Okay, yet another unbeta'd chapter. I am horribly sorry. My beta has basically bailed on me, and I didn't want to keep you all waiting any longer.

So you guys rock! I'm on 189 reviews! and 206 alerts. I love you all. I also almost reached 100,000 hits. This is really cool. It's the longest fic I've ever written. It's also the longest I've stuck with one.

I hope you guys are all enjoying. I'm sorry about the Cliffie last chapter and the long wait. It's probably going to be a couple weeks between posts, since I have so much work and research to do that it's crazy. I'm also beta'ing a friend's fic. (shameless plug for her: Unattainable Perfection by Island-surfer).

Last Chapter…

Draco pulled up short, when he heard Harry's gut-wrenching scream cut the air. As though frozen, Draco watched as Harry flung out his arms, reaching out in opposites directions, fingers grasping. His back bowed and he fell faster for a moment. And then, suddenly, he was engulfed in flames…and Draco was screaming his name and flying faster then before, because no one could possibly survive that without a wand to freeze the flames and Draco had Harry's wand in his pocket and if Harry died, Severus was going to kill them all.

As suddenly and shockingly as they'd begun, the flames died. Hovering in their place was a phoenix. A deep red and gold phoenix, even more stunning than Fawks. From the short distance he was, he watched with wide eyes as the green-eyed phoenix flapped its wings once and looked around as though confused. When it's gaze rest on Draco, it tilted its head and came toward him. He blinked at it. The thing was massive. Much bigger then the average phoenix and Draco was not sure if he could support its weight. The bird appeared unfazed as it landed on the front of Draco's broom and looked at him.

Draco's eyes widened and his voice was hushed. "Harry?"

Chapter 48 – Of Appearances

Draco could feel the broomstick jittering against the combined weight of himself and the bird. He leaned forward slightly, landing gently in the grass. The phoenix was trembling. Draco reached out a tentative hand. The bird hopped forward once, before throwing its head back and screeching into the night. The sound hurt Draco ears, but only lasted a moment before the bird was engulfed in flames. Draco drew back instinctively, but there was no heat.

Just like the first time, the flames vanished in a moment. And suddenly Harry was screaming again. Hovering as though crucified, back bowed in pain, he was naked. His skin, tanned golden from long days in the summer sun, glowed as though lit from a fire just below the surface. From his position on the ground, Draco stared up the line of Harry's body in shock. There was not a scar to be found on his skin, other then the lightening bolt. The faint lines that had peppered the raven-haired Gryffindor's chest and arms had vanished. Time seemed to freeze as Harry hung suspended and screaming.

Then the moment passed and Harry collapsed in on himself, falling forward with a whimper. Draco came up on his knees and caught the other round the shoulders. Pulling off his Slytherin cloak, Draco draped it around Harry's naked form.

"Bell! Get the hell over here and help me with him!" Draco's voice was edging on hysterical.

Katie nodded once and turned to the assembled crowd. "Alright, you lot. Come back tomorrow evening at the same time. Thanks for turning out." Brown struggled against the bonds holding him and glared at her as the crowd filed out of the bleachers, whispering excitedly. She sneered. "You better hope Harry kills you for this. Because if he does, I know I will and I'll have a lot of help."

"Get the fuck over here, Bell, right now and stopping dicking around to that gormless cunt. I NEED HELP!" Katie smirked at Brown, who was now staring at her with wide eyes. He'd never heard the calm, collected Prince of Slytherin loose it like this, ever. No one had ever heard such foul language from his pristine mouth.

Katie turned and took off across the pitch, leaving Brown bound and hanging in mid air, two hundred feet above the ground. She landed a few feet from the two boys. "What can I do?"

Draco sneered. "You can start by getting him the fuck off me. Just because he looks skinny, doesn't mean he's light. The fucker's well over six foot and he's heavy."

Katie laughed lightly. As she helped Draco lift Harry into a bridal style hold, he quickly wrapped Harry properly in his cloak. Katie raised an eyebrow. Draco scowled. "I don't see Pansy being too pleased that I let you ogle her boyfriend. Actually, I doubt Granger would be either."

"Hermione…" His voice was weak and wispy, but caused both Draco and Katie to look down sharply.

Katie frowned. "I thought you said he was dating Pansy?"

Draco sighed and rolled his eyes. Harry's thin murmur cut him off before he could respond. "No… Her name…is…Hermione…Dray, I t-told…you."

Draco looked down incredulously at the half-conscious body in his arms. "You're joking. You fucking turn into a flaming bird in midair after nearly dying and then collapse on me naked and you're worried that I called her Granger?"

