chapter four : the Order of the Phoenix
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"That's your mother?" Harry questioned Sirius.
"Yeah, and June's grandmother," Sirius added, gesturing at June who was standing next to Nymphadora.
"Wow, you don't look like her at all," Harry breathed.
"Thanks," June said, smiling.
They made their way back into the kitchen and helped Molly set the table. June sat down next to Timothée and Fleur, the latter was busy talking to Bill but looked up when the black haired sat down next to her and gave her a smile.
"Was that Harry I heard?" Timothée asked, leaning back in his chair.
"Yeah — er — he was a bit mad at us."
"A bit?" Timothée repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Sounded more like very."
Juniper sighed. "He had every right to be."
"He didn't have to yell at you for it. It wasn't your fault. You've been trying to persuade Dumbledore to let you bring Harry here all summer," Timothée said.
"Maybe I should have tried harder —"
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Junie."
Before June could reply, Molly shrieked, "Fred — George — NO, JUST CARRY THEM!"
June turned around to see that Fred and George had bewitched a large cauldron of stew, an iron flagon of Butterbeer and a heavy wooden broadboard, complete with knife, to hurtle through the air towards them. The stew skidded the length of the table and came to a halt just before the end, leaving a long black burn on the wooden surface; the flags of Butterbeer fell with a crash, spilling its contents everywhere; the bread knife slipped off the board and landed, point down and quivering ominously, exactly where Sirius's right hand had been seconds before.
"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" Molly screamed. "THERE WAS NO NEED — I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS — JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING!"
"We were just trying to save a bit of time!" Fred said, hurrying forward to wrench the break knife out of the table. "Sorry, Sirius, mate — didn't mean to —"
Harry, Sirius, Timothée and June were all laughing.
"Boys," Arthur said, lifting the stew back into the middle of the table, "your mother's right, you're supposed to show a sense of responsibility now you've come of age —"
"None of your brothers caused this sort of trouble!" Molly raged at the twins as she slammed a fresh flagon of Butterbeer on the table, and spilling almost as much again. "Bill didn't feel the need to Apparate every few feet! Charlie didn't charm everything he met! Percy —"
She stopped dead, catching her breath with a frightened look at her husband, whose expression was suddenly wooden.
"Let's eat," Bill said quickly.
"It looks wonderful, Molly," Remus added, ladling stew on to a plate for her and handing it across the table.
For a few minutes there was a silence but for the chink of plates and cutlery and the scraping of chairs as everyone settled down to their food. Then Molly turned to Sirius.
"I've been meaning to tell you, Sirius, there's something trapped in that writing desk in the drawing room, it keeps rattling and shaking. Of course, it could just be a Boggart, but I thought we ought to ask Alastor to have a look at it before we let it out."
"Whatever you like," Sirius said indifferently and June knew he didn't care about what happened to this house.
Juniper started a conversation with Fleur and Timothée. They were in a deep conversation about why Hogwarts would be better than Beauxbatons, at least, June thought so, Timothée and Fleur not so much.
"Ze weather is much better in France," Fleur pointed out.
"Too hot for my tast," June said. "I'd be sweating all day."
"You get used to it," Timothée said.
"I'm not sure I would."
"It's two against one, Junie," Timothée said, grinning. "You're outnumbered."
"She's not," a voice behind her said, making the three of them jump up and turn around to see Charlie standing in the doorway.
"Oh, Charlie!" Molly exclaimed, giving him a tight hug. "I didn't know you were coming!"
"It's only for a couple of hours," Charlie told her, but his eyes were still fixed on June, who stood up to greet him.
"Hello, June," he whispered, as he hugged her tightly.
"Hello, Charlie," she whispered back. "I've missed you."
"I missed you, too," Charlie said, planting a kiss on her hair before the two of them sat down.
"Nearly time for bed, I think," Molly said with a yawn.
"Not just yet, Molly," Sirius said, pushing away his empty plate and turning to look at Harry. "You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort."
June could feel Charlie tense beside her as Sirius said his name.
"I did!" Harry said indignantly. "I asked Ron, Hermione and June but they said we're not allowed in the Order, so —"
"And they're quite right," Molly said. "You're too young."
She was sitting boot upright in her chair, her fists clenched on its arms, every trace of drowsiness gone.
"Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?" Sirius asked. "Harry's been trapped in that Muggle house for a month. He's got the right to know what's been happening —"
"Hang on!" George interrupted loudly.
"How come Harry gets his questions answered?" Fred said angrily.
"We've been trying to get stuff out of you for a month and you haven't told us a singe stinking thing!" George said.
