The Order of the Phoenix
“The Order of the Phoenix?”
“Yes. It’s a secret society run by Dumbledore.”
“Well… what do they do?”
“They fight Voldemort.”
Sirius was now pacing back and forth in front of the kitchen table, where two highly perplexed looking James and Remus were sitting, watching their friend and wondering what had gotten into him. They had just expected Sirius to come home and happily announce that he was going to begin his Auror training. They did not expect him to come home and announce he was thinking of joining a resistance group against Voldemort. Sirius always talked about fighting against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, but they hadn’t expected him to find a way to do it so quickly.
Then again, when Sirius Black wanted something, he usually got it.
“So… what did Moody tell you about them?” James asked cautiously. Moody was brilliant, according to James’s father, but also bloody mental. He had a feeling they had to be careful where this Auror was concerned.
Sirius ceased pacing and rounded on James and Remus. “He said that they’re a small group, they need more people. Moody said they’re so outnumbered that if the Death Eaters keep growing, they’ll be in more trouble than they are now. And the Order isn’t gaining members, they’re losing some. Some of the people who’ve been helping them fight are too old now… some are gone.”
The way Sirius had said that made something click in Remus’s mind. Narrowing his eyes dubiously, he studied his roommate before asking, “What do you mean “ some are too old or gone? You’re not saying…?”
Sirius instantly understood what Remus was getting at. “Your dads and Mr. Pettigrew were helping.”
James’s eyes widened. Their fathers had been a part of all this? “You mean they were part of the Order of the Phoenix? We always knew they were doing something to fight against Voldemort, but… D’you think that’s the reason they killed Mr. Pettigrew?”
Sirius did not hesitate to nod. He completely believed that this was a reason that Peter’s father had been murdered. If that was the case, Mr. Potter and Mr. Lupin were in danger too, but he didn’t bother to mention it. He was sure James and Remus would make the connection. Besides, James and Remus’s fathers had gotten out of it, according to Moody. They would offer information occasionally, but they were no longer as active as they were. “That makes me want to help the Order even more. Mr. Pettigrew didn’t deserve what he got and I want to make them pay for it.”
“Have you spoken to Dumbledore about this?” Remus asked. He wanted to fight just as much, but this was so sudden. They’d barely just gotten out of school and suddenly they were going to fight possibly the darkest wizard to ever live. But it wasn’t as spur of the moment as it seemed and Remus knew this. They’d said once they were done with school… once they were done they would fight. The time had come, apparently.
Sirius shook his head. “Not yet. I came straight here after the interview to see what you guys thought about it.”
“Maybe we should talk to Dumbledore first?”
“Oh, we’ll be talking to him. Moody wants us all to meet Dumbledore at the Hogs Head tomorrow.”
“All of us?” James repeated.
“Yes, you, me, Remus, Peter. All of us. And Lily, if you think she would want to do it. I happened to mention that you were all anti-Voldemort as well.”
Remus blinked. Merlin, this was moving fast and Sirius had certainly covered a lot of ground. “You haven’t spoken to Peter yet, remember? And you haven’t spoken to Lily yet, either.”
“Peter said he would fight, remember? And I’m sure Lily would if she was given the chance. Besides, nothing is more frightening than a furious Lily Evans with a wand.”
Sirius seemed so adamant on that fact that Remus chose not to point out that Peter hadn’t been himself at all lately. They couldn’t take everything he said at face value. For all they knew, Peter had agreed for the sole purpose of shutting Sirius up. Merlin knew they all did this at one point in their lives, maybe more. But with Peter… maybe they had to learn how to read between the lines, really make sure they knew what he was thinking. “Just… just make sure you talk to him about it first, alright?” He did not bother to add talking to Lily because, if he was honest with himself, he was sure she would have no problem with it. Lily had always been very against the doings of Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
“Sure, Moony.” Of course Sirius would talk to Peter first. What kind of friend would he be if he didn’t? But Peter had said he would fight. Why did Remus not believe that Peter was telling the truth? Peter would say yes. He had to. Was he honestly going to let those maniacs that killed his father get away with it? If Sirius was in Peter’s position, with Mr. Pettigrew as his father, he wouldn’t let that happen.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Sirius?” James asked, watching his friend closely. Lately Sirius hadn’t been the type for thrill seeking, but that had been part of his personality in the past. Who was to say it hadn’t come to surface again? James wanted to make sure this was what his best friend wanted.
