author_by_night | Spectators: Old Crowd, New Crowd

The Old Crowd

They stood in Dumbledore's office, some with more knowledge than others, none of them surprised.

Emmaline Vance was looking distrustfully at Sirius. She'd never been fond of him, especially not in school - he'd been James Potter's best friend, after all, and as Lily Evans's best friend, it was her moral obligation to dislike his gang of friends. She had felt sorry for him in the Order, though, and hugged him when she saw how shaken he was by the news of the prophecy. It took a lot for Emmaline to hug people; she normally thought hugs should be reserved for small children and funerals. When she learned what he'd done, she couldn't believe they'd ever trusted him. There'd always been something off about that man. Even being told she must trust him now, she couldn't bring herself to let her guard down.

Kingsley's hands were gripping the head of the chair he was standing in front of. He'd never really been in the Order properly, having joined just two weeks before the war's end. What had that counted for? This time, now he had to fight against his own Ministry, on top of everything else.

Before, he'd had Alice and Frank to consult. He didn't even have them now.

Remus had thought after thought running through his mind.

Maybe I shouldn't have left Hogwarts.

I should have known Alastor would remember who I was.

I should've remembered to take Wolfsbane that night.

Tonks is so much like I was at her age, with Sirius's sense of humour. Maybe... no. Why am I thinking about that at a time like this? Why am I thinking about that at all?

What the hell is going to happen to us?

The image of his Godson being tortured kept repeating itself in Sirius's mind. He wished that he'd killed Peter from the start. What if Harry had been wrong that night? James wouldn't have wanted Sirius and Remus to be murderers, it was true, but surely he wouldn't have wanted this either.

All Alastor could do was wonder why he, of all people, had so easily fallen into a trap and become an accomplice to something so hellishly terrible, it hurt to hear Dumbledore speak of it.

The New Crowd

Bill's head was spinning. Part of her was still in disbelief that Tonks hadn't told them about Sirius. Ron, for that matter. Dumbledore still hadn't told them the whole story - that, apparently, could wait. It wasn't the point at hand. Bill wished it were. That was a much happier reality than the one they were facing.

Tonks was thinking about that night. Why hadn't she realized something was wrong? Why hadn't she gone back to Hogwarts the very instant she saw Scrimegour was nowhere to be found? Irritation? Fatigue? Things that seemed important then suddenly seemed foolish and trivial now.

But she couldn't waver; she had to be strong. Her parents would be told after the meetings; Hestia, too. Charlie knew already, he would be back from Romania soon; Tonks and Bill would fill him and Hestia in from there. The four of them...

Tonks looked at Remus and Sirius, the remaining two of four. Where had they gone wrong? And would the same thing happen to her friends?

Molly hadn't known about the Order until her brothers died. She'd been so angry at the time; now, she understood. The Ministry hadn't lied about the war then, but Molly was sure they would never have approved.

Oh, how could he be back? The man who'd caused her family so much grief? How dare he return! Molly's hand gripped her wand. If they hurt any of her family again - and they wouldn't, because she wouldn't allow it - they would pay dearly.

That, or Molly would lose her mind. She was feeling equal shades of strength and desperation right now.