Chapter 26: The Order of the Phoenix
The week after NEWTs finished found Seventh Years basking in the freedom of the end of lessons. The summer holidays were fast approaching, but until then, they were free to do what they wished with their time. Each year after NEWTs, the school set up a programme designed to help the Seventh Years finalise their plans for the upcoming year. Attendance was voluntary, but most students found it very helpful to go to these sessions. None more so than Lily, who still wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted to do with her life.
“Relax, Lily,” Sirius said one afternoon, as the Gryffindors lay sunbathing by the lake. “You’ll be fine, you always are.”
“Easy for you to say,” Lily returned. “You know what you want to do.”
“All I’m saying is you have the whole summer to really decide what to do next year. And if you still don’t know, then take a year out. See the world. It might help you to decide.”
Lily was lying with her head on James’s chest, and Sirius was sitting to her left, leaning back on his hands. To her right were Remus and Peter, who were playing a fiercely competitive game of Wizard’s Chess. Yves and Michael Younge were canoodling nearby in the shade of a tree, and Frank and Alice were sitting talking to James on his right side.
“I might have to,” Lily said. “But I don’t know what I’d do with myself. My parents are dead and I’m certainly not relying on my sister for any support. Not that she’d give it.”
“What’s this?” James said, turning to the conversation as Frank and Alice said goodbye before Alice left for lessons.
“We were talking about next year,” Sirius said. “Your girlfriend was worrying. Again. Deal with her, Prongs.”
James looked down at Lily lying on his chest. “I’ve already told you,” he said. “You’re not allowed to worry!”
“I can’t help it.”
“I can!” He sat up and tickled her.
“Stop it!” she screeched, curling into a ball and fighting James off her. “James Potter! Stop it!” But she could barely get the words out she was laughing so hard.
“Say you’ll stop worrying,” James warned.
“Ok, ok! I give!”
James stopped tickling her and she sat up to get her breath back. “You horror,” she said, pulling grass out of her hair.
“Ah, you love me really,” James replied, smiling and pulling Lily back towards him. He put his arms around her so that he was giving her a backwards hug.
Sirius looked at them. “Where’s Ellie got to?” he yearnfully asked no one in particular.
“She went to that Healer training session,” Lily replied.
“Yeah, but that was over an hour ago. It’s almost two o’clock now.”
“Is it?” James asked. “We’ve got to go! The Auror one starts at two!”
“Oh yeah,” Sirius said. “Frank, you’re coming, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Moony, Wormtail, you coming?”
“Got you!” Remus exclaimed happily, as his queen smashed one of Peter’s bishops to pieces. He looked up at Sirius, Frank and James, who had stood. “Sorry?”
“Are you coming to the Auror session?” Sirius repeated.
“Oh, yeah! Is it now already?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
Remus and Peter rose and followed the other three, who had begun striding off towards the castle.
“Wait!” Lily said, standing and rushing over to them. “I’m coming, too.”
“You are?” James asked.
“Well, what have I got to lose? I might as well try everything.” She put her hand in James’. “Bye, Yves!” she called behind her, before turning back and starting off towards the castle with the others.
Professor Almony and Professor McGonagall were in charge of the session. They handed out information booklets to all the students entitled Becoming an Auror: What You Need To Know.
“Looks hard,” Sirius said, flicking through the booklet and stopping at a random page. “Look at this: ’The Ministry of Magic employs new Aurors once a year, based on a vigorous and challenging month-long exam’! Can you imagine?”
“Yes, Mr Black,” Professor Almony said, having finished handing out the booklets. He took his seat at the front of the classroom next to Professor McGonagall. “It is not an easy ride, becoming a Ministry Auror. It takes determination, perseverance, and a great deal of talent and hard work.” He paused and looked around. “However, it is an extremely rewarding job, and a great ambition to set your sights on. Professor McGonagall and I have considered each of you in this room very carefully, and while some seem more likely to succeed than others, we believe you all have it in you to make it as Aurors, so long as you work hard enough.”
