The Order of the Phoenix

“Uh… Um… Evans?” Lily heard a stammering voice next to her ear as she was studying in the library. She looked up to see Peter Pettigrew standing over her. His lower lip was trembling like he was about to cry. Lily spotted a scrap of parchment in his twitching hands, folding and turning it over and over as if he didn’t know how to hold the piece of parchment.

“Yes?” Lily raised an eyebrow.

Pettigrew took a couple of deep breaths before her blurted out, “James-asked-me-to-give-you-this!” He shoved the parchment under Lily’s nose and dashed away out of the library. Is it just me or is Pettigrew getting more mousier by the year? Lily thought to herself as she unfolded the note. “Lily, meet me at the Quidditch Pitch after practice at 8.30pm. James.” Lily grimaced, James only knew too well that Lily detested Quidditch. Especially when she hated James for being such a show-off as a Seeker. But she decided to go anyways, her Transfiguration was done and it was 8.00, just enough time to get to the Pitch.

“Hey, Lils!” Mary Macdonald flew to where Lily sat on the spectator stands, waiting for the practice to finish. Mary was dressed in her scarlet Quidditch robes and was sporting a Cleansweep 7. “I didn’t know you liked to watch us practice.”

“I don’t,” Lily replied grudgingly. “James asked me to come find him.”

Mary smirked, “I see.” But the knowing twinkle in her eyes said, “I hope there’s snogging.”

Suddenly, a red blur was hurtling towards them. Lily vaguely recognized it as a Quaffle and squealed with terror. Mary, on the other hand, was amused with Lily’s reaction and swooped calmly into the path of the Quaffle and caught it neatly with both hands. She then lobbed it expertly to the goal hoops that were miles away and the Quaffle soared nicely into the circle.

“Ten points to Gryffindor!” Mary laughed, mimicking the commentaries.

“That was brilliant,” Lily breathed. “You must be the best on the team!” 

“Nah, it was only a simple drill,” Mary blushed. “Sometimes, Captain James Potter makes it next to impossible and he’s the best on the team, catches the Snitch in 10 minutes one time. Fastest record in Hogwarts’ History, we made the House Cup that year.”

“Where is he anyways?” Lily craned her head and tried to find his familiar unkempt black hair bobbing in the indigo sky.

“You won’t find him up here,” Mary said softly. “He’s on the ground.” Lily saw James as a tiny dot, running around the bottom of the pitch, yelling orders and drills at his players. “I’d go down there now if I were you, we’re just finishing up here.”

“Good, Wormy gave you my message in time,” James greeted her with his dimpled grin as Lily walked onto the sandy bottom of the pitch. “Took Moony and I a whole hour to persuade him.” The evening was quiet now, the players had already left and they were the only two people left.

“So why did you ask me to come?” Lily sighed, getting directly to the point.

“You sound like I brought you here against your own will,” James said humorously, picking up his Nimbus 1800 from the sandy ground and dusting the grains off.

“James, I am perfectly capable of hexing the answer from your mouth,” Lily said dryly.

“Ooh, is that a threat?” James smirked, leaning against his Nimbus.

“James,” Lily put her hand inside her wand pocket.  

“Well, after your parents’ died,” James started shakily, staring intently into her eyes. “ You’re so strange now. You barely speak to your friends at meals, you hardly return to the dorm or the common room because you’re spending all you time in the Heads’ Room and you’re either paying too much attention in class or none at all! You’re not you.”

Lily stared at him for a moment. Okay, maybe Lily did spend too much time in the Heads’ Room crying but she was drowning in misery everyday. She couldn’t take it anymore when her friends talked to her, she was afraid she would lose them like Tuney. She was trying to forget about everything by throwing herself into every lecture in class but her concentration would slip away and Mum and Dad would appear in her mind again.

Lily huffed and crossed her arms, her voice was now raw and cold with sorrow, “Well, James Potter. If you invited me here to talk about them, then I’m going to bed.” She spun around before James could see the fresh tears well up in her eyes. Why did he have to bring it up again? She was making a huge effort to stop grieving but tonight, he had made her remember them.

Just before she could storm off the pitch, James grabbed her hand, “Sorry, I just wanted to cheer you up.”

“Cheer me up?” Lily asked incredulously. “What do you mea—” She looked at the smile on James’s face then back to his shiny Nimbus.

“Don’t tell me I’m going to get on that…thing!” Lily cried.

“You hurt his feelings, Lily,” James sounded offended, patting his broom affectionately.

