Purpose

~ Chapter 43: Hogwarts's First Sortie ~

In the Forbidden Forest. Exactly seventy minutes later...

Harry collapsed against Cyfel tiredly. Casting this spell had taken out more of me than I had expected. It was getting humid down in the Forest and he pulled at his collar uncomfortably. He let the elf guide him to an oak tree and he sank down to the earth and wished that he had a bottle of water with him. By now, he was seeing bright spots and horizontal lines that intertwined with almost everything in the Forest. He blinked his eyes but the bright figures remained and he delved through his memories to see if there was a way to shut them off from his sight.

He saw a whitish ball floating toward him and frowned when a bottle of water suddenly appeared right before the cloudy ball. He turned to the elf who was looking down at him with gentle amusement. Cyfel casually reached for the bottle casually and drank a little before passing it to the exhausted boy. Harry took the bottle dubiously, then turned to stare at the cloudy ball.

"Harry, dear," Aelwyn's familiar melodious voice spoke up and it seemed that it was coming directly from the whitish ball. "Don't stare at me like that. So your eyesight became sensitive," she mused and Harry had to wonder if she meant that he would be able to see without his glasses. The Sylph laughed and he sighed in disappointment.

"You are not being nice," a deep voice spoke up and Harry saw a reddish ball hovering near the white ball. The Sylph continued laughing.

"Uhm... Cyfel..." the boy called the elf in an uncertain tone while they waited for the rest to regroup before they move off to their final checkpoint. "Is there any way I could get to see everything normally again?"

The elf smiled faintly at the boy. "Yes, I happen to know of a technique."

Harry was relieved, then made an impatient noise at the elf. "Don't just look at me?! Teach me!"

"This kid is really getting mean," the elf commented to Hermione and Sirius.

"Yes," she agreed, looking patronizingly at her friend, while Harry's godfather chuckled tiredly, "but I think that's why we're around. To make sure that he does not outgrow his shoes too much."

Harry narrowed his eyes dangerously when his group began chortling at her subtle hint that he was getting a wee bit too cocky. The elf sat himself down in front of him and almost shyly reached out a mind-link. The boy hesitated before accepting the link; he was still feeling a little hurt that his teammates were still laughing. Horien and the rest of the group circled around the oblivious elf and wizard, watching their surroundings warily. Hermione watched her friend with a peculiar expression on her face and it vanished when Remus's group finally appeared. It was replaced by a fond smile as Ron slowly made his way toward her.

"Did you understand any of that?" He was clearly referring to the spellcasting and he sounded very awed. Hermione gave a small, affectionate laugh, shaking her head merrily. Even Remus smiled a little, although his eyes never stopped to scan the area.

"It must have been exhausting work," the Defence teacher remarked, pointing his chin at their friend who was receiving instructions from the elf before him. He accepted the bottle of water that his best friend offered and took a huge gulp of the refreshing liquid before speaking. "Sieghart was fairly drained that we had to let him get his orientations before we move off."

Snape's group was next to arrive and it seemed that he and his godson were clearly not in friendly terms and that made the Defence teacher slightly nervous. Draco went straight to where his oathbrother sat while the Potions Master headed for Remus and Sirius. The air felt strangely tense and everyone was relieved when Harry finally completed the brief training and the two other groups came in for a brief rest and lunch before they rearrange themselves to lie in wait for Voldemort's army.

The Fire Master ignored the adults, going straight to Harry and his oathbrother, conversing privately with them. Sirius guessed by the rapt attention that the younger ones were giving her, the Fire Master was probably giving them tips and pointers of what they should do when they finally come face to face with their opponents. : I don't want to ask too much from both of you, : her eyes were melancholy as she spoke to them, : but this time, you really have to think about your actions before carrying them out. Take your time. :

: I think we could agree on that, : Harry said, and picked a sandwich from a tray that was ludicrously floating around the entire area.

: For as long as we didn't bite more than we can chew, : his oathbrother agreed solemnly. The Slytherin certainly looked calmer than he actually felt, coolly checking his bow and decided to re-string it.

Fenix carefully picked two of the sandwiched with her right hand and she squirmed. : Krill, I feel a little unhygienic here, : she sent a thought to her chief Elemental, eyeing Harry who had finished eating his sandwich. Another bottle appeared and a Sylph waited until Draco was satisfied with his bow and set it aside to get a bite.

