Chapter Two: 182 Eye-Lind Glen
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dumbledore all landed in the middle of a thick forest. Somehow this seemed like the wrong place. In front of them was an over grown field, a falling down barn, and an old shed that looked like it had been on fire at one point in time.
"Professor," Hermione asked him, "are you sure this is the right place?"
Dumbledore turned to look at her and smiled. "Do you remember me telling you that this place is far better protected then Head Quarters?" Hermione nodded her head and then turned to look at the house. "Well it's hidden to all that do not know of it. You will be staying at 182 Eye-Lind Glen." Dumbledore turned back to the house.
In front of them they were no longer looking at the broken down barn, burnt house, and over grown field. They were looking at a beautiful log cabin sitting right in the middle of a small clearing and surrounded by many trees. The barn was in great shape with the large sliding side doors open and hay streaming out onto the trail from the house to the barn. The field was also well kept and looked to be in use by something. They were hidden deep in the forest and sure that no one could get to them.
"Well let us take your things and head up to the house." Dumbledore said, as Harry, Ron and Hermione followed floating their trunks behind them and holding onto their pets. They climbed up the few stairs up to the porch where they set their trunks and animals. Dumbledore knocked on the door and waited. There was no answer. Dumbledore turned to look at the three. "She must be in the barn, come along."
The four walked the trail to the barn while Ron was talking to Harry under his breath.
"She? Where's staying with a girl we don't even know?" Ron said looking completely taken aback by this statement.
"And what's wrong with girls, Ron?" Hermione hissed at him.
"Cool it, both of you." Harry said.
As soon as they reached the doors to the barn and dog came walking out of it and barked happily at Dumbledore. "Why hello, Fly." He said to the dog. "Where's your owner?" The dog looked toward the trees behind the field. They all looked and saw another dog just like Fly and a chestnut horse come out of the forest. There was a woman riding the horse, and from what Harry could see, she looked about their age.
The dog ran toward the barn and stopped short of Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dumbledore. It looked at them and then started the growl. The woman came up to them and jumped off the horse. "Knock it off, Bandit." She said and turned to Dumbledore.
She was a little shorter then Harry when she stood. Her shoulder length reddish brown hair was pulled into a messy bun and she had a few fly a ways since she had ridden. Her eyes were gray with a light tint of green to them due to her shirt. She wore muggle clothes instead of the normal wizarding robes. Harry thought she looked familiar but he couldn't place where he might have seen her before.
"Good morning, Dumbledore. I see you made the trip well." She said shaking his hand and then looking over at Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"Aye that we did. How was your ride this morning to the muggle town?" Dumbledore asked her as he glanced to the large bag on the horse's back.
"Just like every other. Unfortunately Bandit," she looked down at the dog with a slight glare and he cowered a bit. "Decided he wanted to chase a squirrel on the way there, or I would have been here when you arrived." She said taking the bag off the horse and throwing it over her shoulder.
"Well we had our delay as well." Dumbledore said. Harry looked at him trying to figure out what he was talking about. As far as he was concerned they hadn't had a delay.
The woman walked into the barn and came back out without the bag, but she did come back with three puppies following and trying to jump up her legs. She turned to look at the first dog they had meet and spoke to it. "Fly, please feed your pups." The dog picked up the smallest one and walked into the barn while the other two followed.
"Well, shall we go to house and talk. I'll make some tea." The woman said looking at Dumbledore.
"I'm sorry, but I must be on my way. I just came to bring Harry, Ron and Hermione, as we had discussed last night." Dumbledore said and then turned to the three of them. "Harry, Ron, Hermione this is Kaylee Thorne. You will be staying with her until further notice. Enjoy your stay here." He turned to leave then turned back to them. "Oh yes, do not use your owls. He knows which ones they are. If you need to be in contact, send one of Kaylee's, and if you decide to go into either town make up names for yourselves. Stay well hidden even in public." He smiled at them then disapperated.
Kaylee looked them over and figured she could deal with them for a while. "Right," she said, "I told Dumbledore I would allow you to stay here with me as long as you help out. With Fly out due to pups it's harder for Bandit and I to work without her. I'm hoping all of you can ride." She said looking at them.
"Ride what?" Ron said looking at her.
"Horses." Kaylee replayed looking at him like he was stupid, but she gave a small smile anyway.
"What do you do exactly?" Hermione said looking at her.
"There is a pack of Keeha, you know the magical version on the muggle sheep, behind this field. I herd them and sell the fur and meet in town. When I'm not doing that I'm a healer." She said
"You work at St. Mongo's?" Ron said looking at her with complete shock. This cowgirl worked with people at the wizarding hospital. He couldn't believe it.
