Order of the Phoenix meeting - 2

Hermione was also in attendance. She entered the room wearing a navy blue handkerchief on her head to hide the bandages and leaned heavily on Ron. He'd wrapped his arm protectively around her and hadn't removed it even after they'd sat down. Hermione was much more subdued than normal, which disturbed Harry.

Both Bill and Lupin had been scarce since Harry had awoken, but they were here tonight, both casting disapproving looks in his direction. Only Mad-Eye Moody appeared happy to see him, and greeted him almost warmly. Well, as warmly as Mad-Eye ever was, anyway. Tonks sat beside Lupin, her hair a hideous shade of olive green. She winked at Harry and stuck her tongue out at Remus when he frowned.

Of all the Weasleys, only Fred, George and, surprisingly, Fleur had acted as if nothing was wrong. The twins were eager to tell him about business and ask loads of questions about the dragon. They also enjoyed teasing Harry and Ron about living unsupervised with the girls. That teasing had caused many disapproving glares from the elder Weasleys, and made Harry fear for the stability of the tentative truce they'd apparently reached.

Charlie and Percy arrived for the meeting, in addition to many other members Harry had only seen on occasion. Professor McGonagall and Kingsley Shacklebolt both sat at the head of the expanded kitchen table, each wearing a grim expression. Professor McGonagall's lips were compressed so tightly they had lost their color. Harry had seen that expression from her before, and it was usually followed by a particularly foul detention.

He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He wasn't a kid called to task in front of a professor. He was an adult now with a greater responsibility than any of them knew. He would not be cowed, and he wouldn't allow them to revert to treating him like a child.

"Good evening," Professor McGonagall began. "I think it best if we call this meeting to order and get right to business. Mr. Potter, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Harry returned her stare, forcing his voice to remain calm. "What would you like to know?"

"What I'd like to know is where you've been over the past month," she said sternly.

"And why my children went along with you, despite my express wishes that they not be involved," Mrs. Weasley added, glaring at Ron and Ginny with tears in her eyes.

"Harry," Remus Lupin said. "We'd like to know why you left the way you did, without leaving us any means of contacting you. Do you understand how worried we were? How helpless you made us all feel?"

"The Order was assigned the task of protecting you by Albus Dumbledore, someone you supposedly respected," Shacklebolt said, apparently impatient with the emotional turn the meeting had taken. "And yet you saw fit to ignore every measure of protection we had in place to go out on your own. I'd like to know why. What could possibly have been so important?"

Harry expected the barrage of questions, but he was slightly stung by the tone in Remus's voice. He cleared his throat before speaking, and when he did, he looked directly at Remus.

"I appreciate your concern, and I'm sorry that you were worried, but I honestly didn't see there being another way. If I'd told you my plans to leave, would you have stood aside and let us walk out that door?" he asked.

"Harry, we're here to help you," Remus said. "We want to help you."

"You can't," Harry snapped.

"What do you mean we 'can't'?" Professor McGonagall demanded. "Of course, we can, Potter. That's the entire purpose of the Order."