Disclaimer: Nope.
Author's Note: Hi folks! Thank you for the really great reviews for the last chapter! I loved everyone's speculation and comments about Arnold Dixon. He's certainly an interesting character.
Yes, he and Dumbledore can both be manipulative, but I'm definitely not villainizing either of them. And you're right - Dumbledore is acting the way he is because of what happened to him. He's lost a lot of confidence and, in a way, he feels like a child who now has to ask for help. He's having to rely completely on Dixon to heal him, and it's not doing his mental state any good.
As for Dixon, I don't understand the review that says that it stands out that he isn't like his peers, and that's a bad thing. I don't quite get that. Why should he be like his peers? There are definitely types of people in the world that like to pore over books rather than seek out people to hang out with. Is it the way I wrote about it that stands out? He's what you'd call a nerd, and in a big way. He's certainly no villain and nerd is definitely no insult to him. Look at the character of Luna - she's vastly different from her peers, and I love her. Dixon is definitely a different kind of person.
As for combining magical and Muggle weapons, is it foreshadowing? Well, we'll see! I can't answer that without giving the plot away, can I?
Thanks for letting me know about the spelling error in the word antiquated. I fixed it, so it should be correct now.
And guess what, everyone? Yellow 14 wrote yet another spin-off fic! It's called "Sirius Black's True Love (That He Doesn't Even Know About)". It's very lighthearted and funny. They've given me permission to include anything from it in future chapters. I have plans for Sirius - he's honestly not going to be romantically involved with anyone right now. But what Yellow 14 wrote will certainly come up. If you read it, you'll be able to understand what I'm talking about. Thank you so much again, Yellow 14!
By the way, as far as romances for Harry's future go, I think I've said this before, but I won't pair him with either Ginny or Hermione. Nor will I pair him with Cho like in the original fifth book. The romance won't come for a while yet, but I hope you enjoy it when it does.
Anyway, here's the next chapter. I'm sorry it took a bit longer than normal for me to get it out. I struggled with making this flow right, plus I've had several stressful days lately. Thankfully, all that has passed now - I'm just glad these last two weeks are over.
I hope you all enjoy the chapter.
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The news came to Harry on that Monday evening. He'd had a tutoring session with Sturgis in the morning and Occlumency with Moody in the afternoon, which had been very taxing. He felt like he was no better at Occlumency the third time around as he had been the first time - he'd also had a lesson three days before, on Friday. It was incredibly frustrating, and Moody was not going easy on him at all, but the man knew Harry was trying and that was the most important thing.
After Occlumency, he'd had a rest, and now he and Sirius were at Sturgis's house for his nightly activities with the Order. They'd been here several times last week - not every evening, but Harry was beginning to enjoy it more and more. He was still exhausted this evening, but he'd honestly wanted to spend time with Sturgis and any other Order member who decided to attend.
There were several of them here tonight, including Emmeline Vance, who sat at the table very seriously. She had been tutoring him in Transfiguration, Charms, and Herbology. She wasn't an easy teacher and had a very serious demeanor, and she could be quite strict. She very much reminded Harry of Professor McGonagall, because she was also a very fair person. She told Harry the areas in which he did well, and the areas in which he needed to improve. She carried herself in a rather stiff manner, and she was very rigid about rules and how things should be done. This didn't stop Harry from liking her, however; she was very good at her subjects, and she was training him to be better.
While Moody was training him in Occlumency, Sturgis and Emmeline trained him in duelling. Moody also said that once Harry had begun to become more proficient in Occlumency, he'd also train him in duelling as well. Right now with Emmeline, it was wand to wand combat, and Merlin, she was good. She had beaten him every single time in a duel so far - Harry couldn't count the number of times now that he was wandless at the end of it, panting heavily from exertion. He was improving little by little, though - the duels between them grew longer as the lessons passed.
With Sturgis, it was Muggle fighting. The man had explained that many wizards would be caught off-guard by Harry using such a thing against them, especially the Death Eaters, who maintained that Muggles were nothing more than insects. "The element of surprise," Sturgis had told Harry. "They will not expect you to fight them physically."
Again, Harry felt that he wasn't at all good at it, but Sturgis always reiterated that he had faith in him, and of course he would get better. Out of all his tutors, Sturgis was the one he liked best - he could be serious, but there was a witty, humorous side to him that Harry hadn't seen in anyone before. He was the kind of person that made an impression even if you only spent five minutes with him.
