Ron was furious. "Say that again. I dare you."
"MR WEASLEY. STEP AWAY FROM THE GIRL." This was not Sirius Black, Askaban escapee. This was not Padfoot, Maudrauder extraordinaire. This was Lord Black.
"She said that my Mother tried to potion her!" Ron sneered as Molly entered the Dining Room. "And after we invited her."
"Your Family might have brought her with you, but she is My Guest." Lord Black leaned on the table, his knuckles causing the wood to groan. "Now sit at the second seat on the left of the Headmaster's chair or you can eat in your room." Lord Black smiled at Hermione. "Miss Granger, please take the chair second on my right. It seems that I am going to have to assign some seats. Potter is my Right hand as Lupin is my Left. Molly, you will take the first on the Left. The Head is for Albus as Head of the Order. That's the only concession I am making at this time. Snape will sit at Albus's Right as his most trusted. Ginny, twins, select your seats now. " Ginny bolted to Hermione's side. The twins, in lock step, took the seats second and third on Blacks left. "Until further notice, these are your assigned seats. If you are not in them, or your room, you will not be fed by my table."
Molly opened her mouth before catching the look on Black's face and sat in her assigned seat. Order Members present scuttled for seats before they were assigned.
HPHS
At ten minutes to the hour, Albus arrived. As he exited the Floo, he was surprised to find himself in the Parlor, and that it was clean. His second surprise in as many minutes was that Potter was waiting for him.
"Ah, Albus. Good evening. Welcome to Black Manor. There have been a few changes since you were here last. Let's hurry, dinner is being held up as we wait for you."
Just then Severus exited the Floo.
"Ah, Potion Master Snape. Good evening." Heir Potter was polite to the brew master. "This way please." He led them to the dining room door.
"Why are we not going to the Kitchen?" Albus was curious.
"More like he got lost as Granger is not here to lead him by the hand." Snape sniped.
"Good one, Potion Master." Potter smiled at the dower man. "There was an incident this morning in the kitchen, and it is no longer fit for dining." Throwing open the doors, Harry stepped to the side. "Albus, you're at the Head of the Table. Potion Master Snape, you are at his right." As the two men eased into their seats, Harry stepped around to the foot of the Table, sitting beside Black.
Black nodded at Harry. "Okay. These are now your seats. Because of an incident this morning during breakfast, the kitchen is now off limits to those not of House Black or an Elf." He sat in his chair at the foot of the table. "Winky, you may serve the food now. " Black called out to thin air.
As bowls of hot stew and loaves of warm bread appeared on the table before the people, as Albus began to frown. His eyes flickered to the scowling Molly and Ron to his left. "What kind of incident are we talking about?" The Grandfather of the Nation asked.
"It was a question of seasoning. One of the guests had a bad reaction. Spent most of the morning in the Loo." Black glared at the oldman. "From now on, if I am going to be hosting these meetings I need to be able to take responsibility for the health and care of those I am hosting." Easing back in his chair Sirius smiled. "Or
You can find a new place to hold these gatherings."
Albus leaned back and stared over his half moon lensed glasses at the man who was threatening him. 'Something has gotten his scruff up. I need to put the mutt in his place. He should crawl at my heel, not snap at my hand.' He interlaced his fingers over his beard. "That could impose on our work on getting you cleared."
"Master Auror." Harry spoke up. "How goes the case against Black. Has there been any change since I entered the maze?"
"No, not to my knowledge. We are pursuing a tip that Black is hiding in Minix. Otherwise everything is the same." The Black Lawman put his spoon down.
"And 'Kiss on Sight' order?" Harry stirred his stew.
"Bonesy has tried to get it rescinded, but pudgy Fudgy won't let her. "
" Probably because Malfoy is paying him to Kill Sirius, thinking that Draco is the next to inherit the Title of Lord Black." Harry growled. "That reminds me. Tomorrow Just before noon, I am going to Diagon Alley. I won't turn down an escort, but I am going."
Albus perked up, "Harry, my boy, your safety… " his grandfather's smile graced his face.
"Albus, the only reason we allow you to sit there is the respect for the efforts you have performed for England in the past." Harry smiled in a manner similar to Albus. "It is this respect that I share this with the Order. I have already taken a Killing Curse to the face just last month. Just before I killed three of Tommy's pets. I have three weeks until my Birthday. And another four before school. Someone sent two dementors into Surrey after me. And I am still here. Now as this is dinner, and not the meeting of the Order. Shut it, and enjoy the stew and bread." Reached for his loaf of bread, "Yes Ron, there is more stew. "
The next ten minutes the entire table fell on the food.
