Immortal Conflicts

By: Myself

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor another other character owned or created by J. K. R. (If you don't know who that is, then you are probably reading the wrong fan fiction.) because SHE owns them. I do however own Elsa Leigh. And Mikeal, Miranda and Madeline Malfoy. They're mine and if you try to take them... well let's just say unpleasant things will occur to you. (But it is getting kinda crowded in here. If anyone else shows up, I'm going to have to start throwing people out of windows and such. Oh wait! That's probably going to happen anyway...) And just as an extra note, the mental conversations and talking Fawkes, those aren't classified as my ideas. I actually got the idea from Saerry Snape's Not Myself.

A/N: Sorry for taking so long everyone. I have ben very busy with work which of course messes with my writing schedule. Although I do currently have about three more chapters to post today. I really didn't anticipate taking this long to post them though. I'd blame it on my muses, but they for once have been doing their jobs and I have not been doing mine. I hate it when our roles are reversed... --; So once more I apologize. It'll never happen again. I promise. I'll remember that... Shut up, Damien...

Chapter 9

The Arrival

In the morning, when Harry awoke, he found himself covered in a heavy midnight blue cloak. "Elene?" he asked, looking around the clearing, disoriented.

"Yes, love?" she replied, her voice coming from out of the woods behind him.

"Is there anything to eat?"

"Food seems to be the only thing on your mind."

"Well, you don't have to talk when your eating. Or at least you shouldn't. It's bad manners and all."

She nodded and smiled in agreement. "So it is. And yes, there is food. I anticipated the fact that you are a human garbage disposal and went hunting again last night."

"So what's for breakfast, then?" he asked, his emerald eyes shining with anticipation.

"Pheasant eggs and wild boar. How does that sound?"

"Close enough to eggs and bacon for me," he said moving over to what remained of the fire where the food was being kept warm.

"Well then dig in, Harry," she said, a small smile crossing her face.

When Harry was finished she got up. "Are you ready to go?" she asked and frowned at the look of sadness that came across his face. "Now, Harry. It's not like it's the end of the world. We'll clear this up easily. Don't worry." Her frown turned into a glare. "And don't you even THINK about crying again. There's absolutely no time for all that messiness."

"Yes," he said softly. "I'm ready."

"Good," she replied, changing into dragon form. "Then climb on, please."

The boy stood there looking at her for a minute. "I can't," he said finally.

"What in the bloody nine Hells do you mean, you can't?" she spat.

"You're too tall," the boy replied.

"Oh. Well. That's easy enough to fix then," she said, then scooped him up onto her back. "Hold on tight," she said, taking to the air.

A Few Hours Later

His bum really hurt, he thought, trying to shift and bring back the blood flow. But the more he fidgeted, the worse it hurt, and the more annoyed Elsa became. By now, they had been in the air, non-stop, for 5 hours, and it was starting to show in both of them. Harry could sit still, and Elsa's patience for his fidgeting was running extremely low, as she was too tired to keep aloft with all the extra movement.

Harry! I swear to you! If you do not stop moving around right this instant, I will do a barrel roll and laugh as you fall 200 feet to the ground! she growled, and the boy quickly sat still.

"How much farther?"

About another 15 minutes. Can you sit still for that long, or will I be making Harry patte for lunch today?

His eyes widened. "I'll sit still."

Good, she stated simply, flying on.

At The Gates



Upon arriving at the gates, Elsa changed back into human form and smirked coldly at Dumbeldore as he hastened out to meet them. "Didn't think I could handle it myself, old man?" she inquired, her voice dripping poison.

"Not at all," he replied. "I just wanted to make sure nothing bad befell the boy. That's always been my main concern. And one imm...." Dumbledor trailed off. "Does he know?"

"No." she replied quickly. "And I'd rather like to keep it that way."

"As you wish." The old man turned away from Elsa and addressed the young boy in front of him. "Well, Mr. Malfoy. It seems you've gotten yourself into a spot of trouble, eh?"

"You think?" the boy replied caustically.

"Harry!!" Elsa exclaimed.

"Sorry."

"Quite all right," Dumbledore said, chuckling a bit. "But, just as a note for future reference. It probably would not be a good idea to run around school with an attitude like that."

