This was clearly a question everyone cared deeply about. As Sirius Black spoke, the eyes of every member of the Order of the Phoenix present immediately turned toward Jon Hart, who had just entered the room.
Although most of them didn't sense much authority from the young man before them, there was no denying that he had been personally named by Albus Dumbledore as his successor. His opinion mattered a great deal.
Jon, however, showed no surprise at the question.
"So, what do the rest of you think?" he asked calmly.
"Alastor's suggestion is the same as what we did the last time Voldemort disappeared," Remus Lupin replied. "He believes the Order of the Phoenix should disband again. If Voldemort ever returns, we'll gather once more and fight him and his Death Eaters."
Mad-Eye gave a grunt of approval at Lupin's words.
"Is that how all of you feel?" Jon asked again, his tone remarkably calm.
"Wasn't the Order of the Phoenix founded to oppose Voldemort and the Death Eaters in the first place?" Arthur Weasley, the owner of the house, stood up. "Now that Voldemort has fled and most of the Death Eaters are locked away in Azkaban, the remaining work should be handled by the Aurors. We should return to our ordinary lives."
"I believe you must be Mr. Arthur Weasley," Jon said, standing as well and reaching out to shake the hand of the middle-aged man whose red hair was thinning, revealing a patch of baldness. "Head of the Office for the Detection and Seizure of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects under the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I've heard a great deal about you."
"Oh—well, I'm honored, Hart—Headmaster Hart," Mr. Weasley said, looking slightly flustered.
"Of course, I'm not here to refute your opinion," Jon continued after the handshake. "I understand that all of you want to return to a normal and peaceful life. But before that, there are a few things I must say."
Jon paused briefly before continuing.
"Do you remember what happened two years ago, after the Triwizard Tournament ended, when Harry and Dumbledore announced Voldemort's return?"
Harry Potter shuddered involuntarily, clearly recalling that terrible night.
"You were the first to learn of Voldemort and the Death Eaters' return. The Order of the Phoenix was reassembled immediately. We were lucky—extremely lucky," Jon continued. "But what happened next?"
"The Ministry of Magic didn't trust Dumbledore. They didn't trust Harry. And they didn't trust any of you. They refused to admit that Voldemort and the Death Eaters had returned. For an entire year, they buried their heads in the sand."
"The Death Eaters you accused were openly moving through the upper ranks of various departments in the Ministry. They had greater prestige, greater influence, and greater power."
"And the Order of the Phoenix, an organization truly fighting for justice, had no choice but to battle from the shadows, facing unimaginable resistance while opposing the Death Eaters."
"To be honest, it's a deeply tragic story."
Jon's voice carried quietly through the room, and the small living room fell into complete silence.
The members of the Order sat quietly, each lost in thought. There was no doubt they were remembering the hardships they had endured and the sacrifices they had made during that year.
...
"That's all in the past now," Alastor Moody finally said. His hoarse voice sounded harsh in the quiet room. "We paid a heavy price, but in the end—we won."
"Did we really? Is it truly all over, Professor Alastor Moody?" Jon stepped forward a few paces and stopped beside Mad-Eye, offering him a handshake as well.
"We may have won, but we lost Dumbledore. Tom Riddle, on the other hand, is still alive—weak, perhaps, but undeniably alive. One day he will return to Britain, and one day we will fight him again. And that day may not be very far away."
"At least we wiped out most of the Death Eaters this time," Moody replied, clearly unconvinced. "Even if Voldemort comes back, we won't be caught as off guard as we were a year ago."
Jon suddenly gave a short, cold laugh. There was a hint of mockery in it, which immediately irritated Moody. His blue magical eye spun rapidly in agitation.
"The Death Eaters are not merely an organization," Jon said calmly. "They are an ideology."
"Many pure-blood wizards hate Muggles and Muggle-born wizards. But that hatred isn't simply about blood prejudice. It's because Muggles and Muggle-born wizards are competing for the same resources they rely on to survive."
"That's why they cling to blood purity as a weapon. That's why they follow Voldemort."
"It's like the Hydra," Jon continued. "Cut off one head, and two more grow in its place. As long as the conflict between Muggles, Muggle-born wizards, and pure-blood wizards continues, even if we destroy some Death Eaters, more will appear."
"And if Voldemort returns, he will gather new followers all over again."
"At least the Ministry won't behave the same way as before," Kingsley Shacklebolt said. His deep eyes were fixed firmly on Jon. "Fudge and Umbridge were fools, but Bones and Scrimgeour are far more capable."
From Kingsley's perspective, this seemingly young man was seeing much further ahead than he had expected.
"Never underestimate the stupidity of politicians, Kingsley," Jon said, walking over and giving him a light pat on the shoulder.
"They see the world differently from us. They think differently from us. And their interests are fundamentally different from ours."
"If you placed Bones and Scrimgeour in the positions once held by Fudge and Umbridge, they might perform somewhat better. But there would be no fundamental change."
"Because wizards are always repeating the same mistakes."
...
The room fell silent once again. In that moment, even the sound of a pin dropping would have been clearly heard.
"So… Jon…" Harry Potter said hesitantly, stumbling over his words. "Do you mean… the Order of the Phoenix needs to change?"
"Yes," Jon Hart replied firmly, nodding.
"I respect Albus Dumbledore greatly. But the way he built and led the Order of the Phoenix was, frankly, rather disappointing."