Green Flame Torch

When Harry woke up the next morning, he was surprised to find himself on a dining table.

"What happened?" he asked.

It was Professor McGonagall who spoke. "You missed breakfast. It’s past 11, almost time for lunch. And we need tables to dine at, so I had to transfigure all the beds into tables. No one sleeps late here, Potter."

Harry sat down in a chair. Lunch was, naturally, leftover haggis from the previous day. There were two guests who hadn't been there the previous day, namely Ginny and Professor Snape.

"Hello, Ginny," said Harry. "Where have you been."

"She spent the last week at my house, Potter," said Snape sternly. "Now, you will do well to be quiet, because I have some rather important information that I must tell the Headmaster."

"Yes," said Dumbledore. "You see, Harry, after you warned me that Voldemort is actively seeking the Torch, I sent Severus out to spy on his whereabouts. And now, I believe you have something to tell me, Severus?"

"Yes, Headmaster," said Snape. "Three weeks ago, the Dark Lord had taken control of the Dementors and, as expected, all Death Eaters are now free. He was able to do this while the Ministry was focused on the election."

"I see," said Dumbledore.

"But the Dark Lord is not satisfied with his numbers. He now actively recruits Death Eaters from Hogwarts. In fact, I can name some of the new members."

"So, go on," said the Headmaster.

"At this point it seems to be those who are failing academically and feel that they had no future at Hogwarts who are drawn towards the Dark Lord. This includes Crabbe and Goyle, who combined to score the fewest number of OWL's of any student. Most of the new Death Eaters were from Durmstrang, of course, seeing as there is no real leadership there."

"That is why I've sent Charlie Weasley over to Durmstrang," said Dumbledore. "We need the presence of someone loyal to the Order there. But what about the Green Flame Torch?"

"The Dark Lord did not mention it," Snape went on. "And now, I think we have a special Order meeting. Due to the nature of this meeting, only adult Order members are permitted to attend this meeting."

"Wow," said Fred. "Our first adult Order meeting."

"Yes," George added, "and we can attend without Extendable Ears or anything--"

"So that's what those long flesh-colored objects were," Molly scolded them. Then she turned to Harry and Ron and said, "This meeting is not for you. Why don't you enjoy yourselves in Hogsmeade? But if you see anything suspicious, come straight back here and let an Order member know."

Harry and Ron excused themselves. Then Harry turned to Ginny and asked, "Are you going to Hogsmeade with us today Gin?"

"Sure Harry, since of course Mum wants me away from the Order meeting too."

"Actually, it's Snape who doesn't want us," said Ron.

So the three of them left to see Hogsmeade. It was a strange experience being in the all-wizarding village without hundreds of other students being there.

"So," said Harry to Ginny, "how was it with Snape? It was horrible, wasn't it?"

"You're telling me," she agreed. "Professor Snape decided to take me and a handful of first years, and gave us extra work. I stayed up late last night working on the six feet of parchment he assigned us."

"You mean like Remedial Potions?" asked Ron.

"For the first years it was, but I volunteered."

"Are you crazy?" asked Ron, astonished.

"And it may surprise you to know, Ron," said Ginny adamantly, "that I plan on sitting the special OWL in Potions next week. I am, after all, the top Potions student in my year. In fact," she said as she turned to Harry, "in Hogsmeade I plan on purchasing an extra book to help me study. And aren't you sitting the exam as well, Harry?"

Harry, of course, hadn't even thought about the make-up OWL he would take since November. "I had better get a book as well, then."

"Ugh, studying over holiday," said Ron. "I'll meet you at Quidditch Supplies then, you two."

Harry and Ginny headed for a bookstore. On the way there, they ran into Draco Malfoy.

"Well well well," he said. "Guess who's father has been let out of prison?"

Harry decided that the best way to deal with him was just to ignore him. So he went in the store and purchased the Potions study guide.

But as he exited the store, Malfoy and Ginny began to get into a argument, and it appeared to Harry that he was about to attack her. Without thinking, Harry said, "Get your hands off her Malfoy!"

"I see Potter has, as always, come to play the role of ‘knight in shining armor,’" Malfoy sneered.

Harry drew his wand. Malfoy asked, "You wouldn't dare attack the son of a Death Eater, would you?" and just walked away.

"That's right, run home to Daddy," said Harry. Then he turned to Ginny and said, "He didn’t hurt you, did he?"

