Harry Potter and the Trail of Stars

THIS STORY TAKES PLACE AFTER THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX...IT MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE FIFTH BOOK. THIS STORY IS TOLD IN THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE IMPORTANT CHARACTERS, INCLUDING THE TRIO AND STAFF MEMBERS. AND THE USUAL DISCLAIMER.

BEFORE THE MEETING

There, were the Elysium Clouds. All different colors. Harry walked towards a group of people, but he needed not do that. The clouds he was standing on had seemed to read his every thought. The clouds had carried Harry over to them.

"Mum? Dad?" Harry called out. Lily and James both smiled at him. Harry began to reach out to them. But as soon as his hands touched them, they had disappeared.

"It is not time yet, Harry," said a voice. Harry turned around. It was Geldrelline. Harry nodded.

"Then when?" asked Harry.

"When it is time," replied Geldrelline, smiling her mysterious smile. "I have called you here tonight through your dreams."

"Why?" asked Harry. It had seemed like a lame question to Harry, but the question had served its purpose.

"You are nearing your birthday Harry. You know what will come. By that time, your will have found your Mentor already. I come to you now, to inform you of your current powers. Since the Magus Forewarning, you've had quite some unexpected surprises, have you not?"

"Yeah. I can fix things, make doors open, add windows," replied Harry.

"Not exactly, Harry. But, do you know what that power is?" asked Geldrelline.

"Er...no," answered Harry.

"It is the Call of the Lord, Harry. Those come only when the Lord particularly needs or desires something useful," said Geldrelline.

"Lord?" asked Harry, not quite understanding.

When Harry still seemed confused, she smiled and talked on.

"When you found that you were too exhausted to open the door to Mrs. Figg's house, Trinia, as you will learn later, the door opened for you. Not because you accidentally opened it by magic. It is not because you are a Magus. It is because you are the Lord Magus, Harry."

Harry nodded, and she went on.

"When the dogs made a hole through the door, your uncle made you fix it to brand new. You despaired, and knew you could not do that. When you looked up again, the door had fixed itself." Geldrelline paused for awhile for Harry to comprehend this. Then she went on.

"The wall of your cupboard created a window for you to send your letters through. And it created a window for you to watch the shower of red sparks that night. If you've noticed, the window is not really like a window at all. If you have looked closely, you will see that is it a rectangular hole on the wall, made to look like a window. The Call cannot create things out of nothing. That is a rule. It can only change and move things." Harry nodded once more.

"On the midnight that you were rescued, the wall made the hole expand to fit your needs to escape. You see, the wall knew that you would be escaping by broom. The moment it saw the people tiptoe into your bedroom with broomsticks, the minute it had realized and expanded. It is because that the 'window' knew the operation must be secret and quiet. Therefore, what better method than for you to not move down the hallway through the entrance door and risk causing a racket? If you go back to the cupboard now, you will find that there is not a window there anymore. The Call allows for whatever's close by to temporarily have access to Artificial Intelligence. The Call can be made through your subconscious mind as well as your conscious mind. That enlarged window Called upon through your subconscious mind," explained Geldrelline.

"Then why didn't I do something when the Burglars were about to shoot me?" asked Harry.

"It is because you have not tamed this power yet, Harry. When you have tamed this power well, even the plants can do your bidding, as long as it is not from selfish demanding. You cannot use the Call on life forms other than plants because that is a violation of the Starlight. Controlling other life forms such as yourself is not ethnical. It is the thought of the Darkness and Shadows. Nor will it work. This gift is unique. It will not allow you to use it for your own selfish reasons. The gift will decide what your wishes count as. Also, the gift will know when you are training the Call, and that is the only time the rule can be bent," explained Geldrelline.

"Oh," replied Harry, not thinking of any good reply to this. Windows and doors doing his bidding!

"You now a Megacosmagus, Harry," said Geldrelline.

"What's that?" asked Harry.

"It means you can speak to different varieties of animals now...other than snakes," she explained with a smile.

"Oh," replied Harry.

"So you see Harry, if you somehow had to lose your Magus powers, you still have these powers," said Geldrelline, with a mysterious smile.

"Why?" asked Harry.

"Because these powers are your own," said Geldrelline.

"Then why do I have these powers only now?" asked Harry.

"You've had them before, Harry. They just haven't been active until now. The Magus Forewarning has activated these powers a bit earlier than it was supposed to. You've spoken to a snake before, haven't you?"

"Yes. But Dumbledore said that it was because Voldemort transferred some of his own powers to me," said Harry.

"That is true to a certain point. It is true that he did transfer the power to speak to snakes to you. However, you had already possessed that power by birth. So by adding his ability to your own ability, your ability to speak to snakes came earlier in life. It was Awakened earlier. Now, if you will start experimenting and concentrating, you can hear the animal spirits from within them," Geldrelline explained.

"Another power you've gained is Mind Speech. You know what that is. Mind Speech comes from being a Megacosmagus. It part of that power. And you will soon experiment with it. You are also a Miscellanimagus. While an Animagus can turn into one kind of animal, sometimes with different types, a Miscellanimagus can turn into several kinds of animals, with different types. It is a rare gift, one that is your own power. All these powers are your own, Harry. The Call comes from the Air, Water, and Earth Elementals. So does Animagician and Cosmagician. When your Magus powers have Awakened, you will receive the fourth Elemental, Fire, the most dangerous and powerful of the four basic Elementals. There are other Elementals. You will learn about them. However, you shall not receive it as a Magus. The Elementals will be explained by your Mentor. Your Godmother will aid you as well. Trust her Harry, even given her past. This is all you will need to know for now. Remember, the first to know, must be the Mentor. He will show himself. You need not worry about searching for him. He has already begun to search for you, though he does not know who he is looking for," said Geldrelline. Harry nodded. This place, these clouds, the sky, it was all too comforting to him.