And now, here Harry and Sirius were, sitting at the kitchen table in Sturgis's home. Sometimes, he had them go to the room with all the exercise equipment. Rock music would blare out at them as they exercised, and Sturgis joined them, belting out song after song. Harry had never really been a fan of this style of music, but he couldn't help but feel energy pump through him at the pure joy that radiated from Sturgis as he sang. Sturgis had a way of filling Harry with admiration, with motivation. What he was doing was helping the Order immensely already - he'd only been at it for a week and yet the Order's morale was higher than it had been before.
But this time, everyone was gathered in the kitchen. Apparently, Professor McGonagall had flooed Sturgis earlier and told him that there was something important that the Order should know. So this gathering was an unofficial Order meeting, and Harry was told he could stay. "After all, this news concerns you, Harry," Sturgis had said, and the boy had immediately felt butterflies in his stomach. Sturgis had noticed Harry's facial expression and given him a reassuring look.
Sturgis was sitting up straight in his chair. The conversation had just started, and he looked at McGonagall. "From what you have told me, there has been a development concerning Harry's situation at Hogwarts," he said seriously.
"Yes." McGonagall gazed at Harry now, and he prepared himself for whatever would be said. "Mr. Potter." The acting Headmistress stared directly at him. "Two students have come forward. Their names are Rebecca Hardman, in Hufflepuff House, and Matthew Banner, in Slytherin House."
Harry felt a sudden blast of icy horror grip him. Banner. Banner. Banner. He recognized that name. "No! Please, no! Don't hurt them! My husband didn't do anything! Liz - oh, Liz! Don't hurt my little girl!" The woman's screams and sobs still haunted Harry's dreams and waking thoughts. He could still hear the cackling of Voldemort as the young girl's screams rang through the house, her blood coating the floor.
"Harry? Harry? Kiddo, it's okay. It's okay." Harry blinked, and felt a hand resting on his shoulder. Sirius. His eyes were crinkled with sadness and concern, his gentle touch bringing Harry back to the present.
Harry took a deep breath, trying to recover. He was horrified at his reaction - after all, not everyone in the Order knew of his scar connection to Voldemort. Not everyone knew that he had seen the murder of that whole family whose last name was Banner. They'd wonder why his reaction to hearing that name was so enormous.
He tried to explain his behavior, knowing he wasn't being very convincing. "I ... I saw that name in the Prophet on September 1," he whispered as he looked around at all the Order members. Sturgis, Moody, Arthur, McGonagall, and Bill were looking at him with a pained understanding. Others, like Nymphadora Tonks and Hestia Jones, were looking at him with sadness mixed with confusion. They did not ask any questions, however, to which Harry was exceedingly grateful.
"Yes." McGonagall sighed deeply. "Matthew was the cousin of Elizabeth Banner, who was meant to start at Hogwarts this year. He is sixteen years old, and has just started his sixth year. Rebecca is the same age and in sixth year, too. They came to me this afternoon after classes, and presented this."
From within her pocket, she drew out a folded piece of parchment. She unfolded it, and presented it to Harry. The boy's eyes widened as he read.
We, Rebecca Hardman and Matthew Banner, present this counterpetition stating that Harry Potter should be able to resume his place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To remove him from these premises due to a situation beyond his control is grossly unfair. If you feel it necessary, the security measures around the building should be upgraded. We understand that everyone's safety takes top priority. Everyone deserves to have an education in this castle, and we feel it unjust and cruel that Harry Potter has been deprived of the chance to continue his.
Harry's eyes swept down the page, looking at all the names of the people who had signed. Some of the names he recognized, but most, he did not.
"Apparently, this counterpetition was not shown to your closest friends," Sturgis explained. "That is why you are not seeing their names on there. Rebecca and Matthew felt that they were too close to the situation, and therefore the governors would find them too biased. These are people that you don't know well, but they're on your side, Harry. There are also no names of first-years on here. These were people that both Matthew and Rebecca were sure they could trust. Professor McGonagall told me that there were many owls exchanged during the summer. Both Rebecca and Matthew had friends that they told, who used discretion to tell other acquaintances and friends that they themselves trusted. This was passed down the line, and it's why there are this many signatures."
