That night, the Fidelius Charm cast upon the Black ancestral home vanished. Just as members of the Order of the Phoenix were working to re-establish the protective spells, Fawkes flashed into the room. It carried a small glass vial containing silvery wisps of memory in its beak. Sirius and the others took it, and the bird vanished once more.
"Is this a memory from Dumbledore?" Arthur and the others wore grim expressions. Dumbledore had been the Secret-Keeper for the Fidelius Charm; since the spell had broken, something terrible must have happened to him. Moody and Kingsley were still recovering from their injuries, and after moving to the Black house, Remus had also gone missing during a mission. Everyone had already prepared for the worst, but today's sudden upheaval felt like a bolt from the blue.
They all sat around the table in a tight circle, and Molly no longer tried to stop the twins from joining them. Their thoughts were shrouded in fog as a chaotic jumble of memories flashed before their eyes.
Chapter 117