Unofficial Portkey Archive

Lies and Illusions chapter 14
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. This is a work of fanfiction, and no profit is being made from it.

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Chapter 14:
From the Ashes

Hermione kept a close eye on Harry for the next few days, just in case he had another episode like the one in Sirius' old bedroom. So far, he seemed to be doing okay. Some of the sadness and guilt he'd had was still lingering, but that was only natural. At least the emotional wall she'd sensed inside Harry didn't seem to be there any more...something that Hermione was very grateful for.

For his part, Harry felt that he was getting better. The pain he felt over losing Sirius would take time to fade, but at least he could now recall the happier memories he had of him. He even found the strength to dig the pieces of the other mirror out of his trunk. A Reparo charm managed to fix it, albeit at a lot slower rate than it would a normal mirror. Once it was back together, Harry ran a quick test to see if they still worked before putting them away. Harry knew who he could give Sirius' mirror to, but that would have to wait.

The trio settled into a routine while they waited for Remus and Tonks to come. Three times a day, two of them went to check on Malfoy, one person entering his room while the other stood by the door and covered them with their wand. At no time did they take a wand into the makeshift cell. Of course, Malfoy couldn't let it pass without comment.

"What's the matter, Potter?" he asked one time Harry and Hermione handled the chore. "You afraid of me?"

Before Harry could open his mouth, Hermione said, "Afraid, no. Cautious, yes," she coldly told him. "We underestimated you once, Draco Malfoy...never again."

Aside from tending their prisoner and keeping part of the Black house at least marginally habitable, Harry, Hermione, and Ron spent the following days trying to open Slytherin's locket. Unfortunately, this had always been the weakest part of their plans. Professor Dumbledore never told Harry how he'd dealt with Marvolo Gaunt's ring, and they didn't have a basilisk fang like the one Harry had used to destroy Tom Riddle's diary lying around. Considering how powerful and complex the Dark magic that held the piece of Voldemort's soul within the locket was, breaking it wasn't going to be easy.

Once again, the trio was hitting the books. Looking for information about Horcruxes would be a waste of time, but some of the Defense Against the Dark Arts books Harry had gotten from Sirius and Remus the Christmas before last did mention ways of handling cursed objects. Among these they found a handful of charms designed to remove enchantments, none of which had any effect on the locket.

"Who'd think it was this hard to un-enchant something?" Harry said Friday evening as he washed the dishes. It had been Hermione's turn to cook today, so the guys were cleaning up.

Ron answered from across the room, "Once something is enchanted, most folks prefer to keep it that way. According to Dad, the Ministry has entire rooms filled with junk they've confiscated. There's also a lot of money to be made in the buying and selling of such things, which is why no one's willing to close places like that shop in Knockturn Alley."

The sound of the doorbell echoed through the house, making Hermione look up. She'd been reading the Rare Book from cover to cover in her spare time. Along the way she'd learned all kinds of interesting stuff about Metamorphmagi, Animagi, Legilimency, and Occlumency to name a few. Currently, she was reading about the Mirror of Erised in the Unique Magical Artifacts section.

"Could that...?" she asked.

"If so, it's about time they showed up," Harry said, putting the dishes aside while Hermione sent the book back to her trunk. He then led the way to the entry hall.

Harry smiled when he saw a welcomed sight through the peep-hole.

"I was beginning to think you hadn't gotten my message," he said to Remus. An insulted hoot made Harry add, "I know that you would never let that happen, Hedwig."

"That's it? You're not going ask us to prove that we're really us?" Tonks asked. She came through the door and promptly collided with the Blacks' hideous excuse for an umbrella stand.

Watching the young Auror pick herself up off the floor, Harry said dryly, "I'd say its you. So what took you two so long?"

"Work has been really busy this week," Tonks explained. "I've been given a new assignment. Very hush-hush, so I can't say any more." She looked around. "We're happy to see you, though I can't imagine why you chose to come to this place again."

"It's a long story," Hermione said, welcoming both Remus and Tonks with quick hugs. "Just after we arrived, we found something we didn't expect -" Ron smothered a cough. "Given what he's done, we decided to call our favorite Auror for help."

Remus looked at them intently. "He?"

"We have Draco Malfoy locked in a room upstairs," Harry said simply. He then explained how they caught Malfoy, and related what little information they'd gotten from him.

Lupin's face was unreadable, but anger and suspicion were swirling beneath his impassive exterior. Tonks was more open in her reaction, clenching her fists and swearing under her breath. "Do you think that his reaction to Lestrange's name was genuine?" she asked stiffly.

It was Hermione who answered. "If you're asking if he might be play-acting, the answer is no. We could tell that much." Of course, she didn't say how she and Harry could know that. "Why? Do you know something?"

"Maybe," Tonks said distantly. "But I should have a word with the little berk before I say anything. Where did you put him?"

