Yellow (George Weasley)

32 - The Order

I awoke from my sleep in a cold sweat. For the past four weeks my dreams have been clouded with nightmares. When I close my eyes all I see is Cedric's lifeless body. I hear my own screams echoing around me. And I watch his father crying for the son he'll never get to bring back home to his mother.

My dad has done his best to keep me distracted with a lot of the activities we used to do when I was a girl. He had even taken me to the farmer's market and got me a few more plants for my room. We hadn't done that since I was twelve but I think he knows the comfort I feel by a room full of green.

The clock read five in the morning and I knew there was no point in trying to fall back asleep now. I made my bed and tidied my room some before creeping down the hall, careful to not wake my father. Much to my surprise, the lamp in my dad's study was lit. I crept the rest of the way down the stairs and heard his muffled whispers. Who is he talking to at this hour?

I quietly peered around the corner. His back was turned away from me. A hand ran through his unkempt hair while the other gripped the telephone. "Arthur...I'm not sure about this. I can't let it happen again."

Mr. Weasley?

"I know she'll be safest there. But if he truly is back then you know very well the rest will be escaping from Azkaban any time now." I've never heard him speak this much of Wizard World happenings. I didn't even think he knew this much.

"Okay. I'll send her this morning. Please, Arthur. Please keep her safe. I can't let them take her from me too." His voice cracked and he reached towards a picture frame. What does he mean take her too?

I stepped into the study, the creaky floorboards announcing my presence. "Dad?"

He whipped around to meet my eyes. He already had dark bags prominently underneath his, and his dark hair fell forward into his face. "Arthur I've got to go. Thank you for everything." He hung up the phone. "Leah, honey. Sit with me, please."

I silently sat in the chair opposite of him. When he moved forward, I realized the picture he had been holding was a moving picture of my mother and I. She was caught in a moment of bliss, a big smile on her face as she tickled a toddler version of myself. We looked almost identical aside from my slightly darker hair.

"There's something that I really need to tell you—and maybe I should have told you years ago." He struggled to swallow down some air. Clearly he's been choking back tears. "Your mother's death was not an accident."

My breath caught in my throat. That was the last thing I expected to come from his mouth, a million questions plagued my mind. He watched me carefully to gauge my reaction as he continued. "Your mother was very passionate in the fight against...He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. She was an active member of the Order."

"The Order?" I interrupted, taking a few shaky breaths.

"The Order of the Phoenix." He leaned forward onto the desk. "It's an organization your head master founded to fight against He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named and his many followers. The ones you encountered when you went to the Quidditch World Cup."

"Who would want to hurt her?" I choked, a single tear rolling down my cheek. My mother was one of the kindest women on this earth. It would have to take someone truly wicked to murder her in cold blood.

"During the war against Volde-." He caught himself. I'm sure one of the few things he knew was to not speak his name. "He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. Your mother was on the front lines. I begged her not to go but understood why she had to. A Death Eater by the name of Bellatrix Lestrange used the killing curse."

He struggled to hold back his own tears as I walked around the oak desk to envelop him in a hug. "You have to go." He struggled to speak. I could feel his tears soaking the shoulder of my pajamas. "It's all happening again. And as much as I hate it. I cannot keep you safe. But the Weasleys can. So you'll be staying there until school starts up again instead of just visiting for the week."