HPHS
When the food was finished, Molly herded the 'children' out of the room.
As he stood, Harry whispered to Padfoot, "See you in Reggie's Room. Tell us everything." Straightening his robes, " Twins, Hermione, we have those assignments to talk about." He paused, " Ginny, you are welcome to join."
" And not me? " Ron stood to his full height.
" We are going to be talking about school work and the like." Harry smiled at the lad. " There will be no talk of Quidditch or Chess."
Ron frowned, before stomping off in a huff.
The five quietly climbed the stairs to Reggie's Room. Once inside Harry closed and silenced the door.
Taking a seat on Reggie's trunk, he waved his hand about the room …
Hermione sat in the lone chair as Ginny claimed Harry's trunk. The twins sat on the bed.
"Okay. Something my Father and Uncles hold most sacred, their Honour as Maudrauders. I trust each of you to not tell anyone if you so swear. The twins know the truth across the board on that front but not the backstory. You ladies are not yet in the know. You break this Oath, and not only will you no longer have my trust, you will be treated like Ron, Molly, Albus. Do it twice and I will treat you like Malfoy."
Seeing the look on the faces of everyone in the room. Harry nodded.
Almost as one the four raised their right hands "On my Honour as a Maurauder, I so swear."
Harry smiled and nodded again. 'Armour up!' The Necroplasm oozed out of his pores, encapsulating him in the black tar, before the white lines embossed his chest and face. The silver badges on his pectorals flashed in the light from the chandelier overhead as the belt snaked lowly around his waist.
"Be not afraid of this. When I vanished from the Maze last month, I ended up in a cemetery in the countryside. Wormtail and his master were waiting for me. After Tommy Boy regained his flesh, they torchered me, then hit me with an AK to the chest.
Because I had a hitchhiker on my soul, I was sent to Hell. The Ruler there sent me back with a gift. I have two missions. One I am to find and eat the soul pieces of Tommy Boy. The other, I am to find and open the door to Hell. I am not going to obey the second order."
"I returned and killed three D.Es and and just missed Malfoy and Tommy. I was able to catch Wormtail and turn him over to the DMLE" the nercoplasmic armor
Retracted into his flesh. "Two nights ago, to still my movements and silence the rumors … someone sent two dementors after me. My armor tripped and ate them. It also likes to eat things that hold pieces of Tommy's soul. That was what we found in the Parlor. Between the cloaks and what I ate from the locket… " he called on the Cloak. A green cloak bloomed about him. The hood hiding his face in Shadow.
"That's … "
"Wicked!"
The twins were in basic form.
Ginny just exchanged glances with Hermione as they rolled their eyes.
"Master Black." Kreature was standing at Harry's knee. "It is to my shame that I must report a thief has been stealing from House Black." He pressed his forehead into Harry's knee. "Kreature was ordered to not interfere with Order Business…"
"Bring the thief here." Harry grinned. "When the thief is finished with the meeting, and on his way out, bring him here."
As the Elf popped away to obey, Hermione opened her mouth to speak, Harry put his finger to his lips. Before turning to the Twins. "What to help me with a prank?"
"YES!"
"Ladies?" Harry looked at the witches in the room.
" What have you got planned? " Hermione squinted at the lad.
Ginny just smirked
"What crime dramas have you seen on the telly?"
HPHS
As the door closed behind the 'children', Sirius called for Winky to serve the whiskey and wine. As glasses of the rare
"First Order of Business." Albus sipped his zima, as close to a candy lemon alcoholic drink Remus knew of, and I had brought a six pack of the bottles for the bearded man. "Severus, what is the Dark Lord up to?"
The greasy haired man sipped his water. "Besides 'Crucio'ing his inner circle for their failures to fund and recruit him an army while he was away… he has three different missions right now. One, the Giants. He sent McNair and Nott to recruit them to his side. Two, the werewolves. He has summoned Greyback to his throne room. And Three, the Prophecy. He has Malfoy and Parkinson focused on pressuring their contacts within the Ministry to learn where it is and what it says. He has not only seen the memory in my head, he has pulled it and watched it several times in a pensive. Both after having me brew and drink a memory sharpening potion." He shook his head and his limp lockes slid about his eyebrows. "He also suspects that you are restarting the Order, and wants me to use my position as Hogwarts Potion Master to find out what is happening here."
