Bane

2260

A/N: Well, summer is over and I am back to writing. Missed me?

Sorry I can't do Hagrid's speech justice. Frau was good at it, but. . . anyways and as always, thanks Miriam1 for the assist.

:... mind speech...:

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Chapter 18

A very much awake and alert Harry sat leaning against the chest of Kieryn as the early morning mist rose from the surface of the Black Lake. They watched with interest as the squid lazily playing in the early morning sunlight. Salazaar was curled up under one of the gryphon's wing, sleeping. They had come out of the castle for a early morning workout and were now relaxing before Harry had to return inside.

Out of the corner of his eye, the young mage saw something that made his blood boil. Hagrid, the half-giant and one of his first friends, was slowly walking up in Kieryn's blind side with a huge black net.

'Oh hell no!'

Harry moved as he drew on the ley-line's power. A blast of magic sent the half-giant several hundred feet away. The net went flying out of his hands. There was no way he would allow Kieryn to be captured or hurt. Granted, the trio hadn't fully introduced Kieryn to the staff and students that inhabit the castle.

Hagrid sat up and shook himself as Kieryn hissed, crouching into an attack position. Salazaar ducked behind the gryphon, wanting no part in the confrontation.

The half-giant stood up and dusted himself off as he looked for his net. "OI! What was 'at fer!? I only wanted t' capture the beastie!"

"Back off! Hagrid! Kieryn isn't a 'beastie' that needs capturing!" Harry raised a hand and fired a small levin bolt causing the net to burst into flames, causing Hagrid to shout in fright and drawing attention to the few students that were up and outside. The half-giant tsk'd at the ruin net, muttering he wasn't going to harm the beastie.

"I am not no beasstie! Human!" hissed Keiryn as he remained crouched, but his warning when unnoticed as a warning shout came from Professor Snape as he joined the fray.

Harry moved into a defensive stance as Kieryn hissed another warning and flared his wings. Salazaar blinked as he stretched.

:Children, if you are going to fight, I will need to find another place to nap.: came Salazaar's voice as he stepped from behind Kieryn's wings. Hagrid blinked at the size of firecat as his eyes light up at spying another fine 'beastie.'

Harry ignored the firecat, knowing the avatar could handle himself, never taking his eyes off the black clad professor.

"What is going on here?" Professor Snape demanded, his wand out and ready to attack. He gave the gryphon a cautionary glance.

Harry stood in front of Kieryn with his hands out in front of him, glowing and ready to fire off a levin-bolt with a determined expression on his face.

"I suggest you both back away," Harry warned.

"Easy there, 'arry. I dinn't know you were there with the beastie," Hagrid said as he walked over to the burning net. "I was just goin' ta capture 'im to . . ."

"To do what, human?" asked Kieryn as still crouched to attack. "I am no beasstie!"

Both professors' eyes widen as the young gryphon spoke.

"Yes, Hagrid, just what were you going to do? Although Kieryn was born wild, he and his kind are very much sentient beings with rights. If you want to categorize him, he is like the centaurs," Harry commented, drawing the pair's gaze back to him and his glowing hands. "And what were you planning to do with him afterward?

Hagrid grimaced. "Albus, the great wizard that he was, said that the gryphon had be contained as not to 'arm the students. I've a nice cage for 'im." He had everything all fixed up nicely too, but the look of pure disgust in Harry's eyes caused the tall man to rethink his plan.

"Where didda ya learn that magic, 'arry?" Hagrid asked as he took in the ashes of his net and the sparks shooting out of the teen's hands.

Professor Snape paled as his eyes never left those glowing hands, Harry's little demonstration in the headmaster's office last night still fresh in his mind.

"Harry, my boy," came the Headmaster's voice as he stepped into the mix. "Is this the friend you were talking about last night?"

"This is Kieryn. And yes, he is a gryphon and a friend. They are sentient beings that have their own culture, language, and magic. They are not 'beasties.' To call them that is to say a centaur is a 'beastie'. . . " Harry informed them as Hagrid muttered about never doing that as the teen continued. ". . . quite the insult that would see you gutted."

