Dear Everyone,

I know that I have been truly awful when it comes to updating but this year has been very hard. I have lost several family members and it really struck me down for a long time. I did say that it might be a wait. Hopefully I can get this up and going again. I HAVE NOT ABANDONED THIS STORY SO DON'T ASK ME THAT!!! I also noticed that some other author has copycatted my story. Please can I remind you that this is my idea and as a disclaimer, I have not taken anything from J.K. Rowling except some character names. Now... on with the story!

Love,

Miraen

Xxx

Remember:

"Word" normal speech

'Word' language known only to the Phoenix Warriors

-Word- Phoenix Warriors telepathy

Chapter 8: Ummm... surprise?

Previously

McGonagall stood at the front of the classroom. "Today class, we will be learning how to turn large inanimate objects into large animals. Like so," she said, her Scottish accent very pronounced, "Fereverto." Her desk turned from its normal splendour to what Harry could only guess to be a rather ugly black pot bellied pig. The class erupted into chatter as the rest of the students eagerly looked on.

"Right everyone wands out. I want you to pick up your textbook and turn it into a dog or a cat. The species is up to you. No mistakes allowed," McGonagall said severely. She glanced over the class watching them pull out their wands from their bags though several students did not.

Harry waited for the explosion to happen. He knew it from the time she asked for wands to come out. Looking at the rest of his team, he knew that they knew it too. He saw her coming towards them.

"Commander Thor, where are your wands?"

'Well,' Harry mused, 'At least she could follow simple directions, like calling him by his chosen name.'

"Well, Professor McGonagall, we don't have wands," Harry replied, seeing no need in staving off the inevitable.

"And why would that be exactly?" McGonagall replied.

"Because we don't need them," Harry said rather calmly. What followed was unseen by any Hogwarts student to date. Professor McGonagall stared at them speechless before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fainted onto the floor. The rest of the class stared at the Warriors mouths dropped.

"Oh please, shut yer traps before you catch flies," Seamus snapped. On one, the entire class closed their mouths shut with any audible snap. That was too much for the rest of the Warriors and they all erupted into fits of laughter.

Chapter 8: Ummm... surprise?

As Professor Lily Potter neared the classroom to take over the second half of Transfiguration a bolt of electricity shot up her back. She was excited about finally being in the same room as her second son for more than ten minutes, something she had been longing for in over 12 years. However, as she walked towards the classroom she noticed one thing. Silence. Now Lily Potter had been a Professor for a while and that was the one thing that had never happened. No class was ever silent. There was always something happening. She suddenly became very aware of her boots tapping lightly across the flagstones on the floor and her shadow flickering across a stone wall as the torches blew slightly with a flame.

Very carefully she gently pushed the huge oak door wincing slightly as the door let out an all- mighty creak. Slowly she moved behind the door and looked cautiously into the classroom. What she saw was something she did not expect. There lying across the floor was Professor McGonagall. The students were sitting at the desks with gobsmacked expressions painted across their face. The other students turned out to be the Phoenix Warriors in her class and they just sat there with humorous expressions painted across their faces.

"What has happened here class?" Professor Potter queried as she stepped into the classroom. As one the students' heads swivelled around and glanced at their other teacher. No one seemed to know what to say until one student raised his arm, pointing at the Phoenix Warriors and croaked out, "Them."

Silence. There seemed to be a stand- off between teacher and warriors. Seamus, Dean and Ron moved slightly but other than that, there was no movement: a dead wind.

Lily Potter sighed. This was going to be a long day. She could tell. "I will repeat. What has happened here and why is Professor McGonagall on the floor?"

Before either of the warriors could speak, a random student cried out, "She fainted because they can perform wandless magic!" Lily Potter reiterated her previous thought. Yes, it was going to be a very long day.

"Wandless magic? The last person to perform wandless magic was Myrddin himself! No one has that talent anymore!" Lily Potter exclaimed.

Harry scowled at her before flicking his hand and raising a desk and bench, students still on top of it, several feet before dropping them back gently down to the ground. "We can do wandless magic! It is not our fault that you have not been teaching it on the Hogwarts curriculum! We do not need wands. Why bother when we can perform magic quite happily without?"

