HPNS- Chapter 7

Read Chapter 4, 5 and 6 here or start at the beginning

ABYSS OF REVENGE

“What did you name your pet tarantula, when you were seven?”

“Pet tarantula-over-my-dead-body! This is Ron Weasley and not Hagrid, you piece of dung!”

“Yeah- yeah I know. It was a trick question. An impersonator might not be aware that you can’t stand spiders…”

Harry opened the door of Beatrix Bloxam Place, to allow an extremely disgruntled Ron to enter.

Without a word Ron headed straight for his couch and shoving the rubbish on it to one side, collapsed onto it with his eyes closed. Mistaking him to be physically injured, Harry began his interrogations about the bleeding lip and why he was back from work early.

Ron merely grunted, “It’s nothing… tough day at work, that’s all” and lifted his legs onto the table before him rubbing his eyes wearily.

Harry looked at him for a while before saying, “Hermione was here before. She thought she’d find you here instead of me. I told her I was staying with you for the week”

Ron’s eyes flew up at Harry’s to confirm the statement, and he began to pass his fingers through his hair looking preoccupied.

“What happened at work Ron? Spit it out, you need to be in a better state than this for the night. The Order of the Phoenix is having another meeting and you have to be there” Harry said pouring a glass of water from his wand for Ron.

“What? Tonight? Where?” Ron asked jumping to his feet.

Harry replied, “The same- Grimmauld Place. Now tell me what this is all about”, sitting down next to Ron.

After briefing Harry on why the day had been so unmanageable (he discreetly left out the part about Josh and Ginny, and managed to exaggerate about his bonus to the required extent) Ron took a short power nap. Harry meanwhile decided to commence the preparation for the meeting that evening.

Every member of the Order was to bring with him some contribution for the dinner table so as to prevent Mrs. Weasley from wasting too much energy and resource every so often. They were to carry a change of clothes in case some urgent work was brought up, and an object that could easily be converted into a Portkey. Harry made ‘Aunt Petunia’s seasoned’ pasta for the table and crammed up a trunk with both their belongings, including their broomsticks, his Invisibility Cloak and Ron’s Secrecy Sensors.

He then took a shower and dressed himself decently in robes of deep purple. Harry tried to flatten the hairs that usually stood up at end with his wand. The members of the Order hadn’t overcome their habit of examining Harry closely and compared him to his father constantly. He supposed this was because Harry had now joined the Order just like his father had… he just hoped he would be luckier than his father at the final confrontation with Lord Voldemort.

Meanwhile, Ron had ambled into the bathroom yawning loudly and shuffled around deciding what to wear. He casually asked Harry, “Did Hermione say she’d meet us there pronto?”

“Uh-huh”, was his rather distracted reply, as he examined his sleep-worn pale skin in the steamy mirror.

Harry soon regretted his affirmative answer.

Ron proceeded to take an hour in the shower, almost delaying them and came out looking scrubbed and pine-fresh in his recently purchased bottle green robes. He took several more minutes combing his hair and applying cologne.

“RON- are- you- quite- finished- being- A- PRAT?!” Harry bellowed, eventually losing his patience. He kept checking his watch as he stood at the doorway with their trunk.

Completely unaware of having caused any problem, Ron apparated smartly right next to Harry. A heavy sensual scent wafted right into Harry’s nostrils. He raised his eyebrows at Ron who looked back brazen and unembarrassed.

“Let’s not wait for the grass to grow Harry! Come on, we’ll be late!” Ron piped up cheerfully walking out.

Then they set off together into the velvet night, to attend the very important meeting of the Order of the Phoenix, of which they were now full and essential members…

“The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London” thought Harry and Ron, as soon as they had apparated outside the secret entrance to the headquarters. Harry knocked at the door that appeared, while Ron checked his reflection in the dusty window pane of Number Eleven.

“Password?” a low voice issued from the musty inners of the half-open door.

All these stringent measures were in light of the war… the headquarters was completely secret territory and there was no room here for imposters or traitors. Severus Snape had already betrayed them and they couldn’t risk any infiltration in the Order as the location was now, already known to Voldemort. Kingsley Shacklebolt had finally decided that location was not to be transferred; instead the protection around Grimmauld Place would be increased to the maximum extent. Much to their inconvenience however, this procedure involved selecting passwords that even Sir Cadogan would not have managed to invent.

