Harry Potter: Raised By Roses

Chapter Thirty-Three: First Real Defense Lesson

The siblings comforted each other, sitting in Dumbledore's office. They were still a little bit in shock over finding Justin and Sir Nicholas the way that they did. They may not have known Justin that well, but could a ghost do that could possibly cause someone to do that to him. Sir Nicholas was the kindest ghost in the entire castle, other than the ghost of Hufflepuff, the Fat Friar. 

There was also that even as mystic souls, they had no idea there was even anything that could petrify a ghost. Humans, yes. Ghosts, no. So that alone scared them.

The three siblings stared at the bird in Dumbledore's office and the bird looked balefully back, making its gagging noise again. Harry thought it looked very ill. Its eyes were dull and, even as Harry watched, a couple more feathers fell out of its tail. He was the animal expert of the three of them.

　　Harry was just thinking that all he needed was for Dumbledore's pet bird to die while he was alone in the office with it when the bird burst into flames.

　　The three yelped in shock and backed away into the desk. He looked feverishly around in case there was a glass of water somewhere but couldn't see one; the bird, meanwhile, had become a fireball; it gave one loud shriek and next second there was nothing but a smoldering pile of ash on the floor.

"Crud," the three swore.

　　The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very somber.

　　"Professor," Harry gasped. "Your bird - I couldn't do anything - he just caught fire -"

　　To Harry's astonishment, Dumbledore smiled.

　　"About time, too," he said. "He's been looking dreadful for days; I've been telling him to get a move on."

　　He chuckled at the stunned look on Harry's face, then the realization hit them.

　 "Fawkes is a phoenix," Melody realized. "They live as long as they do, then they burst into flames when they die."

"And are then reborn from the ashes," Krinos finished.

　　They looked down in time to see a tiny, wrinkled, newborn bird poke its head out of the ashes. It was quite as ugly as the old one. But they knew that anywhere between a few weeks to a few months, he would start gaining his beautiful feathers again.

"It's a shame you had to see him on a Burning Day," said Dumbledore, seating himself behind his desk. "He's really very handsome most of the time, wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets."

　　In the shock of Fawkes catching fire, the three had forgotten what they were there for, but it all came back as Dumbledore settled himself in the high chair behind the desk and fixed them with his penetrating, light-blue stare.

　　Before Dumbledore could speak another word, however, the door of the office flew open with an almighty bang, and Hagrid burst in. A wild look in his eyes, his balaclava perched on top of his shaggy black hair, and the dead rooster still swinging from his hand.

　　"It wasn' Harry, Professor Dumbledore!" said Hagrid urgently. "I saw 'em seconds before that kid was found, they never had time, sir - "

　　Dumbledore tried to say something, but Hagrid went ranting on, waving the rooster around in his agitation, sending feathers everywhere.

　 "- it can't've bin 'em, I'll swear it in front o' the Ministry o' Magic if I have to -"

　 "Hagrid, I -"