The Summer of the Phoenix

Chapter 29

Snape very slowly turned to look at Sirius, one pair of dark eyes boring into another. Sirius gave a shrug, returning Snape's stare with supreme indifference.

"Oh, you," Mundungus muttered ill-humouredly in Snape's direction. "I s'pose in your case -"

"Look, if you two want to make a competition of it," Sirius said recklessly, "don't get your hopes up. I win, hands down. I suppose I top even both of you combined."

"That's not funny," Minerva McGonagall said very sharply.

"It wasn't meant to be," Sirius snapped at her.

"Then don't say it."

"But it's true."

"We're aware of that, Sirius."

"Maybe not enough for his taste," Snape said coldly, ignoring the warning hand Minerva McGonagall put on his arm.

"I don't need your pity!" Sirius shot back.

"But everyone else's all the more?"

"Oh, just shut up, both of you!" a deep voice suddenly thundered. "You two can go outside and curse each other to pieces for all I care, but right now you're not going to waste any more of our time!" Alastor Moody had risen abruptly from his chair, wand in hand, one eye flashing darkly at each of the opponents. A ringing silence followed his words.

Snape shrugged Minerva McGonagall's hand off his arm in annoyance, curling his lip disdainfully, but he made no reply.

Sirius folded his arms and leant back on his rear chair legs, surveying the damage he had done, and taking a savage pleasure in it.

Bill Weasley had moved away from him a little, glancing at him uneasily. Mrs Weasley's glare was second only to Minerva McGonagall's, who was looking at Sirius more sternly than he could remember even from seven long years of Transfiguration classes. Dedalus Diggle sighed, shaking his head disapprovingly. Elphias Doge was rolling his eyes at the ceiling. The look on Tonks's face was sad, almost pained. Only Remus Lupin still sat looking quietly down at the table, his arms put around himself as if he was cold, and seemed to have missed the entire exchange. But at least there was no trace left in any of their faces now of this patronizing sympathy, this sickening embarrassment. Sirius found their genuine indignation so much easier to bear than their dutiful pity.

"Thank you, Alastor," Albus Dumbledore calmly picked up the threads of the conversation again without so much as looking at either Sirius or Snape. "Now, those of you that are interested in continuing this discussion constructively, may I have your attention once more. We were discussing the dangers involved in the task at hand, and I must remind you once again of the risks you will be taking. However, let me repeat that the more we are, the easier it will be for all of us, particularly for those that have so far shouldered the full weight of the task."

"We've been doing this in shifts of six hours, two people at a time," Kingsley Shacklebolt took over again. "And we should keep to this pattern for the moment. To start with, every new volunteer should do this with one of us from the Ministry, to make yourselves familiar with the locality, so you can tell a regular incident from an irregular one."

"Then I suppose I'd better go and join Dad straight away?" Bill Weasley suggested practically.

"Yes, do that," Shacklebolt agreed. "Thank you, Bill. Any more volunteers?"

"Me, gladly," said Sturgis Podmore eagerly.

"I wouldn't want to stay behind," Dedalus Diggle said in a dignified tone, and Hestia Jones nodded bravely in agreement.

"I think I could do a shift or two, too," Elphias Doge said. "I'm not sure about Emmeline, though. Her health, you know."

"Do ask her," Dumbledore said. "We need all the help you can give. Unfortunately, not everyone suited to this task seems to be available at the moment. My brother Aberforth apparently can't even be bothered to answer my letters. There was an undertone of annoyance in his voice.

"Oh yes," said Sturgis Podmore suddenly, "Bill, where are your brothers?"

Bill exchanged a look with his mother, who gave a little shake of her head. "Upstairs," Bill replied diplomatically.

"Oh, thank you for reminding me, Bill," Dumbledore said, smiling at him and his mother. "Yes, I had almost forgotten to tell you, Molly and Arthur Weasley have moved into Headquarters for the time being, and brought their younger children with them. So don't be surprised if you see one or the other redhead around the house from now on."

"Dumbledore," growled Moody, who was one of the few that hadn't smiled at the Headmaster's last comment, "you don't consider that a security risk?"

"Practically everything we do constitutes a security risk, Alastor," Dumbledore said. "But be assured, the children will not be involved in any of the Order's activities, of course they won't. They're too young. They have been asked to stay out of our way, and not to ask questions, and I'm sure they will."

"But they will still see things," Moody objected.

"They will, that is inevitable. But I have learned that particularly Ron Weasley and his friend Hermione Granger can be relied on when it comes to knowing when to speak and when to remain silent. They can keep a secret better than most grown up witches and wizards can. But you are right, I should impress this on them once more, to make sure they appreciate the seriousness of the situation. Molly, if they're not in bed already, I should like to have a word with them after this meeting."

Mrs Weasley nodded.

"Then I would ask all our new volunteers to stay behind for a moment. Kingsley Shacklebolt will make you acquainted with the practical details of the task, and draw up a plan for guard duty. Other than that, thank you for your patience, this meeting is concluded."

There was a shuffle of many feet as the witches and wizards got up from their seats. Severus Snape was the first at the door, sweeping wordlessly from the room. Minerva McGonagall followed shortly afterwards, but the majority of the Order remained behind, the new volunteers grouping themselves around Kingsley Shacklebolt at the head of the table, talking excitedly and surveying the plan of the building.

