Espionage

Dizzy the Dingo

Story Summary:
Ch. 1. As an espionage, Lily Evans enters pureblood society. Yet, what's real -- Muggleborn, Order member, the Light Side -- and what's not -- society wife, Death Eater, the Dark Side -- becomes blurred. Will reality prevail or will fiction become reality? WORK-IN-PROGRESS. ALTERNATE UNIVERSE.

Chapter 01 - I. Offer

Chapter Summary:
In which Lily is summoned to the Headmaster's office, trades opinions with Dumbledore, and is given an interesting offer.
Posted:
02/06/2010
Hits:
86


Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

I.

Offer

"Password, miss."

"Cockroach Clusters."

The stone gargoyle moved to the side stoically, to reveal a staircase that slowly rotated upwards. For one long moment, the young witch stood at the foot of the staircase, motionless and nervous. The letter she clutched in her hand - bearing the broken seal exclusive to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, worn from being unfolded and repeatedly all day long - seemed like a leaden weight in her hand, a weight tied to multitude of knots in her stomach. When she had received the personal missive from the Headmaster, shortly after breakfast this morning, she had been more curious than anxious over what it was he could want from her that would require a personal visit on the last day of term.

However, throughout the rest of the day, as she packed up the few little odds and ends left around her dormitory and spending time with friends before the long stretch of summer holidays ahead, her curiosity had lessened and lessened until it had melted completely into a blistering sense of anxiety that gnawed at her relentlessly. An endless array of questions bounced around in her mind, buzzing and stinging like hornets violently expelled from their nest.

What was it that the powerful and famed Albus Dumbledore wanted to speak with her about, personally? What was it that he wanted to discuss with her that had come up on the very last day of term? Had she done something over the course of her sixth-year that would affect her upcoming seventh-year? Had something changed so drastically about her academics or schooling that the headmaster thought -

"The headmaster awaits your arrival, miss."

The gargoyle was as stoic as ever, only the scarce moving of his stone lips indicating that it was in anyway an animate object. A pair of jade-green eyes surveyed the statue with apprehension, finding something disturbing about a hunk of stone being so sentient. After six years in the magical pool that was Hogwarts, where portraits talked and visited one another, ghosts where a regular part of the scenery, and books could scream at you or talk to you, she supposed that she shouldn't be the least surprised by a talking statue. But, there was something that was just...creepy, for lack of a better word, about it.

Rather than give it the opportunity to start a full-fledged conversation, complete with hand gestures and facial expressions, the witch stepped onto the revolving staircase and allowed it to carry her upwards. It seemed like an eternity before she found herself standing at the thick, wooden door that the headmaster's office lay beyond, though she knew in actuality that it had only been a matter of seconds. She paused for one long moment, allowing herself a few final seconds to panic before she faced the headmaster.

Then, she raised a trembling hand, and firmly knocked against the door.

"Enter," came a pensive but powerful voice from beyond the door.

With a deep breath, she opened the door and tentatively stepped inside.

Albus Dumbledore rose to his feet, all power and prestige despite his brilliant violet robes and pointed starry hat, and bestowed upon a smile that was more than reassuring.

"Ah, welcome, Miss Evans. I'm so pleased that you could make it."

Lily Evans returned the smile as best she could, closed the door, and awaited to hear what had brought her to the Headmaster's office this brilliant June morning.

-X-X-X-X-

"Miss Evans, have you ever heard of an organization called the Order of the Phoenix?"

The forkful of treacle tart hovered in front of her mouth for one long moment, before Lily lowered it back down to her plate without having taken the anticipated bite.

So far, the past hour had been far more enjoyable than she had previously imagined. Instead of having to sit in one of the armchairs as if she was a disobedient student, Headmaster Dumbledore had invited her back to his personal quarters, where he had a sumptuous lunch waiting for them along and a steady stream upbeat music flowing from the Wizarding Wireless. Over the course of the next hour, as they tucked into a meal so divine that she was quite certain that she had died and gone to heaven, Lily found that the previous anxiety that had nearly crippled her upon her arrival was nothing more than a curious tingle in the back of her mind. Though she hadn't any reason to think otherwise, the young Gryffindor witch found that the venerable and famed wizard was quite similar to what she could imagine of her late grandfather - warm, kind, humorous, and welcoming.

By the time the house-elves had come to clear away their lunch and returned with an entire dish of treacle tart and a bowl of custard to be split between them, Lily was so relaxed and at ease that she had actually slipped her sandals off and tucked her feet under her. The winged armchair she was sitting in the perfect type of chair to curl up in and nap the afternoon away. She had almost forgotten that Dumbledore had summoned her here for a specific and important reason.

Until he asked her about what she knew of the Order of the Phoenix.

The burning anxiety and worry returned at full force, making her stomach clench rather unpleasantly. Unconsciously, Lily raised her hand to her mouth and began to nibble on her jagged thumbnail. "The Order of the Phoenix, sir?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Does the name sound familiar, in any way?"

