Last Hope

A/N: Sorry I am about a week late what can I say, life and blah blah blah. So here is Ch 2



CH 2

Four shadowy silhouettes apparated on Privet Drive, across from number 4. Looking across the street and into the yard, they could see that the door was shattered. Wood was splintered all over the floor, the door frame hung off the wall. The four wizards walked across the street, wands drawn, senses on high.

“Voldemort didn't have an attack planned, did he Severus?” the Headmaster asked his friend and spy.

“No, Sir” Snape answered “The Dark Lord has been concentrating on releasing his followers from Azkaban.”

“Who else besides the Dark Lord would be after Harry?” the Werewolf questioned the group. Worry for his friend's son flashed across his face.

“I don't know Lupin, but we're about to find out.” Albus turned to Sirius “I think it would be better if you change into your other form. It's still not safe for you, and I don't want to see you carted back to Azkaban.” Nodding Sirius morphed into a large black dog. Deep golden brown dog eyes looked at his three companions, barked once and ran to the house.

Sirius was the first to enter the home followed by Dumbledore, Snape and Lupin. The inside was as bad as the doorway. There were scorch marks on the walls and the carpet. The air itself was heavy in magic. Whatever was done here used enough power to have it still linger in the air.

“Get out of my house you Freaks." The four whipped their heads to the stairwell to see a whale of a man, skin purple from anger, bellowing at them. “He is gone and those other damn Freaks did this to my house.” Fat fingers pointing at the damage the others stood in the middle of. Dudley was following his father trying to claim him down. “And you,” Vernon's sausage like fingers pointed to Dumbledore, “you told me that having that brat here wouldn't cause any harm to my home or family. But, I can see that Freaks can't tell the truth. You'll pay for this mess, or I'll take it out of that good-for-nothing boys hide!”

Before any questions could be asked to the enraged whale or Sirius could bite the massive beast, Minster Fudge with a group of four Aurors, entered the premises, Wands drawn, ready for action. “Ah, Dumbledore, I should have known that you would be here at the Potters home, but this time he will be brought in under the custody of the Ministry before his trial.” Fudge pompously informed the Order Members.

“Good! Finally that poor excuses of a nephew will get what's coming to him, and when you find him, tell him that he is not to come back here.” Interjected Vernon.

“Dad maybe you should just tell them what happened and they will leave.”

“No Dudders. You need to be firm with these Freaks or else they will walk all over you.”

An explosion of voices followed this statement. Everything from Sirius' barking, to Dumbledore's calm voice trying to inform Vernon of his mistake in thinking, to Fudge's stuttering about the injustice of being called a freak. Aurors looked like they wanted to Body-Bind the Boy-Who-Lived's Uncle. Lupin was pale from the conversation around him. And Snape did what Snape did best in these situations, he leaned against the wall and smirked. And above them all on the landing, Harry's Aunt Petunia, was overlooking the madness below.

“You'll all stop bickering like children in my home!” Petunia loudly commented to the collection of wizards below her. She gave the group a lofty look of dismay that would have given Narcissa Malfoy a run for her money. “Vernon dear, as much as I don't want these people in my home, Dudley is right. Dudley you will tell these people what happen and then they will leave.” Petunia narrowed her eyes at the Headmaster, clearly wanting to give the man more then a piece of her mind. “Mr. Dumbledore, this is the last time that my family or my home will be used to hide my sisters son. You will remove his things when you leave.”

“Madam, we have had this talk before,” but Petunia having enough with the lunacy in her living room turned her back on the men and walked down the hall to her room, Vernon following calling “Pet” along the way.

Dudley turned back to look at the eight wizards and one large black dog, in the room all with their wands still out. “She's right, you know.” Dudley told the room with a sigh. “If you were to bring Harry back here father would just beat him.”

Silence filled the air but the faces of the wizards were various reactions, from shock to anger to indifference. Headmaster Dumbledore was the first to recover from the quite statement. “I think you better tell us what happened to Harry young man.”

“Ya, about thirty minutes ago Dad and I were in the front room watching telly and mom was with us, reading or something.”

“Do you think you can give us the shortened version, boy?”

“Severus, let the boy tell us what happened, there might be something that is important in his tale.”

“Yes, Headmaster, but may I remind you the longer this takes the longer it will take to find Potter.” The dark hair potion master crossed his arms across his chest, stating he did not agree with Dumbledore, but was going to let it slide.

“Yes I know Severus. Please continue young man.” the Headmaster said with a sight hand-jester that repeated his words.

Dudley looked at Snape again before he continued with telling the events that happened prior in the evening. “Like I said the three of us were downstairs and Harry was up in his room.”

@~~'~~,~~~

“Did you see that move boy? Bloody good that McGee is. That's the type of Boxer you need to aim for.” Vernon was on the edge of his seat watching the boxing match on the telly with his son. Dudley and Vernon were discussing the pro and cons of different Boxing moves. Petunia was in the middle of reading a menu for the next garden club bridge game. Suddenly the peaceful evening was destroyed, when the front door had exploded into the house.

Dudley and his father jumped out of their sets in time to see two figures dressed head to toe in black cloaks with the hoods raised. Voices of his mother and father demanding to know why they broke into his house surrounded Dudley. Something wasn't right, just looking at the two unknown people in the entryway brought back memories of what Harry told him last summer, about a crazy wizard looking to kill him. What if these two where sent by that wizard? If they killed Harry's mom and dad, his didn't stand a chance.

