Chapter 24 The End

Harry's mind replayed the previous year again in his head. He had taken an important step forward in his life and in his destiny. So began the process of getthing himself ready, magically, mentally and physically, to take down Voldemort once and for all. And what an important step it was. Not only that, but he was also helping a lot of his generation better prepare themselves. Which was very important, especially given how things had turned out last time around.

In the last war, Voldemort had struck early against his biggest threats. He had systematically eliminated a lot of the light side's strongest family heirs before they turned twenty-five and reached their full potential. Harry knew Susan's father, Edger Bones, a skilled Auror, was twenty-four when he had been killed. Mrs. Weasley's brothers, Fabian and Gideon Prewett were only nineteen years old. An Order member, Benji Fenwick, was twenty-three. Then there was another Order member, the head of the McKinnons, as well as his entire immediate family. He was only twenty-four.

Harry's own parents, James and Lily Potter were twenty-one when they were killed, four years away from magical maturation. If Voldemort had waited those four years before going after them, the Potters would have been twice as powerful and much harder to take care of. If that hand full of witches and wizards had survived another few years, Voldemort would have had a big problem on his hand.

Harry knew that Voldemort was assessing and analyzing this new generation, trying to see which ones were going to turn into powerful witches and wizards. He was then going to recruit them to his side, so he would have their potential working for him, or kill them before they became bigger threats against him. If Harry could help those who would oppose Voldemort survive longer and reach their magical maturity, so as to be actual threats to Voldemort and his top Death Eaters, then he was doing something right. He knew Neville, Ron and Susan would be high priorities on Voldemort's list because of the families they came from and the power they would wield after they had magically matured.

Harry knew, no matter what, he would always be Number One on Voldemort's kill list. However, if the Dark Lord could start picking off his friends, he would be leaving Harry with fewer and fewer powerful allies when the war started in earnest.

Harry looked around the train compartment. Ron, Dean, Seamus and Neville were playing a game of exploding snaps on the compartment floor. Hermione sat on he bench next to him but it seemed like even though she was inches away, there was a big space between them. She had her head buried in a book and no part of her body was pressed against his, not even an elbow.

Something was off with her. Ever since the incident in the Forbidden Forest she had been distant. He was baffled as to what it could possibly be. At first he had thought it was because the OWLS were approaching but that theory had been thrown out the window. Whatever it was, she refused to talk about it, brushing off his attempts at trying to work out whatever was annoying her.

He shook his head and looked to the other bench seat in the compartment, where Ginny and Romilda sat gossiping over the latest issue of Witches Weekly. Harry could see his own face staring back at him from the cover. It was a photo taken at the end of his duel with DeAngelo Benedetto in the semi-finals of the dueling tournament. His hair clung around his face which was glistening with sweat. He was grimacing in pain as his left hand circled protectively around his ribs and his right arm hung at his side, a small wisp of smoke curling from the tip of his wand. The Harry in the photo swayed on his feet, and Harry knew if the wizarding photo had gone a moment longer, his image would collapsed to the ground in pain.

"What's it saying?" Harry asked.

Romilda and Ginny both looked up startled.

Romilda cleared her throat. "That you were right all along."

"That's it?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well it goes into some details but its written in a very...romantic style," Ginny added, blushing lightly.

Harry shook his head. "I don't even want to know."

"I need to talk to you lad."

Harry nodded his head at Remus, who was leaning against his car. The werewolf nodded in return, walking forward and grabbing Harry's things before putting the trunk in the boot of the car and Hedwig in the back seat.

"I'll be there in a minute Remus."

The teen let himself be led away by Moody, who brought him over to a park bench. The old Auror waved his right hand, where Harry knew he kept his wand, and erected small privacy and silencing wards.

"As Dumbledore no doubt told you I'm in charge of the Order now. With Dumbledore becoming Minister we've come to an agreement that no Ministry employees will be in the Order. That means Tonks, Kingsley, Arthur, Jones, Clearwater and Arthur's third son..."

"Percy," Harry supplied, taking mental note that Penelope Clearwater and Percy Weasley were apparently the (former) inactive members who worked in the Ministry.

"Percy are all out. Black is going to turn himself in and when he's declared innocent Albus is going to make him a Hit Wizard team leader. Lupin is going to be hired for some job in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures by Dumbledore, so he's out as well. Lupin, Black, Kingsley and Tonks were half of our competent fighters."

Harry wondered if Sirius and Remus knew about the jobs they were suppose to be getting. "Who do you have left in the Order?"

"Minerva, Filius, Aberforth, Diggle, Fletcher, that Krum kid, Arthur's oldest," "Bill." "Bill and Bill's girlfriend, that French Veela. I need fighters Potter and that's where you come in."

"How do you figure?"

"You know the previous few classes of Hogwarts graduates. I need your help in recruiting some of them into the Order."

Immediately a bunch of names sprang into Harry's mind. "I can help but I want to be a part of the Order too."

"Aye, I was gonna make you a member anyway. As our eyes and ears at Hogwarts." Moody reached into his pocket, pulling out a stack of envelopes. "Just hand these to those you can recruit. It has a pendant, a contract and a piece of parchment with directions. Get them to sign the contract inside and then give it to me, so I can file it away. Once that's done tell 'em to put on the pendant and when they fell it heat up they should follow the direction to the Order's headquarters."

Harry nodded his head, taking the stack of twenty envelopes. "Sure. Should be easy."

"Top one is for you. When you sign it, give it to Remus or Sirius."

"Are there any plans? I mean, Voldemort isn't going to sit on his arse for long. He's going to take action."

Moody snorted. "I'll handle that stuff for now Potter. You just help me get the numbers so when plans are made, we can put them into effect."

THE END.

Check out the sequel; The Areani. It's on my profile page and already has three chapters out. If you want, you can also check out the sequel to The Areani, which I've actually already started; The Phoenix Rebellion. I don't go into too much detail in the first three chapters of it but it gives you an idea of where The Areani is going to head.