Harry exchanged a look with Hermione before telling Tonks which room Malfoy was in. She nodded and, gripping her wand tightly, went upstairs -- leaving the teens alone with Remus.

Returning to the kitchen, the teens could feel Remus Lupin's gaze on them. Exchanging another look with Hermione told Harry that she had sensed the same thing he had. Remus wanted to have another talk with them, and something told Harry that it was going to be a very different conversation than the one they had a month ago....

"Okay you lot, what are you up to?" Remus asked when they sat down.

No one answered him until Hermione carefully responded, "Why would you think we're up to something?"

"Because I was friends with James and Sirius for far too long not to know when a scheme is afoot," Remus said evenly. "I saw the way you acted during our talk at the Burrow. You already knew, or suspected, a lot of what I told you -- especially about what Snape was doing to the Order. People know that Harry was meeting Albus in private...but I'm sure that wasn't among the things he discussed. Then we have the tactics you used against the Death Eaters last month. There's no way you learned to fight like that in Defense Against the Dark Arts, or anywhere else in the magical world. Now I find you here, in a place that I was sure you'd never return to, and can't help but wonder why."

The teens squirmed in their seats. Secrecy was a vital part of their plans, yet it was impossible to completely hide what they were doing from those close to them. What's more, unlike the late Professor Dumbledore, Harry didn't have the absolute trust needed to simply blow off these kinds of questions.

Feeling a tug on his arm, Harry looked over at Hermione.

"Excuse us for a minute, Remus," she said, drawing the two boys over to the far side of the room. Once out of earshot, Hermione whispered to Harry, "Maybe we should tell him."

Ron's mouth dropped open. "Have you gone mental? We're supposed to be keeping this a secret, so why do you suddenly want to tell everyone what we're doing?"

"I'm not saying we should tell everybody, just a handful people we really trust," Hermione stridently corrected him. Turning to Harry, she said, "We've been working on the locket all week and are running out of ideas. So perhaps we should consider asking for some help. Remus might know someone who's more familiar with charms, curses, and how to break them."

A though dawned on Harry. Breaking curses...curse breaking...curse breaker.... Of course, why hadn't he thought of it before!

"What are you smiling about? I'm trying to...mmmph." Hermione couldn't complete her statement because Harry suddenly pulled her close, and kissed her soundly.

Ron muttered, "Will you two get a room?"

Pulling away from a slightly dazed Hermione, Harry told her, "You're a genius." He turned to Lupin, but was interrupted by the sound of Tonks clambering down the stairs.

"Remus, can you make a trip with me tomorrow? There's something I'd like to check before the meeting. I suppose we'll need to tell Mad-Eye that we've got Malfoy before then too," she hurriedly said. "Are you okay, Hermione? You look a bit flushed," Tonks asked, puzzled by the scene before her.

"Fine," Hermione stammered, trying to catch her breath, "I'm fine. Harry was just...thanking me for something, that's all."

Tonks all but laughed. "Must have been some thank you...."

"Made my toes curl," Hermione whispered just loud enough for Harry to hear. Pulling herself together, she then asked, "You said something about a meeting?"

In a more sober tone, Tonks said, "Yes. Mad-Eye thinks the Order has been sitting on its collective butt long enough and needs to get back to work. So he's been going around, making sure everyone knows where the new headquarters is, and telling them to meet there this Sunday night.

"Keep your fingers crossed that anyone shows up," Remus added

The smile on Harry's face widened as the idea he had continued to develop. Meanwhile, Ron was staring at him, waiting for an explanation. Hermione didn't share his confusion, having caught on to Harry's plan.

Harry asked, "Remus, would it be possible for us to talk with you, Moody, and a couple of other people before that meeting?"

"I suppose we can ask them to come early," Lupin slowly replied. "Who do you want to talk to?"

Harry gave him two names, one of which brought a smile to Ron's face and left Hermione berating herself. Remus and Tonks were radiating almost identical feelings of confused curiosity.

When they'd finished, Remus once again asked what this was all about. Harry didn't answer him, except for the cryptic smile he shared with Hermione.

**********

The current headquarters was a small cottage that had served as Albus Dumbledore's summer home. On Moody's orders, the actual location wasn't being given out to non-members, so Remus and Tonks had to side-along apparate the trio to a nearby spot. Finding themselves on a wooded path, Remus showed Harry, Hermione, and Ron a note that said, "Go east to the standing stone and take a left to find the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix."

Before leaving Grimmauld, Hermione had brewed a sleeping draught that they'd slipped into Malfoy's dinner. Certain that their "guest" wouldn't be getting into any mischief while they were gone, the trio focused their attention on what they were about to do.

After confirming their identities, Moody led them to the back room, where the others were waiting. With his magical eye constantly flicking around in its socket, Alastor Moody acknowledged their entrance in his usual gruff manner. Minerva McGonagall rose to greet them, saying, "I didn't expect to see you again quite so soon."

