Everything I Do, I Do It For You

Chapter 46: The Order

As Miss Granger and Professor Snape stepped out of the fire onto the rug in the staff room, every head turned their way.

Hermione noticed that there were no more than ten Order members left, and that they were all seated around a large table in the centre of the room.

She felt a blush rise from her cheeks, but she kept her head firmly in the air, a look of vibrancy in her eyes as she stared around the room. Her hand unconsciously tightened its grip on the dark wizard standing next to her.

Severus felt her hand grip tighten, she was squeezing him with all her might, but he did not try to remove his hand. He knew she was nervous; hell, so was he, though he made no show of it. Looking over at Miss Granger, he saw that her jaw was set in a certain way that he always associated with her when her mind was set on a certain task or a particularly hard problem that she had yet to find the answer to.

Severus’ attention was broken from the witch beside him by the scraping of a chair, and he looked over to the table to see that Sirius Black was standing.

Sirius rushed over to the two of them, his arms were held wide open as his gaze never left Miss Granger’s face. He held a look of genuine mirth on his face.

Just as Sirius was upon them, the Potions Master felt a surge of powerful magic around Miss Granger and himself. He watched as Mr Black flew through the air to land on his back on the table. He reminded Severus oddly of a fly caught in a spider’s web.

Just as quickly as the magical barrier was erected, it seemed to dissipate into the air around them. Severus blinked a couple of times, he felt rather giddy, as he shook his head a couple of times trying to drive away the unwelcome feeling.

Pandemonium broke out. There were Order members standing up and shouting whilst others were just sitting there looking from Hermione to Sirius with unreadable looks on their faces.

“Silence,” Dumbledore bellowed out as he stood. Everyone stopped what they were doing and an eerie calm settled upon the room.

“Now if everyone will kindly take their seats we shall bring this meeting to order,” Dumbledore stated, not willing to bring up Hermione’s new powers. There were more important things to discuss at the moment, and the Headmaster felt that time was running out for them.

Dumbledore didn’t want to deal with another Tom Riddle, but as it was unavoidable, he thought that he would just give everyone in the room the information that was pertaining to them and leave it at that. No one needed to know the full story anyway unless it directly affected them.

Severus, still grasping Hermione’s hand, led her over to the table from where Sirius was now standing and they took their seats next to Tolmie.

Sirius was grumbling under his breath as he took his seat directly opposite Hermione. He shot Severus a glare that obviously meant they would speak later. Severus just sneered at him in reply, and turned his attention to the Headmaster.

Everyone was looking at Dumbledore now as the elderly wizard took the floor. “As most of you are still unaware as to the nature of this meeting, I shall get straight to the point. Sybill Trelawney made another prophecy,” the Headmaster said, and mumbling went around the room at his words. Dumbledore held up both of his hands to impede any questions.

“It seems as though there is yet another Dark Lord on the rise, and Sybill’s prophecy was very specific in its nature as to who would be responsible for his demise. Now before you ask questions, I only ask that you listen to the prophecy in its entirety and then we can discuss its implications.” The Headmaster looked at each Order member in turn, a stern look on his face.

“I believe it started with: rival houses must unite: the Serpent and the Lion. The new friend you must seek; the traitor you must trust. These four must stand united as one. To fight the uprising of a new Dark Lord; Dark Magic must be used to bind him.” Dumbledore finished and looked around the room. Everyone was busy trying to make sense of the words that the Headmaster had just spoken.

“I think that the professor was referring to the two of us when she spoke of the serpent and the lion,” Hermione said as she gestured toward Severus and herself.

Every head turned her way as she continued.

“Well, Professor Trelawney did have her hands on us as she made the prophecy, so I have concluded that this prophecy was meant for Professor Snape and myself to hear,” she finished.

“Yes, but who are the friend and the traitor?” Remus Lupin asked.

“I believe that the friend is me,” Tolmie answered, and every head turned from Remus, who was at the end of the table, to Tolmie, who was at its centre.

“And who exactly are you?” Sirius growled out. He was still a little perturbed from the way that he had been treated by Hermione and Snape, and although he didn’t mean to be taking out his frustration on the older man sitting across the table, he still did so all the same.

Tolmie, who had noticed the curious interaction between Severus and this long curly-haired wizard sitting before himself, stood and extended his right hand in Sirius' direction. “Tolmie Crobobin,” he answered, as Sirius took his hand firmly in his and shook it.

