Chapter 11 –When you can't persuade, attack

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My days were occupied with my training in the morning and flying as a Phoenix. The Phoenix flights somehow always went over Hogwarts. I guess I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Lora. Returning to Hogwarts was beginning to sound appealing to me just to be around Lora.

Friday morning I got distracted, Hedwig was in and doing a two step on the kitchen table. "Found another Deatheater meeting place?" I got the Hedwig nod.

"Good work girl, lead the way and I'll be right behind you." Although I got some grumbling from the crew, as they had not finished their breakfast, I got them assembled and we left following Hedwig.

The place was a typical three-story place surrounded with woods, a typical old pureblood Mansion. Perched in a tree we saw another Deatheater arrive and enter the Mansion. I flamed the crew onto the third floor and we all started working our way down room by room. The second floor caused us trouble as Mrs. Goyle was there and she walked right into us as we stepped into one of the bedrooms. I cut off what would have been a full-fledged scream with a stunner. A very old elf popped in to ease her fall but turned to us in an elf defensive stance of its master. I remembered just how dangerous an elf could be by the actions against Lucius by Dobby after the Chamber of Secrets.

"Dobby?"

POP

"Yes Lord Harry Potter Sir how can Dobby be of service?"

"Dobby I called you here to help and not fight, OK?"

"Yes Lord Harry Potter Sir."

"Can you help getting that elf to take his mistress and any other elves to safety and stay with her? We do not want to hurt either of them but there are bad people downstairs that I must deal with?" Destroying innocence was not my objectives but this place was going down if I had to fight twenty elves.

Dobby started his attempt. "Ebbe knows of the great Harry Potter and what he has done for the elves, right Ebbe?" The elf nodded but didn't change its stance.

"Ebbe is just protecting mistress."

Hoping that none of this was being heard downstairs I asked Ebbe, "There are some very dark people downstairs, could you take your mistress to safety and stay there? We don't want to hurt you or your mistress but the bad people downstairs may hurt her."

POP

That allowed me to take a deep breath I didn't realize I was holding, the two were gone.

"Can Dobby help the great Harry Potter Sir?"

"Dobby can you safely go and find out how many people are down stairs and where?" Elves were noted for not being seen but Dobby just looked up at me and said, "Dobby can Sir, there are twenty in the living room which is just off to the left from the bottom of the stairs." I just shook my head, Dobby was about to be inducted as head scout and elf removal service in our future operations.

Expecting the rest of the operation to go smoothly was just expecting too much. Lea and Tiger set off to ensure the ground floor was clear of any other people as I banished three brown eggs into the living room. Bellatrix Lestrange came dancing out of that same room just as I banished in the eggs. Dancing is the best description of her insane movements; her rederick was just as wacko.

"Baby Potter needs a spanking, shall mommy paddle your little rear end and make it shine. Maybe the Dark Lord will let poor Bella play with baby Harry before he…"

I sent a blasting curse at her but she put up her shield. I followed up with a cutting curse but the cutting curse missed her as she was no longer there. My brain caught up with what I saw in slow motion. The blasting curse had collapsed her shield but still had enough force left to push her backwards into the living room. It would take ten minutes for the gas to clear and that long she could not hold her breath. Just as I was going to give a spirited yell when I noticed my shoulder hurt and found she had hit me with a curse, it was bleeding freely. Luckily the cutting curse was not a direct hit but I was bleeding and hurt more than I should admit. I did what I could for the cut as I am no Madam Pomfrey, but it did stop the bleeding. Bella got postal priority on the Phoenix express to the Ministry. She was found with banished clothes and glued to the Atrium wall. She didn't look half bad for an old Deatheater. The rest I left stunned, tied up and heaped in a pile just outside the Auror offices.

/Scene Break/

The next morning was agony. My shoulder hurt and all that lugging of Deatheaters to the Ministry didn't help my wellbeing. I headed off to the Three Broomsticks for my date with Lora, which I was not going to miss.

"Harry you look like hell."

"Thanks Lora I knew you cared, I just had a busy night."

"Are you alright?" She put her hand on my shoulder and of course I flinched in pain.

That's when she turned from the beautiful sweet girl into a demanding she-thing. "Potter you will take me to where ever you live and let me look at that shoulder. No don't you give me that look or even think of arguing, NOW!"

Dam she was sexy making me feel like putty in her hands. So I let her drag me to my cottage.

"Take off those clothes, I am pretty good at healing charms."

"All my clothes?"

"Don't get smart with me Potter you know exactly what I mean."

I still had a shit-eating grin on my face until she sent a healing spell at my shoulder. Damn that hurt. The second spell made me feel like new so I asked if I should lie on the bed like Madam Pomfrey always ordered. I was hoping… "You wish Potter but you have a lot of wooing before you get a kiss, the bed, you may not live that long."

Tinkle, Tinkle… Tinkle, Tinkle… Tinkle, Tinkle.

Lora we have company and I doubt it's a neighbor asking to borrow a cup of sugar... Lea, Tiger stay with Lora I am going to see what's coming." I flashed up and floated over the incoming people. I recognized Tonks, Kingsley but Hesta Jones and Emmeline Vance told me it was the Order coming after me and not the Ministry, Remus was a surprise. I flamed back to Lora as the wards sounded, "Ring, Ring…Ring, Ring"

"Just relax its Dumbledore's flunky's on a grab Harry Potter to keep him safe mission. Of course Lea and Tiger stood by the door ready to transform. "I am going to step out and warn them about the wards so everyone stay calm.