"Why did you do that?" asked Ginny. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. But thank you." She kissed him on the cheek.

A few moments later, Ginny said, "Let’s go get some Honeydukes candy."

Harry purchased her some Chocolate Frogs. "Consider this your Christmas gift."

"Thank you," she said. She opened the box, and took out a frog. It hopped away before she could eat it. She looked at the Wizarding Card.

"There's something strange about this card," she said.

Harry looked at the card. "See," she continued, "it's of the Seer Cassandra Trelawney. But it gives 1997 as the date of her death. But it's the last few days of 1996."

Harry could only shrug. But then, he abruptly changed the subject.

"Do you want to grab dinner in Hogsmeade with me?"

Ginny was shocked. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

Harry didn't know what had caused him to say what he had just said. Nor did he know why he told her, "Yes, yes I am."

She smiled. "I accept your offer. But wouldn't Mum be worried if we're not home by dark."

"Not today," said Harry. "I meant on the next Hogsmeade weekend."

"Sure. Why not?"

But suddenly Ginny trod on some Extendable ears. She was standing in front of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

"We heard everything!" said the twins together.

That night at dinner, Harry and Ginny announced that they were officially going out. No one had been happier than Ron, who had been trying to push them together the past two years.

"I knew it all along, of course," said Percy in his usual know-it-all tone. "I saw them kiss each other in the fire two months ago."

"Percy, how could you --" Ginny began.

"It serves you right for eavesdropping on my snogging with Penny four years ago."

"What ever happened to Penelope Clearwater anyway," asked Molly.

"I have not talked to her since, well, before the family and I went our separate ways," he explained. "I am not sure whether she will ever forgive me for turning my back on her and the family. Penny has always been a Dumbledore supporter."

"You know," Ginny began, "I'm sure if you just talked to Penny, she'd forgive you."

The other Weasleys agreed with her. And so they all gathered by the fire. Percy threw in a pinch of Floo, then stuck his head in. A few minutes later, he removed it.

"So?" asked Ron. "What happened?"

Their question was answered immediately. The crack of an Apparator sounded, and the girl Harry remembered from a few years ago said, "I forgive you, Percy." She immediately embraced him.

"Penny," Percy began, "it is improper to show such public displays of --"

"Give it up," said Penelope Clearwater, and she proceeded to kiss him.

"Penelope Clearwater," said Dumbledore, "how would you like to join the Order of the Phoenix?"

"The Order of the what?"

Dumbledore and the adult members explained to her what the Order was. Ginny, meanwhile, showed Ron the Cassandra Trelawney card.

"Well, she is a Seer after all," said Ron. "She probably foresaw her own death. But why?"

"Beats me," said Harry. "The same reason why her great-great-granddaughter is always foreseeing my death."

Ron and Ginny laughed. And soon they all retired and called it a day.

The Daily Prophet arrived at Mrs. Figg's house that morning, and naturally Marla Hedwig had won the election to be the new Minister.

"But the vote was not unanimous," said Bill as he set the paper down. "One member of the Wizengamot voted against her."

"Who?" asked Harry casually.

"And thought you were supposed to be smart," said Mrs. Figg scathingly. "Who do you think is the only member of the Wizengamot brave enough to stand up to her?"

"Dumbledore," said Harry.

"Of course," said Bill. "Naturally he voted for Dad."

"But fortunately, it was a secret vote, and so Hedwig doesn't know the identity of the wizard who had voted against her," Mrs. Figg explained. "But we all hope that now Hedwig's Minister of Magic, she won't have any reason to use the Torch anymore. So, what are we all standing around here for? After lunch we're all going by Floo to the new Order headquarters."

"Where is that?" asked Harry. He was a little fed up with the Order HQ changing so much, from Grimmauld Place to the Burrow to the Hog's Head.

"It is still in Hogsmeade," said Mrs. Figg, "but now it is at the house of Minerva McGonagall."

So Mrs. Figg, Bill, Fleur, Gabrielle, and Harry ate the meal of Potted Smoked Chicken sandwiches rather quickly, then they traveled through the fireplace again. Harry was no more surprised that the Squib was able to travel by Floo than he was that Fleur and her sister would be allowed into Order headquarters.

Professor McGonagall's house appeared small, at least from the inside. The house was decorated for what was apparently her 69th birthday. Some of the Order members were present. The Weasleys were there, including Percy, but not Arthur, Molly, or Ginny. Harry was in a lighter mood after Percy shook hands with him.