Harry slowly let go of the ley-line, returning the power back to it while relaxing his pose with the intervention of the Headmaster. "He came with me, as a friend and as a back-up protector."

Kieryn snorted as he slowly rose from his crouch. "Sssso thisss isss the old coot that has delussions of adequancesss? And the idiot who likess to collect dangerrroussss petssss? Sstupid humansss think they arrre all powerrrrful. Hmmph!"

Harry smirked as he nodded. "Actually, I would've introduced Kieryn last night, but as you can see, Kieryn isn't that trusting of humans or tight places. Too many people and floating candles. That is a recipe of disaster if I ever saw one. We were planning to introduce him around lunch time. That is until Hagrid decided to interrupt our quiet time."

"Firrrefox," Kieryn interrupted as he stood beside him. "I think it's bessst if I go and patrrrol and then visssit with yourrrr frrrriendsss in the forrrest. Maybe I'll take out morrrre of thossse over-ssized ssspiderrrrssss that issss causssing ssso much harrm?"

Hagrid choked and started to protest at the thought of the demise of the acromantula colony.

"Winds to thy wings, wind-brother," Harry said, never really taking his eyes off the headmaster and professor or the growing crowd of students.

Kieryn launched himself the morning sky. His massive wings flared out as he lifted himself upwards. The students and Hagrid ohh's in awe at the sight.

"If any harm comes to Kieryn, then you'll answer to me. I won't be so lenient in my punishment," Harry announced as his chin pointed to the small burning pile beside Hagrid. "That is a small sample of what I can do. Do not test me. You won't appreciate the results."

With his morning ruined, Harry decided to rethink his plans as he walked back towards the castle. Behind him, an aged wizard stroked his beard, frowning as the Potions Master glared at the retreating teen. Both not wanting to get on his bad side.

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Harry sat in the Great Hall watching the students and staff enter for the noon day meal. He did send a silent thank you to Winky for her choice of dress today. He looked very exotic in his blue and silver robes. Even his hair had bits of ribbon and silver crystals braided into it. To many, he looked like someone that stepped out of the pages of "Beedle the Bard."

There was nothing about him that said "school student" and was not treated as one. So far, he had visits with many of the teachers and students about Kieryn.

"Think of him on the same level of being as the centaurs – a created species to serve in a war many centuries ago." Harry went on to explain that as a gryphon was a creature of magic and was magic resistant. However, there was no way, with how the ministry was and with a dark lord in the mix, that he was going to tell them that Kieryn was a mage in his own right and could do mind speech. That was asking for trouble.

He shuddered to think what someone like Dolores Umbridge would do if she thought Kieryn was a danger and a threat.

He smiled as Hermione and Luna came up to him. He could guess they had spent the morning in the library.

During the meal, Harry answered many of their questions as he ate.

"Harry, I never seen you eat so much," Hemione commented.

Harry shrugged as he dusted off his fingers. "I've learned to eat when I can. Where I lived, we never knew when the next crisis would happen. Plus, training and working around wild magic takes a toll on a body's natural resources. Food is fuel. If it tastes good – a plus."

"I see. But. . . "

Just then the doors to the Great Hall and Advisor Fudge walked in with a very pink clad Dolores Umbridge and four aurors.

Harry groaned. Wonderful. Just frickin' wonderful. Somehow he had jinxed himself. He'd hoped the Ministry would hold off for a few more days.

But to send Fudge? The man, through his own incompetence, lost his Minister position over the summer. In Harry's opinion, the idiot and the hag standing beside him deserved more.

Wishful thinking on his part. He silently sent up a quick prayer to the Star-eyed for patience and a bit of luck. He was going to need it if he didn't kill the pair out of hand for being too stupid to live.

:I guess it's show time, Sal,: Harry sent to the firecat. :I hate this and that woman in particular.:

Putting on an expression that he had seen Firesong used when he had to deal with self-important fools, Harry stood, straightening his robes.

Of all the people that could've been sent to Hogwarts, why Fudge and his 'toad'?

His father had no use for people like Fudge. Harry thanked the Star-eyed that Kieryn was still with the centaurs. That would've been a disaster in the making.