"No," she a gave a small laugh, and looked at him." I heal animals not people. Now come with me. It's feeding time." Kaylee said. She turned around and, pulling the horse behind her, and headed into the barn. There were four stalls along one side where three horses stuck their heads outs to look at the people. In one corner there was a stack of hay, and feed for them. The other corner held all the tack for the horses.
"Can one of you open that bag," she said pointing to the bag she had taken in there, "Open it and use the scoop to put one scoop in each stall. I need another to get the water buckets out of the stalls and fill them, and the last one I would like you to help me."
Hermione took the scoop and feed each of them, Ron quickly walked over to her since he didn't want to into the stalls to get the water buckets, while Harry filled the buckets with water. Kaylee took the horse over to the tack corner and Ron followed. She undid the bridle, took off the saddle and Ron held the horse still while she cleaned the hooves. Once she was done she let the horse go and it walked back into its stall. Hermione looked at her once she had feed them all and spoke.
"These animals are well trained." She said.
"They know better then to not listen. They listen to Bandit and myself. Bandit's top dog under myself and Fly's the mother of everything." Kaylee said and she grabbed a brush and went to comb the horse she had ridden.
"What are all their names?" Harry said, as they watched what Kaylee was doing.
"This chestnut here is my horse. You three can ride any of the others, but don't come near Argo unless I tell you to. She doesn't deal well to other people riding her. You can pet her and such but don't ride her. The black one is Firebolt. He may look mean but he's as gentle as ever. The tan one is Autumn he can be a handful, but he won't hurt you. And the white one is Magyk. She is the sweetest horse you could ask for." Kaylee said putting the brush away and walking over toward Fly.
"So you basically run a farm." Said Ron looking down at the dogs.
"I guess you could say that." She was petting Fly who was contently cleaning one of her pups at the moment.
"Aw, they are so cute. What type of dog are they?" Hermione said looking at the puppies.
"Border collies, the most faithful dogs you can ask for. The pups are Luna, Dash, and Lily." She said picking up the smallest pup and handing it to Hermione. "That's Lily, she's an angel, and the other two are a lot like their father. Well come on let's go inside and I'll show you all your rooms." She walked out of the barn followed closely by Bandit. Harry, Ron and Hermione followed her out of the barn and to the house; they were all closely followed by Fly and three pups.
"Well better get your things and I'll show you the house." Kaylee said. Harry, Ron and Hermione grabbed their pets and trunks and headed into the house through the back door. They walked right into the kitchen where two cats sat on the table and three owls sit in window above the sink.
"How many pets do you have here?" Ron asked looking at all the other animals they had come across.
"Four horses, five dogs, three owls, and seven cats." Kaylee said. She let them through a hallway and into the living room. They headed up the stairs and to the second floor. "I only have two extra room, but one is bigger then the other. Hermione this is your room." She said as she opened the door to a medium sized room with a bed, dressed, closet, and desk.
Hermione walked into the room and sat her trunk down on the floor. "Is it alright if I let my cat out?"
"Yeah it'll be fine, just let Bandit smell it and he'll know it's fine and if Bandit knows it all the other animals do as well."
Hermione let Crookshanks out onto the bed. Bandit sniffed the cat and then turned back to Kaylee with his approval. They walked to the next room on the left, which was right next to Hermione's.
"It's a bit bigger and I hope you two find it nice." She said. Harry and Ron dropped their trunks on the floor and opened the cages for Hedwig and Pigwigeon. "They should get along well with my owls. Anyway the door across from Hermione's room is the bathroom and across for the other room is the study. At the end of the hall is my room. My animals come and go in the house as they please and don't be surprised if you find Fly, the pups, or a cat in your room. They are all friendly. Downstairs next to the stairs is another bathroom the living room and the kitchen. Any questions?" Kaylee said looking at them.
"Um yeah, since we are suppose to be helping you, before we do that, can you teach me to ride?" Hermione said looking at Kaylee.
"Yeah. Now I'm going to let you all get settled while I go and feed the cats, dogs, and owls, and I'll make breakfast." She turned and walked down the stairs with Bandit following her. Once she was back in the kitchen the three of them finally spoke.
"Well she seems quite nice. I like her." Hermione said turning to Ron and Harry, "And she has a very lovely house."
"I think I can get use to this." Ron said walking into his and Harry's room and stared to unpack.
"Well, We're safe here and if all we have to do is work a bit it shouldn't be that hard. Better then staying in the house all the time." Harry said. They all started to unpack until breakfast.