"'You're too young, you're not in the Order,'" Fred said, in a high-pitched voice that sounded uncannily like his mother's. "Harry's not even of age!"
"It's not my fault you haven't been told what the Order's doing," Sirius said calmly, "that's your parents' decision —"
"And what about me?" June said, her voice raising slightly. "I am of age. My parents are dead. Andromeda and Ted aren't here. My godmother is currently in France and —" she stopped abruptly as she was about to tell them that Severus was her godfather. She swallowed. "I've got the right to know," she simply said.
"It's not down to you to decided what's good for Harry and June!" Molly said sharply to Sirius.
"Sirius is Harry's godfather and my uncle," June said calmly. "Technically it's down to him." Sirius gave her a thankful look.
"Dumbledore said we shouldn't tell Harry and June more than they need to know," Molly said, still glaring at Sirius and ignoring what June had just told her.
"I don't intend to tell them more than they need to know, Molly," Sirius said. "But as Harry was the one who saw Voldemort come back and June died for a short period, they have more right than most to —"
"They're not a member of the Order of the Phoenix!" Molly said. "They're only fifteen and seventeen and —"
"And they dealt with as much as most in the Order," Sirius continued, "and more than some."
"No one's denying what they have done!" Molly said, her voice rising, her fists trembling on the arms of her chair. "But they're still —"
"They're not children!" Sirius said impatiently.
"They're not adults either!" Molly said, the color rising in her cheeks. "He's not James, Sirius! And she," she pointed at June now, "is not Lyra!"
"I'm perfectly clear who they are, thanks, Molly," Sirius said coldly.
"I'm not sure you are!" Molly said. "Sometimes, the way you talk about them, it's as though you think you've gotten your best friends back!"
"And what's wrong with that?" Harry asked.
"What's wrong, Harry, is that you are not your father and June is not her mother, however much you might look like them!" Molly said, her eyes still boring into Sirius. "You are still at school and adults responsible for you should not forget it!"
"Meaning I'm an irresponsible godfather and uncle?" Sirius demanded, his voice rising.
"Meaning you have been known to act rashly, Sirius."
"Molly." June's voice was stern as she glared at her boyfriend's mother before placing a comforting hand on Sirius' shoulder. "That's enough."
"Arthur!" Molly said, rounding on her husband. "Arthur, back me up!"
Arthur did not speak at once. He took off his glasses and cleaned them slowly on his robes, not looking at his wife. Only when he had replaced them carefully on his nose did he reply.
"Dumbledore knows the position has changed, Molly. He accepts that Harry and June will have to be filled in, to a certain extent, now that the two of them are staying at Headquarters."
"Yes, but there's a difference between that and inviting him to ask whatever he likes!"
"Personally," Remus began quietly, "I think it's better that Harry and June get the facts — not all the facts, Molly, but the general picture — from us, rather than a garbled version from . . . others."
"Well," Molly said, breathing deeply and looking around the table for support that did not come, "well . . . I can see I'm going to be overruled. I'll just say this: Dumbledore must have had his reasons for not wanting Harry and June to know too much, and speaking as someone who has Harry and June's best interest at heart —"
"They're not your children," Sirius said quietly.
"They are as good as," Molly said fiercely. "Who else does Harry has?"
"He's got me!" Sirius said.
"And me," June added.
"Yes," Molly said, her lip curling, "the thing is, it's been rather difficult for you to look after them while you've been locked up in Azkaban, hasn't it?"
Juniper jumped up, almost knocking her chair down in the process. Her hazel eyes were gleaming dangerously.
"Don't talk to him like that," she said, gritting through her teeth.
Sirius had risen, too, and placed his hand on June's arm.
"Molly, you're not the only person at this table who cares about Harry," Remus said sharply. "Sirius, June, sit down."
Molly's lower lip was trembling. Sirius and June sank slowly back into their chairs, their faces white.
"I think Harry and June ought to be allowed a say in this," Remus continued, "they're old enough for themselves."
"We want to know what's been going on," Harry said at once.
"Very well," Molly said, her voice cracking. "Ginny — Ron — Hermione — Fred — George — I want you out of this kitchen, now."
There was an insant uproar.
"We're of age!" Fred and George bellowed together.
"If Harry's allowed, why can't I?" Ron shouted.
"Mum, I want to hear!" Ginny wailed.
"NO!" Molly shouted, standing up, her eyes overbright. "I absolutely forbid —"
"Molly, you can't stop Fred and George," Arthur said warily. "They are of age."
"They're still at school."
"But they're legally adults now," Arthur said, in the same tired voice.
Molly was now scarlet in the face.