“Now,” Professor McGonagall said. “The first half of this session will be spent on informing you of the necessary action to be taken next year. How to begin your training, what to expect, and so forth. Then, at a quarter to three, a Ministry Auror is arriving to answer any questions you may have, and, I believe, give you a taster of the kind of work Aurors are expected to do.” At this, there was a sudden outbreak of excitement from the gathered students. Professor McGonagall raised her voice. “If you will turn to page five of your booklets, you will begin by talking about how to get involved with Auror training. Now I don’t claim to be an expert in this field, so I will hand over to Professor Almony, and return later with our guest from the Ministry.” She rose from her chair. “I hope you all find this a productive session,” she said, before leaving the room.
And indeed it was. As stated, Professor Almony talked for the first forty-five minutes about how to start training to become an Auror. He gave them all forms to fill in from the Ministry, as applications for the training scheme set up by the Auror Office. Then, at a quarter to three, Professor McGonagall returned as promised with the Ministry Auror. He was dressed in a dark green robe and cloak, which bore the Ministry emblem in gold on the left breast.
He introduced himself as Auror Marcus Weatherhill, and began by stressing the importance of Aurors in the Ministry and in society, and the difficulty levels of succeeding. They learnt that only twenty candidates were selected at the end of the first year of Auror training to continue into the second year, and even then only an elite handful were hired by the Ministry at the end.
“Not that I want to put you off,” Mr Weatherhill said, smiling. “For it is a most rewarding job, being an Auror. Now, I would like to get down to some practical work, which I am sure you have all been looking forward to greatly. I assume you all take Defence Against the Dark Arts, as it is a compulsory NEWT for Auror training.” At the vigorous nodding from the students, he continued. “If you would like to get into pairs and move these desks out of the way, we will begin with some exercises.”
***
Later that day, the Marauders, Lily and Frank all collapsed into sofas in the Gryffindor common room, exhausted.
“Wow,” Sirius said. “That was amazing. I’m definitely sending that form off to the Ministry.”
“Me too,” James said. “That confirmed my hopes about what it’s like to be an Auror. Did you see that thing he did with his wand?”
“Yeah, he was pretty cool,” Remus said. “And that thing he taught us, to sense when someone is creeping up on you… I’m definitely using that again!”
“That put tingles up my spine,” Lily said. “When Martin sprang at me and I knew he was coming … weird.”
“It’s going to be hard, though,” Peter said. “Didn’t he say that out of the twenty of us that were there only five would probably make it?”
“They’re only statistics, Wormtail,” James said. “What if we’re all really good at it?”
The portrait hole opened at that moment, and Professor McGonagall entered the common room. She scanned the students in the room, her eyes finally landing on James. “Potter,” she said, “come with me, please.” James looked quizzically at the others, before rising from his armchair and following McGonagall out of the portrait hole.
“Where are we going, Professor?” he asked as she led him down the long corridor and down a flight of stairs.
“I’m taking you to the Headmaster, James,” she replied. “He wants to see you.”
James blinked. He racked his brains for anything he had done lately to break the rules. He couldn’t think of anything. Had he cheated in an exam? Failed, maybe. Yes, that would be it. He had failed all his NEWTs and Dumbledore was going to tell him he had to do the year again. He would never become an Auror.
They reached the entrance to Dumbledore’s office, and McGonagall cleared her throat. “Murray Mints.” The gargoyle leapt to the side, revealing the opening to the moving spiral staircase. They stepped onto it and rose silently together up to the Headmaster’s office, where McGonagall knocked.
“Come in,” came the voice of Albus Dumbledore. McGonagall pushed to door open and motioned for James to enter before her.
“Ah, James, do sit down,” Dumbledore said, pointing to an empty chair in front of his desk. James took it, and saw McGonagall conjure one with her wand, before sitting next to James. She looked as if she were being interviewed, sitting on the wrong side of the desk, James thought. Why did she have to be present when James was about to be humiliated?
“Now, James,” Dumbledore said, clasping his hands together. “I suppose you are wondering why I have called you to my office. Well let me tell you, first, how much you impressed our Ministry Auror this afternoon.”
“I - what?” James blurted out. This didn’t sound like the lead up to being told he had failed his exams.
“Mr Weatherhill came immediately to tell me,” Dumbledore continued. “He was sincerely impressed with your ability at Defence Against the Dark Arts, and how quickly you picked up the exercises he set the group. Did you find them easy?”
“James was taken aback. “Uh, well, I suppose… I didn’t know they were supposed to be challenging.”
