The Hybrid and his Mistress

Part 3

The summer after sixth year started in much the same fashion as the summers before. Only this time, Willow had one more thing to puzzle over: Tom Riddle's horcruxes. Now, Willow wasn't very bothered with the well-being of the British Wizarding World as a whole. But there were a few people (really, she could count them all on one hand) that she actually liked and would be at least a little distraught over if something happened to them. The whole conversation and adventure, then eventual death of Dumbledore made her realize that even if she had nothing against Tom Riddle (well, he did murder her parents, but she could have still achieved a happy childhood had Dumbledore not been his meddling self), he was out to get her, and by extension, her loved ones. So here she was, behind the wards at the Unplottable Potter Manor, in the more intimate family dining room, with a cup of steaming tea in front of her and the faux-horcrux locket in her hands.

"What ya got there pup?" Sirius asked. Willow was so focused on the huge problem that had just become her problem, that she hadn't noticed him enter. Sirius was her friend. Her father. And clearly this thing wasn't going to get solved by keeping it a secret. Just how many horcruxes had Dumbledore destroyed all those years he had known about them? Willow vividly remembers the one she destroyed in her second year without even knowing what it was. Willow: 1, Dumbledore: -56. 

So she told Sirius, who became deathly pale at the implication that Voldemort was more or less immortal if they couldn't find and destroy his soul shards. Then, she invited Hermione and Luna over, and then Remus (at Sirius and Hermione's insistence). And they brainstormed. Then Sirius dropped some truth bombs.

"There was a...rebellion of sorts-"

"Sirius!"

"No Moons, they need to know. They're a part of this now. It was founded in the 70s. Your parents were a part of it. It was made of the best and brightest of Hogwarts that Dumbledore could recruit. Yes, I know how you feel about him, but he really was the only one openly opposing the dark sector. It was formed back when deaths due to the reign of Voldemort were at their highest and the Ministry wasn't effective in whatever they were doing about it."

"If they were doing anything." Willow muttered.

"Too right, pup. Too right."

"What was the name of this...group?" Hermione asked, always interested in new things.

"The Order of the Phoenix." Remus replied this time. "And it's still active."

"They're actually stationed in one of the old Black Properties." Sirius replied, sheepishly. "I hadn't told you earlier because you didn't seem interested in fighting against a mad man. Hell, you don't even seem interested in boys. Not that I'm upset about that because I'm way too young and handsome to become a grandpa, but hey, while we're on this vein of conversation, is there anything you want to tell me? I'd never disown you. I know how that feels." Sirius rambled. Hermione and Luna locked eyes and exploded in laughter.

"Why does everyone just go and assume I'm gay just because I've never been in a relationship!? I mean, it's not like there's a lot of prime male real estate at Hogwarts, let alone people I can stand to be around for more than two minutes. Have you seen this face, Sirius?" She motioned to her own. "I don't mean to sound conceited, but this face deserves another face of equal or greater beauty. Just saying. If I have the sole responsibility of repopulating the Potter and Black lines, I'm not going to do it with ugly babies." The length and forcefulness and even content of her speech shocked everyone in the room. 

"You should say how you feel more often, Willow, the wrackspurt colony that had been starting the nest around your head has just been forcefully evicted." Luna inputed, dreamily.

"Good to know, Luna. Anyway, back to the issues at hand..." She motioned to Remus or Sirius to continue talking, and she began fiddling with the locket again.