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He knew how to wait patiently. Years with his relatives, if nothing else, had taught him that much. He kept his back to the door as he waited, giving off the impression that he was confident and at ease about the meeting. He intended to use his acting abilities as much as he could, either impressing Pansy or making her believe that he was weak and ineffective. Since she was a Slytherin and Draco vouched for her, he assumed that her reaction would belong in the former category. It was all part of his plan. Harry Potter always tried to have a plan when questioning new members for his executive council of his Order.



Harry continued his wait, looking out of one of two windows in the room to the gray clouds passing over the sky. He head the door open but made no move to turn around and face Pansy. The door clicked shut and the locking and silencing charms activated.



"I'm glad that you took care to shut the door behind you," Harry spoke, turning at last to face Pansy. "So many try and leave itopen just an inch or two so their friend can listen in or they can make a quick escape."



He studied her expression and could see that she was not at all impressed with his calm polite exterior. If anything Pansy looked bored.



"You think all the theatrics is a bit much don't you?" Harry gave a brittle chuckle. "I suppose it might seem so but I can't have Dumbledore and his crowd worrying over me and watching me any closer than they already do. Enough people watch my actions as it is, closer scrutiny is something we wish to avoid for the moment. You're here so I can decide if you're someone I'm looking for to join my Order. What has Draco told you?"



"Only that Dumbledore wasn't involved," Pansy said a bit hesitantly. "And that your group is against the Dark Lord.



Harry nodded, "Can you work alongside Muggleborns, Half-bloods and non-human intelligent creatures such as Centaurs or House Elves?"



"I can,"Pansy held herself confidently now. "I won't be marrying anyone less than a powerful half-blood but I won't have any trouble getting along with anyone if that's what you're worried about."



"Could you stand being under the leadership of a half-blood?" Harry pressed on. "Could you follow my orders?"



"This isn't going to be like the Death Eaters is it?" Pansy held her wand firmly at her side, prepared to use it. "We can question your orders and won't be punished for doing so?"



"There is no mark you have to take," Harry assured the blond haired witch. "I don't have complete control over any of you. The executive council, the officers of my Order, can question me all they like in private or when it's just an executive meeting. I only ask that we present a united front to the outside."



"I can understand that," She loosened the grip on her wand and relaxed a little. "That's just smart politics. What else is there?"



"Are you prepared to fight and possibly kill those on Voldemort's side, possibly even family and friends?" Harry's green eyes bored into Pansy's.



"By not joining with my parents and becoming a Death Eater I'll be disowned and labeled as a traitor," Pansy explained. "If Iwant a future I'll have to fight for it. I'll do what needs to be done. I'm willing to fight with you."



"I'm glad Pansy," Harry smiled. "There are just afew more things to know, some strengths and weaknesses. What were your OWL scores from last year? And what are your best subjects?"



"I got an Oin Potions, Arithmancy, Defense Againstthe Dark Arts and Charms," Pansy recited from memory. "And I got E's in Herbology, Transfigurations and A's in Care of Magical Creatures and Astronomy. My best subjects though are Ancient Runes andArithmancy. My grandmother taught me all about Runes and some about Arithmancyand she gave me all her old books and journals. I can enchant things already and ward them with runes and I've learned the basics of creating personalized spells."



"Useful skills to have," Harry said. "And we'll put them to good use. We have a few other members who are skilled at those subjects. Anything else you'd like to share before we leave for the evening?"



"Daphne Greengrass and I became Animagitogether," Pansy was more open now. "I'm a swallow. It's a good form for spying and getting around because it can be found so many places."



"Will you transform for me?" Harry requested.



Pansy nodded and in the blink of an eye a little swallow was on the ground. It hopped around a bit and then took off and flew a circle around the room before landing and changing back in Pansy Parkinson.



"Impressive,"Harry complimented her. "There's only one more concern. There are some things I might confide in you or in Draco that he or you can't tell anyone. Or I might ask you to get some information for me or do something that I don't want anyone else to know about. Would anything like that bother you?"



