TBAY: CHOPping wood

[Melody <Malady579@hotmail.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 49060

The safe house had been kind of quiet for a while.  Seems the caroling
tired its occupants out.  A few fellow TBAY'ers had decided to come
over to see Pip, so she was entertaining the guests in the living
room.  Pip was in her normal chair by the fire while Eloise and Elkins
sat together on the couch.  Cindy had taken Grey Wolf's normal chair,
and although it is made for the huge werewolf, somehow she filled the
space quite nicely.  The tea tray was just settled and distributed
when a heavy scrapping was heard from the west wing stairs.

-Thump-

Pip stopped in mid sentence and cut her eyes to the west side of the
house.

-Thump-

Now, Elkins, Eloise, and Cindy paused their teacups and joined Pip's
stare to the very heavy boom.

-Thump-  -ThumpThumpThumpThump-   **CRASH**    "Oh dear."

Elkins and Cindy snickered as Pip calmly put her teacup down on the
coffee table.

"I hope you did not like that Tiffany lamp *that* much Pip?" Melody
called from the foyer.

Pip just closed here eyes and took in a deep breath.

"What did she do?" Cindy asked craning her neck to the foyer.

They heard the sound of scrapping again, and Melody came into view
straining to drag one of Grey Wolf?s huge axes.

"Oh great.  Pip, you are letting her play with axes now?" Eloise asked
appalled.

"Melody why do you need an ax?  You can barely lift that thing," Pip
pointed out with a hint of disapproval.

Melody paused her dragging and leaned it against the wall.  "I wanted
- *pantpant* - to conquer - *pant* - my fear of trees.  If I take an
ax - *pant* - then at least I can threaten it to not hit me this time."

"Won't threatening it make it even more mad?" Cindy asked.

Melody bit her lower lip.  "Possibly."

"Melody, how can *you*, wielding an ax you cannot even *lift*,
convince a tree to not hit you?" Eloise asked plainly.

"Well it is not like the tree can *see* that I can't lift it," Melody
pressed though felt a bit silly for not thinking of that herself.
Wanting to change the subject, she asked, "What brings you all here
today?"

"Elkins and I are here in honor of Pip's CHOP theory.  We wanted to
give our support and all, and see how it was coming along," Eloise
explained resuming her tea sipping.

"Why is Cindy here then?  I thought she did not like the theory that
much?" Melody asked as she watched Sneaky scoot over to the foyer to
sweep up the mess.  The elf scampered back through the room and threw
a nasty glare at Melody.

"Cindy is here..." Eloise began.

"*I* am here," Cindy interrupted, "to see whether the theory has
become Big Bang worthy.  See I do have interesting in the theory even
if I will not let it preside on the destroyer quite yet."

Eloise and Pip snorted in their tea, but Elkins jumped in to cut the
impending.  "Melody, why don't you join us?"

Melody blinked a bit.  While the idea of just joining those four in
the living room of the safe house was *greatly* inviting, Melody had
to be true.  "I'm sorry I can't," she said quietly looking down at her
shoes.

"Why not Mel?" Pip asked surprised.  "You have never said you don't
like it."

"No I haven't.  I do like your theory Pip.  I do.  But - I just can't."

"Well of course you can Melody," Eloise said, "but for some reason you
won't.  Come now, you know it is a good theory."

Melody shifted her weight between her feet and leaned against the back
of the couch to fuss with the pillow.  "The reason is silly."

"Oh honey, you can tell us.  We won't laugh," Cindy said tipping her
teacup back to take a sip.  Her eyes were set on Melody with that
expected twinkle.  This time all the four other women in the room
sniffed in disbelief, as Cindy looked affronted.  "What?"

"You know Cindy.  You will never be able to pull off that innocent
act," Elkins said shaking her head.

Pip looked over at her little housemate and asked sweetly, "Melody,
please tell me.  What is your reason?"

Melody looked around the room but settled her eyes on Pip and said
with big worried eyes, "I don't want him to die."

Cindy bit her lip but the sides were twitching a little.  Elkins threw
her a pillow as the two of them attempted, quite poorly, to conceal
their deep mirth laughing in the pillows of the couch.

"See they are laughing," Melody pouted.

Pip leaned over and patted Melody's hand.  "Melody, they are not
laughing at you -"

"Yes we are," Elkins and Cindy said in unison causing them to laugh
even harder.

