Disclaimer: I don't own the characters; they are property of JK Rowling.
A/N: Hope you'll enjoy this chapter. And please, leave me a comment, good, bad, or how you want it to be, just leave me something, ok? Thanks. And thanks to GeoTube, my beta.
Chapter Eight
"The Order of the Shadows"
Life at Hogwarts went as by now usual for Harry. Almost everyone was against him, even the Professors who had always defended him in the years, as McGonagall, Hagrid, and Dumbledore, who after the article didn't say a word to him. Not that before they did so…
However, Harry, as the previous year with the DA, had a secret group, which gave him the hope to go on. "It's strange as the first four years I always enjoyed everything here at Hogwarts, and now since two years only secret groups led by myself keep me here at the castle. Not that I can go anywhere else, with the accusations of the Ministry following me. It would only make my situation worst," he thought, while going to breakfast.
He found the books he took from the library very interesting, and nobody was able to notice what they really were about. So, not being able to play Quidditch was almost a good thing. He could prepare himself to face the Dark Lord, that as Hermione would say, "is far more important that a silly game". He chuckled thinking about what the girl he had started to love thought of his beloved sport. After all, she hated flying, how could she understand Quidditch?
Harry had to be ready as quick as possible, to get finally rid of all the whispers on him, and give an age of peace to the Wizarding World. Not that it mattered so much to him, though. All the rumours on him, during the years, were slowly making him grow detached from the world he lived in, and more selfish.
However, he could not miss the most important match of the year, so he went to see the match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, the last of the season, and he saw Gryffindor playing very badly. It gave him a double feeling. He was sad because his old team was losing so hardly, but he was happy for Ron, who deserved that. The Gryffindor captain was the worst, letting the Quaffle in at almost every shot, so Harry couldn't help to smirk, hearing the Slytherins singing "Weasley is our King". So even if Ginny managed to catch the Snitch, Gryffindor lost for 310 to 170, and Slytherin won the Cup.
Malfoy that evening was really happy, and when he met Harry out of the Great Hall, he whispered to him.
"Hey, Potter. I want to dedicate our won to you. Have you seen how bad Weasel played? He was simply ridiculous…"
"Yeah, I guess so…" Harry replied, smiling.
When Ron saw Harry entering the Great Hall with Malfoy, and smiling to him, was very angry. He was already upset for his disastrous play on the Quidditch final, and that was the last straw. Harry had just seated near him, because every other place was taken.
"So now you are going to be in company of filthy Malfoy, good job, Potter…"
"Actually, if he is filthy as you say, I think that you won't find a word just horrid to describe yourself, Weasel…" Harry retorted, not at all disturbed by Ron's comment.
Next morning, however, Harry was strongly disturbed by something else. He read the "Daily Prophet", and he found a shocking new, again.
"Diagon Alley Attacked!" was the title on the first page, then the article continued.
"Last afternoon, a group of Death Eaters attacked Diagon Alley, destroying "Flourish and Blotts", "Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions", "Quality Quidditch Supplies", and "Ollivanders". They also tried to attack the Gringott's, but they were not able to penetrate in it. The Dark Lord has newly started his track of destruction and fear, like many years ago. There were also fifty-four people killed in the attack, with twenty-three injured. Diagon Alley is now to be patrolled by Aurors, and is closed to the public till new dispositions."
Harry was terrified, as almost all of the school. For one day, he wasn't the centre of the discussion of all the students, but he would have strongly preferred to be unfairly accused than seeing Diagon Alley attacked and all that innocent people murdered.
The day passed in a state of anguish for all the people in the school. Even the Professors were frightened, and Dumbledore seemed deeply concerned.
"If the Order and the Ministry hadn't lost their brains, trying to accuse me for something I'm not responsible for, maybe this disaster could have been avoided, or at least delayed" Harry thought, while returning to the common room for leaving there his bag, after the last lesson.
There, he found Hermione, crying on a couch, like a scared little girl, and since Ron wasn't there, he went to her, and tried to comfort her. For the first time, that year, she abandoned herself to a gesture, which she always did when she was scared. She grabbed him, tightly, but he didn't complain. He held her tightly too.
"It's all ok, Mione. I'll resolve this, eventually…" he whispered to her, through her hair.
"But how can you do this, if you are watched continuously by the Order and the Ministry?" she said, between her sobs.
"Come this evening to the Room of Requirements, and you'll see it. Obviously, Ms. Granger, it would be better if you come alone, without Ron…" he smiled at the crack joke he had said to cheer her up.
"Of course, Mr. Potter" she replied, giving him a feebly but genuine smile; that was enough for him to find the bravery to start another crazy adventure. Seeing her smile, and wanting to give her more reasons to smile in the future, gave him the determination and the strength to plan a way to fulfil his destiny, something all what had happened around him that year had made him lose.
At evening, Harry behaved normally, but he had already alerted all the few people who trusted him to come to the Room of Requirements that night, after dinner, being sure of not being followed by other people.
When he finished his meal, he stood up, and while exiting the Great Hall, he exchanged a knowing look with Malfoy. Then, about one hour later, all of them were in the room.
This time, it was furnished only with eight Invisibility Cloaks. He had his one, and the others were for the other students, in case to being discovered; they would pass the evening under the cloaks, so nobody could see them, if entered the room.
Finally, their meeting started. Hermione was there with the others, having given to Ron a Sleeping Potion. Harry started to speak.
"As all of you knows, Voldemort is starting to recreate the regime of terror he created on his first "reign," so we have to stop him soon. To do this, as the Order of the Phoenix is wasting it's time like the Ministry is doing, watching me, I think we have to establish a new Order."
"But we are only nine students…" Justin interrupted him
"Well, it isn't totally true, Justin. We are lots more than nine, because this summer I inherited a castle, the "Fortress of Shadows," who belonged to my great-grandfather, Grindelwald"
Almost all of them covered their mouths in disbelief. Harry had expected that.
"Are you sure you are not a Death Eater, Potter?" Draco teased him.
"Of course, Malfoy" Harry replied playfully. "It was a shock for me, too. However, I visited it this summer, and we have there werewolves, dementors, giants, and many other dark creatures, ready to help us; so, ready to help our Order. And we have also 12 Ringwraith, to help us lead the creatures. Plus, we have lots of House Elves" he continued, more seriously. The last bit earned him a glare from Hermione.
"I know, Mione. I know. But I gave them the chance to leave if they wanted, and only three did. I would never ask them to join the fight, but if the necessity would come, it is always a resource we can count on" he explained to her. She did not seem totally convinced but said nothing.
"Dementors? Giants? Werewolves? But this is a Dark Army, Harry. You won't get rid of the voices on you, leading it…" almost all the members said then but Harry interrupted them.
"I know this, but I want first to get rid of Voldemort. Then, if I can, I'll get rid of voices on me. If I cannot, I don't care"
All of them stayed silent, to this statement, so Harry continued.
"Now I think it is better if we choose a name for our Order…" he said, almost awkwardly.
"What do you think of Order of the Faith?" Hanna suggested "For the faith we have in you"
"Mm…a little too spiritual. It seems something religious"
"Do you like Order of the Trust?" Draco said. "We all trust you, Potter, so…"
"This seems good. But I prefer Order of the Hope…" Hermione said. "You know, the hope of saving the Wizarding World…"
"All of those names are good. Very good, indeed. However, I was thinking that since our army is a Dark Army, and the castle is named `Fortress of Shadows', maybe we can call us `Order of the Shadows'. It is for that we have to be as hidden as shadows, too" Harry proposed.
All the members agreed with him after a short discussion, so the `Order of the Shadows' was at last born.
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