Harry nodded weakly and then let his head fall back against Draco's arm. A second passed before Harry blinked and his head came up again, a little faster. "Naked?"

Draco blew out an annoyed breath. "Harry, relax. The scars are gone. All of them, except the one on your head. Just pass out or something. We need to get you to Severus."

Harry blinked and let his head loll back again. Katie frowned. "Snape? Why Snape?"

Draco shook his head. "Believe me. You do not want to be around if Severus finds out we went anywhere else first. It won't be pretty." Draco shuddered a little for effect. "Harry…Harry, where would Severus be? We need to find him."

Harry mumbled something that sounded like "Cov'tor" and Draco frowned for a moment. "Oh! Coven Tower? Why…Oh! Oh, right. Neither of them were at dinner."

There was no response to this. Draco glanced down to see that Harry actually had passed out. "Bugger!"

He and Katie increased their pace. "How come you don't just levitate him?"

Draco raised an eyebrow at her. "You ever been levitated when you're sick?" She shook her head. "It's not fun. He'd probably end up vomiting, either all over one of us or into his own mouth. Both option aren't all that pleasant. So. I'll carry him."

Katie nodded, staring with wide eyes at Harry, whose head was lolling disturbingly against the Slytherin's arm. The remainder of the trek to the castle was quiet. When they reached the great hall, it was empty, oddly enough. So were the halls as they sped to Coven Tower, Katie trailing behind, not knowing where they were headed. Draco said a prayer of thanks to anyone who might be listening.

He gestured for the Gryffindor to knock on the picture frame, as its inhabitant appeared to be missing. In a moment, it swung open to reveal Aurelia, wearing jeans and a t-shirt that read "New England Patriots. From 1776 straight to the Superbowl. We beat you then, and we'd do it again." Draco frowned at it in confusion, then shook his head quickly. She moved back to let him in. "Draco, what happened to Harry?"

He shook his head. "You need to get Severus. I don't care what you're interrupting. We have a major issue to deal with."

Aurelia nodded and disappeared up one of the sets of stairs. Katie looked around in confusion. There was some shouting, a door slammed, and three sets of footsteps hurried down the stairs. Katie's jaw dropped as her potion's professor and defense professor both appeared in what looked like nothing but silk bathrobes. Both ignored her completely. Severus was by Harry's side in a heartbeat. "Draco, what is the meaning of this?"

Draco's back straightened. "Severus, he…well, he's an animagus."

Severus scowled. "What?"

"There was an…incident at try-outs. Not important now, but he was falling. Really fast and he didn't have a wand. I was trying to get up enough speed to break his fall or at least try, when he suddenly burst into flames. It was horrible. Then the fire went out and he was a phoenix…The largest one I've ever seen. It had green eyes, just like Harry's. He was screaming and then suddenly he was a bird. I don't…I didn't know he could do that and it didn't look like he did either. When he changed back, he was still screaming. Like it was agony to transform. And he was naked. And all the scars were gone…Well, except the lightening bolt, obviously. Then he collapsed."

Ariadne was staring at Draco. Severus flicked him a glance before examining his son. The boy's pulse was slow, but strong. His pupils looked perfectly normal and his breathing was steady. Severus cast a quick magic-level check and scowled in concern. "The transformation should not have taken this much magic."

Katie frowned. The levels had been almost perfectly normal for the average wizard. Maybe a little elevated. "What's wrong, Professor? It looked normal to me."

Severus looked up sharply at Katie. "Draco, why is Miss Bell present?"

Draco looked sheepish. "Well, sir, she was there and in a different area of the Pitch. I thought maybe…"

"I see."

Ariadne laid a hand on his arm. "Sev, love. Calm down. She's trying to be helpful. And it was bound to get out at some point." The High Priestess turned to the seventh year. "Katie, will you promise not to let a word of what you see and hear here out of this room to anyone else, but those present here?" Katie nodded. Ariadne took a breath and with a brief glance at the Potion's master, said. "You see, Katie. Harry's magic levels usual are off the scale of the normal test. He uses a special spell to check his magic levels, the same as I do. And Professor Dumbledore. This is an unusually low level for him. Over half of his magic is missing."

There was a knock on the door again. Aurelia stepped up to let Hermione, Pansy, Luna, and Neville into the Tower. "Aurelia, Harry and Draco are missing. We went out to the Pitch and there wasn't anyone there, except Lavender's brother."

Draco was standing in a flash. "You didn't free him, did you?"

