Illusory § Order of the Phoenix

V. CONGRATULATIONS, HARRY

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     Antares sat in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. His eyes were closed as he rested his chin on the palm of his hand. He ignored everything around him, including the numerous attempts to get his attention. To anyone unfamiliar with him, which was everyone in The Order, they would assume he was sleeping. Antares lets them, unwilling to break his concentration. What he was doing was far more important than correcting people. He originally came down to attend another meeting, painfully aware that it wouldn't commence until after Potter arrived. It was better than moping upstairs and avoiding all contact with his new allies. However, Antares didn't account for the myriad of flashes in his vision that swept him when he made contact with the table. He should have. Who would have thought that a table, of all things, was what got the drop on him?

So Antares sat, enduring and observing the visions that demanded his attention. He could still hear everything in the kitchen. The visions never came with any sound, just silent images of people and places, like those old muggle movies.

Potter. Snape and Sirius arguing as usual. Shouting. More arguing. Sirius rising from his seat. Ginny storming off.

Breathing a sigh of discontent, Antares slowly opened his eyes and glared at the table before him. All it takes is one person to cause complete chaos. The house wasn't quiet by any means. Mrs. Weasley was trying to clean every inch of the place, the twins were apparating every few seconds, and Tonks tripped over everything imaginable. The latter always triggered his lovely grandmother into screaming her two-dimensional head off.

Yet, as aggravating as it was, Antares still preferred it to the ghostly silence of the Kelly Manor.

Antares could feel Sirius' presence next to him. The older man always made it a habit to sit next to him. Whether it was for his benefit or simply an old quirk back to haunt him didn't matter to Antares. It stopped others from asking questions, especially when Sirius was there to shut them down.

While Antares was in his distracted state, Dumbledore had arrived with strangely perfect timing, conversing amicably with the other members in the kitchen. Antares never understood how the man became so whimsical. Even at Hogwarts, Dumbledore seemed to know everything and be everywhere. Maybe it was because he's had the position as Headmaster for nearly 30 years, or he was going senile.

Antares felt a nudge to his elbow. Looking over at him was a concerned Sirius, whose frown seemed more curious than upset. The boy shook his head.

"Try not to lose your head," Antares whispered.

Sirius' frown deepened, causing Antares to grin slightly.

Just as Sirius was about to question him for all his worth, hushed voices emanated from down the front hallway. No one could get a peak before Mrs. Weasley rushed ahead and barricaded the entrance to the kitchen. The Advanced Guard had returned successfully, it seemed. Perfect, Antares thought, now they can finally start the meeting. As Antares readjusted his posture, he caught a glimpse of green eyes before they walked up the stairs.