Story: War
Chapter: 12
Rating of Chapter: R
My other Fics: Stress, Wake Me From This Nightmare, Psychokinesis, Forlorn
Thanks: Thanks to Cheryl and Muirnin for their continuous support and help with this fic.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The only things I own are the plot, any characters, spells etc that you do not recognize.
Author Notes: Thanks for the positive reviews from the last chapter, I have been thinking carefully recently and a lot of ideas have come into my head for this story. More will happen with the war very soon, we will meet new characters, and I already have the end written in my head. Although that is a long way off yet.
Chapter 12: Attacks, Apologies and Accusations
Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Bill and Charlie Weasley and a few more members of the Order were seated in Grimmauld Place, the meeting place of the Order of the Phoenix. They were preparing for their next Order meeting in just under a months time.
"I still don't understand why Harry has to join the Order yet, he is still very young," said Sirius, turning to Lupin.
"He's seventeen years old Sirius, you can't protect him forever," reasoned Lupin.
"I know, but I never really had much chance to protect him until now, and all of a sudden he's an adult." Sirius sighed and turned to Bill Weasley. "Bill, are Arthur and Molly coming in today?" The long red hair of Bill swayed as h turned around, his fang earring shining on his ear.
"Later on I think, why do you ask?"
Sirius frowned a little, and looked around thoughtfully. "I just wanted to talk to them about something." He really wanted to talk to them about Ron's behaviour, he didn't want to bring it up at the minute, it was going to be difficult enough arguing with Molly Weasley, let alone two of their sons, one of which worked with dragons. If Charlie could handle dragons then he would have no problem with a convicted murderer.
At that moment Sirius heard a light thud coming from up the stairs, he walked to the bottom and placed an arm on the banister. "Did anyone else hear that?" he called back to Lupin, Tonks and the Weasley's.
"Hear what?" asked Lupin walking over to him.
"That thud," responded Sirius.
"It was probably a rat," suggested Tonks.
"I don't think a rat could make that much noise," Charlie replied, who had also followed along with his brother Bill. Another thud rang through the halls of Grimmauld Place.
"A big rat," Tonks added. Sirius, Lupin, Bill and Charlie all looked at her in disbelief. Sirius glanced back up to see Elphias Dodge, a member of the Order roll across the floor at the top of the stairs. Sirius and the other members hurried up the stairs; he placed a hand on the side of his neck to feel for a pulse.
"He's dead." They walked into the centre of the corridor when three doors flung open, one opposite, one on the right and one on the left. Each door held two Death Eaters, none of them looking familiar. "Voldemort must have more supporters," Sirius mumbled quietly to Lupin. Sirius felt for his wand in his robe pocket, as he did all of the Death Eaters pulled out their wands, pointing them at every member of the Order.
"How did they get in here?" Tonks whispered to Moody.
"Magic I expect, I wouldn't put anything past these scoundrels," he answered briskly.
Bill glanced up at a wall cabinet above the doors the Death Eaters were standing in. An idea came to him at last, if only he could find a way to make it open. He positioned himself behind the rest of the order and managed to grab his wand, he held it loosely at his side, "Wingardium Leviosa," he muttered, he looked discretely at the top of the long cupboard which spread across the top of the doors. A small key was floating above it, he managed to move it towards a small keyhole on top of the cupboard, he placed the key firmly inside and twisted it around, the Death Eaters still ready to strike the Order if they moved. Suddenly the cupboard fell open and bags of chalk fell out, causing a huge array of dust, as the Death Eaters were temporarily blinded, the Order made a run for it.
"Quickly, we must apparate to Hogwarts!" yelled Lupin. Each member muttered the same spell and he or she disapparated with a poof of smoke.
*
"I knew she'd push me away." Harry shouted as he flung himself down on a sofa in the Gryffindor Common Room. Hermione pushing him away had always been one of his worst fears after the pregnancy, and now it was becoming a reality.
"Harry, what's wrong?" Harry glanced up to see Ginny walking over to him; she plopped down on the sofa next to him and awaited a response.