"Ok so they are.  *But* it is because it is so cute," Pip explained
trying to be reassuring.  "None of us *want* Dumbledore to die.
However, what we want does not mean we should turn a blind eye to the
possibility that it might be a major plot point in the future.  Right,
ladies?"

Cindy and Elkins nodded in agreement but were still snickering.
Eloise threw them a box of tissue.  "Why is Dumbledore's death so bad
for you?  Normally, you are not one to let emotions affect your
opinion about theories," she asked as she sat Melody down between her
and Elkins on the couch.

"I think it is the decapitated part," Melody said looking down at her
hands as they intertwined nervously.  "I keep envisioning all those
Brits on Tower Bridge with their head on a spike.  That is just too
disrespectful for Dumbledore's head.  Can't he give like a liter of
blood or something?  Pippin will like that."

"Mel, a bucket of blood does not bang," Cindy said sitting back in her
chair wiping her eyes.

Melody sat quietly a minute and glanced up at Cindy.  "It would if
Snape goes to Voldemort with it trickling from his mouth."


Everything paused in the safe house as each pair of eyes closed
tightly to exhume the image.  Eloise drew in a long breath.  "You're
out of your head.  Melody that is disgusting."

"What is with these listees!?" Elkins exclaimed reburying her head in
the pillow.

Cindy sat ash face.  "Well, Pippin *would* like it."

"Cindy!" Eloise exclaimed, "Don't encourage her."

Pip sat staring at Melody.  "But Melody you don't ascribe to the
Vampire Snape theories.  Why are you switching?"  All four heads
turned to the girl.

"I am not switching at all Pip," Melody said shaking her head.  "From
the way I see it, Snape does not have to be telling the truth when he
goes back to Voldemort.  He could be lying about his vampire state,
but all the physical evidence, like the pale skin and blood trickle,
would say otherwise.  After all, Voldemort *is* searching for
immortality.  Snape could make him believe he is a vampire or a
special potion-regulated vampire that lives forever and can run around
in daytime, and thus could 'help' Voldie attain that status."

"And dribbling Dumbledore's blood down the front of his robes will
convince Voldemort of *that*?" Eloise asked in disbelief.

"It might.  And then Dumbledore's head does not have to be displayed
as a war trophy.  I keep having visions of Cromwell's and Dumbledore's
heads talking on Westminster Hall to each other, and that is *too*
disturbing," Melody said with a shudder.

"Oh, but having Snape *covered* in Dumbledore's blood isn't?" Elkins
asked indignantly.

"I don't see what is so worse about that.  How sad is our society when
dragging a head to the foot of the evil overlord is tame in comparison
of a little blood," Melody said defensively.

"But Mel, drinking blood *is* disturbing," Pip stated.

"I did not say he drank it.  He only dribbled it out of his mouth.
Yes, it would require him to have it *in* his mouth, but I think he
would sacrifice that little bit for such an important goal.  You know,
the shock to Voldemort would be rather big I think.  Especially if he
knew Snape was experimenting before with vampire things, and knew
Snape wanted to achieve the state.  So, the fact he finally did, or so
it appears, would greatly excite him.  And then, Voldemort has a whole
vat of blood furnished courtesy of Snape via Dumbledore.

Seems tic for tac in my opinion since Dumbledore helped cause Harry to
give his blood, but frankly this giving of blood does not even have to
work with MD.  Why would he not be willing to give even in a basic read?"

Cindy kneaded her head and said, "So you have managed to stomp all
over CHOP's goals, MAGICAL DISHWASHER's hidden motives,
Vampire!Snape's state of being, and Big Bang's appeal.  All without
adhering to any of them."

"Well makes for an interesting tap dance," Melody smiled.

"One thing Melody," Elkins said having regained her composure.  "How
is Voldemort to know this is in fact Dumbledore's blood?  Not like it
can be notarized."

"Well.  No floating body parts," she said as they all shuttered a bit.
 "What we need is something Dumbledore needs himself.  Something he
depends on.  Can't be himself without it. --- Hey!  What if Snape
brought along the pieces of Dumbledore's snapped wand.  Seems that
would be *big*.  A kind of biblical 'foreskin'."

"Ok *that* imagery *is* making me sick," Eloise said scurrying over to
the downstairs WC.

"Sorry," Melody blushed, "Y'all started this."


Melody
who does wish everyone a Happy New Year

and who can't help but chuckle at how many levels the title works.  ;)
I count at least three.