Chapter 15 – Big Mac arrives
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It wasn't long before, if you were listening or not, the heavy tromp of Molly Weasley feet that were heard heading to the third floor. You could also distinctly hear every curse word she uttered in the kitchen as well as on her tromp to the third floor. A temporary silence fell just before a barrage of spells were heard bouncing off the wards of the third floor followed by a resumption of verbal abuse of one Boy-who-lived. Perhaps an hour later Fawkes 'flamed' into the third floor, his passenger failed to make the full trip and now sat on the stairs rubbing his posterior.
"Fledgling you cannot believe the different noises on the first floor. Anyway the old codger wants to talk with you so you might want to go downstairs." Fawkes 'flamed' away.
"Lora its time to start grabbing." I was grinning as I turned into my phoenix form and waved my tail in Lora's face. I hovered until Tiger and Lora grabbed some tail feathers, we then 'flamed' down to the library. Lora and I walked out of the library and into the living room to await Dumbledore. We also did not miss all the yelling and whining coming from the kitchen. Even Mrs. Black's portrait was screaming but it just blended into all the noise.
"There you are Harry I must…" Dumbledore was interrupted by the lynch mob stampede into the living room. Dumbledore must have brought extra help to convince me as Hermione and Ginny were there along with Remus. Remus hurried over to shut Mrs. Black up. Mrs. Weasley had her wand out while Ron looked like he was ready to kill while Snape slid off into the shadows.
Dumbledore silenced the group by raising his hand and then proceeded as the self-elected speaker. "Harry I must insist that you undo whatever restrictions you did over food in this house. I further demand you drop the wards on the library and the third floor."
"Albus you demand nothing in the house of Lord Black who if you haven't noticed is me the owner . In fact none of you will demand anything of me from now on or else."
"I regret your stance on this matter; I am however going to force the issue…" He started drawing his wand as if he had all day. Who in their right mind would dare challenge the Great Leader of the Light? His lynch mob moved forward.
I think Ron soiled himself while the Headmaster looked like an orchestra leader with his baton at the ready. Hermione uttered something like "OH MY GOD" while Ginny gave an "EEP". Molly Weasley fainted to the floor, no one noticed she was falling. Remus and Snape just stared. Lea had shot out of my robe sleeve like a mini rocket but was now a ten foot snake. Tiger had leaped off Lora's lap and had become a full-grown tiger in mid leap. A cockatrice now stood facing the mob while winds started to swirl around me at an ever increasing rate as lightning crackled around my hands. "YOU REGRET! You have just pissed me off. Get out of our sight before we do something you will regret." The living room emptied quickly the last being Dumbledore levitating Molly Weasley.
When we got to the third floor Dobby asked when we would like dinner. I'm sure I had an evil smile when I asked him if the smell of his cooking could reach the kitchen downstairs.
"Dobby can do Sir." He left with a pop and even he had what could be viewed as an evil smile on his face.
/Scene Break/
"Harry I understand most of why but are you not being a bit mean?" Lora asked.
"A bit but I have not stopped them from eating only eating here."
Lora started laughing, "Can you see Ron at a restaurant? I just don't mean his eating habits but the small portions they will give him."
/Scene Break/
"Remind me to compliment Dobby and Winky on a superb meal."
"Yes you have your cow on a plate and I noticed your vegetables appeared on my plate very quickly, again."
We were interrupted by Fawkes 'flaming' in with a note.
"Fawkes care to join us for dinner?" Fawkes gave an eye towards the fruit bowl which I moved over towards him. "Help your self as I am sure there is not much to eat downstairs." Fawkes gave a squawk like chuckle as he helped himself to the grapes.
"Albus has called for a truce and would like to discuss terms. Fawkes says Ron is trying to eat the fruit in the portrait of Herecta Black." Lora snickered when I translated what Fawkes said.
After dinner and a few words with Dobby, Lora and I headed downstairs.
"Harry are you sure it's safe or do you think the mob is laying in wait?"
"Lora! are you trying to say that Dumbledore and crowd are as bad as Big Mac and Voldemort?"
