Chapter 25: Meeting

"A minute to go," said Lupin, looking at his watch.

"Come here, Potters," said Moody gruffly, beckoning Harry, Buffy and Dawn toward him with his wand. "I need to Disillusion you three."

"You need to what?" said Harry nervously.

"Disillusionment Charm," said Moody, raising his wand. "Lupin says you've got an Invisibility Cloak, but it won't stay on while we're flying nor will it cover all three of you; this'll disguise you better. Here you go—"

He rapped Harry, Dawn and Buffy each on the top of the head with his wand.

"Nice one, Mad-Eye," said Tonks appreciatively, staring at Harry's midriff.

Buffy, Harry and Dawn looked at each other and realized they weren't invisible but rather more like a human version of a chameleon lizard."

"Uhm, sir," Ginny said. "I need that too or it will look odd."

"Why?" Moody asked.

"She's my girlfriend. She was going to ride with me," Dawn said.

Moody sighed and he motioned for Ginny to come over and he rapped her on the head with his wand.

"Clear night," grunted Moody, his magical eye scanning the heavens. "Could've done with a bit more cloud cover. We're going to be flying in close formation. Tonks will be in front, keep close to her tail. Lupin will be covering from below. I'm going to be behind. The rest will be circling us. We don't break ranks for anything, got me? If one of us is killed the others keep flying, don't stop, don't break ranks. If they take out all of us and the Potters and Ms. Weasley survive the rear guard are standing by to take over; keep flying east and they'll join you."

"Stop being so cheerful, Mad-Eye, they'll think we're not taking this seriously," said Tonks.

"I'm just telling them the plan," growled Moody. "Our jobs to deliver them safely to headquarters and if we die in the attempt—"

"No one's going to die," said Kingsley Shacklebolt in his deep, calming voice.

"Mount your brooms, that's the first signal!" said Lupin sharply, pointing into the sky.

Far, far above them, a shower of bright red sparks had flared among the stars. Harry, Buffy and Dawn swung their legs over their firebolts and gripped them tightly. Once Dawn was mounted Ginny swung her leg over as she got on behind Dawn, she wrapped her arms around Dawn's torso and pressed herself up close to Dawn's back.

"Second signal, let's go!" said Lupin loudly, as more sparks, green this time, exploded high above them.

They kicked off hard from the ground. The cool night air rushed past them as the Burrow fell away, shrinking rapidly into the darkness below.

"Hard left, hard left, there's a Muggle looking up!" shouted Moody. Tonks swerved and the others followed. "We need more height… Give it another quarter of a mile!"

They soared upward.

"Bearing south!" shouted Mad-Eye. "Town ahead!"

They soared right, so that they did not pass directly over the glittering spiderweb of lights below.

"Bear southeast and keep climbing, there's some low cloud ahead we can lose ourselves in!" called Moody.

"We're not going through clouds!" shouted Tonks angrily. "We'll get soaked, Mad-Eye!"

They altered their course every now and then according to Moody's instructions. The guard around them was circling continuously like giant birds of prey.

"Turning southwest!" yelled Moody. "We want to avoid the motorway!"

Kingsley Shacklebolt swooped around Buffy, Dawn, Ginny and Harry, bald pate and earring gleaming slightly in the moonlight… Now Emmeline Vance was on their right, her wand out, her head turning left and right… then she too swooped over them, to be replaced by Sturgis Podmore…

"We ought to double back for a bit, just to make sure we're not being followed!" Moody shouted.

"ARE YOU MAD, MAD-EYE?" Tonks screamed from the front. "We're all frozen to our brooms! If we keep going off course, we're not going to get there until next week! We're nearly there now!"

"Time to start the descent!" came Lupin's voice. "Follow Tonks!"

Buffy, Dawn and Harry followed Tonks into a dive. They were heading for the largest collection of lights they had yet seen, a huge, sprawling, crisscrossing mass, glittering in lines and grids, interspersed with patches of deepest black.

