elf would remain the only weak link in what was now their new Headquarters.
Albus briefly stopped by Remus' cabin again to tell them that all the protections were in place and then he returned to Hogwarts for the night. He could see from afar that the lights in the headmaster's residence were on. Minerva was still awake. Usually, he would have been happy to spend some time with her before bed, but he had been avoiding a certain conversation he knew she wanted to have. He could feel very clearly that his time had run out.
Albus tried to keep that knowledge and the dread that came with it from showing on his face when he entered. "I told you there was no need to wait up for me," he said pleasantly as he kissed her hello.
"I know, but I couldn't simply ignore that." Minerva pointed at tonight's edition of the Evening Prophet on the coffee table.
He didn't need to read the article to surmise that they had wasted no time in reporting about his demotion from the Wizengamot. "Ah, yes, that is unfortunate but not entirely unexpected."
"It's outrageous, that's what it is!" Minerva's eyes were aglow with that fierce determination to go to war for him, if given the chance.
She was – as always – beautiful in so many ways. It made Albus feel even worse about how this night was probably going to end. "Thank you for saying that, but there are really more important things to worry about."
"Like getting the Order of the Phoenix ready to begin its work again?" Minerva asked cleverly.
Albus closed his eyes for a moment. He had walked right into that one. "Certainly, yes, and also finding a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
It had been worth a try to steer her in a different direction, but Minerva didn't bite. "That's not what you were doing tonight, though, is it?"
"No," he admitted. In all honesty, he had no idea where to start looking for a new teacher and Minerva knew that as well as he did.
"Well? What exactly were you doing then?" she prompted him.
"I met with Sirius and Remus and we found new Headquarters for the Order."
Minerva sat up straighter on the sofa. "Good. Where is it?"
Albus walked over to the fireplace as though he wanted to warm his hands. It was a balmy summer night, but the temperature in the room dropped significantly when he said, "I can only reveal that information to members of the Order."
"I am a member of the Order!" He could hear her standing up. "I know I wasn't an official member last time because you convinced me that it would have been too dangerous to spy for the Ministry and work for the Order at the same time. But that's no longer a concern. I won't do a bloody thing for the Ministry ever again."
"I dare say they wouldn't want you to, considering how you talked to Cornelius at the end of last term," Albus said, keeping his eyes on the fire. "You made your feelings for him very clear."
"He acted like a blithering idiot, the way he refused to listen to you, not to mention what he has done to you since! The fact that I'm loyal to you has never exactly been a secret," Minerva defended her actions.
Feeling that he could no longer hide like this, Albus turned around to face her. "All the more reason to make sure that when I fall, you won't be falling with me."
He had expected her to protest, but she simply refused to take that possibility seriously. "Albus, if you fall, we will all be falling with you anyway."
"I think you're vastly overestimating my importance," he said quietly.
"No, I'm not." She walked over to him and her voice was surprisingly gentle. "Why are you even talking like this? Is it because of the Wizengamot? You know that's no reflection of your work. It's Fudge being spiteful and vindictive, nothing more. You can't let that – you can't let him – bring you down."
She cupped his cheek with one hand and Albus gladly leaned into her touch. "I assure you that's not what I'm doing. I have every intention of fighting this fight until the bitter end. But should that end be more than just a figurative one, I can't allow it to be anyone's but mine. Certainly not yours. I love you entirely too much for that."
Minerva pulled back her hand so fast, he felt the absence of it keenly. "You loving me has nothing to do with any of this!"
Albus almost laughed at that. "It has everything to do with it because you are everything to me," he said plainly.
He had never seen anyone look so angry about something so wonderful. "Do you think I don't feel the same way?" Minerva asked. Somehow she managed to sound both affectionate and completely exasperated. "And what about Molly and Arthur? Is their love not worth as much as ours? Or any of the other Order members who have families? Did you tell them that they can't join because they might lose the people they love?"