"Hermione," answered Harry glumly. He didn't look at Ginny; he just slouched down in the chair and put his feet up on the coffee table.
"What about Hermione?" Ginny questioned. As Harry was about to answer Ron came in through the portrait hole, he looked uneasily at Harry and Ginny, who both looked in the opposite direction. Ron slowly walked over to them and sat down in an armchair opposite. There were a few moments of silence between the three of them, but Ron finally spoke when Neville and Seamus had left, leaving them alone.
"Look, I wanted to talk to you both," he began.
"Well maybe we don't want to talk to you?" snapped Harry, hardly in the mood for Ron's antics.
"Okay, I deserved that," Ron conceded. "But I've just been talking to somebody, somebody who had a completely unbiased opinion on all of our…disagreements." Ginny snorted. "I filled her…I mean him, in on this and he told me what sh-he honestly thought. I've been an idiot, and I'm sorry. Ginny, you should be able to date whomever makes you happy, even though I would prefer it not to be a Malfoy, I can't hold you back forever." Ginny smiled a little at her brother.
"Do you really mean that?" she asked.
Ron nodded a little uncertainly at first, but he nodded more and more as he realised that he did mean it. "Yeah. Harry, I'm sorry about what I said to you. And I'm sorry that I hit you." Harry glanced up at him.
"Why did you say those things?" he asked. Ron shrugged a little.
"I guess I thought Hermione was the only person who might be slightly interested in me, she is the first girl who has taken the time to get to know me. But I've realised that there are other girls at Hogwarts who are interested in me. I'm sure you'll make a great father Harry." Harry closed his eyes for a minute, he had forgotten that Ron still didn't know about the baby. He found it hard to talk about, and now he was going to have to do it again. "Ron…"
"It's gone," Ginny finished, winning a grateful glance from Harry.
"What?"
"That's why we were at St Mungo's, but there's more that I need to tell you, to tell the both of you." He told them both about how he seemed to be able to heal, and how he had received the power from Voldemort.
"Bloody hell Harry!" Ron exclaimed. "I wonder if you could heal Errol, there must be something wrong with him." They all laughed out loud, it sure was good to have the old Ron back.
"Ron, this person you were talking to?" Harry asked.
"Oh, well, that, he, was, you know?" he stammered.
"It was a girl wasn't it?" stated Ginny. Ron turned a bright shade of red and looked down at the ground.
"Who is it?" asked Harry.
"Susan," he muttered, before looking back up at his best friend and sister.
"Well done mate, you're doing better than me," said Harry.
"What do you mean?"
"Apparently she needs some space."
"Harry, Hermione's been through a lot, I know you like to think you can, but you can't fix everything for Hermione, some things she just has to work out on her own," responded Ginny. Harry nodded. Ron then turned back to Ginny.
"So, are you going to see Draco?" he asked her.
"I don't know, I haven't really had a chance to get to know him yet? The only time I talked to him was last year in the Astronomy tower."
"What! You were in the Astronomy tower with Draco?" Ron yelled.
"Ron," reminded Harry. Ron looked at Harry and remembered to hold himself to his word. "Right, sorry." He sat back down and looked up the few stairs to his right when the door to the prefect common room slowly opened. Harry stood up as Ginny and Ron watched on from a sitting position. Hermione slowly walked down the stairs, her face full of concern.
"I just got an owl from Sirius, they've been attacked at Grimmauld Place."
"Was anybody hurt?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head.
"I don't know Harry, all members of the Order are meeting up at Dumbledore's Office."
"Come on," Harry said to Hermione, Ron got up to follow them. "Ron, you're in the Order?" Ron nodded quickly. "Ginny, we'll see you later."
On the way to Dumbledore's office, Ron gave his best apology to Hermione, which was a good thing because Harry and Hermione were hardly carrying off the best conversations at the moment.
Once they reached Dumbledore's Office, they stepped inside after being greeted by Dumbledore.
"As you know Grimmauld Place has been attacked," the old wizard began. "Our Order members were forced to flee, therefore Grimmauld Place has been captured by the enemy. Only one of our members was killed, Elphias Dodge."
