when war starts to feel like war pt. 1
June 7th, 1996
"SUCH A FINE day," Fred sighed, looking at the peaceful scenery through the window.
Grimmauld Place was very quiet that morning, with George still cooped up in the flat and Sirius deep in discussion with Remus over a hearty breakfast.
"So glad I'm not wasting it, sitting in a boring classroom, taking my N.E.W.T.."
Daisy snuggled deeper into Fred's side. Her tea and his coffee were kept warm by magic.
"It starts today, doesn't it? O.W.L.s, too."
"Yeah, supposedly. Have you heard more from Ginny?"
"No. Not since last month."
"She did say she'd only write in emergencies," Fred mumbled, "Oh, her tips worked wonders. Not only did Mum's letters got through, George's for Alicia was also delivered. He was rolling around in his bed, giggling all night. It was disturbing."
Daisy giggled, "He's in love."
"I'm in love!" Fred exclaimed defensively, "I don't act that way, though, do I?"
"You do. I often find myself on the verge of puking these days."
The two teenagers whipped their heads back and beamed when they saw the visitor. "Bill!"
"Just dropping by on my way to Gringotts, Mum's order," he swept his loose, long hair back with his hand and shuffled in. "Sirius told me you're punishing him to stay away from the library, Dee?"
"Oh," Daisy shrugged, "He lost on our last game, so I asked him to kindly provide some privacy for me in this room for a week."
"Huh," Fred furrowed his eyebrows, "I thought it was because of our talk."
It was a mixture of both annoying and endearing that Sirius found himself entitled to disapprove of Daisy and Fred's blooming love. They didn't exactly tell him that they were dating, but he was sharp. He could sniff something was up between the two youngsters.
Fred finally plucked up the courage to talk with him privately yesterday, to remind him that he once rooted for him, when the Weasleys first moved in to Grimmauld place. That Sirius was wise enough to make a fair and objective assessment of Fred's quality. Also that he should imagine if Daisy decided to date thugs or criminals or Slytherins instead of a guy like him.
All in all, he was an okay guy, right?
"Interesting. I wonder how good you are to win against the mischievous Sirius Black four weeks in a row."
"She won because of the Protego-watch," Fred said in a really proud tone, "Dee, let Bill see it and try it on."
The device looked like a metallic bracelet. The main machine was a two-inches-long cylinder, which was tied around Bill's wrist using leather-like semiconductor fabric. When he pressed both ends of the cylinder, per Daisy's instruction, Bill could feel something light pressing onto his ear drums. Like he was underwater, but not quite.
Then he noticed the nearly invisible force field enveloping him like a dome.
"Fred gave it a try," Daisy said. Weird, he could hear her very clearly. "The energy protects its user completely from common spells and significantly decreases the impact of powerful ones. However, if you cast a spell from within, it's not as obstructed as it is from the outside. Heavy liquid and solid matters aren't affected, but I see some alteration when it comes to gaseous substances. What do you think?"
"It's brilliant!" Fred added, "Gave George and I some ideas for a more serious line for our shop."
Bill paused to think for a minute.
"Daisy, can you make more of this?"
"Of course. What for?"
"For us, Order members." The eldest Weasley's tone suddenly turned grim and serious, "In case of battles, this thing you built for fun can actually save some lives."
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June 16th, 1996
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOVE."
Daisy's cheeks turned red as she reached for Fred's unwrapped gift.
"It's just, uh, some ribbons for your hair. I don't really know what to get you."
"It's lovely, Frederick," Daisy said in assurance. She put the little box of beautiful ribbons —her favorite would be the black one, with white daisies embroidered on it— aside on the table and pulled out three familiar-looking knitted jumpers, "And what's this?"
"Er— For you."
"Aren't these yours?" Daisy asked, unfolding the jumpers. One was maroon with a golden 'F' on its center. One was pale beige with a small Gryffindor's lion embroidered on its chest. The other was black with a yellow 'W'.
"It is, it's just— You know—" Fred paused, turning red himself. He couldn't believe he would ever stutter in the presence of Daisy. He used to be able to blabber about anything to her without feeling judged or embarrassed.
Be normal, Fred, he told himself. He cracked a grin and said somewhere between joking and not, "Take it when you move to Cambridge. It's a mark, you see, to show you're mine."
Daisy looked at him weirdly, but she couldn't stop the big smile forming on her face. Chuckling, she leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Thank you."
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
The couple sprang apart in surprise and turned around to greet Mrs. Weasley, who still remained oblivious of their... recent engagement. She had a three-tiered cake in her hand and George followed in, saying, "Careful, Mum! The cake's falling— the cake!"
