The Phoenix's Fire

Loyalties Revealed

Chapter 4

A week had passed since the three Englishmen had come to Las Vegas and after much convincing, they had managed to talk Alexia into coming to England with them- for a large sum of money.

While helping pack up her belongings, Harry noticed that the picture in the living room was missing. After telling Remus, the werewolf's reply was that maybe she had already packed it.

"Nothing else has been packed," Harry insisted.

"Then maybe you just imagined it."

"I did no such thing!"

Shrugging, Remus went to help Sirius move a couch to the truck that would ship the vampire's belongings by boat. Alexia didn't trust magic with her artifacts and had insisted that the Muggles would take better care of them than any spell could. They had arrived at her apartment to find that she had sold all but her corvette in an attempt to make some money for the trip. Harry had insisted that the Order would pay for anything she needed but she had stated that if she accepted help, she would be in their debt- and that was clearly the most unacceptable thing to her.

Arriving in England, Harry had to practically force Alexia to stay in his home until she could find a place of her own that she really wanted. She agreed on the grounds that when she wanted to be left alone, he respected that. Also, that he not want to know her every move.

"I haven't had anyone around to keep an eye on me since I was young and I don't intend to start now."

At Phoenix Headquarters, the day after he returned to England, Harry walked into the meeting he'd called the day before, looking exhausted. As he walked in, everyone looked up.

Hermione Granger, Head of Researching and a close friend oh Harry's, frowned in worry. "Harry? Are you alright?"

"My new house mate is very nocturnal," was his only reply.

Three wasted hours later, they were still no closer to figuring out how to get the vampire to tell them where her Queen was than when they had begun.

"Come on people," Harry groaned in frustration. "Think! People can't just disappear forever! Somebody has to know where she is!" Glancing at the people gathered in the room, he noticed that a great deal of them were shifting around uncomfortably. Suspicious, Harry narrowed his eyes. "Why are you all suddenly so nervous?"

An old, slightly stooped gnome finally spoke up. "Why is it so important to find this girl?"

"There is a prophecy that says without her, Voldemort wins."

Several minutes passed before a surprising person spoke. Remus rubbed his temples before he said the words that would guarantee him a howler from the Queen of his people.

"There are people who know where Destiny is," Remus admitted. "While they won't take you to her, they will relay messages between you."

Watching him closely, Harry finally realized why Remus became so nervous and distant every time the Necromancer was mentioned.

"You know where she is, don't you? You're one of those people that can act as a mediator, aren't you?" Even though Remus gave no response, through his blank face, Harry knew the answer. Horrified, he whispered, "You've known where she was for five years..."

Impatiently, Remus said, "Of course I knew where she was! The girl is sick Harry. She'll die soon and she doesn't need you ordering her around when things are as bleak as they are!"

"How sick is she?" Harry asked thoughtfully.

"What?" Remus asked in surprise.

"Well, can she still walk or is she bedridden?"

"Walk? You know, for all that research you did, you sure didn't learn any of the important facts."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Harry asked defensively.

"What it means," a small fairy chirped from where she hovered, "is that Destiny's not human. When she dies, it is completely different from a human's death. From any other creatures death in fact and it's none of you business beyond that. Leave Lady Destiny alone."

*****

The meeting had ended after that with dark looks from the non-humans in the room being directed at the humans.

"Remus," Harry called after the sandy haired man, "could I speak with you for a moment?"

Giving him an impassive look, Remus quietly said, "I will not tell you where she is. Don't waste you breathe asking around either, nobody else will tell you anything."

Stunned at the sudden switch in loyalty, Harry quickly changed tracks and smoothly said, "I wouldn't dream of having you betray her. I simply wanted to know if you would carry a message to Lady Destiny for me."

"No," Remus stated. "I won't."

"You won't?" Harry repeated with disbelief. "You aren't making a very good politician here."

"I don't do politics. I'm a grunt for my Queen, nothing more." Smirking suddenly, Remus spoke again. "That doesn't mean though that I won't send in somebody else in my stead."

Perking up at this bit of news, Harry quickly agreed to the new arrangement.

The woman that was to be sent was a close confidant of Destiny's and would be able to make the simple decisions for her. Harry was slightly weary about allowing this woman into headquarters after the werewolf admitted that he'd never actually met the girl, just heard about her.

"How will I know it's her?"

"You won't, but I will," he responded cryptically.

As Remus rose to leave the office that they'd settled in, Harry asked sadly to the other mans' back the question he knew had to be asked.

"Moony, when did your undying loyalty to me fade?"

Pausing but refusing to look back, Remus whispered, "It still exists. It's just stronger for her because I know that I will still be able to protect you long after she has been forgotten by the world."

*****

Destiny's mediator arrived the next morning in the middle of a meeting with the Muggle leaders from around the world. In the middle of discussing whether or not Muggles should be included in the approaching war, the girl burst in.

She was a tall, lanky girl with shoulder length, brown, fly-away hair. With wide, slanted eyes, the girl could easily be considered beautiful but, by her stance, was not someone to be messed with.

Not realizing who she was- nor caring about the threatening air about her, Harry rose to his feet and demanded to know who she thought she was to just barge into places she wasn't supposed to be.

"Shut it Potter. You invited me here; therefore, I am welcome until such a time that you no longer wish to converse with Des."

Realizing who she was with a start, Harry quickly excused himself and asked the Muggles to reconvene after they'd had lunch.

"I'm very sorry about yelling. It's been a very stressful week."

Looking at him coolly, she immediately got to the point.

"I'm not here to chat. What is your message?"

Raising an eyebrow, Harry rolled his eyes. "How about we start with a name?"