Of course the name sounded familiar. Over the past couple of years, as the Dark forces began rising and Death Eater activity began to be as common in their world as a Lumos Spell, the Order of the Phoenix had become a name that did not trail to far behind whenever the Dark Lord or his followers were mentioned. In an official capacity, as far as the Ministry of Magic was concerned, the Order was nothing more than a 'vigilante group unqualified to deal with the dangerous Dark forces that were becoming a rising concern for national security'. But, as far as the public at large were concerned, the Order - the nameless, faceless fighters who picked up the slack where the Aurors were ineffective or stretched too thin - were nothing short of an answer to numerous prayers.

Lily counted herself amongst those who revered the Order as heroes, covert guardian angels who protected her and others like her from forces that she had no idea how to combat or protect herself against. Now, more than ever, she found that simply being who she was - a Muggleborn witch, a Gryffindor witch, a common witch - was cause enough to look twice at people she normally wouldn't consider dangerous or shady.

She had received quite the lesson in trusting that outwards appearance guaranteed what was on the inside. The ivory-white scar that trailed up the back of her hand and began to fade near the crook of her elbow still smarted painfully anytime she got within arm's length of Kenneth Travers. She had made quick friends with him the night they had been Sorted into Gryffindor together, Lily finding it easy to connect with someone as clever and humorous as Kenneth was, and remained friends all the way up until fifth-year. But, now - Kenneth looked at her as though she downright turned his stomach, something that he would be all too glad to grind beneath his heel the first chance he got.

She was nowhere near capable of sorting through the gray areas yet, as was proven by Travers. But, the Order of the Phoenix - whoever those anonymous but incredibly brave souls were - seemed to know beyond all doubt. And, Lily couldn't help but admire them greatly.

However, she was uncertain as to what the headmaster thought of them. As the head of the Wizengamot, and therefore over the entire Ministry, Dumbledore was undoubtedly the leading force behind the Ministry's stern disapproval of the Order. Had he somehow found out that she supported and approved of them, and was about to take disciplinary action against her?

Lily looked up, anxiously, meeting the headmaster's eyes uncertainly.

"I assure you, Miss Evans," Dumbledore said, soothingly, "whatever you know about the Order of the Phoenix, whatever your opinions are about them, you will suffer no retribution from voicing them here."

Lily blinked, surprised. It was as if the headmaster had looked directly into her mind, seen her fear, and wanted to immediately disabuse that notion. Her posture eased in relief, as she brought her dampened thumb away from mouth, her cheeks coloring slightly as she realized what she had been doing.

"Well, sir - frankly, I think the Order of the Phoenix is wonderful." Dumbledore gave her an encouraging smile, and Lily continued, "You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters would completely take over our world if there wasn't someone - or, a lot someone's, rather - to stop him or oppose him. The Aurors and the Ministry are trying their best, but I honestly believe they're - "

Lily paused, once again conscious that she was speaking to the man who was over the entire Ministry.

"Please, Miss Evans - speak your mind." Dumbledore urged. "Your honest opinion is what I'm seeking."

Lily brought her thumb up to her mouth once more, but stopped herself before she could begin gnawing on it. What a little girl she must look like, curled up in an armchair and chewing on her thumbnail. Dumbledore was speaking to her as though she were an adult, his equal; she should most certainly act like it.

"Honestly, sir, I think the Ministry is too scared of You-Know-Who to do anything effective against him. It's almost as if they are refusing to admit that You-Know-Who is a real threat, that if they simply sit back and not anger him, he'll go away. The Aurors can only do what the Ministry allows them to do and the Ministry doesn't seem to want to do anything too jarring. So, where the Ministry and its Aurors are failing, the Order of the Phoenix is stepping in, and I can honestly say that I admire the bleeding hell out of them for doing so."

There was a short stretch of silence following this outburst, an outburst that Lily had not honestly meant to let out, and for one long moment, Lily found herself mortified. Sure, she had been speaking openly with the headmaster for quite a while now, but that had simply been polite conversation. But, that - that had been outright scathing criticism of the government, its officials, as well as support for an underground vigilante group that the Ministry was firmly opposed to. Not to mention, she had sworn.

What the headmaster must think of her now, she had no idea. But, Lily could only hope that she hadn't opened a Pandora's box of consequences when it came to the most powerful wizard in Britain.

"And, this is how you truly feel, Miss Evans?" Dumbledore asked quietly.

Lily hesitated for a moment. What she had said had already been said and there was no taking it back. But, she wouldn't have, even if she could have. If nobody with the power to do anything about it was saying these things, there certainly couldn't be any harm in her saying these things.

"Yes, sir." Lily nodded, firmly. "This is exactly how I feel."

Dumbledore was silent for several long moments, before a brilliant smile broke out across his wizened face, his blue eyes twinkling like sapphires. "Then, Miss Evans, I formally offer you the chance to become a member of the Order of the Phoenix."

(Author's Note: Not much action here, unfortunately. But, it picks up going forward, I promise. Tell me what you think, so I'll know if it's worth going forward with!)