CH47

"I think he intends to convince everyone Harry's dark so he can get him shuffled off to Azkaban and out of the way... like he did to Sirius back in '81. You can't access Gringotts from a cell in Azkaban."

With a sigh, Tonks said, "Let's get to headquarters so we can keep an eye on him and what he tries."

The two then left for the apparation point.

None of those of the Order hurrying up the Alley saw Harry through the window of Madam Malkin's getting measured for new robes. Mind you, that might be because he'd doffed his hat and over robes and, therefore, looked a little different. It was also apparent the staff of Malkin's were either too busy with work; or hadn't been informed by a passer-by or customer of what was going on, while it was going on. And, therefore, did not see their new customer was the one accused of being a dark wizard and then attacked by members of the Order.

It was both, actually.

"There was an attack?" asked the sales assistant witch, from where she was kneeing at Harry's feet while getting further measurements.

"Yeah," replied Harry. "Dumbledore seems to want to go around accusing folks, for no reason, that they're dark and, even while they're unarmed, attack them with about ten of his minions... I mean, members of the Order of the... Stupid Chicken?.. backing him up."

"I think you mean Order of the Flaming Flamingo," smirked Luna. "No, that's not it," said Harry, mock-frowning. "Ummm... Order of the... Burnt Turkey?.. No, that's not it, either."

"Order of the Sautéed Seagull? Pickled Pigeon? Stunned Salmon?" Luna giggled.

Harry chuckled and said, "Nah! You just like the alliterations."

"Guilty!" she quickly declared. Then tried, "Order of the Oddball Occamies!"

"I think you mean Order of the Phoenix," said the witch as Harry laughed.

Harry and Luna glanced at each other and grinned.

"Now why would a dark wizard like Dumbledore call his illegal vigilante organisation the Order of the Phoenix?" he calmly asked.

Just as calmly Luna replied, "He wants everyone to think he and his illegal vigilante organisation are light wizards and witches, Love."

"Well! Attacking an unarmed wizard stepping out of Gringotts, with a dozen members of that illegal vigilante organisation at his side, was a bad way to get people to think he's light, wasn't it?

"Besides, who would ever believe that an illegal vigilante organisation could be light?"

"Apparently, most of the wizards and witches of magical Britain," she logically replied.

Both saw as the young witch on the floor thought hard about that, frowning; and grinned at each other again.

Once the measurements were completed, it was on to colour, style and fittings.

Harry was quite happy just sticking to basic black, like Luna had bought him in advance and he was wearing. However, now that he was here, she was determined to see his wardrobe cover more than just that one colour or tone.

She and the sales assistant then rapidly talked to each other about styles, colours and the like while also gesturing the certain features of Harry; such as the colour of his eyes, colour of his hair, his build, etcetera. Harry stood there watching them both, with his head rotating back and forth like he was watching a tennis match at Wimbledon from the front seats. He was just as quiet, too.

Eventually, a good two dozen different coloured material 'swatches' were brought out. That got narrowed down to half a dozen and then large bolts of cloth were brought out.

Luna instantly went to a dark, almost forest, green and brought it over to drape over Harry's shoulder. "Hmm..." she said, before giving a nod and saying, "That's one!"

At the 'secret headquarters' of the Order of the Phoenix – that is, a previously abandoned classroom just down the corridor from his gargoyle guardian protected entrance to his office - Dumbledore was almost ranting in his objurgation of 'the Peverell wizard', how his Order did not 'do their jobs' and a lot else.

It was into this that Moody stomped into the room, before then moving to sit on a chair at the other end of the boardroom-style table from where the old man stood.

As he sat, Dumbledore glared at him and snarked, "It's nice of you to join us, Alistair. I thought I ordered everyone directly back to here?"

"You might have," said Moody. "However, I had something else to do, first." "And what was so important you had to delay?" the old man demanded.

Moody reached into an inside pocket of his heavy coat and withdrew a small framed picture; before tossing it, face up, somewhat down the table.

"I went to visit old Bathilda Bagshot to see if what Peverell said was true," he calmly replied.

As Dumbledore gave a start of shock, he continued. "It seems he didn't lie. According to old Bagshot, you and her nephew, Gellert Grindelwald, were... as she put it... quite close.

"She even said you were, soon after the time Grindelwald began staying with her after being kicked out of Durmstrang, almost inseparable; with both of you spending a lot of time planning and plotting... things.

"She also said you both used the phrase, 'For the Greater Good' a lot after you became close. At the time, she thought you were just being 'boys' and your plans to take over the world For the Greater Good were just words. Now, though?" And shrugged.

Doge, had reached out and picked up the frame with its photo. It showed a teenaged Dumbledore and Grindelwald standing side by side with their nearest arms around each other. Dumbledore, slightly taller and with his right arm around Grindelwald's shoulders; and Grindelwald, with his left arm around Dumbledore's back. Doge was old enough to recognise both.

Looking up at Dumbledore while holding the frame in his left hand, Doge gestured to it with his other hand and demanded, "Do you care to explain this, Albus? Or, are you just going to reply, 'What I do is for The Greater Good,' like you usually do?"

Scowling, Dumbledore used the few moments of dropping into his throne-like chair at the head of the table to think before he replied, "I knew Gellert, when we were very young men. At that time, of course, I had no idea what he would go on to do. As with all young men... and women... I was unwise in some of my choices.

"However, once I determined what sort of man he was like, I drove him off."

"That's not how Bagshot tells it," growled Moody. "According to her... and now confirmed by your brother, Aberforth... it was Aberforth who drove him off; with the three of you in a three-way duel at the time. He also said that one of you killed your sister, Ariana, during that duel."

.

.

.

👓☕️Consider supporting me and enhance your reading experience with the ready-to-read PDFs I have on my Ko-fi.☕️👓

🎯https://ko-fi.com/bstories🎯