In this chapter... Harry is still very confused. He writes letters to Sirius, Ron and Hermione, and sends them with Hedwig, demanding answers, and telling them about the Dementor attack. Harry mopes about his bedroom. Vernon comes to Harry’s room one evening – he, Petunia and Dudley are going out – apparently they have won an award for the best-kept lawn. Suddenly, there is a noise from downstairs. Harry goes to the top of the stair to find a group of wizard and witches – including Professor Lupin and Mad Eye Moody – in the hall. One of the younger witches is a Nymphadora Tonks – she prefers to be called just Tonks – who is a Methamorphagus – she can change her appearance at will. This is the Advance Guard. They are going to take Harry to a place of safety – to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. They are going there by broomsticks. The Guard keep circling around Harry, and he has been instructed what to do if they should all be killed. Their flight is cold but uneventful, and finally they land on a dingy square in a very fishy-looking part of London. No one is answering Harry's questions; instead a slip of parchment is thrust into his hand with the mysterious message:
The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.
The Advance Guard
Alastor Mad-Eye Moody, Remus Lupin, Nymphora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Elphias Dodge, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Sturgis Podmore, Hestia Jones
“Don’t put your wand there, boy!” roared Moody. “What if it ignited? Better wizards than you have lost buttocks, you know!”
What broom does Tonks ride? Comet Two Sixty
Chapter 4: Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place
In this chapter... A house appears before his eyes, pushing aside the Muggle houses to left and right while their inhabitants carry on as before, apparently unaware. It’s gas-lit, grubby and full of things that would look quite at home in Knockturn Alley. Molly Weasley greets Harry, in a whisper, and sends him upstairs, to see Ron and Hermione. Harry finally is able to vent his pent-up frustrations on Ron and Hermione, both of whom are staying at Headquarters. Harry learns that the Order of the Phoenix is a secret society that Professor Dumbledore formed to fight Lord Voldemort. There are lots of members – in particular, Professor Snape. Fred, George and Ginny join the Trio. Bill Weasley is also in the Order – he isn’t working in Egypt any more. Fleur Delacour is working at Gringotts. Ron and Hermione haven’t attended any of the meeting, but picked up a few little bits of information, from Fred and George’s new invention – Extendable Ears. Ron and Hermione have been helping to keep the house clean. The split between Professor Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge’s Ministry which began at the end of the Triwizard tournament has deepened and, far from accepting Harry’s word on Voldemort’s return, the Ministry is using the Daily Prophet to discredit Harry personally by making him a standing joke in the wizarding community. Percy has turned his back on his family in favour of a better job at the Ministry. Molly returns to say that the meeting is over it is time to eat. She reminds the children not to make a noise in the hall. Tonks trips over an umbrella stand. This wakes the portrait of a ghastly old woman who begins to scream obscenities and insults at them, waking the other portraits which all join in. The noise brings a man hurrying from the kitchen – it’s Sirius, and as he silences the racket he greets Harry and tells him that the ghastly old woman is his own mother.
“Hello, Harry,” said George, beaming at him. “We thought we heard your dulcet tones.”
“You don’t want to bottle up your anger like that, Harry, let it all out,” said Fred, also beaming. “There might be a couple of people fifty miles away who didn’t hear you.”
Who first greeted Harry when he arrived at the headquarters? Mrs Weasley
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