Albus nodded, "Good. Hagrid and Olympia are already on the way to court the giants. Lupin, if you will be so kind as to revisit your friends and see if you can either bring them over to our side of the conflict or to stay out of it all together." He sipped his drink. " Arthur, I want you and the other Members of the Order within the Ministry to keep watch on the DoM."
" Second order. What is the Ministry doing? We will start with Shacklebolt."
And it went. The Aurors, the Gentleman, and the rumors from the Goblins via Willam Weasley and the Gutters via the Gutter Wizard. Most made their reports and exited via the Floo in the Parlor.
"... And now that's done I have a man to see about some second hand cauldrons." The weasely wizard dressed in 70s muggle fashion slung a rucksack over his shoulder and scuttled for the Floo.
Albus pulled the last bottle from the cardboard carrier at his side. A double tap of his wand and the bottle chilled as the cap popped away. As he sipped his eye turned to the man on the far side of the table. "Sirius my boy, we need to keep Harry here in Headquarters. We can not protect him if he insists on going out whenever he pleases."
Sirius smirked into his tumbler of liquid amber. As he finished his sip, he set the glass before him. "Albus, old man. I know that I can not always protect him. I know that you can not protect him. You failed last June. I also know that he can protect himself from everything short of a dragon falling on him. And we all know how well he handles dragons, don't we."
Sirius sat up in his chair. "Between the members of this Order, covered by our secrecy Oaths. Any guards we assign to the lad, are not for his protection but for those who attack him. When he moves to defend himself and those with him, hit the ground and whatever you do, DO NOT TARGET HIM." He stood and bolted his glass of whiskey. "Shack, Dora, if you are going to stay, inform Winky which room you want. Molly the kitchen is closed to all humans other than Harry. Even I can't get past the ward without taking all the wards in hand. That means waking up the Stone. William, Fleur, as you have just joined us, a few rules. The table is open to the Order, and if you want, the rooms on the second floor are open to catch a nap. While they are singles…" Sirius waggled his eyebrows at the two blushed Young wizard and the bird at his side, "Talk to Winky. If she can't get what you need, she can talk to Kreature. Albus. I expect you to behave in my House as you would have me behave in your School." He turned to leave the dining room. "Take care of them, Winky."
Lupin swirled the tea in his cup. "When the cub arrived last night, Padfoot tried to jump him and kick him. As the Grim pounced, The Cub reacted. Only because Shack had yet to enter the house because he was waiting for the Elf to bring the trunk, he did not see what happened. Between Padfoot leaving the floor and making contact, the Grim was bound in a cloak, I was bound in chains and Tonks was crushed to his chest. All three of us were helpless in his grasp. Only because he was playing with us, we were just immobilized rather than killed. Remember that you sent me to Little Haggleton when Harry returned. I saw the mess he left. I saw horror on their faces." He bolted his tea. Setting the cup in the saucer, he stood. "Sirius was not joking. Anyone you send to watch the Cub is there to protect the sheep from tickling the Dragon." He turned and shuffled off, "Need to get going if I am going to be at Greyback to the packs."
HPHS
Mundungus Fletcher. Street Rat. Gutter Wizard. And Master of the Secondhand Arts. He never used the term 'Thief' as it was so common. He was a Businessman, thank you.
So how is it that just before he reached the Floo, everything went black. Not like he was stunned, but one step and the next he was in a dark room. Not just dark, but black. He was stripped of his Ruck, his coat, his shoes. Then he was forced to sit in a chair. Then whatever was over his eyes was gone.
He was in a dark room, a single bluebell flame above his head lit the room just enough to see the hatchet nosed Elf staring behind him. It was not fear but…
"Mundungus Fletcher. You have been accused of Theft. Now while stealing is not my issue, you have done so while under Guest Rights. Had you entered by skill and art, your taking items of ours would be applauded." A black hand gripped his shoulder in a vice like grip. It was not a glove, but a black skin that was so dark it shimmered green in the light. "We might even have rewarded you. But you have either betrayed House Black or betrayed one of our Honoured Guests. And that's unforgivable. Now before we begin our Conversation, is there anything you want to get off your hairy chest? "
" Dumbledore! " the little man squealed. " Dumbledore ordered me to"
Just then a door behind him opened and someone entered. "What is going on here?"
