Chapter 3 The Interesting Dinner Conversation

The group quickly ran into the bedroom as if they weren’t spying on the meeting. They waited there quietly until Mrs. Weasley called them all down for dinner. Hungry, the group walked slowly down the stairs not to disturb the portrait of Sirius’ mother. They all walked into the kitchen to find Remus, Sirius, Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, and Sienna.

“That’s strange,” thought Ajax, “how did Sienna get down here so quickly?” (well you guys already know. I spoiled it for you in the one chapter of Sienna’s journal. But let’s just all pretend that it didn’t exist.)

Ajax, Mia, Chloe, Zoe, and Kendall all sat down at one end of the table together. Everyone else sat at the other end. Mrs. Weasley was bustling around, trying to get everyone plates and utensils.  Sienna sat down next to Zoe. Her usual black was back, but with more color. Kinda like a scene person (wears black and emo stuff, but really isnt emo).

“So, Sienna,” said Zoe casually, “how was your summer?”

“Fine, I guess,” she said, “It’s been crazy around here, really. With the cleaning and all.”

She got quiet after that. Mia (who was sitting across from her) saw Sienna glance at Fred, who was talking wildly to Mundungus Fletcher (whom the author forgot to mention, sorry) about the inventions he and his brother were making. It looked like she had more on her mind then cleaning.

Chloe coughed and Sienna looked back at her plate. They were having homemade mushroom pie. It may not sound good, but Mrs. Weasley is the best at everything so it was the best mushroom pie anyone has ever ate.

After dinner, things got serious. Sirius started to talk to Harry and ask him why he hasn’t asked questions about the Order and Voldemort. Wait, did I say they were at Number 12 Grimauld Place where the Order is? Well, let’s just pretend that I did, if I didn’t, and the girls knew already what the Order was about and all.

“I did!” said Harry indignantly. “I asked Ron and Hermione but they said we're not allowed in the Order, so"

   

 “And they're quite right,” said Mrs Weasley. “You're too young.” She was sitting bolt upright in her chair, her fists clenched on its arms.

 “Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?” asked Sirius. “Harry's been trapped in that Muggle house for a month. He's got the right to know what's been happen-“

    “Hang on!” interrupted George loudly.

    ‘How come Harry gets his questions answered?” said Fred angrily.

    'We've been trying to get stuff out of you for a month and you haven't told us a single stinking thing!' said George.

   “’You're too young, you're not in the Order, '” said Fred, in a high-pitched voice that sounded uncannily like his mother's.  “Harry's not even of age!”

    “It's not my fault you haven't been told what the Order's doing,” said Sirius calmly, “that's your parents' decision. Harry, on the other hand – “

    “It's not down to you to decide what's good for Harry!” said Mrs Weasley sharply. The expression on her normally kind face looked dangerous. “You haven't forgotten what Dumbledore said, I suppose?”

The room became dead silent.

“Dad,” said Sienna warningly.

Sirius ignored her. “Which bit?” he asked politely, but with the air of a man readying himself for a fight.

    “The bit about not telling Harry more than he needs to know,” said Mrs Weasley, placing a heavy emphasis on the last three words.

    Ron, Hermione, Kendall, Chloe, Mia, Zoe, Ajax, Fred, and George’s heads swiveled from Sirius to Mrs Weasley as though they were following a tennis rally. Ginny was kneeling amid a pile of abandoned Butterbeer corks (oh, she was entertaining Crookshanks), watching the conversation with her mouth slightly open. Sienna and Lupin's eyes were fixed on Sirius.

  “I don't intend to tell him more than he needs to know, Molly,” said Sirius. “But as he was the one who saw Voldemort come back” (again, there was a collective shudder around the table at the name) “he has more right than most to – “

   “He's not a member of the Order of the Phoenix!” said Mrs Weasley. “He's only fifteen and – “

   “And he's dealt with as much as most in the Order,” said Sirius, “and more than some.”

   

 “No one's denying what he's done!” said Mrs Weasley, her voice rising, her fists trembling on the arms of her chair. “'But he's still – “

    “He's not a child!” said Sirius impatiently.

    “He's not an adult either!”said Mrs Weasley, the color rising in her cheeks. “He's not James, Sirius!”

    “I'm perfectly clear who he is, thanks, Molly,” said Sirius coldly.

    “I'm not sure you are!” said Mrs Weasley. “Sometimes, the way you talk about him, it's as though you think you've got your best friend back!”

    “What's wrong with that?” said Harry.

“What's wrong, Harry, is that you are not your father, however much you might look like him!” said Mrs Weasley, her eyes still boring into Sirius. “You are still at school and adults responsible for you should not forget it!”

    “Meaning I'm an irresponsible godfather?” demanded Sirius, his voice rising.

“Meaning you have been known to act rashly, Sirius, which is why Dumbledore keeps reminding you to stay at home and – “

“We'll leave my instructions from Dumbledore out of this, if you please!” said Sirius loudly.

“Arthur!”said Mrs Weasley rounding on her husband. “Arthur, back me up!”

    Mr Weasley did not speak at once. He took off his glasses and cleaned them slowly on his robes, not looking at his wife. Only when he had replaced them carefully on his nose did he reply.

    “Dumbledore knows the position has changed, Molly. He accepts that Harry will have to be filled in, to a certain extent, now that he is staying at Headquarters.”

“Yes, but there's a difference between that and inviting him to ask whatever he likes!”

“Personally,” said Lupin quietly, looking away from Sirius at last, as Mrs Weasley turned quickly to him, hopeful that finally she was about to get an ally, “I think it better that Harry gets the facts -not all the facts, Molly, but the general picture - from us, rather than a garbled version from . . . others.”