As the link was made between Sirius and Tolmie, two things happened. Firstly, Sirius felt a little queasy as a slight headache formed within the depth of his head. Secondly, Tolmie was given the impression that Sirius was generally a decent human being, though a little misguided and rough on the exterior, inside he would go to any length to protect the ones that he loved.

“I had come to the same conclusion, Mr Crobobin,” Dumbledore said as the two men took their seats, “as you were there also when the prophecy took place.”

Tolmie looked up at the elderly wizard with a legitimate smile plastered across his features. He hadn’t known Albus Dumbledore for all that long, but it seemed, at least to him, that they had truly known each other for an extensive time, perhaps in a previous life. Tolmie couldn’t shake the feeling as the Headmaster looked away from him.

“Any thoughts on who this traitor may be?” Kingsley Shacklebolt enquired.

All heads turned again to the Headmaster as if they were expecting him to have all of the answers, which of course he did.

“Peter Pettigrew.” Dumbledore spoke the words so quietly that Hermione had to strain to hear what he was saying.

Sirius stood up and slammed his hands onto the table. Nearly everyone in the room startled from Sirius' sudden outburst. “Would you care to repeat that?” Sirius growled out.

His voice was thunderous as his face turned an interesting shade of red.

“Oh, do sit down, Sirius,” Minerva McGonagall said in a tone she usually harboured for wayward students.

Sirius, paying no attention to Minerva, spat out, “And where do you propose we find him? Last time I looked, I thought him to be in hiding or dead, at least I hoped he was dead. If not, I will kill him with my bare hands. Do you know what he took from me?” Sirius asked as he looked around the room.

“Yes, yes, we are all aware of your time in Azkaban, Sirius,” Minerva added reluctantly.

“Well, obviously not if you,” here he pointed at the Headmaster, “are you suggesting that he has to be brought into this little party?” Sirius gestured around the room. He was breathing heavily, as if he had just run a race and everyone who cared to look in his eyes could see the detestation he held there for Peter.

“Where would we find him, supposing he is the traitor?” Mundungus Fletcher asked.

“Well,” Dumbledore started; there was no real good way to break this to everyone in the room, so he thought he should just get it over with. Sighing, he rushed headfirst into his explanation, “I know where Peter is being held.” He let the implication sink in as he looked towards Sirius, who held a look of murder in his eyes.

“You what?” Sirius roared.

“Yes,” Dumbledore said calmly, “he has been staying in the castle for the past seven months.”

At this, Sirius started pacing behind the desk. Everyone in the room held their collective breath as they all watched the events unfold. Like a train wreck, they couldn’t stop themselves from looking.

Severus held a knowing smirk on his face, the kind that said, ‘I knew it all along.’

Sirius abruptly stopped pacing and whirled around to face Dumbledore. “Well, that’s it,” he stated, “I want no part of it. If you have knowingly harboured that… that piece of filth here, in this very castle, and never once thought of telling me, then… then… I’m out of here.” Finished with his declaration, Sirius headed towards the door.

“Wait, Sirius,” Minerva said as she stood and walked briskly up to the irate wizard. She placed a hand gently on his shoulder which he promptly threw off.

“You know what he did to me and yet you presume to allow him to live. Albus, you are a hypocrite,” Sirius said, never turning around. He was facing the closed door with his hand on the knob.

Remus went to stand, but after a look from the Headmaster, decided to remain seated instead.

Sirius turned around. He strode back towards Hermione and, stopping short of touching her, he spoke, “Hermione,” he said. His face still thunderous, although his eyes were sad, he barely whispered, “How could you?” his voice wavered slightly with emotion.

When Hermione just looked up at him, her brow furrowed and a look of confusion on her face, he added, “Consorting with the enemy.” Here he waved his hand at Severus and Hermione had to blush as she looked down to where Sirius was staring. She quickly untangled her hand from Severus' and placed both of them in her lap.

Sirius sighed and threw his hands in the air. He made his way back to the door and left, slamming it behind him.

Hermione stood; she was looking from the closed door to the Headmaster, as if weighing a momentous decision.

“Let him go,” Dumbledore said wearily. “He needs a breath of fresh air; I think it will do him some good.”

Hermione took her seat once more and slumped into it as the Headmaster continued.