“Yes, James. Merlin, I’ve been talking about doing something since I was fourteen. This wasn’t just some spur of the moment decision. You know me better than that.” Why did no one believe that?
“I know… It’s just, I didn’t expect there was something like that out there.”
Sirius threw himself into the empty chair beside James. “Well there is and we have the opportunity to help them. I’m not about to pass that up. Tomorrow we have to meet Dumbledore at the Hog’s Head. Could you tell Peter and Lily about this?” James nodded. He would stop by both of their places on his way home. “Good. Moody said it’s not something we have to do, but since we all know, we have to keep quiet about it.”
“I think the only one that statement needs to be thrown at is you,” Remus commented dryly, taking a bite of his biscuit.
Sirius rolled his eyes. “Thanks, Moony.”
They couldn’t believe they were doing this. James, Sirius, Remus, Peter and Lily stood outside the grimy pub they had ventured into only once in their entire lives. Well, the boys had, anyway. They weren’t sure if Lily frequented dank, dodgy pubs. The last time the boys had been there was in their fifth year and they hadn’t liked the place the moment they stepped foot into it. The only reason they had entered it in the first place was because it was cold and rainy and they were certain the Three Broomsticks would be filled to the bursting point. Why couldn’t Dumbledore have asked them to meet him there? Their first and only visit to the Hog’s Head was also marred with the appearance of Severus Snape and his cronies who took the utmost delight in hexing them.
Luckily the boys had gotten their revenge when Remus docked thirty points from Slytherin.
But they still didn’t want to meet the Headmaster here, of all places. There had to be a reason why Dumbledore would ask them to meet him here. Perhaps Dumbledore wanted to meet someplace off the beaten path. But why would he pick a place where shoddy characters were known to meet? The whole point of their meeting was to help take down a lot of shoddy characters. Then again, this would be the perfect place to meet if it was looked at from a certain way. This would be the last place anyone would expect a group like the Order of the Phoenix to meet. No one would think a group of wizard and witch do-gooders would discuss anything in a place like the Hog’s Head.
Deciding that they weren’t doing anything useful standing outside, they entered the grimy pub.
After speaking to the man behind the bar, who looked extraordinarily familiar, the four boys and Lily made their way upstairs towards a private parlor. Pushing the door open, they were met with Albus Dumbledore, who was reading a large, leather-bound book, looking as though he had all the time in the world. At the sound of the door opening, Dumbledore looked up and shut the book. “Ah, come, sit down.” He waved his wand and three chairs slid across the wooden floor to the table and he drew up two more chairs for James and Lily, who were left without one. The former students couldn’t help but notice that Dumbledore did not have the usual twinkle in his eyes nor did he have the friendly smile.
Still, when he next spoke his voice was pleasant. “How are you four enjoying life after school?”
The five exchanged glances, knowing that Dumbledore was truly interested in how they were faring, but they had been out of school for less than a week. There really wasn’t much to report.
“I’m starting my training at St. Mungo’s tomorrow,” James offered, deciding someone might as well say something.
Dumbledore smiled. “Yes, Hippocrates told me.” James opened his mouth for a moment, and then shut it. It should not surprise him that Dumbledore knew Hippocrates Smethwyk. “He has high hopes for you.”
James grinned, though inwardly he was wondering if he would meet those high hopes. It seemed that everyone assumed because he was the son of Charles Potter he would be a brilliant Healer. He hoped he would be, but he wasn’t going to automatically assume. He had to work for it.
“Alastor has already told me you also begin your training, Sirius,” Dumbledore continued, diverting his attention to the oldest Black child, who nodded in confirmation. “And you, Remus, how are you faring?”
Remus shifted in his seat, recalling the very bitter conversation he had had with James the previous day about his job hunt. “I’m still looking around,” he settled for saying. Dumbledore seemed to understand instantly and instead of further probing, he asked Peter how his mother was doing. Though Peter said his mother was doing well, the others severely doubted it. She had still looked utterly distraught when they had seen her at Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Maybe there was a real reason Peter was staying home.
