Chapter 12 – Life, Death and Love
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My absence had left me out of touch here in Hogwarts. I had a number of question like who was the new Slytherin leader? Who were still friends or hidden enemies and what was hot news on the rumor mill. Ron and Hermione avoided me while Lora and I pretended to be just passing acquaintances. I had rejected the first quarters offered to me as the front door was in the middle of Gryffindor common room. McGonagall finally came up with an entrance that was well hidden and off the normal class routes.
"So you want to be more public in our relationship? I asked Lora later in my quarters.
"Its enough for the school to see we enjoy each others company but not much else as I don't want the killing curse to the back." We had agreed that we were to be girlfriend and boyfriend but the public was to know squat.
"This weekend we need to go where?
"I need a new set of robes and your supply of food for your familiars is getting low."
"Good, Diagon alley it is as Lockjaw needs me to sign some more papers."
/Scene Break/
Breakfast was not much fun as it appeared that Ginny Weasley was all by herself and was being shunned by Gryffindor. It was my dislike for what usually happened at Hogwarts that caused me I sit next to her. One day you were popular the next day trash and shunned so I went against the flow. "What going on Ginny you don't look at all happy?"
"The rumors are that I have a marriage contract with someone but no one will tell me who or why or anything. Even my parents are not saying anything and I know they had to sign the contract if there is one. Now everyone is upset that I was with someone else than the person in my contract."
"Ginny there is a contract but it isn't my place to say with who, that is for Dumbledore and your parents who signed the stupid thing. The contract is illegal and Gringotts is trying to sort things out and not feed the perpetrator to the dragons. Unfortunately it will take time so don't despair there is hope it will be nullified."
"So you know who is my intended?
"Yes but rest assured that he is in love with someone else and will never honor that contract nor force you to do anything because of that stupid contract."
"Thanks Harry, it is good to see who your real friends are and who are just pretend."
"I know how that works, Ginny I have been there a lot."
/Scene Break/
Lora was acting like a little girl in a candy shop. She was completely and enthusiastically ready to get to Diagon alley. I thought that I should buy her a new set of robes everyday to have her like this forever. She just made me happy by her being this happy over a trip to Diagon Alley for robes.
I was just a bit jealous as Hedwig sat on Lora' shoulder while she held a purring Tiger. Only Lea was faithful but then again she was curled around my shoulder and asleep.
As we exited Madam Malkin's Robes for all occasions there was a quiet in the air I didn't like, call it a Phoenix sense. We were only a building away from Gringotts when the first group of Deatheaters arrived down the street. My first thought was to drag my Menagerie to cover and safety. I was not overly worried as its difficult to stop a Phoenix from leaving. When ten more appeared behind us and I was ready to flame my crew home, unfortunately my crew decided that they needed to protect me or themselves. Morgana what a mess, how do you 'flame' out with a ten foot snake, a large tiger and a cockatrice all heading in different directions, even a Phoenix has limitations.
Another ten arrived out of Knockturn Alley so it was now time to do something besides count how many Deatheaters were arriving. I summoned 'The Weather' and while shielding and dodging incoming curses I had time to shield and dodge. Tiger was not just attacking one Deatheater at a time but mauled one and leaped to the next. Curses thrown by the Deatheater seemed to just miss the leaping tiger, causing some curses to hit their other fellow Deatheaters. Lea was the sneaky one slithering around the edges of the battle. While her poison was not lethal her four-inch fangs did impress those bitten. Lora the cockatrice had removed her inner lid from her eyes and was petrifying Deatheaters at an astounding rate considering her breath she was using was like a fog and quite lethal. She had her end of the street her own private killing zone. On my end of the street the great hero, me, turned out to be totally useless. With that many Deatheaters throwing curses at me my only actions were defensive, shield and dodge. On one such dodge and roll I saw Lora swooping in to assist me as my Menagerie had started some team work. Lea had to transform to her two foot size to avoid incoming curses. On this occasion Lora swooped down and grabbed the small snake and at about ten feet in the air dropped Lea. Lea then used her flying abilities to pick out her target. The target was then hit with a ten-foot snake crashing down on them. It was now my turn as I let loose the weather. Mini tornadoes would hit the individual Deatheater and sent them hundreds of feet into the air, imminent contact with the cobble stones below was part of their down fall. Others were flung into building walls or glass store fronts by the winds.
"Harry Potter I have you at last." Snake face was confidently approaching over his fallen Deatheaters. As he raised his wand to strike me with some curse which was most likely was deadly, a bolt of lightning flew out of the sky courtesy of my dislike of the guy. Voldemort erected a silver shield but it was quite ineffective, the last I saw of him was his clothes were on fire and he looked a lot like burnt toast. In a blink he and his remaining few standing Deatheaters portkeyed out of Diagon alley.
Dumbledore with the Order of the Phoenix and Madam Bones with a number of Aurors suddenly appeared into the death and destruction. All they had to do was collect the injured and send the dead to a cold storage facility. Dumbledore and Madam Bones headed towards me and my crew. We had reverted to their miniature and cute forms before they arrived. The crew consisted of Lora petting little Tiger and Lea the two foot snake slithering up my outstretched arm.
"Madam Bones if you will I would like to make my statement in the morning. Right now I have this beautiful lady I need to wine and dine." Madam Bones took the hint that I didn't want to talk in front of Dumbledore and told us to wait for her interview later. Dumbledore however was a bit more persistent.