"I leave you now. I have already given you your early birthday gift, Harry," she said, before the cloud she stood on had drifted away. Harry's eyes began to close, as the clouds around him drifted away so quick, sleep claiming him once more.

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"We have decided, that all explanations, worries, thoughts, mysteries will come during the meeting," started Dumbledore. "But please, you will all need to know each other. Estrin will show you the other five people that you've seen last night. I believe they are watching Dobby and Kreacher. It is fascinating to them, since there aren't any elves at Atlantis. Some of them have never seen an elf!"

Harry saw a person standing besides Dumbledore, and he remembered the face from last night.

"How are you Harry?" asked the person. "I am Estrin. My sister is part of the Clystrin Council. We have no minister. The twelve members of the Council is part of one decision. But not all agreed to the Clystrins entering this war alongside you. However, since my sister has such a strong influence on them, they have agreed to the six of us coming." The man had golden colored long hair which made him look fair. Harry remembered that his hair was laid down last night. Today, it was tied back in a ponytail.

"Ah, I see you've noticed my hair. The Weasley kid, Bill, thought it would look good," said Estrin. Harry nodded. He didn't look less human. If anything, they were exactly as Humans, except with more gracefulness.

Estrin led Harry away from the people, and they walked down the hallways. Harry glanced at the portraits. They eyed the two, making Harry feel very unwelcome indeed.

They stopped. There, right in front of him, were five people laughing and smiling. They looked like a cheerful lot, unlike last night, so mysterious. Harry walked in front of them to see what they were laughing at. Two elves. Two house elves were purple colored. And steaming rising out of their floppy ears.

"What are they doing?" asked Harry.

"We don't know. We think they were arguing about something. And now they're both trying to hold their breath for as long as they can. We think that they are holding a contest, and whoever holds their breath the longest, will have something their way. They've been going at it for entirely six minutes now," said the one closest to Harry.

Harry watched as the elves went from purple to a nasty brown, and then...

"Dobby wins! Kreacher has started breathing before I!" shrieked Dobby. Harry watched as Kreacher walked away, muttering under his breath.

"Why were you two doing this?" asked Harry.

"We each wanted many things our ways! I thinks a fight is bad. Dobby's eye still throbs painfully. I wants Kreacher to stop dirtying the house! We decides to compete, Harry Potter, sir! And Dobby has won!" shrieked the elf.

"Oh..." said Harry. He turned back to the people.

"So you are Harry Potter?" asked a curly haired woman.

"Er...yeah," replied Harry. He was however, grateful that none of them performed the familiar flicker to his famous scar.

"My name is Eleanor, but just call me Ella," said the woman with curls. She had a warm voice. "The person behind me is Lilanor, my younger sister," she said, gesturing to the woman who was behind her. "His name is Adam," she said pointing the man to the left of her. "That's Lilia, his wife. And this is Concetta...Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore? Any relation to Albus Dumbledore?" asked Harry, wondering if there was any relation.

"I'm his niece," she said. Harry gawked at her.

"But...Aren't you a Clystrin?" asked Harry.

"Yes. Actually, I am half Clystrin. Which makes me ¼ Ellviane, and ¾ Human. My uncle, Albus Dumbledore, is also a Clystrin. He is half Human and half Ellviane, which makes him a full Clystrin. So was his wife. Didn't you read that Rita Skeeter article from about two years ago? The part where she states 'The part-human Dumbledore.' That was what she meant. Ever wonder why he is both so wise and powerful? Do you know how old he is?"

"No," replied Harry. This was certainly news, indeed.

"You'll learn about Clystrins this year at Hogwarts. Don't be surprised to meet many of them," she added with a mysterious glint in her eyes, which Harry had failed to notice. He had been too deep in his thoughts. Dumbledore, not fully Human! How old was Dumbledore, anyways?

"You'll learn that long ago, Ellvianes and Humans were the same species. The only difference is that Ellvianes has a sense of fairness on their appearance, and that they're more powerful and wiser than many Wizards and Witches. Wizards and Muggles. That's what you can think of Ellvianes and Humans as. Not the power, just the form. See? Wizards and Muggles are both humans. Ellvianes and Humans are basically the same. Do you kind of understand what I mean?" asked Concetta.

It was confusing, but Harry somehow understood what she had said. He felt comfortable with them. 'It was probably Clystrin charm or something,' thought Harry.

They made their way back into the kitchen. The room seemed bigger, thought Harry. There were some more familiar people, and Hagrid, who was leading Firenze. It was impossible miss them. Hagrid and Madam Maxima were both here, and chatting.

"Ah. I see most of the members have arrived! Maybe you should go find your friends and meet some of the others," suggested Concetta, as she made her way towards Dumbledore.

There was no need, actually. As soon as they saw Harry, they walked right up to him.

"There's gonna be a few more people arriving soon," said Hermione.

"How do you like the Clystrins, Harry?" asked Ron.

"Er...they're very nice. Did you know that Dumbledore has a niece?"

"Erm...Yeah...Well, we didn't know until this morning, when we got to know them. Weird, huh? Dumbledore being a Clystrin," said Hermione.

"Is there anything wrong with being a Clystrin?" snapped Ron.

"No! I never said that!" said Hermione.

