-It was finally Tuesday, the day Harry would be kidna- relocated to a stranger's home. Honestly it was pretty lackluster, he was sitting on his trunk in the Great Hall with the rest of the gathered teachers, a large feast available to all who were there. The Headmaster, as well as his Head of House, had wanted to give him a mini feast to prepare him for his next "Adventure" as the old man had called it. Ashleigh was set to arrive in-

"Tempus. 7:49"

Almost two hours ago. McGonagall had been on a warpath after 30 minutes had gone by, and even Snape had seemed angry, but that might have just been because Harry hadn't left yet.

"Are we sure the old horse hasn't come down with dementia and simply forgotten she was supposed to be here. Honestly Albus, this is irresponsible. Why you would trust someone like this, I have no idea."

"Now, now, Minerva," the man began as he finished giving a letter to Fawkes, "I'm sure she has a good reason for running late."

The Phoenix spread its wings and flew towards Harry with the letter in its mouth, after a quick nuzzle it flew into the sky and disappeared in a flash of fire. Harry appreciated the bird's affection, but as Hedwig hooted at the fleeing fire bird, he couldn't help but groan at the jealousy radiating from the snowy owl.

"It's alright, Hedwig," the boy tried to soothe the Owl's ego by stroking her plumage, "You're still the bestest owl in the world." Was bestest even a word? Who cared, the owl probably didn't know if it was or wasn't.

As his Transfiguration teacher continued to rant in the background, Harry couldn't help but secretly hope the woman had forgotten about him or went back on her promise to the Headmaster. Another flash of fire revealed Fawkes in his glory once more, this time without a note or letter. He flew over to Harry and circled around a chattering Hedwig before flying back to Albus and battering the old man with his wings while squawking, almost as if he were blaming the man for something. After getting in a few hits on the man, the bird began circle an area in the middle of the great hall. Before Harry could ask what had happened a sound resembling a faint crack suddenly grew in volume until it sounded as if a whip was cracked beside his ear. There was a woman standing in the middle of the hall, having appeared from nothing.

Fawkes let out a happy thrill that seemed to settle the nerves of all those present, even going so far as to bring a smile to Harry's face. "Thank you Fawkes, you know how much Trans-Atlantic Apparitions take out of me, such an annoying way to travel." Harry studied the woman as she began walking towards the Head Table. She… couldn't be the one he was waiting for, the Headmaster had said the woman was supposed to be ancient, at least in her 60s if she fought in the war in the 40s. This woman; however, she was the opposite of old. She had short raven black hair reminiscent of his own, just not as wild. Her eyes were a mix of blue and gray that seemed to look right through him. She was also… not as saggy as he thought she would be, more curv-. No! Bad Harry, bad thoughts! He quickly shook his head and focused on the woman's face once more as she began to talk, to her fiery companion.

"You give him a good ole what for like I asked, Fawkes?" The bird flapped it's wing in reply, "Good boy, here's your prize."

The woman reached into a small pouch at her hip and pulled out a fist full of familiar yellow candies. Fawkes bent low and plucked one fron her hand with his mouth, before taking flight, grabbing a few more in his claws and flying back to Harry, where he proceeded to drop one in front of Harry, and nudging the third candy towards Hedwig as a peace offering.

"Albus! Did you conveniently forget something important in your timing? You're in Scotland, I'm in the US! That's a 5 hour time difference, I was in the middle of a meeting when you sent poor old Fawkes after me, spells were flying left and right as they thought he was some kind of assassination attempt. Bunch of idiots they were, but still, poor Fawkes had to hide behind me or fear getting captured. You owe him some good treats, and not the cheap kind you try to swindle him with all the time!"

The Phoenix trilled in agreement as it cracked its lemon drop into manageable chunks.

"But you're supposed to be old!" Harry blurted out, before slapping his hands over his mouth, "I mean, I thought you were supposed to be old! I mean, older. Wait are you the one that's taking me in?"

"You must be the Potter brat. Just like every other one of your kind, no tact whatsoever, and no clue when to keep your mouth shut, huh?" She shot a predatory look at him, daring him to say something else. "My name is Ashleigh; you work for me now."