✿ ❀ ✿ ❀ ✿
June 18th, 1996
THE NEWS OF Hagrid being ousted by Umbridge was delivered in the form of a frustrated Tonks, clumsily tripping over thin air then having a row with Mrs. Black instead of cowering in front of it like she usually did, at barely three o'clock in the morning.
That, and an alarming letter from Ginny. Daisy saw it right before she went downstairs to see what the ruckus was all about.
Are you awake?
Harry and the others saw Umbridge trying to sack Hagrid. He's on the run now, headed to the woods. None of Umbridge's cronies dared to enter the Forbidden Forest, so he should be safe by now. But Professor McGonagall was hit by four Stunners, and got carried into the Hospital Wing. Snape came scurrying in minutes later, probably to give her some replenishing potion, and hasn't come out since.
Stay safe, Daisy wrote back hurriedly. I'm leaving the paper in my room now. Get some rest.
You, too.
Pulling a robe over her petite figure, Daisy came down the stairs to see Sirius, Moody, and Tonks sitting on the table. Remus levitated mugs of hot beverages towards each of them. Daisy could see the tip of Kreacher's snout behind the door, but the elf seemed to have retreated back to its lair just minutes later.
"Daisy, right," Tonks breathed out. Her hair was in a deep shade of purplish blue, contrasting well with her pale skin. "Sorry. It's just—"
"It's McGonagall, she's been admitted to St. Mungo's," Moody said gruffly. "And Hagrid's disappeared, so we're down two members inside of Hogwarts."
"What? What happened?" Sirius demanded.
"Four Stunners to the chest. Her poor heart could only take so much," Tonks said, sniffling.
"Hey, hey... She's gonna be okay," Remus said soothingly to her, running his hand down her back rhythmically. "It'll be okay, Tonks."
"Our resources are stretching thin, but we should put an eye on her around the clock. This could be the start of You-Know-Who's scheme to take down Order members one by one."
"Do the others know?" Daisy asked, pulling up a chair next to Sirius.
"No, just us and Kingsley. We're gonna alert the Ministry people using Patronus. You two, let the Weasleys know and to contact Dumbledore, wherever he's hiding. Tell 'em we're having a meeting here."
"Now?"
Moody hummed, "No, no, it's essential but not urgent. Tonight should be fine. We should find out more about Hagrid, where he's hiding—"
"He ran into the Forbidden Forest."
The four adults looked at her, bewildered.
"He should be safe. Professor Umbridge wouldn't go in there."
"How did you know about that?" Sirius asked.
"It's— Well, trust me, I have my means. Confidential, of course."
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June 18th, 1996
SOME THOUGHT THAT McGonagall's dire condition was the only problem they had to deal with at the moment. But no.
Not according to Harry, no. Because when Sirius was cackling, floating by the idea of jinxing some food for that night's Order meeting to Daisy as she fixed them two cups of herbal tea, the boy had a vision of him being tortured by the Dark Lord in the Department of Mysteries. It felt so real, so tangible, just like his vision of Mr. Weasley from last December.
"Voldemort's got Sirius."
"What?" Ron and Hermione chorused in disbelief.
"How d'you?"
"Saw it. Just now. When I fell asleep in the exam."
"But— but where? How?"
"I dunno how," said Harry. "But I know exactly where. There's a room in the Department of Mysteries full of shelves covered in these little glass balls, and they're at the end of row ninety-seven... He's trying to use Sirius to get whatever it is he wants from in there... He's torturing him, says he'll end by killing him..."
Harry found his voice was shaking, as were his knees.
"How're we going to get there?"
There was a moment's silence. Then Ron said, "G— get there?"
"Get to the Department of Mysteries, so we can rescue Sirius!" Harry said loudly.
"Harry..." Hermione said in a rather frightened voice. "Er... How... How did Voldemort get into the Ministry of Magic without anybody realizing he was there?"
"How do I know?" Harry bellowed, "The question is how we're going to get in there!"
"But... Harry, think about this," Hermione, the voice of reason of the Golden Trio, took a deep breath and braced herself to take a step closer toward him. "It's five o'clock in the afternoon... The Ministry of Magic must be full of workers... How would Voldemort and Sirius, the two most wanted wizards in the world, have got in without being seen? You think they could get into a building full of Aurors undetected?"
Of course, the boy's temper exploded.
"You... This isn't a criticism, Harry! But you do... sort of... I mean— don't you think you've got a bit of a— a— saving people thing?"
His temper exploded once more, and Ron wasn't exactly helping to fuse the situation.