Pansy thought for a moment, "No it won't. We all have our secrets from each other."



Harry opened the door and whispered for Draco to come in. Barely audible footsteps crept up to the door and into the room and then Draco removed the disillusionment charm from himself.



"Tomorrow night meet up on the seventh floor corridor by the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy at eight o'clock," Harry told both of them. "Bring Daphne Greengrass with you if you can. Blaise doesn't need to know, we don't tell him everything since he's a spy. The less he knows the less he can give away in case he's caught."



"You would just abandon him?" Pansy blurted out.



"No, but until I could get to him there's no telling what he might slip out," Harry shook his head. "Let's head back now. It wouldn't do for Filch to catch us together."



"Until tomorrow then," Draco said as he and Pansy walked quickly away down the corridor.



Harry watched them go for a moment before slipping away back to Gryffindor Tower. He always carried his Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map with him now. Both items were handy to have in a pinch and it also meant that Ron and Hermione could not attempt to spy on him.



"Hey Harry,"Ginny came over when he stepped through the portrait hole. "Ron and Hermione are up in the boys dorms. She's trying to get him to study for Charms or something."



"Good, Icould use a bit of study time myself," Harry said to her.



"Wait for me Harry," Ginny said grabbing up some books and parchment. "I want Hermione to look over my Herbology assignment."



Harry waited patiently at the bottom of the stairs and finally they entered the sixth year boy's dorm. Hermione and Ron were seated on Ron's bed surrounded by bits of parchment and open books.



"How'd it go mate?" Ron asked when he looked up and saw who it was.



"Pansy is with us," Harry sat on his own bed. "Tomorrow we meet in the Room of Requirement and Daphne Greengrass will be joining us."



"So what is next in your big plan Harry?" Hermione looked excited.



"You'll just have to wait for tomorrow evening like everyone else," Harry told her.



Hermione huffed but settled back into looking over Ginny's homework while Ron took notes from a Charms book beside her. Harry, feeling he might as well look productive, took out a Defense book Severus had lent to him and began flipping through it.



He spent most of the next day with Ginny in an empty classroom working on her defense. Hermione and Ron joined them in the afternoon and Harry took on all three of them in a duel which he eventually won. Dinner in the kitchens and a visit with Dobby and Winky followed before they headed off to the Room of Requirement. Harry had the room set up with comfortable chairs and couches with a big roaring fire and a few small tables. He gave Hermione the Invisibility Cloak to wait outside the room for the Slytherins.



Draco and Pansy entered followed by a somewhat nervous Daphne. Hermione came in last and took a seat beside Ron on one of the couches.



"I assume that Draco and Pansy filled you in on the Order of Godric and Salazar?" Harry asked point blank.



"They did,"Daphne's nervousness disappeared. "And Iwant to join. My parents aren't Death Eaters but I don't want to stay neutral."



"Welcome to the Order then Daphne," Harry said.



"So what exactly is the next step in your plan Harry?" Hermione asked. "You wouldn't tell us last night."



"Because Iwanted everyone to be here," Harry responded calmly. "I plan on setting up a leadership council within the Order. Those here along with Blaise and Severus and the others we have on the outside will be a part of it. However I also want to bring in a few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws."



"Hufflepuffs in command," Pansy murmured. "Scary thought."



"Pansy,"Draco gave the blond haired witch a mild glare. "I assume that you're going to try and set us up like a Muggle army or something?"



"They do have some decent ideas Draco," Harry rebuked mildly. "I want us to have a company of healers. And I think we could use some Animagi to either act as attackers in the forest or to act as spotters and report back what they've seen. We should have some who concentrate on shields and others who work on offensive spells but they can trade off I suppose."



"We should spend some time drawing up further ideas," Draco nodded in agreement. "Who were you thinking of inviting to join us?"



"Cho Chang, Roger Davies, Padma Patil and Terry Boot from Ravenclaw," Harry said. "And I want Luna Lovegoodto probably head up the Healer squad along with Healer White, Madame White's brother. Then from Hufflepuff I thought of Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott, Ernie MacMillan and Justin Finch-Fletchly."



