In A Time Of Uncertainty

Part Four, Chapter Three

The Order of the Phoenix was many things. Inefficient was not one of them.

"There are things that need to be done immediately," Dumbledore said, pacing the room as he spoke. The rest of the Order sat on beds and armchairs, watching him intently. "The Ministry has already sent Aurors to Chimeran Malfoy's residence to investigate, and they are sending us the report the moment it's finished. However, I would like Alastor to search it himself, as he will no doubt find things they missed."

"Got it," Moody growled, disapparating almost before he had finished speaking.

Dumbledore blinked and continued. "I regret to say that we do know yet know who else was involved in the attack, as all three of our members in hospital are either unconscious or incoherent. The Healers tell me they will be able to speak to us tomorrow morning at the absolute earliest.

"Then there is the matter of our Defense Department. While all weaponry was destroyed, plans and detailed descriptions of each type are safely contained in a vault at Gringotts, to which I hold the only key." He reached down the neck of his robe and pulled out a chain; Percy could see a copper key no bigger than a thimble dangling from the end. "For the moment I will entrust it to Arthur. Arthur, I need you to go to Gringotts immediately, and I'd like Hestia, Emmeline, and Charlie to go with you. Bring the plans back here as soon as you can; you will find materials to rebuild in the attic."

Percy's father stepped forward to receive the key. Charlie followed him and the two witches out the door, turning his head to wink at his mother before he left. She gave him a very worried smile.

"Until now," said Dumbledore, "we have been a small group of people. Now that our second battle has taken place, we are forced to confront the fact that our size is no longer enough. If we were an official army, I was thinking, every person in this room would be an officer. Officers are of course crucial to success; what we lack are soldiers to lead." He took a deep breath and sat down on an armchair in the corner. "I intend to spread the word that we are enlisting an army. Applicants will be screened using the most precise method available."

Percy's head began to ache. He was going to have to go back to those godforsaken records again, he knew it. More hours of -

"They will be examined by the Sorting Hat."

"That's brilliant!" Ron blurted.

McGonagall smiled. "Why thank you, Mr. Weasley. It was my idea."

"Wait a minute," said someone in the back of the room. "Who's going to be the one to oversee all this? You've got to admit it's a risk, publicly identifying yourself with the Order."

"I am," answered McGonagall briskly. "Those who try to attack me will discover it was one of the worst decisions of their lives."

Dumbledore smiled. "The Hat will be able to determine the loyalty of each applicant, and what branch he or she would be best suited for. Minerva and I have thought of some divisions of the army we are about to form, and I would now like to ask some of you to lead them."

Everyone shifted and looked nervous.

"Every branch will be trained in different ways, though all will be in the same place. The Order has recently secured a small unplottable island in the Carribean, which we plan to use as a training base. The first division Minerva and I agreed on is the Creature Branch. Its members will become adept with the use of animals in battle and will spend many hours training with dangerous beasts." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled behind his spectacles. "I offer command of this branch to Rubeus Hagrid."

Some very loud sobbing erupted from the other side of the room. Remus took the cloth from a small table and offered it to Hagrid to use as a handkerchief.

"So honored, Professor Dumbledore sir...anything I can do..."

"Then I take it you accept?"

Hagrid nodded and blew his nose.

"Next," Dumbledore continued, "is the Aerial Branch. It will specialize in attacking from the air and will also learn advanced flying techniques." He paused. "Towards the end of the first war this division was being formed, though it only fought in one battle. Its leader was one of the most perfect people imaginable for the job. He had a quick-thinking mind, he did not hesitate to take command, and he loved to fly everything and anything - whether it was legal or not. Sadly, he was killed on Halloween of 1981, five weeks after his only battle as a commander. I have a feeling, though, that if James Potter could pick his replacement from those assembled in this room, knowing everything about them that I do - " Dumbledore lifted his head " - Oliver Wood would head the list."

Percy turned quickly. Oliver was staring at Dumbledore, his mouth open slightly. "I - how am I going to lead a division and still earn a living?"

"I am sorry to say you won't be able to continue Quidditch," replied Dumbledore. "There are some jobs that are compatible with commanding, but yours, regrettably, is not one of them. However, there is money in the Order to provide you with a decent salary - most likely less than what you currently receive, but a sizeable amount."

Oliver sighed, very softly; Percy thought he might be the only person in the room who could hear it. "Can I have some time to think?"

"Of course," said Dumbledore, nodding slowly. "Choices like this can require a great deal of thought."

Percy took Oliver's hand. "Whatever you want to do, love," he whispered in his ear. Oliver looked at him but did not speak.

