XIX. the people say that danger is near

The library at Grimmauld Place was ginormous. Thousands and thousands of books lined the shelves, all of them covered in dust. Devore ran her fingers along the spines and she pulled them off the shelf, observing the covers and reading the first chapters. Hermione taught her everything about Muggle life and because of her, she took Muggle Studies her third year and learned all about what they learned in American schools and the books they read.

She grabbed a copy of Dangerous Liaisons from the shelf and admired the old cover. Devore dusted it off and tucked it under her arm, leaving the dark library to go read in her room.

Seeing Mad-Eye Moody again made Devore feel uncomfortable as she was just now getting over the fact that he was once Barty Crouch Jr. More people apart of the Order of the Phoenix showed up to headquarters, including Nymphadora Tonks, whom Devore learned a long time ago was the daughter of Andromeda Black, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Professor Snape, which was an eye roll in itself.

On the day that Hermione was arriving at headquarters, Devore ran out of her room and leaned over the stairwell, seeing Hermione standing in the hall with her bags. "Mione!" She shrieked with happiness.

"Dev!" Hermione matched her tone and hugged her when she came down the stairs.

"Oh my gosh, I've missed you so much! How was your summer?"

"It was wonderful! My parents and I took a trip to Florida."

They began walking up the stairs. "What's there?"

"It's super sunny and hot but it's so beautiful. The water is so blue and the food is amazing."

Devore smiled. "That sounds like a dream."

When they entered the room, Ginny sat up and gasped. "Hermione."

"Ginny!" Hermione squealed and they hugged each other.

Ron peaked his head into the open door. "Is it safe?" He questioned.

"No, we're plotting to kill you in your sleep. Sleep with one eye open." Said Devore with narrow eyes.

The girls giggled while he mocked her. Ginny left the room and let the three of them talk. Devore helped Hermione put her things on her bed. "Does anyone know when Harry's be here? Or if he plans to at all?"

"Pretty soon is what dad told me. They sent Mad-Eye and a few others to get him from the Dursley's." Ron told them, emphasizing the name with disgust.

Devore scoffed. "Ugh, if he comes here looking any skinnier than he already is I'm going to hex those people!"

The three of them sat on her bed. "Do you think he's going to be mad at us?" Asked Hermione, feeling worried.

It pained Devore terribly to not be able to contact Harry. Their relationship was so much better than it was a year or two ago, and she was afraid that Harry would think she was ignoring him on purpose.

Ron seemed to read her thoughts. "He'll be fine once we explain the situation. You know him." He assured them.

Hermione gave him a faint smile, to which he returned.

Devore looked between them. "Should I, like, leave you guys alone? Cause I can go find Fred—"

Ron shoved her shoulder. "Shut up, Devore!" He grumbled while Hermione's face turned beet red.

She laughed and suddenly, the bedroom door swung open and Harry walked in. Immediately, Hermione got off the bed and hugged him, making him flinch. "HARRY! Are you alright?"

Devore followed course. "I heard about the dementor attack. Are you okay?" She said in a hurry and pulled him into a tight hug.

"You must tell us everything."

"Let him breathe, girls." Ron commented and stood behind them.

"And there's a hearing at the Ministry. It's just outrageous! I've looked it up. They simply can't expel you. It's completely unfair." Said Hermione with anger.

"There's a lot going around at the moment," Harry responded flatly, and it was clear to them that he was angry. He looked around the room. "So what is this place?"

"It's headquarters," Ron answered.

"For the Order of the Phoenix."

"It's a secret society that Dumbledore formed back in the first Wizarding War, when they faught Whats-Its-Face." Devore explained to him.

Ron narrowed his eyes. "You-Know-Who."

"Same thing."

Harry stared at his friends with an angry look in his eyes. "You couldn't face put this in a letter, I suppose." He said bitterly. "I've gone all summer without a scrap of news."

"We wanted to mate. Really, we did—"

"And you," he interrupted Ron, looking directly at Devore. "You said you weren't going to leave again! And then when I need you the most, I hear nothing from you."

Devore stared at him somberly. "Harry, it's not like that. I promise."

"Dumbledore made us swear not to tell you anything." Hermione said quickly.

Harry went quiet as he stood before them, pondering the information. "Dumbledore says that?"

They nodded ever so slightly.

"B-But why would he want to keep me in the dark? I mean, maybe I can help. After all I'm the one who saw Voldemort. I'm the one who fought him. I'm the one who saw Cedric Diggory get killed."

Devore frowned at his words and walked up to him, grabbing his shoulders. "We're only trying to protect you, Harry."

He pushed her hands off, making her frown even more.

Fred and George apparated into the room causing everyone to jump, which was becoming an on going thing ever since they passed their apparition test. "Harry!" Fred greeted.

"Thought we heard your dulcet tone—" said George.

"Don't bottle it up though mate, let it out." They sat on Devore's bed. His honey eyes caught the annoyed look on her face. "Aww, why're you looking at me like that, Dev?"