"I know, Professor," Harry said, hiding his nervousness behind a friendly smile. "Hope you don't mind if I decided to fulfill my part of our bargain a little earlier than we planned. Looks like we're short one. Where's -"

They heard the front door open and close, followed by Bill Weasley announcing his arrival. "Hello, Harry...Hermione. How's it going, Ron? "Sorry if we're late, but Fleur's been a bit peaked lately."

"Eet is nothing, I just feel a little ill from time to time," Fleur told Bill testily. She then added in a placating tone, "But I will go see a 'Ealer if it doesn't stop by the end of this week."

Though she didn't say so, Harry had the impression that Fleur knew, or suspected, what might be causing her problem -- and it filled her with both excitement and dread. For the moment, however, Harry had bigger things to worry about.

Moody sent Fleur to set up the main room for the Order's meeting while everyone except Harry, Ron, and Hermione took their seats. Mad-Eye personally sealed the room. "All right, Potter. We're all here, so what is it you wanted to tell us?"

Taking a deep breath, Harry took the flat case Ron had made out of his backpack. "Well, actually, there's something I needed to ask you but it'll take some explaining. But before we start, Bill, tell me what you make out of this. Be careful." He slid the case over, along with a pair of dragon-hide gloves.

Giving them a skeptical look, Bill put on the gloves and took the locket out of its case. His doubt gave way to interest as he examined it. Remus, Tonks, and Professor McGonagall all lead in to get a better look. Moody could see just fine from where he was.

"Let's see," Bill said distantly. "I'd say ninth or tenth century...very rare. It's probably wizard make, though I can't rule out a goblin craftsman." He tried opening it but had no luck, of course. "The cover is jammed closed, but I don't see any damage. Must be a spell of some kind. There's also a symbol on it...can't say what it is, I'm more familiar with Egyptian hieroglyphics."

"The mark is Salazar Slytherin's," Moody said abruptly. "Thought everybody knew that. What's with that aura around it?"

Bill took out his wand and cast a detection spell, causing the locket to radiate a dark light. "Don't know, I've never seen anything quite like it."

McGonagall joined in. "Filius might know more, but could it be some kind of magical seal?"

"Maybe. But if so, it's the Darkest seal I've ever seen," Bill answered. "I have no idea what's inside it...."

"Since you asked," Harry spoke up, "that locket contains a piece of Lord Voldemort's soul."

That brought an immediate reaction. Cursing, Bill flung the locket across the table while McGonagall, Remus, and Tonks each took a step back. Moody's real eye went almost as wide as his artifical one as he muttered, "A Horcrux.... That would explain a few things."

"You've seen one of these before?" Harry asked him.

Moody shook his head. "Nope, only heard about them. Few Dark wizards are both powerful and mad enough to go in for such things."

"Well, I've never heard of one," Tonks said sharply. "What is it?"

Hermione had already prepared an answer. "Put simply, a Horcrux is an object in which a witch or wizard stores a piece of a their soul. Our information is limited, but first the wizard splits off part of his soul by killing someone, and then uses Dark magic to somehow seal the fragment inside the chosen object. So long as the Horcrux, or in this case, Horcruxes survive, the witch or wizard who made them cannot die. Voldemort chose his Horcruxes as a way to make himself immortal."

"Pretty good, Granger, but you missed a spot," Moody said. "Murder alone isn't enough to fragment a soul like that. It has to be a senseless death. Killing someone just for the sake of killing. 'Course, that's Voldemort all over." Leaning back in his chair, Moody rubbed his scarred chin. "I want to know how you learned all of this, where you found the locket, how you can be certain that it's Voldemort's, and what you mean by 'Horcruxes'."

McGonagall spoke up. "I believe that I can answer the first part. Although I was not privy to what occurred during the sessions, I know that Albus was giving private instruction to Mister Potter prior to his death." Addressing Harry, she then said, "I would assume that you two discovered the location of the Horcrux and went to recover it on the day Hogwarts was attacked."

"Basically, except it wasn't there," Harry said with a frown. Taking the other locket out of his pocket, he explained, "This is what we found in the place where Voldemort originally hid the Horcrux. Years ago, a disenchanted Death Eater stole the real one when he tried to leave Voldemort's service. He left his initials on a note inside, and we eventually discovered this person to be none other than Regulus Black." Remus and Tonks gaped at the revelation. Both of them started to say something, but Harry stopped them. "But we're getting a little ahead of ourselves. We should really start at the beginning."

For most of the next hour, the teens gave a truncated account of what they knew. Harry talked about his "special lessons" and Voldemort's history while Hermione handled any technical details that came up, and Ron recounted their trips to Godric's Hollow and Grimmauld Place. The only thing they left out was the part about Harry and Hermione being Empaths. Not because they didn't trust the Order members, but...well, it was kind of personal, and not really germane to the discussion.

