Chapter Text
"Ginny, go away!" Fred shouted, pushing his little sister away from the door. "You're in my way!"
"You're in my way!" the red-haired girl screamed, snorting and pouting, trying to get back into her seat.
"You won't hear anything anyway," George said, backing away from the door. "They cast a silencing charm on the kitchen."
"See? I told you so. Did you think they were stupid enough not to?" the short, brown-haired girl rolled her eyes, holding a ginger cat. "Ronald, you stepped on my foot!"
"Sorry," the boy apologized curtly and continued walking, bumping into his little sister along the way. "Go away, Ginny."
"Stop pushing me!" the youngest Weasley screamed, rubbing her bruised shoulder. "What's going on here?" Harry asked, descending the stairs. "Why are you all standing here?"
"Harry!" Hermione dropped her pet and approached her friend. "Are you rested? Did you sleep well?"
"Everything's fine," the brunette replied, smiling at the girl. "So what exactly happened?"
"You see, Harrykins..." George muttered mysteriously, grinning.
"The thing is, ten minutes ago..." Fred continued, turning to the boy.
"Dumbledore!" "And as far as we know..."
"He called an emergency Order meeting!" Fred finished, turning again and pressing his ear to the door.
"Is Dumbledore here?" Harry exchanged glances with Ron. Receiving a nod of confirmation from his friend, his eyes widened. "What meeting?"
"We don't know," Ginny answered honestly, resigned to the fact that she wouldn't hear anything. "Mum took all our headphones, and we came here…"
"Hoping they forgot to cast a silencing charm on the room," Ron finished, crossing his arms.
"Frankly, that was a very foolish hope," Granger said, pressing her lips into a thin line. "Knowing we'd try to eavesdrop on their conversation at every opportunity, they probably double-checked everything before the meeting."
Harry nodded, agreeing with his friend. He frowned, considering the information he'd received. If Dumbledore had called an emergency meeting, they were probably discussing something very important.
"Move over, Ron," Potter said, approaching the door.
***
"Albus, I certainly don't doubt your words," McGonagall said quickly, frowning slightly. "But is everything in this book true?"
"Of course, Minerva. I'm absolutely certain of it." Dumbledore leaned over the desk and smiled at his colleague. A book lay before him, its cover blank. There were no inscriptions or images on it.
"Are you sure this isn't one of the Death Eaters' tricks, Headmaster?" the Potions Master asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Even if I hate to admit it... Snape is right." Sirius ignored the glance she gave him. "Are you sure this isn't some kind of trap by Voldemort?"
"I confess, I couldn't believe it myself at first." However, after reading the first chapter, I could no longer doubt the veracity of what was written." The Headmaster of Hogwarts leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I think your doubts will be dispelled once we start reading."
"So... we're just going to read?" Charlie looked at the older man incredulously. "You mean... you mean the book will help us learn about the future and defeat Voldemort?"
"Actually, there are seven books. First, we'll read about the past, and then, using that knowledge, we'll peer into the future." The Headmaster smiled at his former student. "And yes, I think they'll help us fight Voldemort."
"Then let's start reading faster." Alastor grumbled discontentedly.
"Of course we will." The man's eyes gleamed. "But we're still a few people short of getting started."
"Are we waiting for someone else?" Bill asked, tilting his head.
"Yes," Dumbledore replied, turning his gaze to the Weasleys. "Molly, I think we should invite the children here today."
"What?!" the woman jumped up from her chair. "What are you talking about, Albus? Invite the children?" "But this is an Order meeting!"
"Molly, my dear…" Arthur Weasley took his wife's hand. He sat in a dark green chair, not daring to get up, still recovering from the snakebite.
"Molly, I know what you're thinking, but I urge you to listen to me," Dumbledore asked calmly, smiling softly at the woman. "As much as you want to protect the children from the war, you can't protect them from what's written here." After all, what was written, at least in the first four books, had already happened to them.
"What does this mean?" Kingsley and Remus asked, turning to the man simultaneously. "I'll tell you everything when the children are here," the Headmaster replied, nodding to the two men.
"Very well, very well... Should Ginny be called too, Albus?" Molly asked, pursing her lips.
"Yes, of course," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "Miss Weasley is needed here, too."
"Very well, I'll go and call them," the woman replied, heading for the door.
"I don't think they need to be called, Molly," Mad-Eye said hoarsely, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair, as if waiting for the performance to begin.
"What are you talking about, Alastor?" the woman asked incredulously. She stopped half a step and turned to face the man.
Moody chuckled loudly but said nothing. His gaze was fixed on the door, and Molly, noticing this, continued on her way. Reaching the door, the woman flung it open and screamed loudly, instinctively retreating as four teenagers fell to the floor in front of her.
Sirius's loud laughter echoed throughout the kitchen.
***
"You!" Molly roared, placing her hands on her hips. "You were eavesdropping!"
"Let me make a small correction, dear Mummy..." George looked at his mother with the most innocent expression he could muster.
"We weren't eavesdropping..." Fred repeated his twin's actions.
"We were trying to eavesdrop!" George finished for his brother.
"Harry, you're not that heavy..." Ron croaked, lifting his head from the floor. "But could you please get off me?"
Potter, realizing he was lying on his friend's back, quickly jumped to his feet and helped him up.
"And you!" Mrs. Weasley turned away from the twins and looked at the two friends and the girls standing behind them. "I can understand why Fred and George are acting like this, but you?"
"Molly, dear, let's put that aside..." Arthur tried to reassure his wife.
"That's right, Mum!" repeated Charlie's father. "What's important now is what's written in those books."