Lower and lower they flew, until they could see individual headlights and streetlamps, chimneys, and television antennas.

"Here we go!" called Tonks, and a few seconds later she had landed.

Buffy, Dawn and Harry touched down right behind her and they and Ginny dismounted on a patch of unkempt grass in the middle of a small square.

"Where are we?" Harry asked, but Lupin said quietly, "In a minute."

Moody was rummaging in his cloak, his gnarled hands clumsy with cold. "Got it," he muttered, raising what looked like a silver cigarette lighter into the air and clicking it.

The nearest streetlamp went out with a pop. He clicked the un-lighter again; the next lamp went out. He kept clicking until every lamp in the square was extinguished and the only light in the square came from curtained windows and the moon overhead.

"Borrowed it from Dumbledore," growled Moody, pocketing the Put-Outer. "That'll take care of any Muggles looking out of the window, see? Now, come on, quick." He led Buffy, Dawn, Harry and Ginny from the patch of grass, across the road, and onto the pavement.

"Here," Moody muttered, thrusting a piece of parchment toward the four of them. "Read quickly and memorize."

"That's for the…" Buffy started to ask.

"Later," Moody answered.

Harry, Buffy, Dawn and Ginny looked at the paper that said:

The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.

Moody took the paper and with his wand set fire to it. As the message curled into flames and floated to the ground, Harry, Buffy, Dawn and Ginny all looked around at the houses again. They were standing outside number eleven; they looked to the left and saw number ten; to the right, however, was number thirteen.

"But where's—?" Harry started to ask.

"Think about what you've just memorized," said Lupin quietly.

Buffy, Dawn, Ginny and Harry thought, and no sooner had they reached the part about number twelve, Grimmauld Place, than a battered door emerged out of nowhere between numbers eleven and thirteen, followed swiftly by dirty walls and grimy windows. It was as though an extra house had inflated, pushing those on either side out of its way.

"Come on, hurry," growled Moody, prodding Harry in the back.

Harry followed by his sisters and Ginny walked up the worn stone steps, staring at the newly materialized door. Lupin pulled out his wand and tapped the door once. There were several loud, metallic clicks and what sounded like the clatter of a chain. The door creaked open.

"Get in quick," Lupin whispered. "But don't go far inside and don't touch anything."

Buffy stepped over the threshold first into the almost total darkness of the hall as Harry, Dawn and Ginny followed her. "Once the door is closed, Dawn, get our trunks and Hedwig and Joyce's cages."

Dawn nodded and waited for the others to enter.

Moody was last as he was standing on the top step and releasing the balls of light the Put-Outer had stolen from the street-lamps; they flew back to their bulbs and the square beyond glowed momentarily with orange light before Moody limped inside and closed the front door, so that the darkness in the hall became complete.

"Here—"

He rapped Harry, Dawn, Buffy and Ginny each hard over the head with his wand, they knew that the Disillusionment Charm had been lifted.

"Now stay still, everyone, while I give us a bit of light in here," Moody whispered.

They heard a soft hissing noise and then old-fashioned gas lamps sputtered into life all along the walls, casting a flickering insubstantial light over the peeling wallpaper and threadbare carpet of a long, gloomy hallway, where a cobwebby chandelier glimmered overhead and age-blackened portraits hung crooked on the walls.

There were hurried footsteps and Mrs. Weasley emerged from a door at the far end of the hall. She was beaming in welcome as she hurried toward them. "Ginny," she said as she greeted her daughter first. "Did you enjoy your stay with Buffy, Dawn and Harry?"

"Very much, mum," Ginny said.

Mrs. Weasley turned and looked at Buffy, Dawn and Harry. "It's lovely to see all three of you!" she said, pulling each of them him into a rib-cracking hug. "You all are looking peaky; you need feeding up, but you'll have to wait a bit for dinner, I'm afraid…"

She turned to the gang of wizards behind them and whispered urgently, "He's just arrived, the meeting's started…"

The wizards behind the group all made noises of interest and excitement and began filing past Buffy, Dawn, Harry and Ginny toward the door through which Mrs. Weasley had just come; Harry made to follow Lupin, but Mrs. Weasley held him back. "No, Harry, the meeting's only for members of the Order. Ron and Hermione are upstairs, you can wait with them until the meeting's over and then we'll have dinner. And keep your voice down in the hall," she added in an urgent whisper. "That said, Buffy. Albus would like you to attend."