The meeting went fairly smoothly, even though the trio was frequently interrupted. Moody, in particular, kept asking questions about Voldemort, his motivations, and where the Horcruxes fit into the Dark Lord's plans.

When they neared the end of the talk, it was Bill who first voiced everyone's feelings (except, perhaps, for Moody -- Harry couldn't sense much from him except for the suspicion and paranoia that Mad-Eye was so well-known for.)

"Unbelievable. Here we've always thought of Voldemort as this incredibly powerful Dark wizard, and now you're now telling us that he's just a nutter fooling to the whole damned world."

"If only it were that simple," Harry replied. "Tom Riddle is an exceptionally powerful and dangerous wizard, and no one should ever think otherwise. His skill at using people and manipulating everyone's perception of him makes Voldemort even more dangerous in my mind, not less. Also, despite what some may say, he's far from insane."

"An interesting conclusion, Potter," Moody growled in response. "Can you support it?"

Harry leaned back in his chair for a moment before answering. This was taking a lot longer than he'd thought it would, and having Moody question their every other word was getting tiresome. Remus, Tonks, and Bill listened carefully to everything they said, asking questions only when they needed something clarified. Even Minerva McGonagall, beneath her reserved demeanor, didn't seem to have any fundamental problems with the teens' reasoning. So what's Moody's fu -

Under the table, Harry felt Hermione grasp his hand, a simple gesture that brought him back to earth. Her concern for him immediately came through, along with a wave of emotion that all but said, Calm down. We expected this. He gave her hand a quick squeeze as he returned half of Moody's gaze...that damn artificial eye of his was currently looking right through the table at Harry and Hermione's joined hands.

Letting some of his annoyance show, Harry curtly told Mad-Eye, "If you're asking me why Voldemort is the way he is, I have no idea. Maybe Tom found out that he could hurt people at a young age and he got off on it. Believe me, I know the type.

"All the same, Voldemort isn't stupid. From the beginning, he knew what would happen to him if he was caught. Back when he would torment the kids at his orphanage, he always made sure that no one could prove that he was doing it. Then when he moved up to murder, he framed other people for his crimes -- Hagrid for killing Moaning Myrtle, his uncle Morfin for killing the Riddles, and so on. If Tom was just another madman, I don't think he would have gone through all that trouble to cover himself."

"Maybe... But then, why did he change the way he operates?" Bill asked.

Harry shook his head. "Did he? Voldemort has always seen people either as tools for him to use or as obstacles for him to remove. The only difference now is that he has the Death Eaters to do his dirty work. Of course, none of them realize that Tom doesn't care one whit about anybody but himself, and would turn on the whole lot of them in a heartbeat if it suited his purposes."

That last statement chilled everyone in the room...except for Moody, who flashed a grim smile.

"Does that mean you're done with the interrogation?" Tonks quipped. She then muttered, "Barmy old codger. Glad he retired before I became an Auror."

McGonagall spoke up next. "I'm inclined to agree with her, Alastor. There's no need for you to question every single point Harry and his friends are trying to make."

"Especially when you've been saying the same things for months," Remus added. Not waiting for Moody's answer, he quickly said, "So, Harry. You've told us all about these things, what is it you wanted to ask us?"

"For help," Harry said simply. "Dumbledore never got around to showing me how he broke the spell or spells on Marvolo Gaunt's ring. Ron, Hermione, and I have tried just about everything we can think of to open the locket without success. Here we have Hogwarts' new headmistress, the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor we ever had, a Gringott's Curse-Breaker, and two Aurors. Surely between all of us we can come up with a way to deal with the remaining Horcruxes, can't we?"

Despite his confident tone, Harry was very nervous about the outcome of this meeting. He had never been one to go to other people with his problems, whether they were his friends or the authority figures at school. This was largely thanks to the Dursleys, who had made sure that he simply didn't have anyone to turn to for most of his life. It had been one of Harry's personality traits that had always driven Hermione up the wall.

Under the table, Harry intertwined his fingers with Hermione's. It would never cease to amaze him how good this simple contact could make him feel...a reminder that he wasn't alone in this undertaking. Naturally, it paled in comparison to other things they did...but it was a wonderful feeling none the less.

"Okay, that's all we had to say. If you'd like, we can step -"

Remus chose that moment to interrupt. "One thing first.... Why you, Harry? How did you land up with the responsibility for hunting down these Horcruxes?"

"Someone has to, and Professor Dumbledore trusted me with the information," Harry said simply.

"And before you ask," Hermione quickly added, "Ron and I are in this because we're not about to let Harry go it alone." She gave Harry a look that spoke volumes to everyone there.