“I really don’t like flying,” Lily protested.

“You haven’t tried,” James persuaded.

“I have in First Year, I made a complete fool of myself,” Lily muttered darkly. She was the first person to fall off the broom before it had even lifted a feet off the ground. Snivelly had also fallen purposely with her so she wouldn’t feel that embarrassed. James was also there but he, with extraordinary talent on the broomstick, had hovered high in the air, sitting straight backed and proud with his three other friends also around him but not as confident.  

“I’ll help you,” James shrugged and took her arm. “Trust me, you’ll feel better.” Lily stepped uncertainly towards the hovering broomstick and mounted it slowly.

“Potter, if you let me fall, I’ll jinx you into oblivion,” Lily growled.

“You’re not even off the ground yet and we’re back to last name terms already with jinxing threats, Evans?” James chuckled sitting behind her. How could James be having so much fun? She was already feeling off-balance and was terrified she would break her leg or something.

“My Arresto Momentum spell is nearly perfected, Lily. No worries,” and before she knew it, James had already kicked off the ground.

Lily shrieked, “Let me off!” James didn’t seem to hear her and sped around the pitch, the spectator stands a blur of the four house colors. The wind was whipping through her hair and was biting into her bones.  

“Not so fast,” Lily pleaded. James finally slowed down to what he thought was a rather sluggish pace but Lily was finding it just perfect.

“Okay, I’m letting you steer it now,” James instructed.

“Excuse me?” Lily had no sense of steering broomsticks.

“Just remember the flying lessons in First Year but you don’t have to kick or turn so hard because it’s a Nimbus, not a old school broom.” Lily saw no difference between a ‘shiny, new Nimbus 1800’ and ‘a old school’s broom’ but to avoid a detailed lecture, Lily focused more on flying and could feel James lightening his grip on the broom. Lily gulped and squeezed the broom with her fingertips, remembering his advice.

Sure enough, the broom could feel her very touch and before she knew it, Lily was speeding up and going higher with every moment. But most importantly, she was laughing. She hadn’t laughed in weeks. Her heart was light as a feather now, as though she had left all her worries on the Quidditch pitch. She was in the night sky with no boundaries, no nothing. Only her and James under the slivery, crescent moon.

“Let me take you a bit higher,” James whispered, taking back control of the broomstick. They shot upwards until Lily thought she could touch the moon.

“It’s beautiful,” Lily breathed.

“Divine,” James agreed. “Like you.” He twisted his head to give her a deep kiss on the lips. He cupped her face with his warm, callused hands and tilted her face upwards. Lily was caught by surprise but she closed her eyes and loved every moment of it. She remembered how Alex had kissed her under the oak tree, Alex’s kiss was more of push in the relationship (well, if you could even call it a relationship), pushing for more actually but James’s kiss was so right and so natural. It was so full of passion and need but Alex’s was more of a fling.

James kissed her like he had all the time in the world. He kissed her like she was the only girl he knew. Moreover, he kissed her like they would die tomorrow. James suddenly broke away laughing but Lily was feeling more amazed than annoyed.

“Yes?” Lily had to control herself to hide her smile.

“Made you laugh,” James gave her a playful smirk. “Come on, it’s nearly curfew. Let’s go back.”   

“Thanks, James,” Lily murmured and leaned back on his shoulder as they swooped back to the pitch.

“Expecto Patronum,” Lily commanded. A thin, barely visible wisp of silvery smoke snaked out of her wand and disappeared quickly. Lily frowned, where was her usual swan Patronus?

“Expecto Patronum!” Lily said more fiercely, focusing on her happy memory of her family reunited. A thicker wisp appeared but it was nothing, compared to her usual Patronus spell. Why can’t I do a Patronus charm anymore? Lily thought desperately. It’s our N.E.W.T.S. final in a week and I’m sure I need a Patronus to pass the practical! But that wasn’t the only thing that was bothering Lily. Maybe there’s a problem with the memory itself. Mum and Dad are gone, Tuney’s left and I’m barely around anymore… No… Lily was close to tears again and a lump formed in her throat.

She closed her eyes and cast the picture of her mother, father and sister, all sitting on the living room couch, just talking about everyday things. But the realistic part of Lily came bursting in and slowly, her parents faded away. Her sister stormed out of the scene and only Lily was left. Alone…cold…

Lily snapped open her eyes. I’ve got to stop thinking about that.

“I knew I’d find you up here,” James’s velvety voice sounded behind her.

