"That's what friends do for friends," said Daphne.
Clearly a little uncomfortable, after a moment he said, "I also think Ron's failed his exams and assignments. Word in the tower has it he may well be forced to repeat fourth year, or be expelled from school due to scholastic failure."
With a snort, Daphne said, "That's unsurprising. Without Hermione there to carry the majority of his work for him, he actually has to do his own work for a change."
"I, for one, will be happy if he is held back a year," smiled Neville. "It'll mean I won't have to put up with him and his whining in the dorm any more."
"Or his flatulence," laughed Harry.
"That too," smiled Neville right back.
"And we won't have to put up with him in the classes Ravenclaw shares with Gryffindor," said Hermione.
"That's if the rumours are true and he gets held back," said Neville, bringing their joy back down to earth.
The three returned to Greengrass Farm well before dinner was due and returned to their homework with Astoria, who was still sitting at the table and working away.
"How'd it go?" she asked, barely looking up.
"Good," replied Hermione with a sigh. "Neville is now behaving more confidently, now that he has his parents back.
"You noticed that too?" asked Harry.
"We all did," said Daphne. She thought for a moment before she said, "I think Neville's problem is his grandmother. She's quite domineering."
"I know," sighed Harry. "But, I've already verbally spanked her once; about the wand. I didn't want to do it again on what amounted to the third time I'd met her."
"Let his parents do that," said Hermione. "I thought you might have noticed the way Alice appeared quite angry with her. It was in her body language each time Augusta spoke to Neville. She tensed just a little."
"I noticed that, too," said Daphne.
"Facial expressions I'm okay with," said Harry. "Body language I'm still trying to come to terms with."
"Let's not discuss this now," suggested Hermione. "We'll keep an eye on him, as we said, and act if we need to. Let his parents rein the matriarch in."
As they were talking, they spread their homework back out again.
"By the way," said Daphne. "We also need to see if Draco's called Sirius yet. If he hasn't, I think we should alert Sirius that Draco's likely to contact him soon." Harry shook his head and said, "No need. Draco and Narcissa are staying at the Black House in London with Sirius and Remus. We'll probably even run into them the first day we turn up there."
"They're there?" asked Hermione, surprised. "I would have thought, with Lucius dead, they'd have returned to Malfoy Manor."
"It's not safe," said Daphne. "They have no idea whether or not Riddle can get in. They're having the wards seen to by the goblins, but that black smokey flying thing they do hasn't been seen before. No one knows if it'll keep out Riddle and his flunkies if they make a concerted effort to get in.
"And that also doesn't include whether or not there are... certain devices within the property that Riddle can use to bypass any wards to get in, or something that he can use to remotely detonate hidden explosives or release potions in gas form, and similar. So, they've got to be very careful and have a very close examination of the entire property."
"Besides," he added, "Though I might be a prime target of Riddle… and that also brings you two into the mix… the same can be said of Draco and his mother if Riddle learns of their... 'defection'. For the time being, the Black House, with its heavy enchantments and escape tunnel, is the safest place for them. Sirius is determined to do right by the last few remaining members of his family."
"Has he told them of the tunnel?" asked Hermione, a little worriedly.
"No," he replied. "He'll only tell them if they have no other choice but to use it. Apparently, my safety - as well as the secret of the tunnels - is more important to him than the very slight risk the House might be attacked while both he and Remus are away."
In a private dining room in the back of the Hog's Head Tavern, Dumbledore walked into the room and sighed to himself. There were less than a dozen people waiting for him inside, sitting around a large table. The Order, he felt, should have been far larger.
He walked up to the head of the table and took the seat left there especially for him.
Looking around, he saw, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Nymphadora Tonks, Alastor Moody, Dedalus Diggle, Elphias Doge, Mundungus Fletcher, Rubeus Hagrid, Severus Snape, Emmeline Vance, Molly Prewett, and Minerva McGonagall. What he did not know was that Shacklebolt was there under the direct orders of Madam Bones, and was tasked with reporting all he knew from the meetings back to her. Nor that Tonks was there as Sirius's personal spy within the Order.
People he hoped to see, but weren't there, included: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Filius Flitwick, Arthur Weasley, Hestia Jones and Sturgis Podmore. All but Jones were members of the old Order and he'd hoped they'd come to the meeting where he reformed it.
He had also hoped to have at his fingers the Potter and Black fortunes to help fund the Order while they battled Riddle's forces. Alas, that was clearly now not going to happen.
"Thank you, all, for coming," he began. "As you know, Voldemort has been resurrected and, of course, will soon return to attacking all that which we hold dear.
"I have been unable to review young Harry's memories of the resurrection where it took place in the cemetery in Little Hangleton. However, I hold to the hope that Amelia Bones will soon see reason and allow me to view it.
"It's irrelevant," growled Moody. "The evidence collected at the site shows the ritual occurred. We don't need to know any more about it."
Dumbledore leaned forward and put on his most heartfelt pleading expression. He said, "Can you get me a copy of the memory, Alastor? I feel I really must review it. I believe I might be able to deduce something from it that Amelia's people would have missed, or not realised the significance of."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ready to lose yourself in an epic tale? Download the full PDF now and start reading from page one!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
https://fictiontopia.tiendup.com/