Returning Hermione's smile, and still holding her hand, Harry stood up. "Now, if there are no more questions, we can step outside while you decide what to do,"

Interestingly enough, it was Mad-Eye who gestured them back into their seats. "That won't be necessary. You want our help, you've got it." All around the table, eyebrows shot up and jaws dropped open...Tonks' in particular. "Don't look at me like that," Moody warned her. "The whole point of the Order is to stop Voldemort, but we can't afford to accept some theory of how to do that without seeing if the people who came up with it have done their homework. Damn it all, good people have died because we didn't bother asking questions. CONSTANT VIGILANCE! That's what we need if we want to win this war!" He pounded the table with his fist for emphasis.

A couple of people rolled their eyes, sensing that one of Moody's rants coming on. Checking the time, Remus spoke up.

"I hate to cut you short, Mad-Eye, but we're running out of time. With luck, the whole Order is waiting outside. If they see these three, they'll want to know why they're here."

"No, they won't," Moody said. "I've got a cover story for them...though some people won't like it." Pointing at the locket, he told Harry, "Get that thing out of sight and make sure it doesn't leave your person." He turned to Bill. "Weasley, I expect you to start working on this as soon as possible."

"No problem...it's not like I have much else to do. There are a few things I used back in Egypt that I'll have to dig up first."

Harry put the Horcrux in his pack, hiding the box under some odds and ends. The zipper closed itself with a tap on his wand, activating the anti-theft spell Hermione had cast on it.

Slinging the backpack over his shoulder, Harry wrapped his other arm around Hermione and they followed Moody out the door. Ron came over from where Bill was talking with McGonagall about his ongoing problem with a certain Ministry official. Harry knew that the professor had absolutely loathed Dolores Umbridge when she was at Hogwarts, a feeling that clearly hadn't faded in the year since the woman had fled the school.

The tiny cottage, which had been nearly empty when the trio had arrived, was now full of people. Instantly recognizable, by her sheer size if nothing else, was Olympe Maxime. Other familiar faces came into view: Arabella Figg (the old squib who lived in Little Whinging), Kingsley Shacklebolt, the barkeeper from the Hog's Head whose name Harry didn't know, Arthur, Molly....

The teens had barely stepped into the room when Harry and Hermione felt a pair of large, hairy arms pull them into a crushing hug.

"Harry! Hermione! Good teh see yah! I always knew that yer two would get together, I just knew it!"

"Hagrid...," Harry gasped, struggling for air. "Need...breathe...Hagrid!"

Rather sheepishly, the half-giant stammered an apology and set them down.

A few steps away, Ron was holding in his laughter at the scene when a small hand came to rest on his arm.

"Why hello, Ronald. I was wondering when we'd see you again."

Surprise was written all over Ron's face. "Luna! How...why...when did you get back?"

"A few days ago," Luna said in her usual, airy voice. "My home is something of a mess right now, so your mum and dad are letting me stay at yours again until school starts. The trip was nice, but disappointing. Daddy and I looked as hard as we could, but we couldn't find any -"

"Oh, please don't get her started," Ginny moaned as she approached them. There was a barely noticeable hitch in her expression when she saw Harry and Hermione. "Mum insisted that we come along. Something about not it not being safe for us to stay home by ourselves." She gave a disgusted growl. "I can take care of myself, but she still treats me like a child."

Molly appeared with a sour look on her face. "You are a child, Ginny...one who won't come of age for another year yet! And if you're so good at taking care of yourself, tell me why you spent two weeks in St. Mungo's last month!" Mrs. Weasley stared at Harry, Hermione, and Ron as if seeing them for the first time. "Harry...what in the world are you doing here?"

Harry tried to come up with an explanation, while trying to ignore the hint of disapproval being directed at him and his girlfriend. He could tell that it was directed at the two of them by how Hermione stiffened in his grasp and the way she defiantly tightened her hold on his waist. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ron take a step back -- not wanting to get caught in the potential crossfire between Hermione and his mum.

The tension filling the space between the teens and Molly was broken by Mad-Eye. "They're here because I asked them to come, which is more than I can say for these two." He pointed at Ginny and Luna. "Lupin, show them to the other room and make sure they can't overhear anything. Speaking of which, I'll take those." With a flick of his wand, a pair of Fred and George's Extendable Ears shot out of Ginny's pocket and into Moody's hand. Stashing them in his robes, he told Harry, Hermione, and Ron to follow him -- leaving an irate Ginny and humming Luna in his wake.

He led them to the far end of the room, where a table had been set up for the meeting. Pointing to a group of chairs, Moody told the teens to take a seat and called the meeting to order by pounding on a nearby table. Once everyone had settled down, he picked up a piece of parchment and began to check off names.

Doing a quick head count, Harry realized that this group wasn't as large as he'd first thought. Including those with whom he had discussed the Horcruxes, there were some fifteen members of the Order of the Phoenix assembled in the little house.

"Tell me if I'm wrong," Harry said just loud enough for his friends to hear, "but isn't the Order bigger than this?"