"Ok. Never mind. Got outta control," said Ron.

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Is there anything you'd like to share with us, Ron? Cause you've been acting weird that day when they mentioned Atlantis and Clystrins," asked Harry.

"No," said Ron, and he made his voice final. "Here. We've met most of these people during our stay here. They come in and out, really. But today, they're all here. See that brown haired, Lockhart-in-training?" asked Ron.

"Ron! Do you have to make a comment like this every time there's a handsome man?" asked Hermione. "Besides. The poor guy is hardly talking to anyone. He's just sitting, alone, and looking at everyone! And you leave him be!"

"Excuse me? Fine. Whatever," said Ron. "Anyways...Dumbledore says he's gonna be a teacher at Hogwarts this school term. Dunno what he's gonna teach though. Defense Against the Dark Arts, perhaps? Or maybe Potions...I think his last name is Erupses,or something like that. Hope he don't got a temper, like his name tells us."

"Ron! You don't even know him!" snapped Hermione.

"Anyways...See that short hair woman with dark curls?" continued Ron.

"Yeah...Hang on...Mrs. Figg!" said Harry, remembering Mrs. Figg with the Cover-Me charm.

"Er...Well, her real name is Trinia Skeeter," said Hermione.

"She's a squib," said Ron.

"I know," said Harry.

"We think she's related to Rita Skeeter. I mean, same curly hair and hair color," said Hermione.

"And surname," added Ron.

Harry nodded. Trinia saw Harry, and gave him a small wave.

"Oh yeah. Dumbledore changed the name of the Order," said Ron.

"It's now called, the Order of the Starlight Trails. I don't think 'trails' is even a word. 'Trail' is more like it. Anyway he just told us to tell you that the name was changed. And that you would have to know the new name in order to even step in," said Hermione.

"Dunno why. I guess it'll be explained at the meeting. And, Ginny will be coming in a short while. She's been punished by mum. That's why you haven't seen her since you arrived," said Ron.

"Why? What did she do?" asked Harry.

"We don't know. And Mum and Ginny's not telling us. But we think it's something to do with Anna," said Ron.

"Anna?" asked Harry.

"Guess what, Harry!" said Ron.

"What?"

"See that girl with the red hair and freckles?" asked Ron.

"Her? I thought that was Ginny," said Harry. They watched as the girl walked into the kitchen for some food, and back out again.

"Of course you would, Harry. They're twins," explained Hermione.

"What?" asked Harry. Twins! Ginny? Another Weasley? "How come I didn't know you had another sister, Ron?"

Ron looked a bit uncomfortable. "Well, when she and Ginny were born, the family made a decision to take one twin to another family, and to keep the other twin. We were kind of short on money. But not anymore! We live here now, so that's why we were able to claim Anna back! Also, the joke shop's doing pretty well. She'll be going to Hogwarts this year!" said Ron.

"You'll get used to it, Harry. Took me awhile, too. Stupid of Ron to not mention her," said Hermione.

"Yeah...Why didn't you tell us first?" asked Harry.

"Well...We were kinda poor, and well..." replied Ron, not finishing the sentence, and turning a bit red in the face. Harry suddenly understood. Ron had always been embarrassed of being poor, so that was the reason for not mentioning Anna.

"Where's Sirius?" asked Harry. Ron and Hermione looked at each other.

"Erm...Did you forget what happened to Sirius?" asked Hermione.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"Well, Harry...The dead sure can't come back to life..." said Ron. Hermione shoved him. "Hey!"

"But...But-but-...HE WAS HERE LAST NIGHT!" roared Harry. Everyone stopped talking, and turned to look at Harry, who immediately blushed.

"Er...Carry on," said Ron, turning to the people.

"I saw him with my own two eyes! He was a white dog! I chased him around the mansion! And...WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S STILL DEAD?" Harry couldn't believe it. It wasn't happening. He wasn't going to lose Sirius...again...

"Okay, Harry, calm down...Please!" said Hermione. People were staring again.

"Yeah. Sorry Harry. Sirius couldn't resist playing this joke on you," said Ron, grinning.

"A joke?" whispered Harry.

"Yes Harry, a joke. Sirius thought it would be fun to mess with your mind," said Hermione, "I didn't like the idea, but it wasn't really going to hurt anything..."

"Okay. Okay. You two almost gave me a heart attack!" Harry hissed.

"Sorry, Harry. Blame it on Sirius. Dunno where he is," said Ron.

"It's okay, and I will," replied Harry. Ron grinned.

"Well, in that case, on with the names then," said Ron. "Okay, see that short bloke right there?"

Harry looked to where Ron was pointing. He looked oddly familiar...

"Hey! That's the guy who was part of the Accidental Magic department, or something like that," said Harry.

"Yup. He sure is. Quite useful to have on the Order too. Got you out of trouble, he did. I mean, what you did to your Aunt, that was serious powerful magic, and there are certain penalties that are usually carried out for very powerful accidental magic. Talked you out of getting in trouble!" said Ron.

"And his name is Bilius Flitwick!" added Hermione.

"Flitwick?" repeated Harry.

"He's obviously related to Professor Flitwick! They're both the same height," said Hermione, with a giggle.

"But anyways Harry, I think we'll leave the rest to be introduced at the meeting," said Hermione. "Ginny's punishment should have ended by now."

"Wait. Are we all joining the Order? Thought we were too young," said Harry.

