FicWad

Chapter 6: Order Meeting

During the past week, the Order of the Rubber Ducks had been busy organizing as well, today, Saturday, would be the first Order meeting of the summer.

"I call this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to attention. With the increased activity of Voldemort's Death Eaters, we must keep Harry unaware, and therefore less likely to act on impulse. Ron, Hermione, this means that there will be no letters this summer, as even the vague letters you sent to him last year did more harm then good." Ron and Hermione nodded at this. Well, Hermione nodded, Ron rolled his eyes.

They had been inducted into the Order before Harry had been retrieved after their fourth year, though only Mrs. Weasley knew of it; the others were unaware until just before this meeting. It hadn't gone over well, especially with Remus, who felt this as a serious betrayal to Harry. Ron had been disturbingly easy to convince him to spy on his 'best mate', he was offered prefect position and a guaranteed spot on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, though he would have done it just to be included in something that Harry wasn't. He had been told after his first year by his mother to report anything odd with Harry, which she had then told Dumbledore, so it wasn't a whole lot of change.

'Merlin,' Ron thought, 'Money, fame, he's more powerful then most of the kids in our year, and he could get any girl he wanted! Well, almost any girl...' Ron smirked at that, remembering how he and Hermione had finally gotten together after the recovering from the Department of Mysteries.

Hermione, on the other hand, had been slightly more difficult to convince. Slightly. Dumbles had convinced her that lying and betraying Harry's trust was the only way to keep him safe. And coming from Dumbledore, it might as well have come from a burning bush, or Merlin himself, for the effect that it had. She had agreed, and had saved Ron from a few close calls when he was about to go off on Harry in one of his jealous fits. Why she had agreed to go out with him, she couldn't quit understand herself. She just felt peaceful, like there wasn't a care in the world, and slightly foggy around him. She just assumed that she had fallen for Ron at some point. She had read, after all, that love was illogical and unpredictable, so she just went with it, besides, her books never lied to her. The thought that the Great and Powerful Oz- sorry, Dumbledore, at the wishes of one Ronald Weasley, had slipped a love binding draught into one of her healing potions never crossed her mind.

"I will need you to continue to keep tabs on Harry for me, like you have been, more so this year, if at all possible. He carries a lot of anger, and now I fear he will be extremely depressed at the loss of Sirius and become even more difficult then he was last year. I have informed him that he will be unable to leave his relatives house until the end of the summer, or risk the blood ward protection. The wards, however, will be fully charged when he has stayed within the house for two weeks, keeping his relatives, and Harry, while he is there, perfectly safe for the next year. If something happens to where he would have to be pulled out before the two weeks is up, the wards will have to be recast within a few hours, no more than 8, I believe, or they will fall within a few days. After the two weeks he can be safely removed, with no ill effects, although I want him to have proper grievance time. I will be screening any mail he has been sent, and will give him what passes my inspection on the first of September. Unfortunately, before I could put the screening words in place, a Gringotts owl made it to him. I informed Harry then of his inability to leave the house, with less specifics of course, and that I will be acting as his representative during the will reading on July the 13th. Tonks, Mundungus, you have been on guard duty this week. What news do you have to report, if any?" Dumbldore asked, though it was obviously a direct command.

"Notn' out o' ta' 'rdinary, cap'n. He bin stayn issside 'hic', issside 'hic', not out 'ter house yet. 'Is bird en' flyn 'round few a 'bit, bangin' the fetters of its seelf on sumfin before she coul get trough. Heees owlie got in sometimes laters though." 'Dung' Fletcher slurred his report, obviously drunk, and smelling quite literally like the shit he had been smoking. Tonks looked at him in disgust as she gave her report.

"Like Dung said, Harry has not come out of the house yet, and Hedwig was trying to get through whatever was up. I assume those were the 'Screening Wards' you mentioned?" seeing Dumbledore's nod, she continued, trying to keep the anger out of her voice. "She looked pretty messed up by the time she got in. His family seems to have taken our threat seriously though, as we haven't heard too much from the house. His cousin is acting a bit seedy though. I heard him talking about 'getting the freak back', but I don't know what he meant by that. That's about it." She finished.

"Yes, yes. Thank you Mr. Fletcher, Nymphrodora. Hedwig was able to get through? That is truly amazing. Such loyalty in an owl is uncommon. She was not supposed to be able to get through, and I had already asked Mrs. Weasley to watch for her. Do we have-" but Dumbles was interrupted by a fuming werewolf, and while far from as along as Dung was, he was clearly inebriated.


