In Need

Back at Headquarters

It was a warm and pleasant evening ate ate August at the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. Black Manor, as it was otherwise known, had belonged to Sirius Black, the last of his immediate family. After his death it was passed on to the Order as their permanent safe house and meeting place for as long as it was useful. Harry Potter was relieved to arrive there for the last two weeks of summer before returning to his seventh and final year at Hogwarts School.


Life with his aunt and uncle was a daily headache, and their spite had only increased over the last couple of years after Dudley’s run-in with a dementor. Far from being grateful to Harry for saving their son Dudley’s life from the dementor, his aunt and uncle had been more awful to him than they ever had been throughout his childhood, if that was even possible. They knew that the magical threat had come to their son only because of Harry’s presence there, but they had at the same time refused to own that had it not been for Harry, Dudley would have died a horrible death. They resented their obligation to keep him and let no opportunity to express it pass.


After the sudden loss of his beloved godfather Sirius to the hands of death eaters over a year ago, Harry always found it an odd mix of comforting and poignant to return to Black Manor. The Weasley family, who over the years had become like the family Harry never had, were already there, minus two sons: Percy who had parted from them despite their efforts to reconcile with him, and Charlio wao was working with dragons in China. Also present at the manor was Hermione, who had spent the past summer with the Weasley’s, much to Harry’s envy. Remus Lupin, Tonks, and Madeye Moody were out on patrol but due to return later on for the meeting.


Mrs. Weasley gave Harry a big hug as he entered the house, closely followed by a tackle of hugs and loud greetings from Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins George and Fred. Harry was happy to finally be back amongst what he considered to be his true family and glad to have some time with them before returning to school.

The one downside of being back there in the Order’s headquarters meant facing the grim and ever-present reality of the fight against Voldemort. But as Harry’s and his friends’ skills had grown, as the Order had become more powerful and organized, and after the damage they had managed to do to the death eaters, Harry’s determination and confidence increased.

Under the guidance of Dumbledore and the rest of their teachers, the group of youngsters had grown into formidable young wizards. It would not be easy to defeat Voldemort, but it would also not be impossible. In their last encounter during the previous school year, everyone thought that the final battle had come. Harry - with the support of the Order and aurors from the Ministry - had managed to wound Voldemort, who then escaped. The search for Voldemort continued, and the final battle now rested on tracking him down.


The Order was meeting that evening before dinner, and several more members were expected to arrive soon. After taking his trunk up to his and Ron’s room, Harry listened as his friends filled him in on what he had missed over the summer. He groaned when he learned that among those expected to attend tonight was their least favorite teacher at Hogwarts - none other than their potions master, Professor Snape.


“Oh, man,” groaned Harry, “ow how he does a lot for the Order and all, but did I really have to see him on my first day back with all of you?”


“Don’t worry,” Hermione said. “You know that he never stays long. Anyway, Remus is living here now and there\'s no love lost between those two.”


“Besides,” chimed in Ron, “I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he meets the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! He was turned down *again* for it of course, and the new teacher will be here tonight at the meeting. Snape’s going to be positively livid!”


They all laughed and talked for a while longer before separating:


Ron and Harry decided to work on their untouched summer assignments, while George and Fred went down to help Bill get the tables and chairs in the backyard ready for the meeting and dinner. Ginny and Hermione went to the kitchen to help Mrs. Weasley start preparing the dinner which was to be served after the meeting was over. Mrs. Weasley and Hermione each had three different chopping boards full of vegetables, expertly and simultaneously being peeled, sliced, washed, dressed, and dumped into pots and bowls, all directed by deft and smooth flicks of their wands. Ginny’s kitchen skills were not as coordinated, and she nearly (accidentally) poured the contents of her cutting board over her mother’s head instead of into the bowl that she had intended.


As they heard someone enter the front hall, Mrs. Weasley sent a grateful Ginny out of the kitchen to go and greet the new arrival. Ginny ran down the hallway, drew the curtains around the shrieking portrait of Sirius’ mother and turned to greet the stranger who had come in.