:You will do fine, mageling. Don't worry I have your back.: came Sal's rejoinder. He sent back a wave of gratitude; at least he now had back up.

"Ahh, Mr. Fudge. What brings you to Hogwarts today?" Albus asked as he came down the aisle towards them.

The pudgy advisor looked from Harry then to the headmaster while the pink-clad woman sniffed disdainfully. Harry narrowed his eyes. This was the woman that made him write in his own blood on the back of his hand with a blood quill.

:Why them?: he sent to the firecat.

:Easy, Harry. You have too much to do at the moment. See what they want and forget them.:

They looked over to where the flamboyant teen was standing with his friends. "We heard that Potter has returned and that he wasn't alone," Cornelius Fudge said as he glared at Potter. "The Minister was far too busy dealing with more important things, but this needs to be addressed, right here and now."

"I see," the headmaster said, stroking his beard. "Why don't we take this up in my office?"

"Why don't we just settle it right here?" Harry asked as he came to stand by him. "Maybe you have something to hide, but I don't. Besides, I don't trust you enough to be left alone with either of you."

Gasps echoed throughout the Great Hall, some in shock, some in anger, while some were amused.

No one paid any attention to the overly large cat that sat on top of the nearby Gryffindor table. If they had, they would have noticed the very intelligent glaze or the look of smugness it had or the fact that he was using magic.

"Now see here!" Madam Umbridge shrieked, taking a step forward. "You cannot come waltzing into this school without a by your leave!"

"Why not?" Harry asked as he looked incredulous. "You just did."

"He is the Advisor to the Minister of Magic. Show some respect!" she shrilly sputtered.

Harry smiled a very predatory smile that he had seen Firesong use when dealing with idiots. "Respect is earned, ma'am, and once lost is almost impossible to regain. And frankly, I lost all respect for the pair of you when both of you did your best to railroad a child into expulsion from Hogwarts and possibly serving time in Azkaban for simply telling an inconvenient but nonetheless manifest truth. You never let me explain that the only Muggle to see my Patronus was my cousin, Dudley, who already KNOWS about magic. But seeing how Umbridge admitted to sending the Dementors after me in the first place, putting me on trial for merely saving myself and my cousin… No. You certainly deserve no respect from me."

More gasps echoed through the hall as the aurors moved in an aggressive stance. Harry just stood there, poised and relaxed with his arms crossed as if he didn't have a care in the world. What they didn't know what he had already called on his tap on the ley-line from earlier. He was well grounded and ready for any attack.

"Now, Now," Albus chided. "What can we do for you, Cornelius, my boy?"

Fudge and Umbridge took their eyes off the teen. He wasn't sure about this confident young wizard before him. He wasn't anything like he was last spring.

"Well, we are here because it was reported to us that Potter had returned. We have been sent to learn where he has been and what are his plans for dealing with Lord Thingy?"

Harry smirked, with a quick shake of his head to flick a lock of hair out of the way. "My plans? Seriously? If memory serves me correctly, I just finished my O.W.L.s. How am I supposed to deal with this 'Lord Thingy,' whoever he is? Sorry, but my social calendar is filled at the moment."

He turned to the headmaster. "If you'll excuse me, headmaster, now that lunch is over, I have some errands to run." He turned and walked out of the Great Hall.

"Potter! Get back here! We are not done!" shouted Fudge. Umbridge shouted for the aurors to bring the brat back. They were not done speaking to him.

The headmaster sighed as the teen left. Who had taught the boy? How was he able to deal so expertly Cornelius? He had been certain they had come for the gryphon, but to turn the conversation so expertly. . .

Harry walked out the door before anyone could stop him. What they didn't see was the cat sitting on the Gryffindor Table stopping anyone from following him. Such was only one of the many talents of a firecat, an avatar of the sunlord.

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A/N: I am back. My summer is over, despite the hot weather. I did well in my sales. I also had cataract surgery on both eyes and can see better now. I only need cheap reading glasses now, mainly to read and do close-up work – like writing and sewing.

It will take awhile to get back into the swing of my old routine, so bear with me.

Until next time. – GF