Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Harry Potter or any intellectual property related to the books or anything. I am writing this for fun and not for profit. Really. Promise.

AN: Hello! I am trying my hand at this characters reading the books idea. I know it has been over done to the extreme but, Oh Well! I am also looking for a beta for this story, if you are interested let me know.

The characters that gather to read will both be from the past and future (alas no new generation) and will all be members of the Order of the Phoenix. Those characters from the first Order are all from 1980. I am not sure the timing of all of them dying except for James and Lily of course so, just suspend your disbelief and go with it, yah?

Albus Dumbledore (from 1997)

Aberforth Dumbledore (from 1998)

Minerva McGonagall (from 1998)

Alastor Mad-Eye Moody (from 1997)

Remus John Lupin (from 1998)

Nymphadora Tonks Lupin (from 1998)

Kingsley Shacklebolt (from 1998)

Dedalus Diggle (from 1998)

Elphias Doge (from 1998)

Severus Snape (from 1998)

Arabella Figg (from 1998)

Mundungus Fletcher (from 1998)

Rubeus Haggrid (from 1998)

Hestia Jones (from 1998)

Emmeline Vance (from 1996)

Arthur Weasley (from 1998)

Molly Weasley (from 1998)

Bill Weasley (from 1998)

Fleur Weasley (from 1998)

Charlie Weasley (from 1998)

George Weasley (from 1998)

Fred Weasley (from 1998)

Sirius Black (from 1996)

Edgar Bones (from 1980)

Caradoc Dearborn (from 1980)

Benjy Fenwick (from 1980)

Frank Longbottom (from 1980)

Alice Longbottom (from 1980)

Neville Longbottom (baby!)

Marlene McKinnon (from 1980)

Dorcas Meadows (from 1980)

Gideon Prewett (from 1980)

Fabian Prewett (from 1980)

Lily Potter (from 1980)

James Potter (from 1980)

Harry Potter (baby!)

Whew! A lot of people I know. If I forgot anyone or anything let me know. Keeping 36 wizards and witches straight and giving them all face time will be a task. But we can try. Oh, also, the text from the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone will be in bold. I am American so I will try to get all the British-isms correct. If not, I apologize in advance and please bare with the American version of the book.

Anyway, onwards and upwards!

Chapter 1: The Gathering

The Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was silent. The enchanted ceiling showed grey clouds disgorging multitudes of snow while the shining fairy lights and evergreen trees proclaimed the happy time of year. As it was the winter holidays, in fact the day after Christmas, the castle was devoid of children and most adults as well. As the hour struck 3pm, a bright flash and a loud pop disturbed the calm silence of the Hall. Three people appeared in front of the doors all touching ratty old glove.

James Potter put the glove in a pocket in his robes. Looking around at the empty Hall he noticed the large round table set up in the middle of the room where the House tables usually resided.

"I see we're the to arrive." Lily Potter walked over to the table and sat. She looked at her husband and snorted at his need to state the obvious. She began bouncing her six-month-old baby boy in her lap to keep him entertained as they waited for others to arrive. James stared up at the ceiling as he impatiently hopped up and down. Both Potter adults were happy to be out of their house, where they had been in hiding until the notice from Albus Dumbledore requested their presence at an important Order of the Phoenix meeting.

The doors to the Entrance Hall opened with a loud bang causing all the Potters to jump. Lily and James faced the door with wands drawn and baby Harry hidden in Lily's robes.

"No need for those, you two." The cheerful voice of Alice Longbottom called before any spells were exchanged. Lily laughed and ran to greet her friend while James greeted the eight other Order members who walked into the Great Hall. Everyone hugged and cooed over little Harry and little Neville Longbottom.

"So any idea why Dumbledore wanted all of us here-"

"-the day after Christmas?" The Prewett twins asked as they sat at the table next each other once everyone ceased with the hugs and obligatory "and how are you's."