"Dakota."

Squinting his eyes at her, he replied with, "Dakota? ... You seem familiar."

"As I should, we've met before. You were just a little boy at the time though. Don't you remember? It was in the middle of the Forbidden Forest; you had followed Destiny so you could spy on her."

"You're the shape-shifter!"

"Yes," she replied with a slight smile.

"But you were only twenty or so then..."

"No, I was thirty-two at the time. My age just took a while to catch up with my appearance. Enough of that though. What do you wish for me to tell her?"

"Tell her that if she were to come back, she would be well protected."

"You know," Dakota mused, "you've forgotten. If you can remember, you can find her. Remember this: time changes people. Perhaps you should stop searching for what your mind remembers and instead let your heart find her. Just a suggestion," she added with a shrug. "I'll return tomorrow with demands and negotiations."

*****

The day passed quickly, with Harry desperately trying to remember whatever it was that he had forgotten. The muggle leaders had returned and had agreed to start readying their troops for battle.

"Too many have died. We can no longer idly sit by and wait for someone to save us," a leader from South America proclaimed with a thick accent. "It is time for us to save ourselves. When can we attack?"

After continuing these talks for many hours, dates were set and strategies were made. War was coming, and Harry relished in the thought that when this was finally over, he would be able to lead a normal life.

*****

Returning home that night, Harry opened the front door and froze.

'Whoa...' he thought, looking around.

Everything sparkled, newly cleaned. The smell of something cooking wafted through the house and the television blared in the living room. The house had never felt homey and more often than not, felt more like a museum than a place to be lived in. Since Alexia had moved in, she'd constantly done everything possible to make it seem like a happier place.

"Alexia?" Harry called, picking up his mail off the table in the entrance way and absentmindedly flipping through it. Walking distractedly into the kitchen, he glanced to where the woman was sitting with her head in her hands, breathing erratically. "Are you alright?"

Head snapping up, Alexia smiled weakly. "I'm fine. Just need to eat..."

"You don't look fine. In fact, you look like death-" Drawing in a sharp breath, he immediately halted his sentence. 'You idiot! Of course she looks pale! She is technically dead! And she said she needs to eat. Oh, God! She eats blood!' Changing the topic quickly, he recalled for her the happenings of the day. "Do you know anything about this? Have you had any recent visions?"

Shaking her head, she gave him a thoughtful look. "I know Dakota though. She's nice. Why don't you let me handle her? You just seem to rub her the wrong way."

*****

The next day, Harry decided to bring the vampire to work so that Hermione could meet her- and figure out what was going on with her. Problems came though when he remembered that Alexia couldn't go out into the sunlight. After debating with himself, he decided to risk insulting her and just ask her how she got around in the daylight.

Holding up her hand, she showed him the lapis-lulus ring on her finger.

"All vampires wear this ring. You can't identify one by it though. The stone may be in a toe ring, a necklace, or set in earrings. Also, Muggles wear this stone just because it's pretty. It gives vampires the ability to walk in the daylight and not burn." Seeing the horror in the Mages eyes, she growled threateningly, "You got a problem with a vampire being able to have the basic rights that you enjoy?"

"No, it's just... Sorry. I've been taught that prejudice since I was little. I didn't really mean it..."

"Yes," Alexia said firmly, "you did."

Cringing at the memories the angry words had brought up, Harry closed his eyes. He could still hear Destiny talking about equal rights. He could still see her standing against the world, desperate to be free; to live without fear, yet bound to her people and forced to be what she was. 'Someday Des. Someday.'

"Maybe someday kids' won't be taught to fear differences, but if Voldemort isn't defeated, we'll never see that day."

Smiling at his sudden insightfulness, Alexia picked up her purse and walked to the door.

"Well then, let's hurry and make that someday today."

*****

When Harry and Alexia arrived at Phoenix headquarters, the place was in chaos. All over, were people lined up along the walls, completely silent as secretaries, department heads, and field agents ran up and down the hallways in complete disorder.

"Potter!" a gruff voice shouted. "Where have you been?"

"I wasn't informed there was a problem. What's going on? Who are all of these people?"

With Alastor Moody's wooden leg thumping along beside them, they hurried towards the meeting room, Alexia grinning brightly.

"Looks like you made a good bargain," Moody replied approvingly.

"What are you talking about?"

"It looks like your Necromancer Queen really knows how to make good on her end of a deal."

Coming to such a sudden stop that Alexia ran into the back of him, Harry stared in shock at the people lined up along the walls. When you actually looked for it, you could quite clearly see that most of them weren't human.

"Do we know who's in charge of them?"

"We've been more concerned about what we're going to do with all of them. They just keep arriving!"

Stepping away from the other two, Harry whistled loudly for their attention.

"Who's in charge here?"

"Who do you think?" a laughing voice said from behind him. Turning around, he found he was unsurprised to see Dakota standing there.

"What is all of this? I thought we were going to discuss our terms today!"

"Things had to be advanced," Dakota replied nonchalantly.

"What are we supposed to do with all of these people?"

"I don't know; figure something out. As soon as you get some strategies worked out, we're ready." Numbly, Harry repeated her. "Well, this IS what you wanted: the chance to destroy Voldemort. Five years ago, Destiny Black promised an army; today she makes good on her word. You now, must complete YOUR end of the bargain."

"And what exactly does she want in return for all of this?" Moody asked, gesturing to the people around them.

"She wants the person of her choosing to be co-leader of the Wizarding World, for equality in all jobs; for basic human rights. If you agree and don't keep your word, we will hunt you to the ends of the earth. You can count on that.