“Of course, you saw me with your marauders’ map,” Lily retorted.

“Nope, I found you myself,” James said as he hugged her from behind and gave her a peck on the cheek. Lily loved being in James’s arms. It made her feel safe and contented. It made her think that everything’s okay. “Moony and Padfoot took the map for some harmless pranking for Professor Slughorn.”

“You should’ve stopped them,” Lily tuned around in James’s arms and pretended to shake her head disapprovingly.

“Innocent when proven guilty, Head Girl,” James laughed softly. “There’s always a chance that Sluggy’s skin won’t be dark green tomorrow morning.”

“Right,” Lily replied sarcastically.

“Anyways,” James raised an eyebrow at her wand. “Working on charms tonight?”

Lily sighed dejectedly, “Yeah but I’ve lost my Patronus.”

“It’s a swan, isn’t it?”

“It was, until they left,” Lily was suddenly choking back on tears again. James drew his own wand, “Expecto Patronum.”

A stag with impressive antlers cantered out of his wand and leapt into the middle of the Heads’ Room, snorting and pawing the carpeted stone floor. Following her instinct, Lily gripped her wand tightly and raised it again. This time her memory was when James had taken her on a ride on his Nimbus. Lily could still remember every detail. How they had shot up to the night sky, dappled with stars. She remembered how the moon had washed them in silvery, bright light. And she had remembered how James and kissed her under the moon.

“Expecto Patronum.”

A new animal had sprung out of Lily’s wand. A doe.

It wasn’t a full Patronus but Lily could clearly see the slender neck and the white patches on the doe’s sleek body. It tossed it’s head and slowly trotted over to the stag. The stag also walked towards the doe. The two figures embraced, sniffing each other intently until they grew to each other’s presence and stood side by side, so closely that their pelts were touching.

Lily was breath taken, “That was brilliant.”

“A lot more than just brilliant,” James put his free hand on Lily’s waist as they watched fondly at the two Patronuses gazing at each other.

“This is it, James,” Lily sat in James’s lap. “It’s our last night in Hogwarts.” They were on the window seat in the Heads’ Room. They had already attended the End of Year feast and were thinking of spending the night in the Heads’ Room with some of their close Gryffindor friends. Tomorrow, they would be boarding the Hogwarts’ Express for the last time.

Alice and Frank, both Prefects, were lounging on one of the armchairs, looking sleepy. Padfoot, Moony and Wormy were on the floor at James’s feet, playing the last few games of Exploding Snap, Amy and Mary were still very single and were playing with them Everyone was in a good mood, savoring the moment before they stepped out of the safety of Hogwarts’ walls. There were more Dementor attacks, the number of halfbloods’ deaths or disappearances was increasing day by day and more wizards and Dark creatures were sighted with Voldemort. James knew he’d have to fight in the war against Voldemort one day but he wasn’t thinking about it just yet.

“I’ll miss this place,” James murmured, his lips brushing Lily’s.

“Me too,” Lily leaned her head on James’s shoulder.

Suddenly, the door of the Heads’ room was opened. Everyone stood up as Professor McGonagall strode into the room.

“Ah, good. Could everyone of you come with me please,” McGonagall ordered. “Professor Dumbledore wishes to see all of you.” Looking confused, they filed out of the Heads’ Room after the professor.

“Prongs, did you give us one last detention to do together?” Padfoot elbowed James jokingly.

They reached the gargoyle, the entrance to Dumbledore’s office.

“Licorice wands,” McGonagall said and a spiral staircase appeared. “Up you go.” The nine Seventh-years uncertainly hurried up the staircase into the circular office of Professor Dumbledore. He was sitting at his desk with a bowl of liquid placed in front of him. His eyes were closed and his hands were folded carefully on his lap.

The office was crowded, James recognized the grouchy face of Alastor Moody, Benjy Fenwick, Caradoc Dearborn, Fabian and Gideon Prewett and Dedalus Diggle from Ravenclaw, the young Groundskeeper Hagrid, Amos Diggory, Dorcas Meadows, Edgar Bones, Elphias Doge from Hufflepuff, he recognized a few vaguely familiar faces of alumni students and all the professors at Hogwarts. 

“Professor Dumbledore?” James said quietly.

Dumbledore nodded without opening his eyes, “James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Amy, Mary, Frank and Alice.”