"My Christmas present to you is a sincere apology," he told Harry. "We are back on the same side again."

"Hello, Harry," said Ron. "They have a swimming pool over here. Want to go for a swim?"

"It's the middle of winter," said Harry. "It's cold."

Ron grinned. "Well, it's indoors. And Bill and Charlie just warmed it up a bit by a heating charm."

"And I have no swimming clothes," said Harry.

"Oh, and I got you some swimming clothes for Christmas," said Ron.

The Weasley brothers, except for Percy, entered the pool, but Harry hesitated.

"It's loads of fun once you get used to it," Ron said. "It's pretty shallow on this end."

So Harry entered the water. It was the first time Harry had gone for a swim since the second task of the Triwizard Tournament a few years back. The boys spent over an hour in the pool.

After they had showered, they spent the remaining hours until dinner alternating between games of Exploding Snap and wizard's chess. Ron beat everyone at least once.

Everyone gathered around the dinner table. Albus Dumbledore opened by delivering some vital information concerning the Order.

"First, I would like to welcome our newest Order of the Phoenix members. They are Fleur Delacour, Filius Flitwick, Sybill Trelawney, Percy Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, and Firenze the Centaur."

The Order members clapped their hands as they congratulated the newest Order members.

"And now that Marla Hedwig is Minister," Dumbledore continued, "we must reassess our priorities. Some Order members will keep an eye on the Ministry to ensure that Marla has no reason to use the Torch. This will be the job of Kingsley Shacklebolt, Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, all three of whom are presently in London.

"Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, Order members will be taking over some of the teaching positions in order to protect our students. Firenze will take over Astronomy, while Nymphadora Tonks will now teach History of Magic. The temporary Arithmancy teacher will be Percy Weasley, while his brother Bill will take over Herbology, now that Marla Hedwig is minister. Charlie Weasley will be watching over Durmstrang, as it is near his current workplace in Romania.

"And finally, in celebration of Minerva McGonagall's 69th birthday, let us all eat her favorite food -- haggis!"

"Who would have guessed?" said Ron as he began filling his plate.

But Harry was slightly uneasy. "Professor Dumbledore?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Shouldn't the Order be trying to make sure that the Torch doesn't fall into Voldemort's hands?"

"That is what Arthur, Molly, and Kingsley are doing at the Ministry," Dumbledore explained. "They are the Minister's guards, to make sure that no one tries to take the Torch from her."

"I see," said Harry, "and so, when she least expects it, they'll take the Torch themselves, right?"

"That is the plan," said Dumbledore, "but it will not be easy, as Marla will protect the Torch with her life."

Harry felt a little better, knowing that Order had a plan to recover the Torch. He reassured himself that as soon as they had the torch, they would bring back to life everyone who has died recently, especially Sirius.

It was not until after Harry had eaten then he realized that one of the Weasleys was missing.

"Ron," asked Harry, "where's Ginny?"

"We haven't seen her since the family split up."

When the meal was finished, Professor McGonagall used her excellent Transfiguration prowess to change the tables into enough beds for everyone to sleep. And so Harry would spend the rest of his holidays here at the house of McGonagall.

On Christmas morning, Harry had awoken up early to sneak food from the refrigerator. He had done the same the past few nights, underneath his invisibility cloak just in case anyone saw him. But this time he had the misfortune of being heard by Dudley.

"It isn't a thief trying to steal my Christmas presents, is it?" asked Dudley, yawning.

Harry returned upstairs to his room. But the Dursleys continued to search the entire house. So Harry, still under the invisibility cloak, ran downstairs and outside.

"Stop, thief! I am calling the police!" yelled Petunia.

Harry didn't want to be anywhere nearby anymore. So he ran away. Once he was no longer on Privet Drive he removed his invisibility cloak. The sun began to rise.

He didn't know where to go. He first tried going to Mrs. Figg's house, but there was no answer when he knocked on the door. So he continued walking. But he stopped when he heard some strange voices coming from one of the other houses.

"--what if Harry Potter finds out--" said a boy's voice.

Harry donned the Invisibility Cloak again and crept up to the window to eavesdrop. Who were these people and why were talking about him, he wondered.

"Don't worry, Mum. Once I get the Green Flame Torch back you can give it to him."

