There were two schools of thought on being ridiculously badass, as far as Moody was concerned.

Corner Conway -- and even the Potter kid, if he was going to give him any sort of props for anything -- were the kind of people who did stupid things in large, well-organized groups. Power in numbers and the ability to somehow pull of something completely ridiculous.

He himself liked to do things on his own when he was doing something very stupid. That was why he hadn't bothered to call in any of the Aurors that he knew were also part of the Order...or at least, it was part of it. The other reason he hadn't called any of them was out of a not-misplaced, semi-irrational fear that whoever he ended up calling was going to end up being another bloody Death Eater like Loftus.

Moody gritted his teeth and looked down at the ridiculous looking patronus in front of him, concentrating. He could follow the general direction, of course, and he wasn't completely daft -- he'd picked up a few useful skills in his time as an Auror, and that included being able to preform a basic trace.

He slipped under his invisibility cloak and closed his eye, taking a deep breath. Time to go, then. Moody fired off a blasting charm into the place more or less right in front of himself, since he assumed the Death Eaters would think he'd fire from, you know, across the room.

Doing stupid things on your own, remember?

Trap!

It was best to take matters into his own hands. The Order of the Phoenix had been infiltrated, and to calm the nerves of its members, Albus was going to meet with each one to manage a questioning of sorts. Auror Longbottom had used the word 'interrogation' but until he could find answers, Albus was going to believe in the group he had put together. While he wasn't naive, he did know how easily people could be corrupted, he had faith in the members of the Order, knowing that they had all always shown great strength when it came to making choices between right and wrong.

He sent out a patronus to one member at a time, not wanting to create a crowd in the house for that would only cause to build more tension. Dumbledore knew that the war did not seem to be turning in their favor, but while he was a man who loved to find answers, he always had a faith that would allow him to do so. He sat in the kitchen area, going over some final reports that his professors had finished while he waited for the next Order member to arrive.

The tentative footsteps approached the table and Dumbledore kept his head bowed for a moment before lifting his gaze up to meet the next Order member.

"Have a seat. Would you like a lemon drop?" He pushed the candy dish across the table.

( OOC )

Potters are hosting the Christmas party at headquarters, yes, yes? I knew you'd all agree.

In all of her years at Hogwarts, in all of her years being a prefect and working on a team full of the best students in Hogwarts, Phoebe Smethwyck had never been as impressed as she was right now as she stared around the Great Hall. Illuminated with candles in all shapes and sizes (and colors, a nifty charm a sixth year had found), the tables surrounding the dance floor were decorated with pumpkins, spiderwebs, and fall leaves, creating a spooky, yet beautiful design. The Ghosts of Hogwarts had volunteered to mingle more than usual (she thanked Nearly Headless Nick profusely, and promised to hold him a belated Death-Day party), captivating the guests with stories---how much truth they held, she couldn't be sure, but they were interesting nonetheless.

The band was a new kind of wizard rock, a bit more political than the Hobgoblins, W.O.A.R. There had been a lot of discussion at the prefect meetings about whether or not they should try and book them, but at the end of the day the naysayers (read: the Slytherins) were outvoted, and the band with the hit song "Do You Believe in M.A.G.I.C" was creating an incredible atmosphere.

So---people looked happy. They were laughing, smiling, and just---happy. Not something Phoebe felt like the wizarding world had been in a long time, and she was glad to be a big part of it.

Now, if only she could find a reason to be happy, herself.

ooc: No wands! Just your ID is needed. Everyone is welcome!

"Say cheese!"

Alice set the camera on its timer and rushed forward to slide under Frank's arm. The room filled with a chorus of 'CHEESE' and a loud grumbling of 'No' as the flash nearly blinded everyone in the room.

"Goodness, Alice," Emmeline Vance mumbled, pressing her hands into her eyes. Alice blinked a few times to try and rid her vision of the rainbow-colored spots and hurried (well, stumbled, wow--that flash was very bright) back to the camera to catch the picture as it fell out of the front. Swiftly, she held it up to watch it come into focus and instantly her vision was cleared. Oh, see. They were such a lovely bunch, even if a few of them hated each other.

You were allowed to hate someone and still look lovely together, Alice believed.

"Okay! Well!" She waved her free hand around, anyone who wanted to look at the picture (though she could probably make copies! Ooh--) could come up and snatch it away from her...not without a fight, of course, "Food is---"

Alice watched as the group immediately dispersed toward the food and drinks and other activities she and Frank and Marlie had managed to set up in the Longbottom's rather expanse backyard. Yes, the Order, while amazing crime fighters, also had the keenest sense of of smell and taste--or was it just they were really hungry?