Thanks everyone! *Points to first post* Gemma made me a lovely banner for the fan fiction if anyone would like to check it out. *strongly encourages*

"Let's head on up to the common room," I said, hiding how nervous I was about this meeting from Harry. "I'm sure everyone is waiting for us."

Harry nodded and we continued up the never ending stairs to the portrait of the Fat Lady. She had her eyes closed but upon our arrival she opened them and looked at us. I actually took some relief in being surrounded by the portraits because their minds were the only ones I couldn't read. Somehow I could read the ghost at Hogwarts minds though...go figure.

"Password?" she asked us with a small yawn.

"Nimblewit," Harry said. She nodded dully and the portrait swung open, allowing us to go in. The common room was surprisingly empty, filled with one or two first years, and Ron and Hermione.

"There you two are. We were wondering what was taking you so long," said Hermione as we plopped down at the table.

"Sorry, we weren't in that much of a rush to tackle all those steps," said Harry with a smile.

Hermione scowled at him in an amused way, before turning all her attention to me. "So, how did your lessons go?"

"Yeah, tell us all the gory details," Ron said, leaning forward.

"Well, I was able to kind of turn my hand feathery," I said, feeling lame even as I said it.

"Abby, that's great! Most phoenix animagis it takes months before they have those kinds of results."

"And how would you know that?" asked Ron, starring at Hermione curiously.

She blushed, but shook it off quickly, reaching down into her bag and pulling out an old book. "I thought it might help," Hermione said sliding the book towards me.

I looked at the book titled Incredible Beings Even to Magical Folks and tried to hide a laugh. The entire cover of the book was filled with a portrait of the author, a scrawny looking guy with hair that wasn't hair but peacock feathers that had been neatly combed back.

"What's he supposed to be?" asked Ron, trying to hide his laugh as well.

"Don't mind the author, he's just a regular animagi that can turn into a peacock, but honestly it's a fascinating book. He got the chance to talk to the first phoenix animagi..."

"Theodore Markus," I said, finishing her sentence.

"Exactly," said Hermione, eyeing Ron in that told-you-so way of hers.

"Thanks Hermione, this is really great!" I said, giving her a one armed hug.

"No problem," said Hermione with a smile.

I was about to ask Ron and Hermione what they had been up to when Neville came running through the portrait entrance. We turned to look at him as he came over and plopped down next to Harry.

"Have you guys heard?" he asked, slightly out of breath.

"Heard what?" asked Harry, instantly wondering if Voldemort had done something public.

"Professor Trelawney is getting sacked and Umbridge is making all these decrees that ban students from doing certain things."

"Wait, what?" asked Ron, anger in his voice.

"Yeah. Apparently the Minister of Magic has deemed as High Inquistor of the school which allows her to make these decrees that are basically rules."

"This is absurd! First she won't let us use wands in class and now she is banning us from doing everyday functions," said Hermione with a scoff.

"I don't get it. Why is the ministry wasting all this time at Hogwarts when they should be looking for Voldemort?" Harry slammed the table with his fists.

Neville had twitched at the sound of Voldemort's name and Ron and Hermione just stared at each other bleakly.

"Because the Minister thinks Dumbledore is trying to take over his job and the minsitry," I said, starring at Harry.

"And how do you know that?" asked Ron.

"Honestly Ronald, use your brain," said Hermione with a shake of the head.

Ron had a clueless look for a second, then it clicked and he blushed. "Right, I knew that."

"Well, I'm going to go and keep getting information about it from everyone. I'll be back!" said Neville and off he went.

We watched him go, then turned back to one another. "What do you think Dumbledore's going to do about it?" asked Ron.

"Nothing is my bet. Why give Fudge examples he could use to his advantage. I doubt Dumbledore will step in unless it deals with laying off teachers or expelling students," I said with a firm nod.

"I agree," said Hermione.

"Maybe I'll figure out tonight," I said, more to Hermione than them.

"What's tonight?" asked Harry, being pulled back from the train of thought he had just gone on for the past minute or so.

"A meeting with the Order. I've been asked to go." Hermione had reached under the table and squeezed my hand in encouragement. We both knew what Harry's reaction was going to be and this was her way of telling me she was going to stick by me until the end.

"You're in the order?" asked Harry, a strange calmness to his voice.

I nodded. Harry was shaking with anger and we could all see it.

"Why do you get to be a member and I don't?" he said, trying to keep his voice low so the first years didn't hear.

Harry looked like he was about to start throwing stuff across the room in frustration, the anger at Dumbledore oozing from every pore in his body. Ever since we had gotten back to school Harry had been on the verge of breaking down since we got here, and basically from the moment he found out that Dumbledore was keeping information from him. I could tell he wanted to get up and leave, but I reached out and grabbed his hand, pressing it down against the table with so much force that he couldn't move.

"Listen to me Harry, Dumbledore has his reasons for doing what he's doing. I know you are angry and upset right now, and if you don't want to trust Dumbledore that's fine, but at least have the decency to trust me."

Ron and Hermione were looking at the both of us in silence and Harry was starring at me, a bit of shock on his face.

"I am asking you Harry as your friend to please trust me."

I released my grip on his hand and stared at him. Harry took his hand out from under mine before returning it, this time taking my hand in his and squeezing it.

"Okay. I trust you Abby. I trust you."