Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place

Mad-Eye Moody immediately takes his wand out to set fire to the parchment Harry just read. As Harry looks around the street, he doesn’t see a number twelve Grimmauld Place. Seeing his confusion, Mad-Eye Moody asks Harry to think of what was on the piece of burned parchment. Suddenly, number twelve Grimmauld Place actually grows between number ten and number thirteen.

As the group takes Harry into the house, Harry notices that it’s not a very happy place. Everything seems old and gloomy. After Mrs. Weasley welcomes Harry, it is time for the meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to begin. Harry isn’t invited, so he goes up to visit with Ron and Hermione.

Even though Harry is glad to see his friends, a screaming match ensues. Harry is livid with both Ron and Hermione for not telling Harry what was going on. Ron and Hermione try to reassure Harry that Dumbledore made them promise not to reveal anything, but Harry only partly forgives them. It is only when Hermione admits that she would feel the same way as Harry that he is able to recover from his anger.

As the meeting of the Order of the Phoenix continues on, Fred and George Weasley use their new invention, “Extendable Ears,” to eavesdrop as well as they can on the situation. It seems as though the Order is trying to recruit new members while following Voldemort’s Death Eaters and guarding “something” that Harry suspects is himself.

Ron and Hermione finally reveal their main chore of number twelve Grimmauld Place: decontamination. As they talk more about that, Harry also is able to catch up with the rest of the Weasley family. It is Percy Weasley who is causing the biggest problem. Percy has secured a position quite close to the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Percy wants his dad to be pleased and proud, but Arthur Weasley is not impressed. Mr. Weasley isn’t a fan of Cornelius Fudge because Fudge has been trying to disregard Dumbledore’s insistence that Voldemort is back. Percy and his father fight but do not reconcile.

Soon the discussion turns to the Daily Prophet newspaper and how that, too, is trying to discredit Harry. Harry renews his anger towards Dumbledore for not telling Harry any of these things, but then Harry begins to focus his attention on Kreacher, the house elf who lives at number twelve. Harry begins to think Kreacher isn’t the friendliest of creatures when Tonks drops something and “wakes up” a painting who screams and wails insults at all witches and wizards who aren’t pure blooded. Harry is surprised to find that it is a painting of Sirius Black’s mother.