"And what if you don't, Mark?"

Harry's mind was racing. Who was this Mark guy? That was obvious, he told himself. He already knew that Mark Evans lived in Little Whinging. He was in his first year at Hogwarts in -- Slytherin house! And Harry knew what the Slytherins were like. Their families all turned out to be Death Eaters. And so, he realized, when Mark's mother said that she was going to give him the Torch, "him" could only refer to one person -- Lord Voldemort.

The pieces were starting to come together. So Lord Voldemort was after the Torch as well. And if he thought that his Animagus owl Hedwig was bad enough, he could only imagine what Voldemort would do with the Torch!

Now Harry wanted somehow, someway, to get back in touch with the wizarding world and inform the Order of this important information. But he was at a loss as to how he could do so.

But then, suddenly, Dudley and his bully friends were taking a stroll. Harry remained invisible.

"So, Big D," said one of them, "how many more houses do we have to T.P., anyway?"

"How many times must I tell you," said Dudley, "we're going to T.P. the house of everyone who didn't get me a Christmas present this year."

Dudley took a roll of toilet paper and threw it in the air, so that it unrolled and made a mess all over the barren trees and front lawn.

"Let's see," said one of the gang, "we have just one roll left, so who do we get next? I say the Fraziers."

"I've got a better idea," said Dudley. "How about the Grangers' house instead. They've got a large three-story house with a larger lawn. It'll be much more fun to T.P. their house instead."

Harry's heart was pounding. He could hardly believe his own ears. Did Dudley just say that there was a family in Little Whinging called the Grangers?

He knew that he just had to find out. So he followed his cousin to the house in question. But just before Dudley could throw the toilet paper, Harry screamed "No!"

The unexpected sound caused Dudley and his friends to run away. The front door opened and an elderly man and woman stood in the doorway.

"Thank you, young boy," said the man. "We've been trying to stop those hoodlums for ages."

"Please come in," said the woman. "You'll catch a cold if you stand out there for too long. It looks as if it's starting to snow again. My name is Mrs. Granger. Would you like some hot cocoa?"

Harry, who was still hungry, obliged. But once he had eaten some eggs Benedict, his mind started again. There was no sign of any connection to the wizarding world anywhere in the house.

"So, why did you happen to be strolling around the neighborhood in your pajamas on Christmas morning," asked Mr. Granger.

"I was looking for a friend," Harry replied truthfully. "You don't happen to have a daughter, do you?"

"No," said Mrs. Granger. "We have only a son, but he is grown now. He lives in the town of Exeter."

Harry suddenly realized that these Grangers were much too old. But, she had said that she was visiting her grandparents over the holidays.

"How about a granddaughter?" Harry asked.

"We did have one, once," said Mrs. Granger. "But she ran away from home at the age of ten. But that was more than five years ago. It still pains me to think about the girl. Surely she is long dead now. I wonder why Hermione decided to run away, anyway."

Harry's face lit up. Then he suddenly realized what was going on. Hermione was Muggle-born, and so her parents and probably grandparents were also Muggles as well. The age of ten sounded suspiciously close to the age when Hermione started going to Hogwarts. Perhaps Hermione's running away was just a story her Muggle parents told them in order to avoid telling them about the wizarding world, just as his aunt and uncle told everyone that he was a St. Brutus student. After all, there was still that Secrecy Statute.

But the story still didn't make complete sense. Why, then, would Hermione have told him and Ron that she was spending the holidays here when she obviously wasn't here, and couldn't be here without contradicting the story that she had run away?

"Don't worry," said Harry. "I'm certain that your granddaughter is still alive."

"How can you be sure?" asked Mr. Granger.

Of course Harry couldn't start talking about Hogwarts in front of Muggles, so all he said was, "It's just a sort of feeling I have."

Hermione's grandparents began to cry. Harry bade the two of them good-bye and left the home.

Harry still had nowhere to go. He headed back towards the Dursleys. But this time he stopped at Mrs. Figg's house, where he heard voices. It was obvious that she had returned. He knocked on the door and yelled, "Let me in, it's Harry. I've got news on what Lord Vol --"

"Not so loud!" said Mrs. Figg as she opened it. "You want Muggles to hear you? Get inside!"

It turned out that she had guests. Bill Weasley was there with his fiancee Fleur Delacour and her younger sister, Gabrielle.