On the porch I yelled, "Stop right there or the wards will fry you nice and crisp. What brings Dumbledore's flunky's to my humble abode?"

Remus stepped forward, "Harry I need to talk with you."

"So talk Remus, I doubt that Dumbledore's words mean very much anymore."

"We need to be private the information is too sensitive to be yelling it out in the open."

"Ok, Remus you may come in the rest of you all just wait there."

We entered the cottage past Lea and Tiger but Lora was no where to be seen. Remus was a werewolf and had very quick reflexes but even if he stunned me he would have to face Lea and Tiger to get out so I felt fairly safe.

"Harry Dumbledore feels that you are taking an unnecessary risk and would be safer if you were at Hogwarts. We are here to escort you to Hogwarts for your safety.

"Thank Dumbledore for expelling me from the safety of Hogwarts and tell him I have had enough being his prisoner for my safety. I come and go as I wish and not as he feels I should. I have a girlfriend and my familiars are kind and gentle and as you saw I have substantial wards. So tell Dumbles, No Thanks. Now what is this sensitive information you need to deliver?"

"I'm sorry Harry but this is for your own safety" and Remus had a wand in my face in a blink of an eye.

"Auh Remus, you might want to look over your shoulder before you do anything rash."

"Sorry Harry I am not falling for that old gag."

Tiger the large growled and moved to Remus's left, Lea the large hissed and moved to his right. Remus's head swung from the left to the right and then looked at me and fainted.

"Big bad werewolf afraid of a snake and a Tiger." No sooner had I said that when I heard and felt something behind me and when I turned and I almost fainted. There standing on it two legs was a cockatrice the beak on its rooster head clicking menacingly and I was looking at it directly in the eye. Then my poor brain started clicking, cockatrice petrified people into stone like the basilisk and its breath was deadly. It was the blue eyes that I couldn't look away from... Lora?

Lora transformed into the gorgeous girl about the time that Tiger large leaped on us so the three of us fell to the floor. Tiger transformed and said, "Meow" while Lea squeezed us together like one big happy family.

"Harry I still can't tell you about myself but I do think it would be advisable to return to school. AND no I am not a Dumbledore plant. Besides you can make your return to Hogwarts work for you if you are sly and crafty."

"I am just glad that the basilisk and you have membranes on you eyes that stops from petrifying me when I look into your eyes."

I almost hurt my face by the large grin that appeared; yes I think I have just a few demands of Dumbledore. I levitated Remus and gave him back to his attack Harry squad and told them to suck eggs. I then assembled my crew and grabbing Lora, we flamed to Hogwarts with the intent of visiting the Headmaster's office. I deposited an upset Lora in an empty class room and returned to human form. Lora then told me, in no uncertain terms, that she would grab my tail but I would not be grabbing her unless it was an emergency. What got her upset I couldn't fathom, it was a shoulder grab by a Phoenix and not me grabbing some of her more appealing areas.

After appearing at the gargoyle as Harry Potter with my two little familiars I announced myself.

"Tell Dumbledork he has important visitors and for you to get out of the way." Dumbledore always knew who was waiting to come in for a visit. This was one of his little games he liked to play, I was now supposed to guess the password which was always a sweet of some kind. I took out my wand and gave the gargoyle a little push. As it tilted out of the way I stepped on the stairs, which were no longer moving, and headed up to Dumbledore's office. I knocked on the door, again more games, no response just a locked door. So the games continued I thought. I blasted the door open and entered.

"Dumbledore." I said as I took a seat and waited for his first salvo.

Remus stumbled in, "Albus Harry can call all kinds of dark creachers. Harry just laughed at me and…"

Remus suddenly noticed me in a chair and froze, "How did you get here? You were…you couldn't…"

Well it's been a nice chatting with you Headmaster but since you have nothing to offer I will be returning to my cottage and my dark creachers."

"Now Harry you shouldn't be so rash. What brings you here and what can I do for you."

Dumbledore's gall had no limits. He just sent a kidnapping team and he wants to know why I am here? "Well since you asked so nicely I came here to say something's but have changed my mind. As far as what you can do for me well how about jumping off the Astronomy tower."

"Harry you can't…" Dumbledore raised his hand which silenced Remus.

"I see you have your subjects well trained Headmaster." I couldn't pass that up.

"Harry there is no safer place than Hogwarts for you."

"So you are asking me to come back?"

"I feel that your safety is the greatest concern for the greater good."

"Well if you feel that way I will be heading back to my safe cottage."

"Alright I am asking you to return to Hogwarts as it is for the greater good and your safety."

"Damn you make it hard to decide, here is my list of demands."

I thought that Dumbledore was going to pass a kidney stone. There were not many demands but they did go against the grain for Dumbledore way of thinking. The private room was easy but not taking any of Snape's classes was hard for him to swallow. No curfew was easy but the access to the restricted section of the library was almost a deal breaker. I had no use for the restricted section but it was something that I knew would stick in Dumbledore's craw.

As I walked out of Dumbledore's office I passed Remus and casually said, "Have a nice day Mr. Pettigrew.