    His expression was mild, but Harry felt sure Lupin, at least, knew that some Extendable Ears had survived Mrs Weasley's purge.

    “Well,” said Mrs Weasley, breathing deeply and looking around the table for support that did not come, “well . . . I can see I'm going to be overruled. I'll just say this: Dumbledore must have had his reasons for not wanting Harry to know too much, and speaking as someone who has Harry's best interests at heart –“

“He's not your son,” said Sirius quietly.

 “He's as good as,”' said Mrs Weasley fiercely. “Who else has he got?”

    “He's got me!”

    “Yes,” said Mrs Weasley, her lip curling, “the thing is, it's been rather difficult for you to look after him while you've been locked up in Azkaban, hasn't it?”

    Sirius started to rise from his chair.

    “Molly, you're not the only person at this table who cares about Harry,” said Lupin sharply. “Sirius, sit down.”

    Mrs Weasleys lower lip was trembling. Sirius sank slowly back into his chair, his face white. Tears began to form in Sienna’s eyes as her face turned red.

    “I think Harry ought to be allowed a say in this,” Lupin continued, “he's old enough to decide for himself.”

“I want to know what's been going on,” Harry said at once.

    He did not look at Mrs Weasley. He had been touched by what she had said about his being as good as a son, but he was also impatient with her mollycoddling.  Sirius was right, he was not a child.

    “Very well,' said Mrs Weasley, her voice cracking. “Ginny - Ron - Hermione - Fred - George - I want, you out of this kitchen, now.”

    There was instant uproar.

“We're of age!” Fred and George bellowed together.

“If Harry's allowed, why can't I?” shouted Ron.

“Mum, I want to!” wailed Ginny

“NO!” shouted Mrs Weasley, standing up, her eyes overbright.”I absolutely forbid – “

    “Molly you can't stop Fred and George,” said Mr Weasley wearily. “They are of age.”

   “They're still at school.”

    “But they're legally adults now,” said Mr Weasley, in the same tired voice.

    Mrs Weasley was now scarlet in the face.  “I - oh, all right then, Fred and George can stay, but Ron – “

 

“Harry'll tell me and Hermione everything you say anyway!” said Ron hotly. “Won't - won't you?” he added uncertainly, meeting Harry's eyes.

    For a split second, Harry considered telling Ron that he wouldn't tell him a single word, that he could try a taste of being kept in the dark and see how he liked it. But the nasty impulse vanished as they looked at each other.

    “'Course I will,” Harry said.

    Ron and Hermione beamed.

“Fine!” shouted Mrs Weasley. “Fine! Ginny - BED!”

    Ginny did not go quietly. They could hear her raging and storming at her mother all the way up the stairs, and when she reached the hall Mrs Blacks ear-splitting shrieks were added to the din. Lupin hurried off to the portrait to restore calm.  Everyone seemed to have forgotten Chole, Mia, Ajax, Zoe, Kendall, and Sienna, but it didn’t matter. As long as they stayed quiet, no one would notice them.  It was only after he had returned, closing the kitchen door behind him and taking his seat at the table again, that Sirius spoke.

“OK, Harry . . . what do you want to know?”

Harry started to ask questions about Voldemort: where he was, what is he doing, why he isnt killing anyone, what the Order is doing to try and stop it, and if Voldemort is recruiting anymore followers.

    “But if Voldemort's trying to recruit more Death Eaters it's bound to get out that he's come back, isn't it?” asked Harry desperately.

    “Voldemort doesn't march up to people's houses and bang on their front doors, Harry,” said Sirius. “He tricks, jinxes and blackmails them. He's well-practiced at operating in secret. In any case, gathering followers is only one thing he's interested in. He's got other plans too, plans he can put into operation very quietly indeed, and he's concentrating on those for the moment.”

    “What's he after apart from followers?” Harry asked swiftly. He thought he saw Sirius and Lupin exchange the most fleeting of looks before Sirius answered.

    “Stuff he can only get by stealth.”

    When Harry continued to look puzzled, Sirius said, “Like a weapon. Something he didn't have last time.”

    “When he was powerful before?”

“Yes.”

    “Like what kind of weapon?” said Harry. “Something worse than the Avada Kedavra - ?”

   “That's enough!”

    Mrs Weasley spoke from the shadows beside the door. Harry hadn't noticed her return from taking Ginny upstairs. Her arms were crossed and she looked furious.

“I want you in bed, now. All of you,” she added, looking around at Fred, George, Ron and Hermione.

    “You can't boss us – “ Fred began.

    “'Watch me,” snarled Mrs Weasley. She was trembling slightly as she looked at Sirius. “You've given Harry plenty of information. Anymore and you might just as well induct him into the Order straightaway.”

    “Why not?” said Harry quickly. “I'll join, I want to join, I want to fight.”

    “No.”

    It was not Mrs Weasley who spoke this time, but Lupin.

    “The Order is comprised only of overage wizards,” he said. “Wizards who have left school,” he added, as Fred and George opened their mouths.  Zoe noticed that Sienna’s head was down and it looked like she was trying to suppress a grin. “There are dangers involved of which you can have no idea, any of you . . . I think Molly's right, Sirius. We've said enough.”

    Sirius half-shrugged but did not argue. Mrs Weasley beckoned imperiously to her sons and Hermione. One by one they stood up and Harry, recognizing defeat, followed suit.

And so concludes chapter 3!!! I hope you enjoyed it! The dialogue came from the actual book (but I got it from a website teehee I’m so lazy.) so there may be spelling errors that I didn’t see the first time. The next chapter will be coming out soon! Bye!