Hermione took a shocked step back. "There you are! You had us terrified. And no. We were going to, but he started cursing at us when he removed the gag. So we just set him back the way he was. See if he can get out of that on his own. It wasn't my fault he was like that." She finally ran out of words when she stopped Harry's unconscious form. "Harry!" Her eyes were wide in fright. "What happened to him?"

Draco scowled at her. "Forced animagus transformation. Into a phoenix."

"What? How is that…I don't understand. I thought you couldn't have a magical creature for an animagus form." Hermione looked from one adult to another, then back to Harry.

Ariadne shook her head. "While that is almost universally true, there are specific cases where the witch or wizard will have two forms, or one full form and one partial form. I myself can change into both a panther and a niffler, which can be quite useful, I assure you. Professor Dumbledore, in addition to his normal form, has a partial dragon transformation. I believe he can only produce the wings. These cases are very rare and usually coincide with a person's magic levels. Merlin could certainly produce a second form as could Godric Gryffindor. Though it is rumored that Merlin could produce a third form as well. Salazar Slytherin was said to have been able to give his snake form the eyes of a basilisk, but that was rumor and was never substantiated."

Everyone was looking at her in amazement. She blinked. "What? I did some research about it."

Severus snorted. "Indeed. Then pray, tell me what in Merlin's name is wrong with my son?"

Katie gaped at him from her spot near the fireplace, but no one paid her any mind. Ariadne pursed her lips. "I think…the danger he was in forced his magic to respond in the only way that would protect him, becoming a bird. It may have been the quickness of the initial transformation that caused the pain. It's also his inability to control it that destroyed his clothing. However, it shouldn't have depleted his magic so much…" She was frowning now.

Ekantika, who had hovered near the edge of the group since Harry had arrived, spoke up. "Ari, is it possible that that wasn't his form? That it was literally forced. His magic gave him a new form to save him? Maybe his original alternate form was something that can't fly?"

Ariadne's frown deepened. "It's possible…very possible, but we won't know until he regains the magic he lost. Which shouldn't be for at least another day or so."

Olympia frowned from her place near the windows. "Another day? Will he be at full power by Saturday? I do not want to take that boy into France to meet with a Death Eater unless he's at full power."

Severus scowled darkly. "Excuse me?"

Olympia sighed. "Marcel Dupont set up a meeting with Harry via Dumbledore for this weekend. I am escorting him to a small, out of the way town in central France, where there has been no recent Death Eater activity. And by recent I mean since the last war. Dupont seems to want out."

Aurelia wrinkled her nose. "Dupont? Isn't that the boy from Harry's vision? The one whose sister is friends with the tri-wizard girl?"

Olympia nodded. "Yes. And I think Harry plans to bring both the Duponts, and Fleur and her family here for a little while. To extend protection to them, since overseas Death Eater activity has increased by a hefty percent since this war began."

Ariadne's head snapped up so fast Aurelia would have sworn she heard a crack. "What?"

Olympia bit her lip. "Harry wanted to tell you himself, but with all that's been going on this week, he was planning on waiting. But Dumbledore is thinking of bringing us out of retirement. On the down low, so to speak."

Ariadne's eyes filled with tears. "Fuck! Again? I'm a fucking water works all of a sudden. What the fuck." She rubbed at her eyes before turning back to Olympia. "Out of retirement? Is he kidding? Why?"

Olympia sighed heavily. "There was a disappearance…in America. One of the Order has vanished."

Ariadne's eyes hardened and the tears dried. "In the US? On our home turf? Some fucker had the balls to take a member of the fucking Order? On. Our. Home. Turf? Oh, fuck that. That is not about to happen again on my watch."

Olympia smiled sadly. "Yeah, so I had suspected."

Aurelia was frowning. "Ariadne, you know that if it's you that comes out of retirement then there really won't be…um…"

"Any need for the rest of you to get your hands dirty, I know. Not If I can help it there won't be." Ariadne took a deep breath. "Good a reason as any. Aurelia, I want you to reactivate the information highway. We need to know where they are and who they speak with in every country that they've spilled over to. Voldyshorts is going to rue the day he assumed we were out of the business."

There was a loud groan from the still figure on the couch. Everyone turned to look as Harry sat up. The cloak fell to his waist, revealing an unmarked chest. Harry blinked. Once. Twice. Then groaned again. "What happened? Did I get run over by the School Train?"

"Oh My Gods! Harry, you're okay!" Hermione shrieked and threw herself at him. The impact of her body sent him back against the couch with a yelp.

"Hermione!" He managed to gasp out. "Can't…breathe."

Hermione jumped back, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, Harry, but we were so worried!" She went into a rushed and convoluted explanation of what had happened. "And so Draco carried you up here to your father, so…"

Harry was staring at her with his mouth gaping. He turned slowly to look at Katie who was still standing in the corner. Hermione glanced at her and then her hand flew up to cover her mouth. "Oh holy hells."