"This better be like the couple years," Buffy said as she turned toward her brother and sister. "I'll explain what's going on later."

"Okay," Harry and Dawn said as they watched as Buffy head down the hall and into the other room that others had just gone into.

Pressing her finger to her lips, she led Harry, Dawn and Ginny on tiptoes past a pair of long, moth-eaten curtains and after skirting a large umbrella stand that looked as though it had been made from a severed troll's leg, they started up the dark staircase, passing a row of shrunken heads mounted on plaques on the wall.

Harry's bewilderment deepened with every step he took. What on earth were they doing in a house that looked as though it belonged to the Darkest of wizards? "Mrs. Weasley, why—?"

"Ron and Hermione will explain everything, I've really got to dash," Mrs. Weasley whispered distractedly. "There" —they had reached the second landing— "Harry, you're the door on the right. Ginny, Dawn, you're on the left. Buffy or I'll call you when it's over." And she hurried off downstairs again.

"Dawn," Harry said as he opened his bedroom door and they stepped into the gloomy high-ceilinged, twin-bedded room. Then there was a loud twittering noise, followed by an even louder shriek, and Harry's vision was completely obscured by a large quantity of very bushy hair—Hermione had thrown herself onto him in a hug that nearly knocked him flat. Ginny was next through the door as her brother flung himself at her and embraced her.

"We didn't hear you four," Hermione was saying before she noticed that only Harry, Dawn and Ginny were standing there. She looked around for Buffy.

"Whatever that meeting is downstairs," Dawn said seeing that Hermione was looking for Buffy. "Dumbledore wanted Buffy in it."

Hermione nodded. "How are you guys? Are all of you all right? Have you guys been furious with us for not writing? I bet you have, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn't, oh, we've got so much to tell you, and you've got to tell us—the dementors! When we heard I was relieved that Dumbledore fixed it for you, Dawn. Though I am quite puzzled on the how."

"From what we gather," Dawn said. "Wiccan magic doesn't fall under the wizarding world's laws at least not back home. They saw I did the Patronus wandless and boom they must have assumed I did it as Wiccan witch instead of a wand witch. Of course, I did do it wandless, but I'm not Wiccan, at least I don't think so. I don't know. If you guys will give me room for a moment. I have to retrieve our trunks."

Dawn stepped into the middle of the room closed her eyes and pictured the Summers' home. When she opened them, the portal stood before her, she stepped through several times as she brought through three trunks, two owl cages with Hedwig and Joyce inside each and a cat carrier with her cat in it; before she finally let the portal close.

"So," Ginny said. "Why was Dumbledore so keen to keep Buffy, Harry and Dawn in the dark?"

"He seemed to think it was best," said Hermione.

"Buffy's going to be furious about that," Harry said.

"That's what mum said," Ron admitted. "She was like Buffy's a Slayer and a witch. She needs information to make sure you two and herself are safe even in Sunnydale. Just because you're halfway around the world doesn't mean Death Eater's might not come after you there."

"Am I the only one that was attacked by dementors?" Dawn asked she felt Ginny wrapping her arms around her from behind in comfort. She patted Ginny's hands in thanks.

"As far as we know of," Hermione said.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

In the meeting Buffy was as furious as Harry had said. "You left me in the dark, Albus, intentionally," she said as she felt Sirius place a comforting hand on her shoulder. She glanced at her godfather and silently thanked him for the gesture.

"Yes, Buffy," Dumbledore said. "And not just because of Harry or yourself either. But because of Dawn. We were sure he was monitoring transatlantic owls. If he had seen any message related in the least about Dawn he would know. I've suspected her power long before you told me what happened with the dementors. If he could turn her, at her current age she might already rival his power."

