Azkaban

Fudge

"Tonks!"

"I'm sorry," Tonks cries. "It's the stupid umbrella stand; that's the second time I've tripped over it!" An earsplitting scream makes everyone cover their ears. Amarea groans, walking out of the room quickly and racing up the stairs.

Moth eaten curtains were pulled back, revealing Walburga's painting. The woman in a black cap screamed again, her eyes rolling. Walburga drooled, the yellowing skin of her face stretched tautly. All along the walls, other portraits began to scream as well. Remus and Molly ran to the portrait, trying to tug the curtains shut over the old woman. Walburga just screeched louder than ever, brandishing clawed hands as though trying to tear at their faces.

"Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers-"

Tonks apologized over and over again, and Molly abandoned the attempt to close the curtains. Amarea pushed her way through the small crowd, stunning the portraits up and down the hallway.

"Shut up, you horrible old hag, shut up," Sirus roars, taking the curtain Molly had abandoned and trying to shut it.

Walburga howls, "You! Blood traitor, abomination, shame of my flesh!"

"Walburga!" The portrait quieted at the woman shouting.

"Amarea, dear. So wonderful to see you again, and must I say, your hair has grown out lovely. What are you doing here? Surely, a well respected pure-blood lady like yourself, wouldn't be here with all these blood traitors. Unless you're working for..." Walburga wasn't able to finish; Amarea had slammed the curtains shut, her jaw clenched from rage; how she hated that woman.

Sirius turns to face Harry. "Hello, Harry," he says grimly, "I see you've met my mother."

"Fucking bitch," Amarea hisses, making her way back down the stairs and into the kitchen. Everyone follows her, taking their seats; Harry and Sirius trail in last.

Arthur hurries forward to greet Harry, "Good to see you, Harry!"

"Journey all right, Harry," Bill asks, his long hair hung in a ponytail? He was hastily rolling up the lengths of parchment left on the table. "Mad-Eye didn't make you come via Greenland, then?"

"He tried," Tonks says, striding over to help Bill and sending a candle toppling onto the last piece of parchment. "Oh no -sorry -"

Molly repairs the parchment with a wave of her wand, smiling at Tonks. Harry watches the parchment carefully, Molly happening to catch the glance. Snatching the plan off the table, she stuffs it into Bill's heavily laden arms.

"This sort of thing ought to be cleared away promptly at the end of the meetings," Molly snaps, moving over to a dresser and unloading dinner plates.

Sirius walks over to Amarea, bending down, "Do you want to go upstairs? I mean, I'm sure everyone wou-"

"Just because I had...a hallucination or whatever the fuck you want to call that doesn't mean I'm going to miss the first dinner that Harry's here," Amarea hisses under her breath. He holds his hands up, nodding.

"I 'gree with Sirius..." Mundungus mumbles sleepily, raising a grubby hand into the air as though he were voting. Ginny giggles but Amarea shakes her head, scowling at him slightly, remembering how he disappeared from his post.

"The meeting's over, Dung," Sirius says. Amarea sits down with everyone else. "Harry's arrived."

Amarea ignores them, placing her head down on the table. Remus rubs her back and takes a breath, about to speak but she puts her head up. "Don't. I'm fine, promise."

Remus shoots her a look, clearly saying that he knows she isn't. She places her head back on the table, not wanting to talk about anything. All she wanted was to retreat back to her room, but she also didn't want to miss dinner.

"Seen old Figgy since," Mundugus asks?

"No," Harry responds. "I haven't seen anyone."

"See, I wouldn't 'ave left, but I 'ad a business opportunity-"

Amarea rolls her eyes, not bothering to look up at him, "Shut your fucking mouth, no one cares about your fucking business opportunity. You abandoned your post."

Sirius coughs awkwardly, trying to cover her words, "Have a good summer so far, Harry?"

Harry shakes his head, "No, it's been lousy." Amarea plugs her ears, her head pounding. The hand on her back retreats and she moves her head to see Remus getting up. Seconds later, a glass of water is placed in front of her, along with a bit of chocolate.

"Thank's, Moony," she whispers, the corner of her mouth twitching upwards slightly.

"Take a nap or something. You look awful," he jokes. Amarea pokes him with her elbow, but complies, shutting her eyes and trying to let the world fade away.

After a while, she gives up, somehow even more tired from having her eyes closed. Her leg shakes, every part of her wanting to leave the dammed house she was stuck in. She hadn't seen the outside world in fifteen years; she longed to see what had changed.

The room is bustling with talk, everyone having their own conversations. Ginny laughs, watching Tonk's change her face from a pig snout to a duck beak. "This is very, very, peculiar. It seems your hearing at the Ministry is to be before the entire Wizengamot."

"I don't understand," Harry asks Arthur. "What has the ministry of magic got against me?"

Amarea moves her gaze from Tonks and Ginny, listening to the conversation. Alastor grunts, standing at the end of the room, "Show him. He'll find out soon enough."

"It's true, he deserves to know," Amarea states from beside Remus. Kingsley hands Harry a newspaper; it had a picture of Harry with big bold writing stating, 'THE BOY WHO LIED? '.

"He's been attacking Dumbledore as well." The picture of Harry transforms into Fudge and now read: 'FUDGE: ALL IS WELL'. "He's is using all his power, including his influence on the Daily Prophet to smear anyone who claims the Dark Lord has returned."

"Why," Harry asks Sirius?

Remus is the one to respond, "The Minister thinks Dumbledore's after his job."

"But that's insane," Harry blurts out. "No one in their right mind could believe that Dumbledore..."

"Load of batshit, I'll tell ya," Amarea mumbles. Molly sends her a glare, her hands on her hips. "Sorry."

Remus turns back to Harry, "Exactly, the point. Fudge isn't in his right mind. It's been twisted and warped by fear. Now, fear makes people do terrible things, Harry. The last time Voldemort gained power he almost destroyed everything we hold most dear. Now he's returned, and I'm afraid the Minister will do almost anything to avoid facing that terrifying truth."

"We think, Voldemort, wants to build up his army again. Fourteen years ago he had huge numbers in his command." Amarea squirms in her seat at Sirius's words. If she was around one more year, that's it. Things could have gone a lot differently. James and Lily might even still be alive.

Sirius continues, "And not just witches and wizards...but all manner of dark creatures. He's been recruiting heavily and we've been attempting to do the same. But gathering followers isn't the only thing he's interested in. We believe, Voldemort may be after something."

Alastor clears his throat, "Sirius."

"Something he didn't have last time," Sirius finishes.

Harry looks at Sirius, partial confusion on his face. "You mean like a weapon?"

Molly slams her knife down, "No. That's enough. He's just a boy." She walks over quickly, grabbing the newspaper from him. "You say much more and you may as well induct him into the Order straight away."

"Good, I want to join," Harry insists. "If Voldemort's raising an army, then I want to fight.

Amarea turns to Lupin, whispering, "Are they seriously fighting over this again." He nods slowly and Amarea runs a hand down her face.

Sirius leans back in his chair, winking at Harry. "This has already been decided," Amarea says. "Remember that, all of you."