"Not a clue. Where is everyone else?" Asked Marlene McKinnon as she and the rest of those present settled themselves at the table as well. She sat beside Lily to tickle Harry on his tummy producing entertaining burbles as he laughed and squirmed.

"Not a clue." Caradoc Dearborn smiled playfully at Marlene who snorted and rolled her eyes. Caradoc opened his mouth to make another comment when a loud bang echoed through the Hall making both babies cry. Several flustered people found themselves standing in the Great Hall with wands pointed at them. Minerva McGonagall tucked a loose hair behind her ear while quickly surveying the situation. She held up her empty hands motioned for those with her to do the same.

"We are not here for a fight. In fact, I do not know why we have all appeared here." She looked around at all the faces of people she thought were long dead and seemed fall back clutching her chest in shock. A squeaky voice from the middle of the newly arrived group exclaimed, "Lily and James Potter! Oh my word! Have we died Minerva?"

McGonagall looked at Dedalus Diggle askance as she pulled herself together. "No, Dedalus, I don't believe we have. Although, Merlin knows I have been wrong about things before."

The old members of the Order were stunned to see a much older looking Minerva McGonagall as well as many others including Aberforth Dumbledore and Elphias Doge. Before anyone else could comment on the likelihood of premature death, a redheaded force of nature screeched from the back of the newly arrived Order members.

"Fabian! Gideon!" Molly Weasley pushed through the mass of shocked people and ran to her brothers. She grabbed both men in a hug that had them both laughing while trying to pry themselves from her strong grip in an attempt to breathe. "It's been so long! I've missed you! I…" The rest was unintelligible as Molly buried her head between her brothers' and sobbed.

This set off another round of rather confused greetings between the two groups as those from the past tried to process why their friends and family looked as though they had aged a great deal and those from the future greeting people long dead. James hugged a startled McGonagall. "Minnie! I've missed you!"

McGonagall gave a watery laugh and tapped him on the back. It seemed that was all she was able to do to scold him for using her least favorite nickname. She pulled back and held him at arms length and laughed again. Taking a deep breath, McGonagall turned to the room at large.

"Well, why don't we all sit down and piece together what has happened in an orderly fashion." Everyone moved to do as the witch asked and the sound of screeching chairs filled the Hall as people began sitting down at the large round table.

"Well, we do everything in an Orderly fashion-," said Fabian as he plopped into the chair to the right of his sister.

"Because we are all members of the Order!" Finished Gideon, who sat on his sister's other side.

Many people around the table groaned good-naturedly. Marlene just rolled her eyes again. She looked at McGonagall and noticed how different all of the new comers looked. "Minerva, perhaps if you explain what you know we can piece together what is happening?"

McGonagall nodded and explained that all those that appeared with her had been in a remembrance meeting. She was reluctant to tell these people about the end of the war. The statute on time travel and not changing things exists for a reason after all. She managed to get the gist of the meeting across to those in the room without giving away too much information about the future.

"So, you all were meeting to remember past Order members and to decide how best to help the Ministry protect the school in the upcoming year?" Frank Longbottom leaned back in his chair. Looking to all those from the future to see their response. The future folks nodded and looked to McGonagall to explain further.

"Yes, essentially. We are hoping to provide a safe learning environment for new and returning students as last year was a bit…disruptive." Many of those from the future snorted at the Headmistress' understatement. As Frank leaned forward to inquire as to how disruptive a year it was, many loud pops sounded throughout the Hall sounding like fireworks going off indoors. The room was in chaos again as babies cried and people dove for their wands.

When the pops ended, several more people were standing in the Hall with bewildered faces and wands out of their own. McGonagall rushed forward to one figure in particular and let out a cry of shock. "Albus! Is that you?" She through herself at the elderly wizard in a very un-McGonagall like fashion and hugged him tight.