A thump behind Dudley let him know that his cousin had come downstairs to investigate the commotion. Sure Harry might never be able to best Dudley in a physical fight but his cousin had new ways to protect them that Dudley could never understand. Harry saved Dudley from the dementor attack last summer, earning Dudley's long overdue respect. If Harry could step in maybe his mom and dad wouldn't get hurt.

Harry stepped in front of Dudley and his father, wand out, with the same look on his face that he saw cross his cousin's gentle features last summer. Dudley had seen that look on boxers that entered the ring with him. A look that told Dudley, size and strength did not matter, because they intended to fight with everything they had.

“Harry James Potter, we have been looking for you.” Said the intruder that stepped forward. He was the larger of the two and now that he pulled down his hood Dudley could see that the man's skin was a golden brown, but not like a man with a tan, but a brown that reminded Dudley of when his father took him to the beaches along the river, in the summer. It was like wet sand with that golden shimmer from the fool's gold mixed with the sand. But what made Dudley gasp in fear were his eyes. They were not the eyes of any human Dudley had seen before. They were golden, bright golden, and the pupil was almond shaped. Much like a cat or snake or even those aliens in those bad 'B' movies that his friends liked to watch.

“So these Freaks are here looking for you boy? I was told that they couldn't hurt us or destroy my home.” Great just when he though his father would be silent. Why did he have to be dumb enough to get the focus set on him?

“Uncle Vernon, they are not wizards. I don't even think they are human.” Harry was pointing with his wand never taking his eyes off the cat-snake-alien men. Did wizards even know aliens? He'll have to ask Harry later.

“You are right, Harry James Potter,” the smaller whatever he was said. “We are not wizards we are from a line of Dragons called Dragon Mage. Now, as much as I would love to stay and chat with you, we are running out of time. Alexei we need to leave now, the wards have been set off, and the friendly Neighborhood Wizard Watch will be coming soon.” He lowered his hood and Dudley saw he was black, a kind of deep black, that looked like spilled ink, shinny liquid movement. His black and red eyes reminded Dudley of a child's marble.

Dudley grabbed his fathers arm to pull him back to the stairwell as the larger Dragon Mage, whatever that was, began to advance on Harry. “Time to come with us Harry James Potter.”

Once again everything went crazy. The two intruders leaped into the air and quickly surrounded Harry, faster then Dudley's eyes could follow.

“Shit! Stupefy!” he heard his cousin shout and saw a light blue light shoot from the tip of Harry's wand towards the Dragon Mage called Alexei. But instead of knocking the body back of the larger Dragon Mage, it stopped in front of his open palm. Harry looked shocked and Dudley had a bad feeling about this development.

“My you are powerful, Harry James Potter. Now I know this is going to upset you young one, but I promise you will understand soon.” And with that, Alexei flicked the ball of light back at Harry. When it hit a bright light surrounded Harry and it looked like he was fighting the reversed spell. Blue light licked the walls, carpet and the two beings before him. But where the carpet and wall burned, the two Dragon Mages just stood and let the power brush their skin. All of a sudden Harry stiffened and fell to the floor.

“What the hell did you just do to my sisters son.” Dudley saw his mother was off her seat and advancing on the two Dragon Mages.

“I can assure you that no harm will come to your nephew. Come Nadeem we need to get back before midnight remember.” The black Dragon Mage, Nadeem, picked up Harry and then both had vanished from the entry hall.

@~~`~~,~~

“And is that all that happened, young Mr. Dursley?” asked the Headmaster.

“Yes, oh wait, before they left the one called Nadeem saw Harry's wand on the floor,” Dudley pointed to said spot. “he was turned around at this point so I saw his back. A dark black tail, snaked out from his cloak and grabbed Harry's wand.”

Dumbledore rubbed his bread in thought while the rest of the wizards, and dog, watched him. “Alright thank you for your time. Mr. Lupin can you please retrieve Mr. Potter belongings? The rest of us will wait outside.”

Once outside Dumbledore fixed the front door to the Dursleys home and lead the wizards across the street to the park they had apparated in. “You can't believe that boy Dumbledore, everyone knows that the Dragon Mages have nothing to do with Wizards, they refused to stand on either side during the last war!”

“I know that Minister Fudge. But these people know nothing of magical beings and I have no reason to believe that they will make this up.”

“What if You-Know-Who told them to tell us that story?”

Before Dumbledore could reply, Snape answered the idiotic question from the Minister of Magic. “Because it is not the Dark Lords style. He would have just killed the Muggles and left a note on the wall written in blood.” Fudge went pale with his statement.

“Minister,” Dumbledore once again took control of the conversation. “Right now the important thing is to get Harry back.”

“And how are you going to do that Dumbledore?”

“The order will be sent to find them, just be ready to offer assistance if need.”

“Fine, fine.” and with that Fudge and his Aurors left.

Lupin had just joined the order members at the park side of the street. “All done. I have Harry's things shrunk expect Hedwig I let her fly to Ron's. He'll take care of her.”

“That's smart Werewolf, and then let everyone know Harry is missing.”

“It wouldn't make a difference Snape.” Harry's Godfather, now in his human form, argued back. “Molly and Arthur will know as soon as Dumbledore informs the Order, and do you think that Fudge wouldn't alert the Daily Prophet as soon as he is safe in his office?”

“Yes, Sirius you are right. That's why we need a meeting with the Order tonight.” Silently the four wizards left Privet Drive for Grimmauld Place.