"So, could, Willow," Buffy said.

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "And that is the real reason I consented to have you send her to Hogwarts. That said I think she is finally realizing who she is. And over the course of the coming year, with your help, she can put aside what happened and then we can have a powerful new ally. That is the primary reason you are in this meeting, Buffy. Not only because you are a Slayer-Witch, but because of Willow. That will be your task this coming year, to bring Willow out of her emotional cocoon. So, she not only can grieve for Tara's loss but so she can find love again, with you. And then hopefully join us."

"I don't like being manipulated," Buffy said as she glared at Dumbledore. "I will do this for Willow. If she wants to help you against Voldemort that will be her call. But I will not force her to. Nor will I force her to find love with me or anyone else. Regardless of my feelings for her."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"Is Sirius here?" Harry asked. "This is the house that he gave Buffy, Dawn and I at mine and Dawn's birthday party."

"He's here," Hermione said. "He's probably in the meeting downstairs.

"What about Voldemort," Dawn said. "What's happening? What's he up to? Where is he? What are we doing to stop him?"

"We don't know," Hermione said. "We're not let into the meetings. That said we've got a general idea—"

"Fred and George have invented Extendable Ears, see," said Ron.

"They're really useful."

"I remember those," Ginny said. "There those things that they can slip under a door to listen in on a private conversation."

"Right," said Ron. "We got a good bit of use out of them before Mum realized what was going on. We know some of the Order are following known Death Eaters, keeping tabs on them, you know—"

"—some of them are working on recruiting more people to the Order—" said Hermione.

"—and some of them are standing guard over something," said Ron.

"They're always talking about guard duty."

"Couldn't have been us, could it?" said Harry sarcastically.

"Oh yeah," said Ron, with a look of dawning comprehension.

"So, what have you two been doing, if you're not allowed in meetings?" Ginny wandered. "You said you'd been busy."

"We have," said Hermione quickly. "We've been decontaminating this house; it's been empty for ages and stuff's been breeding in here. We've managed to clean out the kitchen, most of the bedrooms, and I think we're doing the drawing room tomo—AARGH!"

With two loud cracks, Fred and George had materialized out of thin air in the middle of the room.

"Stop doing that!" Hermione said weakly to the twins.

"Hello, Harry, Dawn," said George, beaming at the pair. "Hello, little sister."

"Hi," Ginny said as Fred and George both embraced her for a moment.

"We thought we heard you three in here," George said. "Along with Buffy's dulcet tones downstairs."

"You two passed your Apparition tests, then?" asked Harry.

"With distinction," said Fred, who was holding what looked like a piece of very long, flesh-colored string.

"It would have taken you about thirty seconds longer to walk down the stairs," said Ron.

"Those are," Ginny said realizing what the flesh-colored string was.

"Extendable Ears," Fred said holding up the string. "We're trying to hear what's going on downstairs."

"You want to be careful," said Ron, staring at the ear. "If Mum sees one of them again…"

"It's worth the risk, that's a major meeting they're having," said Fred.

"You said you heard Buffy," Dawn said.

"Yeah she was mad as heck when she learned that you guys were being kept in the dark," George said.

"Of course, we heard that more because of her voice was just loud enough to come clearly through the door," Fred said. "The door has Imperturbable Charm so we can't use the ears to hear what's in the room."

Fred heaved a deep sigh. "It's a shame, too. I really fancied finding out what old Snape's been up to."

"Snape?" said Harry quickly. "Is he here?"

"Yeah," said George, carefully closing the door and sitting down on one of the beds; Fred followed. "Giving a report. Top secret."

"Git," said Fred idly.

"He's on our side now," said Hermione reprovingly.

Ron snorted. "Doesn't stop him being a git. The way he looks at us when he sees us…"

"He's got a point," Dawn said. "Remember when I tried to curse Malfoy and he tried to curse me and his hit you and mine hit one of his cronies. Snape looked at your teeth and was like, nothing wrong there."

