Two more people had arrived at Shell Cottage: the renowned wandmaker Ollivander and Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw student.
Though Shell Cottage now served as an Order of the Phoenix base, its members were rarely seen there.
The Order had gone underground. Every move had to escape the Death Eaters' notice as they carried out Dumbledore's plan as quickly as possible.
Sirius Black, Lupin, and the others had been seeking support abroad from various intelligent magical species.
Kingsley and his group had been working to open a passage into Hogwarts. They needed to prepare to retake it.
According to Dumbledore's plan, their final battle with Voldemort would inevitably take place at Hogwarts. Voldemort was certain to use the students there as hostages, and evacuating them would take time. Better to bring them all under the Order's protection.
Hogwarts was also the battlefield most favorable to them. It held all kinds of ancient defensive magic, put in place by earlier generations to protect the school.
Hogwarts was alive. Anyone it did not recognize could not command the castle's magic or its many mechanisms.
Everything in the Order was running smoothly. Everyone was racing against time, doing all they could to free Britain's Wizarding World from Voldemort's shadow.
The students seemed in decent spirits. Despite the fierce battle, none of them had been hurt.
Ollivander looked exhausted. So long in a dungeon had been a harsh ordeal for a man his age, and even his hair seemed to have lost some of its former silvery shine.
"My father must have caused you a lot of trouble. I'm sorry," Luna said. She hardly looked like someone who had narrowly escaped death. It seemed nothing could put worry on her face.
"Actually, we haven't seen your father yet. We came to rescue you as soon