"Since everyone's here..." Kingsley began, turning to Dumbledore. "Then we can begin, right?"
"That's right," the Headmaster nodded, smiling. "So, now we need everyone to sit down at the table."
"And us too?" Ginny asked hesitantly, pointing a finger at herself. She and Hermione were still standing in the hallway. "Are we going to be at the meeting too?"
Mrs. Weasley silently approached her husband.
"That's right, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore replied, looking at the girl. "You're all needed here too."
The twins were the first to react to these words. They both jumped to their feet and hurried over to their two older brothers. Ron and Hermione followed them. Harry quickly found a seat next to his godfather, and Ginny hurried to sit next to her father.
"Have you learned anything?" Sirius asked mockingly, looking at his godson.
"As if you don't know..." Potter muttered, frowning.
"No, tease the kid, Padfoot," Remus said, feigning seriousness at his friend.
"Professor Lupin?" Harry looked over his godfather in surprise. "I heard you're on a mission for the Order."
"Just Remus, Harry. I haven't been your professor for a long time," the werewolf smiled, looking at the boy. "And yes, I was on a mission, but Dumbledore called an unscheduled meeting and insisted on my presence."
The teenager's eyes widened. He glanced around the room and realized that many of those sitting there must be on Order missions.
"Is it really that urgent?" he thought, turning back to Lupin.
"Professor... I mean, Remus, what might happen if Dumbledore called an emergency meeting?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We haven't figured it out ourselves," his godfather replied this time. "But it seems nothing serious."
"So. Please listen very carefully." Dumbledore glanced around the room. "This morning, I was fortunate enough to find seven books. They describe events from both the past... and the future."
All the teenagers immediately turned their attention to the book lying before the headmaster. Like the adults, they all looked curiously at the older wizard, awaiting an explanation.
At that moment, Dumbledore raised his wand over the book, waved it slightly, and lowered his hand.
Everyone immediately glanced at the book, expecting some changes. Incidentally, there were some. Here's what was written on the cover in bold:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Everyone in the room, except Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Dumbledore, stared at the book with wide eyes. The Hogwarts headmaster waited for everyone to recover, while the golden trio exchanged frightened glances.
"Events of the past... As will the future," Dumbledore's words swirled in their heads. Everyone understood what it meant.
Harry glanced at his godfather and saw confusion on his face. Leaning forward, the teenager glanced past Sirius and saw Remus's thoughtful expression. The werewolf looked as if he'd realized something.
"Is it foolish to think he doesn't know what the Philosopher's Stone is?" the brunette thought, turning away.
"So these are books about our Harry?" Fred asked, breaking the silence.
"As far as I understand, all the books are written from Mr. Potter's point of view," the headmaster replied calmly, glancing quickly at Harry. Harry stared silently at the book, ignoring Snape's heavy sigh. He glanced at his equally shocked friends.
"From Potter's perspective?" Professor McGonagall asked, earning a nod from the Headmaster.
"But that's wrong!" Hermione exclaimed, rising from her chair. "That... That's like reading someone else's mind!"
"Granger, do you seriously think defeating the Dark Lord is more important than uncovering Potter's secrets?" the Potions Master asked sarcastically, glaring at the girl.
"Well, Severus, I see no reason why Miss Granger should be wrong. We truly have no right to read someone else's mind..." Dumbledore turned his gaze to Harry. "I suppose Mr. Potter could give us his verdict?"
Harry looked thoughtfully at the Headmaster. On the one hand, his entire life would be exposed. The book could very well contain details about the rules he broke at Hogwarts. What if he gets expelled? But then again... What if it really does help them defeat Voldemort?
"Seriously, Albus?" Sirius frowned, looking at Dumbledore. "Are you really asking him to do this?"
"Black, listen…" Mad-Eye began, but was interrupted.
"Agreed," Harry said, maintaining a serious expression. He looked at the headmaster. "However, sir, I don't think it would be right to punish us for something that has already happened or will happen."
"Typical Potter, of course," the Potions master drawled sarcastically. "Trying to cover up your misdeeds?"
"If what's written in the books is true, then you'll all read my mind," the teenager snapped, glaring at the Potions master. "I think that's fair."
Snape looked at the boy with disdain, snorted loudly, and turned away.
"Of course, my boy, that would be fair." The glint in the headmaster's eyes grew brighter. "Any more questions?"
"Yes, there is one," Bill said, and, receiving a nod from the older wizard, continued. "There are seven books... And if you look at the first one, you'll see that they're all probably quite long." "Do we really have time to read this? After all, we still have Order assignments to complete…"
"Don't worry, Mr. Weasley. Once the book is opened, time in this room will stand still," Dumbledore replied calmly, raising his wand. "So, since there are no more questions, we can begin."
The Headmaster raised his hand and waved his wand several times. Harry felt himself falling, but when the sensation passed, he realized he was still sitting. Not on a chair, as before, but on a small sofa designed for three or four people. His godfather was still sitting next to him, and Remus was sitting to Sirius's right.
Looking around, the teenager realized the room had somehow doubled in size. The kitchen table was gone, and several sofas had appeared in the place of the chairs.
George, Fred, Ron, and Hermione sat together on the largest sofa. Next to them, on a small sofa, sat Ginny and Mrs. Weasley, and next to them, in a small armchair, sat Mr. Weasley.
Not far from them stood Snape and Kingsley's sofa. They sat as far apart as possible. A little further away from them, Charlie and Bill were sitting on the sofa. And in the very center of the sofa sat Alastor Moody, Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall.
"I think I'll begin," the Headmaster said, and a book fell into his hands. "Chapter One. The Boy Who Lived."