Discovery

42.

Dinner was ready soon after the unpleasant encounter with the portrait of Walburga Black. I took a chair next to Ginny, and Tonks sat on my other side.

"Wotcher, Ella!" she greeted me with a smile. Her hair was a vibrant bubble-gum pink, much different than the violet color she had before.

"Hi, Tonks!" I grinned. "I love your hair."

"Thanks! I was getting a bit bored of the violet, and I reckon it makes me look a bit peaky."

"Maybe I should try out something different..." I thought aloud.

"Go for it!" Tonks said.

"Really?" I focused for a moment on a light rose color. Unlike Tonks, I preferred to keep my hair color easy on the eyes. "How does that look?"

"Wicked!" Tonks said enthusiastically.

"It looks great on you!" Ginny exclaimed.

I looked to Hermione, who was on the other side of Ginny, for her opinion.

"It's lovely, Ella," she said earnestly.

"Well, maybe I will take a break from the purple, then."

My ring flashed suddenly, and I looked down the table to see Fred grinning at me.

"What?" I mouthed to him.

"You're gorgeous," he mouthed in response.

***

After a filling dinner, Mrs. Weasley was eager to get us off to bed.

"Not just yet, Molly," said Sirius, pushing away his empty plate and turning to look at Harry. "You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you'd do when you go here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort."

My stomach tightened at the name. No matter how long I stayed at Grimmauld Place, I still wasn't used to people using his name.

"I did!" said Harry indignantly. "I asked Ron, Hermione, and Ella but they said we're not allowed in the Order, so—"

"And they're quite right," said Mrs. Weasley. "You're too young."

"Since when did someone have to be in the Order of the Phoenix to ask questions?" asked Sirius. "Harry's been trapped in that Muggle house for a month. He's got the right to know what's been happen—"

"Hang on!" George interrupted loudly.

"How come Harry gets his questions answered?" said Fred angrily.

"We've been trying to get stuff out of you for a month and you haven't told us a single stinking thing!" said George.

I nodded in agreement. If my sister and mother were in the Order, why couldn't I know what was going on?

"It's not my fault you haven't been told what the Order's doing." said Sirius calmly. "That's your parents' decision. Harry, on the other hand—"

"It's not down to you to decide what's good for Harry!" said Mrs. Weasley sharply. "He's not a member of the Order of the Phoenix! He's only fifteen and—"