"I can live with them," Draco said.



"Su Li is apretty good Healer as well," Daphne added. "Her grandfather is Ken Li and he's been training her."



"Ok then we'll extend an invitation to her as well," Harry looked over at Hermione who had written everything down in the Muggle notebook they were using. "Did you get everything?"



"It's all here," Hermione assured him.



Harry nodded, "Once we get the leaders set up and trained we'll begin recruiting from the rest of the students for the army."



"We should have them sign a parchment or something then," Ginny announced.



"Or something that will make sure they don't go blabbing to someone else," Ron was frowning as he thought. "We can't afford to have any spies or people who go against what we're doing. We should probably look into some rituals or something that will make sure the person is trustworthy and will support what we're doing. You are planning on taking the school from Dumbledore if you have to right?"



"If it comes to that," Harry said.



"Then Isecond what Weasley said," Draco held his wand loosely in one hand. "And we should probably look into communication charms so we'll be able to talk to all the leaders if we need to, even in class. A piece of jewelry should work."



"This will take plenty of planning and research," Hermione continued to write furiously in the notebook. "Pansy I'll need your help. Harry mentioned you were good at Runes and Arithmancy."



"I have part of my inheritance already," Daphne's brown eyes sparkled with excitement. "So we don't need to worry about money."



"I have the Manor and other Malfoy properties as well as the cash," Draco drawled sounding much like the old snob everyone was used to. "Christmas break will be coming up soon. Everyone here can come to the Manor. We can use the library there and train. Plus Mother will know of any other pureblood families who don't have children going here who we might approach."



Harry looked at the two Weasley children and then Hermione before giving the answer, "We'll come to Malfoy Manor with you. Is your Mother willing to arrange a portkey or will we travel by some other means?"



"A carriage of thestrals," Draco answered. "They'll fly us home. I assume you'll want the Twins, the cursebreaker and the one who works with Dragons? What about the werewolf?"



"The rest of my brothers would be useful," Ginny flashed a tiny smile. "You'll need to send portkeysto Charlie, Bill and the Twins."



"Remus would enjoy the vacation," Harry relaxed a tiny bit in his chair. "So we're all in agreement to spending the holidays with old Malfoy here?"



"Shut up Potty," Draco grumbled.



Harry left the Room of Requirement and followed the Slytherins down to the dungeons under his Cloak. Severus password to his rooms was the same and Harry drew off the silvery material and set it along with the map in his usual chair. Severus glanced up from the book he was reading but otherwise said nothing.



At last the Potions Master set aside his book and stood with his wand drawn, "I assume that you didn't come here for a potion."



Harry nodded and lay on the stone floor away from the carpet and other furniture.



"Are you sure you want to do this?" Severus asked giving him a way out.



"Positive,"Harry's green eyes burned with determination.



"You can already manage to break free and disarm your opponent," Severus pointed out.



"I need to stay in practice," Harry declared. "Just curse me already."



"Crucio!" Severus held his wand on Harry.



Harry's body jerked and he bit back a scream. He quickly used his meditation and Occlumency to rise above the pain and with a silent "Finite Incantatem"he broke from the spell though his body still convulsed. He gripped his wand tightly and muttered the disarming spell and Severus' wand flew from his grasp and the Potions Master fell to the ground.



"You see you impudent brat," Severus growled as he picked himself up off the floor. "You can still break through the pain curse." He looked down at Harry who still lay on the floor in pain. "I'll bring you the potion."



The black robes swept out of Harry's sight but returned a moment later and then Severus was kneeling beside him and pouring a slightly sweet potion down his throat, rubbing his throat so he swallowed.



"You didn't hold back did you?" Harry asked as he sat up.



"And here you complain that I went easy on you?" Severus raised a brow. "Get into bed."



Harry stood a bit shaky still but made it into the guest bedroom in Severus' quarters. He kicked off his trainers and pulled out aspare pair of pajamas. Things were going along swimmingly.