“I am sure you have heard of the rising of Lord Voldemort and his evil ways,” Dumbledore started, opening his clear blue eyes and pulling out copies of recent Daily Prophets from the under of his desk. The headlines usually reported the number of half-bloods’ and muggles’ deaths. Everyone in the room cringed. “The Ministry is falling into his hands and the Aurors are on the brink of failing. I feel that we should do something.”

“Do something?” Alastor echoed.

Dumbledore nodded, “It is time for us to fight back, that is if any of you wish to.” His twinkling eyes swept over the students.

“I will,” Lily was the first to speak up. Dumbledore’s gaze rested momentarily on Lily, James guessed he knew about her parents’ murder. 

“Me too,” James gripped Lily’s hand tightly.

“Count us in,” the Gryffindors’ voices rang victoriously in the office.

“Of course,” replied the Hufflepuffs.

“Definitely,” the Ravenclaws answered.

“Professor Dumbledore,” Amos Diggory asked. “Why aren’t there any Slytherins, beside Professor Slughorn, here?” For a moment, there was painful silence in the office.

“As you all know, Voldemort was once in the Slytherin house and it has come to my attention that he has recruited some young followers there. They have studied, eat and slept with all of you inside the walls of Hogwarts but they have grown to follow him. I cannot afford anything said in these meetings to be heard by Lord Voldemort unless it is an absolute need,” Dumbledore explained. “Remember in these hard times, we cannot trust anyone easily.”

“Who are they?” Alastor growled. Everyone knew he had a thirst for hunting down Dark wizards. It wasn’t surprising that he was handing in his application form as an Auror the next morning.

“Avery, Mulciber, Malfoy, Lestrange and Snape to name a few,” Frank replied coldly. Lily stiffened when he spat Snape’s name. “I’ve seen them practicing what looked like Dark Magic. I’ve heard rumors that they have tried to do the Cruciatus Curse before.” The air in the office seemed to grow colder.

“Now, don’t we need a Secret Keeper or something?” Wormy piped up, looking nervous. “One who keeps all our secrets and arrange meetings and things like that.”

“I think Professor Dumbledore would be the proper person,” Alice suggested. Everyone nodded.

“Wait, the Secret Keeper of what?” Amy asked. “We’ve got to get a name for us, can’t we?”

“Hogwarts’ Group Against Voldemort?” Dedalus Diggle said. “H.G.A.V for short?”

“Or Protectors of Hogwarts?” Edgar Bones suggested.

“The Hogwarts’ Force,” Hagrid put in. 

“I don’t think this group applies to the safety of Hogwarts only,” Professor McGonagall spoke.

“Against Dark Arts?” Moody said gruffly.

“Perhaps the Fighters of Freedom?” Professor Sprout proposed gently.

“What about Dumbledore’s Army?” Professor Merrythought said.

“No,” James said. “If anyone else hears it by mistake, it’ll be too obvious and risky. It has to be something more covert but significant.” There was a moment of thoughtful thinking.

“The Order of the Phoenix?” once Lily said it, there was a murmur of approval from the crowd.

“Excellent, Miss Evans!” Slughorn said proudly.

“Then the Order of the Phoenix it is!” Moony crowed.

“What about Headquarters?” Mary McDonald raised the question.

“Hogwarts would be too obvious,” Dorcas Meadows said.

“Somewhere in Hogsmeade?” Frank Longbottom suggested.

“Not protected enough,” Amos Diggory shook his head.

“Not among Muggles, obviously. Voldemort would be able to track us down immediately!” Professor Flitwick squeaked.

“But somewhere quiet and big,” Madam Hooch said.

“12, Grimmauld Place,” Padfoot’s voice rose solely above the others. “It’s my parents’ home, or at least it was after they died a month ago. It’s mines now but I don’t want it. You can use it as Headquarters.”

“How’s it like?” Madam Pomfrey asked.

“It’s a mansion concealed inside a Muggle residence, it’s quite big and roomy so we could have all of us there and it’s well protected by our family’s protection spells as well. I could make the spells recognize everyone of the Order so they won’t kill you.”

“Brilliant!” James clapped Padfoot on the shoulder. “I’ve been there before. Bit gloomy and dusty, though.”

“Is there anyone currently living there?” Dumbledore asked.

“There’s a house elf called Kreacher but he can’t leave the house or say anything to outsiders,” Padfoot replied. “My only cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa Black, knows where it is but they rarely come since they live at the Malfoy Manor now and we could enforce the protection charms to keep them out.”

“Your cousins are the female to-be-Death Eaters in Slytherin, from what I heard,” Benjy Fenwick said suspiciously.

