The Snapshot

Dumbledore sighed, leaning back into his chair and rubbing his temple with his fingers tiredly. He looked down at the photo that lay before him, seeing each person moving and smiling in front of him, and remembering.

There they stood. All the members of the original Order of the Phoenix. Everyone was laughing, grinning, and having an all-round good time at the time this photo was taken. Now, too many were dead. Dumbledore sighed again. He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. He glanced at the picture again sadly. His eyes slowly glazed over as he looked at their faces, and he began to remember...

"My God, Fabian! Can't you get it right? You need to add in the lacewings before you put in the beetles! Nice job, brother. At this rate, we'll be dead before fighting You-Know-Who..."--" Sorry, Gid! Can't you calm down?"--"Fabian, just get it right next time, you silly kid! God, you manage to mess this up. I told you, you were too young to do..."-- "No I'm not! Jimmy's s young, not me! And besides, two minutes doesn't make all the difference!"

The Prewett twins. Gideon and Fabian, with their younger brother Jimmy, who had been killed just after them in a Death Eater attack. And their older sister, Molly. But those two were always messing up something or another, arguing about silly things. They brightened up the Order like fireflies do during summer nights, and they were the closest pair of siblings that Dumbledore had ever seen. They died side by side, best friends till the end.

Dumbledore stared at the next person, touching her face gently as she glared up at him. he removed his finger and looked down, the memories flooding his mind...

"Oh, come on, Marley! Can't you help me at least on this one problem?"--"Good try, Dorcas. Figure it out yourself."--"Marlene McKinnon, you are the meanest, most unfair, least helpful friend I've ever..."--"Well, I'm also the best friend you've ever had!"

Dorcas and Marlene. Marley, as she was called by her friends, was the good one. Followed rules rather well, as well as being faithful and loyal to all her friends, she would have made a very good Hufflepuff. But she was also a noble and brave person, who had died two weeks after this photo was taken. Her entire family was killed as well.

His glance shifted over to the person next to Marlene, another rather pretty looking witch who was shoving Marlene away, a cheeky grin on her face. Marley's best friend. Dorcas Meadowes.

"Shh! Marley, can't you ever be quiet? Ouch that was my foot, you..."--"Sorry, Dorcas. I didn't see you..."--"Well, good job! Keep it up, and Filch will have us in no time!"--" I'm trying, Dorcas! I didn't mean to be that noisy! Besides, we shouldn't have even come out this late at night, even if it was to..."--"Marley, can't you be any softer? And don't even say a word of what's going to happen now, otherwise we'll be in it neck deep."--"Sorry..."--"Forget it. We have to get in now...do you remember the password?"

Dorcas the half-prankster, she was called. She wasn't quite up to par with the Marauders, but she did have the troublemaker streak in her. The only reason Dumbledore remembered this was because he happened to be around that same hallway, looking for a room that he had discovered a few days before (it had disappeared). He had remembered chuckling to himself when he heard their noises, but decided to ignore it in search for his room. The next day, the Slytherins had shown up at breakfast looking ridiculous, with their hair striped gold and scarlet, some with scarlet lions painted on their cheeks, others with the words: "Gryffindor: The Best House Of Them All" printed across their faces. It was then that Dumbledore had regretted not catching the girls when he could have, but he smiled it away and began an animated chatter with Professor McGonagall instead.

The next person. Edgar Bones had been an amazing wizard, an excellent Auror. He had fought till the end.

Dumbledore had been close with Edgar and his family. He had been one of his students as well. He closed his eyes and remembered some more...

"'Scuse me, Professor, but can you help me out?"--"Yes, what is it, Edgar?"--"I'm having some trouble with the spell you taught us...it's not working with me."--"How can it not be working? You just need to concentrate on it, my boy."--"I've tried and tried, Professor Dumbledore, but it's not helping me!"--"Edgar, the only way you can get this spell is by putting your best effort. I can make the corrections, and I know you had everything right. You had the incantation and the wand movement, but not the power. Remember, Edgar, the way to succeed is to put in your heart and soul towards accomplishing your goal. Then only, you will get things done."

A determined, determined young boy, he was the same when he grew up. Through his school years, he was mostly quiet, rarely speaking up. But, after he left the school, he truly began to shine. His spellwork was some of the most powerful in the entire Auror department. He had been a good person, a wonderful friend.

Dumbledore felt his eyes moisten slightly as he looked over and recalled all the other members who were long gone, when his eyes settled on another group of people.

He started when they caught his eyes. A sad smile came to his face as he stared down at them. They had been so happy together, until they had been mercilessly killed.

He sighed once again. There was a very interesting memory to this one, a very long memory as well. Dumbledore leaned back even deeper into his chair, closing his eyes once again, as he lost himself in the memory...