He went several feet away with the bottle following him to wash his hand before eating. He returned then held Fenix's sandwich for her to take her turn at washing her hands. : Drake, : her mindvoice drifted to the silver-eyed boy, : you know that your godfather did not mean what he had said. : She dropped the subject when the Slytherin remained silent. The Fire Master moved off to where her partner was, leaving the two oathbrothers to discuss their own things. The Potions Master was staring oddly at the two boys but she felt it was wise if she stayed away from the subject. She devoured the last bit of her sandwich and took the bottle that Remus held out for her. I just hope that this will not be the day that the two would regret their actions' later...

**********

Dumbledore's office...

The people that had been invited to Dumbledore's private meeting were getting restless by the moment. Michelle fiddled with her wand as they waited; giving off false sparks once in a while. Fawkes reappeared on the Headmaster's desk and all of them moved closer to hear if the phoenix had brought his owner any news. Dumbledore stared intensely at his bird and finally gave a nod. Then he spoke up in a quiet voice but not to the mortals who were with him. "Listen to me carefully," he spoke in a hushed voice, "whatever happens, you must not leave Hogwarts at all cost."

To their profound amazement, Fawkes began to make angry noises at his owner. Dumbledore looked at his bird fondly but spoke in a commanding tone. "You will have to obey me, just this once." Feeling that his next few words were just too private to be spoken aloud, the Headmaster concentrated his thoughts to his bird. I'm just too fond of you, little bird. At least, I know you would be perfectly safe here, among the rest of them. So stay, and don't follow me. His pet hopped from his desk onto his lap, butting his head forcefully and kept trying to burrow himself in the wizard's thick robes a few times before the bird decided it was an impossible task to achieve.

Dumbledore slowly ran his fingers through the bright feathers of his bird, trying to soothe the agitated bird. His answer to their inquisitive looks was short. "They're here," was all he said.

**********

Back in the Forest...

They were just about to move off to their respective positions when they heard a distinct chorus of galloping hooves hitting the ground brutally. The twenty-six people froze in their tracks and as one body, they build a physical shield flawlessly. Alarming thoughts ran through Draco's mind. I guess he was right after all. The centaurs had probably ignored the warnings that I had given them. They have returned to get their revenge. However, there was another thought that chilled him more than the prospect of having an entire herd of fighting and angry centaurs coming after them. I hope it's not the Heliopaths... but the gallops sure aren't from some twenty-odd feet giants.

It was clear on Fenix's face that she also feared the worst as he 'heard' her sending out information and instructions to the Main. What came running toward them were something that they had not been expecting. It was a herd of unicorns.

"I thought they were solitary creatures?" Ginny questioned her friends as the herd completely ignored them and galloped past them. There were murmurs of agreement and the Potions Master cleared his throat loudly enough to gain their attention.

"This is certainly an unnatural sight," he agreed. "Though I think their flight as a herd might mean more than just simply gathering and running off together." He watched the last of the amazingly white and silvery forms of the mythical horses disappearing into the Forest.

Sirius caught the Potions Master's hint almost immediately. "I see that the fun is about to start."

"But which one?" Luna was thirty seconds slower to response. "Giants," she looked at Fenix, "or Heliopaths?" Her unblinking eyes then stared rudely at the Black.

"I'm not much of a strategist," Montague suddenly spoke up, not looking at any of them as he pretended to check his quiver of arrows, "but it's likely that the giants will take the lead." The Quidditch captain had the kind of look that he had more to say, so they waited for him to speak up patiently. "I can't say that I know what he is thinking, but he knows that by now we have found ways to eliminate the giants. I agree we have found the means but--"

"The taking would not be an easy one," Remus interrupted, scowling. "I see where this is going. The giants would be more or less acting as decoys so that we waste too much energy on them, and will probably blunder when Voldemort's backup arrives."

"I don't think I like what you're saying, Professor," Ron said quietly.

"Fenix, send the Sylphs out," Cadriel commanded the Fire Master after a moment of thinking. The Fire Master did as was instructed, her silver eyes shining brightly with her spiritual power as she concentrated on hearing the reports of her Elementals. The elves were both surprised and worried when she actually began to summon all the other Elementals.