"I — oh, all right then, Fred and George can stay, but Ron —"
"Harry'll tell me and Hermione everything you say anyway!" Ron sai hotly. "Won't — won't you?" he added uncertainly, meeting Harry's eyes.
"Course I will," Harry said.
Ron and Hermione beamed.
"Fine!" Molly shouted. "Fine! Ginny — BED!"
Ginny did not go quietly. They could hear her raging and storming at her mother all the way up the stairs. It wasn't until it was quiet in the house once more, that Sirius spoke.
"What do you want to know?"
"Where's Voldemort?" Harry asked, and June could feel Charlie tense up again while Timothée and Fleur exchanged a grim look. June placed her hand on Charlie's knee and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He placed his hand on top of hers and gave her a small smile. "What is he doing?" Harry continued. "I've been trying to watch the Muggle news, and there hasn't been anything that looks like him yet, no funny deaths or anything."
"That's because there haven't been any funny deaths, yet," Sirius said, "not as far as we know . . . and we know quite a lot."
"More than he thinks we do, anyway," Remus added.
"How come he's stopped killing people?" Harry asked.
"Because he doesn't want to draw attention to himself," Sirius said. "It would be dangerous for him. His comeback didn't come off quite the way he wanted it to, you see. He messed it up."
"Or rather, you and June messed it up for him," Remus said, with a satifsifed smile.
"How?" Harry asked, perplexed.
"You weren't supposed to survive!" Sirius said. "Nobody apart from his Death Eaters was supposed to know he'd come back. But you survived to bear witness."
"And the very last person he wanted alerted to his return the moment he got back was Dumbledore," Remus said. "And you make sure Dumbledore knew at once."
"How has that helped?" Harry asked.
"Are you kidding?" Bill said incredulously. "Dumbledore was the only one You-Know-Who was ever scared of!"
"Thanks to you, Dumbledore was able to recall the Order of the Phoenix about an hour after Voldemort returned," Sirius said.
"So, what's the Order been doing?" Harry asked, looking around at them all.
"Working as hard as we can to make sure Voldemort can't carry out his plans," Sirius said.
"How d'you know what his plans are?" Harry asked quickly.
"Dumbledore's got a shrewd idea," Remus said, "and Dumbledore's shrewd ideas normally turn out to be accurate."
"So what does Dumbledore reckon he's planning?"
"Well, firstly, he wants to build up his army again," Sirius said. "In the old days he had huge numbers at his command: witched and wizards he'd bullied or bewitched into following him, his faithful Death Eaters, a great variety of Dark creatures. You heard him planning to recruit to giants; well, they'll be just one of the groups he's after. He's certainly not going to try and take on the Ministry of Magic with only a dozen Death Eaters."
"So you're trying to stop him getting more followers?"
"We're doing our best," Remus said.
"How?"
"Well, the main thing is to try and convince as many people as possible that You-Know-Who really has returned, to put them on their guard," Charlie said from next to June. "It's proving tricky, though."
"Why?"
"Because of the Ministry's attitude," Nymphadora said. "You saw Cornelius Fudge after You-Know-Who came back, Harry. Well, he hasn't shifted his position at all. He's absolutely refusing to believe it's happened."
"But why?" Harry said desperately. "Why's he being so stupid? If Dumbledore —"
"Ah, well, you've put your finger on the problem," Arthur said with a wry smile. "Dumbledore."
"Fudge is frightened of him, you see," Nymphadora said sadly.
"Frightened of Dumbledore?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Frightened of what he's up to," Arthur said. "Fudge thinks Dumbledore's plotting to overthrow him. He thinks Dumbledore wants to be Minister of Magic."
"But Dumbledore doesn't want —"
"Of course he doesn't," Arthur said. "He's never wanted the Minister's job, even though a lot of people wanted him to take it when Millicent Bagnold retired. Fudge came to power instead, but he's never quite forgotten how much popular support Dumbledore had, even though Dumbledore never applied for the job."
"Deep down, Fudge knows Dumbledore's much cleverer than he is, a much more powerful wizard, and in the early days of his Ministry he was forever asking Dumbledore for help and advice," Remus said. "But it seems he's become fond of power, and much more confident. He loves being Minister for Magic and he's managed to convince himself that he's the clever one and Dumbledore's simply stirring up trouble for the sake of it."
"How can he think they?" Harry said angrily. "How can he think Dumbledore would just make it all up — that I'd make it all up?"
"Because accepting that Voldemort's back would mean trouble like the Ministry hasn't had to copy with for nearly fourteen years," Sirius said bitterly. "Fudge just can't bring himself to face it. It's so much more comfortable to convince himself Dumbledore's lying to destabilize him."