Everyone turned to follow their gazes. Ariadne blew out a harsh breath. "Fuck."

Katie stood looking absolutely gobsmacked. Her mouth hung open slightly and her eyes were impossibly wide, flicking back and forth between Harry and Severus.

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and turned a glare on Ariadne. "You, my love, are a distraction. Had this been not a year ago, I would never have overlooked such an important detail as Miss Bell's continued presence."

Ariadne rolled her eyes and glared back. "Oh to hell with that. It's not my fault that you forgot she was here. So did everyone else, Mr. All-Fucking-Powerful Spy. You are not the only one here who was trained for this shit. Assassin, right here." She pointed to herself. "Remember?"

Harry groaned loudly and flopped back against the cushions. Everyone's attention was immediately on him. He turned a level eye on what might as well be his parents. "Stop it." They stared at him. He stood, wavering just a little, but staying on his feet. Draco's cloak was wrapped around his hips. "You are both adults. Act like it. Squabbling like children will not change the fact that Katie knows a right site more then she should. And no, Father, you are absolutely not obliviating her."

Severus narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to respond but Harry beat him to it. "And yes, you will actually listen to me for once, since she's my friend and teammate. She's been there for a lot of my shit, since so much of it happened on the Pitch. I trust her. She's a good person and a good friend. I told Draco here all about this and we were at each other's throats for the past five years. So I think Katie deserves to have everything actually explained to her. We can then decide whether or not she be moved into…Misfit Central." Harry raised his eyebrow and stared around, defying anyone to disagree with him.

Katie's eyes welled with tears and she ran forward, flinging herself at him. She buried her face in his shoulder as he automatically reached up to catch her. The cloak dropped to the floor and Harry flushed scarlet as he realized that he was now standing stark naked with Katie Bell in his arms in front of, not only his girlfriend, but also his father and an odd assortment not to move into Katie's hair. Realizing what happened, she giggled softly against his neck. Looking over her head at Hermione, he pleaded wordlessly for her help. She smirked and conjured a towel, which she went and wrapped around his waist from behind. She fastened it with a light sticking charm. Looking over her handiwork, she gasped. Harry turned his head quickly. "What?"

"Harry…the…the lash marks…they're gone." Her tone was hushed, almost reverent.

Harry stiffened for the briefest moment before immediately releasing Katie and wandlessly summoning his wand from Draco's pocket, causing the blond boy to jump. He conjured a mirror and stared at the reflection of his back over his shoulder. "Wow…" His voice was almost a breath. He stared for several more minutes before shaking himself. "I'm sorry. I'm distracted. This was just a shock. We still need to tell Katie what's happening and figure out why I suddenly turned into a great ruddy bird."

Hermione snorted. "Go put some clothing on first and then we'll do all that."

It took several hours for all that need to be discussed was. Harry had been ordered to pay Madame Pomfrey a visit the next morning before breakfast and Professor McGonagall during the break. He would ask the former to run an Animagus test on him. Katie seemed to be in a kind of shock. Her eyes were round and she sat silently. Hermione invited her to sleepover, so she wouldn't need to go back to the dorm before they spoke to Dumbledore about moving her. Katie examined Hermione for a moment before nodding. Isoko went with the girls to enlarge the room and set up a new bed for her. She also escorted the rest of their collection of miscreants back to their rooms.

Ariadne and Severus took themselves back up to Ariadne's room and locked the door. Severus dropped down onto the bed after shedding his robe with a soft groan. "What a horrendous evening."

Ariadne chuckled. "Yeah, it kinda was, wasn't it?"

She came to lay next to him, her legs dangling next to his. He turned his face to her. "We need to speak about your sudden recall to duty."

Ariadne turned away from him. "If you take issue with it, you need to work it out or leave. There is no way I can not go back out. I can't put the girls back in danger like that. They're my sisters. I'll protect them in any way I can. If that means I go back, then I go back. If I go, then most of them won't have to. Ekantika might, once in a while, and Olympia may, but Isoko was always more of a planner. And Aurelia was the equipment girl. She was great with gadgets and keeping everyone in contact. But neither were wonderful in the field. Olympia was good back-up. Ekantika was always a close second to me. But I'm the best we have and I will protect them. And you."

Severus nodded, reaching up to turn her face back to him. He met her gaze. "I accept your decision. I simply wished to be sure it was made for the correct reasons."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, besides all that… They're getting a little too ballsy for my taste. Sending agents into my home territory? Totally unacceptable."