: What is she doing? : Harry questioned his oathbrother.

: I'm not sure, Green-Eyes, : Draco used that term very casually, : but whatever she's doing isn't for fun. Maybe... : His mindvoice trailed off and Harry felt uneasiness creeping slowly into his soul.

"Montague's right," the Fire Master spoke into the silence. Ginny looked about them carefully. It seemed that Luna interpreted her inquisitive glance accurately.

"It's not the shield. It is quiet. Even the air is not moving."

Fenix nodded absently to herself. "We're terribly outnumbered, guys." She sighed before continuing her sentence, "There are thirty giants making their way down here. I hate the thought of having to kill them and then waste more energy in creating a funeral pyre for them." Sirius snorted and muttered something very insulting at her. She totally ignored her oathbrother. "There is still no trace of our Heliopaths however."

"But what if the Heliopaths don't exist at all?" Hermione asked the group. In her heart, she was wondering why they were casually discussing the matter in the middle of a mission.

The Fire Master turned to stare impassively at the Granger and the young girl immediately regretted her actions. She was shocked when the Fire Master finally spoke. "You could be right, Hermione. Voldemort might have taken the chance to tamper with the peoples' memories, especially the Minister's. There is such a way to install false memories; Voldemort could have done the same thing to Fudge in making him think that he had been raising an army of Heliopaths."

The company looked utterly dumbfounded, except for Hermione who was nodding her head fervently. Fenix's theory held too much sense that they could not just ignore the situation. Fenix maintained her silence, carefully examining their facial expressions and body language as they processed her words mentally.

Cadriel, who was appointed as the overall general of their mission, suggested that they might have to change their plans a little. Cyfel spoke up, "For obvious reasons, the groups led by Sirius and Remus should maintain the positions that had been assigned to them. There might be no Heliopaths, but I recall there are two species of demons that bore the same physical description from the information that had been gathered so far."

"What demons?" Fenix asked sharply, though she looked a little skeptical at the elf's theory.

"Helion and Earaiths. You should have memories of them," the elf answered easily, looking at her for a moment before gazing solemnly at Draco.

The moment the Slytherin heard the name of the latter, images filled his mind so quickly that he was totally overwhelmed by them. By the time Fenix and his oathbrother brought him out of the sudden nightmarish visions, his face was deathly pale and he was clutching at his revolting stomach. He was still able to smell burnt bodies and sensations of despair and horror from the victims. Harry refused to let go of his mind-link, spending some energy to help his oathbrother vanquish the horrible visions away.

Draco gasped, then gave a look so full of gratitude that Harry felt amazed. He had never seen the Slytherin looking at anyone like that, ever. "You know," his voice was hoarse, "I think I believe in demons more than I believe Fudge."

"So... there might be such creatures of fire," Luna said, almost as if she was refusing to believe that the Heliopaths were not real as she thought them to be. "He just named them differently."

"Whatever...' Hermione sighed and looked at Cadriel. The elf stared intently at his kind and finally turned to the rest.

"Remus, Sirius," he spoke up, voice backed with determination, "maintain your positions." He turned to the Potions Master. "Front guard for Sirius." Snape nodded. It seemed a little unreal that he was actually taking someone's order. Cadriel's eyes gleamed cruelly when he turned to Aldren and Fenix.

"First wave?" she complained, then sighed when Aldren chuckled and Cadriel's face broke into a wide grin. "Why do you always take the riskiest job?"

That seemed to catch Ron's attention totally, for his younger sister was under Cadriel's command. "What do you mean, risky?" he yelped, eyes going round with anxiety.

Ginny timidly pulled on the elf's sleeve and before her brother could question the elf, Cadriel's group disappeared to their assigned area. Fenix received a confirmation that they were in place and there were no signs of the giants, yet. She tried to keep on a blank expression as the Weasley looked at her suspiciously. : See you people later! : Her group vanished.

"Ah... Ron?" Hermione spoke up in a timid voice. "You've got to control your temper. Too much emotions would seriously affect your sense of judgment." He took her advice soberly and took several calming breaths before he was Translocated with the rest of his group to their assigned positions.