"You see the problem," Remus said. "While the Ministry insists there is nothing to fear from Voldemort, it's hard to convince people he's back, especially as they really don't want to believe it in the first place. What's more, the Ministry's leaning heavily on the Daily Prophet not to report any of what they're calling Dumbledore's rumor-mongering, so most of the wizarding community are completely unaware anything's happened, and that makes them easy targets for the Death Eaters if they're using the Imperius Curse."
"But you're telling people, aren't you?" Harry said, looking around. "You're letting people know he's back?"
They all smiled humorlessly.
"Well, as a false-convicted murderer, people still don't trust me," Sirius said.
"And I'm not a very popular dinner guest with most of the community," Remus said. "It's a occupational hazard of being a werewolf."
"Tonks ans Arthur would lose their jobs are the Ministry if they started shooting their mouths off," Sirius said, "and it's very important for us to have spies inside the Ministry, because you can bet Voldemort will have them."
"We've managed to convince a couple of people, though," Arthur said. "Tonks here, for one — she's too young to have been in the Order of the Phoenix last time, and having Aurors on our side is a huge advantage — Kingsley Shacklebolt's been a real asset, too."
"But if none of you are putting the news out that Voldemort's back —" Harry began.
"Who said none of us are putting the news out?" Sirius said. "Why d'you think Dumbledore's in such trouble?"
"What d'you mean?" Harry asked.
"They're trying to discredit him," Remus said. "Didn't you see the Daily Prophet last week? They reported that he'd been voted out of the Chairmanship of the International Confederation of Wizards because he's getting old and losing his grip, but it's not true; he was voted out by Ministry wizards after he made a speech announcing Voldemort's return. They've demoted him from Chief Warlock on the Wizengamot — that's the Wizard High Court — and they're talking about taking away his Order of Merlin, First Class, too."
"But Dumbledore says he doesn't care what they do as long as they don't take him off the Chocolate Frog Cards," Bill said, grinning.
"It's no laughing matter," Arthus said sharply. "If he carries on in defying the Ministry like this he could end up in Azkaban, and the last thing we want is to have Dumbledore locked up. While You-Know-Who knows Dumbledore's out there and wise to what he's up to he's going to go cautiously. If Dumbledore's out of the way — well, You-Know-Who will have a clear field."
"But if Voldemort's trying to recruit more Death Eaters it's bound to get out that he's come back, isn't it?" Harry asked desperately.
"Voldemort doesn't march up to people's houses and bang on their front doors, Harry," Sirius said. "He tricks, jinxes and blackmails them. He's well-practiced at operating in secret. In any case, gathering followers is only one thing he's interested in. He's got other plans too, plans he can put into operation very quietly indeed, and he's concentrating on those for the moment."
"What's he after apart from followers?" Harry asked swiftly.
June thought she saw Sirius and Remus exchang the most fleeting of looks before Sirius answered.
"Stuff he can only get by stealth."
When Harry continued to look puzzled, Sirius said, "Like a weapon. Something he didn't have last time."
"When he was powerful before?"
"Yes."
"Like what kind of weapon?" Harry asked. "Something worse than the Avada Kedavra —?"
"That's enough!"
Molly spoke from the shadows beside the door. June hadn't noticed her return from taking Ginny upstairs. Her arms were crossed and she looked furious.
"I want you in bed, now. All of you," she added, looking around at Fred, George, Ron and Hermione.
"You can't boss us —" Fred began.
"Watch me," Molly snarled. She was trembling slightly as she looked at Sirius. "You've given Harry and June plenty of information. Any more and you might just as well induct them into the Order straightaway."
"Why no?" Harry said quickly. "We'll join, won't we, June? We want to join. We want to fight."
"No."
It was not Molly who spoke this time, but Remus.
"The Order is comprised only of overage wizards," he said. "Wizards who have left school," he added, as Fred, George and June opened their mouths. "There are dangers involved of which you can have no idea, any of you . . . I think Molly's right, Sirius. We've said enough."
Sirius half-shrugged but did not argue. June and the others stood up, ready to go to their bedrooms.
"Goodnight," June said, before turning around and climbing the stairs towards the fourth floor, her thoughts filled with information.
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Published 08.03.2021
I hope you enjoyed it & tell me what you think of it!
Personally, I think Molly didn't have the right to act so mean to Sirius — that poor guys has gone through a lot and he doesn't deserve it so that's why I made June stand up to her + I think that's something June would do. She is, after all, fiercely protective over those she loves.
And can we just take a moment to admire the banner Astridolia has made for me? It's so beautiful! Thank you so much! :)
If you want to make something for this book (banners, aesthetic, whatever you want), comment here (or send me a pm) and I'll put it in this book! :)