TBAY On the waterfront

[Melody]

No: HPFGUIDX 45590

Up in her newly turned down room in the amazingly spacious Safe House,
Melody was enjoying the view of the bay.  Bay waters are always the
most beautiful during the calm before the storm.  She amused herself
watching the current skirmish on the RMS Anything!Arthur.  It is
amazing how many TBAYer's that thing holds.  It's a regular Weasley's
Burrow that floats.

When out of the silence can a quick rapping at the front door.

Knock, knock, knock.

Melody cocked her head and listened to whether anyone was going to get
it.

Knock, Knock, knock.

Hmm, looks like everyone is busy.  Pip does seem awful busy lately,
and Grey Wolf seems to be off chasing rabbits again.  Scurrying down
the grand stairs, Melody slides on her socks across the polished
marble floor to open the oak door.

Pippin was standing there with wild flowers in hand extended.  "I just
wanted to come by and apologies about the can(n)on malfunction. "

Melody smiled and accepted the flowers for the house.  "Thank you.  :)
 Quite all right.  No harm done.  Gave us a bit regimental practice
really."

"Sneeky!" Melody called as a small house elf popped up dressed in a
smashing forest green tea towel.  "Sneeky, will you place these in
water, and put them by Pip's desk in the study.  She needs the
cheering up."

Sneeky squeaked, "Yes, Ma'am.  Love to Ma'am." and scampered away
carrying the rather large bouquet leaving Melody and Pippin at the door.

"Want to come in a bit Pippin?"

"Sure, but only for a bit.  I have to get home and keep filling those
sandbags."

"Um, ok." Melody said as she closed the door behind Pippin and led her
into the comfortable living room with huge bay windows that
overlooks...well, the bay <grin>.

Sneeky had brought the tray of tea, coffee, and apple cider, so Melody
offered Pippin a refreshing beverage and asked, "So what brings you
over Pippin?"

"Well," Pippin said and blushed a bit taking a cup of tea, "I'm sorry
I upset you.  And um--I found a couple of extra cannons for the Safe
House."  Pippin placed two cute cannons next to the fireplace she had
tucked into the pockets of her overcoat.

"Thank you.  How incredible generous.  I'll add them to the collection
to be properly shined up," Melody grinned placing the cannons on the
fireplace.  "I'm sorry Pip and Grey are not here to thank you as
well..." She said turning back to her guest.

"No, quite alright.  I understand Pip's busy." replied Pippin.  "We
all are right now.  Barely anytime for eating and sleeping let alone
visiting our precious site." Pippin said with deep bags under her eyes
Melody never noticed before.

"Ya'll do seem a bit stretched lately."

"Yeah, but it is worth it.  Worth it for the coming storm." Pippin
said placing her cup back on the saucer.

"You really do not believe this house will survive the storm, do you?"
Melody asked gently stirring her own cup of cider.  She never was one
for tea, hot or iced.

"Well, no.  Frankly I cannot say definitively, but I..."

"No, no.  You don't have to explain," Melody stopped her.

"But I want to.  You need to understand how shaky this house can be.
You need to get out before it is too late."  Pippin urged with care.

Melody looked around at the tall column and strong construction.  "I
truly doubt this house is under any danger."

"Oh, but it is.  You have glazed over a part of canon that is vital to
your survival." Pippin said excitingly.  It became suddenly clear to
Melody that this is why she really came over to visit.

"Hmm, really?" Melody sighed sipping more cider having been slightly
amused by Pippin's earnestness.

"Oh yes, let me show you." Pippin continued placing her teacup on the
table and reached to pull out her rather large binder entitled
'Defense Against the Dark Magical Dishwasher.'

Noticing the title Melody exclaimed, "Hey!  What, are they teaching a
course now against us?"

With a sly smile Pippin replied, "It is a small movement within the
group that this particular theory is rather damaging to newbies and
innocent viewers.  Might fill their head with evil visions of
Dumbledore.  No, no we can't have that now can we?  So let see...ah
yes...here we go."

Melody shifted in her seat to get comfortable.  She knew she be here
for a while.

Pippin begins reading, "We don't know what Dumbledore's thinking. But
we know what he's teaching: Harry's being taught that other lives are
worth as much as his own. Is it consistent for Dumbledore to sacrifice
an innocent life to get enough power to kill Voldemort? Would Amos
Diggory understand?"

"There.  What do you have to say about that?" Pippin said looking up
from her binder at a rather stern faced Melody.

"Well..." Melody began wishing Grey or Pip would come busting through
the door on blazing cannons.  "Umm, well, you see..."

But Pippin, excited she got Melody a bit tonuge tied, interrupted and
continued reading, "And then, we know how far Dumbledore will go to
protect the innocent.  Twice now, he's deliberately sent Harry into
jeopardy.  Both times, it was for the sake of an innocent life.  Once
for the unicorns, and once for Buckbeak and Sirius.  And Buckbeak has
*no* practical value to Dumbledore's plans..."

"Hey now we don't know yet whether Buckbeak has any practical value to
the plan." Melody interjected.

"True, true," Pippin agreed, "But for the present his only use was to
take Sirius away which after all, Sirius could have escaped just as
easily on a broom.  Yet Harry and Hermione are sent back an extra two
hours to rescue a mere beast, tripling the risk that they'll be spotted."

Melody leaned back into the couch wondering if the safe house always
entertained such vocal armed guests.  "Given the size of a Hippogriff,
I think it would be harder to spot Sirius from the ground than if he
was on a broom."

