The boys and girls who knew little of the world were cleared out, leaving only a few old men, several middle-aged men and women, and a handful of women who still qualified as young.
Oh, it was hard to know whether to classify Su Er as middle-aged or a boy.
A young man? His two lives added up to over forty years. A boy? His body in this life had barely reached seventeen.
"First of all, welcome to our ranks, Su Er." Dumbledore smiled faintly. Tonks was the first to raise her hands and applaud, arching her eyebrows at Su Er as she did. Her fine eyebrows suddenly grew as thick as caterpillars, then wriggled oddly a few times.
Su Er nearly failed to hold back a laugh.
"Since Mr. Bones has only just joined us and is not yet very familiar with some of us, why don't we introduce ourselves before we begin the formal meeting?"
Oh, why did this feel like a new student going up to introduce himself at a class meeting?
"I'll go first-Nymphadora Tonks," Tonks said brightly. "But I don't like people calling me Nymphadora."
"Alastor Moody." Old Moody was sparing with his words.
"Arthur Weasley." Mr. Weasley smiled and nodded, and Su Er hurried to return his greeting.
"Remus Lupin."
"Sirius Black."
"Kingsley Shacklebolt. Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix." The dark-skinned man, who appeared to be of African descent, spoke next.
"Kingsley is my colleague. He may look stern, but he's a good man," Tonks added.
Su Er nodded to him in greeting.
"Your eyes are so like your father's. My name is Elphias Doge." The wizard wheezed as he spoke.
"Hello, Mr. Doge."
"Emmeline Vance." An elegant, dignified witch who had entered with Dumbledore gave Su Er a slight nod.
"I