"No, I did not," Albus conceded. "Because I'm a terribly selfish man, and when it comes to you, I don't care to change that."
"But I care! I will not stand by and do nothing while you fight another war," Minerva vowed. "I know you won't ask that of me and you won't diminish our love by using it as an excuse."
"What if it's not only my love for you but also my love for Hogwarts that gives me pause?" Albus dared to reach for her hand again and she let him. "I know you can look out for yourself but Hogwarts cannot. One of us needs to be here to lead the school. With both of us in the Order, the chances of that happening are reduced considerably."
"I never said I wanted to quit teaching. This school will always be my priority. But there's nothing for me to do right now, especially not until we know if we can find a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and if Hagrid will be back before term starts or how we're going to fix those holes in the Hogwarts staff." Minerva gave his hand a firm squeeze. "Let me do something useful until then. I know you could use another Animagus since Black can't risk being seen."
"Your Animagus form is no secret either," Albus argued weakly.
"I highly doubt I'm important enough for You-Know-Who to have instructed all of his Death Eaters to examine the eye markings of every grey cat they come across. Not that I would let them see me at all. I have done this before, you know."
"You not being of particular interest to Lord Voldemort but of immeasurable importance to me is exactly how I would like things to remain."
Minerva huffed. "Will you stop being so ridiculously overprotective? Either you trust me to do this or you don't. That is the only question that's relevant. Your love for me and for Hogwarts is beside the point. We both know there are no guarantees in life and if we let that stop us, we wouldn't be here at all."
It was clear that she had thought this through carefully so that there was no reasonable argument for him to make. Then again, his love for her had never listened to reason. "Will you let me think about this please?" he implored her and lightly tugged at her hand, hoping to pull her into a soothing embrace.
But she stepped away from him instead. "All right. Think about it. As long as you know there's only one answer I'm willing to accept."
Having said that, Minerva walked out of the room and went straight to bed.
Albus watched her leave. He had always known that this would be a battle he couldn't win. If he refused her, she would never forgive him. If he let her join the Order and something happened that would hurt her or Hogwarts or the future he had in mind for them, he would never forgive himself. The only choice left before him was which outcome was less impossible for him to live with.
He sighed. He seemed to have nothing but impossible choices to make lately. This wasn't all that different from the situation with Harry. Of course Albus would be happy for Harry and Sirius to live together. He would like nothing more than to sit down with Harry and explain to him that he was not being punished and cast out, that he was valued and trusted and loved. But he couldn't. Just being near Harry might be dangerous now that his connection with Voldemort was bound to grow stronger.
Harry would undoubtedly be angry with him, just like everyone seemed to be angry with him these days. Perhaps that was his answer. It was quite simple, really.
If the whole world would shut him out for trying to tell them the uncomfortable, painful truth about Voldemort, if no one wanted or was allowed to be truly close to him anymore, then Albus could only bear it as long as the currently angry woman behind that closed bedroom door remained his one and only exception.
As Minerva woke up in the morning, she noticed immediately that she was alone. Albus' side of the bed looked as though nobody had slept in it at all, not even for a few short hours. She wasn't sure if this meant that he had been too busy working or if he had stayed away from her. If this was his answer to her question from last night.
Then she saw the sealed scroll of parchment on the pillow next to her. She knew it would reveal Albus' familiar, narrow handwriting. Minerva reached for her glasses and then grabbed the scroll and opened it, expecting some sort of explanation, apology or romantic gesture.
It was none of those things.
Or maybe all of them.
It read, "The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London."
Minerva smiled to herself as the scroll burst into flames, leaving behind the echo of a phoenix's cry and a promise.
A/N: Here we go with book five. I hope you liked the first chapter. I think on Pottermore Rowling said that Minerva was never officially truly a member of the Order, not even the second time around. But then why is she at Headquarters at least once in OotP and knows about Grimmauld Place? That doesn't make sense. And anyway, in my version of Albus and Minerva, there was no way she wouldn't be involved, so I knew that's where I had to start. :)