"You're not wrong," Ron answered quietly.

Hermione then whispered in Harry's ear, "It's only a guess...but based on what we saw when they were using Grimmauld as a headquarters, I'd say about a third of them didn't show up tonight."

"Yeah, and some of those who are here aren't too sure about having Mad-Eye in charge." Harry scanned the room as he spoke...watching the faces of those gathered there.

He sympathized with Moody's situation. People had relied on Albus Dumbledore an awful lot. Maybe a little TOO much, Harry thought in retrospect. Now that he was dead, those responsibilities had been divided among a number of people: for example, Harry had taken over the search for Voldemort's Horcruxes and McGonagall became the new headmistress of Hogwarts.

But Moody was in a different position. As far as Harry knew, Dumbledore hadn't left any instructions as to who would lead the Order of the Phoenix in the event of his death; Mad-Eye had simply stepped in and assumed the job. Because of this, along with his reputation, he was having a hard time convincing the Order to follow him. The constant comparisons between Moody's style of leadership and Dumbledore's didn't help either.

Moody put the parchment away and started to speak, only to have Molly stand up and point at the teens behind him.

"What are those three doing here, Mad-Eye? We have rules, you know."

Moody's scowl deepened sightly. "Dumbledore's rules, and he's not here anymore," he said gruffly. "'These three', as you called them, are all of age and have been fighting the Dark Arts since their first year at Hogwarts. They've also been providing us, through Tonks and Lupin, with invaluable information this summer. And there's their little battle with Snape to...."

Arthur tried to calm his wife down, but there was no stopping Molly Weasley when she got like this. "All of that is beside the point! They're still too young to be fighting You-Know-Who and his -"

"Call him Voldemort!" Harry shouted over everyone's heads. He'd been through all of this two summers ago, and didn't want to hear it again. "Or Tom Riddle, if that's easier for you. Everyone who goes around saying 'You-Know-Who' or "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named' is doing exactly what the man wants! Spreading fear to the point that no one has the guts to stand up to him!"

Hermione's hand on his arm interrupted Harry's speech. Forcing herself to remain calm, she said, "Mrs. Weasley -- while we appreciate your concern, please try to remember that we are adults now. We're quite capable of making our own choices and accepting any consequences thereof. Be assured that we'll take all the precautions we can and try not to get in over our heads if we can avoid it." It was clear from the tone of her voice that Hermione wasn't just referring to them joining the Order.

Over to Harry's right, Ron jerked a thumb toward Hermione. "What she said." A ripple of laughter went around the room.

Biting back a grin, Harry picked up from where he had left off. "All I meant was that if we're to fight Voldemort," he ignored the gasps when he said the name again, "we have to be willing to face him. As a rather smart man once asked me: how you can fight someone you're so afraid of that you can't even say his name? The answer is that you can't, or rather won't...which is exactly what Voldemort wants."

Mrs. Weasley wasn't very impressed by the young people's words, but she appeared to be in the minority. Nevertheless, and despite Arthur's attempts to coax her back into her seat, she revved up for another round.

That was when another voice said, "Welcome back, James, we've missed you terribly. Lily, what in heaven's name have you done to your hair?"

Harry blinked as all eyes turned to the old wizard from the Hog's Head. Sounding like she was chastising a misbehaving student, Professor McGonagall said, "Aberforth, this is not the time or place for jokes."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the name. Professor Dumbledore had mentioned his brother on several occasions, but Harry had never connected the name Aberforth Dumbledore to the man who ran one of the most disreputable businesses in Hogsmeade. Then again, given some of the things Harry had heard about him, maybe he shouldn't be so surprised.

Moody pounded on the table to regain control of the meeting. "Back to business, everyone! Now, unless there are some pertinent questions you want to ask, I propose that Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley should be admitted into the Order of the Phoenix."

"Seconded!" Remus called from in back, earning a scowl from Molly.

A few minutes passed before Moody called the vote. One by one, starting with Hagrid, people raised their hands in favor. Molly was among those who voted against the proposal, but one look showed that she was in the minority.

"Good," Moody's thin slit of a mouth curled into what could almost be called a smile. "I have a job for you."

Harry groaned, thinking, As if we don't have enough to do this term. Ron echoed the sentiment while Hermione was lost in thought.

"Don't look at me like that," Moody said. "If you want to be in the Order, you'll have to make yourselves useful. Now, Hogwarts will reopen two weeks from tomorrow, and we need to keep an eye out for any Death Eater activity among the students.

"As the Head Boy, Head Girl, and a prefect, you can move about the castle with near impunity. If you come across anything suspicious, report it to Professor McGonagall and myself immediately. We'll figure out what to do about it from there."

In other words: Do exactly what I tried to do last year, Harry thought. Out loud, he answered, "No problem."

