Upon entering, Snape found himself in a long hallway with gas lamps hanging on each side of the wall. There was a chandelier on top reflecting the light from the lamp. The only other noticeable thing was the many portraits hanging on the wall.

  Of all the portraits, the most prominent was an enormous portrait of a woman. She had delicate features and appeared to be around 30 years old. There was an expressionless gaze on her face, adding to the melancholic atmosphere of the piece. Her hair was pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck, revealing her high cheekbones and pointed chin. She wore a brown hat on her head, which covered most of her forehead but left some wispy strands peeking out from underneath it.

  As Snape passed near the portrait, the woman opened her eyes wide and fixed them on Snape.

  "Half-breed," a scream erupted from the portrait. "How dare you get into my house, you half-breed?"

  "Here we go again," thought Snape as the woman was screaming at the top of her lungs.

  Clearly irritated by the screams, Severus Snape accelerated his steps to leave the hallway quickly. He knew from the previous encounter not to argue with her.

  As he moved along, he reached a point where on one side was an opening. It was the dining room, which contained a long wooden table with chairs and hanging light fixtures. Snape continued as the woman was still cursing at him about his blood not being pure. Finally, Severus reached the other side. At the end of the entrance hall, facing the door, a grand staircase leads to the upper floors of 12 Grimmauld Place.

  The wall on the stairs was decorated with a row of shrunken house-elf heads, mounted on the wall on plaques.

  These were former servants of the House of Black who had been beheaded when they had become too old to hold a tea tray.

  Instead of going up, Snape opened the door facing the stairs and took a set of narrow stone steps leading to the basement. As Snape closed the door after taking the stairs down, the loud scream of the portrait became a faint, muffled sound.

  ...

  ..

  .

  What was supposed to be a quick gathering has turned into a long wait. The members of the Order of the Phoenix were all sitting in his kitchen, waiting patiently.

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  After Snape found the dark mark pulsing, he left to meet the Dark Lord, and the rest of the Order remained there for his return.

  The only member unable to hide his worries was Sirius Black.

  He was pacing anxiously and couldn't shake the feeling of restlessness that had settled deep within him. Sirius had been desperate for any news that could lead him to his godson, but unlike the rest of the Order, the stress was very visible in his actions.

  Just as he was about to lose himself to the overwhelming anxiety, he heard someone opening a door, then a loud scream before it became quiet again.

  Snape was back.

  Sirius was able to rush him and question him about Harry before he heard the headmaster speaking.

  "Take your seat, Sirius," sitting at the head of the table, Albus Dumbledore advised Sirius Black to take a seat, and the latter obeyed.

  In no time, Snape reached the end of the stairs, and he found himself in a kitchen. All the people inside were looking at him as if they had been waiting for his arrival for a long time. While pointing in the direction he had just come, Snape uttered, "Why hasn't anyone removed the portrait of Walburga Black yet?"

  Walburga Black, once the owner of this house, was the woman in the large portrait. She was a pureblood and had disgust for all those except purebloods like her. Whenever her portrait saw a Halfblood, blood traitor, or Mudblood, she began to scream.

  "My mother's portrait is stuck to the wall via a Permanent Sticking Charm. So it can't be removed," the voice came from Sirius Black. And he immediately snapped.

  Sirius stood up from the chair violently, "We have more important matters to talk about." His action caused the chair to fall on the ground, causing a 'bang' sound.

  Snape just stared blankly at Sirius before moving by the side of Dumbledore and taking the only remaining seat. After glancing at Albus, who gave him a nod, Snape began his revelation that everyone was waiting.

  "He who must not be named is indeed back," said Snape.

  The revelation hung heavily in the air, and the occupants of the kitchen exchanged uneasy glances. They all believed in Albus Dumbledore, but now receiving the confirmation was unsettling. Sirius, who had been agitated, now wore a somber expression as the weight of Snape's words settled on him.

  Unlike others, Dumbledore did not have any change of expression. He gestured for Snape to continue.

  "As for the matter of Harry Potter," Snape looked at Sirius, whose body was trembling, before continuing, "Voldemort did not kill the boy, and he has ordered all the Death Eaters to search for him."

  Sirius, though initially shocked by Snape's revelation, felt a surge of mixed emotions. Relief washed over him, knowing that Harry was alive, but the uncertainty of his godson's fate still lingered. The rest of the Order, too, released a collective breath they hadn't realized they were holding.

  There was a single question that lingered in everyone's mind, but all of them were afraid to ask until Remus Lupin could not hold himself and finally questioned Snape, "Then where is Harry?"

  All the members of the Order of Phoenix turned their heads toward Snape, waiting for his response.

  "I think it's better that I tell everyone everything that happened during the meeting between Voldemort and the Death Eaters."