Flight Into Conflict . . .

Harry stood in the back yard of Number 4 Privet Drive and looked around at the perfectly manicured space with a sense of personal pride.  He smiled as his eyes fell onto the new wild grass that he had planted before his birthday; witch grass, its soft blades spread out to create a symmetrical mound that would actually bloom with purple flowers later this fall. 

He walked into the middle of the grassy area in his bare feet.  He smiled once more as the grass tickled his toes.  He decided within his mind that it was time to be serous.  He took several deep cleansing breaths and then began on his Tai Chi movements. 

The late evening sun was setting and bringing the blossoming of many brilliant colors which seemed to flow freely from the sky into the garden.  The air kicked up into a gentle breeze bringing a dancing response from Harry's fringe.  He closed his eyes as he accepted the caress of his element.

Harry had left his hair at its new length after his birthday had brought him many new revelations.  He had even allowed it to be tipped in green a few times when Uncle Vernon was away on one of his many business trips.  Aunt Petunia had simply arched her brows and gone on about her usual busy housewife schedule of Garden Club, Book Club and of course her shopping.

These few thoughts seemed to float through his mind as he moved through his warm-up.  Slowly he began to close all other thoughts from his mind. 

Tai Chi always helped him with his focus and clearing of his mind.  In fact, he credited his beginning to learn Tai Chi with his newly gained confidence in Occlumency.  As his mind cleared, a look of peace passed over his countenance.  He however was not aware of this fact.

One of his watchers, however, was.

Dudley Dursley stood in his bedroom, behind the sheers that covered his window and watched his cousin.  He swayed slightly to the music of his portable CD player as he readjusted the earphones.  As the music caressed his ears he thought of his friendship with Draco Malfoy. It was definitely different.  He had met him through Professor Snape when the Professor suggested that Draco and his friends begin to learn martial arts and kick boxing.  D. watched Harry as he went through his Tai Chi in a deep meditative state.  He wondered about the effect it would have on Harry's magic.  Snape and Draco had told him that when a wizard learned to focus to the degree required by Tai Chi, they could often tap into new abilities and magickal energies. 

He sighed.  He had been trying to learn more about the world of wizards ever since that night in the alley.  In his mind, it didn't make sense to know nothing about someone who was a potential enemy.  Since he had begun hanging around Draco he had learned that the wizarding would was in turmoil - on the brink of war. 

He was standing here in his bedroom in his Muggle house at Number 4 Privet Drive looking down at the savior of the wizarding world working out in his back yard.

The phone downstairs rang.  He heard it vaguely through the music in his ears.  Then he heard his mum, "Dudley, telephone."  He sighed and went downstairs to talk to his friend, Draco.

Famous Fire Eaters*

Muggles Who Notice, by Blenheim Stalk

Philosophy of the Mundane, The: Why Muggles Prefer Not to Know, by Professor Mordicus Egg

Last but not least, Magical Plants in the Modern World, by Brenna Ena Mavelle.

Harry nodded his head to himself as he set those items off to the side and then finished packing.  Once he was finished, he left everything that he had set to the side on his desk in plain view.  Maybe it would help.

He looked at his clock to see that it was nearly midnight.  He glanced out the window and decided that he would go for a fly.

With a flashpoint of phoenix fire, his room at Number 4 Privet Drive was empty.

The peaceful night air was cut with the sound of crying and shouting.

D.'s strong voice said, "Piers, stop it man!"

"Fuck off, D.," Piers sneered in anger as he glared at his friend.  He asked, "What the hell is wrong with you lately?"

Harry was flying over the conflict below at the edge of the park when he heard the painful sobs of Piers' hapless victim.  He landed within a coppice of trees in a neighboring yard and transformed.  He approached in the darkness to hear Dudley say, "I don't have anything wrong with me. I just want you to back off and leave Evans alone."

Mark Evens was lying on his side, clutching his stomach and whimpering as the two older boys fought over him.

Piers reached over and pushed D. in anger and insisted, "Like hell, there is nothing wrong.  Since when do you defend Evans?  He is just another slimy little ponce."