"Where is the Order now?" Harry asked.
"They are just making sure that Hogwarts is safe, I fear that this will be their next target. Two of our members are also scouting another member."
"Professor Dumbledore, are we officially in the Order now?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, you will be." He walked over to a small antique drawer in the far corner of his office; he placed his hand in and pulled out a small leather bag, before returning to the trio. He pulled out three small diamond shaped badges and placed one in each of their hands. "Hold onto that badge, and read out the message on the reverse." Harry, Ron and Hermione turned over their badge and began to read aloud.
"By taking this badge, I understand that I will do everything in my power to protect the Wizarding world, if I break this oath I shall never be accepted among Order members again."
"Congratulations, you are now official members of the Order of the Phoenix." Just then almost the entire Order entered the room, Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, Moody, Bill, Charlie, Molly, Arthur, Kingsley, Snape the rest of the Hogwarts teaching staff and Mundungus Fletcher. The only people missing were Fred and George Weasley, who were busy at Diagon Alley, nobody had even informed them of this meeting. They all grouped around Dumbledore and he stood up and looked anxiously at them. "We now have three new members of the Order of the Phoenix, Mr. Ronald Weasley." The Order nodded their heads as Mrs. Weasley wiped the tears from her eyes, she couldn't believe how another one of her children had grown up so quickly, although she didn't like the idea of him being in the Order, it was his choice to make. "Miss Hermione Granger and Mr. Harry Potter." Harry caught Sirius' glance and Sirius winked at him quickly, creating a smile from Harry. "Although Voldemort's supporters have taken Grimmauld Place from us, we are still strong enough to win it back, and we will do. But first we must focus on defeating Voldemort, we have still heard no word from him, but I believe we have the stronger person on our side."
"Here here!" Moody exclaimed, eyeing Harry with his magical eye. Dumbledore and every other member of the Order also turned to Harry, making him feel a little apprehensive.
There was a sudden knock on the door and it took the Order by surprise. "Enter," said Dumbledore. The Order held their wands as the door as a precaution.
"Drop you wands," said a short porky man with grey hair, he was wearing a pinstripe suit accompanied by a long scarlet tie.
"Cornelius," said Dumbledore.
"Albus," he responded. "I have heard about the Order, and I fear for the safety of our Wizarding Schools. That is why I have taken it upon myself as the Minister of Magic, to bring in the B.D.M.S." Dumbledore had been ordered to tell the Minister about the Order at the end of last year, if he had refused his orders his job as Headmaster would have been forfeit. Losing his job wasn't an option at a time like this.
This brought on a lot of whispers from the Order. "Cornelius I must object," stated Dumbledore calmly.
"Oh you may object, but I will not change my mind."
"I wish to discuss this later," asked Dumbledore.
"Very well, we can discuss it…alone." Fudge eyes up the Order suspiciously. "I would have thought so many witches and wizards would have been able to stop a few Death Eaters. I mean Dumbledore; first you hire a convicted murderer." Fudhe eyed Sirius suspriciousely. "Black, if it wasn't for Dumbledore helping you out in court I would have you behind bars." Fudge glanced back down at Harry, Ron and Hermione. "And then you stoop to hiring children." Harry was feeling rather irritated by Fudge, and after looking down on the Order, insulting Dumbledore's judgement, questioning Sirius's innocence and looking down on himself and his friends - he had had enough.
"From what I understand Minister Fudge, the Order had no option, maybe you should consider what you would do against a load of Death Eaters?"
"Me? I would knock them down one-by-one," he bolstered.
"I'd like to see you try?" Harry mocked. Hermione tried to stop him but he brushed her aside.
"Don't you mock me boy, I am the Minister of Magic, I am no fool."
"Could have fooled me?" answered Harry.
"The way you speak makes me think it would be better if Voldemort had taken you as well as your parents." Harry was turning red now with anger, he started to wonder what the consequences would be if he was to knock out the Minister of Magic.
"Calm down Harry," instructed Sirius. "Fudge, don't talk to my godson like that, if you are as special as you say you are you should have learnt some manners."