Rummaging in the pockets of his robe, Dumbledore took out a sherbet lemon and popped it into his mouth. "I'm afraid all this talking is beginning to give me a sore throat. I'll try to finish as quickly as possible.

"There will be many times where we will need quick-thinking duelers, if this war is anything like the last. The Dueling Branch will require strength of will and mind. I have a feeling that this may become our largest branch, and I offer its command to Kingsley Shacklebolt."

"Accepted," said a deep voice from just behind Percy. Percy did not turn, his mind immersed in other matters. On one hand he wanted to forbid Oliver from even thinking about accepting the position, so he would stay in Britain and perhaps away from battle. But of course that was unreasonable and selfish. Oliver would be wonderful. Percy thought of his lover fronting a fleet of fliers, shouting out orders and swooping down over the Death Eaters. He felt an immense rush of pride.

"There are spies within the Order, but their assignments tend to require working in pairs or alone. Due to this they are not technically a division. On the subject of spying, I'm sure many of you have realized that Severus and Tonks are absent; they are on a mission together.

"The Strategy Council includes Minerva, Remus, and me; the members in the first war numbered seven. The others, all of which were killed, were Marlene McKinnon, Lily Potter, Caradoc Dearborn, and Dorcas Meadows. I offer their stations to Bill Weasley, Sturgis Podmore, Mundungus Fletcher, and Arabella Figg."

"Dung'll be thrilled when he finds out," said Oliver in a low voice. "He's been wanted respect ever since he joined. You think he and Mrs. Figg will be able to survive a meeting without killing each other?"

"Let's hope," Percy replied, hearing Bill and Sturgis accept.

"One final position, and then you are all free to eat or sleep or otherwise do as you please. Some of our members, due to their distant locations and other impediments, are not here tonight. During the last war we had several foreign members, and it is my goal this time to have even more. Sirius Black was the Order's Foreign Affairs Coordinator. His job involved much time spent abroad, along with an extraordinary amount of energy and determination. Due to his potential successor's time spent working for the Department of International Magical Cooperation, along with the unstoppable persistence he has shown both during his years at Hogwarts and his short time serving the Order, I feel that Percy Weasley would be ideal to fill the role."

Another bizarre event in an otherwise unreal day; the squeeze from Oliver's hand assured Percy that the situation was entirely true. "I'm barely twenty!" was the first thing that exited his mouth. "Don't you want someone older, someone less..." Scared and unwilling to leave his boyfriend?

"You are of course free to decline," said Dumbledore gently. "But I think you would do excellent work."

"Perce, we've got to talk," said Oliver at once.

Remus, overhearing them, told them they were free to use the library. "Down the hall, up the stairs, first door on the right."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"So," said Percy, sitting down next to Oliver on a burgundy couch between two intricately carved bookcases. "What do you want to do about yours?"

"It's not what I want to do, it's what we want to do," Oliver replied. "This will affect you as much as it does me."

"I want to know what you think first."

Oliver's eyes studied his shoes. "There's a hell of a difference between convincing a bunch of teenagers to kick Slytherin arses and persuading people entirely older than I am to fly to what could very well be their deaths."

Silence. "For what it's worth," Percy said, "I think you'd be really excellent at it."

"I know I could be," said Oliver miserably. "I almost wish I thought I'd be rubbish, so I could have a good reason to decline. The only person I can think of who would be as good is Charlie, but I'm betting Dumbledore wants him for the Creature Branch. Damn it, I don't want to leave you."

"Who says you're leaving me?"

"I can tell already you're going to take Foreign Affairs Coordinator. What else would you do? Sit around our place in the Carribean and wait for me to come home? If you worked in any other position it wouldn't take full advantage of your strengths. And I want you to take it, beautiful, I do, but at the same time I've got this selfish urge to run off with you somewhere and not come back until the war's over. I think I've got to take Aerial Commander, Perce. I'd rather be Wood, who was bloodily killed by the Death Eaters than Wood, who declined the job and was never able to forgive himself. You're the same way. That's part of the reason we began to love each other in the first place, because we can see our own ambitiousness in each other."

"I'll come home to you whenever I can," said Percy softly. "I promise you."

Before he knew it he was being lifted by strong arms onto Oliver's lap and clasped tightly. "My Perce," Oliver whispered. "Not going to be able to quit until you've conquered the world, are you."

"No. Not going to be able to quit, not until there's nothing to stop you and me from living as we want and doing what we like together, not until there's nothing more I can do."

Percy could feel eyelashes flutter against his neck as Oliver closed his eyes. "Always knew you were a true Gryffindor," he murmured.

It was only once they were halfway down the stairs that it struck Percy, once more, that Theo was dead.