“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” Harry and Ron chanted solemnly.

Remus Lupin opened the door to let them both in. “Before we interact on any level, please verify your patronuses, and then I shall verify mine”, he smiled lightly at Harry and Ron gesturing towards the Meeting Hall. With wands held aloft, they entered the dim passage and stood in a dueling position, facing one another.

“Expecto Patronum” was muttered in unison.

The darkness that pervaded the narrow hallway like a vast sepulcher tore open with the brilliant silver light of the three wand tips. A stag… a terrier… and a wolf… faced themselves in their white iridescence, and the owners of the respective Patronuses called them back after the moment’s lingering.

The house which now belonged to Harry was still very dusty and full of Dark magic… flooded with haunting memories of Sirius Black, Harry Potter’s godfather. Harry could almost visualize a tall, thin and dark-haired figure, floating across the staircase singing “God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriff”. The pain shot up through him once more, with every step that he took in Grimmauld Place. Bellatrix Lestrange’s deranged laughter echoed in his mind as he passed the painting of Mrs. Black, hidden behind the curtain. Harry could vividly remember the dreams he had since, where his own fingers were around Bellatrix’s throat … and his green eyes brimming with revulsion and hatred, were reflected in her grey, empty, lifeless eyeballs…

Both he and Ron quietly walked into the hall where a small crowd was sitting at the large dining table. They greeted them in hushed voices and upon finding Hermione sitting with Fred, George and Charlie, walked up to occupy the two seats she had saved for them.

“Hi you guys, what kept you?” she asked passing them each a scroll of parchment and quill.

Her salmon robes complimented her slim, petite figure and Harry thought she looked prettier than she had that very evening when she had met him, at Ron’s apartment.

“I was late from work” Ron said, quickly overriding Harry before he could open his mouth, “that was because Dwindle offered me a bonus of 100 galleons” he whispered further, leaning closer to Hermione as though he expected her to giggle and smother him with kisses.

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his chair and gave a small cough to distract them.

And the very end of the table, Kingsley Shacklebolt rose to address the Order of the Phoenix. “This meeting is in session. To begin we will carry out the formal head-count and then proceed to the order of events to be discussed and implemented”, he said in a low, clear voice.

Arthur Weasley carried out the census and confirmed that all were present except Bill Weasley and Molly Weasley, and Neville Longbottom who had written earlier that he would be delayed.

Then it was Professor McGonagall who stood and spoke gravely, “As you are all aware, three nights ago we lost two members among us, whose courage and contribution had indeed been commendable. I speak of Dedalus Diggle and Seymour Baggins. We will observe a minute’s silence in their honour”.

Harry firmly shut his eyes and clasped his hands together under the table. Diggle and Baggins had been in the Order last time as well and were killed by giants during a mission. There bodies had been found dumped in a small river under the Dark Mark in the sky, mangled beyond recognition. Although Harry had not been present when the bodies had been recovered, he couldn’t quite forget Fred and George’s graphic details of the distortion on their bodies…

The three friends prayed for Dedalus Diggle and Seymour Baggins. As the war advanced day by day their number seemed to be increasingly diminishing, just like the last time.

After the minute elapsed Professor McGonagall spoke again “Tonight, Remus John Lupin will commence his report regarding the whereabouts of Fenrir Greyback and other werewolves under ‘He who must not be named’”.

All attention turned towards Lupin who sat beside his fiancée, Nymphadora Tonks. Although he was dressed in his customary worn-out robes and the grey in his hair shone sharply against the young visage, Harry thought that the colour in Lupin’s face was brighter and healthier than before. He and Tonks had been seeing each other for the past two years and were now engaged to be married. Tonks was a good potioneer as her job required her to be, was brewing the Wolfsbane Potion for him regularly, along with a host of good cooking and love, as Harry imagined.

***

“I think it’ll have to be Moony who gets married before any of us. No matter how pretty Padfoot is he seems to be unlikely to ever take a wife!” James Potter exclaimed with feigned enthusiasm at his best friend Sirius Black, all of sixteen.

Sirius winked right back and repeated in the same tone, “Unlikely to ever take a pureblood wife!”

“What makes you think that someone would be looking to marry a werewolf in such a hurry?” young Remus replied, with an inaudible tone of regret.

