Chapter II: Meetings (I)
Genius remembers in a second [Aishang Novel Network biquge.info] to provide you with wonderful novels to read.
"Here," Moody whispered, shoving a piece of parchment into Harry's hand, who had just landed and stood firm, and raised his wand of light to illuminate the writing, "read it and remember." β
Harry looked down at the piece of paper, which seemed to be written in long, thin handwriting that read: Order of the Phoenix Command is located at 12 Grimmauld Place, London.
"What is a phoenix ββ?," Harry was about to ask.
"Don't talk about it here, kid!" Moody yelled, "wait until we get in!"
He snatched the parchment from Harry's hand and set it on fire with the head of his wand. The paper curled and burned, falling to the ground. Harry looked up at the houses around them, who were standing outside Number 11. He looked to the left and saw the number 1o, and to the right, it was the number 13.
"But how ......?"
"Think about what you just remembered. Lupin whispered. "Those words on paper. β
Harry thought intently, and as soon as he thought of 12 Grimmauld Place, a tattered door appeared out of thin air at 11 and 13, and then the dirty walls and eerie windows appeared, as if an extra house had suddenly swelled up, squeezing everything open on both sides. Harry was dumbfounded. The stereo sound of Number 11 was still dull, and apparently the Muggles who lived inside didn't feel anything.
"Let's go, hurry up. Moody yelled and slapped Harry on the back.
Harry walked up the tattered stone steps as he stared wide-eyed at the newly conjured door. The black paint on the door was peeling off, and it was covered with scratches on the left and right. The silver knocker is in the shape of a large coiled serpent. There is no keyhole in the door, and there is no mailbox.
Lupin drew his wand and tapped on the door. Harry heard the loud sound of many metal crashes. And like a chain out of the clattering sound. The door creaked open.
"Hurry in, Harry," Lupin whispered, "but don't go too far, don't touch anything. β
Harry stepped over the threshold. Walk into the almost pitch-black foyer. He smelled a wet, dusty smell and a sweet, rotting smell. The place feels like an abandoned empty house. He turned his head to look behind him and saw that the others were following him.
Harry felt a strange sense of foreboding, as if they had walked into a house where people were dying. He heard a rustling sound, and then a row of old-fashioned gas lamps on the wall lit up, casting a flickering, unreal light. Shine on the peeling wallpaper and polished carpet in the long, eerie foyer. A spider-web-like chandelier shimmered overhead, and portraits of people blackened with age hung crookedly on the walls. Harry heard something hurrying behind the baseboard. The chandelier and the candelabra on a rickety table next to it are made in the shape of a large serpent.
With the sound of hurried footsteps, Ron's mother, Mrs. Weasley, stepped out of a door at the other end of the foyer. She walked towards them in three steps and two steps, a warm smile on her face, but Harry noticed that she was much thinner and paler than he had last seen her.
"Oh. Harry, it's such a pleasure to see you!" she whispered, taking him into her arms, nearly breaking his ribs, and then pushing him away a little more, scrutinizing him. "You look thin, you need to eat more, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little before you have dinner. β
She turned to the group of wizards behind Harry. He whispered in a hurried tone, "He just arrived, and the meeting is about to begin." β
The wizards behind Harry all voiced their voices of concern and excitement as they began to walk from his side towards the door that Mrs. Weasley had just come out of. Harry was about to follow Lupin when Mrs. Weasley stopped him.
"No, Harry, only members of the Order of the Phoenix are allowed to attend. Ron is upstairs, you can stay with him until the meeting is over, and then we'll have dinner. Keep your voice low when speaking in the foyer. She whispered again in an urgent tone.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to wake anything. β
"What do you sayββ?"
"I'll explain to you later, now I have to hurry over, I should go to the meeting. I'll tell you where you sleep. β
She pressed a finger to her lips. Harry crept through two long, moth-eyed curtains, which Harry assumed must be another door behind them, and they walked around a large umbrella stand that looked like it was made from a troll's severed leg, and made their way up the dark staircase with a row of crumpled heads clustered on the wall panels next to it. Harry looked closely, and it was now the heads of house-elves. They all have the same ugly big noses.
"Bang"
The sound of a heavy object falling to the ground. Harry's face turned ugly in the face of Mrs. Weasley.
From the foyer came the shrill howl of an old lady.
"Bastards, bastards, filthy and sinful sons, bastards, freaks, ugly bastards, get out of here! How dare you defile my ancestors' homeβ"
But before Mrs. Weasley could reach her, the howl died down with a clear sound.
A smiling young wizard walked through the foyer, "Dear Mrs. Weasley, I'm sorry I accidentally touched that umbrella stand, but fortunately I didn't get too much trouble - I'm not late, am I?"
"Of course not, Jack, Dumbledore and we are all waiting for you to have a meeting, you can go there first, and come as soon as I get Harry to his room. β
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Potter. The young wizard greeted Harry with a smile as if they were good old friends.
"Hello, Silver. Harry replied in a daze, and was led upstairs by Mrs. Weasley.