“Now then,” Dumbledore said finally after asking Lily if she was pursuing her career as a writer at the Daily Prophet, “I trust the five of you know what you are about to get yourselves into. Are you sure you wish to do this?”
“Of course,” they all said, four more firmly than the fifth.
“You understand that this society is operating secretly? For years now there have been a sparse group of fighters trying to stop any dangerous activity they see. I know you did not fail to make the connections between the many deaths and disappearances that have occurred since you started at Hogwarts. We have been trying to prevent any more from happening. It is only recently, with the escalation of attacks, that we have hurriedly come together to form the Order of the Phoenix. We are sorely outnumbered, we believe, and the addition of five young wizards and witch such as yourselves, especially five as talented as you are, will be beneficial.”
“Were our dads part of this?” James asked, gesturing to himself, Peter and Remus.
“They would help out when they could but, as it was at the time, they each had young boys of their own to look after and could not fully commit themselves to the cause. This is not something you can lightly consider. The Order fights some of the most dangerous wizards and the risks involved are unimaginable. I would never ask you to do this if you were uncertain of yourselves. You must be certain that you want to fight.”
“We do, Professor,” Sirius insisted forcefully. He knew Dumbledore’s concern was well placed, but there was no need for concern. Sirius knew he spoke for all of them when he insisted that they wanted to fight. They knew the dangers; they could imagine what was in store for them. But they wanted to do this. “Honestly, we wouldn’t have come here if we didn’t want to do this. Please, just tell us what we need to know.”
Dumbledore nodded, a pleased, yet still hesitant, smile crossing his lips for a quick moment, and he glanced towards the door. “I want you five to meet me tomorrow at six in the evening.”
“Meet you where?”
“Meet me in this very same room and we will Apparate to the appropriate place. You will find out everything else tomorrow. I will see you then.”
Dumbledore took five trips to get each of them to the mysterious meeting place of the Order of the Phoenix, as he could not give them the exact location for fear of others somehow overhearing. When they each recovered from the Apparition, they were startled to find themselves on the shadowed porch of a house in London. Once they appeared, there was a quiet bark from behind them and they were almost instantly pulled inside. Upon recovering from the shock of being pulled into a strange house, they were able to see that it was a man, whom Sirius alone recognised as Alastor Moody. He led them into a living room where there was a group of about ten or so waiting for them.
Once Dumbledore entered with Peter, the dull murmur that had filled the room disappeared and they waited expectantly for the Hogwarts Headmaster to say something, perhaps explain why they had been called her today. Peter ducked around the back of Dumbledore and joined Remus, Lily, James and Sirius, who were hovering to the side, unsure of what to do.
“Thank you all for agreeing to meet on such short notice,” Dumbledore told the group. There were some murmurs of consent that it wasn’t any trouble, otherwise short nods. “This is James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. I believe some of you may know their fathers?”
Again there were some nods and a few sad frowns from those who were clearly thinking of Mr. Pettigrew’s fate.
“These young men and woman also have the desire to stop Voldemort. They have proven their point to me personally. Their determination is undeniable. Alastor and I feel that they would be extraordinarily helpful. I, myself, have seen them grow through school and their different talents can only benefit us.”
The boys and Lily saw there were some sceptical looks on the faces of the Order’s members. They had no doubt that some were taking in Remus’s sickly appearance, chubby, uncertain Peter and the fact that Sirius was a Black. They should have known there would be some reservations from the group. Hopefully that would change. Dumbledore seemed to have noticed this as well, as his expression grew reproachful and the group averted their eyes back to the Headmaster. “They were at the top of their class in Hogwarts and have such a loyalty to each other that I’m sure would extend to the Order.”
“Are you so sure of that, Albus?” barked a man that the boys had not noticed at first, though now that he had spoken, they saw he bore a striking resemblance to Dumbledore. They had never before known that Dumbledore had a brother. Yet, now that they looked at him, they recognised him as the bartender at the Hog’s Head.
“Yes, I am sure of that, Aberforth,” Dumbledore responded calmly, though his eyes suggested that he did not want his instincts questioned. “Perhaps we should take this time to talk it over.”