Moody grunted and waved them toward where everyone else was sitting. "Fine. Why don't you move over there, where you'll have a better view of things." He then addressed the entire gathering. "Since all of you are aware of the state of the Order, we can move on to a report Tonks has for us."

Tonks patted Harry on the shoulder as they passed each other. Leading Ron and Hermione, he chose seats next to Remus, who quietly said, "Welcome aboard, Harry. Your Mum and Dad would be proud."

"I know," Harry replied. "But why do I get the feeling this was all planned in advance?"

"Now why would you think that?" said Lupin, trying to play innocent (and failing). "Don't worry about it."

Up front, Moody had stepped aside so Tonks could give her report.

Using her professional voice, she began, "For weeks now, we've been investigating the unusual activity of certain Death Eaters. Between the pattern of their appearances and a conversation overheard during the raid on the Burrow, we discovered that they are looking for someone. We had no idea who it was at the time, but that's changed...and we've gone one better, thanks to our newest members." She nodded in the trio's direction.

"While visiting our old headquarters on personal business last week, Harry, Ron, and Hermione came across an uninvited guest. A brief struggle ensued, during which they managed to subdue this person. The intruder turned who out to be none other than Draco Malfoy."

Most of the Order was astounded by the news, but a few responded with anger. One person in particular responded with a burst of pure, unadulterated rage.

"WHERE IS HE?! BRING HIM OUT HERE...I'LL WRING HIS SCRAWNY LITTLE NECK FER HIM!" Hagrid thundered. Olympe Maxime quickly restrained him. (A good thing too. Given his size, strength, and innate resistance to magic, she was probably the only one there who could!)

Moody snapped back, "Like I'd bring the little brat here after what happened with our last so-called 'defector'. Don't worry, he's not going anywhere until we decide what to do with him." Returning to the subject at hand, he asked, "Tonks, what makes you believe that Malfoy is the person the Death Eaters are looking for?"

"Well, for starters, all the unusual activity started about the time that Malfoy claims he went into hiding. Then we have the way Riddle's followers have been acting." Tonks flashed Harry a smile when she said Voldemort's real name. "They showed themselves an awful lot, but only for short periods. Just long enough to let everyone know they were about."

"Sounds like they were 'slapping the shrubbery' as Muggles would say," Arthur called out.

Hermione gently corrected, "That's 'beating the bushes', Mr Weasley. It's a technique used for hunting tigers, I believe. You go out with a bunch of people and have them make all kinds of noise until it scares the animal out of hiding."

"Wizards did something a lot like that back when hunting golden snidgets was still legal," Ron said. Seeing the look he was getting, he added, "Those are the birds the seeker originally -"

"I know what they are!" Hermione snapped. "I have read Quidditch Through the Ages you know!"

"That's enough, you two," McGonagall interrupted. "Tonks, do you know why Malfoy was at Grimmauld Place instead of with the other Death Eaters?"

"Ah...now that's where this gets interesting," she answered. "We all know that he was working for Riddle, but it seems that Draco Malfoy never officially became a Death Eater. He approached them a year ago and took the job of killing Professor Dumbledore under the belief that it was to be his initiation. In the end though, he couldn't do it...which is when Snape took matters into his own hands. Afterwards, Malfoy fled Hogwarts with Snape and disappeared."

"Do you have any idea what happened after he went missing?" Kingsley asked.

Tonks shrugged. "I'm afraid not. All I can say for sure is that something happened. It made Draco leave Voldemort's service and absolutely loath his aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange. Naturally he wasn't forthcoming with the details, but I think I know what happened....

"Draco's mother went missing shortly after the attack on Hogwarts. Most people thought she went into hiding because she didn't want to answer any questions about her family's activities." Tonks paused for a moment. "However, there's been a rumor going around the Ministry that a witch's body had been found by Muggle authorities in Wiltshire -- no cause of death, so far as they could tell. Remus and I went to check on it on Friday and confirmed that it was the body of Narcissa Malfoy."

Silence filled the room until Hermione said, "I don't understand. If Bellatrix killed her sister, why would she leave the body where Muggles could find it? And why did it take so long for someone to follow up on the report?"

"Wizard pride," Arthur said, shaking his head in disgust. "The Ministry seldom listens to anything that doesn't come from a magical source. When someone brings such things to their attention, they're usually told to get on with more important matters."

Tonks nodded. "Something I've experienced first hand. We can only guess at why Narcissa's body was dumped were it was. The Malfoys haven't been the most effective of Riddle's followers lately, so it might have been meant some kind of insult or punishment. Then again, it could have been my other aunt's way of drumming her out of the family for some reason. We may never know."

As Tonks took her seat, Harry heard Remus ask her, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I've already told you," she answered stiffly, "the woman never so much as acknowledged my existence, much less thought of me as family. Why would I care if she died?"