"You expect me to listen to words from a murderer?"
"You will listen to a loving mother," Molly Weasley stormed up to Fudge and belted him in the stomach with her handbag, she continued to attack him as Mr Weasley tried to restrain her. Bill and Charlie shot each other confused glances as Ron smiled as he watched on.
"Nice one Mum."
"Silence!" yelled Dumbledore. "All members of the Order move to the Great Hall, except for Harry, Ron and Hermione, you three may continue your study's. Cornelius, you may stay." Fudge nodded while straightening out his suit and hair. He caught a glimpse of Harry, Hermione and Ron walking out, he then looked back at Dumbledore.
"I'll be right back Dumbledore, I just need to check something."
*
Harry and his two best friends walked back towards the common room. "Damn I hate Fudge!" said Harry.
"Harry, be careful what you're saying, after all he is the Minister of Magic." Hermione said, concerned.
"But Fudge is a git," argued Ron. Hermione tutted and rolled her eyes. "Whatever, I'm going to see if Neville or Seamus wants to play Wizard's chess." Ron hurried off quickly down the corridor, leaving Harry and Hermione alone. They walked quietly for a few more minutes, neither knowing how to start a conversation or where to go, they should be studying but their minds were focused on other things.
"Hermione," Harry finally began. "I know that you want to be alone, but you only needed to say that you weren't ready to have sex again."
"Harry," said Hermione as they paused next to the doors that went outside to the lake. "It's not just sex, it's what I went through. I know that you are only trying to help me but I want to do this without you."
"You know what Hermione? If you can't even trust me to help you and understand your feelings after all we have been through, I don't know if I want to be a part of this relationship." Little did they know that Cornelius Fudge was listening to the conversation from outside. He then scurried back to Dumbledore's office, muttering one simple sentence.
"I'll get you back for making a fool out of me Potter."
Harry had left Hermione downstairs as he made his way up to the common room.
*
The next morning when Harry was dressed for breakfast, he made his way down with Ron.
"So, who do you think this new recruit is for the Order?" asked Ron.
"I don't have a clue, it could be anybody I suppose." They looked towards the Gryffindor table, where Hermione was sitting quietly, two seats empty next to her.
"How are things with you two?" Ron questioned.
"Not great, I think I'll stay upstairs."
"You've got to eat something mate," argued Ron.
"I've got a chocolate frog upstairs."
"Healthy option then?"
"Healthier than what you'll eat I'm sure."
Harry left Ron and Hermione in the Great Hall and walked towards the Grand Staircase; once he was about to step onto the next flight he heard a noise below.
"Cornelius, please do not bring these to my school," Dumbledore protested.
"Why not? They have learnt their ways," said Fudge, who was signalling something in.
"You and I both know their past," snapped Dumbledore. Fudge appeared to be ignoring him when about thirty soldiers marched in. They were clothed in long sleeve red t-shirts, red trousers with a white strip down each side accompanied with black leather boots. Funnily enough they all looked the same, they walked like some sort of robots, each sported short black hair, with what looked like black eyes and a black goatee. They didn't look too tall either.
"What are they, Santa's helpers?" Harry jumped around when he saw Draco standing behind him.
"I don't now, I guess they are the B.D.M.S, but Dumbledore doesn't seem to want them in…aren't you going for breakfast?"
"I'm on my way now, you?"
"No, I don't feel like facing Hermione at the minute."
Draco nodded. "Oh, I see, your going to be a coward then?"
"What?" asked Harry.
"Nothing…" Draco walked down the stairs and into the Great Hall, apparently avoiding Dumbledore, Fudge and the B.D.M.S.
Author Notes: Over 3,000 words, my longest chapter EVER. I hope you enjoyed it; there are a lot of questions to be asked, what are your thoughts on them? Will Hermione and Harry make up? When will Ron apologise to Draco? Why was Draco so cool about the B.D.M.S? Will Ginny confront Draco? Who is the other order member? Who are B.D.M.S and why doesn't Dumbledore want them their? Please give me your thoughts below.