"Good advice, Albus," Elsa smirked.

Dumbledore glared.

Elsa glared.

Harry looked on, uncomfortable.

And just as the tension in the air made him feel as if he were going to explode, Fawkes arrived.

Elsa hissed and cursed under her breath.

Fawkes laughed at her irritation.

"Shut up, Fawkes or I'll roast you like the Thanksgiving turkey you remind me of," she threatened.

The pheonix laughed even harder at this.

Elsa growled.

Dumbledore glared at the threat made to his pet.

"Oy!" Harry broke in. "OY!"

"WHAT?!" Elsa and Dumbledore shouted at him, causing him to jump back a few feet.

"Um..." He paused. "Don't you think this is a bit.... childish?"

Elsa glared at Harry.

Dumbledore glared at Harry.

Fawkes laughed at all of them.

"SHUT UP!!" Elsa, Harry and Dumbledore all shouted at the same time.

Fawkes stopped laughing and gave them an uncomprehending look. Oh, come on! It was funny!

Elsa sighed and rolled her eyes while shaking her head. "Whatever you say, Fawkes." She turned to Dumbledore. "He's yours for now. Take good care of him please."

"Of course," the old wizard replied, smiling.

Elsa snorted, turned and after walking out of the gates and changing back into dragon form flew off.

"Interesting, isn't she, Harry?" Dumbledore queried.

"Definitely not normal," the boy replied.

"Well that's a true enough answer. Now for the formalities. Welcome to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he said extending his hand to point at the castle that lay behind him.

Until just now, Harry hadn't even noticed it. It was sprawling in it's architecture. It looked as if it couldn't possibly be real. Like an artists picture of some fanciful place that was actually brought to life. Harry stood there gaping at it for a bit until Dumbledore called him out of his trance. "Are you going to go in, or are you going to spend the rest of your life standing there staring stupidly at it?"

Harry moved his feet with an act of pure willpower. "This will be your new home," Dumbledore continued, as they walked towards the castle. "During the Sorting Ceremony, the Sorting Hat will put you into your House. Your Housemates will be your family. There are four houses as I'm sure you know. Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff."

"Yes, Professor. I know."

"Good. I would expect your family would teach you such things."

"What House do you think I'll be put in, Professor?"

"Well. You had enough courage to attempt to take Lord Voldemort's wand, but that also took a bit of cunning. So I would wager a guess of either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw."

Harry's face went white as a sheet. "HUFFLEPUFF??!! Professor, you must be kidding!"

Dumbledore began to laugh. Quietly at first and then must louder as he progressed.

"Of course I am, Harry!" He paused for air and to control his laughter. When he regained possession of himself he continued. "I imagine that you'll be in either Slytherin like your father or Gryffindor like your mother."

The pained, pale look left the boys face and he took a deep breath. "Good."

At this point they entered the actual castle and Harry took a look around. The paintings moved, he mused. His mother said that some do. And that some can even talk. But they never had any of those in the house. A nuisance most of the time, his father had said. Couldn't keep a secret if your life depended on it. Always a picture snooping on you and passing the information on to others. And even though he knew some painthings could talk, he still jumped out of his skin when he finally heard one do so.

"Good day, Mr. Malfoy." After recovering from the shock, he looked at the picture. It was of a tall, skinny brunette witch with thickly curling hair bordering on uncontrolled, but not quite attaining the proper affect.

"Good, day, Miss," he replied.

The witch in the painting stifled a bit of laughter and ran of to converse with one of the other paintings.

Strange, he thought. Very strange.

"For now," Dumbledore interrupted. "You will be sleeping in the professors area as you do not yet have a House. Do not let the Professors here intimidate you. They are all quite harmless, even Professor Snape, the Potions Master. Sometimes I think he could be the best teacher here if he wasn't so prickly about everything."

After leading Harry to his temporary living quarters, Dumbledore wandered off to go and talk to some Professor or another leaving Harry alone. He collapsed on his bed and stared at the ceiling. I wonder what happened to Madeline. She can't be kept safely at the Weasley's for long. Maybe they'll send her to Uncle Lucius. If anyone could protect her it would be him. And with that thought he slipped quietly into a dreamless sleep.