**********

McGonagall's office...

Professor McGonagall was studying the map of Hogwarts and the Forest carefully with Flitwick accompanying her. Someone knocked on the door and a house-elf helped to open the door. "Albus!" McGonagall exclaimed, clearly not expecting the Headmaster.

"Afternoon, Minerva," he greeted. "Would you come with me for a moment?" the Headmaster politely requested when he saw that she was not alone.

Flitwick did not have to pretend that he had not seen or heard the Headmaster because he was totally self-absorbed in plotting and calculating the damage that could be expected to occur in the Forest by sundown. The tiny professor mumbled to himself about the craziness of Dumbledore and the Elven Lord to have sent only twenty-six people out to deal with thirty giants, which were much well-armored than the previous batch had been.

McGonagall followed the Headmaster out to the silent corridor and to her surprise, he entrusted her with a bunch of keys and then Fawkes. His bird was making sorrowful noises as his owner set him on the Transfigurations teacher's arm. "Albus..." Her voice stuck in her throat as she stared deeply into his eyes. The Headmaster gave her a gentle smile before whisking off, hurriedly getting away from her.

McGonagall stood frozen at the silent hallway, with her eyes wide with horror. She was looking so terrified that when Flitwick stomped out of the office to fetch her back, he faltered when he saw the profound despair that she displayed. His eyes took in the expression on her face, and then to the set of keys in her hand that she was clutching so tightly, and finally to Dumbledore's unmistakable bird. He finally realized the meaning behind those three observations but decided against showing McGonagall sympathy. I know Dumbledore wouldn't want a useless Headmistress. He took a deep breath and broke the silence. "Minerva, we absolutely have to finish chartering that map. The Main as you know, are in a standby mode, so it will be good if we were to join them at the Great Hall as soon as possible." The Transfigurations teacher snapped out of her reverie and in a preoccupied manner, she followed Flitwick back to her own office.

**********

Moody watched Dumbledore's company trekked their way out of the castle without being noticed by the ever-watchful students. It was against the nature of the ex-Auror to remain behind where action could be found. Then again, it was against his sense of duty to leave the School without his skills, which might be needed later, though he doubted that the twenty-six people would fail in dealing with the giants and Heliopaths.

**********

At the edge of the trail...

All the groups patiently waited for the giants to enter the trail and indeed, after the reports that was given by the Fire Master's Elementals, the giants had used the trail that had been previously used by Golgomath. The sounds that were coming from the massive beings were impressive and it was scary and loud enough that it made even Fenix's heart race.

The wind raced uphill and Aldren's group nearly fainted with the odor that the giants brought with them. : Dear gods! : Aelwen gagged and they heartily agreed with the female elf. : Do they ever bathe? : Their group was perching on a huge oak that had given them permission to set up their 'base'.

: I don't think they did... not for several months anyway... : Seamus, who had to stay linked with the elf to make himself heard commented dryly. Then they heard the giants' bellows and the creatures came nearer. They wasted no more time on casual conversations, paying attention to the giants and their body armor carefully. They waited for Cadriel's signal to engage. He gave a silent command for them to draw their weapons. All of them were equipped with the traditional Elven longbows that had superb firing range but of course, the rest was dependent on the archer's skill. That was probably the reason why Cadriel had chosen Aldren's group to be on the front line since Seamus and surprisingly, Neville were not too bad in archery.

: Try to aim for the eyes or ears if you can, : Aldren suggested and all gave their assent. He was not finished as he spoke to Fenix. : I want you to try to get a shot at their throats, or heart... just using the arrow. :

: Is that possible? : Sirius questioned the elf doubtfully.

: The problem is I can't really remember if we were successful in piercing the armor of the giants during the attack on Hallowe'en night. :

: As I recall, : Fenix said helpfully, : it was totally impossible for us to get the arrows out of their bodies without magical help. The arrows were embedded quite deeply into the giants' bodies. :

: So it might be entirely possible that we might get the arrows into their armor then, : Neville said brightly.