"Because that's the fifth time you've apparated out of nowhere today and it's getting irritating!"

He pouted his lips at her and grabbed her hand, pulling her body close to his and wrapped his arms around her torso.

"Anyway, if you don't want shouting," George started.

"What about something a little more interesting?" Fred finished with an instigating look on his face.

The group of teens, plus Bennet, joined each other in the hall over the edge of the staircase. The twins pulled out one of the devices they had been working on called an extendable ear, which helped them hear people from far away. They lowered the ear to the middle of the downstairs hall next to the room where the adults were holding their meeting.

"He's not a child, Molly!" They heard Sirius say through the ear.

"He's not an adult either!" Mrs. Weasley argued. "He's not James!"

"He's not your son—"

"He's as good as! Who else has he got?"

"He's got me." Sirius answered roughly.

"And me. Lily was my best friend. The least I can do is protect her child." Devore heard her mother's voice.

"Hey, Ginny." Harry greeted, seeing the young girl join them, exchanging awkward smiles, which causing Devore to snort under her breath.

Ginny pinched her arm.

"How touching, in paternal Black, perhaps Potter will grow up to be a felon just like his father." The voice of Severus Snape commented.

"You stay out of this Snivellus." Sirius sneered.

Devore stifled another laugh. "Oh, I'm so stealing that nickname." She whispered, making Ron laugh.

"Snape's in the order?" Harry asked, looking confused.

"Git."

As the conversation in the room continued, Hermione's cat appeared at the bottom of the stairs and started clawing at the ear. "Crookshanks, go away!" She whispered yelled at her cat.

"Go away!" Everybody yelled quietly, trying to get the cat away from the ear. Fred tried yanking the ear up but the cat kept pulling it down.

"Crookshanks, leave it alone!" Hermione hissed desperately but the cat had already pulled the ear off the string and started playing with it.

"Hermione, I hate your cat." George snapped.

"Bad Crookshanks!"

"Well, we'll be eating down in the kitchen," Molly announced happily as if nothing was wrong, seeing the kids come down the stairs. She jumped violently when Fred and George apparated behind her. "OH, JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERYTHING!"

The twins laughed while quickly running into the kitchen. Ron scurried past his angry mother.

Molly turned to Harry and her anger turned into a smile. "You hungry, Harry?"

"He better be. Look at him! What did I say upstairs if he came here any skinnier? And look at him, skinnier!" Devore exaggerated and poking him in the stomach causing him to squirm.

"You sure you're alright, Harry?" Arthur questioned,  wrapping his arm around his wife. "Gave us quite a turn."

"Harry Potter." Sirius exhaled from behind the couple as he stood with Remus and Devore's mother. Arthur and Molly moved out of the way and Sirius came face to face with his godson, who he thought was the spitting image of his late friend.

"Sirius!" Harry said merrily and embraced his godfather.

Devore went to stand with her mother and they watched them with smiles on their faces. They all went into the kitchen for dinner. Devore pulled out the chair next to Fred.

The girls were watching Tonks show everyone her magic with her being a metamorphamgus. She changed her nose from the spout of a pig to the beak of a duck. Bennet, who was sat across from his sister, was cracking up.

"It seems your hearing at the Ministry will be before the entire wizard committee." Arthur told Harry.

"I don't understand. What does the Ministry have against me?" He asked the man.

When they didn't answer, Mad-Eye chipped in. "Show him. He'll find out soon enough."

When it went silent, everyone stopped and watched as Harry grew confused. Kingsley, who was sitting beside him, gave him the newspaper in his hand. Harry's emerald eyes scanned the headline that said 'The Boy Who Lies?' with his picture on the front cover.

"He's been attacking Dumbledore as well. Fudge is using all his power including his influence with the Dailey Prophet to smear anyone who thinks the dark lord has returned," Sirius explained darkly.

"Why?" Harry questioned.

"The minister thinks Dumbledore's after this job—" Remus started.

"But that's insane, no one in their right mind who believe —"

"That's exactly the point!" He interrupted. "Fudge isn't in his right mind. It's been twisted and warped by fear. Bow fear makes people do terrible things, Harry, the last time Voldemort gained power he almost destroyed everything we hold most dear."

His eyes flickered from Sirius to Chanel, seeing her look down at her hands. "Now that he's returned I'm afraid the minister will do almost anything to avoid facing the terrifying truth."

"We think Voldemort wants to build up his army again." Chanel said to Harry.

"Fourteen years ago he had huge numbers in his command and not just witches and wizards with all the matter of dark creatures," Sirius explained. "He's been recruiting heavily and we've been attempting to do the same. But gathering followers isn't the only thing he's interested in."

Mad-Eye made a noise at his words causing eyes to flicker to him. "We believe Voldemort might be after something—"

"Sirius." Moody interrupted.

It went quiet for a moment while Sirius stared at his godson. "Something he didn't have last time."

