"Maybe but even so… talking dragons… it's like in the old myths. People used to say dragons could talk in the old days when Merlin and King Arthur were still alive, but nobody really believes that anymore."
...
"Well, regardless, we may already know where some of your other friends are," Kingsley voiced. "The Ministry now has access to one of those golden spheres which was found in a field yesterday before being transported to the Department of Mysteries. If that is indeed a small Fairy Sphere, which it surely must be, some of your friends may be contained inside."
"What!?" Gray shouted. "The Ministry has some of our members!? Why didn't you say so before! Where are they - we have to go and help them!"
"And we shall," Remus assured them. "In whatever way we can, but if I've understood everything correctly - and I'm not totally sure that I have - your friends are safe for the moment. That Sphere should keep out any attempts to break into it if it truly is impenetrable."
"That is true, but let's not forget," McGonagall chipped in. "These Spheres are supposedly on a random time limit as to when they will lower on their own. I almost dread to think what will happen if some of these Fairy Tail members find themselves in Ministry custody the moment they wake up. They won't know what's going on - it could lead to things getting ugly very fast."
"That's assuming that there actually are Fairy Tail humans in there and not some type of animal like there was with those Clipper birds," Mad-Eye noted.
"You will help us break them out, won't you?" Lisanna pleaded. "Both the birds and the Sphere? If Tenroujima really is in this world then the birds should be taken back there to where they belong."
"It will be difficult to do that," Kingsley pressed his fingers together and bit his lip. "The Ministry is supposed to be our ally but the situation right now is rather difficult. We will need to find a way to help you without exposing ourselves and our activities to them. Just violently breaking them out would only make things worse."
"Nevertheless, we shall do our best," Dumbledore agreed. "In that, and in searching for your other missing companions. But, there is one more vital piece of information that I feel you must know about our world. From what I saw in your world, you have something akin to a Dark Lord, correct? The man named Zeref?"
All three Fairy Tail members paled suddenly. "Oh gosh!" Lisanna clapped her hands to her mouth. "That's right! After Acnologia and this mess we… we forgot about Zeref! What could he have been doing to our world in the six years we've been away?"
A dead silence fell over the room as the Fairy Tail mages all looked at one another in horror. Gray in particular was clenching his fist and looking like he was fighting an urge to try breaking the dining room table in half. He knew better than the others the horror that Zeref's work could cause - images of the destruction that Deliora had caused to his town and countless others flashing through his mind.
Eventually Dumbledore picked up the thread. "Perhaps when you meet with the ghost of Mavis you can ask her - I got the impression she has an idea of what's been happening during the time you were frozen away. And I will put as many resources as I can into finding a way for you to return to your home as I said. But I must ask you to bring your mind away from Zeref for now, and learn about our own Dark Lord. We call him Voldemort. And right now, I fear what he may do as and when he finally gets word that you and your friends exist."
After another explanation about Voldemort and his actions, during which the name Harry Potter was dragged up several times, the three Fairy Tail members digested it in silence for a moment. Then, "Juvia thinks this Harry Potter sounds… like a brave soul."
"That he most definitely is," Sirius practically swelled with pride.
"And you think that this Voldemort could come after us, do you?" Gray asked, frowning slightly when everyone flinched when he said the name, but he'd already seen that happen quite a few times when Dumbledore had been talking and now knew why they did it (though he found it rather stupid).
"Almost certainly. To try and kill you if nothing else."
"Let him try," Gray snarled. "Fairy Tail does not go down easily."
"Indeed," Lisanna nodded firmly. "No matter what obstacles stand before us, Fairy Tail will overcome them."
"If this Dark Lord threatens Gray-sama Juvia will punch his lights out!" Juvia hissed. Gray clenched his teeth and grunted awkwardly but otherwise, to his credit, made no comment.
"I'm sure we'd all of us like to see that," Tonks laughed.
"We realise that you have no connection to this world and therefore no real need to help us," Arthur Weasley spoke up. "But… considering your unique abilities, if you ever did want to lend us a hand in our fight against him I think that I speak for everyone here when I say we would be… beyond grateful for your assistance."
"It will be dangerous though," Lupin informed them. "Voldemort and his Death Eaters are not to be taken lightly, even to people with your amazing talents."
Gray turned to Juvia and Lisanna, locking eyes with both of them in turn. No words were said between them, but there seemed to be some kind of silent communication going on between them, as one by one their faces shifted into firm, resolute and determined expressions. Gray then turned back around to address the room as a whole.
