PHOENIX SONG Chapter4

The three adults shared many moments in silence as McGonagall and Victor looked at each other. Logan felt a little like the third wheel on a motorcycle that was not attached in any pleasing and functional way.

"Do I have your permission, Victor to give Nancy her letter?" Minerva asked quietly. Victor heaved a great sigh and gazed intently at her.

"I really don't want to give her up for seven long years, Minerva. That's basically what I'll be doing if I allowed you to give her that letter." Victor said sadly. Minerva stood up.

"Well, it's best that I left then." She turned and walked towards the door without another word.

Logan jabbed Victor hard in the ribs and hissed. "You better not let her walk away. Nancy will never forgive you if you do." The gravity of Logan's words broke thru to Victor's common sense.

"Minerva, wait." Victor stood up and walked over to the older woman. "Did you say you needed some protection as well? I will be willing to let her go, if I went with her. Logan and I work as a team. You couldn't get any better protection then the two of us."

"Are you sure about this Victor? You'd have to relocate to Hogwarts and leave this house behind."

"There's a spell I can put on the house to keep it safe from the Muggle poachers and looters, they won't be able to spot the place. And I will be willing to relocate. As a matter of fact I have a very nice home on the outskirts of London, if it's still in one piece that is." Victor said with a smile and a light chuckle. "Oh, there's one more of us, but he's down in the basement working on his studies. He has really great potential. I believe he will be a great help at Hogwarts." Victor said.

"Bring whoever you have and whoever you want. I really do need your help. Things are getting a little out of hand." Minerva sounded angry.

"A little??" Logan said sarcastically. "Man, you Englanders have the greatest gift for understatements I've ever seen." Logan huffed. It was hard to tell if he was irritated or impressed with Minerva's stoic delivery.

"Yes, well. I'm actually Scottish, but I'll take it as a compliment." She almost smiled. "So I can give Nancy her letter asking her to accept schooling there?" Victor nodded. A shrill shriek was heard coming from the hallway. Nancy had been listening in and came bounding in the room. Bouncing on her toes, she impatiently waited for Professor McGonagall to give her her letter. The two men snickered.

"Little sneak. You were there the whole time, weren't you?" Victor said trying to be stern. Nancy giggled.

The young girl kept bouncing on her toes. "You're not really angry at me are you?" She said in her sweetest voice. The large man took a deep breath and chuckled.

"No, not really, Minerva; it's alright to give her the letter." Minerva handed the letter to Nancy and she carefully opened it up by prying the waxed seal off the bottom of the envelope flap. The girl opened the letter and read it silently.

"You're the Headmistress? You came to get me personally??" Nancy squeaked.

"Yes dear, I am. I came personally because of your great potential and because I'm an old friend of your father's. I'm glad that I'm able to speak with him. As you heard, I've invited him to come to Hogwarts to work there as its protector. I am quite aware of his abilities." Minerva gave her one of her rare smiles. She took out an antique pocket watch and looked at it. "Oh dear, I really must be going. I will be looking forward to seeing you September 1st."

"You're not staying for tea?" Victor asked.

"I wish I could, Victor but as you know it's really difficult to keep up with the international times. Back home it's in the middle of the night and I really must get some sleep if I am to get the school ready for this years students. It was very good seeing you again, Victor. Very nice meeting you Logan and Nancy I will be seeing you again. With your permission Victor I'd like to leave from here."

"Of course, you have it. It was good seeing you again. I'll try being there before the first so that I can look everything over and see what needs to be done." Victor said waving a hand. Minerva nodded and she sudden disappeared with only a whish sound.

"Wow, she's good." Logan said quietly.

"Yes, she is one of the best," said a voice from the entrance way to the room. It was a tall skinny young man with raven colored hair, and green eyes, and a lightening bolt scar on his forehead. He looked very tired and weary.

"Honestly Harry, when's the last time you got any sleep?" Logan admonished.

"Sleep? I try not to sleep, my nightmares keep me up most nights and I have a lot of studying to do." He heaved a great sigh and sat down heavily on the chair that the Professor just vacated.

The little girl piped up. "You need tea, and maybe some cookies and a hug too!"

She dashed over to the harried young man and gave him the hug first; then ran to the kitchen just as the whistle on the kettle started to sound. Harry actually gave a rusty chuckle.

"Well, you heard the lady of the house. You need tea and cookies and a hug." Logan said and walked over to Harry.

"No thank you, Logan. I would rather have unbroken ribs, thank you." Harry said with a straight face. Then a smile as bright as day lit his face and a laugh escaped him.

"Hey, would you look at that. He hasn't forgotten how to laugh and smile." Logan said conversationally to Victor.

"Just like riding a bicycle, you really never forget once you've learned. He was just a bit rusty." Victor replied.

"Alright, I'll drink the tea and eat the cookies; and maybe even have a nap." He gave Victor a searching glance. "But I still need to do my research."

"Look Harry. Most of what you need to learn and know is practical spells and you aren't going to learn them locked away in a basement room." Victor said simply. "Besides most of what you have to know about Lord Voldemort is back home. That is where he has his base of operations and is past. And becoming part of the protection of Hogwarts is going to help you in ways you didn't think possible."

"I don't know if I can go back there. I'm not sure of all that is left of friends and the Order of the Phoenix, the Ministry……" He trailed off. Afraid to say what he didn't want to know or acknowledge what was left of what he thought of as home.

"Besides, one look at me and they'd know who I am: The Bloody Boy Who Didn't Know When to Die!" He growled angrily.

"Harry, don't start. You have to face it and go through. It's the only way out." Victor said sternly. Harry was still young enough to submit to an adult older then himself, so he nodded.

"When are we leaving for Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

"We start preparing for departure tomorrow. I'll close up the house, set up the wards and grab everything I can from Madison Lane, and our vaults in the New York Gringott's Branch Bank." Victor said.

"I best come with you. Since the goblins went inchiaca it's going to get pretty hairy." Logan said.

"I'm not sure if there will be any goblins left in the Bank there. The quarantine is still on and very few have the permission or the gumption to go to the larger cities, fearing that the plague is still active there.

inchiaca: It means to have gone completely feral and/or insane.