"Well, there's been a change. Mom didn't exactly like it, but she couldn't stop us. Dumbledore advised to let go of the age restriction. He said that younger wizards than that have accomplished extraordinary things for out side. You would surely be on the Order since you have every right to be in it. And since mom knows you would probably tell us everything there is, she gave in. And also since we have done more things for our side than Mum, she didn't really have a good reason not to. We've already been on several dangerous missions with you, and we're still okay. Also, Dumbledore allowed the change, saying it might have to be bent anyways," said Ron, probably his biggest speech ever. Even Hermione looked at him with some new respect. This was probably his most long and well formed speech ever.

"What about your parents, Hermione?" asked Harry. They were Muggles, and surely didn't know...

"My parents know what I've been up to since year one. Professor Dumbledore explained to them what was going on, this summer. Unlike your relatives, my parents now understand the situation. They're pretty proud of me too. 'Our little girl's a hero!' Funny though, they seemed to understand much about this," explained Hermione. "They also understand that some people have died for our side."

"I think we should just relax right now, for the meeting," said Ron. Harry and Hermione nodded.

Harry decided to try out this so called Telepathy that he had. Since he was the Magus, he figured that the Order must know during the meeting. How often would a huge meeting like this come? And when he has found his mentor, what if he has to prove he is the Magus?

'How to begin?' wondered Harry. Maybe he had to clear his mind or something. Harry wondered for awhile. 'Perhaps I'm making it harder than it really is,' he thought. And then thought of something. 'I am now going to try something so stupid and obvious, that it just might work,' thought Harry.

<<Ron!>> Harry called out to Ron, in his mind. It was like speaking, but without sound. The word that was formed inside his mind, he directed it to Ron. Harry watched as his friend suddenly jumped. 'It worked!' thought Harry. Then, just to be sure that Ron wasn't suspicious of Harry, he called out to him.

"Ron. What's the matter? You look jumpy," said Harry. Ron looked back at him.

"Er now...I thought I heard something in my head. It was all weird and stuff. I dunno. I'm probably going nuts or something," replied Ron, shaking his head. Hermione raised her eyebrows at this. Harry grinned, and put on an innocent face.

Operation Mind Speech was done quick, and painless. Harry knew he couldn't really try anything else, because it was bound to be noticed. Then Harry thought back to the dream. What had Geldrelline said? His mentor would help him, and also his...Godmother! 'Merlin! I've got a Godmother!' thought Harry, wondering who she was. Birthday gift. What Birthday gift? What had Geldrelline given him? Certainly she didn't give him his powers...

''''''''

And the rest of the morning, noon, and early afternoon was spent talking and letting off nerves.

''''''''

By the mid afternoon, a few more people had arrived, some that Harry knew. For example, the three greeted Professor McGonagall, Professor Sinistra, other teachers, and strangers, who they soon gotten to know better. There were also many other people who Harry didn't see.

Harry noticed that Dobby and Kreacher seemed to have gotten along more vicious after that contest from this morning. Poor Dobby was now walking with a limp, (but otherwise pretty happy) and Kreacher with a bloody eye. The fight had only stopped when Hermione had stepped in between them. Harry had noticed that Dobby seemed to be adding on to his collection of strange clothing. He was now wearing half moon spectacles, similar to Dumbledore's, but with a bright lime green color. Harry strongly suspected that it had been a gift from Dumbledore, who seemed to have taken quite a liking to the elf.

The last guest had arrived an hour after the second to last guest, Cora, who smiled sadly at Harry when she made her entrance. Harry waved back to her. Harry did not recognize the last guest, but he strongly suspected that she was a Clystrin. She smiled warmly at the three, even though she was only a stranger to them. Then Harry recognized her. She was the Lady in his vision! The one with the enchanted voice! It was by now, that Harry realized that many of the Clystrins had carried a sense of fairness and warmth.

"Perhaps it's their nature," said Hermione, when Harry had mentioned it. Ron had a proud look on his face when Harry mentioned it, and his face had positively lighted up.

"What is it with you?" asked Harry.

"What? Nothing. So, Harry, what do you think of Clystrins? Never mind. You've just told us. Memory not working too well," stuttered Ron. Harry gave Hermione a strange look, which she returned with a shrug.

Suddenly, a Messenger Phoenix, just like the one Dumbledore sent Hagrid in Harry's fourth year, came soaring over their heads and everyone else's.

"That's the signal. The meeting's gonna start. We have to follow the Messenger Phoenix to the meeting room," whispered Hermione. The other people had seen it by now. Once the Messenger Phoenix was satisfied that everyone had seen its appearance, it flew down the hallways, slowly. Everyone followed the Messenger. Harry saw Sirius along the way. And when Sirius waved, Harry pretended to ignore him. Perhaps this will show him not to play anymore jokes on Harry.

"Why couldn't Dumbledore have just told us where it is?" asked Harry, as they were walking.

"It's because it's too complicated. And that's really what Messengers do. They are the Messengers," explained Hermione. She was right. There were many turns and hidden doors, and changing staircases. Harry hadn't really toured the whole Mansion, so this part was new to him. Finally, the Messenger Phoenix disappeared, as they stopped at a transparent door. It was so narrow, that only one person could get in at a time. Harry noticed that every time someone steps through, there was some sort of shield preventing the person from getting into the room. Each person had to stay inside the shield for ten seconds, before the shield let the person through.

"That's the detector. It detectors if someone's an impostor, disguised as a member. Of course this place is secret, but we have to double up on everything. And it detects if you know about the new name of the Order or not. We can't have any trespassers here," whispered Hermione. "Professor Dumbledore probably made this detector, and made it detect what he wanted it to detect." Harry and Ron nodded.