Peter piped up, “Sooner you than me! You might just get the best looking woman who’s your cousin twice removed and is half- werewolf herself! I never seem to have any luck with witches…”

Sirius intervened, “Witches? You’d better leave them for us mate, and start looking in the right places from now on. Hogwarts has a lot of rodent holes where they’re just dying to mate with you!”

James and Remus laughed heartily.

“What are you so amused at Prongs? I’ll be standing naked in a cauldron of bat intestines before you get hitched with Lily-poo!” Sirius insinuated mercilessly at James.

James didn’t retaliate in the favour of Lily Evans as expected. Instead he blew smoke rings from his wand lazily, that settled on the surface of the Lake and said with gusto, “It don’t matter Padfoot… whether it’s Remus first, or you or me… or even old Wormtail. The best part is that whether we’re bachelors or married, we’ll always be friends and die for each other’s honour. As the Muggles say - All for one, and one for all! Here’s to the Marauders!”

***

Remus Lupin stood up in his seat, shook the hair out of his eyes and shuffled the papers in his hand. As he began to speak, Harry noticed a glint in his eyes that he had never seen before. It looked as if Lupin was actually shaken out of his usual complacent benevolence, and instead was truly involved with what he was about to read.

“Greyback was spotted in the county of Devonshire where I was myself, a fortnight back. Reports were made of an attack on two boys on the streets at night. When I investigated the next night I understood that it had been him along with three other werewolves. I searched out the families of those children and talked to them regarding the symptoms and identified their attacker. My identity was necessarily revealed in the discussion, so as to gain their trust. They have come on to our side, but obviously we cannot recruit those boys as they will be suffering from uncontrolled transformations. Tonight I intend to go and search for Greyback. From whatever I know of him, he would not have shifted his base from Devonshire within just a fortnight.”

Hermione looked upset at the news of the children and whispered to Harry, “I just wish Remus would be careful though. Personal animosity is not to be the criteria for selecting someone for a mission…”

Before he could make a suitable answer, Ron stood up and said clearly “I volunteer to accompany you for this mission”.

Everyone stared up at him.

Harry knew Ron had been determined for his retribution on Greyback after Bill had been attacked in their sixth year.

“We second his offer, Remus” said Fred and George standing up as well, with uncharacteristically determined faces.

No one knew how best to intervene. If Bill had been present he would have prevented them from any heroics on his behalf. But Bill had stayed at home that night as Pip had come down with a bout of Dragon-pox.

Mad-eye Moody stood up and said gruffly “That’s settled then, Fred Weasley, George Weasley and Ronald Weasley to accompany Remus Lupin in the search and probable extermination of one Fenrir Greyback and any werewolves present. Broomsticks to be set out for departure and… “, he continued while everyone made a note of it on the parchments given to them, as was required.

“Wait a minute”, Mr. Weasley interrupted from the edge of the table where he sat.

Harry had forgotten that Mr. Weasley was present and was thoroughly relieved to see that there was a responsible ‘Weasley’ present to stop them from going.

“Fred, George, Ron… there is no need for you to force your company on Remus. He should be allowed to decide if he needs any volunteers and choose them… we can’t let family matters blind our missions” he firmly said, as his sons opened their mouths to argue.

“Arthur they will be of a great deal of help and undoubtedly all three are talented” Lupin replied “but it’s not my decision that matters. It’s your permission they require”.

“Actually, you’ll see that we don’t!” Fred cut in sharply “we’re of age Dad even Ron, and we jolly well can decide where we wanna go. Dad, please… we won’t mess up and this one’s for Bill”.

Admitting defeat, Mr. Weasley sat down looking anxious and preoccupied. His wife had elected to remain behind with her grandson and now it was his responsibility to break this unwelcome news of their children’s departure to her.

“Our next task for this week involves greater skill and number”, Kingsley Shacklebolt carried forth the meeting, “we have managed to identify the location of Severus Snape, the Death Eater along with the followers- Theodore Nott, Amycus Carrow, Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson. They were seen moving among the common crowd under cloaks in a shopping alley near Westminster Abbey. Our speculations are that they are still present in the vicinity and we will require two Senior Aurors and three other members among us to carry forth this particular mission. If captured and thus proven guilty, we will be able to uncover several more high-profile Death Eaters and be a step closer to He who must not be named himself. Alastor and Nymphadora will represent the Senior Aurors as they have already suggested. Are there any volunteers?” he finished his lengthy statement in a regal voice.