Arriving downstairs the mood was far from clear.
"Harry, Lora, so very nice of you to join us this evening. We have decided to allow you to have your wards but we must ask that you undo whatever curse you did to cause the food shortage."
"So very kind of you Albus, all you had to do was ask. I Lord of this Manor of House Black do lift the food restriction wards, so mote be it."
There was a 'boink' and then Ron yelled "Where is the food?" Dobby had made the sound so to make them think I was really controlling the wards which didn't exist. While the ban on food was lifted I insured that my elves did not help bring any food into the house for them. If Molly wanted food she would have to go shopping herself. Ron was already at the kitchen table utensils in hand but his wait was a long one as Dumbledore had us all return to Hogwarts later that evening.
The elves return to Hogwarts so they had some work to keep them happy. I also ordered them to only keep the third floor clean. We figured that it was for the greater good that the Order of the Phoenix got to clean or they could live like the Order of the Swine. The next week was not as dull but continued at its usual pace of not leaving me alone.
The first thing was Dumbledore called Lora and I into his office. "I must ask how you learned to become animagus and why you chose that path."
"You know how things are Headmaster, shit just happens. Being an animagus is very personal and we would like to keep it that way." Of course that would not past Dumbledore's curiosity but when he saw Lea and Tiger staring at him with a hostile look Dumbledore dropped the questioning. This summer was enough of Dumbledore and friends meddling not to mention their cold shoulder approch towards Lora. She move into my quarters with a "NO grabbing" warning. We had moved to an under the covers in the same bed fully clothed relationship. Kissing was encouraged.
The second thing was that Umbridge was doing inspections of teachers and one day she decided to inspect Hagrid with his class in the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid had asked for my assistance and since Lora and I were free we agreed. Hagrid led his class into the forest while lugging a side of beef on his shoulder, well it was more like the whole cow but Hagrid was a fairly large person. My only duty was to keep any scared kids from running into the depths of the forest. Poor Hagrid had just started when Umbitch waddled up and started questioning him.
"Why have you brought children into the Forbidden forest? How long have you been a teacher? She sounded like Hermione and Hagrid was not that fast with his answers. Just then a Thestral approached her and gave her a lick on her hand. I assume the poor beast was just trying to be friendly. The Thestral shook it whole body and backed away looking sick. When the Thestral licked Umbitch she turned around but apparently had never seen death. She saw nothing behind her but chunks disappearing from the cow's carcass. She panicked and tried to run. The stupid cow ran into the forest but immediately ran into a Centaur who apparently was watching the class. Umbridge then gave an ear shattering scream and took off in a waddling run. The rest of the story leaked back to Hagrid and he of course told us the tale.
After her Centaur run in she waddled off and ran into some of Aragog's baby Acromantula. Her high-pitched scream sent the spiders racing for cover while Umbitch took off in another direction. Racing though the underbrush and shrubs in a forest does nothing for anyone's clothing or the outer layer most people called skin. So a half-naked Umbitch runs into Grawp who picked her up by wrapping his hand round her. Hagrid say Grwap, with his arm full extended, dropped Umbitch at Hagrid's feet by Hagrids cabin the next day. Grawp has been washing his hand ever since. Fortunately, err, unfortunately Umbitch mental state if it was ever sane was ideal for her post at the Ministry of Magic. She now resides as Undersecratery for the Minister and refusing to return to Hogwarts.
Thirdly Alex Johnson from the American Ministry was introduced as the new DADA Professor. DAH! What was going on now?
I guess you could say the fourth thing was Hogsmeade Village weekend. How do they say it, "never a dull moment"?
/Scene Break/
Hogsmeade Village visit was in the air and the students were eager to break free from the castle and classes. Lora and I had finished breakfast in the Great Hall and had plans to meet everyone at the Three Broomsticks in the afternoon. Presently we were doing a little shopping and Lora was doing lot of "Window shopping". The sun was out; students were racing around from Honeydukes to Zonko's enjoying the day.