"I'm trying to say Voldemort knows you, Harry! He took Ginny down into the Chamber of Secrets to lure you there. It's the kind of thing he does, he knows you're the sort of person who'd go to Sirius's aid! What if he's just trying to get you into the Department of Myst—"
"Hermione, it doesn't matter if he's done it to get me there or not. They've taken McGonagall to St. Mungo's! There isn't anyone left from the Order at Hogwarts who we can tell, and if we don't go, Sirius is dead!"
As Harry's temper rose, so did his volume. The classroom's door was pushed opened to reveal Ginny walking in, looking curious, followed by Luna Lovegood who as usual looked as though she had drifted in accidentally.
"Hi, we recognized Harry's voice," said Ginny, uncertain if she should disturb the conversation or not, "What are you yelling about?"
"Never you mind," said Harry roughly.
Ginny raised her eyebrows. She said coolly, "There's no need to take that tone with me. I was only wondering whether I could help."
"Well, you can't," said Harry shortly.
"You're being rather rude, you know," said Luna serenely.
"Wait," said Hermione suddenly. "Wait... Harry, they can help."
The five teenagers decided (or rather, quite forced by Harry) to handle the situation on their own. Ron's part was to distract Umbridge with a fake news of Peeves, the girls' were supposed to clear the hallway near the Headmistress' office with a Garroting Gas hoax, while Harry slipped in using his Invisibility Cloak and tried to contact 12 Grimmauld Place.
Unfortunately for him, his call was answered by Kreacher.
He was too distracted and too muffled away in the library while Sirius and Daisy's laughter echoed throughout the kitchen, just rooms away.
Unfortunately for them, too, Ginny just remembered that she had the magical parchment to contact Daisy.
And just as she was pulling it out of her pocket, Umbridge came trodding down the hallway looking furious, followed by her band of Slytherin minions. They were taken, and the parchment was forced out of her hand.
"Where's Sirius, Kreacher?" Harry demanded through the fireplace.
The house-elf gave a wheezy chuckle. "Master has gone out, Harry Potter."
"Where's he gone? Where's he gone, Kreacher?"
Kreacher merely cackled.
"I'm warning you!" said Harry, "What about Lupin? Mad-Eye? Daisy? Any of them, are any of them here?"
There was a moment's silence, then the elf let out his loudest cackle yet. "Master will not come back from the Department of Mysteries! Kreacher and his Mistress are alone again!"
And it scurried forward and disappeared through the door to the hall.
"You—"
But before he could utter a single curse or insult, Harry felt a great pain at the top of his head. He inhaled a lot of ash and, choking, found himself being dragged backward through the flames until he was staring up into the wide, pallid face of Professor Umbridge.
"You think," she whispered creepily, bending Harry's neck back even farther, so that he was looking up at the ceiling above him, "that after two nifflers I was going to let one more foul, scavenging little creature enter my office without my knowledge? I had Stealth Sensoring Spells placed all around my doorway after the last one got in, you foolish boy. Take his wand!"
She threw him down to the floor, and now Harry could see Hermione pinned against the wall by Millicent Bulstrode. Malfoy was leaning on the windowsill, smirking as he threw Harry's wand into the air one-handed and then caught it again.
There was a commotion outside and several large-bodied Slytherins entered, each gripping Ron, Ginny, Luna, and... Neville?
"Got 'em all, Professor," said Crabbe, proud. "That one," he pointed at Neville, then Ginny, "tried to stop me from taking her, so I brought him along, too."
"Good, good," Umbridge hummed, watching Ginny's struggles. "Well, it looks as though Hogwarts will shortly be a Weasley-free zone, doesn't it? Who were you talking to, huh? Who did you contact?"
"Nobody."
"Liar!" snarled Umbridge, "Clearly, it was very important for you to talk to somebody. Was it Albus Dumbledore? Or the half-breed, Hagrid? I doubt it was Minerva McGonagall, I hear she is still too ill to talk to anyone..."
Malfoy and a few of the other members of the Inquisitorial Squad laughed some more at that. Harry found he was so full of rage and hatred, he was shaking.
"It's none of your business who I talk to," he snarled back.
Umbridge's slack face seemed to tighten.
"Very well," she said in her most dangerous and falsely sweet voice. "Very well, Mr. Potter... I offered you the chance to tell me freely. You refused. I have no alternative but to force you. Draco— fetch Professor Snape."
Malfoy stowed Harry's wand inside his robes and left the room smirking, but Harry hardly noticed. He had just realized something...
He could not believe he had been so stupid as to forget it.
His eyes met the other kids, especially those who had spent last Summer and Christmas with him at the Headquarter, and they seemed to have understood the point as well.
They had thought that all the members of the Order, all those who could help them save Sirius, were gone— but they were wrong. There was still a member of the Order of the Phoenix at Hogwarts.
Snape.