Finally it was Harry's turn. He stepped through, and immediately, a transparent shield covered over him. Harry felt as though someone was hacking into his mind, and pouring cold water all over him. After about ten seconds, the shield disappeared, and Harry stepped through. He waited for Ron and Hermione.

Then, inside, the three looked at their surroundings. There was a ring of seats. A huge ring of seats. By each seat, there was an empty goblet. Anyways, the seats looked comfortable. There were five people standing at the far side of the room, watching as each person stepped through. Dumbledore was one of them. And a bloke that looked a lot like Dumbledore, that Harry recognized as Aberforth Dumbledore, from the picture that Moody had shown him last year. Professor McGonagall. The Lady that had arrived last. And the brown haired Erupses. They were all standing together.

There were no windows, but a ceiling bewitched to look like it was snowing outside. The white snow was an oddly comforting sight.

When everyone has stepped through, Dumbledore stepped forward, and spoke.

"Please step forward, and write your full names, and middle names, onto this piece of parchment. One at a time," said Dumbledore. "Your names will disappear after it is written, leaving it blank for the next person." Everyone started talking at once, unsure of the reason.

"The reason you will find out later. Please begin. We will need much time for the meeting," said the Lady with the enchanted voice. Even Dumbledore and the other four next to him, wrote their names. When all this was done, the parchment exploded, and words flew out. Harry peered closely at one that was passing closely by. It was a name!

"Oooh. I think that's for the seating arrangement!" whispered Hermione, as each name floated to a seat.

"Please find your seats. Your names are in the order it is written. Now, you will find the seat with your name on it," said Dumbledore. "Please sit there, and do not switch seats until we say so," he added. Everyone watched as Dumbledore made his way to the ring of seats, looked around for his name.

Following suit, they all walked about looking for their names. As Harry sat down, he gasped. So did many other people as they sat down. He felt the cold water pouring down on him feeling again.

"I see you've noticed a strange and cold feeling!" said Dumbledore, with amusement. "Yes. When you sit down, the seat recognizes you. Please stand up, while we now arrange the seating." There was a rush of movement. Dumbledore raised his wand and started walking around the outside of the circle of seats, his wand tapping every seat. The stranger followed him. As Dumbledore tapped the seats, the names came shooting up and floated below the ceiling. Harry watched as the stranger started to make her way around the outside of the circle, touching each seat with her left hand. As each seat was touched, a name came shooting towards it. The brown haired man followed after the Lady. After the seats had a name, Erupses walked around the outside of the circle of seats, and tapped each seat with his left hand. Now, all the seats suddenly glowed red, and then faded. They all wondered what that was for. Harry couldn't exactly see the names, as they were all standing too far away.

"The seat will be calling each name out, and the person shall come forward and sit in his or her seat. The reason for this is...classified...until the meeting starts. Please be patient as your name is being called. Also, this is good for introductory purposes! We require you all to listen patiently for the...er...rules," added Aberforth, sounding cheerful. The Stranger's and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"When you have sat down, the seat will be acting a bit like Hogwarts' Sorting Hat. I'm sure you've all heard of or have used the Hogwarts' famous hat. The seat will be informing everyone of whom you are and some things about you. This is so that there are no more strangers here. Also, it is so that you are more familiar with each other, in order to trust them in dangerous situations. In life and death situations, we do not wish for you to not know who you trust your life with, and I guarantee you all, there will be many situations like that," said the brown haired man. Erupses, Harry remembered.

"He certainly must be an important person as Dumbledore, to be one of the leaders of this Order," whispered Hermione, between the pause. It was exactly what Harry was thinking.

"This new Order will be based on trust and courage. By sitting down, you are forming a contract. By sitting down, you will be committed to the Order," said Dumbledore, with a serious tone.

"By sitting down, you swear your allegiance to the Starlight. By sitting down, you swear to respect all members. By sitting down, you swear your full potential," said the Lady, pausing to look everyone in the eyes. Harry stared back at her when she looked at him. Then satisfied with everyone, she stepped back to where the other leaders were. The brown haired man stepped forward.

"This next part is important. Listen carefully, because after this, you will all be given a choice. After your decision is made, there is no turning back. You have been warned to listen to each commitment carefully and precisely. After the next part, the people of this room will be given half an hour's time to make up your mind once and for all, whether to stay...or go. You will be given a moment to clearly comprehend my words. This room has been bewitched with a Memory Help charm. You will be able to remember much about each Commitment. We will help you to remember each. Please do not waste our time if you do take this seriously," said Erupses. He had a snappy tone, like someone who has had a horrible day. He stepped back to where the other three stood.

Dumbledore, Aberforth, McGonagall, the Lady, and Erupses. Harry looked at them. Everyone looked at them. They all stood tall and courageous. They all looked like leaders. They were here to lead and guide them. It was on everyone's thoughts, and they couldn't help but trust the five. The Order, probably could not find more capable leaders then these five. Lord Voldemort does not know what he is messing with. Somehow, by looking at the four leaders, everyone felt warmth and comfort, despite what they would have to go through with in future times.

A sudden voice suddenly brought the crowd of people back to the present.

"Please listen with your most utmost attention. The commitment, we will say and explain. They are not in any type of order. All the commitments are equally important. You will be asked to remain silent. Any questions and comments, you will have to hold, until all the commitments are said," said Erupses, now turning back to the other four leaders.

