Diggory Is Still A Loser (book 2)

18- In Too Deep

The following morning, Celia was surprised to find Flitwick waiting for her in the Ravenclaw common room.
He then escourted her to Dumbledore's office, before leaving her alone.
Celia was terrified that Dumbledore was going to tell her off for something, but she calmed down, when she saw that Hermione was there as well.
"Is something wrong, Professor?" Questioned Celia.
"I'm afraid so Miss Diggory. Please, take a seat" replied Dumbledore.
Celia obeyed and sat down beside Hermione, opposite Dumbledore.

"I called you both here this morning, because last night Arthur Weasley was attacked" continued Dumbledore.
Celia and Hermione both gasped.
"Is he alright?" Questioned Hermione.
"He is stable, thanks to the Healer's who worked through the night at St Mungo's. I sent Harry and the Weasley's away last night, so that they could wait for further news from Molly Weasley, without Professor Umbridge getting involved. They will all be staying in London for the Christmas holidays, so that they can be with Arthur while he recovers, instead of going back to the Burrow, which is very far away" revealed Dumbledore.

"I guess this means I won't be able to spend Christmas with them afterall" Celia said quietly.
"You will not be able to go to the Burrow, no... However, there is a way that you can still spend Christmas with Harry and the Weasley's" admitted Dumbledore.
"How?" Asked Celia.
"I can take you to where they are staying. But if I do, your life won't be the same again. I will also have to fully trust you, and trust that you won't tell anyone exactly where you went, or who you saw. But you don't have to get involved in any of this. You could walk away now, and go home for the holidays on the Hogwarts Express tomorrow, like everyone else".

"I don't want to go home" admitted Celia quietly.
"Well then, are you prepared to be included in a big secret? One that must be kept, in order to save many lives?" Questioned Dumbledore seriously.
"Do Hermione and Harry know this secret?" Asked Celia.
"Yes" answered Dumbledore.
"And is this secret place where Harry and the others went during the summer holidays?"
"It is"
"Well, I want to be included as well then. I don't want to be left out of things anymore. And I promise that you can trust me. I don't have contact with anyone besides Harry, Hermione and the Weasley's anyway, so I don't have anyone to tell secrets to. So please let me know what is going on".

"Very well, Miss Diggory. Given that you suffered a great loss at the hands of Lord Voldemort, you deserve to know everything that is going on" announced Dumbledore.
"Thank you, Professor" replied Celia.
"You're welcome. Now, I trust that you have heard of the Order of the Phoenix"
"Of course"
"Well, as you may also know, I am the head of the organisation. And Arthur was on duty, working for the Order last night, when he was attacked by Voldemort's snake. Harry witnessed this attack through the eyes of the snake, whom Voldemort was possessing at the time. He was able to do this, because there is a strange connection between the two of them".

"Harry can sense Voldemort's mood, and he sometimes sees what he is up to" admitted Hermione.
"Exactly, and that is what happened last night. However, we can't have anyone knowing about the connection between Harry's mind and Voldemort's" informed Dumbledore.
"I understand" replied Celia.
Her mind was spinning, as she felt like she had stepped into a conversation that she was not qualified for.
Dumbledore ran the Order of the Phoenix, and very soon Celia was going to be surrounded by them all.
This prospect made her feel anxious and excited at the same time.

"Good. Now, this connection between Harry and Voldemort, is not the only thing you are unaware of, for there are many members of the Order of the Phoenix, whom you don't know about. I won't tell you about them all, but there is one you need to know about, for it is his house you will be staying in, since we are using it as headquarters for the Order" admitted Dumbledore.
"Who?" Quizzed Celia.

"Sirius Black" revealed Dumbledore.
"Isn't he a mass murderer?" Frowned Celia.
"No. The Ministry is wrong about him. A man named Peter Pettigrew was the one who betrayed the Potter's, all those years ago, not Sirius. Peter is the traitor, and he's unfortunately alive and well. Cornelius Fudge is currently blaming all of Voldemort's actions at the moment, on Sirius, to avoid admitting that Voldemort is back. Sirius is in hiding at his childhood home, 12 Grimmauld Place, and that is where you are going to go tomorrow morning. He is also Harry's Godfather, and the pair care about each other a great deal. Which is something you need to know before going there".

"I want to come too, Professor" informed Hermione.
"Are you sure, Miss Granger?" Asked Dumbledore.
"Yes. If I'm being honest, skiing isn't really my thing, and I'd rather be with Harry and the others while Mr Weasley is in hospital. I can write my parents a letter today, telling them that I'm staying at Hogwarts to study for my OWLs. That will allow me to go to Grimmauld Place without upsetting them" replied Hermione.
"Alright then, I shall send you both to Grimmauld Place tomorrow, on the Knight Bus, since it's a much quicker mode of transport than the Hogwarts Express".

"Why must we wait until tomorrow? Why can't we go now?" Questioned Celia.
"Because school doesn't officially finish until tomorrow, so I can't let you go before then. Professor Umbridge is already fuming that Harry and the Weasley's were able to get out last night. And I don't want to push her further, or draw too much attention to Arthur's attack. So, tomorrow morning I will summon the Knight Bus for you. But until then, you must not speak of this to anyone, for it must be kept a secret" answered Dumbledore.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone" reassured Celia.
"Good. I need you to act normal for the rest of the day. And if anyone asks about the Weasley's or Harry, just say that you don't know where they are"
"Yes sir"
"Alright then, you may return to your dormitories".