Lily Potter didn't say anything to that comment. She didn't really say anything at all for a few seconds later... THUMP! She too had fainted quite neatly next to Professor McGonagall. James stared at his mother before he too rolled his eyes back and fainted, though he somehow managed to hit his head on a waste bin on his way down. Curious seeing as he was nowhere near situated near to the waste bin. Seamus surreptitiously placed his hands once again behind his back.

It seemed as though Jamie fainting had a knock on effect on the class. One by one they all fell off their benches out of pure shock that their classmates could perform wandless magic.

"Well," Harry said as he surveyed the fallen students before him, "class is cancelled." The others merely tittered in amusement whilst Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation before picking up her items and stalking off to the library.

The news that the Phoenix Warriors could perform wandless magic was supposed to be a secret so of course come dinnertime, the whole school knew. It was with an air of cautiousness that the school surveyed the warriors calmly helping themselves to Shepherd's Pie before them. Indeed, the entire school was silent except for one red headed girl who was frantically writing a letter at the end of the table.

'Pyros,' called out Blaise from the Slytherin table, 'I believe you have a problem. It would seem that that darling lil' sis of yours is writing to your family. I would brace yourself!'

The other warriors were nervous, Harry noted. Come tomorrow, 11 families would most likely be descending on the castle in order to get their 'children' back. Harry snorted when he thought of that. 'Children' was going too far for they were far from children. Indeed most of them had come from households where they felt unloved, pushed aside by siblings or the fact that they didn't live up to their parents expectations.

-Warriors,- Harry 'said' quietly, -meeting after dinner. Come outside the Gryffindor common room and we will have our meeting there. It does not matter about the secrecy as long as we speak either telepathically or in our language.-

One by one the warriors sent their acknowledgement of the message and turned back to their dinners with a sigh. It was going to be a long night. Blaise himself was worried not only about Ron but also what would happen when his 'family' caught wind that he was alive and living there would be hell. His mother had died a few days after he had been born and he was constantly blamed for her death even though he had nothing to do with it. A spell had gone wrong and that was it. It also didn't help that there was no other female influence in his family. His nearest 'brother' in age was seven years older than him and he had four brothers as well as his father. He was constantly hiding in the shadows when he was at home and even though his brothers were off at Hogwarts when he was still at home, it hurt to know that his father couldn't be bothered to get to know his youngest son. His only friend had been a house elf he called Twinkly. Blaise sighed to himself again. When his 'family' caught whiff of him being here, they would demand that he returned to the family manor and he would be expected to once again have to hide in the shadows. No sir though. The Blaise they knew existed no more and his name was Shadow, Squadron Leader and Phoenix Warrior gifted with immortality.

Blaise was not the only one having thoughts about what tomorrow would bring. Ron himself was worried. In fact so worried that he had even pushed his half eaten dinner plate away, bringing looks of concern from his fellow warriors. He thought about his family and what would happen when they realised he was still alive. He too was expected to hide in the shadows. Having 5 brothers and 1 sister would do that to you. He couldn't remember all his siblings or his parents' names and he himself was often confused with his siblings leading to an embarrassed blush and a pat on the head. He wasn't unique at home and often overlooked. He was finally in his own element as a Squadron Leader, his strategic skills were second to none, and no way was he going to go back. Constantly being picked on and teased. No. He was someone different.

It was with an uneasy feeling that the Phoenix Warriors went to bed that night after having had a gruelling meeting with themselves about what would happen when their families found out about them. One thing was certain though. They were not children nor would they be treated as such. As they were now all of age in the Wizarding World, they were no longer required by law to go to their families. It didn't bother them in the slightest especially as Phoenix Warriors did not abide Wizarding Law; it most certainly helped that they had their own island where they were located and thus had claimed autonomy.

No. They would stay together as the family they were. Harry had reiterated the need that all the warriors would move in groups of at least two and no one was to go alone. He did not know what the outfall would be like and thus was wary of warriors moving solo. It was not that he doubted their abilities, it was just a good idea to have someone else to watch your back. He would also not put it past some families to stage a kidnapping to get their offspring back. Indeed he was especially worried about Blaise, Theo, Ron and the other 'purebloods.' Of course being a 'pureblood' mattered little once one became a Phoenix Warrior but still. It was with a heavy heart that Harry laid his head upon the pillow. Even Hermione's gentle whispers and soothing hands could bring little relief to his weary body.