"You were going to keep his owl from him? Without his knowledge, or his consent? Whether or not his 'family' is treating him well, you were planning on locking him up in that hell hole, the entire summer, with people with the same mentality as Snivilus over there." Remus pointed in the general direction of the aforementioned. "Damn bootlicker, if its not one, it's the other." He said the last part to himself, then remembering why he was talking at all, continued. "Leaving him without the only constant in his life? That bird is the only thing in his life that has never turned on him or wasn't there when he needed them. You weren't even going to notify him of these 'arrangements', were you? You sicken me Dumplesmore, er Dimplespore, 'hic' Old Man! You are coming very close to losing your one contact to the Werewolf community. If it comes to it, I will choose Harry over this... shit. Bloody bastard... Oh, and ah, nice pants Tonks." Remus finished off-handedly, leaving a flabbergasted Order, a twinkle-less Dimplespore, er, Dumbledore, and a slightly confused and mildly blushing metamorphmagus.

"Get back here, you abomination! You do not speak that way to the Headmaster. You're just as bad as-" But Snape was stopped mid rant, this time by the hand of Dumbldore on his shoulder.

"Forgive him Severus; he is unbalanced at the moment. He has lost a good friend and the full-moon has just passed. Though, I do believe that he should be able to keep a tighter leash on his wolf. Otherwise he may be a danger..." Dumbledore trailed off, as Tonks got up with the same look of disgust she used on Dung, only now directed at Dumbles, and walked away.

"Misery loves company, as they say. Alastor, and Kingsley, you two will be on a rotating guard shift for this week, starting tomorrow afternoon, instead of on Monday. Severus, what do you have to report?" Dumbledore asked, not sparing a second to the young women who just left.

"Yes, well now that the wolf and the tart have left, I can give my report. Actually, Headmaster, do you think it wise to include Potter's 'friends', in this discussion? I believe the boy's arrogance has rubbed off on the Weasley and Stupidity on Granger." Hermione looked affronted at this comment, while Ron was busy looking down Hermione's shirt, oblivious to anything but the orbs that were just out of his sight. "Yes Granger, stupidity. How you scraped that 'O' in potions is beyond me." Snape continued. She brightened at the knowledge of her grade, but was still upset at 'scraping' for any grade. 'Must study even more,' she thought to herself, 'N.E.W.T.'s are only two years away!' Snape nearly gagged on the thoughts she was so carelessly projecting.

"No, Severus, I believe that they can handle what you have to report." The Geriatric told him.

"Very well," Snape said, with a small but evil glint in his eyes. Had anybody seen it, they probably would have preferred to leave, instead of hearing what ever it was he had to say. "There have been several attacks on muggles and a few wizard families; none have been too atrocious, relatively speaking, though there have been many deaths. Muggle blood is being used as the only food source for some of the prisoners that have been gathered. The Dark Lord believes that something so dirty will eventually kill the prisoners. Some of his pureblood prisoners, those who have failed him or refused an invitation to his ranks actually believe this and will do anything to not drink it, many opting instead the option of torture under 'Crucio'.

None of these attacks, however, have been as extensive as the assault on the Finnegan's. I have heard that they were all put under the Imperious and made to rape one another, the mother, muggle father, the Gryffindor, and two squib sisters, before having their body parts systematically severed and reattached to someone else, or in the sisters case's together. They were dispatched with a variant of the 'Incendio' curse, burning slowly until there was nothing but ash left. This of course after they had been deemed 'no longer fun', as Rabaston Lestrange put it, once their minds were past departed. Rabaston and his wife find euphoria in their insanity it seems. The Gryffindor was spared however, as a warning not to cross the Dark Lord. The boy will be joining the Longbottom's at St. Mungos with the majority of his mother's limbs. None of these attacks, however, were on the Dark Lords recent orders. He has not been seen since the Department of Mysteries event, nor has Bellatrix Lestrange, coincidently. It is my belief that the Dark Lord was more damaged then he would care to admit, and is being 'cared for' by Lestrange." The greasy pathetic excuse for an academic reported.

Most of the order looked sick. Except for Dung, who had passed out sometime earlier, Ron, who had just looked up from his girlfriends shirt, as not to miss anything of course, Dumbledore, who looked as if nothing could bother him as usual though without the trade-mark twinkle, and Snape, who was getting a perverse pleasure out of watching all the others reactions.

"Thank you Severus, for your descriptive report. We will have to be on the look out for any further Death Eater activity. On a lighter note, Ron, Hermione, you two will be trained this summer in healing, dueling, stealth, and occlumency under the tutelage of Madam Pomfrey, Alastor Moody and I. Has anyone else something to report?" People began to look from one to another, no one offering anything. Seeing this as a negative response, Dumbledore continued. "Well then, I deem this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix over. Mrs. Weasley informs me that dinner will be out within the hour if you wish to stay." Snape immediately fled the room, well, as much as a dripping bat can flee. He was followed by a few others who were heading home.

'An hour...' thought Ron. "Hey, Hermione, I want you to show me a couple of things." He said. She began to protest, finding the discussion between Mr. Weasley and Dedilus Diggle about self clipping toenail clippers fascinating. But she couldn't seem to find a reason not to go with him once he held her hand and looked at her.

"Okay." She said brightly, in a near un-Hermione like way, as she got up and followed Ron up to his room.