Sirius remained sitting where he was, unwelcome to join them as he knew he was, and unconcerned by their excitement as he tried to make himself believe. He stared at a point on the wall opposite and wished they'd all be gone soon.

"Sirius?" said Remus Lupin's voice at his shoulder.

Sirius had not heard his friend walk over and take the empty seat next to him, but there he was. Sirius glanced at him briefly and went back to staring at the wall.

"Listen," Lupin said quietly.

"No," Sirius snarled. The cruel satisfaction the confrontation with Snape had given him hadn't lasted long - on the contrary, it had left him with a rather stale feeling, like a bad taste in his mouth. The last thing he needed now was a sermon from Lupin that his behaviour had been ridiculous. He knew that.

"Please," Lupin was saying.

"I don't want to hear anything."

"Sirius - "

"No."

"I'll try and explain."

"What's there to explain?"

"A lot," Lupin said wearily. "See, maybe Tonks didn't tell you how - "

Now Sirius turned sharply to look at his friend, and finally realised that he and Lupin had been missing each other's point completely. Lupin had had no intention what so ever of preaching to him. On the contrary - he himself had a guilty conscience written all over his tired face, looking very much as if he expected Sirius to explode at any moment and was ready to take the blame for it. Sirius felt incredibly stupid. Lupin looked so weary, so exhausted, and Sirius had only added to his worries with his selfish impatience, with his childish jealousy, and he was adding to them even now with his thick-headed idiocy. And now Lupin was going to apologise to him. Sirius knew he couldn't bear to hear that.

"No. Yes. Forget it," he said quickly. "Don't say anything. Please. Forget it. Just forget it."

"Forget what?" Tonks's voice behind them said cheerfully. "Anyone need a good memory charm?"

"Anyone need a good lesson against curiosity?" Sirius snarled back at her, but secretly, he was glad of the interruption. "What are you up to?"

"We're done getting the next week organized," Tonks said, waving vaguely at Kingsley Shacklebolt, who was putting his parchments back into his briefcase while the rest of the Order filed out of the room. "And Molly's just gone to get her kids."

"And here they are," said Dumbledore's voice.

Molly Weasley was back, ushering her charges into the kitchen. They huddled closely together near the door, the girls already in their pyjamas, barefoot under their dressing gowns, but Sirius was quite sure that none of them had been asleep yet. They were staring at the witches and wizards in the room, wide-eyed and very much awake. Even the twins looked rather intimidated by the many known and unknown faces that had turned to them when they entered. Tonks was looking at them with open curiosity. Remus Lupin next to her was smiling, and Hermione caught his eye and returned his smile shyly. Moody was still in his chair at the table, surveying them sharply and looking rather displeased with what he saw. Kingsley Shacklebolt was looking at Ron and Hermione with narrowed eyes, as if he was trying to remember something.

"Good evening," Albus Dumbledore addressed himself kindly to the young Weasleys. "I won't keep you long. I'm sure your host here, and your mother, have already acquainted you with the peculiarities of this house, so I need not repeat to you to be quiet in the entrance hall, to be careful what you touch, and to be kind to the place's resident house-elf." He glanced at Sirius at these words, but Sirius pretended not to notice. "You have already learned that there are certain rules about life in this house," Dumbledore continued, "and I would like to remind you that they don't exist just to make life boring and dull, but to ensure everyone's safety, yours not least. I shall rely on you to understand and remember this. Your parents and your host should not have to remind you of it too often. You will have noticed that secrecy plays a vital part in these rules. Simply by staying in this house, you are being entrusted with a great secret, and you must keep it well. Now, you will want to keep in touch with your friends over the holidays, of course, and you may. But I must ask you to restrict the frequency of your communication to the necessary minimum where owl post to your friends or customers - " he gave Fred and George a very pointed look over the rim of his half-moon glasses "- is concerned. Owls attract a lot of attention." He smiled when he saw the dispirited look on the twins' faces. "I hereby accept full liability for any financial losses you might incur as a consequence of abiding to this rule," he said, and his eyes twinkled behind his glasses.

Mrs Weasley frowned, but she remained silent.

"But more importantly," Dumbledore continued in a grave voice, "you must be careful what you put into your letters. I must impress on you that you are not to tell anyone - anyone - either where you are, or why you are here, what you are doing, who else is here, and what anyone else is doing. I know this is hard, but there is no help for it. It is not safe to put any of it in writing. And there can be no exceptions to this rule."

Ron and Hermione exchanged a quick look.

"I want you to give me your word that you won't do any of this," Dumbledore said. "Give me your word of honour as witches and wizards that you will not tell anyone about this place, and about what is going on here."

"But Harry," muttered Ron, "can't we tell Harry?"

Dumbledore frowned.

"Please," Hermione said in a small voice. "Just that we're... just that someone is... he's so desperate to know what's going on." A glance at Dumbledore's stern face told her that it was no good. She caught Sirius's eye, and gave him a look that was a desperate plea for support. But Sirius shook his head.

"I said there can be no exceptions," Dumbledore repeated. "And there can't. Do I have your promise?" He looked intently at each of them in turn with his clear blue eyes.

"Yes, we promise," Hermione finally said resignedly, leading a small chorus of voices that echoed hers.

"Thank you," Dumbledore said, and smiled again. "I knew I could rely on you. You'll be of great help to the Order of the Phoenix by being true to your word. Now, off you go to bed. Good night to all of you."