As he continued to read, Harry was filled with shock as he saw one of the names on the parchment: Cho Chang. Cho, of all people, wanted him back at Hogwarts? Harry was positive that the girl would hate him. Her boyfriend had died because of him. He was so sure that she would blame him and want nothing to do with him. That reaction seemed entirely logical.
The moments after he'd returned with Cedric's body were mostly a blur to him, but he remembered little snatches. "My boy! My son! My boy! NOOOOO!" He'd never forget Cedric's father's screams, or the way his mother stroked his face tenderly, as if trying to wipe the frozen expression of fear off of it. And Cho. As Crouch, or who Harry thought had been Moody at the time, took him away from the scene, he remembered Cho's heartwrenching screams of, "WAKE UP! WAKE UP, CEDRIC! WAKE UP!" She was leaning over him, screaming and sobbing and holding his limp hand in her own. Merlin, he'd tried to forget all about that, but now it came back to him with crystal clarity. He'd thought of her several times since then, but now was the first time that his recollection of her seeing Cedric's lifeless body had come back to him.
And yet, her name was on the parchment. In that moment, Harry admired her so much. She must still be grieving horribly, but she was okay with Harry coming back to Hogwarts. He felt truly overwhelmed as he gazed at her name. Her handwriting was rather shaky, but she'd still signed it. It made sense if she'd struggled with the decision - but she'd still gone through with it.
He couldn't stop the continuous tidal waves of emotion that buffeted him as he read through so many names. He knew so few of these people, but they all somehow supported him. There had been so many times, especially during his second and fourth years, that he thought the entire school was against him. He'd never imagined that there were so many people on his side, people whose faces he couldn't match with their names.
"Harry, are you okay, lad?" Sturgis's gentle, reassuring voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"I ... I don't understand." Harry's voice came out as a croak. He cleared his throat, and tried again. "Who are all these people?"
"Most of them are Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, along with some Slytherins and Gryffindors who don't know you personally," McGonagall replied. "Rebecca and Matthew were working on this all summer, as Sturgis explained. Matthew returned to Hogwarts yesterday after the ... family tragedy he experienced." She couldn't disguise the pain in her eyes, and Harry once again heard the screams of Mrs. Banner echoing inside his head. He remembered the pure joy he - no, Voldemort - had felt as he pointed his wand at Elizabeth Banner and cried, "Crucio!" His face had contorted into a gruesome, twisted smirk as Mr. Banner had actually had the gumption to try and run at him. Harry - no, Voldemort - had smirked evilly as one of his servants, with a frightening ease, had tied up Mr. Banner in ropes and forced him to watch as Voldemort continued to torture his daughter. If Matthew knew that Harry had seen his aunt, uncle, and cousin die and actually felt Voldemort's pure elation as he performed those deeds, would he really want Harry anywhere near him?
And the fact that Matthew was a Slytherin ... Harry realized that for the past four years, he'd thought all Slytherins to be like Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson. Smirking, sneering, slimy creatures that only cared about themselves. Now, not only had a Slytherin lost his family in such a brutal manner, but he was risking it all to help Harry. There was nothing in this for himself - and apparently, some other Slytherins had joined him. Harry knew what it was like to be judged - and he'd gone and done the same thing. In that moment, he knew that Matthew Banner and all who associated with him were very, very unlike Malfoy and Parkinson.
And Rebecca ... she'd been in the same house with Cedric. She'd have seen his dead body, along with everyone else. But then Harry remembered Hannah and Susan, who were in Hufflepuff and who had warned Ron and Hermione about Jeffrey Bushman's petition, and had wanted to see Harry themselves as he lay in the hospital wing the day after the Third Task. It certainly hadn't been all the Hufflepuffs who were against him. Hannah had even been one of those who thought he was responsible for petrifying people when the Chamber of Secrets was opened, but she had realized that she'd been very, very wrong and was supporting him now. He wondered if some of these Hufflepuffs had initially thought he'd murdered Cedric or had been on Jeffrey's side about the original petition, but had now changed their tune after the summer. He didn't know, but their support was with him now, whatever the answer was.
Harry turned to Sirius, who was smiling at him warmly. "This is wonderful, kiddo." His eyes were so soft and tender as he looked at him, the expression on his face the same one he'd worn all summer when gazing at him. "Do you see how many people are on your side?" he asked gently.