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO



While the Order had continued downstairs, Tonks had found Remus in his room. He looked feral, walking around, flexing his hands, with glowing yellow lupine eyes.

"Need to tell him... can't, Dumbledore is keeping all his mail...I can try the mirror... No, I think someone mentioned he broke it. Have to get that fixed... I can go see him... No, don't know who is on guard duty, might be Moody tonight...Might be nobody tonight..." Remus Lupin said, talking to himself, not hearing anyone walk into the room, looking completely sober now.

"Remus." Tonks said.

"... I can ... No, that won't work either..."

"Remus." Tonks tried again.

"I could talk to Tonks, she might help...No, and she would probably think I was using her. Merlin knows she's had a hard enough time with guys taking advantage of her, if what Sirius told me is true..."

"Remus...?" Tonks asked quietly.

"Nice pants indeed! Can't believe I said that... True nonetheless, I suppose... She does constantly flirt with me... but that's just the way she is I guess... I'm getting off subject..."

"Remus?" Tonks tried, once more blushing slightly. 'I can't believe he said that, and he thinks I was just flirting with him? Sirius told me that he has issues accepting women who are interested because of being a werewolf, but I've been at it for almost a year now. Just how much more forward do I need to get? Oh, that would work quit nicely...' she thought, with an impish grin.

"I can try to-" But he was unable to speak, as he lacked the oxygen he previously had when a pair of velvet lips covered his own. He was too shocked to fight the intruding tongue for a moment, but slowly opened his eyes to see Tonks' face. He quickly pushed her away, hearing a moan of protest form her.

"Tonks what are yo-" But he was once again cut off by a kiss. "But I'm a werew-" Kiss. "Your too y-" Kiss. "And I'm too ol-" Kiss.

"Shut up Remus. I don't care about any of that, and I'm lonely, I like you, have liked you for a long time. And I know you feel the same way. I need this, and so do you. So just shut up." She told him, pleading with her eyes. Eyes that suddenly glowed a molten silver color, before turning back to their usual soft pink.

"What happened Tonks?" Remus asked, wondering why her eyes had turned that color. The same color Sirius' eyes turned after the death of his brother, Regulus. Sirius had once told him that it alerted family members to a change with the family, to those who were concerned.

"What changed? Something with the Black family?" he asked, calming himself from the previous activities as he did so.

"Yeah, there is a new head of family. But I don't know why I would be notified. Mum was disowned years ago. Only the head can change that. But who would Sirius' heir be? If he didn't have a blood heir, then he would have dissolved the family, instead of having Bellatrix or Narcissa, or even her son, taking over. Obviously Harry would get whatever money the Blacks had, but only a blood heir can take over the Head of the Family and titles."

"I don't know. I think you, and most likely your mother also, has been recognized by the new head. I wonder... no ... he would have told me. I think he would have told me anyway. Unless he feared what Dumbledore would do... or his reaction... or both. I do remember James saying something about the attack during our 7th year..." Remus began pacing again, trying to figure out this latest mystery.

"Remus!" Tonks shouted, trying to get his attention. "What are you going on about?"

"I'm not sure yet, but if I'm right, we have to go see Harry, now. You still have guard duty tonight right?" he asked her, seeing her nod he carried on. "Alright, then lets go then." Tonks nodded again, following him out of the room. They made it out of the door, avoiding the majority of the Order. Apparently the meeting had just ended.

As soon as they were outside of the wards of Grimmauld Place, they apparated to Privet Drive. As they passed the houses on their way to Number 4, they began to hear screaming. Running into the house, they were met by a scene they never expected to see.

(00000000000000) End end end end end End (000000000000000)

This chapter will tie into the next, which will hopefully be out soon. Next up, Knocturn Alley.

Alright, now that I have enough reviews (not that I am counting, just that I want to answer and or thank those who did when I did have a few to answer) Question. I have seen all the reviews posted (not answered) without spaces, just ///. Does that make it only one word? I agree with those who start to read a story, only to find that all the words come from review answers. I'll try to keep them short.

To all, thank you for your reviews, it makes me feel like this is productive and accomplishes something.



Shadow Lighthawk: A couple of other people have asked why it was changed. I wanted the name to fit what I had in mind for the character. No longer 'Gryffindor', or 'Golden', but black and silver. A 'Seraph' is a celestial being, an angel of sorts, but also seen as a serpent. 'Seraph Orion Black', Black (or dark) angel of Orion, a dark angel, merciless to enemies, but still compassionate. That is what I wanted, anyway.

rlmess: I still have not fixed the grammar yet. Well, I am going to attempt to replace chapter 5 with this update to see what happens. It has been re-edited. It probably still has a few things wrong though. I will try to replace the others sometime soon. And thanks for the comments, they make me laugh. And what do you mean about the A/N's? Put them at the bottom?

Kin Pandun: Thanks. Thanks for the ideas. I may use them.

Fireflashphoenix: like your stories, especially Shades Of Black - A Black Dawn.




The author notes, like above, are responses to reviews from ffnet