“Hey, watch it, Fenwick,” Moony stepped forward. “Padfoot’s in Gryffindor for a reason. He doesn’t like the pureblood nonsense and hates his cousins for joining Voldemort. I can prove it for seven whole years!” For extra effect, James and Wormy also glared at Fenwick.

“Just sayin’,” Fenwick muttered.

“But how do we communicate?” Professor McGonagall said. “We know that owls are being searched and the Floo Powder systems are watched.”

“And we should have as many types of communication systems as possible,” Slughorn said thoughtfully, “That way, we’ll be harder to track down.”

“I know a really great trick of making our heads appear in fireplaces so we can talk to each other,” Padfoot said again. “We’ve scared a lot of people that way.” Padfoot added cheekily. Lily and Amy stifled a groan; they knew too well how freaky it was, after Padfoot had appeared in the Gryffindor common room fire to spook them when they studied into the night. It would be all quiet and silent in the room except for the flipping of pages and scratching of quills until a horrible roaring would erupt from the fireplace, courtesy to Sirius Black. It scared the living daylights out of them

“Bewitched mirrors?” Moony said. “We can look into one and see the other person and talk to them but it’s really hard to make one.”

But James and Lily looked at each other and said simultaneously, “Patronuses.”

“Patronuses, you say? Miss Evans and Mr. Potter?” Sprout’s eyes grew wide. “That is a great idea!”

“I agree,” Dumbledore smiled admiringly. “We shall use all the suggested forms of communication, I’ll try to figure something out with Mr. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin about those magical mirrors and popping heads in fires. Miss Lily Evans and James Potter will work with me about those communicating Patronuses. Until next time we meet, my loyal members of the Order.”

And the first meeting of the Order of the Phoenix was adjourned.

The small velvet box pressed against his leg in James’s pants pocket as he waited for Alastor Moody, one of the Order’s contacts in the Ministry, to finish his monthly report at the large dining room table at 12, Grimmauld Place. He turned his head to glance at Lily, his now steady girlfriend, sitting beside him. They had been dating for almost two years now and the two months after they left Hogwarts were the best. Without the grades and curfews in the way, they were having an amazing time.

James loved it when they spent hours into the night working on their communication system with Patronuses, conjuring one after another. James loved how he would pick her up and spin her around, her curtain of red hair tickling his cheek. And he loved those peaceful nights when they would just lie on the couch together and chat about small things or even just savoring the quietness in each other’s arms until they dozed off. Not knowingly, he had a dreamy smile plastered on his face.

“Thank you, Alastor,” Professor Flitwick stood up, cutting into James thoughts. “Does anyone else would like to say something?”

“Yes, professor,” James stood up confidently but his insides were squirming, yelling at him to just sit down. He took Lily’s hand and walked to the head of the dining room table.

“James?” Lily tilted her head to one side and raised one perfect eyebrow. “What’s this all about?” James didn’t answer; he could feel everyone’s eyes locked on him. His cheeks started burning and his heart was going to jump out of his mouth any moment know.

Man up! James ordered himself. You are definitely not going to act scared in front of Lily Evans. You are going to take care of her for the rest of her life. James took a deep breath, as he took out the small box out of his pocket, he knelt down to the floor on one knee. Everyone gasped as he opened the small velvet box and revealed a diamond ring with the diamond that had been sculpted into a lily flower. Lily widened her eyes and blinked a few times, “Um, James… Why do you have that?”

“You’ve made me realize that I can find someone who I feel complete with, who I’ve been through so much, who I’ve put in so much effort to get at, who is worth dying for… And I did, so I’d like to cherish this person for the rest of my life,” James had prepared this speech by himself and he had truly said it from the heart. “I love you more than you can imagine and with so much evil out there, we could be dead by tomorrow but I need to know…Lily Evans, will you marry me?” The whole room had stopped breathing now, including James.

Lily looked like she was about to cry, “Yes.” And everyone cheered. Padfoot was doing some kind of weird victory dance, Wormtail was clapping loudly and Moony had a “about time, too” smile on his face. Even the professors were clapping and whooping. Lily laughed and pulled James up from the floor. James slipped the ring onto her third finger.

“It’s beautiful,” Lily murmured into James ear.

“You deserve the best, Lily,” James replied and kissed her deeply in front of everyone. And at that moment, everything was forgotten, the only thing that mattered was James loves Lily and Lily loves James. That is all.

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