"Will the governors really go for this?" Harry felt his heart beginning to race. Even if he was accepted back ... would he be ready? It had only been ten days since September 1, and he felt that he'd made very little progress in his recovery. Sirius had suggested going out into Diagon Alley several times over this past weekend, but Harry had been very wary. Sirius hadn't forced the issue and was letting Harry recover at his own pace, but right now, as he realized how much support he was getting from people he didn't even know, he felt very angry with himself. He needed to do better. If people like Cho, who had known and loved Cedric, if people like these Hufflepuffs who had obviously admired and looked up to Cedric, and if people like Matthew Banner could return to school after a horrific family tragedy and support Harry ... then Harry could damned well face the wizarding world and cope with all that it would throw at him. So what if people stared and stared at him, gaping and gawking and fawning over him? So what if he was asked a million questions he didn't want to answer? So what if he was apologized to a thousand times by people who had thought him capable of murder? So what if people like Colin endlessly snapped pictures of him? There were many people in the world who had it far worse than him.
"Harry." It was Sturgis who spoke. "I can tell that you're feeling pretty overwhelmed by everything right now. You have been through a lot, and you should take all the time you need to recover. It does not matter what you think everyone else requires of you."
Harry looked around at the faces of all the other Order members, and he saw so much compassion and support there that it made his breath hitch. The one person he knew who would not lend his support, Snape, was thankfully not here this evening. He'd never accepted any of Sturgis's invitations to come here and take part in his morale-boosting sessions, and honestly, it was all for the better.
McGonagall nodded. "All your tutors have told me that you are doing very well in all of your classes." She gave Harry a rare smile. "We will continue with things as they are for the time being. In the meantime, I will schedule a meeting with the governors and present this counterpetition to them. You will still have the time you need to recover, because I doubt this will be an easy process. As you know, I had a very difficult time speaking with the governors at our last meeting. Even when I present this counterpetition to them, I am certain they will have objections."
Harry appreciated the fact that McGonagall was not mincing words. She wasn't giving him false hope or telling him that he'd be back at Hogwarts by next week. She was telling him how things were certain to be, pure and simple. She was being straight with him, and Harry was very thankful for it.
"Do you think that the governors will allow Rebecca and Matthew to talk to them?" Tonks asked curiously. "Or any of the other people who signed the counterpetition? Do you think they'll be able to have any sway over them?"
Now, McGonagall looked a little more cheerful. "It might take some convincing for them to agree to it. But if they do, that, more than anything, will sway them." She looked at Harry again. "Maybe some of the other signers can join them. And, considering that one of them is a governor's child themselves, that might go a long way."
Harry was shocked, and Sirius grinned. "Good for them. It's nice when people can think for themselves."
"Indeed," Kingsley agreed. "Minerva, what do you think it will take for the governors to acquiesce? If they eventually agree to something, you'll need to negotiate."
"What about new security measures? Like those bulletins we received from the Ministry on September 1 that said we had to go through additional checks before we entered the building?" asked Tonks.
"Kingsley, aren't you the acting Head of the Aurors right now while Rufus Scrimgeour's the acting Minister of Magic?" asked Remus. "Is there anything you could do?"
"Ah, yes. Considering that Rufus turned out to be the only candidate running for Minister, the position will officially be his starting tomorrow. Therefore, I have agreed to become the official Head of the Aurors."
"That's wonderful. Congratulations, Kingsley," said Remus warmly. "You've earned it."
"Thank you," said Kingsley, "although this is not the way I wished for it to happen. We should never have had to suffer through the travesty that was Cornelius Fudge." He looked at the Order with a very serious expression. "I have considered posting Aurors around Hogwarts as an extra security measure," he said.
"But don't Aurors have to do other things?" Harry grew worried at this suggestion. "Do you have enough of them to spare? We're in a war. Surely they have to be on alert in case there's an attack?"
"Harry." Sturgis looked at the boy with understanding. "Kingsley's suggestion is a very reasonable one. It's something Professor McGonagall can suggest that might help to convince the governors. And we need you to understand that this is not all because of you. Yes, you are a prime target of Voldemort's." He ignored the reactions that some of the Order members still displayed. "But there are many others that that monster would be very happy to get at. If there are Aurors constantly on hand at Hogwarts, the castle will have more protection than ever before. Though the wards have been touted as the best, we have seen that they are by no means perfect."
