DOORWAYS || MARAUDERS ERA

ϟ91:ORDER OF THE PHOENIXϟ

Sirius had expected many gasps, many curses and a huge commotion from the adults in the room. He had not, however, been expecting a ringing silence that followed his dramatic declaration. 

That was, until Aunt Mia and Uncle Monty called out to them incredulously. 

"James? Sirius?! I thought all of you were at the platform—" aunt Mia stammered, her eyes wide in shock. 

"Lily, Sirius and I went to see off Luna and the others." Rhea cut across her smoothly. "I stationed the rest of them here," she waved at James, Remus, Peter, Severus, Mary and Marlene, "to spy on you."

That was not the right thing to say.

"You what?" Moody bellowed from where he sat, and everyone jumped at his voice. Rhea still found it quite odd that he wasn't wearing his magical eye—it made him look oddly human. "Blasted teenagers," he spat, as though teenagers were disgusting.

"Albus," Uncle Monty turned to look at Dumbledore, who was calmly looking at all of them. "Albus, what is the meaning of this?"

"We're joining the Order." Marlene declared firmly, crossing her arms and glaring hard at all of them. "Yes, we know what it is." She added irritably when she saw her parents open their mouths. 

"Absolutely not!" Aunt Mia, Uncle Monty, Marlene's parents, Moody and a few others snapped. 

"You are too young." Uncle Monty enunciated clearly, glaring at James, Sirius and Rhea. "Go back home!"

"Too young?" James repeated defensively. "Dad, we're eighteen! Technically, we're allowed to join the Order!"

"I shall not allow it!" Aunt Mia snarled, and she got up from her chair. "Eighteen is much too young to fight in a war! This is not a game, you hear me? It's too dangerous, and you don't have any experience—"

"Well, experience comes with actually doing it, right?" Sirius asked heartily, "I say—"

"This is no joke!" Moody growled, banging his hand on the table. "We cannot have youngsters fighting in the war—"

"Look, Mr Moody," Lily interjected meekly, gulping when Moody turned to glare at her. "I know we're too young, and all that, but this is our fight as much as it is yours."

Rhea swore she saw the brink of war approaching the room. 

"Euphemia, Fleamont." Dumbledore called out grimly from his seat at the head of the table, where he sat with his fingers interlocked. He peered down at them through his glasses. "Alastor, please, sit down."

Breathing heavily, the aurors sat down reluctantly, clearly wishing dearly that the teenagers would just leave the Headquarters. Dumbledore waited until Moody nodded curtly at him, after which, Dumbledore continued, "It was I who informed them about the Order."

Aunt Mia and Uncle Monty gritted their teeth, but refrained from retorting. Dumbledore nodded gravely at them, before saying, "Each of them stand for something Lord Voldemort and his followers thoroughly despise."

"That is no reason for them to join—" a redhead with freckles protested, but immediately silenced himself when Dumbledore raised a hand calmly. 

"Lily Evans," he said, tilting his head at Lily, "the embodiment of what Voldemort loathes—a muggle born with extraordinary skill and courage to stand up against the Death Eaters." He returned Lily's smile, before turning to Mary, "Mary MacDonald, another muggle born who has already witnessed the abhorrent lengths Voldemort's lackeys would go to in order to exert dominance. Marlene McKinnon, James Potter and Sirius Black: Purebloods termed as a 'blood traitors' simply for acquainting themselves with Half-Bloods and muggleborns."