Everyone in the room knew what he was talking about and the tension in the room rose. Devore felt her mother grab her by the hand. "Y-You mean like a weapon?" Harry questioned.

Before anyone could reply, Molly stepped in. "No, that's enough. He's just a boy!"

"I want to join. If Voldemort's building an army I want to fight!"

Sirius threw his hands up, indicating that he proved his point and sent a wink in the boy's direction.

After a much awkward silence, Molly spoke up again. "If we want dinner by midnight, I'll need some hands. No, you can stay where you are, Harry dear, you've had a long journey—"

"What can I do Molly?" Tonks piped in who just minutes ago was knocking stuff over in the halls. Devore thought she was adorable.

Mrs. Weasley hesitated. "Er--No, it's all right, Tonks, you have a rest too. You've done enough today."

"No, no, I want to help!" said Tonks brightly, knocking over a chair as she hurried towards the drawer, from which Ginny was collecting cutlery, making Devore laugh loudly and add, "I'll help as well."

More people got up to help seeing as there was many people to feed, leaving Harry at the table with Sirius, Chanel, and Mundungas Fletcher. "Have a good summer so far?" Sirius asked his godson.

"No, it's been lousy," Harry replied.

A grin spread across the man's face. "Don't know what you're complaining about, myself."

"What?"

"Personally, I'd have welcomed a dementor attack. A deadly struggle for my soul would have broken the monotony nicely. You think you've had it bad, at least you've been able to get out and about, stretch your legs, get into a few fights. . . . I've been stuck inside for a month."

"How come?" Harry asked, frowning.

"Because the Ministry of Magic's still after him." Chanel answered with Sirius pointing at her.

"Voldemort will know all about me being an animagus by now. Wormtail will have told him, so my big disguise is useless. There's not much I can do for the Order of the Phoenix . . . or so Dumbledore feels."

"At least you know what's been going on." Harry grumbled.

"Oh yeah," said Sirius sarcastically. "Listening to Snape's reports, having to take all his snide hints that he's out there risking his life while I'm sat on my backside here having a nice comfortable time . . . asking me how the cleaning's going--"

"What cleaning?"

"No one lived here for ten years, Harry. Not since my mother died."

"Don't let him fool you, Harry!" George called from the back of the kitchen. "Fred's been doing all the cleaning."

Fred grumbled loudly. "Shut up, Georgie!"

"How come?" Harry yelled back.

It was Ginny's turn. "He said in these words, "To make sure everything would be perfect for when Devore gets here".

The whole kitchen busted out laughing. Devore, while she was helping Mrs. Weasley with food, felt her face turn red. Fred groaned loudly at their laughs. She walked away from the food and stood on her toes, pressing a large and loud kiss to his cheek, which made him more embarrassed.

"I think you did a lovely job, Fred." Praised Chanel.

"Thank you, Mrs. Taylor. At least someone appreciates my good deeds!" He exaggerated

Bennet ran his hand across the kitchen table. "I don't know, I can still see some dust."

Devore laughed loudly. "Oh yeah?" Fred said and lifted the young boy in the air. "You see any up there?"

"Put me down!" Bennet yelled while Fred spun him around.

Devore laughed again and went and sat beside her mom. "Don't let her Nelly fool you, Fred. She may look sweet but she's a devil underneath." He gave the woman the side eye.

Chanel slapped him on the arm. "Am not!"

"Are too! Don't you remember sixth year when you swapped my shampoo and conditioner for toothpaste?"

She laughed at the memory. "Oh yes, you had to wear a hat for three days." She covered her mouth while giggling.

"And when you set James's robes on fire." He reminded her.

"And when you made a dungbomb explode in the girl's bathroom—" Remus added to the quip.

"And when you made your pumpkin juice exploded all over Isaac" Molly added with a jolly laugh.

"You too Molly? You're supposed to be on my side!"

"Wait, you were a prankster, Mrs. Taylor?" Fred questioned with wide eyes.

"One of the best if I may say so myself." She boasted with a proud smile.

"You'll definitely be marrying into the family." Ron teased his brother.

"Shut up, Ronald."

"I can remember when one day, my husband sent me his third gift of the day by a first year. It was a bouquet of flowers I was allergic too—"

Molly winced. "Oh, I remember this."

"Yes, and I was so mad at him already I just had to get back at him. So I used this spell on his cup so when he went to drink it, it exploded all over him. And keep in mind, he was arrogant back then so all he cared about what his hair—"

"And then they started dating so really, anything an happen." Devore joked.

"We sure did." Chanel grinned and motioned for her son to come over. When he did, she took her children's hands. "And look what came out of it."

Smiling girly, Devore laid her head on top of her mother's. "Damn that man for what he did."

At her words, Sirius and Remus looked at each other, then back at Chanel. She looked their way with hard eyes. Sirius brushed his beard with his hands and he glanced at Remus one more time, both of them thinking the same thing.

Harry wasn't the only one who was in trouble.