Moody once again took the floor. "All right, folks. Now that Tonks has finished her report, we have to decide what to do with one Draco Malfoy. Opinions?"

"We can't keep him, Mad-Eye," Kingsley quickly said. "The boy is wanted by the Ministry on at least half a dozen charges. If they find out that we have him, they might accuse us of harboring a fugitive."

"That thought had crossed my mind. Anyone else?" Moody asked.

Another person carefully suggested, "He could have valuable knowledge...if he were approached in the right way we might convince him -"

"To what, join the Order?" Ron blurted out. "The berk would never go for it."

Harry nodded. "Ron's right. Malfoy may have turned his back on Voldemort, but he still hates us and everything we stand for. Recruiting him might have been an option if he'd taken Dumbledore's offer of sanctuary, but now.... No, Draco Malfoy isn't looking for redemption -- hell, he doesn't even think he needs it."

His statement sent a wave of déjà-vu through the veterans of the original Order, but Moody didn't give them time to question Harry about it.

The debate continued for some time before they settled on a plan. Because the Order wasn't equipped to handle prisoners, Malfoy would be handed over to the Aurors once Moody had a chance to question him. If Draco cooperated, they would see about helping him -- otherwise he would be looking forward to a very, very long stay in Azkaban, as Ron commented dryly. In addition, Malfoy would be given a memory charm to hide the truth behind his capture.

The meeting finally ended around half-past ten , once everyone had been given their assignments. These were pretty much the same sort of thing that Harry, Hermione, and Ron had been asked to do -- to go about their normal business while keeping an eye out for suspicious activity. All infiltration missions were on hold due to Snape's involvement in their planning, and because Moody felt that it might be best for the Order to keep a low profile.

"With luck, Voldemort will think that we've disbanded in the wake of Albus Dumbledore's death...much like his Death Eaters did after his defeat sixteen years ago. When the time is right, we'll show him why we're called the Order of the Phoenix. Anything else?" When nobody spoke up, Moody said with a satisfied smirk, "Fine. Meeting adjourned. Potter, I need to see you for a second."

Slinging his pack onto his shoulder; Harry made his way through the crowd once again, with Hermione close behind. With the press of people, it took them a few minutes to notice that Ron had gone to the other room. Exchanging a look, Harry and Hermione agreed that he was probably off to meet a certain blond Ravenclaw.

**********

The teens got back to Grimmauld sometime around midnight. After making sure that Malfoy was where they'd left him, Harry wandered into Sirius' old room, his mind preoccupied with the events of that evening.

It had been a good night all around: they'd gotten some much-needed help with the Horcrux, and joining the Order of the Phoenix had been interesting to say the least, as had the conversations they'd been drawn into afterwards. Then, to top it all off, catching Ron with Luna on his lap meant that Harry and Hermione would have some ammunition to use the next time he teased them about their relationship.

Speaking of Hermione, Harry sensed her most welcomed presence a second before she came in.

"Not so long ago, I would've been surprised to find you in here with a smile on your face," she joked.

"What can I say? We had a good night."

"Yes, we did...." Cupping his cheek, Hermione captured his lips in a long, slow, passionate kiss.

Sliding his arms around her waist, Harry gently drew Hermione to him. He felt her lips twitching into a smile and heard her giggle as she settled on the bed next to him.

Coming up for air, he whispered, "It feels like we haven't done this in ages."

"Eight days to be exact," she answered. "We were so busy getting ready for Moody last night that we missed our Saturday night snog."

Harry laughed. "Yeah, and it doesn't help that this house is one of the *least* romantic places I know."

"True, but we can live with it for one night," Hermione said just before she kissed him again. "Just remember where to keep your hands."

"Oh, really?" Harry slid his hand further down her back. "Like here?" he asked as his finger inched just below her waist.

"Hardly," Hermione said, stopping his hand. Nuzzling his ear, she then whispered, "But in the future you may find that your hands will get a lot farther, if they move a little slower."

Harry's eyes went wide. Did he just hear what he thought he heard? A soft giggle confirmed that he had, indeed, heard right.

"Slow is good," Harry breathed, moving to capture her lips once again.

"Oh, yes. Very good."

**********

Harry and Hermione were still in each other's arms a couple of hours later when Crookshanks came in from his late-night security patrol. They were very rumpled and their mating-scents were somewhat stronger than usual, he observed, but all of their coverings were still in place.

The cat glanced up at Hedwig, each conveying their amusement to the other. Humans, Crookshanks thought, always making things more complicated than they had to be. Now if they'd been cats or even owls, Harry and Hermione would just mate and get it over with. But oh no, humans had to go through some long, silly process first. It was enough to drive a kneazle mad.

Jumping onto the bed, Crookshanks released a feline sigh as he curled into a ball at his humans' feet (he and Hedwig had long since agreed that Harry and Hermione belonged to both of them) and went to sleep.

**********
end chapter 14