~ Chapter 5: Reinforcements ~

Sirius ate his spaghetti without really paying attention to what he was eating. He knew that it was delicious but his concentration on dinner had wavered when Fenix had reentered the house. She wore something much like what the Aurors sometimes wear when they were on duty. He was beginning to feel a little guilty after Giselle explained what had happened to him when Fenix found him in the woods with great patience, including the after-effects of Healing.

He was feeling a little confused. Elves. Never gave much thought that they really exist, but I guess that shows how narrow our thinking was, since fairies and centaurs do exist. And where does she fit in? She's not a witch but she clearly possesses magic. It's different but it is still magic. His mouth suddenly went dry when Fenix reentered the kitchen, looking very different. Rather distantly, a thought floated through his mind. She's beautiful. Giselle was finding it hard to keep a straight face as she took in the stupendous hair arrangement.

"Ah--Fenix--what happened to your hair?" Giselle asked mildly.

"I don't want to talk about it," Fenix grumbled as she helped herself to dinner. Derian was grinning widely at the embarrassed woman and Giselle looked toward him for an explanation.

"It seems that the Salamanders really like her and her hair a lot. Most Fire Masters are males and they do not keep, strong and lustrous black hair."

"Oh," Giselle gave a cheeky smile, "no wonder the temperature's risen up." She remarked, feeling a little pleased at herself.

Fenix was silent during dinner. Sirius was not sure of what to do when Derian and Giselle went up to retire. He reckoned that the safest thing to do was to stay in the kitchen. Fenix stood and took his plate without glancing and him and began to wash the dishes. Soon enough, she began singing absently to herself. Sirius toyed with his glass of fruit punch as he studied Fenix.

"Who's Harry?" Fenix asked suddenly, as she turned to face him, placing the last plate on the rack. She paused long enough to dry her hands before sitting back down. Sirius started to frown at her but she snorted disgustedly at him. "You mumbled his name in your sleep, along with several threats that I couldn't really make out," she said bluntly.

Sirius hesitated. Can she be trusted? I have to get to Harry as soon as possible. But I seriously don't really know how to make my way down to Harry from here. Can she help?

: He doesn't know about the Dementors. Ask him and maybe he could give us clues as to why they're roaming around UK, : Silver said to her as he crossed the kitchen to sit at her side.

"He's my godson."

"Oh. Okay. What do you know about Dementors?" Fenix asked him, her eyes suddenly alert.

Sirius started and looked suspiciously at her. "Why do you ask?" his tone was wary.

"Just that about a few weeks ago, a couple of them passed through the wood's defense and--," Fenix halted as she called up the image of her file that she kept the newspaper clippings. Sirius stared at her in astonishment as a blue file suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She rummaged through the file and finally found the recent cutout. "They were seen in various areas these days," she told him as she handed the cutting.

Sirius took it and began to read it. A few moments later he began to swear pungently. "Things are coming up to a head then," he muttered darkly.

Fenix narrowed her eyes as a thought occurred to her, "Are the Dementors' appearance connected to your presence here?"

Sirius shook his head. "I don't think they are much concerned with my reappearance. This is something to do with my godson. All of this is how I became his godfather. But I do not know why they are roaming around, to be sighted by Muggles."

It could be possible that those working at the Ministry discovered Malfoy and his cohorts. And the Dementors have revolted now that the Dark Lord has made his appearance known. I hope the Ministry, especially Fudge, regrets in keeping those creatures for employment. Sirius thought darkly, his handsome face though edged with tiredness began to scowl.

Fenix gave him a quizzical look. "What's Muggles?"

"Non-magical folk." Then he began to tell her about the Dark Lord and the existence of Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived.

Fenix bit off an exclamation as Sirius was mentioning about how Harry's mother died as she tried to protect the infant. Sirius looked curiously as she scrambled out of her seat and bounded up to the third floor, to her library. She quickly opened a drawer and took out a booklet. She Teleported herself back to the kitchen, brimming with excitement and opened the booklet for Sirius to see.

Sirius stared at the photograph in surprise. Lily's eyes looked merrily at him, her arms around a very young and a shy Fenix lovingly. He spotted Remus in the corner and himself, standing beside the entrance of a bookstore, both looking very bored. I don't really remember this moment. Fenix told him of how Lily had helped her to reach for a book that she couldn't quite reach and she was too timid to ask someone for help. Sirius held the photo as he continued to tell her more about Harry's unwanted Fame and the bag of troubles that were caused by his existence. Then, she had asked Sirius the most important question that she had been dying to ask.

"How did you get here?"

"I don't really know. I was trapped in something like a second Dimension or something like that. The archway that I fell into was probably a Gateway. All I remembered doing before I hit the glade was that I thought hard of an image. Strangely, that image coincided with the environment that I ended up falling through."

The Elemental Mage nodded her understanding, and she shuddered at the man's experience in being trapped inside a Gateway. "Next question then. How did you manage to get yourself trapped in the Gateway in the first place?"

"I was dueling with a witch. She had hit me with a spell and I was too damn arrogant to block it at that particular moment."

Fenix was rather surprised when she looked at the clock. Midnight already? Aldren's shift will end soon. I know now why he felt familiar, he was with Lily and a couple of others too. I think I understand what the boy is feeling. No wonder he opened his mind to the Dark Lord. He's getting tired and the frustrations that are boring down on him may be unhealthy. And all the more important for him to know that his godfather is still alive.

