"Then, please, continue," Emmeline Vance said.
"In the time since being installed into office, Minister Black has been busy," Dumbledore continued. "Davian Prewitt has been appointed Director of Magical Law Enforcement, and his budget has been substantially increased with emergency funds. Minister Black's proposed budget for the upcoming year shows that Director Prewitt's funding will not only continue, but increase."
Marlene McKinnon shook her head sadly. "What is he up to?"
"War, quite obviously," Ephias Doge declared.
"But against who?" Dorcas Meadowes asked.
"That is the mystery," Alastor Moody growled. "That's why we're here."
Dumbledore sighed resignedly. "It is not entirely a mystery anymore," he declared.
Alastor looked at Dumbledore with surprise. "I didn't realize you had gotten to the bottom of the matter already."
"I apologize, Alastor," Dumbledore said solemnly. "I only came across my information very recently. I assumed that telling you tonight along with everyone else would suffice, seeing that I have been very pressed for time in the days since my discovery."
"Continue, by all means," Moody said, dismissively waving his hand to signify that he was not offended in any way.
"By way of background," Dumbledore said, "I would call your attention to the appointment of Director Prewitt to his current position. One would assume that if a Black wished to wage a morally questionable war, he or she would appoint someone else to that key position. Yet, Minister Black chose Prewitt. This led me to the question of why . My conclusion is that the Black family knows something about our present difficulties that I do not."
Caradoc shook his head slowly. "That may be, but discovering their motivation will not be easy."
"But it is slightly easier than you would think," Dumbledore told the group at large. "As a part of their attempt to manage the situation, Orion Black has arranged for a young man named Harry Ashworth to temporarily assume a teaching position at Hogwarts. Mr. Ashworth is somewhat cognizant of the inner workings of the Black family."
"I see where you're going," Marlene McKinnon said, nodding.
Dumbledore nodded. "You are as perceptive as ever, Marlene." He shared a small smile with Alastor. "I recently had the opportunity to confront Mr. Ashworth and make some inquiries."
Dorcas held up her hand to interrupt Dumbledore. "Is this the same Ashworth who made headlines during the Christmas holidays for breaking up a public disturbance?"
"Yes," said Dumbledore, confirming Dorcas's thought. "After I pressed Mr. Ashworth quite firmly, he finally saw fit to admit what it is that has the Black family so stirred up-and may I note, stirred up enough to go against their grain and boldly insert themselves into Ministry politics."
"Well, what is it?" Emmeline asked.
"It has come to the attention of the Black family that another dark lord is on the rise," Dumbledore announced in a quiet, deliberate voice. "Even now, they are preparing the Ministry's defenses to wage war against this nameless dark lord."
Professor Dumbledore's announcement was met with exclamations of surprise, shock, and disbelief.
"Surely it isn't so," Minerva breathed, her horror quite obvious.
Once the noise in the room settled enough for Dumbledore speak, he addressed the comments of doubt and disbelief. "Ashworth's information only confirms what I should have logically concluded," Dumbledore said. "It all makes sense. It explains everything odd that has happened of late." He then went on to make the case for the dark lord's existence."
"Well?" said Caradoc after Dumbledore finished making his proof of the dark lord's existence. "What are we supposed to do?"
"Move carefully," Dumbledore said, "but surely. I support Minister Black's effort to defend from and put down this dark lord, but I fear his efforts may not be enough. The Ministry's experiences with prior dark lords serve as testament to that thought. I propose that we start a private association, the purpose of which will be to oppose the dark lord and provide assistance to those wishing to bring him down. I think we might suitably call it the Order of the Phoenix."
.....
Moody watched as the last of Dumbledore's guests departed the headmaster's office, leaving him and Albus alone. It was then that he spoke to the aging headmaster who was in the process of sucking on a lemon drop. "I think the meeting was a success," he declared.
Dumbledore nodded, biting down and finishing off the lemon-flavored candy. "Indeed. I only hope the Order can prove useful. It won't be enough for those employed by the Ministry to make a career of fighting the dark lord. It must become the hobby of as many people as we can recruit."
"Are you going to recruit, Ashworth?" Moody asked, half in jest. "He certainly seems to know more than anyone about our situation, excepting the Black patriarchs themselves."
"No," said Dumbledore, "not recruit, though perhaps exploit as a source of information and as a connection to Minister Black."
"Are you going to recruit, Ashworth?" Moody asked, half in jest. "He certainly seems to know more than anyone about our situation, excepting the Black patriarchs themselves."
"No," said Dumbledore, "not recruit, though perhaps exploit as a source of information and as a connection to Minister Black."
"You're the one who has been so willing to think the best of him," Moody said, pointing out the irony of the situation. "Wouldn't you want to bring him in the Order and give him a chance to prove himself? He could become quite an asset to the Order. He's slimy, but that could be useful for us."
Dumbledore frowned. "When I extracted the information about the dark lord from Ashworth, he did his best to leave me thinking that he was naught but a pawn of the Black family, his fortune tossed upon the winds and waves of their politics as he tried to do what was reasonable for everyone and for his survival."
"What's wrong with that?" Moody asked.
"On the chessboard, I think he ranks much higher than he would have me believe," Dumbledore observed, reaching for another lemon drop.
.....
"Ashworth! Ashworth!"
Harry blinked groggily, as he was woken from a deep sleep. Squinting, he reached for his watch on his bedside table and checked the time. It was four o'clock in the morning.
"Ashworth!"
The loud voice seemed to be coming from his main sitting room. Rolling out of bed and slipping on a bathrobe, Harry hurried into the bedroom to find Romulus Malfoy's head floating in the fire, its flames burning green. As soon as Romulus caught sight of Harry, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Ashworth," he said urgently, his eyes meeting Harry's. "You must come to Cygnus's office at the Ministry immediately!"
"Why?" Harry asked, his heart beginning to race. "What has happened?"
Romulus sighed, and looked away from Harry, almost as if he didn't believe what he was about to say. "Orion is dead. It looks like he died in his sleep; but Harry, I'm not convinced."
....
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