"Hi, Bill," said Harry quickly, before he began recanting what he had seen earlier.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" asked Mrs. Figg. "Of course He Who Must Not Be Named wants the Torch. He knows that it is a very special object with powers not even he himself has."

"So," Harry continued, "what is the Order doing to make sure he doesn't get the Torch?"

"There is nothing we can do at present," said Bill. "If we get in You Know Who's way, there's no telling what he might do."

Harry began to argue, but realized it was of no use, and so he changed the subject. "So, Bill, what are you doing here, anyway?"

"Well, because of the elections, Dumbledore is having every member of the Weasley family hide out at a different place. I have chosen to stay here until after they're over."

"And Fleur?" asked Harry.

"We are engaged, remember?" said Fleur in nearly perfect English. She'd clearly been practicing speaking.

"And that's another thing," said Bill. "We have set our wedding date for the first of May."

"Dat means Fleur vill be Madame Bill now," said Gabrielle, and they all laughed.

"We plan on settling down around London," Bill said, "so that Gaby, who's turning eleven this spring,

"I vill be at 'ogwarts next year," she finished for him.

"Gabrielle," said Bill, "why don't you go and play with that Wizard Chess set that Father Christmas got you?"

"I vill beat you again, Fleur," said Gabrielle.

"Beginner's luck," added Fleur.

Harry interrupted. "But she's ten. Isn't she a little too old to still believe in Father Christmas?"

"Actually," said Mrs. Figg, "Father Christmas is real. You see, he is a wizard who lives up north. Every year he gives a gift to every wizarding child who is not yet old enough to attend Hogwarts. To Muggles, he's just a fantasy that only children believe in."

"They say that he uses Time Turners in order to get to all the houses in one night," Bill added, "and flies on, not reindeer, but Crumpled-Horn Snorkacks. But no one knows for sure. Almost everything about Father Christmas is still a mystery."

"And here, Harry," said Bill, "is your annual Weasley jumper from Mum. When we see everyone else they'll give you the rest of your Christmas gifts.

So Harry stayed at Mrs. Figg's the rest of the day, and the next few days, until the elections ended.

Harry found himself back in Little Whinging. Dumbledore, instead of having the students ride the holiday Hogwarts Express, had given him and the others Portkeys to go to their respective destinations because of the danger.

He stood outside number four Privet Drive. He knew that the Dursleys would be less than welcoming when they found out that Harry was at home.

The door suddenly opened, and Vernon was bidding the rest of his family good-bye. "See you after work!" But when he saw Harry there, still dressed in his Hogwarts robes and holding a wand, his face turned green.

"Boy!" he hissed quietly. "What the heck are you doing right here? Shouldn't you be at that freak school?"

"Is something the matter, Vernon?" said Petunia. "To whom are you speaking?"

Immediately Vernon stood up in front of Harry, desperately trying to shield Harry from view. "You're hiding something from me again, aren't you?"

"What makes you think that?" asked Uncle Vernon. "I'm just walking out to my normal car so that I can go to my normal job so that I can come back home to see my normal family."

Petunia pushed her husband out of the way. But she saw absolutely nothing. For Harry had managed to grab his invisibility cloak and put it around himself. Petunia was not aware of Harry's presence.

"False alarm," said Vernon. And so he entered his car and left for work.

Harry sneaked into the house, glad to be inside on a cold, winter day with light snow. He knew that in order not to anger the Dursleys, he would have to remain invisible the entire time he was with them.

All week Hogwarts students were discussing who would replace Cornelius Fudge as Minister of Magic.

"Hope your dad wins," said Seamus to Ron.

"Anyone's got to be better than that Muggle lover," said Draco Malfoy.

At breakfast, Hermione told Harry and Ron about the race in the Daily Prophet.

"There are three candidates. The first, Ron, is your father, of course. But traditionally, the next in line for Minister has always been his or her personal assistant, and that means --"

"That git, Percy!" said Ron, amazed. "Now I really hope Dad wins --"

"But I don't know," Hermione continued. "The third candidate is, believe it or not, Marla Hedwig!"

"But she's only 12," insisted Harry.

"Yes," said Hermione, "but she also has the Green Flame Torch in her possession. That means she can Torch any Wizengamot member who votes against her. She may even decide to eliminate the competition completely by Torching her opponents."