The members of the Order broke into smaller groups, whispering quietly to each other while the boys, Dumbledore and Moody stood to the side. After a moment, Moody approached one of the groups and, in a voice that carried, claimed that he had faith in at least the one he had met “ Sirius. He didn’t know about the others, understandably.
With a slow look around the room, Remus turned his attention to his former headmaster. He had a question that couldn’t wait. “Err… Professor Dumbledore?”
“Yes, Remus?”
“I… If they don’t mind us being in the Order, what am I going to do about my… my condition?” He didn’t know any of these people and the thought of them knowing that he was a werewolf was an unsettling one. It had taken him a long time to feel comfortable with his best friends knowing about it, and even longer to tell Lily about it. The members of the Order would have to know eventually and Remus had no idea of where their prejudices lay. He didn’t know if he could handle so many people knowing at once and possibly hating him because of it.
Dumbledore nodded understandingly. “We will have to tell them. Trust me, Remus, I have worked with each one of these people personally and know their prejudices are not heavy.”
Remus noticed Dumbledore did not say their prejudices were nonexistent, just that they weren’t so bad. He supposed he should be relieved by that, but he wasn’t. He already had to deal with those prejudices every time he went looking for a job. But he wasn’t about to admit that to Dumbledore, so he simply nodded and rejoined his friends. Perhaps Dumbledore was right and these people would be able to look past the fact that they had a werewolf in their midst. But weren’t werewolves what Voldemort was looking for to help him? Sweet Merlin, this wasn’t going to be easy.
“They don’t seem to be taking to us so well,” Sirius muttered out of the corner of his mouth to James, watching as one of the women cast an uncertain gaze in their direction before noticing that Sirius’s eye was on her and averted her gaze.
“You can’t blame them, can you?” James said fairly. He hadn’t expected them to be taken to so easily. “They’ve been working together for a while now and here we come, ready to just join them straight out of Hogwarts? We’re just lucky we have Dumbledore vouching for us, otherwise I doubt they’d want us at all.”
“Shouldn’t they be happy for the help?” Lily asked quietly. If it had been her, she would be grateful for more help. They were fighting Voldemort; they needed all the help they could get. “They must be so outnumbered.”
“I don’t think five new members will do anything to even out the sides,” Remus muttered doubtfully.
“Look, we can’t change what they think about us, but I think in the end it’s what Dumbledore and Moody say that matters, and Moody already wants Sirius in. That should say something,” James concluded.
After a moment or two, an older, dark-haired witch with a kind face broke away from those she was speaking with and approached the group. She offered them a warm smile before addressing James. “Your Charles Potter’s son?” she asked curiously.
“Yes,” James replied uncertainly.
She studied him through narrowed eyes before concluding with a small grin, “You look exactly like him.”
James couldn’t help but chuckle. He was often told that he was a younger replica of his father, yet looked almost nothing like his mother, except for their eyes. James had his mother’s eyes. “I know… I’ve been told that all my life.”
“I hope you’re as talented as he is.” The woman then turned her attention to Remus, who wondered if he was about to be compared to his father. Much to his surprise, though not relief, he wasn’t. “Well, you’re a tiny little thing, aren’t you?”
Remus’s cheeks reddened. He would rather be compared to his father than be labeled a ‘tiny little thing.’ He was very aware of his short, skinny stature; he had a certain vicious werewolf to thank for his stunted growth. “Err…”
“But Harry told me you’re brilliant, very talented. Besides, size is no indication of power. Look at Benjy.” The woman nodded towards a straw-haired man who was only a little taller than Remus. Benjy was conversing with Aberforth Dumbledore, oblivious to the fact that he was being watched. “You will never want to be on the receiving end of one of his hexes… last thing I expect you’ll ever do.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Remus said quietly, averting his eyes from the man.
The woman laughed good-naturedly and her eyes swiveled to Peter, who wondered what she was about to say about him “ you’re chubbier than I expected. Merlin he hoped it wasn’t anything like that. She had already called Remus tiny, who was to say she wouldn’t comment on his size now? “I’m terribly sorry about what happened to your father. He was a very good man.”
