Chapter 1: The Dementors vs. The Phoenixes
The Wizarding side of London was at its usual hustle and bustle. Wizards raced up and down the streets in long robes, going wherever their personal business took them. Nothing seemed amiss; it was just an ordinary day.
But trouble was indeed brewing. Two warring clans were threatening to tear the city and the wizarding world itself apart. Though Voldemort had been defeated a few years prior, an age-old feud had been rekindled through the dealings of these two factions: the issue of blood purity.
The Dementors was a wizarding gang that only accepted pure-bloods. It mostly consisted of the children of former Death Eaters and other servants of Voldemort. The gang believed that Voldemort had had the right idea to purge the wizarding world of all beings who were not born of two wizards.
The Phoenixes was the opposing gang. It consisted of many former Dumbledore's Army members and received its creed from the mission of the former Order of the Phoenix, the latter of which had melted away into a token security force for the Ministry after the fall of Voldemort. The Phoenixes believed in the rights of half-bloods and Muggle-borns to have access to the wizarding world, and the gang almost consisted exclusively of such beings. In their group, the slang term Mudblood was viewed as a racial slur and anyone guilty of saying it was charged with a capital offense, in their eyes.
On this particular day in London, the Dementors and Phoenixes were fighting over territory. It was deemed that the more territory a gang had, the more power.
Harry Potter, the Boy who Lived and Chosen One who had destroyed Voldemort, was leading the Phoenixes through the streets, searching for any signs of trouble from the Dementors. They finally found some when they encountered Blaise Zabini and Gregory Goyle writing something under a Phoenix graffiti sign. They were using Muggle chalk to make the graffiti read "Phoenixes Stink." Furious, Neville Longbottom, Harry's lieutenant, charged the two Dementors. Fellow Phoenix Dean Thomas followed close behind.
In another part of the city, Phoenix Collin Creevey was keeping an eye out for any signs of trouble. He finally encountered a statue made of paper-mache. It was a makeshift statue of Voldemort, created by the Dementors. Smirking, Collin set to work vandalizing the "monument." He hadn't been at work long when he felt someone behind him. Turning, he saw Dementor Vincent Crabbe and the gang's leader, Draco Malfoy, eyeing him. They were clearly not amused with his art project. Collin turned tail and ran, the two Dementors following close behind. He hadn't gotten very far when another appeared. Then another. And another. Surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered, Collin ran around and around a blacktop, screaming for help from his gang brothers.
"Hey Phoenixes! Phoenixes! Phoenixes!" he yelled as Dementors converged on him to deliver his doom.
All at once, more bodies burst into the blacktop. The Phoenixes had answered their friend's call. A mass wizard duel ensued, but after a few wands got broken, it soon devolved into a furious fistfight.
Suddenly, screechy noises filled the air. Ministry Auror Kinglesy Shacklebolt was rushing up to the blacktop, shooting sparks from his wand and blowing a Muggle whistle. His partner, Deputy Head Auror Deadulus Diggle, followed close behind, clearly winded from running.
"What's going on here?" Kingsley boomed. He didn't even have to use a Sonorus spell to get the warring tribes' attention. He also didn't give Harry or Draco a chance to explain before continuing, "If I ever catch you out here disturbing the peace again, it's Azkaban for the lot of you! Now get out!"
No one moved for a moment until Draco gave a jerk of his head. The Dementors filed out, some daring to glare at Kingsley. The Phoenixes pretended to act all grateful to the Aurors for interfering, but as soon as Kingsley and Deadulus had left, many started ranting.
"I hate those Aurors for always pushing into our business," fumed Seamus Finnigan.
"Not as much as I hate those damn Dementors!" clarified Neville.
"Everybody calm down," ordered Harry. "I have a plan to solve this once and for all. We're gonna make our move- tonight at the dance at Hogwarts."
"But we can't get down and dirty with the Dementors at Hogwarts!" protested Dean. It had long been established by both sides that Hogwarts was a rare swath of 'neutral' territory for the two gangs.
"No, you prat, we're not gonna fight at Hogwarts. I'm gonna go there and ask Draco for a war council at the Leaky Cauldron after the dance tonight." The Phoenixes eagerly started pestering their leader with questions, but Harry held up a hand. "In order to do this, though, we're gonna need Ron's help." Ron Weasley was a co-founder of the Phoenixes and Harry's best mate. However, he had recently taken a job at the Leaky Cauldron and had therefore had to take a leave of absence from the gang. Harry needed his help because, although the Leaky Cauldron was also considered 'neutral,' it wasn't always easy to convince Tom, the bartender, to let them use the pub for gang business.
"Aw, who needs Weasley?" said Michael Corner.
"We need Weasley!" Harry shot back, jumping down Michael's throat. "Have you forgotten all he's done for the Phoenixes? Remember when we took down the Threstrals?"
"Saved my bloody life at that rumble," said Terry Boot, reaching up to his neck at the memory from a long-ago fight with a long-extinct wizarding gang.
"See what I mean? Ron's always come through for us and he always will!" Harry affirmed. "I'll got talk to him this afternoon about joining us for the dance." Heartened, the Phoenixes continued on their way, determined to conquer the city for their cause.