"Could the wards be updated?" Remus asked curiously. "I can't say I know a lot about how they work."
"Me neither," Sirius added. "We know that Sturgis and Kingsley warded the Burrow before Harry stayed there this summer."
"Yes. We actually did that at the very beginning of the summer," Sturgis explained. "We knew that the Weasley home needed the best protection we could offer. It took us several days to complete them."
"Why couldn't you do it in a day?" Hestia asked. "Surely putting wards up around one house doesn't take that long?"
"See, that's the thing." Sturgis's expression grew intense. This was him when he was in full lecture mode. He always looked like this while tutoring Harry or while explaining things to the Order during these evenings he had them here. "Warding is more difficult than many think it is," he said seriously. "It's not something that ever comes easy, even among the best of us who know how. It can take years for a witch or wizard to become proficient at it. You can make many mistakes while doing it, some that might cost you everything. Have you ever wondered why you often need more than one person to ward a place?"
Sirius nodded. "You explained this when you mentored me years ago. I still remember. You said that it's because it takes a lot of magical energy to do it, especially if the wards are powerful ones."
"Exactly." Sturgis smiled at Sirius. "And you have to know where your limits are. If you overexert yourself, you could become very ill. I learned that the hard way, once."
"Really?" Harry asked. "What happened?"
"It was when I first became an Auror," Sturgis replied. "I'd always been fascinated by wards and wanted to learn how to do it. My mentor agreed to teach me how. One day, he was having me help to ward his house. Unfortunately, I did not take enough breaks and was putting too much energy into the spells. He tried to stop me, but I wouldn't listen to him. I was convinced of my own abilities and wanted to see it through without the rest I was told I required. Well, I paid for it. Within minutes of finishing putting up the wards, I became quite ill. For the next three days, I was at home on bedrest. The wards were put up on a Monday, and I was unable to return to the Ministry until Friday. Even upon my return, I was quite weak and was relegated to filling out paperwork until ten days later. Let's just say, my mentor was not at all happy with me."
"Wow." Hestia's eyes were wide. "You must have really done too much."
Dedalus Diggle suddenly looked horrified. "Can it ... can it actually be fatal if you really do too much?"
Sturgis looked extremely serious. "Yes, it can," he answered simply.
"Woah." Hestia looked stunned, as did many of the other Order members. Harry was flabbergasted himself - he'd never known that about warding.
"Thank Merlin you were okay," Tonks breathed. "Who was your mentor?"
Sturgis suddenly looked terribly saddened. "Benjy Fenwick," he replied quietly. "He was murdered during the last war against Voldemort."
"The monster blew him to bits at the bottom of his own stairs. Bloody bastard." Moody's exclamation caused McGonagall to glare at him, but the expression wasn't very heated. Obviously, she agreed wholeheartedly with his assessment of Voldemort.
Sirius's eyes were haunted. "I remember," he whispered.
"I'm so sorry," Harry whispered, knowing exactly who had been in the Order last time by their stricken expressions. Obviously, Benjy Fenwick had been a beloved member.
"Yes, Benjy was very angry with me and told me so, on numerous occasions," Sturgis said, obviously trying to get past the sadness. "And he was right to be. I was convinced I could ward the house without taking care of myself. Warding is a delicate process - can you imagine how long it took to ward Hogwarts?"
Harry couldn't. It must have taken forever, yet even those wards had vulnerabilities. "So are you saying they can't be updated now?" he asked. "What if there were wards to keep Portkeys out?"
"There were wards to keep Portkeys out, Mr. Potter." McGonagall looked incredibly upset. "Unfortunately, Crouch took advantage of the fact that they were tweaked with on the day of the Third Task. The Triwizard Cup was only meant to transport you to the edge of the maze where the audience could see you. The wards have been returned to normal, but the governors simply will not accept that. We need other security measures." She straightened her spine. "Kingsley, do you think that any of the Aurors will agree to this?"
"If I assign them to such a task, then they will agree." Kingsley nodded. "Especially because some of them have children that are students."
Tonks couldn't help but smile. "And I'm sure those children will not be thrilled by their parents being at the castle. They won't be able to get away with anything," she joked. "I love my parents dearly, but if I saw either one of them around the castle during my days there, I'd have died from horror."