“I volunteer for this mission” echoed both Harry and Hermione’s voice as they stood up together. Exchanging glances of surprise at each other they looked straight towards McGonagall and Shacklebolt.

“And I second their volunteer” called a voice from the left of Harry, which belonged to Charlie Weasley.

“I’ll be there as well… their jes’ ruddy kids the lot o’ them” growled Rubeus Hagrid drawing himself up to an intimidating height.

Moody stood up once more to make a record of this second mission, while Mr. Weasley sighed in his seat. He knew exactly what his wife would say if she found out that all of her sons in the Order had signed up for the toughest missions yet- one that involved actual confrontation with known Death-Eaters.

Kingsley Shacklebolt stood up again, “Our next task tonight which will involve your aid Madame Maxime…”

An hour later the party quietly filed into dinner and there was a buzz of excitement. Harry felt a sharp sensation in the pit of his stomach, as he walked with Ron and Hermione beside him. If he was lucky tonight he would confront Snape… a man he now hated as much as Voldemort himself. He knew that he wouldn’t rest until he had raised his wand on Snape. He had volunteered for this task for the same rash reason. Hermione, who always thought well in advance must have understood Harry’s desire when Shacklebolt had introduced the mission. He didn’t want to question her or stop her from going with him because he knew it was a pointless debate. Harry comforted himself with the thought that perhaps Hermione’s decision to volunteer had nothing to do with him and it could have been because Hermione detested Pansy Parkinson…

But Harry knew her better and she had just revealed that she never let personal rivalry blind her in such matters… undoubtedly she was more controlled and smarter than all of them.

As he found himself a place and laid his pasta on the table he bumped into Neville beside him.

“Oh hi Harry! So sorry I missed the meeting, had to be near Gran at the hospital”, Neville said, shaking Harry’s hand grimly, “she’s been getting a migraine frequently now, after that Death Eater hit her with a funny curse in Diagon Alley. I don’t think I missed much though; I never get selected for missions”.

He sat next to Harry, Ron and Hermione and they shared a polite conversation on how Neville had put his name down for Herbology Professor at Hogwarts as soon as he was qualified enough. Harry knew that neither Ron nor Hermione were paying any real attention to the talk. Ron was staring down at Harry’s pasta with thoughts that were evidently unrelated to the food on his plate.

They had only gone on one of the Order’s missions before when they had been seventeen and it had then involved plenty of adults accompanying them and some trivial spy work.

Meanwhile, Hermione absently helped herself to some of Hagrid’s rock cakes and Harry had to slap her hands away from them in the nick of time.

“How are all o’ yeh’ doing?” Hagrid said moving towards the trio “Gotta admit, I miss Hogwarts and less’ns”.

By the time the Grand Clock struck midnight, they were all ready with their broomsticks and belongings. Harry went over to Ron and embraced him, “You’ll be fine Ron. Just take care of Fred and George and DON’T get bitten… that’s all”, Harry said quietly, while Hermione joined them.

She and Ron stared at each other for a moment and then she lightly hugged him as well, whispering “Good Luck”.

“And to you as well…” Ron replied dejectedly “Oh and if you guys really see Snape, give them a Bat-Bogey Hex with my love!”

Both Harry and Hermione smiled slightly at Ron, who walked slowly up to Fred, George and Lupin standing at one corner. They both wondered if either of them would see him again, healthy and alive. Harry looked at Hermione who looked uncertain, nevertheless bold.

“We’ll see him again, don’t worry. You still have to tell him that you like him” Harry said, trying to induce some humor into the situation.

Hermione exclaimed with a contorted face “What? What gives you that idea?”

Hagrid, Charlie, Tonks and Moody joined them and Moody took a while explaining complicated tactics that involved them all dying in the end. It was quite a relief when Tonks intervened and simplified the plan.

They were to fly towards Westminster and separate in pairs. First attempt was of course to bring down the Death Eaters alive… but they were allowed to kill them as last resort. One thing was completely clear of course. Missions of the Order of the Phoenix were not supposed to fail, couldn’t fail. Simply put, it was their lives at stake in case of the slightest mistake committed.

Harry mounted his Firebolt with rigid determination to settle his scores… waiting for the next adventure that lay ahead… he was ready for it.

Read Chapter 8 The Phoenix Vendetta here