Albus Dumbledore chuckled lightly as he patted his colleague's back. He too surveyed the room and was amazed at the number of people both living and long thought dead. He noticed the Order members from the late 70's and those from the 90's were all mixed together near the large circular table in the middle of the Great Hall. He also noticed that those that had appeared with him were still watching everything warily.

Again, Molly Weasley let out a piercing screech as she spotted one figure near Dumbledore. "Fred! My Freddie!" Red hair bounded towards Fred Weasley as his brothers and parents realized he was standing there. A massive group hug ensued with sobs and laughter aplenty.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and managed to quiet the room down again. "While I am enjoying the exuberant atmosphere, it may be best to figure out what has transpired to bring us all together today." His eyes twinkled as McGonagall wiped her eyes and straightened her hair in an effort to pull herself together. "I must say, I am most surprised to wind up here as the last thing I can recall is feeling rather ill and facing a most distressing night on top of the astronomy tower." Said Dumbledore as he moved to sit at the table beside McGonagall. He looked down at his perfectly healthy hand that had been blackened and cursed with a touch of bemusement. He flexed it as the others in the room started to settled down in their chairs.

"Prongs?" A hoarse voice sounded from a shadowed corner. Sirius Black stood staring at his long lost friend with wonder. Another two figures turned toward the voice. The two ran towards Sirius as he continued to stare at James.

"Sirius! Padfoot!" Sirius found himself with armfuls of his younger cousin and Remus Lupin. Nymphadora Tonks Lupin and her husband hugged Sirius tightly as they guided him to the table where they broke apart enough for James to be included in the group hugging. Lily looked on and laughed as baby Harry reached out in an effort to join in on the emotional reunion of Marauders and Tonks.

Dumbledore cleared his throat again to bring order to his Order. As he began to speak he noticed a lone figure who had not joined the table or the happy reunions. "Severus, my boy, do join us." The entire group of people turned towards the shadowy figure in black. Mad-Eye abruptly stood and pulled his wand as did Remus and Tonks. A blue tinted transparent shield appeared between Severus Snape and those with their wands drawn. "We are all members of the Order of the Phoenix here. That includes Severus. I expect all of you to act with respect towards others and to do as I say in this matter."

Those with their wands drawn were clearly not happy with the situation but lowered their wands non-the-less. Snape, who had not moved to draw a weapon or it seemed to even hear the Headmaster has remained still with his eyes fixed on one person. Lily Potter handed her curious son to James and stood up. She crossed to Snape with the slow steady movements of someone trying not to scare off a wild animal.

"You joined the Order?" She asked softly as she reached him. He nodded slightly and then looked down, confused to see her hand reaching for his own. "Then come sit down at the table with the rest of us." It was clear that whatever animosity was between the two was not done with, but the olive branch had been accepted and Snape found himself sitting next to the Headmaster while Lily sat back in her seat next to James. The situation was so strange that Snape couldn't really come up with proper snide remark to the Marauders.

The people sitting around the table were obviously uncomfortable with the former Death Eater in their midst but the curiosity as to why they were pulled together over powered the mistrust for the moment. As everyone turned to look at Dumbledore for some sort of guidance, he chuckled. "Well, my friends, we find ourselves in a vary curious situation indeed. As my last memory has to do with a certain tower," Snape and many others flinched at this reference to Dumbledore's last moments of life, "might I assume that many others' last memory are from equally trying times?"

As he looked around to those around the table, many of them nodded. "The Veil and Bella." Stated Sirius as Remus and Tonks commented on fighting Dolohov. Snape reached a hand unconsciously to his throat and murmured, "Nagini and Potter's eyes." When people stared at him he placed his icy mask in place and stared at the table so as not to see the knowing look the Headmaster was twinkling his way.

Alice looked around at the somber faces of those from the future. "I'm sorry, but we don't seem to remember that, or at least not like that. We," she indicated all those from the past, "were called to an Order meeting here by you, Headmaster, and Lily and James were even given a portkey."