Although the wind stilled, the stench coming from the giants were getting worse as they neared the group. They waited until the giants finally entered the susceptible range and when Cadriel gave them the green light, arrows zoomed off in the air almost unseen by the giants. Seamus's arrow penetrated through the giant's throat guard and it gurgled, choking up on blood and clawing at the almost needle-like projectile. Within seconds, it fell dead, crashing against another dead giant. Cadriel's group fired their arrows and twenty-seven giants remained. Fenix took her time in aiming at one particularly arrogant giant and released her arrow. The arrow hit the breastplate harmlessly and the giant roared in anger.

: Didn't work... :

: Then aim for their throats. :

: I absolutely am not going to enjoy giving them a proper funeral later. :

: Fenix, : Krill's mindvoice echoed in her mind. : McGonagall requests that you maintain the giants in the area that you are now. :

: All right, : she answered, as she took an arrow to make her shot. The giants did not seem to follow orders from anyone but they were lumbering closer to the humans.

: Any signs of the Heliopaths yet? : someone asked, but the rest gave a negative. Fenix let her arrow take flight and it zoomed off to embed itself into a giant's throat. Three more went down and the Fire Master stomped down her sense of humor. It seemed that the dead giants continued to pile up in one place but she saw no reasons to complain.

**********

Draco was watching the situation with his Sight, seeing the giants as big, brown lights. As if forgotten about his previous dissatisfaction with his godfather, he sent a frustrated thought to the Potions Master.

: Eventually, the giants will find their tactic a little irritating and plunge right down into the Forest. We had removed the trappings and it would be too late if the giants were to separate and starts going into several different directions, : he said. : They're not taking the giants down as quickly as they should. :

Snape agreed uncomplainingly with his godson. The situation was getting worse by the moment and it quickly soured for the Potions Master when someone turned up unexpectedly on the branch where he and his godson were perching.

: I think you ought to stop killing those giants, : the same stranger that had helped Mineif to heal Fenix spoke up. : This will obviously irk you but your godson has the potential to transport them to other places. :

: But what would be the point if Voldemort could find them again at his own will? : Snape argued. The stranger sighed.

: I seldom like to intervene in your dealings but I guess there are some things which I could do, : the stranger said cryptically. : Your godson will help me in transporting them to my place, and I can keep watch on the troublesome giants. My kind is having a council session about their future. :

Draco nodded as he accepted the task but Snape was being stubborn than usual that day. He argued that Harry would be a backup short in anything failed but his godson pointed out that they have all the Elven mages with them. Finally, Snape gave up his argument, taking a moment to inform Cadriel and the rest of the sudden offer. The 'general' took the Potions Master's information rather calmly, unmoved by the knowledge that they would be at least one sorcerer short for the time being. Draco vanished with the stranger, leaving his godfather in a blanket of uneasiness.

**********

He had better use Draco's powers wisely, she thought as she concentrated on her aim. According to the new plan, they were to keep the giants in that particular area as Draco and the stranger began to create a spell of a gigantic proportion to accommodate twenty-one giants. She felt the air about her crackle and using her other Sight, she saw complex, pulsing lines that were beginning to circle the giants.

: Fenix, : Harry called out. His mindvoice sounded concerned and excited at the same time.

: Yes? : she asked the boy absently as she aimed for a giant's leg.

: There's something odd occurring right behind your designated area, : the young wizard informed her. He felt her skepticism then quickly reported. : It's not Draco's vortex. :

The Fire Master gave a frown and looked about her with her Sight. Harry had described Draco's spellcasting precisely, and the circle of pulsating energy took on a more definite shape. She silently motioned to Neville to take her place as she maneuvered about the tree branch. He's right... There was something quite out of place. She saw the natural field energy about the area began to expand and contract, then something was beginning to displace the energy. : Aldren, : she called out, then pointed her chin toward the suspicious area.

: Could it be? : the elf mused. : Krill, what can you say about that? : He cast his question to the hovering Salamander.

: No idea, Aldren. It reminds me of the times you Translocated yourselves, : the Salamander answered.

Cadriel issued commands to the three groups to remain on standby mode, and gave Aldren's group permission to feel the suspicious area out. The Fire Master volunteered to go and check but only after she ensured that the backs of her group members were protected with a shield. She carefully dropped from the tree branch and examined the ground before her slowly. Stepping through her shield, she took a moment to sort out the different sounds that she was able to pinpoint. She heard the soft murmurs of the Elementals all around them, the gentle feeling of electricity radiating out from the anti-flammable spells and the angry growls of the giants. Draco's vortex had become stronger, and the energy that was spinning around the giants became visible to the normal eye. To their relief, one by one; the giants vanished as they were taken captive by the Sun God.