"That means Dad is in danger," Ron remarked. "We got to warn --"

"Relax, Weasley, everything is under control," said Professor McGonagall as she strode by. "Your father, mother, and brother are safe at an undisclosed location where they will be safe. You are to stay at the Burrow, where your brother Charlie has returned to watch you."

"But I already signed up to stay here at Hogwarts for the holidays," said Ron.

"There is another thing I must tell you. Because of the High Inquisitor's threat to use the Torch, the Hogwarts teachers and Wizengamot members must all be in different locations. And due to these rather unlucky, yet necessary changes, no student will be able to spend his or her holidays here at Hogwarts." Professor McGonagall’s statement was met with several moans and one look of horrible incredulity.

“They can’t close Hogwarts!” Harry groaned. "I can’t go home to the Dursleys."

"I'm afraid that you have no other choice. You must stay with them until after the elections on Boxing Day."

"WHAT?" Harry yelled at her as he stood right up. "You can't be serious!"

"No yelling at a teacher. Five points from Gryffindor. And this will calm you down." She handed Harry a tartan tin filled to the brim with biscuits.

As Harry ate one, he said, "And you think that just giving me biscuits is going to calm me?"

"This biscuits contain a Steadying Draught which should calm you down a little," McGonagall explained. "I thought you would have figured that out by now."

Harry suddenly thought back to the previous year, when his Head of House kept giving him biscuits. He should have known that both McGonagall and Umbridge had given him potioned food that year, Umbridge with fake Veritaserum and McGonagall with this Draught. Indeed, the crumpets that Fudge gave him the summer before his third year probably contained the Draught as well.

Soon Harry sat down again as the effects of the Steadying Draught took effect. He looked up again.

"See you after Christmas, Harry," said Ron. "It won't be that bad, not even a full week, then you'll get to spend the rest of the holiday at the Burrow."

"Easy for you to say," said Harry. "You've never had to live with the Dursleys." He turned to Hermione.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but you can't stay with me either. My parents are taking me to visit my grandparents."

Then Professor Dumbledore approached them.

"Harry, you must be aware of the danger that Miss Hedwig, as possessor of the Green Flame Torch, poses to all of us as well as yourself. It is not safe for more than two or three Order members, or the families thereof, to be together. She will continue to be a threat until after the elections as she becomes Minister."

“No, really, it’s all right. I’m sure it’ll be fine." It was a lie, the first time Harry had ever lied to Dumbledore. But the headmaster said nothing more.

It was the day of the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff Quidditch match, and the Gryffindor team was hungry for a win.

"We need a victory if we're to have any chance of winning the Cup," said Captain Katie Bell.

She shook hands with Zack Smith and then the match was under way. Harry, Ron, and the rest of the Gryffindor team flew up on their brooms. For the first hour or so, no one scored any goals. Every time Ron saved a goal, the Hufflepuff Keeper Autumn Summers saved one as well.

"And Smith passes to Stebbins, who shoots," Dean was commenting, "and it's punched hard by Ron, and, hold on, this Quaffle looks like it has a chance to go the distance -- and it sails past Summers and right into the center goal! GOOOOOOOOOOAL! GOOOOOOOOOOAL! So Gryffindor finally scores to take a 10-nil lead!"

"Thomas," McGonagall scolded, "we do not have long goal calls like that in Quidditch."

While this was going on, Harry spotted the Snitch. He flew up on his Cleansweep as high as he could. The Hufflepuff Seeker Sammy Sommersby tried to follow him, but he was riding an old Nimbus model that did not have as much lift as Harry's Cleansweep. So Harry beat him to the Snitch easily.

"He's got the Snitch!" Dean yelled. "Gryffindor has defeated Hufflepuff 160-nil!"

Katie Bell congratulated her team. "And that was an amazing accomplishment, Ron. Not only did you score the only Gryffindor goal of the game, it's also your first shutout ever!"

"Wow," said Ron, who was elated.

"Did Wood ever notch a shutout?" asked Ginny.

"Actually, he did, only once," Katie replied. "But that was five years ago, also against Hufflepuff, when Harry caught the Snitch so fast that no one had time to score any goals in a 150-nil victory. And there were several shutouts back in the days of your brother Charlie, who also caught the Snitch fast often. But I think you have the first shutout ever which lasted more than a few minutes, Ron."

And so Ron reflected on his best performance ever as the Gryffindors began singing another rendition of the song "Weasley Is Our King."