Hermione sighed. "I remember."

"He may be on our side but that doesn't forgive his actions with us," Dawn said.

"Hey remember old Fleur Delacour?" said George. "Seems she is living up to what she told Buffy. She's got a job at Gringotts to eemprove 'er Eeenglish—"

"Did you take out a subscription to the Daily Prophet again, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"No," Harry said. "Buffy's been adamant about not having that paper in the house."

"Then you don't know that they've—um—they mention the three of you a couple of times a week. They slip the three of you in, like you're a standing joke."

"What d'you—?" Dawn said.

"It's quite nasty, actually," said Hermione in a voice of forced calm. "They're building on Rita's stuff."

"But she's not writing for them anymore, is she?" Dawn asked. "Buffy was like if she wrote anything she would sue."

"Oh no, she's kept her promise," Hermione said with satisfaction. "But she laid the foundation for what they're trying to do now."

"Which is what?" said Harry.

"Okay, you know they wrote that Buffy was deranged?"

"Along with the article about you and Harry and me and Ginny and the reveal that I'm Harry's twin. The story Dumbledore told the school when I was sorted," Dawn said.

"Well, they're writing now that all three of you are deluded, attention-seeking people who think their great tragic heroes or something," said Hermione. "They keep slipping in snide comments. If some far-fetched story appears, they say something like 'a tale worthy of the Potter family' and if anyone has a funny accident or anything it's 'let's hope they don't have scars on their foreheads or we'll be asked to worship them next—'"

"Harry and I don't want anyone to worship—" Dawn began hotly.

"I know you don't," said Hermione quickly. "But you see what they're doing? They want to turn you two and Buffy into people nobody will believe. Fudge is behind it, I'll bet anything. They want wizards on the street to think you three are just a stupid family that are a bit of a joke, who tells ridiculous tall stories because they love being famous and want to keep it going."

Dawn sighed as Ginny placed a comforting hand on her arm. She smiled at Ginny. She looked back at the others. "All because Voldemort killed out parents," she said. "That's why Harry and I are famous. Even though no one seems to remember I wasn't originally part of that story. Buffy's famous more by association even though they were her parents too. She didn't get famous because they died for her since she had been adopted long before then."

"And of course, they didn't report a word about the dementors attacking you and Ginny, Dawn," said Hermione. "Someone's told them to keep that quiet. That should've been a really big story, out-of-control dementors. They haven't even reported that you technically broke the International Statute of Secrecy—we thought they would, it would tie in so well with this image of you, Harry and Buffy as show-offs—we think they were biding their time until you were expelled. Of course, there went that story when you got off."

It was at that moment that they heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Uh-oh." Fred said and gave the Extendable Ear a hearty tug; there was another loud crack and he and George vanished. Seconds later, Mrs. Weasley and Buffy appeared in the bedroom doorway.

"The meeting's over, you can come down and have dinner now, everyone's dying to see you, Dawn, Harry. Now don't forget to keep your voices down in the hall."

"Look…" Hermione said quietly, "We knew you three would be angry, we really don't blame any of you, but we did try and persuade Dumbledore—"

"Thanks," Buffy said. As she sat down on her trunk. "That means a lot. I let into Albus for keeping us in the dark. It was the wrong thing to do. I hate being manipulated."

"What did they want, Buffy?" Dawn asked.

"With me or the meeting in general?" Buffy asked.

"More with you," Dawn admitted.

"Willow," Buffy said. "Dumbledore wants me to get her ready so by this time next year she's ready to join them in their struggle against Voldemort. I told him I will help Willow put everything behind her. But that's it. He wants to use my feelings for her."

"Who's Willow?" Hermione asked.

"A friend from Sunnydale," Buffy said. "She was having trouble with her magic after her girlfriend died. She went briefly off the deep end." She didn't mention to Hermione that Willow had killed Warren. The less people who knew that fact the better or so she thought anyways.