"Excuse me!" His Head of House finally had enough of the woman. "Who do you think you are, barging in here, acting as if you own the place. You are two hour's late- I- How did you even get in here! I never!"

"Never what? Shut your trap?" The woman calmly stated.

"Ashleigh!" Albus jumped from his seat, at first Harry thought he was going to reprimand the woman, but instead, "It's so good to see you my dear."

The old man was surprisingly limber as he flicked his wrist, splitting the Head table in half, before practically sprinting at the old/somehow young woman, wrapping her in a hug as he reached her.

"Albus, it is… a feeling to see you I suppose." She gave him a single pat on the back before pushing him away. "Right then, here's a list of law's I'm planning on passing at the next few meetings, study up on them, ok? Great, you brat."

Harry gaped at the woman as she pointed a finger at him.

"Come on, I've got to get back to work, and you're already getting on my nerves."

"Professor Dumbledore! I'm not going anywhere with her, right!?"

"Awww," the woman began before the old man could respond, "You think you have a choice? Cute. Fawkes, get him."

The Phoenix gave a soft trill, almost sounding like a whimper as it began glancing between the woman and Harry.

"Fawkes would never betray me! We killed a Basilisk together."

"Oh? A Basilisk? But do you have his favorite snack." She pulled her pouch off her leg and shook it in view of the Phoenix, who made a sad noise before it hopped onto Harry's shoulder.

"No! Fawkes, don't," Flames exploded around the two as Harry shouted one final line, "Fawkes you traitoooooooooor!"

He landed on a carpeted floor, nearly bumping his head on a nearby table, Fawkes disappeared, and came back a few seconds later, carrying both his trunk, and Hedwig, then he was gone once more, leaving Harry to his own devices. Before he could even stand up a voice spoke almost directly in his ear.

"Is yous Master Harry Potters? We's not expecting yous til much much later. Minnie apologizes for the mess. We's tried to be fasts and clean before the Mistress returned with yous."

"Um, it's fine, Minnie did you say? Really, it's-," He cut himself off as he gazed around the room he was in, but could he really call it a room? Just this one area was as big as the Dursley's house. The ceiling stretched high, held up by wooden beams that crossed and twisted in the air, forming some kind of pattern, almost like… well he didn't know what I reminded him of, but it was cool none the less.

"Oh yes, it is terribly dirties, we's are sorry young Master Harrys, but this be's the living rooms. Mistress says yous can stay here til she returns."

As Harry looked at the shinning walls and reflective glass windows, he couldn't help but voice his opinion, "Honestly the place looks perfect, Minnie. I don't think I could make a place like this, this clean, and I've been cleaning for years."

"Nos, nos, yous nos cleaning here Master Harrys. Only House Elves cleans heres!"

"No I just meant, at my Relatives, they made me clean for them so I know how to clean."

"Yous no cleanings!"

"No, I mean- I," Harry stopped and took a deep breath as he thought of how to continue. "Look, let's start over, my name is Harry Potter, nice to meet you."

Minnie looked down at his outstretched hand and slapped it with her feather duster, "Yous nos cleanings." Before she began hobbling towards another corner of the house waving at him to follow.

"Where are we going?"

"This be's the kitchens. Is Master's Harrys hungry?"

"Oh no, I'm fine, I just had dinner."

"Dinners? But it is so early in the day? Yous British are so weird."

"It was almost 7 so I-"

"This be the kitchens. If yous Hungry you can asks us, or making something for yourself. Mistress makes her own food sometimes and dishonors us Elves. Will you dishonors us?":

"I-"

"As yous can sees the Living Rooms bes connected to Kitchen openly. When yous wakes in the mornings, yous comes down stairs and walks over to kitchens areas to gets to Dinning." She dragged him a few feet to the left to a small counter area with a few seats perfectly in line with the counter top. "Mistress has no guests to visits so large Dining Halls never in use. Dinings halls through door over theres."

Harry nodded at the explanation as he continued to look around the room. "So where's my room?"

"Upstairs."

"Can we go see it?"

"Nos, Mistress says to wait til shes is backs. Yous must waits til tonight when she gets backs."

"But if it's my room-"

"Mistress says stays."

Harry sighed as he stalked back to his trunk to pull out his summer homework, "Can I go to the library at least?" He only got a glare in reply.