Re-Ordering

Re-Ordering

By Meghling

Sirius stood on one side of the house where Remus Lupin was living. Buckbeak was tied up in the back. It had taken a couple of hours to make his way down here, but had hardly seemed that long with all the recent happenings to think about. Would it be another war just like last time? Would the Order be ready and able to stop him? Sirius was tired of just being a correspondent. Something was starting now and he wanted to be a part of it. And Harry . . . poor Harry . . . at least with all of this going on there was no way that he wouldn't get to see him over the summer. Dumbledore would surely consent to it. That was something. Sirius looked around the street. No one was out, but there were some lights on in the house across the way. He changed into the dog, just in case, and ran across the yard and started to scratch on the front door.

A moment later, Remus, always a light sleeper, opened the door. He looked down at the dog, without an expression on his face. "So, you're finally come to your senses and decided to get out of that cave, have you?" He made a face. "Ugh, you need a bath."

For that, Sirius the dog ran past and rolled around on the carpet a few times before changing back into himself. "You know, it's generally considered polite to invite a person in before you start criticizing him."

"Well, then it's a good thing you weren't a person, I would hate to be considered rude." Remus smiled and sat down. "So, is there some reason for your being here or were you just bored and decided there was nothing better to do in the middle of the night than come make a mess of my house."

"Actually, I'm here on business." Sirius stopped smiling and looked Remus in the eye. "He's back, Moony."

There was no need to explain whom. Sirius looked up to see the smile was gone from Remus' face as well and he looked thoughtful now. "You're certain? What happened?"

"Harry saw him, he was almost killed." Sirius got up off the ground now and went to sit on the couch next to Remus.

"Wait, at the final Tri-wizard event?"

"Yeah, the other Hogwarts boy was killed."

"Oh my God, Cedric . . . "

"You knew him?"

"You forget I taught at Hogwarts last year."

"I'm sorry." Sirius shook his head, he hadn't forgotten, it just wasn't foremost on his mind. He'd only been thinking about Harry and didn't stop to the think of all the people that would be upset by the Diggory boy's death. "This is only the beginning . . ." He reiterated Harry's story, almost five hours old now. Remus let him talk about the maze and gravesite and Crouch without asking questions. It made him sick that all this had happened, but he'd tell the story again, everyone had to know. Voldemort was back and all the information had to be out there to stop him. When he finished they sat in silence. He watched Remus get up and begin to pace the room now.

"So, you're here because we need to get together the Order of the Phoenix again."

That's why he was here first. Remus was good at putting together Sirius' parts of stories. That and he'd need Remus to contact most of these people . . . It would be good to work with him and not in hiding from him this time. "You got it."

"Have you contacted anyone else yet?"

"No, you're first on the list. We need to get together the old gang to start. I thought I'd need your help on that. Dumbledore has managed to slip in the story of my innocence here and there, but it was hardly a top priority over the last year. I think a few people might want more than just my word, you know like Emmeline Vance."

"Well, you did make her pretty mad, just about every time you two saw each other."

Sirius tried not to smile. It wasn't really funny that he'd almost hit Emmeline with his motorbike, but she was just SO stuffy. She had constantly lectured him on how a proper young wizard should act. Not James or Remus, just him. "It's not like I actually ran her over. I just . . . wanted to scare her. I couldn't think of any other way to prove that she was capable of real emotions."

"Well, it was a near enough miss for her to hate you. After you . . . went away she used to say that we should have suspected you to be a traitor all along."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Well, you get to talk to her then. Let's see, we don't need to worry about the Hogwarts lot. There's Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, Arabella Figg, Sturgis and Mundungus - ooo, I want to talk to him."

"Does he know you're innocent?"

"No, I know McGonagall knows. I think Dedalus and Sturgis believe it too. But come on, you think Dung will care at all? You know I've half expected to see him dragged in the whole time I was in Azkaban."

"I don't think he's been in trouble for anything in months, I'm not sure where he is."

"Probably means he's up to something more illegal than usual."

"I shudder to think," Remus said absentmindedly; he seemed to be going over something in his head. "That really isn't very many people, is it?"

Sirius knew what he meant. They'd lost a lot of people over the years. It just wouldn't be the same this time without James and Lily. Peter, well who needed him anyways; he'd never been much help even when he was still their friend. Harry was here this time though . . . ."I suppose not, but I'm sure Dumbledore will work on getting people interested right away. He's already talked with the Weasley family."

"Of course, and Arthur is with the ministry. It sounds like we need any help we can get over there after Fudge's reaction."

"Yeah, that git of a minister . . . still can't believe that he wouldn't believe what Harry saw, as if he'd lie about the whole thing!"

"At least Harry won't have to deal with that right now. He is going back with his aunt and uncle this summer, isn't he?"

"Yeah, I guess he has to." Sirius sighed. "Wish he could stay with me instead . . .."

"Maybe someday, but really, where would you take him? Grimmauld Place?"

Sirius frowned. "I guess that wouldn't really work, who knows the state of that place . . .. " That hellhole more like it; no one should be subject to that place. He doubted that anyone even remembered it was there with all its former occupants dead (he had never been its occupant, only its prisoner) and the house itself completely hidden from view. That thought gave him an idea. "Hey . . . wait a minute . . ."

"What?"

"Obviously the Order is going to need a new place to meet . . . why not Grimmauld Place?"

Remus looked wary. "How about because you've always said that that is the sort of place that we're fighting against."

"Which makes it all the better. New members can get a first hand look at how a dark wizard lives . . . can you image my mother's face? The lot of us transforming her pure-wizard haven into everything against it." Sirius put on a large smile and put his hand to his chest as he let out a dramatic sigh. "It's the least a good son could do for his dear dead mother . . ."

"And think, the average son just sends flowers."

"Naturally. Really though, think about it. All those anti-muggle defenses my father spent years developing and adding to the place. I doubt there's any home in Britain better hidden. What else am I suppose to do with that place?"

Remus nodded. "True, and in London, it would be close to everything."

"Great, I'll bring it up with Dumbledore when he contacts us." Sirius smiled. Well, that was one thing he could contribute right away. "I guess we should start getting in touch with people then, or you should anyways. Be sure to have fun waking Emmeline up in the middle of the night." Remus frowned at him. "Oh, by the way, is it alright if I stay here awhile?"

"Of course."

"Good, now what do you have to eat? I'm starving."

"This is great, Padfoot, you give me all your work, and now you're going to eat all my food."

"Shut up Moony and get to work."