"Harry my boy could you tell me what happened here in this dreadful arena of destruction? Who caused all this unwarranted loss of life?"
"Not at all Headmaster, a few of the losers associated with Tommy Riddle attempted to intimidate me and my friend. I of course could not tolerate such uncouth display. I then admonished the upstarts and ensured normality was restored to Diagon Alley." God did I just utter such Tosh?
Madam Bones looked like she was going to explode in laughter.
"But Harry all the loss of lives, all those people that could have been saved."
"You missed the point, as if I care. Yes I'm sure that Azkaban is secure and saving their lives would allow Voldemort to restock his Deatheater supply at his convenience. How does that saying go? "Better dead that Red" no that's not right. Oh well kill them all and not have to worry about them in the morning." I walked away from a shocked Dumbledore.
/Scene Break/
The next morning I was slowly come awake. I was physically uncomfortable yet I was as comfortable as could ever imagine. Our little five-minute battle had taken a lot out of all of us. I was on a couch and tilted towards the arm of the sofa. Lora's head was lying on my chest with Tiger on her lap. Lea was on my lap and Hedwig was setting on my leg. I was totally in the wrong position and deliriously comfortable.
"Come its time to rise and return to Hogwarts, Lora dear, time to wake and cast evil spells at them."
"It's to early Harry".
"Come on that's my line. Breakfast in the Great Hall awaits us."
I flamed us Hogwarts where I dropped Lora in an empty classroom so we could arrive separately into Gryffindor house to shower and change. I of course was now waiting in the common room for Lora. Ron came down and plopped down in a chair across from me to wait for Hermione. "Think we have time for a game of chess Mate?" I guess I was forgiven.
"I'm sure they will be down shortly." The common room was filling up with other students awaiting their friends. Lora, Lavender and Hermione came down together and we set off for the Great Hall. I guess we were all great friends again.
I let Ron sit down and found a place just a bit down the table. Ron's eating habit was bad to watch but his attempts at talking with his mouth full demanded distance from flying food particles. Now that he was apparently talking with me again his mouth was also pointed in my direction. I was not paying attention to much of anything as I piled my favorites on my plate. Lora went over to say something to Paverti. I was shocked as Ginny jumps into my lab and gives me a liplock which boarded on a violent attack. I was in shock even after she backed off and started cooing.
"Oh Harry Dumbledore just told me who was in the marriage contract with me. We are going to have…" Lora appeared out of nowhere, grabbed Ginny by her robe and snatched her up off my lap. Lora then delivered a right cross to Ginny's jaw setting her on her bum. My poor brain engaged about that time and the realization I made me just a tad angry.
"Miss Weasley! That contract is not only illegal but if I was forced into it I would not touch you with a ten-foot pole. Furthermore do let the signing parties know that the day before this imaginary marriage I will give all my vaults to charity leaving us in poverty." The last part was more for Dumbledore as I was sure he was the prime instigator in that contract.
"Mr. Potter that will be detention with me tonight for inappropriate display of affection in the Great Hall. Miss Jones you also have a weeks detention for violence on another student." Umbridge had beaten the Headmaster but…
"Mr. Potter you will report to my office immediately." The Headmaster wasn't to be denied.
I turned to Lora, "I do believe you have dissolved the image of us just being good friends. Care to take breakfast at The Three Broomsticks?"
"I do believe you have an appointment with the Headmaster and DADA is in twenty minutes." Lora smiled.
"Well do join me on the other end of the table and were we can watch all the happy people. Don't worry about going to the detentions as Umbridge will have forgotten all about them."
Lora gave me a questioning look but before she could ask. "Dumbledore is not the only one good at memory charms. I will make good use of my attendance at DADA today.
No sooner did we sit down, "Mr. Potter you are to go to my office now!"
"Sorry Albus but I'm busy go pick on someone your own age." While I started to load my plate with food I kept an eye on Dumbledore. He was not use to someone telling him, NO! I did not hear Snape sneaking up behind me until he grabbed my robe's collar and snatched me up and off my seat.
"You arrogant brat I am…" SPLAT! I cut his sneer off with a punch to his overly large nose. I put everything I could into it.
"YOU DARE!" Snape yelled as he drew his wand from where he sat on the floor.
"POTTER! Dumbledore yelled as he drew his wand. I beat both at getting a wand out and ready for use, not that I really needed a wand.
"Protego" was my reply to Dumbledore and my foot to Snape's wand hand was my reply to Snape.
Dumbledore's stunner bounced off my shield had hit several students at the Slytherin table. Snape's wand flew out of his hand and landed about ten feet away. Snape leaped to his feet and charged. My 'Stupify' spell hit him in the chest and laid him out cold on the floor. I then had to push everything into my new weather shield as Dumbledore was throwing spells at me like a muggle machine gun. The spells were the incapacitating spells such as "Impedimenta, Stupefy, Petrificus Totalus and even Expelliarmus" while they were not dangerous they were thrown with power, power enough to make a regular 'Protego' collapse quickly along with me. My weather shield looked like a normal 'Protego' but was way stronger. All of Dumbledore's spells were bouncing around the Great Hall taking out multiple students with each one of his spells until he seemed to realize what his spells were really doing.
As he lowered his wand I said, "I'll just be packing in my quarters since it looks like I am now expelled from Hogwarts."
"Not so fast Mr. Potter, I wish you and Miss Jones to report to my office immediately." I sat down next to Lora and shook my head. Isn't this where we were minutes ago?