This surprised Peter, though it was not unappreciated. “Thank you,” he said to the woman. He waited for her to say something else, but she then turned her attention to Sirius, who glanced uncertainly at James.
“A Black who wants to fight Death Eaters,” she said, slowly shaking her head and sounding thoroughly amazed. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Well, you’ve seen it now,” Sirius said through gritted teeth. Honestly, he was not going to be constantly compared to his family.
The woman chuckled, which set Sirius at ease somewhat. “Don’t worry; I never said it was a bad thing. It’s a nice thing to see, in fact. You weren’t taken in by what your family believes, proves you can think for yourself.” There was only one person left in there group that the woman hadn’t spoken to and Lily couldn’t help but wonder what the woman would think of to say to her. “Evans… I’m not familiar with that name.”
“I’m a Muggle-born,” Lily explained.
The woman nodded knowingly. “Well, I’m afraid I’ve forgotten my own manners. We all know who you five are, but you don’t know who we are. My name is Dorcas Meadows.” She shook hands with the five before retreating to speak with the man she had pointed out before, Benjy.
“That was… strange,” Sirius commented, looking at the back of Dorcas’s head in amazement. He couldn’t necessarily say she was mean, just very straightforward. At least she didn’t seem to loathe him because he was a Black. She seemed impressed by it actually, because he was proving that he wasn’t like the rest of his family.
“Definitely,” James agreed wholeheartedly. “But she seemed nice… I suppose. What do you think the rest of them think about us?”
“I hope none of them think I’m a ‘tiny little thing,’” Remus muttered, slightly stung by the comment, even though Dorcas had clearly said size was no indication of power. He was just going to have to work hard to make that known.
“Aww, but you are!” Sirius simpered, pinching Remus’s cheek, only for his hand to be swatted away.
“Knock it off, Sirius.”
“Can we all be serious for a moment, please?” Lily abruptly begged. The room, which had been filled with the buzz of chatter, was suddenly starting to quiet down. That could only mean one thing “ the Order had come to some sort of conclusion.
“Well, we’ve decided on something, Albus,” one of the members “ a light-haired witch who looked only a little older than the boys and Lily did “ said.
“Yes, Marlene?” Dumbledore asked politely.
“We’re interested in seeing what this group can do. If they’re as talented as you claim they are, they’re going to need to prove it to us.”
“How do we do that?” Sirius asked before glancing hurriedly at Dumbledore and Moody, wondering if he should have spoken. Dumbledore’s attention, however, was focused on the members of the Order.
Marlene addressed Sirius and his friends when she spoke. “You will have to join us on our next mission, prove to us that the loyalty you have to each other will really extend to us. Show us the talent and brilliance you’re said to possess.”
“So once we do that, we’ll be part of the Order?”
Marlene shook her head. “You already are. Alastor and Albus have the final say and, as it is, they made it before you entered this house. What we want to see is how useful you’ll be.”
“We will be useful,” Sirius declared firmly.
“Ah, but we need to see for ourselves. As I said, Albus and Alastor have the final say.” Marlene took a step back and a man beside her with bright red hair whispered something to her.
The boys and Lily looked to Dumbledore and Moody, both of whom were talking quietly to each other, seemingly making painfully sure that they wouldn’t be heard by the others. They weren’t so sure they would have the complete backing of Moody. Moody had only ever spoken to Sirius and that had not been a long conversation in itself. He knew nothing of the others, except what Dumbledore may or may not have told him. But Dumbledore appeared to have faith in them. Despite how many times they had been in trouble at school, how many points they had collectively lost for their house, he seemed to have faith in them. They didn’t know why.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Moody cleared his throat. “I admit, I only know about Sirius and of the others, I only know what Dumbledore has told me.”
“And what I told you is entirely the truth. I have watched these five go from eleven year olds just starting out to adults ready to face what is coming. They have faced adversity, some more than you will ever know and it has only made them closer. They may not have always liked each other, but the fact of the matter is that I have faith in them. They will be assets to the Order. You will be able to do as you wish,” he added, nodding to Marlene. “You will test them the next opportunity you have, but I will not change in my resolve. They have the talent, they have the courage and most of all, they want to do this.”