"The first commitment; By agreeing, you will each trust and learn more about each other as time allows. Your name will be called the way you have written it. All full names and middle names. You see, I have five. When you have sat down, the seat will say some things about you when it has looked inside your mind. Please do not try to block it or to send the seat false information. It is not advised, and nor will it work. If you've used the Hogwarts' Sorting Hat, you will understand what I am talking about. The magic on the seat has been put up by us five. Any embarrassments, I'm afraid you'll have to endure. You will be asked to speak in front of the whole Order. You will be listened to. You will be at the center of attention whether you want to or not. Please do not be modest. Shyness is not an option. And no one will ridicule anyone else. You will be filling more details about yourself after the seat speaks. It will advise you what to tell and what not to tell. It will not allow you to tell lies. It will also tell you when to stop. The seat's private talks to you will be heard by you, and only you. All of you, we know well. But that is not enough. The seat will also sort out traitors. Anyone who has lied to us about your loyalty will be sorted out. I assure you, your seat is as smart as the Hogwarts' Sorting Hat. Last time the Order was set up, we were not prepared. This time, we have seen more. We have seen our faults. And we have learned from them," said Dumbledore, no doubt referring to Peter Pettigrew. He stepped down.

A pause as the leaders looked back at the people, and a minute to comprehend. Overhead the five leaders, appeared a large parchment. Writing appeared on it.

1. ~You Will Trust And Learn About Each Other. You Will Show Respect To Each Member. Shyness Is Not An Option~

Apparently, it was written so that they would remember each commitment. The details of each, they would remember, as it was quite impossible not to forget.

Aberforth stepped forward.

"The second commitment; By agreeing, you will each be asked to comfort members in need. There is enough gloom and crisis during this time, and you are asked to not add to it by purposely upsetting any members enough so that they don't listen to reason anymore, and go searching for trouble. By agreeing, the members of the Order, will act as a whole family. By agreeing, you will be one part of a whole. Of course, laughs and cheerful jokes are most acceptable! And we will now take this time to thank our resident pranksters for doing so...Fred...George...By bringing cheerful laughter, there can be a better hope," said Aberforth. Everyone smiled at this. Fred and George gave a couple of bows, ending with a flourish on their last bow. Pranks and Jokes. And of course, they knew that Aberforth Dumbledore was an unusually weird being, even more so than his brother. There was a pause, as he stepped back.

2. ~You Will Be Asked To Comfort Your Fellow Members In Need And Time Of Crisis. You Will Not Purposely Send A Troubled Member To Their Doom By Purposely Upsetting Them~

"The third Commitment; By agreeing, you will each demonstrate bravery and courageousness in the face of evil and death. I expect each and every one of you to show it to your full potential. But that does not mean for you to go seek danger pointlessly. You will do whatever is necessary for the salvation of our side, even if it means your life. If one of your fellow members is in danger, and only you know about it, you are required inform us, and if necessary, to risk your life to save that person if possible. Severus Snape performed this commitment well, when he saved the life of one. He risked his life to save that person. That is an act of unselfishness. If you should show and prove that you are a coward, then we will regretfully say that you do not meet the Order's requirements, and you will be asked to leave, and have all memories of your activity with us erased. From past times, we have seen that cowardliness leads to betrayal. We expect all members of the Order to not call Voldemort as You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. As Dumbledore has reminded me many times, fear of the name increases fear of the thing itself. Do not let that name scare you. By agreeing, you cannot turn back. You have been committed, by your own hand and speech, under no pressure of anyone. The hat will tell us if you are Light or Dark, and of qualities you possess. Only you can show and prove if you have courage or not. By agreeing, you will not be idle, and dismiss any of the Order's requests as nothingness and unimportance. If you are asked to do something, you will do it, unless if you give us a good reason not to. Do not fall 'asleep' on the job. Lost lives may very well be a cost and consequence of failure to comply with the Order's needs," said Professor McGonagall.

Perhaps it was only now, that they realized why she was the Head of Gryffindor. She stepped back. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled behind his half moon spectacles. It seems that he made a right decision in asking Minerva to act as one of the Leaders, and as Deputy Headmistress.

3. ~You Will Demonstrate Bravery And Courageousness In The Face Of Evil And Death. You Will Comply To The Order's Requests And Needs, Unless Otherwise~

"The fourth commitment; By agreeing, you shall not betray the Starlight. The Starlight will lead to the right path. You will remain loyal to our side and never fall to the Dark. The Starlight shall not betray us if we do not betray the Starlight. By agreeing, you will each carry a ring. The ring will give you the power to see the Trail of Stars if you look to the East at any time. That trail will guide you to the right road. When in doubt of the right thing to do, the Stars will guide you, if you allow it. More of this will be explained, should you agree. It is the reason why we have renamed the Order. There will be times, when Voldemort and other Dark beings will attempt to lure you into their side, but remember this...Voldemort cannot give you your heart's desires. If you are lured in by him, we will know. There is always a way. We are prepared this time. And we will not easily let you off. Betrayal is weighed heavily when you pass through your death. Hell awaits you on that sin. Bear this in mind: If you think you can easily fool us with disguises and tricks, then you are unfortunately, sadly mistaken. Do not fool us with your well placed lies or deceits. We will be able to see through them. If you do not think you can carry this burden, then you are free to leave, and not agree. We will understand. It is a heavy burden to place on you, no one will say ill of you," said the Lady, this time, with a hint of a warning in her voice, with still...dotted with enchantment.

The others did not know who this woman was, but it was clear that she was a friend of Dumbledore's. It was clear that she was not a woman to lie to.

The Lady stepped back. She looked at every single person, and her eyes finally rested on Harry, and she smiled.

The fourth commitment was written. It was short and to the point.