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "It seems that those of you from 1980 were called to a meeting here in the Great Hall while those of us from the future were also called, but in a different way." He looked about at the merry decorations and smiled. "I can remember no time that I called a meeting of this nature in 1980 so I will assume that it was not really I who gathered us all together. That does not negate the thrill and happiness seeing all of your faces gives me, however." He beamed at everyone watching him around the table.

The Weasley twins and Prewett twins jumped to their feet and clapped and cheered at the same time. They broke off momentarily to stare at each other then broke into peals of laughter and vowed to plan future pranks with each other. A bright flash of red and gold light interrupted them as seven books appeared out of thin air and landed on the table with a collective thud in front of Dumbledore. An envelope floated down to rest on top of the nearest book. "Ah, perhaps we can discover why we are all here now." Said Dumbledore as he picked the letter up and examined it. He opened the missive and after reading it through raised his eyebrows. He looked at those gathered in the room.

"Well, it seems we have been brought together to read these books in an effort for some of us to have closer and for some of us to perhaps change the future for the better." At the confused looks of nearly everyone in the room, Dumbledore smiled and said, "Perhaps it would just be easier to read the note, hm?"

To the Headmaster and Order members,

I know it's not everyday you find yourselves in this position and somewhat strange company. My friends and I thought you would like the chance to all really get to know each other as well as gain the opportunity to change the future for the better, if you so wish it. With the enormous help of my friend, who is a genius after all, I have managed to send a large number of you back in time to Christmas of 1980 from either the time of your death or from the "secret meeting" Professor McGonagall was holding. I assure you, it was not nearly secret enough for us to not figure out what you were doing.

In any case, we found a spell that allows you all to know a bit about the future and how to defeat Tom Riddle. Unfortunately (for me), the spell pulled my own thoughts and experiences and put them into the seven books you see in front of you. It is not always going to be from my perspective, but the majority of it will be. I ask you to not judge me harshly on my internal thoughts and emotions as they were just that, internal. Think how you would feel having your inner most thoughts published for a number of people to read.

It is also imperative that no action is taken until ALL of the books are read. I trust you, Headmaster, to keep people calm and offensive spells to a minimum. Also, James, Remus, and Sirius, you are NOT to antagonize Professor Snape. I do not like bullies and feel that since you are all out of school, you should act like it. Lily, you may do what is necessary to keep them in line. The same goes for you, Tonks.

This parchment is enchanted to allow you to communicate with my friends and I. Simply write your question on the back and we will be able to respond. Also, the Hogwarts House Elves will be providing you with food and you have the castle to yourselves until you complete reading. Good luck, and remember to do nothing about what you learn until you finish.

Sincerely,

Harry James Potter (with major help from Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley)

As Dumbledore finished reading, the baby in Lily's arms let out a loud giggle and smiled at everyone at the table. The room turned to look at little Harry. Caradoc gestured to the smiling baby. "He gathered us here?"

McGonagall sniffed indignantly. "Certainly not. His counterpart in 1998 sent us here. Obviously with the help of Ms. Granger and your youngest children, Molly." Molly nodded looking both angry at being pulled into the past without her permission and being delighted at the opportunity to spend time with her family and brothers again.

"Well, it seems as we are all here and I doubt we will be able to leave the castle, we should just go ahead and do as we are asked and read the books." He lifted the book closest to him. "This book says it is Year One. Entitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Since I am already holding the book, I might as well read first. I suggest we take turns reading as having one person read these aloud might be a bit trying on our throats." He looked around the room and smiled at everyone. "But first," He stood and waved his wand and all of the wooden chairs morphed into cushy plush chairs in all sorts of garish colors. "There. No reason we should be uncomfortable while we read."

Dumbledore sat in his own purple squashy monstrosity as he opened to the book to the first chapter and ignored the glower from his Potions Master who now sat in a bright gold and red-checkered recliner. "Chapter One: The Boy-Who-Lived."