Severus chuckled. "Of course." He smirked at her and leaned into kiss her.

In Harry's rooms, just around the time Ariadne and Severus were proving to each other that him leaving was unnecessary, Harry was attempting to convince Pansy that there was nothing going on between Hermione and himself.

"Pans, love, I promise you…She knew the scares were there because she showed me how to cover them! It was for the photo shoot for EW."

Pansy scowled lightly. "I sent eh way you look at her, Harry. I know you have feelings for her. I'm alright with that. I am not alright with you cheating on me. If you're done with us, then tell me. And go to her."

"Pansy," Harry held out his hands to her. "There is nothing between Hermione and me. We've been best friends since first year. That's it. We're close because for a bit we were all each other had. I've never had sex with her. I've never cheated on you. With her or anyone else! I promise you."

Pansy stared at him through narrowed eyes for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, I believe you."

Harry grinned broadly and swept her into his arms. "Good. You are the only person I want to have sex with right now. I promise."

Pansy smirked down at him. "The entire castle will be devastated. Draco most of all."

Harry made a face. "Yeah, sure. He's just having me on."

Pansy raised an eyebrow. "Sure, he is, Harry." And kissed him to silence any further protest from her dark-haired Gryffindor.

Neither was ready to get up when Draco rapped loudly on the door the next morning and then barged in. He stopped dead and stared at them. Pansy was laying across Harry's chest, the top-sheet of the bed wrapped loosely around her waist. Her sheet-clad leg was blocking any inappropriate areas of Harry that would otherwise be exposed. Harry himself had one arm draped across her shoulders and that other had come up to cover his eyes. He groaned. "Dray, mate, what did I tell you about just barging in here in the morning?"

Draco gaped at them a moment longer then shook himself. "Hal, you need to get dressed…like now. You're only barely going to make a shower before you have to go see Pomfrey."

Harry groaned louder. "Fuck all." He leaned down to whisper something into Pansy's ear.

She giggled (actually giggled, which is horrifying for a Slytherin…or at least Draco thought so). "Dumbledore and McGonagall."

Harry sat up sharply, dislodging her. She sat up as well, grinning madly. "Aw, bloody hell. That is disgusting."

She grinned a little wider. "It worked though."

He sighed and nodded. "Yeah, well…please don't bring that up again. Ever. Thanks."

Draco, staring in horror at Pansy's lack of modesty, was even more horrified when Harry stood and went into the bathroom. "Both of you! My gods! I'm leaving. He can dress himself. Or you do it!"

Draco huffed and stopped out, Pansy's laughter following him down the corridor.

As it turned out, Draco over-estimated how long Harry's check-up would take. With a clean bill of health and a healthy amount of annoyance, Harry entered the Great Hall for breakfast a full twenty minutes before he needed to. He shot Ariadne and Severus, who were sitting side-by-side, a thumbs up. Ariadne smiled at him and Severus nodded minutely. Harry surveyed the Hall, checking for his friends at the Hogwarts' table. Draco and Pansy were both there, as were Neville, Luna, and Katie Bell. Cho, he stopped at the Ravenclaw table talking to a girl he could name. Hermione was also missing. Harry frowned and scanned the room. Harry found her sitting at the Hufflepuff table, of all places, talking animatedly to Bayard Dunstan, the seventh year who'd made the comment about Harry's virginity in the DA meeting. Harry frowned as he made his way to sit next to Draco.

Pansy looked up from her plate at him and cocked an eyebrow. "Harry, why so serious? Madame Pomfrey didn't—"

Harry shook his head. "No. I'm fine. I was just wondering why Hermione is talking to that…Hufflepuff, who was rude to both you and I at the DA meeting."

Pansy snorted. "Harry, I would hardly call a bit of gentle ribbing rude. Bayard is from an old family. Nowhere near as old as yours, but around the same age as mine. Maybe a little older. His family came over before the Norman Conquest in 1066. He's Saxon of origin, just like mine is. It's likely that they took part in one of the invasions that prompted Rome to withdraw from the British Isles."

Harry gave her an odd look. Draco sighed gustily. "Hal, you need to know these things. Believe me, you'll need to know these things. And besides that, my father loves pureblood history."

Harry groaned, completely distracted from his annoyance by the prospect of learning so much pureblood history. From across the room, Hermione glanced over at the table and caught Pansy's eye. The Slytherin winked. Hermione smiled and turned back to the story that Bayard was telling her about fox hunting in the English countryside with the Minister for Magic and several high-ranking officials. She smiled at him and made the appropriate responses, wondering inwardly whether this was such a good plan after all.