4. ~Loyalty~

"The fifth and final commitment; This new Order is secret, and secret it will stay. The Dark Lord will not find out about it if you don't talk about it in front of other people. When you are with a group of members, use codes. We will be addressing to that during the meeting. The Death Eaters and other Dark beings are tricky. They will find their sly and cunning ways to spy and lie. Anyone who is not in this Order, you can trust if they know them very well. But under no circumstances will they be told of the Order, unless we say otherwise. That will be discussed more thoroughly in the meeting. There are many of his spies. In Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, Hogshead, Knockturn Alley, the Ministry, anywhere. By agreeing, you agree to absolute secrecy. Discretion is important, as all the other commitments. By agreeing, we will trust you to keep this secret within the Order. By not agreeing to these commitments, your memories will be erased of all this. If you cannot keep your mouths shut, then please save us the burden of coming after you! If you are immediately contacted through the rings for your help and aid, please use your minds to quickly think up an intelligent lie and excuse for your leave to outsiders. We cannot have slow thinkers and people of low intelligence level in this Order! I can almost guarantee that you will not survive anything if you do not possess a mind intelligent enough to think!" snapped Erupses. He certainly erupted a lot. Everyone's reaction was that this was not a man to cross. However, they knew that secrecy was important, and understood the reasons for him to almost snap at them.

The other four leaders merely looked back at the people to see if they have registered the last commitment. Erupses stepped back, and watched the people, trying to see if all of them understood what he had said. Clearly they all did, and this seemed to satisfy him. All of them were intelligent enough to understand. That was a good sign.

5. ~Secrecy And Discretion At Your Very Best~

A pause.

"You will now be given about half an hour's time to go over these commitments. After the half hour is up, you will give your decision. Take you time to think wisely. This choice will indeed affect your whole future as well as others. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves. But do not simply decide as what other people tell you. This is your choice, and you alone will be making it. No one else can stop you. Note, by agreeing to this contract, there is no turning back. Please go over these commitments slowly and thoroughly. Once again, there can be no change of heart after you have made your decision," said Erupses, who appeared to have calmed down. "Are there any questions about the commitments?" he asked the crowd. Nobody said anything.

He was not using his snappish voice now. Perhaps his former speech was for the sake of making the people understand? Anyways, now he seemed to wear the same expression as Professor McGonagall. The leaders had created five chairs, which they sat on, observing the room. The whole room suddenly exploded with chatter and whispers now.

<<It all comes down to choices...Choose well...Choose wisely...>> spoke a few voices as one. It came inside Harry's head. Harry looked back at Hermione and Ron. They had heard it too. So did everyone else. They looked back at the leaders, who were all talking amongst themselves now. There had been more than one voice, so that no one could distinguish the people that had said it. Perhaps that was the purpose. However, it gave Harry something else to think about, as he looked back at the leaders, who were studying the crowd again.

It all comes down to choices. Somehow, Harry knew this wouldn't be the only time he would hear it. It was just a feeling.

Sirius was now watching Harry out of the corner of his eye, trying to see his Godson's facial expressions. He wanted to know what Harry had chosen. But Harry's expression was unreadable. It was one of deep thought.

Mrs. Weasley made her way towards them. So did the other Weasleys and closer friends, including Sirius, who would concentrate on being silent. 'Two can play at this game,' he thought, with some satisfaction.

"Please. You don't have to do this. You can walk out. You don't have to join and risk your very lives!" pleaded Mrs. Weasley. It was only to be expected.

"Now Molly. Don't pressure them! It's their decision and theirs alone! We've talked over this before. Ron, Ginny, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Harry, Hermione...They are brilliant kids. They can take care of themselves. Why Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny alone, have been in more dangerous situations then you, and they are still well. I care for their safety too, but Molly, it's their decision," said Mr. Weasley, sternly, for the first time. Mrs. Weasley looked as though she would cry. The children felt grateful for Mr. Weasley.

"But they're so young! Don't forget what happened to Chris!" cried Mrs. Weasley. Everyone raised an eyebrow, except for Bill, Charlie, Sirius, and Mr. Weasley. The four flinched.

"We've handled more dangerous missions they you, Mom. Look. We're still alive. And it's not as though the Order's gonna make us go on really life threatening missions!" said Ron.

"He's right Molly. They're not going to expect as much from the kids than adults," said Mr. Weasley, though it was sort of a lie. Everyone who agrees to the commitments will have the same expectations. The others knew this, but they were still watching Mrs. Weasley sob.

"Mom. We promise we'll be alright. We've done dangerous things before joining, and we're still fine!" said Ginny.

"But what about Fred and George. They didn't do anything yet. They don't need to go in!" said Mrs. Weasley, between sobs, sounding a bit hopeful.

"They will be. Half their shop is secretly dedicated to the Order. Their new inventions for the Order are very useful. We need inventors to be here. Angelina and Katie work in their shop. They are friends with us. And...they are also the lady friends of Fred and George. If the Order's going to buy from them, then they are part of the Order," said Mr. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley didn't seem to register what he had said about the girls. But everyone else's eyebrows had risen at this, looking back at the twins and their girlfriends. The four looked back at them, without any kind of embarrassment. And instead, they grinned at the lot.

"What?" asked Fred.

"It's not like we're little kiddies," said George.

"Yeah. We've got some sense of maturity," ended Fred.

Mr. Weasley looked back at his wife.

"Oh you don't care about the children!" sobbed Mrs. Weasley to Mr. Weasley.