"Lord Black. This Guest has been stealing from the House. It claims that it was ordered to do so by Dumbledore. We were just getting ready to have a Conversation. Elf, the bathing tub from the Mistress's Room." The Elf snapped and a large copper tub appeared right in front of the accused. "Now before we get started, where are the things you stole?"
Dung knew the law on theft. A small fine and…
"Um… what's the tub for?" Lord Black asked.
Silver chains rattled and coiled about the gutter wizard and lifted him into the tub. "To catch the… blood and other discharge. You know what happens when you skin something." The chains retracted and the thing behind him rested its hand on his shoulder and extended a blade from the far side of its wrist. The blade shone with a glow from within.
Dung wet himself. "Everything is in the Ruck!" He started to panic. "I have yet to find a buyer who would pay me knuts for the galleons the things are worth. The items that have any real resale value not linked to Black are being guarded by a Hippogriff!"
" Kreature, when you are finished cleaning up after Dung here pop out and bring back a live pig for Buckbeak. Pay the full value. Then do a full inventory. If anything is missing, seek it out." Lord Black looked past Dung at the thing behind him. "Leave him alive. Albus has need of him…" Lord Black locked eyes with Dung. You are no longer Welcome in House Black. You can meet the Old Man at Hogwarts."
A wand reached over his left shoulder and tapped his gold-plated chain necklace. A whispered word and he felt a stunner slam into his chest.
HPHS
The instant the stunner hit Dung, Harry retracted his cloak. He stumbled as the armor pulled back to reveal his face. "Well, that was fun."
The twins pulled the Potter Cloak off snickering. "Hey Gin-gin… "
"... What spell did you use?"
The redheaded witch smirked, "Something that Lavender taught me. A timed hair plucking charm with a repeat. Every day at dawn, he will be plucked bald as long as wears that chain." She returned the wand to Harry.
The twins shared a look.
Hermione snickered. " All his hair." She fluffed her mane. "You have to picture exactly what you want to keep. Vane learned that the hard way. "
All the guys twitched.
" And that's why I shave, not pluck." Hermione smirked. The guys all raised an eyebrow.
Harry shook his head to clear it "Dobby!" He flicked his wand [Finite]. "Hey Dobby. Drop this thief in front of Gringotts. Hang him from the spikes to scare him, but don't hurt him. If the guards ask about it, tell them that House Potter and House Black send their thanks."
Dobby snapped and both he and Dung vanished.
Kreature snapped and the copper tub was clean. "Master has a nasty streak. Mistress would have done more."
"Yes, but we need him alive and able to go places that proper wizards cannot." Harry scratched behind a floppy ear. "Next time we host a full meeting, we will put Albus to the question.?"
"Harry! You can't do that to Professor Dumbledore!"
"He either broke Guest Rights or was betrayed. Kreature, no doubt we have a conversation room. A House as dark as this one…"
The ears on the Elf rose. "Kreature clean."
HPHS
Yaxley knelt before his Master's feet.
"You failed."
"Yes and no, My Lord. I failed to acquire the boy, yes. But he was a target of opportunity tonight. I found where he is kept during the summer holidays. And if he is not dealt with by next June, you now know where he will be."
" That's correct, you are more spy than warrior. Very good." Voldemort paced across the dais. Three steps left, turn, three paces right, spin… "Now tell me why you failed."
"Four to one odds, my lord, three of them trained by Mad Eye personally. And then there is Potter. We have no idea what he can do when he is pressed into action. If I had survived the attempt, I would be feed Ventrasearm and then all your rich powerful boy toys would be found out and would be lynched. I was able to tag a picture frame in the hallway as I was leaving with a listening charm." The tweed pulled out a silver coin and flicked it at the Dark Lord.
A pale hand snapped it out of the air. " And? "
" The old man ordered Potter taken to the Order's Headquarters. He wanted the boy kept in Surrey, but the boy was leaving. So rather than having him out of his control, he had his goons take him to Headquarters. No address was given."
" And that other matter? "
"Without Rookwood, we are not getting in easily. Under the guise of asking an Unspeakable for a file, I scanned the Hallway, and found nothing outside the door. I stuck a knut to the wall, tagged it with another snooper charm, and disillusioned it." This time a copper coin was flicked towards the Dark Lord.
The pale man caught it with ease. " You're dismissed." As the tweed bowed low and was exiting, " Oh, Yaxley. One more thing. [Crucio]!"