Pippin looked up from her binder.  "Don't you think a flying
Hippogriff would bring more attention to him?"

"Well, we don't know how many Hippogriffs there are flying around.  If
it just looks like a bird from the ground, then why would anyone
worry."  Melody replied while staring out the windows.  Cannon fire
was being heard in the distance from HMS Anything!Arthur, and it
looked like Cindy mightalso be walking the plank.

"All speculation." Pippin retorted.

"So is yours." Melody glanced up.

"Ok, ok, fine.  Small point anyway.  But you have not defended your
house views of Dishwasher!Dumbledore's obvious apathy to other
student's welfare.  Shouldn't he try to protect them just as much as
Harry?" Pippin asked while refilling her cup of tea.  She definitely
was enjoying herself.

Melody looked back at the ceiling trying to form in her mind the
house's version of Dumbledore.  "I think it is very evident that
Dumbledore does want to preserve life.  Any life that is innocent or
redeemable." Melody finally said quietly.  "So to that I agree with you."

Pippin smiled, though had a funny feeling a huge 'but' was going to
follow.

"However, the idea the Dumbledore would *knowing* place any student in
danger and *not* provide them with the weapons and skill they need is
not what this Safe House up holds." Melody stated.  "Any time Harry
has been in mortal danger, he has been provided with everything he
needed to survive and conquer.  Any time Hermione or Ron have been
entangled with Harry's plot they have been spared from its possible fate."

"But Cedric.." Pippin exclaimed.

"Yes, I know.  I was getting to him.  Cedric is a tough one.  He was a
contender for TriWiz and was on the same *dangerous* field as Harry,
and trouble on that field could perceivably attack Cedric too.  I
cannot deny that.  But, I would like to say that to date in the
series, it is Harry alone that has received the death threats and
attempts on his life.  Harry alone was suspiciously placed into the
contest.  Dumbledore knew that Voldemort was after him and had no
reason to believe that anyone else was in danger over Harry."

Melody glanced over to Pippin who seemed to have a glazed annoyed look
on her face.  Nevertheless she continued, "Think of James and Lily.
They were put under protection because Dumbledore knew they were in
direct trouble.  Now every witch, wizard, or muggle could conceivably
be in danger because Voldemort was on the loose and aims to kill, but
since Dumbledore knew James and Lily were especially in danger, he
placed them under careful watch.  Now any other wizard or witch could
feel shafted and end up dead since they did not have this special
protection, but it should not be blamed on Dumbledore."

"Now hold on." Pippin sat up with fire behind her eyes and splashing a
bit of her tea.  "Dishwasher!Dumbledore knew Voldemort was coming back
to life soon.  He was "orchestrating" it to happen.  How could he not
be partly responsible for Cedric's death?"

"Since Dumbledore did not know the TriWiz cup was a portkey, he had no
idea that that night was the night Voldemort would return.  Dumbledore
was not sure when Voldemort was going to us the flawed potion, but he
knew Voldemort needed Harry at some point.  Was Dumbledore to keep
every student five feet away from Potter just in the case Harry was
magically whisked away from his close supervision?" Melody asked
pulling her legs in to sit cross-legged on the couch.

"Yes." Pippin replied shortly.  "Dumbledore preserves life."

"What sort of life then would Harry have?" Melody asked.

"Well then Dumbledore should of rethought his plan without Harry in
it.  I'm sure there is another..." Pippin mused.

"They had 10 odd years to sit around and think up a plan that will
bring back Voldemort to a body that can be destroyed and thus destroy
the threat on all their lives.  All on their terms.  Not Voldemort.
If you know the weakness of an enemy, you can properly destroy them
and win your battle." said Melody.

"But innocent people will die.  Innocent people have died." Pippin
said with heart stirring her tea.

Melody sighed.  "That is evil's doing.  Not Dumbledore's.  I bet if
Dumbledore knew that Cedric was in any danger, he would of been there
without hesitation.  He loves his students.  All of them.  And because
of this he wants to destroy and end the evil that has haunted all of
their lives for all of their life."

Pippin sat down her teacup and sat back into the overstuffed chair.
"I still don't know if I can agree with your line of logic.
Dumbledore has too many strings attached to not even perceive that
Cedric was in danger."

"Dumbledore is fallible.  He is not God." Melody smiled weakly.

"True." Pippin sighed and looked at the time.  "Gracious, I have to
get going.  Look at me just jabbering the day away.  Elkins is going
to kill me."

Pippin jolted up and collected her things.  "Thank you for the tea and
all.  I think we are going to have to agree to disagree for now."
Pippin offered while heading towards the door.

Close behind her to open the massive door Melody answered, "I can live
with that.  Fly home safely."

On her way out Pippin glanced around her at the dark clouds gathering
over the bay.  The hurricane watch flags are stiff in the wind.
Looking back at Melody Pippin quipped, "I have a feeling Hurricane Jo
is going blow the safe house down without any help from me."

Melody smiled, "I've lived through a hurricane before, it was quite
fun really.  Granted I was five, but I feel as safe in this house as I
felt in my parent's then.  I?m not a card carrying member of MD just
because it is the biggest, loudest house on the bay, but because I
find it to be the most sound to survive Hurricane Jo."

Pippin, slightly amused by Melody's response, hopped on her broom and
waved good-bye.  Melody gently closed the door and rested the back of
her head against it.  And such is life in the safe house.

Melody
Who would like to say that TBAY is a lot of fun, but *very* time consuming