Standing there in the hallway was a slender and very tall woman, dressed in trendy muggle clothes, holding a cat and a suitcase. She had a beautiful face framed by light blond hair, which was done up smartly in a chignon. Her white knee-length summer dress, its matching jacket, and the sunglasses she had propped on her head looked quite out of place among the wizard robes that the rest of them were wearing. Pretty diamonds sparkled on her ears and a matching diamond pendant hung at her throat on a delicate chain.


Despite being a stranger there - and one that stood out as such at that - she seemed completely at ease and appeared happy to have finally reached her destination. Her light blue eyes twinkled as she smiled kindly down at Ginny and extended her hand, saying in an American accented voice, “Hi. I’m Megan Waters - I’m here for the meeting.”


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Megan introduced herself to Mrs. Weasley and Hermione and the young men who had come in from the back yard, having finished arranging the tables. They learned that she was to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and they welcomed her warmly.


Mrs. Weasley bustled forward to help her take her coat off. “We are so pleased to have you here, dear. We’ve heard so many good things about you from Dumbledore. The meeting will start in a while, but you have enough time to go to your room and rest or freshen up if you want to.”


“Thanks,” Megan said. “I think I’ll just go up and change into something more appropriate.” And she headed up the stairs, following Ginny and Hermione who were talking animatedly with her about Hogwarts and what they had done so far in their defense against the dark arts classes.


Downstairs in the kitchen, Fred gave George a nudge in his ribs and nodded silently over at Bill who was standing with his mouth and eyes wide open, staring at the retreating Megan. The twins exchanged a wicked grin and teased their older brother. “So, it looks like poor old Bill has fallen under an immobilus spell. However did that happen?”


The twins quickly broke into imitations of Bill’s expression - staring exaggeratedly, bulging out their eyes, and wolfishly hanging their tongues out. They next moved into adaptations, mincing around the room, fluttering their eyelashes, and then fainting in each others\' arms in great swoons of passion. Bill blushed and gave them a look of annoyance which naturally only encouraged their performance even more.


Fred grinned and whistled conversationally, “Wheeeeew. We sure picked a fine time to leave Hogwarts…think of all the things we could have learned in *her* class!”


Ignoring the nasty look Bill gave them both, George continued, “Yes, but think - she can’t date a student. Now that we’re businessmen in our own right, we will be able to treat her in the style she deserves.”


“And shower her with gifts of fine joke merchandise.”


“And feed her peeled grapes.”


“I’m the handsome one, so I’ll woo her,” said George to his identical brother.


“Both of you cut it out,” said Bill, who had regained his composure.


He was a handsome young man and was quite used to attracting attention without trying to. He had seen some beauties in his time, but Megan, he realized shaking his head, went beyond that. He had never been struck quite that way by any other woman - most of them who were that beautiful were vapid and acted conscious about their looks, and most he knew who were that refined were either much older or just plain snobs. Megan moved with a grace and easy familiarity - even among strangers - that impressed him.


“She must be brilliant, too,” he thought, “to be offered a master position at Hogwarts at such a young age and from so far abroad.”


Bill Weasley impatiently waited for Megan to return downstairs so he could have a chance to talk with her and try to make an impression of his own on her.


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Upstairs, Harry and Ron were being updated by Ginny and Hermione. “You know,” Hermione mused after awhile, “I really could swear that I’ve seen her somewhere before.”


“Didn’t you say that she sounded like an American though?” Asked Ron. “We’ve never met any American witches except at the Quidditch Cup, and none of them really caught our eye.”


“That’s because you were too busy drooling over the Veela, remember?” Hermione replied crisply. “Ansidesides, I don’t think that’s where I’m recognizing her from. I actually think it might be from something muggle… After all, she was dressed like a muggle when she herehere, so maybe she lives among them outside of Hogwarts.”


“You’ll have to have a look at her then too,” said Ginny to Harry. “Maybe between the two of you, you will be able to place her.\"

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