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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2018 16:22:27 GMT -7
The Order of the Phoenix was in a sad state. Their leader had been missing for months, and when word came that there was new information on Harry’s disappearance, the Order had convened at their headquarters. The mood was simultaneously somber and anxious, an odd mixture of suppressed emotions, hushed whispers, and tapping fingers as everyone waited to hear what the news was. The public would hear about it the next morning when an interview with Ron Weasley was published in the Daily Prophet, so they weren’t far ahead in learning what was going on. Personally, Poe had an inkling of what was going to be said – there wouldn’t have been a meeting if there was good news, he thought – but he hoped that he was wrong in his assumption.
When the official statement was read, it was like the entire world had stopped. It seemed like no one even breathed as they listened to Ron’s report of finding Harry’s wand, and the subsequent change of Harry’s status, from missing in action to presumed dead. The last words in Ron’s sentence hung in the air for a long moment… and then the whole world went to hell.
Everyone seemed to have something to say, and it was hardly possible to distinguish one voice from any of the others in the chaos. Poe had kept his own mouth shut, not wanting to say anything that would get him in trouble, which was just as well considering the amount of noise that was slowly escalating to a crescendo. Poe was certain that someone let out an explosion from the tip of their wand, but if anything, that just served to make everyone talk louder. Yelling, Poe had learned a long time ago, didn’t make anyone hear you any better. If anything, people who yelled were understood less than they would have been if they had just talked. Most of the talk seemed to be centered as to whether Harry was dead, as he was being officially assumed. Some were arguing that his wand wasn’t strong enough evidence to assume that he was dead. People lost their wands all the times and were found alive, and Harry would be no different. Others (people who had known Harry Potter rather well, Poe knew) insisted that he never would have been parted from his wand if he was alive.
Finally, one voice rose above the clamor. “If Harry was alive, he would be here.” Poe was surprised to see that the person speaking was the former Minister of Magic, Victoire Weasley. In addition to being the former Minister, she was also one of Harry’s nieces, so Poe was inclined to believe what she had to say when it came to Harry’s behavioral patterns. “He’s not here, so he must be dead.” Poe was almost afraid of where this series of declarations was going. “Our first priority should be avenging our leader!” Victoire’s final statement was met with a round of applause from some in the Order, in addition to a smattering of cheers and an equal number of jeers. Poe was prepared for the Order to descend in another shouting match, but before they could, another woman stood up. She was almost directly across the table from Victoire, and Poe was extremely glad that he wasn’t caught in the crossfire between their glares.
“The Order isn’t Harry.” The American accent was what Poe needed to remember the name of the woman speaking – Finn. She had come from America not that long ago, and Poe hadn’t had the chance to talk to her about… well, anything. “What we stand for isn’t vengeance, is it? Maybe I don’t understand because I’m not from here and I’ve only been around for six months, but none of what you said sounds remotely close to the discussions I’ve sat in on during that time.” Poe had to admit that she was right – the Order had been keeping a lower profile lately, and the big, flashy stuff seemed to be a part of a bygone era. But Victoire was right in saying that they needed to do something about Harry, or they’d be stepped on by the Purifiers. Finn continued talking, though, and it seemed like her plan was the exact counterpoint of Victoire’s. “We need to work on developing a plan to stop whatever happened to Harry or those students from happening again. No one else can do that. I know it’ll be a huge blow if he really is gone, but letting our emotions and family matters get in the way when there are other lives at stake isn’t how this should be done.” Poe didn’t think that the jab about family matters was entirely necessary – he was certain that Victoire wanted vengeance for Harry beyond him being her uncle – but it appeared that quite a few people agreed with Finn, too. Her statements were met with an equal amount of cheers and jeers, from the opposite people as Victoire’s had been. Poe noticed, though, that there were some people who had remained quiet for both of the pseudo-speeches that had been made – himself included.
The eerie silence returned to the table after the cheers had died down. There were two different camps now, and Poe watched as people slowly began shifting their positions in the room to be closer to the people that they agreed with. Some rounded the table to stand shoulder-to-should with Victoire, and others backed Finn. And then, like him, some people stayed still. Poe noticed that someone was looking at him, as if they were expecting him to speak, which took him slightly aback. He had been a member of the Order for a while, and he had known Harry through his work, but that hardly qualified him to join a debate. But no one else was going to speak up, so… Poe did.
“What we need isn’t radical action or long-winded plans.” Poe said, surprised that his voice was shaking. He was used to high-stress situations, but he supposed that the emotional burden of the evening was beginning to get to him. And the stakes were high – Poe worried that if they left the room still angry at each other, and still picking sides, that the Order wouldn’t survive. Both Victoire and Finn had valid points. Plans without action were useless, but so too were actions without plans. There had to be a happy medium, and Poe was determined to find what that was. “What we need right now is to stay united. We can revisit this in a week when we’re not all in shock.” Even though some of the people in the room hadn’t ever had a private conversation with Harry, the point remained that he was not only the symbol for the Light, but also their leader. He was a touchstone, a person who represented balance and control. With him gone, there would be shockwaves sent through the entire wizarding world.
It seemed that Poe was too late in stepping in, though. Even though the room had been quiet before his own speech, and during it, as soon as he finished, the room once again erupted in loud talking. If anything, his comment about staying united was fracturing people further. Poe didn’t realize that there were people gathering behind him until he turned to leave. Shit. There wasn’t much mingling anymore – there was Victoire’s group, Finn’s group, and his group, with only a few people oscillating between one of the clumps of people and the others. Poe decided that his original impulse to leave wasn’t going to be helpful, especially if both Finn and Victoire stayed. Letting them duke it out without a mediator would make this meeting even more disastrous than it already was.
Poe didn’t know what he was waiting for, or what any of them were waiting for, really. No conversations were going to be productive. The lines in the sand had been drawn. Victoire wanted action, Finn wanted planning, and he wanted to them to stay together. There was more talking, and more grumbling, and more eruptions of anger, but when the Order left its headquarters, they hardly seemed to be The Order of the Phoenix any more. They had separated into three factions, and while Poe hoped that they’d be able to reunite one day, he was afraid that Harry’s death had done irreparable damage.
Poe was one of the last people to leave, and as he stepped out into the night, he glanced over his shoulder. Was this an ending, a beginning, or something in between? He didn’t know, but he did know that what had happened tonight wasn’t what Harry would have wanted. “I’m sorry, Harry.” Poe sighed, before Apparating back to his apartment, ready to intercept a slew of owls about what happened next.