**********

Voldemort threw his wineglass against the wall and it shattered. His face was white with anger. First, his spies had been caught and then terminated, then he found that Dumbledore had prevented him from scrying into the castle to watch their movements. Now, Macnair reported that they had lost contact with the giants and were unable to reach them. His follower had fled quickly enough from Voldemort's killing rage after the report.

Voldemort struggled to maintain his temper. He slowly began to smile. The playthings of the Ministry would bring them down for me... The Dark Lord's insane laugher rang eerily inside his stronghold.

**********

Fenix was struggling to catch her breath. The Fire Master had walked into a deadly trap. The moment she reached the field of disturbance, she found herself smothered by bodies of flame. Bloody hell... they're quite strong... She tried to wriggle herself from the crushing bodies but to no avail. It's a good thing I'm immune to fire.

: Fenix! : Remus shouted.

: I'm still alive, lover, : she reassured her partner. : I resent in being born short. Could you get a clearer look at these villains? : she asked before she spoke again. : By the way, how many are there? : The Fire Master was unaware that they were just decoys although the batch was extremely working hard at breaking her shields away by force. Harry watched the mass of fiery bodies in silence, picking up Fenix's struggling form.

: Can't you see? : Sirius was amused.

: Stop trying to be funny, bro. How could I, when my face is totally covered by a wall of fire? : she replied acidly. While they were distracted by their new opponents, the giants were no longer their concern and Cadriel's and Aldren's group rejoined the rest.

Draco reappeared beside his godfather and examined the pillars of flame, the tallest standing at eighteen feet tall while the shortest stood at fifteen. He concentrated on trying to distinguish the physical appearance of the creatures while his oathbrother concentrated on counting the number of their opponents. The creatures did not seem to have any facial features; they were like an extremely broad lamppost with so many arms attached to the main body. They're more like whips. The creatures have a pair of hooves, and he decided to make something clear to everyone.

: Sorry to disappoint you, Hermione, but they're not demons, : he said and his oathbrother agreed.

Harry spoke up. : If you think these ones are scary-- they're the original Heliopaths by the way-- : he said rather casually, : what do you think about those? :

They stared among the trees and finally saw five filmy-like creatures skulking closely to the forest floor. The students and the wizards instantly remembered the Lethifolds that had fled out from the sub-levels. Instead of normal-looking black cloaks, the creatures were like a moving sheet of sickly green fire. The one taking the lead paused and stood up, looking directly at Draco. Unlike the Heliopaths, the 'new models' seemed to have acquired a pair of narrow-looking eyes.

: Green-eyes... : Draco sent an anxious thought to his oathbrother.

: They're fundamentally the same as the Heliopaths but a lot stronger and they're able to-- : Harry broke off as the prototypes demonstrated what he was about to explain.

: Bloody hell. : Draco said flatly as he watched the creatures' fire began eating the anti-flammable spells at an alarming rate.

: Looks like we have underestimated Voldemort's intelligence. :

: Not quite, : Fenix spoke up and they heard a loud blast coming from her group of Heliopaths. The giraffe-like creatures scattered, but one of them slowly began to lose its hearth and disintegrated to ashes. : We have underestimated the elite group that had created them in the first place, : she corrected. She called up her wand and waved her arm in an arc as she spoke loudly, "Éteindre!" The fires that the prototypes released were suppressed and the Extinguishing Spell took effect as it quickly used up the source that a fire needs to stay lit.

"I think I should be able to handle these," Fenix said, eyeing maliciously at the Heliopaths.

: That leaves us to handle the prototypes then, : Harry said. He sent a thought to Draco, saying that he needed the Slytherin's help to create a spell.

: Whatever... : Draco sighed and disappeared to go to his oathbrother's.

