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ATHENA WAS TEACHING A SIXTH year class when she heard the loud noise of shouting from outside the room. She'd been teaching her classes indoors because of the weather that had taken over. All of her students jumped up immediately as they heard the yell.
"ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!"
"Stop running and stay back!" Athena yelled however it was no good. She recognised the voice of Peeves, his usual singsong tone completely lost. Athena had a nervous feeling of dread inside her as she heard the noise. Another attack. Things just kept getting worse.
With a crash, the doors along the corridor all opened. Athena pushed her way out in front of her students and for a moment she couldn't see what all the panic was about. Her eyes then landed on Harry standing alone and looking completely terrified with all eyes on him.
Beside him stood a very unusual sight. Nearly Headless Nick was floating in the air however it seemed that he had been filled with black smoke. He was still floating in the air however he wasn't moving. Beside him, now fallen to the ground lay Justin Finch-Fletchly. Wide eyed and terrified, the boy stared up at nothing.
Athena internally groaned at this. If things weren't already bad enough for Harry, this had just made everything worse. The most terrifying thing about this situation was the case of Nearly Headless Nick. What monster was powerful enough to petrify a ghost?
For several long minutes, there was a scene of such confusion that Justin was in danger of being squashed and people kept standing in Nearly Headless Nick. Athena saw that Harry had been pinned against the wall in all the commotion as the teachers shouted for quiet.
Professor McGonagall came running, followed by her own class, one of whom seemed to have black-and-white striped hair. Athena presumed that someone's transfiguration had gone wrong. She used her wand to set off a loud bang, which restored silence, and ordered everyone back into their classes. No sooner had the scene cleared somewhat than Ernie Macmillian the second year Hufflepuff arrived, panting, on the scene.
"Caught in the act!" Ernie yelled, his face stark white, pointing his finger dramatically at Harry.
"That will do, Macmillan!" said Professor McGonagall sharply. Athena glared at the young boy even though she understood why he'd come to this conclusion. After all, Harry had been found next to Justin.
She knew better than to expect Harry to be responsible however a settling fear inside her wondered whether everyone else would see this event through the same light.
Peeves was bobbing overhead, now grinning wickedly, surveying the scene; Peeves always loved chaos. As the teachers bent over Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, examining them, Peeves broke into song:
"Oh, Potter, you rotter, oh, what have you done"
"You're killing off students, you think it's good fun –"
"That's enough, Peeves!" barked Professor McGonagall, and Peeves zoomed away backward, with his tongue out at Harry.
Justin was carried up to the hospital wing by Professor Flitwick but nobody seemed to know what to do for Nearly Headless Nick. In the end, Professor McGonagall conjured a large fan out of thin air, which she gave to Ernie with instructions to waft Nearly Headless Nick up the stairs. This Ernie did, fanning Nick along like a silent black hovercraft. This left Harry, Athena and Professor McGonagall alone together.
"This way, Potter," she said.
"Professor," said Harry at once, "I swear I didn't –"
"This is out of my hands, Potter," said Professor McGonagall curtly.
Athena smiled at Harry encouragingly as she followed suit. She knew she'd have to stand up for him. Harry couldn't be blamed for this, he was evidently just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Athena knew that many students would disagree but she hoped that Dumbledore would see sense.
They marched in silence around a corner and she stopped before the large and extremely ugly stone gargoyle.
"Lemon drop!" McGonagall stated. This was evidently the password, because the gargoyle sprang suddenly to life and hopped aside as the wall behind him split in two. Behind the wall was a spiral staircase that was moving smoothly upward, like an escalator. As Harry, Athena and Professor McGonagall stepped onto it, she heard the wall thud closed behind them. They rose upward in circles, higher and higher, until at last, slightly dizzy, they saw a gleaming oak door ahead, with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.
They stepped off the stone staircase at the top, and Professor McGonagall rapped on the door. It opened silently and they entered. Athena knew the office well. She hated it in there, the judging portraits and the even more judging headmaster who in this current time wasn't there.
McGonagall then turned and left. Athena wondered whether she should do the same however she decided against it. Harry shouldn't be on his own. Someone needed to defend him.
"I swear Rena" Harry turned to her suddenly, "it wasn't me— I just found him like that— and then Peeves showed up— I didn't know what to do— I would never"
"I know you wouldn't Harry" Athena told him quickly, "that's all you need to say,
everything's going to be completely fine"
"What happened to Nearly Headless Nick?" Harry asked, "what monster could possibly kill a ghost?"
"He's not dead Harry, just petrified... well I suppose he is dead but that's beyond the point"
"What if Dumbledore doesn't believe me?" Harry asked,
"He'll know that you aren't capable of this" Athena replied shortly, "if not I'll talk to him"
"What if that doesn't work" Harry fretted, "I'm going to be expelled aren't I?"
"Harry—"
She was cut off by a strange, gagging noise behind them which made the two of them wheel around.
They weren't alone after all. Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird that resembled a half-plucked turkey. Harry stared at it and the bird looked balefully back, making its gagging noise again. Athena thought it looked very ill. Its eyes were dull and, even as Athena watched, a couple more feathers fell out of its tail.
"Fawkes" she muttered. For a moment she hadn't recognised the bird, it usually looked a lot more impressive. However now he was evidently close to passing. A second later, the bird burst into flames.
Harry yelled 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 smouldering pile of ash on the floor.
The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very somber. Before Athena could explain what had happened to Harry, he burst into a panic.
"Professor," Harry gasped. "Your bird - I couldn't do anything - he just caught fire--"
Dumbledore simply smiled calmly, casting a look over to the pile of ash where Fawkes had once perched.
"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.
"Fawkes is a phoenix, Harry. Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes. Watch him..."
Athena 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.
"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, