Gathering

When Sirius heard this, he turned to Anduin and asked, "Is that all right, Anduin?"

Anduin didn't mind. In fact, he was rather curious to see this so-called Order of the Phoenix, so he nodded. "No problem."

Dumbledore nodded from within the flames. "A very straightforward young man. That makes me even more certain the information is genuine. Thank you, Anduin."

Anduin replied calmly, "You're too kind, Professor. I'm only trying to protect myself, after all. I am a Muggle-born wizard."

"A modest young man. Then it's settled. I'll let you know in advance tomorrow. The location will stay the same." After saying this, Dumbledore disappeared from the flames.

"All right, Anduin. Get some rest. I'll take you there myself tomorrow."

Sirius stretched and laughed as he spoke.

"Okay." But Anduin wasn't thinking about the Order of the Phoenix or the Death Eaters. His mind was on the communication spell Sirius had just used. It looked very convenient, and he wondered whether it had any limitations.

But now wasn't the time. He planned to find a chance to ask Sirius to teach him.

The next day, Sirius hadn't slept well. Anduin had left Sirius's room untouched for the sake of his privacy, so after Sirius returned to it, his usually comfortable bedroom seemed filthy and foul-smelling. As the saying went, there was no harm without comparison. After getting used to the living room's surroundings and fresh air, Sirius found that he simply couldn't sleep in his own dingy bedroom.

Sirius came downstairs, rubbing his stiff neck. As soon as he reached the bottom, he caught a strong, rich aroma. The dining table was already covered with a lavish breakfast, but after looking around and seeing no sign of Anduin, Sirius opened the back door. Anduin was in the little courtyard behind the house, practicing his punches. He moved swiftly through the air, his fists cutting through it with a whooshing sound. Sirius had never seen anyone with such impressive skills, and he couldn't help staring in amazement.

Before long, Anduin finished a set of Tongbei Quan. He stood still, exhaled, and relaxed, then steadied his breathing. Noticing Sirius behind him, yawning, he asked, "You got up so late. Aren't you hungry? Why are you just standing around?"

"I don't usually eat breakfast. By the way, Anduin, what kind of dance were you doing just now? It looked insanely cool." Sirius finished yawning, tears still in his eyes, and said.

Anduin couldn't be bothered to explain. "Forget the dance. Just think of it as exercise. Anyway, are you eating breakfast or not? If you aren't, I'll put it away."

"Of course I'm eating!" Sirius hurriedly said. "Why wouldn't I? The only reason I don't normally eat breakfast is that no one makes it for me."

Anduin rolled his eyes. Sirius really was lazy to the core.

A while later, close to noon, Sirius received a signal from Dumbledore through the fireplace.

Anduin had changed into his clothes by then. Sirius didn't waste any time. He grabbed Anduin and Apparated away from the house.

The two appeared in the middle of a shabby alley. Sirius looked around to make sure no one had seen them, then led Anduin to a rickety wooden door. He drew his wand, pressed it against the door, and muttered for a while. A phoenix emblem briefly flashed across the wood, and the door swung open.

Sirius led Anduin inside. They crossed a back courtyard and entered a room. After opening another wooden door, they followed the stairs down to a basement.

Anduin looked around. The building was made of brick and wood, and seemed quite old. A large wooden table stood in the middle of the basement, surrounded by numerous old chairs. There were shelves stacked with goods and some old wooden barrels nearby. It looked less like a secret hideout and more like the storeroom of an ordinary, run-down restaurant.

A few people had already arrived. Dumbledore stood at the center, and beside him was the Auror Mad-Eye Moody, whom Anduin remembered from before. Next to Moody was an elegant-looking witch who seemed to be under thirty.

On the other side stood two wizards. One was a middle-aged man with a full beard, a broad chin, and a somewhat heavy build. He looked imposing. The other was a stout wizard with short reddish-brown hair and no beard. His expression was kind, and he looked like a genial older man.

When Dumbledore saw Sirius bring Anduin inside, he smiled. "Good afternoon, Sirius, Anduin. It looks like everyone's here. Let's sit down and talk."

Everyone was here? Anduin was surprised. There were only six people in the room, including Sirius. He'd thought this would be a large gathering. Still, he followed instructions and sat beside Sirius.

As they took their seats, Sirius kindly introduced everyone to Anduin. "Anduin, you've met Moody. The woman beside him is Emmeline Vance. The bearded man beside Dumbledore is Edgar Bones, and the man next to him is Gideon Prewett. Everyone, this is Anduin."

Anduin nodded to each of them in greeting, and they nodded back.

"Ha, I knew you had guts, but I didn't expect you to get mixed up in the Death Eaters' business too. Are all young people these days so eager to die?" Mad-Eye Moody had met Anduin once before. He'd fought Death Eaters alongside Sirius and Anduin, and now, less than a few months later, he'd run into him again. He couldn't help finding it amusing.

Anduin could only reply helplessly, "It's precisely because I'm afraid of dying that I can't blindly run away. In a tense situation like this, the more you try to avoid trouble, the more likely you are to become a casualty. Blinding yourself and assuming everything will be fine is the most irresponsible thing you can do when it comes to your own safety, isn't it?"

After hearing Anduin's words, the people present couldn't help looking at the young wizard in a new light.

Dumbledore nodded approvingly. "Do you see, Moody? I never expected today's young people to be wiser than many adult wizards."

The nearby members of the Order of the Phoenix all nodded in agreement.

"Now, let's get back to the point. Could you explain your information to everyone again?" Moody composed himself and asked Anduin.

Anduin then repeated to them what he had told Sirius the day before.

Dumbledore and the others listened in silence. When Anduin finished, Dumbledore asked thoughtfully, "So, Anduin, what's your opinion on this matter?"

I've just signed the contract, and today also marks the moment I've reached 100,000 words. I won't be posting at a fixed time today. As always, please support me with monthly votes, recommendation votes, and follows. Thank you, everyone!