It was time for a Herbology lesson. So Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed for the greenhouse. But when they arrived, there was no teacher present.

"Where's Professor Hedwig?" asked Harry.

"When I arrived here," began Neville, "Hedwig had just transformed into her Animagus form and flew out. She had the Green Flame Torch with her."

"Green Flame Torch?" Ron inquired. "You don't think that she's about to kill someone else?"

"That reminds me," said Hermione, "there was a strange article in the Daily Prophet today." She took out a copy of the paper and read an article to the others aloud:

HOGWARTS HIGH INQUISITOR AT ODDS WITH MINISTER OF MAGIC

Marla Hedwig, Hogwarts High Inquisitor and Herbology teacher, is still not satisfied with all her power. She wants to be the Headmistress of Durmstrang while keeping her post at Hogwarts. But Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge disagrees.

"How can one witch continue to fulfill her duties at Hogwarts and be in charge of another school?" said the Minister in a public statement yesterday.

Hedwig believes that she can rule Durmstrang in absentia while continuing to teach at Hogwarts. Today she is expected to meet with Fudge in London in order to come to an agreement.

The High Inquisitor's source of power is the mysterious Green Flame Torch, which can kill instantly. Fudge, along with all other Ministry officials, have been caving in to Hedwig's demands in order to protect themselves.

"This time," said Fudge, "I believe that she has gone one step too far."

"You see?" said Ron as she finished reading, "why would she need to bring the Torch with her if all she is doing is speaking with Fudge? She wants to kill him?"

"Don't be silly!" said Hermione. "She wouldn't just kill a man right in front of the entire Ministry!"

Professor Dumbledore entered the greenhouse.

"All students are to return to their houses. All classes have been canceled. I have just received word that the Minister of Magic has just been assassinated."

Wordlessly Harry, Ron, and Hermione returned to Gryffindor Tower. When they arrived there, they were met by Professor McGonagall.

"Potter, you and the former DA members report to Great Hall immediately. We are about to have an emergency Order of the Phoenix meeting."

When Harry arrived at Great Hall, he saw several Order members present. In addition to Hogwarts professors Hagrid, McGonagall, and Snape, also present were Griselda Marchbanks, Mad-Eye Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, as well as Arthur and Molly Weasley. All the other Hogwarts teachers were also in the Great Hall. Then Dumbledore addressed the crowd.

"I am certain that you are all aware of the tragedy which has occurred today in London. I assure you that the body of Cornelius Fudge has been transported, like those of the other victims of the Green Flame Torch, to the Hogwarts Infirmary.

"I know that all of you are wondering what measures are being taken to remove the Green Flame Torch from the possession of a reckless twelve-year-old girl and into the hands of one more mature and responsible. At this point we still have no plan, for anyone who would try to take the Torch from her, she would instantly kill, and then we would be ever so further away from actually removing the Torch. Simple spells do not seem to work on the Torch. The best we can do, therefore, is make sure that we at Hogwarts are as well-protected as we can possibly be.

"All Hogwarts teachers must now be trained in Defense Against the Dark Arts methods and become full members of the Order of the Phoenix. If, for one reason or another, a teacher is unable to fulfill this requirement, then I shall replace them with an Order member.

"The other issue I must discuss today is that of Fudge's replacement as Minister of Magic until that day when we can retrieve the Torch and revive Fudge. I, as a member of the Wizengamot, have a say in who shall become the temporary Minister."

"Well, you can always take over --" McGonagall began.

"No, Minerva, that is not to be. Unlike Miss Hedwig, I do not claim that I can take charge of two different institutions simultaneously, for certainly Hogwarts is where I belong. I believe, however, that an Order member needs to be the temporary Minister. And as he is currently the highest ranking Order member in the Ministry, I hereby nominate Arthur Weasley as the next Minister of Magic."

Ron couldn't believe his ears. "You mean that Dad's actually going to be the next --"

"Be quiet!" Hermione whispered urgently. "The Wizengamot has to vote on it first."

But at that moment all of the Order members began to chant, "Ar-thur! Ar-thur! Ar-thur!"

Mr. Weasley took the floor. "I am not sure if I am, well, good enough to be the next Minister."

But Dumbledore wouldn't hear of it. "If you do not become Minister, Arthur, then someone else who may not be loyal to the Order may be elected. And we cannot take that chance."

The Order of the Phoenix meeting adjourned.