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Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 96: A New Order
One month later, Hogwarts
Students were walking into the Main Hall of the castle with excitement.
Most of them had endured a very stressful summer and had barely been able to leave their homes for the past three months, so they were very happy to finally have some freedom.
McGonagall and the other professors were watching this with evident nervousness, as they knew something the students didn't.
"This is very reckless." Flitwick had been made aware of the conflict that had started during the summer, as well as the identity of the people involved...a detail that had yet to become public knowledge.
"You think Potter is going to show up? I doubt it." Professor Sinistra sounded annoyed by the situation. "And if he does, then w—"
"If the Demon Lord shows up," McGonagall interrupted her with a sharp expression, "you will do nothing and let the 'New Order' take charge."
The professor frowned. "Who came up with that name? It sounds ridiculous… I mean, they are still Aurors, right?"
"They aren't quite the same," McGonagall responded.
Over the past month, many things have been done, and much has changed.
After Minister Fudge suffered an unfortunate 'accident,' a new Minister was immediately selected.
Those who opposed the choice were promptly removed from the Wizengamot council. Democracy was a luxury they could not afford at the moment.
This was how Kingsley Shacklebolt came to be the new Minister of Magic.
And the first thing he did was a complete reform of the Auror system...expanding it and changing its name to the 'New Order.'
The Order would act more like a military army than a police department, and its numerous members came from all kinds of backgrounds, including many former criminals who had been promised full exonerations in exchange for joining their side.
As such, the Order had quickly grown to host over a thousand members...almost eight times the size the Auror Department had in the past.
The members of the New Order also enjoyed almost complete immunity to the law and were allowed to employ all available magic to perform their duties, including the use of all three Unforgivable Curses.
"They are most definitely not the same as our old Auror Department," Flitwick added. "But what worries me the most is the person in charge of this new organization… this 'General'… who is he, really?"
The gnome was now glancing directly at the Headmistress, convinced that she knew his identity.
"I am not at liberty to say," McGonagall sighed. The real identity of the 'General' could never be revealed to the public, as it would cause mass panic.
This response didn't sit well with the other professors, as they felt entitled to know the truth, considering that it was affecting the school in a direct way.
After all… agents of the New Order were currently in the castle. They had been told it was only for the protection of the students, but it was obvious they were waiting for him.
"Headmistress!!" Filch came running toward their table. "Headmistress!"
"Mister Filch, what happened?" McGonagall could not hide the nervousness in her tone.
"The students you were looking for… are here! All of them!" the janitor exclaimed.
"All of them?!" McGonagall looked shocked, as she honestly hadn't expected a single one of them to show up.
This shock quickly turned to fear. "Hold on… You didn't see Harry Potter as well, right?"
"Eh? No… I mean, I don't think he was on the carriages. But I saw the three girls. They were traveling together and are on their way to the Hall right now."
The professors exchanged a look.
Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, and Susan Bones...these three girls were known to have a connection with Harry Potter and had been put on the Ministry's wanted list.
They were also one of the main reasons so many agents of the New Order were present today: to capture them before they could do anything.
McGonagall's eyes moved across the hall. There were two dozen agents in the same room, all of them dressed in identical black and red cloaks with the symbol of the Ministry on them, signaling their status as official agents.
Their half-white masks that covered their mouths had made everyone uncomfortable, but this had been an idea from the General.
"Go inform the agents of the girls' arrival, but tell them not to move yet… I want to wait until everyone is accounted for inside the Hall, then I will attempt to lead them outside," the Headmistress said.
She wanted to avoid a dangerous situation for the other students and keep the commotion at a minimum.
"No need to cause a scene. I can agree on that," Flitwick said as he took off.
The other professors did the same and went to speak with the many agents positioned in the Hall.
There were many more of these agents in the castle, covering as much ground as possible, and they would no doubt be notified immediately afterward.
McGonagall was now staring at the entrance of the Great Hall, and just a couple of minutes later, as Filch had said, the three girls made their entrance.
They were walking side by side but were not talking to each other. Other students moved around them, completely unaware of how dangerous those three girls could potentially be.
Each one of them went their separate ways and walked to their respective house tables.
Tonight was the opening ceremony, and everyone had to be at their table, after all.
McGonagall was not taking her eyes off them, not even for a second.
If they had been under Harry's control, there was no way he would let them go for no reason...meaning that he must be planning something, and it was likely to be tonight.
This reinforced McGonagall's decision to take them away from here as soon as possible.
"Headmistress." One of the professors approached her. "It is time to begin the ceremony."
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