The next morning broke in a haze of gold and pink. The rising sun slowly streamed through the patterned windows playing gently on the stone floor. One by one, curtains were drawn open and bed coverings flung off as feet were pushed over the edge and quickly pattered into the bathroom away from the cold stone floor. One body didn't enter the bathroom nor made any move to do so. As the light slowly started to dissipate through the room, the light caught a haunted expression on the body's face and disappeared into the furrowed brow.

An occupant slowly pattered out of the bathroom and the feet slowly made their way over to the bed. A hand came up slowly and moved across the figure's back in a soothing gesture. 'Harry?' Hermione queried.

Harry slowly raised his head and lifted his eyes to her warm brown ones. He drew in a deep breath before gazing out the window. 'How many parents and families do you think will be entering the school today? We are just twelve. How are we supposed to stand against the might of the Wizarding World, a manipulative headmaster and interfering families and expect to win?'

As Harry was speaking, the other occupants of the bedroom slowly left the bathroom and watched the scene unfold before them. Hermione sighed and sat gently down beside her troubled boyfriend.

'What happens happens. We might just be twelve but we are twelve strong people. You mistake us for twelve individuals. We are a family and a team. You are my Commander, best friend, boyfriend and family. Do not think I will desert you so quickly, neither will any of the team,' Hermione said gently.

The others looked at each other and Dean spoke for them, 'Harry mate. We will not leave you. You are our family as we are yours. Some of us cannot forget the past but we cannot forget the present. We are not to be manipulated and we will stay strong. United we stand and divided we fall.' Ron and Seamus nodded their heads to affirm the statement.

Harry looked at the others. –When did you lot become so wise?-

-Well someone has to look after your sorry ass!- came Theo's reply.

-Yeah,- 'said' Ernie, -you watch our back and we watch yours.-

Harry smiled at the show of support. –Right you lot,- he said, -we are going to make a united stand. I will bet that at least one family will be in the Great Hall when we go for breakfast. That is in approximately 20 mins. You lot have 15 to get your arses up here to Gryffindor Tower so we can enter in together. We will not go without a fight!-

When he received the affirmations, Harry smiled to himself and slowly pushed himself off the bed and made his way into the bathroom to get ready for the new day. He pushed his head out the door looking at the occupants still inside the room, 'That meant you as well!'

Laughter followed that statement as the occupants started to dress for the new day. The tension that had been underlying the morning slowly started to dissipate.

Fifteen minutes later, the twelve Phoenix Warriors assembled outside Gryffindor Tower. Each bore an expression of determination and they were a fiercesome sight to behold. They had allowed themselves a lie in this morning in anticipation of the weary of the coming day thus, every other student had already gone down for breakfast. As the warriors neared the Great Hall shouting could be heard.

Blaise stilled and turned a nasty shade of grey. This was fairly impressive as he had a tan due to his Italian heritage. He chuckled though it sounded as though he was choking. Harry held his right hand up to stop the march. He glanced over at his Squadron Leader, 'Are you alright to continue?'

Blaise nodded his head in the affirmative but sighed as he did so, eyes still trained on the Great Hall's doors. 'I am fine, but that is the shouting of my biological father and if I am right, and I always am,' he commented in a joking fashion though it sounded forced, 'Then my four biological brothers will be there as well.'

Harry looked at his Squadron Leader and friend. –You are a Squadron Leader of the Phoenix Warriors. Do not let them undermine you for you hold a position that they can barely dream of. They fight for darkness and we fight for a world without violence, a world of justice and peace. We will not let you fall. I will not let you fall. Stay strong soldier.-

Blaise nodded in assent before slowly relaxing his rigid posture. Taking a deep breath Harry looked around his comrades and family. –Everyone ready?-

When everyone replied in the affirmative Harry drew in a breath before putting on his 'Scawy Commanda look' as Terry had fondly termed it. As they saw their Commander put on his battle expression, the others pulled up their mental shields and blanked expressions from their faces.

Harry strode forward, cloak flying behind him as the other followed. He forcibly pushed the doors open with them clanging forward with an all-mighty BANG! 'And into the depths of hell we go,' he muttered as the shouting that had been present slowly stopped.

The Warriors strode forward in their Squadron formations, leader at the front. The Hall was absolutely silent.

A/N: Hope that is okay for everyone! It has been fabulous writing this story again. I do promise to try to keep updates more regular but bear with me please! Again please keep reviewing!!!