: I agree, maybe you could help the boy to build up his mind defense. Sirius kept saying that the boy holds unusual powers that was caused the backlash of the wand. Since you are also an Empath, you could keep an eye on him. :

: I know, but do you think it's safe? Now with the Dementors crawling about? :

: Huh, since when has this kind of thing had started to bother you? :

Sirius was looking curiously at her and the wolf. It seems like she's communicating with the wolf somehow. Another version of being a Parselmouth? Fenix was looking at the wolf with a pensive expression on her face. He cleared his throat to gain her attention. Fenix looked at him, feeling slightly abashed.

"Sorry about that. I think it has turned out to be quite important that you go to Harry; if only to boost his spirits up."

A sudden chill penetrated the house and Sirius looked at her, fear starting to seep through his soul. Dementors, here in the house. Silver snapped at the air and was suddenly flung back across the kitchen and hit the cabinet. Two cloaked figures suddenly materialized at Sirius's side. He was paralyzed as hope was drained out of him and all he could feel was an intense cold. I'm exhausted…Harry…Images of a smiling Harry surrounded by Ron and Hermione slipped into his mind. And Remus…so filled with happiness that Sirius wasn't a traitor. I'm not giving them up…Damn it! I wish I had brought my wand down!

"Hello, I think you two have forgotten that the owner of the house is around," Fenix taunted several feet away, unaffected by their presence.

The bigger of the two Dementors swerved his head; his cowl fell back, its hideous, skeletal features exposed. It began to make a sucking noise and Fenix grinned almost maniacally.

"It is damn rude to enter a house without an invitation, don't you know lad?" Fenix said in a mocking voice. Suddenly the Dementor howled in pain as it was engulfed in intense blue flames. The fire cleansed the dead being and was reduced to nothing more than a pile of ashes and that too began to disintegrate. The other Dementor growled in disbelief and was about to Disapparate but Fenix was on it within a second. However, there were more of them, as she heard more growls--along with Derian's muted war cry and Giselle's terrified squeals--coming up from the second floor.

"This is getting irritating," Fenix muttered under her breath as she suddenly appeared behind one of the Dementors, incinerating him with her mind within an instant. The Dementors converged on Giselle but could not really get any closer to her as the Salamanders showed their anger at full strength. The Sylphs, somehow aware of the current situation began to feed the Salamanders and the Dementors made a lovely bonfire in the middle of the bedroom. Derian was busily sticking his Elven sword and there were suddenly no Dementors.

"I think you need to check up on the Wood's shieldings again," Giselle said in a quavering voice.

"Did they harm you?" Fenix asked her sister with genuine concern.

"No, the Salamanders had encircled me."

: Good job. : Fenix applauded the Fire Elementals. : Where's Wind? :

: I'm downstairs dear. Would you check on Silver? I think he has broken something. :

Fenix reappeared in the kitchen, the silver wolf still lying on the floor. Sirius and Wind were looking rather anxiously at the wolf and Sirius gave a sigh of relief when Fenix came to kneel beside him.

"How come the Dementors do not affect you?" Sirius asked curiously. This is really amazing. Never thought that there is a way to destroy the Dementors. I thought the most we could do is calling up a Patronus. I wonder if Professor Dumbledore will be glad when he hears this little tidbit. But hang on a moment--the Dementors don't really affect Remus all that much…

"I have no idea," Fenix answered in a preoccupied manner. Sirius felt a tingling sensation and he understood when he suddenly heard a crack and Silver gave a whimper.

: Just a dislocated shoulder-bone. He'll be all right. But no strenuous activities for him for several days, : Fenix informed Wind.

There was a knock on the kitchen door and Sirius opened it. A very rumpled Aldren came into the kitchen with several other Elves, who looked almost in a similar condition to Aldren. An Elven mage approached Fenix to give her a kiss on the cheek as she hugged the handsome elf warmly. Sirius stood back as the group of elves shuffled into the kitchen. Had there been Dementors out there? So, they must be immune to them too.

"Cadriel, I think I know how they managed to get through the Wood's defense and how to prevent future intrusions," Fenix told them and described the shield she had in mind. Sirius lost himself midway during the discussion but he felt that it was all right since the elves nodded in agreement with her plan. Just as long as she knows what she's doing.

"Are we going to cast the spells now?" Aldren asked, and was answered by nods all around the kitchen.

It had taken them all night to make the preparations, all of them squeezed in the living room. Fenix and Sirius had improvised a little with her overlaying spells of Truth, and Intent with Sirius merging a back-up immobilizing spell in case something dangerous does manage to Apparate in. Fenix flopped down on the couch as the rest of the elves-- except for Aldren and Derian-- began to disappear to their Grove. Sirius went down to sit beside her in a more dignified manner, but he was no less tired than she was.

Giselle gave the two of them mugs of hot chocolate that she had prepared while the group was busily spellcasting. Fenix took the proffered mug with gratitude as she gulped the beverage down. Wind jumped up and began to curl herself; her head on Fenix's lap as Silver began to drowse on her feet. The feelings of security and fatigue began to seep into her system and she soon dozed off, leaning against Sirius.

: Do you think something will brew up between them? : Giselle asked Aldren. The elf did not bother to go up the staircase to a real bed as he laid himself down on the floor.

: No chance. He's the wrong kind of guy. :

: Oh? Why is that? : His brother asked, giving a sidelong glance at Aldren.

: One, this guy is a bit on the arrogant side. Much too arrogant for her. He doesn't show it now, but it is there all the same. Two, the nondescript-looking type always seem special to her eyes somehow. You should know that better than we do. She likes quiet guys, with a certain amount of mischief in them. She always seems to fall in love with the kind of guys people wouldn't dream of partnering, : he replied. He sounded a bit sullen as he watched a drowsing Sirius, his arm curling reflexively on Fenix's shoulders.

: I see. : Giselle replied complacently.

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