“I am told that you showed the most natural ability he has seen for some years now, and Professor McGonagall can support this.” McGonagall nodded to this, but kept silent. “Now, James, I know how desperately you want to be an Auror, but I have something else in store for you, something I think you will much prefer doing.”
What? James thought desperately. Something else? I thought he just told me I had natural talent?
But if Dumbledore noticed the expression on James’ face, he didn’t let on, but continued. “I am sure you remember, after your run-in with the Death Eaters before the holidays, that I mentioned, in passing, the name of the Order of the Phoenix.”
James took a sharp intake of breath and sat up further in his chair. He had not forgotten, but spent his nights frantically trying to work out what the Order of the Phoenix could be. He nodded that he remembered.
“Well, then, you will also remember that I promised one day to tell you what it was. That is what I am here to do now. The Order of the Phoenix is the organisation set up by myself to stop Lord Voldemort in his tracks. It is, if you like, a rebel force, unprotected by the Ministry, but run by great witches and wizards who believe not enough is being done to stop the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort. Professor McGonagall is one of the members.” James looked to his left where she was sitting, and she inclined her head to him. Dumbledore continued. “As are many Ministry Aurors. Therefore, I do not wish to completely hinder your dreams of becoming an Auror by asking you to join the Order. It will in fact be very beneficial for you to start your training next year with the Ministry.”
James’ mind raced. “Join?” he said. “Me?”
“Yes, James, you. You are a trustworthy, honest, and reliable young man. And as I said, you have a natural talent. One that we need. One that I suspected you had the day you hit Sirius and the Death Eater with a very advanced curse.”
“But I didn’t know what I was doing. I don’t even remember doing it.”
“The fact remains that you did. And it is proof of your talent that you did it on the spur of the moment, without training. Expertise and control come later. Furthermore, it was used in a form of self-defence, not as a weapon as the Death Eaters practise their magic.”
“I don’t know what to say. What will I have to do?”
“Nothing, to begin with. It will be many years before you are fully incorporated into the Order. You will start your Ministry training in September, something you will have no trouble completing, from what Mr Weatherhill has told me. Meanwhile, you will attend occasional Order meetings with the other members, so that you are kept up-to-date with the goings on. When you are ready, and we are talking long-term aims here, you will perform top-secret missions for the Order.”
James was stunned. He had not seen anything like this coming. Dumbledore looked at him deeply. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it? To be involved in the resistance against Lord Voldemort? Such was what you told me after Lily’s parent’s were killed.”
James nodded. “Of course. I want to help.”
“Good. Then that’s settled. I will inform the other members of your position, and over the summer, you will be introduced to them all.”
“Yes sir.”
“This is not to be taken lightly, James. I want you to know that. It isn’t a game; it’s life and death we are playing with. For now, I will not do anything to put your life at risk, but there will come a time when you must make difficult decisions, and face your darkest fears. You must be ready for this.”
“I will be.”
Dumbledore smiled. “And now, I think that is quite enough for one day. You need time to mull over what I have told you. If, at any time, you have doubts about anything we have discussed today, please come and talk to me, or indeed Professor McGonagall. This is a heavy responsibility to place on such young shoulders, but I have every confidence in you.”
“Thank you, Professor. I won’t let you down.”
Professor McGonagall stood then, and James followed suit. “James,” she said. “If you wouldn’t mind, I have some things to talk to Professor Dumbledore about, and so I must leave you to walk down to dinner yourself.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“Oh, and James?” Dumbledore said, as James was walking towards the door. He turned. “I am sure you may wish to talk about this with your friends. It is up to whether you do or not. However, I ask that it be with complete confidence in their discretion that you do so. I am sure I needn’t tell you of the high-risk the members would be at if the security of the Order is breeched. Please choose your confidants wisely.”
He nodded to James, who returned the gesture. “Yes sir, I will.” He left the office, where Dumbledore and McGonagall were already talking intently across the desk, and made his way down to the Great Hall. His head was swimming with thoughts. The Order of the Phoenix. It was such a grand name, such a grand idea, that he, James Potter, could be a part of something so important. He was going to make a difference. He could feel it.
Love Conquers by dumbly_dorr
Chapter Notes: A visit from a Ministry Auror leads to new paths for James… hope you like this one, let me know what you think.