"We're grateful for your help. Really we are. And since we're strangers in this world we'll listen to you, and for now we'll let you call the shots. But let me make one thing clear - we're not part of this Order. We're your allies certainly, and I daresay there's a good chance we'll even be friends, but at the end of the day if we, Fairy Tail, decide to do something we feel is in our best interests, we're going to damn well do it. Whether you like it or not."
The Order collectively looked to Dumblefore for his verdict, but the Headmaster nodded. "I understand. You are not of our world - we have no right to tell you what to do. Though I hope that it won't come to that. We are as invested in your safety as you are."
"Good to know," Gray nodded. "Just making it clear that we're not your servants or subordinates. But, that said, as long as we are here in this universe…" he slammed his hand down onto the table and froze a large portion to leave several long, jagged lines of ice across its surface. "We'll do whatever we have to do to protect it and kick this Voldemort guy to the curb."
"Absolutely!" Juvia cheered.
"As if we'd do anything else," Lisanna grinned. "And trust me when I say, the rest of our guild will all agree on that score."
"And you haven't seen what we're really capable of yet," Gray smirked.
Grins and other types of wide smile were breaking out all over the room now but Dumbledore merely smiled contentedly. "Thank you," he said simply. "It is much that we ask of you but… thank you for agreeing to help us."
"Not a problem," Lisanna nodded. "But, when can we see Wendy?"
"Shortly," Dumbledore nodded. "Sirius, why don't you show them to their new rooms for now while we wrap up the rest of the meeting and then as soon as its over I will take you to see Wendy."
"Sounds good to Juvia," the rain woman smiled.
"Come on then, I'll take you upstairs," Sirius got up and began to lead them towards the door.
"I'll go with," Tonks declared, hurrying after them and falling in step beside Lisanna. "Wow, now I really know I made the right decision in not turning you over to the Ministry. You guys are freaking awesome, you know that?"
"Thank you," Lisanna blushed. "But trust me, wait until you see the really powerful members of our guild."
"I very much look forward to meeting them all," Sirius voiced from the front of the group as he took them out into the hallway. "Um… you'll have to excuse the decor of the house. It's not that pleasant. Suffice to say the people that used to live here were, not the best people in the world and redecorating is taking forever."
"It certainly is rather creepy," murmured Juvia, before a sudden crash behind her made her jump.
"Oh, Tonks, not again!" Sirius cried as he saw she'd tripped on the troll's leg umbrella stand again and brought it thudding down to the floor beside her loudly.
"Why can't you just move the bloody thing and…" Tonks was cut off by the loud scream as suddenly a pair of curtains were flung open and the livid portrait of Mrs. Black began screeching at the top of her lungs, like normal, causing the Fairy Tail members to clap their hands over their ears and almost fell over at the sudden shock.
"WHAT THE HELL!" Gray bellowed.
"FIENDS! MUDBLOODS AND FILTH! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE THIS INSTANT! FREAKS!" the painting howled, pointing straight at Juvia. "YOU'RE BRINGING IN BLUE-HAIRED WEIRDOS NOW! YOU'VE SOILED THIS HOUSE'S REPUTATION FOR TOO LONG, YOU DISGUSTING VERMIN!"
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP, YOU REPULSIVE HAG!" Sirius roared as he thundered over to try and pull the curtains back over the portrait.
"AAAGH! JUVIA'S EARS!" Juvia wailed.
"WHAT IS THAT!?" Lisanna shouted.
"I AM THE RIGHTFUL OWNER OF THIS HOUSE!" Mrs. Black was practically foaming at the house. "LEAVE NOW AND NEVER DISGRACE MY HALLWAY AGAIN! HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS ALL OF YOU!"
"SHUT THE F*** UP!" Gray roared, slamming his hands together. "ICE MAKE: WALL!"
Sirius leapt back and Mrs. Black screamed as suddenly her entire portrait was covered from top to bottom with a thick layer of ice, cutting of her screams instantly. The quiet was almost as deafening as the noise but Sirius blinked a few times and sighed in relief.
"Now that is a handy trick," he said. "Shame that ice will melt eventually."
"Only if you put fire or something else hot close to it," Gray grinned. "Otherwise that should stay there for a good long while."
Sirius stared at Gray with his jaw slack, for a moment before he said, "Seriously, Gray… I could kiss you right now."
Gray snorted but Juvia suddenly flared up and growled, "Kiss him!? Is Sirius-san another love rival of Juvia's!"
"Oh for crying out loud…" Gray smacked a hand to his face.
"This happen often?" Tonks whispered to Lisanna, pointing at the bristling Water Mage and the nonplussed Sirius.
"From what I know… all the time."
"Ah."
...
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