"Piers, let it go.  Let him go."  D. wasn't put off by Piers' attitude.

Harry decided that it was time to show himself.  He stepped out into the light and sneered at Piers.  "Maybe . . . he needs to pick on somebody his own size."  Harry's voice expressed his distain at the bully.  He stepped closer to him in an act of challenge.

"Harry . . . "

"Don't worry, Dudley, I can handle him.  Why don't you help Mark get home?"

D. swallowed as he studied his cousin and then he nodded as he bent over to help Mark up.  He said, "Come on, Mark.  What the hell are you doing out so late anyway?"

Mark said something incoherent as D. led him away.

Harry watched them only for a moment and then he turned his attention back to Piers.  He smirked and then thrust his hand forward.

Piers fell over.  He didn't even know what had hit him.

Harry looked down at the bully and shook his head.  He looked around and saw that they were completely alone.  He smirked once more and then reached down and touched Piers' shoulder . . .

In a flashpoint of fire the street was empty.

Harry looked down at Piers as he lay on a chaise on his back patio.  He shrugged and flashed back out; he had one more stop to make.

Harry flew around the house that he needed to visit once more as he waited for Dudley to leave.  Finally, once he saw that his cousin was making his way back to the scene of the earlier fight, Harry flashed silently into Mark Evan's room. 

He frowned when he saw that the room was empty. 

"Mark, how many times have I told you . . . "  Mark's mum was scolding him as she led him up the stairs to his room.

Harry stepped back into a corner shadow and disillusioned himself just before they entered.

"Mum, I already told you, I was late getting back from the movie with Drake.  I left his house as soon as we got back."  He groaned in pain as he landed on the bed. 

"Let's get you out of those clothes, Mark."

"No, mum.  I can do it.  Goodnight."

Harry watched as Mrs. Evans had an inner argument with herself and then finally gave in and turned to leave.  She said, "Goodnight, Mark."  She closed the door softly behind her.

Mark moaned in pain once she had left and curled up tightly into a ball as he closed his eyes in an effort to forget the fight.

Harry studied him from his corner and then with a gentle wave of his disillusioned hand - peaceful slumber settled over Mark.  He stepped from his corner and moved to the bed.  Harry reached out and gently began to straighten Mark out to lay on his back stretched out to his full height.  Once he had him lying flat, Harry began to work on his injuries and pain.

Mark's face had several bad cuts and his right eye was beginning to blacken under its swollen skin.  Harry made fast work of the facial injuries.  A simple touch of his fingers cleared them away.

He could sense where Mark was hurt even if it didn't show up on his outward features.  He frowned as his hand did a scan above Mark's stomach. 

A deep scowl passed over his face and then he took a deep breath and placed his hands on the unseen injury.  It was a good thing that he had decided to stop by and check up on Mark, his spleen had been damaged.  If he had been taken to the hospital it most likely would have been removed.  He frowned as he realized that young Mark was in greater pain then he had let on to everyone.

Harry finished up with a quick scan over the rest of Mark.  He would be Ok now.  He stepped back from the bed and flashed back to Piers lying on the chaise on his patio.

Harry stood there in the dark and studied the bully as he tried to figure out what he should do.  He seriously contemplated waking him up and pummeling him but decided that that wasn't a very good idea.  He tipped his head and came up with a solution to his dilemma.  In a flashpoint of phoenix fire the patio at the Polkiss residence simply had one resident . . .

Piers rolled over in his sleep and reached up and scratched his purple hair.

TBC?

AN: *Famous Fire Eaters; Think about Harry under his invisibility cloak Christmas, SS in the Restricted Section looking for information about Nicholas Flamel. (Movie version)  Anyway, here again, I could not resist.  Oh, what a tangled web we weave.

If you are interested in reading more about Harry in his Shadow Phoenix form, check out my fic, Beauty in Perfection; Stand by Me. 

More on Draco, Dudley and Piers can be found in my series of drabbles, Draco v Piers.

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