It was just a nice day to stroll the main street of the Village. While I window shopped Spintwitches Qudditch supplies Lora browsed the Hair Dressing Shop's products. We had stopped at Rosa Lee TeaBag for a cuppa then later we headed for our afternoon meeting with our friends when the day fell apart.
Lora and I were by the Caldron Shop when down by the Post Office people started to appear in the street. Everyone just stopped and stared at them. They were wearing black pinstriped suits with matching striped shirt and pinstriped vests with their shiny dress shoes which didn't fit with our dress standards in an all wizard town. Topping off their assembly was their black Fedora hats and their 'Chicago Typewriters" better described as 1919 Tommy guns and of course they had wands. They looked to have just walked out of a 1920 gangland movie.
Voldemort was enough of a terror but when these clowns opened up with the 'Chicago Typewriters' all fight went out of the populace in Hogsmeade. They were throwing lead slugs and 'Avada Kedavra' in all directions. Lea and Tiger transformed and all I could think of was to yell, "Stay Here" as I erected a stone wall to stop the stray lead. That's when a figure in white appeared and Lora gasped "Big Mac". He was in a white Zoot Suit, black shiny shoes and a white Fedora with a red feather. He had a wand in one hand and a revolver in the other.
Before they could spot us I had the time to gather and unleashed my weather magic on them. The wind was strong enough that it flung anything that was not tied down at the Zoot Suit Mafia clowns. As they were picking themselves up from the ground. The sky finally turned dark and lightning started striking down the main street.
I had just destroyed a quarter of Hogsmeade village but the remaining Zoot Suited idiots were not going to ever cause trouble again. It takes a while to assemble the weather at this strength so I hoped that any innocence people had time to escape the area. I tapped my Aura badge even thought the Ministry probably was already on their way.
"Harry did you get him?"
"I don't know Lora the place is sort of a mess, we will just have to wait and see if we got your Big Mac."
Minutes later:
"Mr. Potter why do I have the feeling your behind all this destruction?" Madam Bones had arrived.
The impact of what I had done seemed to have caught up to me and was slowing down my thinking process. "Big Mac from America came over...to do something...and I sort of helped stop his attack...and sort of made a mess."
"Well I guess you had better return to Hogwarts and we will sort through all this and I will contact you tomorrow after I have made an appointment through your Headmaster. Right now I suggest you visit Madam Pomfrey for a calming drought."
"Thanks I guess, sorry it's just a mess isn't it?" Lora grabbed my arm and frog marched me to the Three Broomsticks and ordered me a firewhiskey.
"Harry you have done nothing except stop a bad person doing bad things." I guess I didn't respond properly to Lora as she gave me a kiss that curled my toes and my brain…no that's not right my…my interest got directed towards Lora and I had only one thing on my mind, I even forgot who Big Mac was.
"So are you back with us? You gave a new meaning to passing wind to those around you." Lora smiled.
"One of these days I am going to grab you and…"
"Yes its possible one day but right now you have some things to take care of."
"Huh?"
"Hogsmeade's repair and recovery?"
"OH! Dobby!"
POP
"Dobby tell Lockjaw I need them to repair, replace or buy out the damaged areas."
POP
"Plan on owning the world there Mr. Potter?" Lora smirked.
"Could be, if what Xenophon said to me is true. You see he is the trainer of emperors."
"What are you talking about?"
"Just a passing memory my dear, just a passing memory."
/Scene Break/
"Lord Potter Black "Madam Bones called as she entered the Great Hall.
"Madam Bones please as often as we seem to chat please call me Harry."
"Good call me Amelia. I have some news. You did not kill all of Big Mac's followers in Hogsmeade and those that lived were doused with Veritaserum. They were definitely after Lora. They had traced her being in Hogwarts and attacked Hogsmeade hoping to kill her if even accidentally."
"Did we get Big Mac?"
"Possibly, but my gut says like Voldemort not probably. They did haul off some of their dead."
"Merlin what is my seventh year here going to look like? I only have a hundred years left to get more Dark Lords added to my to do list. This is definitely going to ruin my place in the sun on some deserted Island with my lovely Lora."