“So now that that is settled…” Dumbledore started, but was cut off by the small voice of Martha Gaylor.

“What’s settled?” she asked.

The Headmaster turned his gaze towards her just as Mundungus spoke out.

“Yes, what is settled?” Mundungus asked, quizzically.

Albus took a deep breath. “The prophecy,” he simply stated as if it should be obvious to everyone.

“Ah…” Mundungus and Martha both surmised at once.

“Now I believe that there are some more intricate workings of the prophecy, but I have more pressing news at the moment.” Dumbledore didn’t believe that everyone in the room needed to know every minuscule detail and he had yet to bring up the matter of Calan Park.

“Mr Tolmie Crobobin,” he said, lifting a hand towards Tolmie, who smiled a little sheepishly, “has given me reason to believe that Calan Park, the mental health institution where Miss Granger was held, is actually a front to more devious means. Therefore I wish for Kingsley, Remus and Mundungus to go over there and discreetly,” at this he looked in Mundungus’ general direction whilst raising an eyebrow, “make enquires as to who is being held there and to what purpose. Liberate them if it will not cause too much of a stir, but diplomacy is a must. I trust that won’t be too much of a problem.” It was a statement rather than a question and all three men nodded their heads in agreement.

“What about the rest of the prophecy?” Hermione asked, sitting up straighter in her seat. She had been going through the prophecy over and over in her head and something still bothered her about it.

Dumbledore turned his head to her with a dumbfounded look on his face.

“I mean… I don’t know about the rest of you, but… but I don’t like the sound of using Dark Magic on anyone,” she added quickly.

“Yes, well, we shall explore that later, Miss Granger,” Dumbledore said, his eyes giving her a significant look before adding, “As it is lunch time now, I would suggest that we reconvene at a later date to discuss this issue.”

As the Order members got up from their seats and made their way to the door, Hermione stayed in her seat staring at the spot where, moments ago, Headmaster Dumbledore had stood. The Headmaster had always been cryptic in his explanations of anything, usually she could work out what he was saying, given enough time, however, right now, it seemed as though he was rushing around the finer points and leaving them out all together. She scowled at that thought.

Tolmie and Severus noticed this too, although they made no comment. When the last of the Order members left, Tolmie nodded his head at Severus and made his way to the fireplace. He then Flooed back to Severus’ suites in the dungeons. Severus took a weary step towards Hermione.

“Hermione,” he said; his tone was light as he took another step towards her.

Snapped from her temporary musing, she turned her head toward the dark-haired man standing behind her.

“We will get through this,” he said, as a look of genuine concern flickered across his features. “Come on, the house-elves will have no doubt made us a veritable feast for lunch and you don’t expect Tolmie and myself to eat it all,” he said with a grin.

Sighing slightly, she made to stand as Severus extended his hand once more in her direction. Taking it, she was guided over to the fireplace. Thirty seconds later, she was back in the Potions Master’s suites eating, deep in thought.

***

Cornelius Fudge was in a barely suppressed rage as he sat before the fire and contemplated what he should do next. Tapping his fingers on his temple in an easy beat helped him to think, and so he did that now.

If the unknown wizard had indeed been a friend of Snape’s, as all evidence pointed to that fact, then Dumbledore would now know of his involvement with Calan Park and Miss Hermione Granger.

“Damn him,” he swore as he thought about Robert Finn.

This whole affair was getting more and more out of control as the minutes ticked by. He was the Minister of Magic for God’s sake. Loved by the people that he ruled over and no one was going to take that away from him. No one.

Well if he couldn’t get hold of Miss Granger, he would make her come to him.

An evil grin crossed his features as a plan started to formulate itself in his head.

***

A/N: STOP THE PRESS: My story is one of the featured stories for the month of May 2006. Just go to the home page and take a look on the left hand side. Yippee! Sorry, but I'm just so excited. On Ashwinder that is!

Hmm, I think Sirius needs to relax a little. I know what I would do with him, LOL!!! What is Cornelius up to now, that slippery eel?

Thank you to everyone who has read this so far. Leaving a review does make me write faster on the afterglow of reading your lovely words… More, PLEASE? Theories and guess work are also most appreciated.

Lemon drops to my beta, LariLee, you are the best.

Disclaimer: Any characters you recognize are obviously not mine, however, the plot is. Yippee!