Cadriel agreed that Remus's group should remain on the alert, while Sirius's group maintained their watch on Harry and Draco. Jaheera's group was given the green light to go off to create an expansive shield to keep the creatures from taking flight. Hermione and Cyfel used several charms to keep the prototypes from advancing, waiting until Draco and his oathbrother were ready to deal with them. Fenix was doing something rather strange than exterminating the Heliopaths immediately.

: Don't mind her, : Cyfel spoke up suddenly. : She's just improvising on what Draco had suggested her to do. Anyway, she rather needs something to release her stress. :

: You know, I'm rather glad that you pointed that out to me, : Hermione said in a serious tone and released a spell that hit two of the prototypes and they suddenly turned black and began dancing around. She cast another spell and it returned the creatures to their normal state. She kept them busy enough that Cyfel was beginning to get a little bored, watching the Granger keeping the prototypes so busy that they did not release their flames.

: Are you guys ready? : Fenix sent a thought to the two boys. The Fire Master was calmly looking at the enraged Heliopaths. She found out that they were at least partially blind and depended on their tentacles to feel the vibrations of her movements. She suspected that they would also be able to track her if she used any magic that would disturb the air. There was a catch, however. Fenix and the two boys had joined in casting the spell that the air was thrumming so loudly and it made the Heliopaths more confused at detecting their opponent.

: All right, we're ready, : Harry and Draco answered at the same time.

Tendrils of energy flickered as the three began taking on their specialized forms to activate the improvised spell. The prototypes stared at the air around them and realizing that they were in trouble, they tried to take on their own invisible forms but were unsuccessful. Harry steadily grew brighter with his White Spirit, the Dragon adding a shadow to him, while the Phoenix gave him a substantial form.

Snape looked at the glowing form that stood on the ground. It was a Phoenix, but it was not Fenix's original. The Potions Master collapsed tiredly against the tree trunk. He was not the only one who was looking as if he was going to experience a major case of a nervous breakdown.

: My god. : Sirius's mindvoice sounded tired but Remus felt worse than that. The werewolf had gone numb.

: Do you think Dumbledore would allow me to retire, Padfoot? :

: I doubt so, Moony. :

: I don't think the Headmaster is the problem. But you can't really break your engagement with Fenix... :

: Why must you be so right, Severus? :

: It's my nature. :

The bachelors stared, wondering what their godsons and the Fire Master were up to. The Heliopaths and the prototypes now were grouped together and the creatures decided to fight. The Heliopaths suddenly disappeared and it took the rest of them several minutes to understand what had just happened. The prototypes were cannibalistic, using the Heliopaths' fires to increase their own strength. Huge volumes of fire lashed out to hit the Phoenix directly. Fenix harvested the firepower, while Draco went in to find their 'hearts'. Having found them, he informed his oathbrother. Harry began creating a link to the spell they created to the hearts of the prototypes. The Phoenix raised its wings and pointed it to the group of Voldemort's creatures. The prototypes released another wave of fire, and Fenix deftly transmuted it to energy and fed it to Harry.

He directed the power through the link and the spell was activated. In the blink of an eye, the spell quickly usurped the power that the three had harvested and completely engulfed the prototypes.

Snape clapped both hands into his ears as a piercing noise cut the air and closed his eyes from the incandescent white light. The tension in the air decreased and slowly returned to normal. Harry, Draco and Fenix had collapsed against each other, panting heavily.

"I don't think I care to experience that again," the Fire Master spoke up in a resolute voice, as she dropped flat onto her back. Draco nodded fervently but Harry looked at them wistfully.

"But it felt good to be doing something," he protested.

"It does, but merging with two other species seems odd." Fenix gave a small smile. "But the two of you were designed to work together."

Harry leaned back against his oathbrother and watched the patch of ground where the prototypes had made their last stand. It was completely blackened. The rest finally went down from their trees and crowded about the three figures.

"Let's not ask anyone about anything yet." Fenix looked pleadingly at them and there were sighs.

"We can't go home just yet," Cadriel reminded her and she groaned as she remembered that there were still nine bodies waiting to be disposed off carefully.

"I am certainly not going to burn them by myself," she said stubbornly.

"Lazy," Ron admonished her and she stuck her tongue at him.

The Fire Master looked at Harry imploringly. "You're an amplifier, so would you help me? And you too, Drake." The two boys groaned, earning no sympathy from their friends.

**********