There were some chuckles from around the room at this. Even Mrs. Weasley smiled despite herself. Harry felt the tension in the room break as he and Sirius laughed along with many of the others.
McGonagall smiled wryly. "Maybe this can have more than one benefit, then. Curtailing students' misbehavior is always a good thing."
"Yeah." Sirius grinned. "Much less work for you, eh?" His expression then grew more sober. "Do you think that will actually work to assuage the governors?" he asked.
"It might." Kingsley nodded, and then he turned to Harry. "Still, there is no need to rush your recovery, Harry," he said quietly. "None of us in this room can deny what you've been through."
Harry looked around at everyone again, and then back at the piece of parchment that had started this conversation. All the unknown names on it gave him strength he thought he'd lost, and the ones he knew, including that of Cho Chang, finally inspired him to ask his question. "Sirius, can we go to Diagon Alley this weekend?" he asked softly.
Sirius beamed at him, familiar love and pride showing all over his face. "Of course we can, kiddo," he said, his hand once again landing on Harry's shoulder. "Absolutely."
Harry smiled, feeling more renewed than he had in a long time. "Professor McGonagall?" he asked, turning to the acting Headmistress. "Can I owl Rebecca and Matthew and thank them? Does the whole school know about this?"
"No, they do not." McGonagall shook her head. "Mr. Banner and Miss Hardman were very discreet about all of it. I would rather you do not owl them, because if the owls arrive while they are in the vicinity of other students, it might pose a problem. Your owl is very easily recognized, after all." She looked at Harry warmly. "However, I will speak with both students and tell them you are grateful for their efforts."
Harry smiled. "Thank you, Professor. I appreciate it."
"You are welcome, Mr. Potter." McGonagall herself looked very proud of him in that moment.
"All right then, folks." Sturgis's demeanor suddenly changed, and he grinned at all of them. "If there are no more announcements ..."
"No, there are not. I need to get back to Hogwarts. Filius has been taking care of the castle in my absence. You can go on with your evening."
"I'm certainly not kicking you out, Minerva." Sturgis was still grinning.
"I know that, Sturgis. But I do need to get back to the castle. I will see you all later," McGonagall said before exiting the room.
"Damn, I wish she could have stayed," Tonks murmured after several seconds. "I'd love to see her have some fun, for once."
"Oh, you don't know Minnie as I do, Nymphadora," Sirius chortled. "She pretends she's Madam Serious all the time, but she certainly isn't."
"Do not even dare to call me Nymphadora, Sirius Black." Tonks glowered at Sirius, which only made him laugh. "And I'm sure she wasn't amused by you calling her Minnie, if you did it to her face."
"I received detention for it every time, without fail," Sirius said, still laughing. "And you're not scaring me with your death glare, cousin."
Sturgis was laughing as well when Tonks pouted at him, and the mood in the room was lightening by the second. "Carry on, folks," he said. "I'll be right back."
"What is he up to tonight?" Harry murmured. "What's he got up his sleeve?"
"Who knows?" Remus replied. "It's Sturgis, so it could be anything."
About a minute later, Sturgis appeared in the room again, lugging something with him, something that promised to give everyone who was here an entertaining evening. "This," he said proudly as he presented himself to all of them, "is my prized guitar."
"Woah! You know how to play the guitar?" Tonks asked with envy. "Blimey, what DON't you know how to do?"
Sturgis grinned. "Oh, there's nothing I don't know how to do, as you've guessed," he said with a laugh.
"I think your ego could use a little knocking down," Kingsley teased. "How many times have I told you that?"
"Oh, about three times a week, if not more," Sturgis teased back. "And as for this guitar? I learned how to play it when I was eighteen years old."
And with that, Sturgis played song after song for the Order members, his voice loud and clear in the room. With each subsequent song, Harry's worries melted away. Before long, he found himself singing along to many wizarding tunes as well as Muggle ones. Some of the Order members couldn't carry a tune, but it hardly seemed to matter.
As Harry felt the camaraderie all around the room, he realized that this was exactly what Sturgis meant when he waxed poetic about appreciating life's little moments despite the hardships and tragedies they were all facing. This was how Sturgis was coping, and he was helping the Order to cope as well.
And as Sturgis led them in one last, rousing song, Harry thought that winning the war felt somehow much more possible.