Short one this time. We're heading towards the end though, only three more chapters after this I believe.

Mythic Alliance

by Jendra

Harry put his head down on his paws with a sigh. When Lucius Malfoy had suggested this, he'd thought it would be fun. He'd get to see how the Malfoys really lived, maybe even snoop around a bit. But no... he raised his great eagle head to glare into the shadows. He couldn't see into the dense darkness, but he knew. Oh yes, he knew.

From the moment he'd agreed, Severus had been deluging him with rules and restrictions. Absolutely no changing to human form while in the Manor. No wandering. Heck, no movement at all. He wasn't even supposed to look at the people who came in if he could help it, and he certainly wasn't supposed to respond to anything that was said or show any human emotion at all.

To make sure he didn't do anything he'd forbidden, Severus had picked him up and carried him to the room he was in now. He knew phoenixes were strong, but it was a little disconcerting to be carried by something so much smaller than himself. He'd made it unequivocally clear; when Severus said he wasn't to be human at all in Malfoy Manor, he meant it. Now the shadow phoenix was perched in a corner of the room and Harry just knew his professor hadn't taken his eyes off of him.

Contrary to all of his expectations for this trip, He. Was. Bored.

The opening door snapped his attention to it as if his head had been 'Accio'd. There was the Lord of the Manor and his visitors.

Harry looked closely at them all, trying to hold his face expressionless, something made infinitely easier by the fact that his head was currently a bird's. Beaks and feathers do not show emotion well.

Somehow, even knowing Severus and Malfoy, Harry hadn't fully comprehended one simple fact. Death Eaters were normal people. Every one of the men walking into the room was... ordinary. People that would be passed on the street without a second look. Without the black robes and white masks, there was no aura of evil and power, simply the same worry as every other wizard in these times. Worry that Voldemort would hurt their families.

"What are we doing in here with... that?" someone Harry didn't know asked. Now Harry understood the warning against human emotions. He *so* wanted to glare at the man, but gryphons were not known for understanding human speech.

"I believe we all wish for assurance of the truthfulness and trustworthiness of those gathered here. Since an oath or truth potion would not be accepted, this creature seemed the best choice."

Harry held back a snort, creature indeed!

It took a good bit of argument and everyone experimenting with his lie nullifying ability before there was an agreement. Once that happened, they all spoke a line Lucius required, saying they would not speak of, write, or in any way communicate or attempt to allow others to know that which was spoken of tonight. Not that it was foolproof without a binding oath, but they would be asked again before they left and anyone who couldn't still agree would be Obliviated. Still, they all knew they were taking some serious risks, even if they weren't telling anything truly important. What they were doing, the plan being made and agreed to, was damning enough. It would be worth it though, if it only worked.

"So, we're all here; we're all the telling the truth. Now, are you going to tell us what the Hell we're going to do?" one man yelled, his tone threatening. Obviously this was not a man who took surprises or stress well.

Harry would have growled if he had the vocal structure to do so, but the raspy cry he made as he surged to his feet and glared at the man was effective enough. He made it very clear he did not appreciate the man's tone of voice and threatening posture.

The man backed away quickly, even going so far as to hide behind another of those gathered around. Harry settled back down as Lucius gave him a warning look. He was sure a black bird was glaring at him from the rafters as well. He didn't care, his actions were justified, based on the man's tone, and could be easily passed off as a reaction to that.

"What you're 'going to do' is simple." Lucius informed them as the man calmed down, "Nothing."

"What?" "What are you..." "How can you..." Why..." the explosion of sound was immediate, and it wasn't Harry's human instincts that caused him to react. Before he even realized what he was doing, he was back on his paws, head back, wings extended as he screeched.

Silence blanketed the room except for the echoes of that cry. Finally, one of the men trying desperately not to soil themselves as the gryphon's eagle eye looked at them, spoke. "Perhaps we should continue this in another room."

"Certainly not, Bigley," Lucius said genially. "We don't want anyone to accuse me of lying, now do we? As long as there are no more outbursts on your parts, I'm sure there will be no more outbursts on its part."

There was much grumbling but everyone settled back down. Once they were all calm, Harry settled back down as well. "As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, I expect you to do nothing. You will come to Narcissa's funeral and be seen. If the Dark Lord calls, you will do nothing. If he asks later why you did not come, the people gathered would be your excuse, especially as there will be a number of Aurors present."

"And what are you going to do?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Lucius informed them.

"It's our lives on the line! You know what he'll do if we don't show up when summoned! We've got the right to know!"

"Right? You think you have the right?" Lucius' voice was almost a whisper as he stalked forward. "You, who are too stupid to research on your own, too cowardly to make plans of your own, you think you have rights? The only right you have is to sit on your arse and cry about things not being fair. You're a sheep, and sheep don't need plans, they just bleat about wherever the shepherd sends them. So sit down, shut up and don't you dare demand anything of me again."

Harry was watching all this with interest. He was glad he wasn't the one being talked to that way. By the look on the man's face, angry Lucius was scary. Of course, he knew that, he still remembered second year when he freed Dobby. He held back a snicker. Angry Lucius might be scary, but he was really no match of an angry house elf.

Soon enough, Harry lost what interest he had. He suddenly realized *why* these people followed the Dark Lord: if they didn't have someone to 'Crucio' them when they argued, they'd never get anything done! What was so bleeding difficult to understand? Even if he'd really been a gryphon, he'd have been able to grasp their part of the plan.

As his attention wandered it was caught by a peculiar feeling on his lower back, just above his tail. It felt as if something was crawling on him. The skin on his back twitched, but the sensation was still there. He tried to reach it with his paws, front and back, but they couldn't quite get there. He turned his head farther then he thought possible and snapped at the spot, but his beak didn't reach.

The tickling, itching sensation was about to drive him mad. He had risen to his feet and was searching for something to rub against or a place to transform so he could use his hands. He had to scratch! Suddenly, however, he could feel something else running through his fur, scratching *just* right. Hard enough not to tickle, but not hard enough to hurt. He pressed his back up into those wonderful fingers, trying to get them to every inch of his suddenly sensitized back. Like the big cat he partly was, he moved closer to the wonderful feeling. He could feel his claws going in and out of their sheaths as he kneaded the hard wooden surface underneath him.

Finally, he dropped bonelessly to the floor. His back had been scratched masterfully and he was blissed out. Only then did he notice the room was empty except for himself and Lucius. Therefore, it must have been Malfoy that had such wonderful hands. Hands that, he abruptly realized, were no longer stroking him. He looked at the man reproachfully.

Lucius just chuckled. "Your timing was impeccable. Since they were under the impression that you were getting restless and therefore more dangerous, they left quickly and gave me no problems about the second acquiescence."

Harry looked at him, wondering if the timing was really so coincidental, then shrugged his massive shoulders, causing his wings to flutter slightly. So what if he had been manipulated? Those hands made up for quite a lot.

A dark bird swept down, pulling the shadows behind it like a tail. Harry just barely kept himself from snapping at the bird. His instincts were obviously still running high. It was only the thought of what terrible punishment Severus could come up with if he dared try that kept him still.

The shadow phoenix landed on Harry's back and looked at the blond. Lucius shook his head. "I need to make sure everyone has left. We would not want any stragglers wandering about the manor, would we?"

With a few trills of song as an answer, the shadow phoenix lifted the gryphon and flew away.