"Mom, stop it!" roared Ron. "The only difference between you two is that Dad understands and knows that it's not up to you to decide! He can't stop us from joining anymore then you can! We appreciate that you don't want us getting hurt, but it really isn't up to you. We...that is...Hermione, Harry, and I have already done so much for our side...and without even being on the Order!"

"Ron's right. In a way, we were part of it already. Only we weren't committed to it yet. We were the only ones outside the Order who even knew about it!" said Ginny.

"Look on the bright side mum," started Fred.

"What bright side?" asked Mrs. Weasley, her sobs getting more hysterical by the moment, that it was attracting the attention of other people.

"Anna won't be joining," finished George. How is it that the twins were always finishing each other's sentences? They always knew what the other was thinking.

"Oh yes! Of course," said Mrs. Weasley, her sobs at bay now. "There's no reason for her to join, since most of the family is joining. Of course, she wanted to, but I eventually talked her out of it."

"Sure mom. Right now Anna won't be joining. You never know what will happen later," said Ron. If anything, this made Mrs. Weasley's sobs reach to the maximum. Even Hagrid started making his way over here. He seemed to know what was going on.

"Now now Molly. Yer kids are goin' ter be growned up someday. And that day's come! Yer gonna have ta learn ta let go sooner or later! Don't mean they're gonna die if they join! This new Order's better than the last. All the necessary precautions 'ave been taken. Everything's been thought up. Look at them five leaders. We've got two Dumbledores as leaders. Great man, Dumbledore. We got that Lady, who seems to know pretty much everything. We've got that browned haired bloke who seems to be powerful n' sharp. We've got Professor McGonagall. Did yeh hear that speech? I had tears in me eyes!" said Hagrid. He seemed to have calmed down Mrs. Weasley a bit. And the group looked gratefully at Hagrid.

"Hold on. Did you just say that the twins have girlfriends?" asked Mrs. Weasley, turning back to her husband. Everyone nodded.

"Goodness! You two are doing a lot better than Bill and Charlie! I've given up on Bill. I've almost given up on Charlie! Bless you dear Fred and George!" And Mrs. Weasley's mood brightened up, as she began to talk to Angelina and Katie.

Harry thought more about this. Would his friends have joined if Harry wasn't their friend? Were they doing this for Harry? Then Harry thought more. No. Harry was one of them. He wasn't a reason. He wasn't even dead. He had as much to lose as any one of them. As far as he was concerned, all the people he had ever cared and loved were going to probably be on the Order pretty soon. He had already lost two parents to the cause. Remus could very well die. He had almost lost Sirius. He felt sorry for Mrs. Weasley. She would be the one to witness the whole family joining the Order, even Harry and Hermione, whom she thought of as her own children. Harry shuddered, as he remembered the many forms her Boggart took last year. They might all decide to join. All except Anna, but seriously...how long would Mrs. Weasley be able to keep Anna out of this. She was Ginny's twin. And from Harry's experience of twins, they carried an almost inseparable bond. Take Fred and George for example; both seemed to know everything about the other, and the same personality. Sure Anna's been separated from the rest, but it wouldn't take too long for her to be almost inseparable with Ginny. The twin thing was a mystery. Even the Department of Mysteries had some people researching this.

<<Five more minutes>> came the couple of voices. It was clear that it would be almost impossible to talk to the future members any other way. 'Sonorus' didn't seem quite right for this kind of situation.

It didn't matter. Harry had already made his decision. So did his friends. So did everyone else.

<<It is time>> thought the voices. Everyone hushed up, and turned towards the five leaders. Satisfied that they had the people's full attention, they began the normal speech.

"Is there anyone who wishes for some extra time?" asked Erupses.

"A hand will do fine," added Aberforth, when no one made a motion to answer. No one made a move to raise their hands. No one made a move to look at anyone else.

"You have all made your decision based on the commitments?" asked Professor McGonagall. Everyone nodded. The leaders seemed to want definite answers.

"Are there any questions about the commitments...anything?" asked Dumbledore. There was rush of shaking heads.

"Are we to understand that you have all made your final decision?" asked Erupses. Everyone nodded their heads, looking a bit impatient. "We will give you one more minute to think everything through."

Silence for a moment.

"Anymore time?" asked Dumbledore. Everyone shook their heads.

"Very well. Given the fact that you have all made your decision, we will begin to give further instructions," said the Lady.

"You will all turn away from us now," said Erupses. Everyone did so, wondering the reason.

"After I am done speaking, we will put a temporary blinding and deaf hearing charm on you all for the sake of not pressuring anyone to join. Anyone who has decided to not join, will raise their hands quickly. The two charms placed on those individuals will be lifted, and those individuals will turn around and come to us. Any questions? Good. No one will see or hear you. Do not worry. We will not bite. I assure you, we quite understand, and we know that this is a heavy burden to place on any individual. Anyone who has decided to agree to all the commitments and to join us, will not do anything, and stay as you currently are, until the charms have been lifted. We will give you five seconds to get ready, and then expect to be blinded and your hearing shut off. You will not hear the incantations. You are forewarned," said Professor McGonagall. Harry and the others braced themselves. Being blinded and deaf wasn't what anyone would have wanted.

Suddenly, Harry was looking at nothing. Everything seems to have been shut off. There was no noise. Nothing. He did not move the slightest, and he wondered what everyone has decided.

Then, after for what seemed like forever, Harry's hearing came back, so he opened his eyes looked around. Everyone else did the same, trying to see who had left.

"Are we to understand that this is your final choice? After this you cannot turn back," said the Lady. Everyone nodded.

"So you have chosen," said Dumbledore, "Then so be it."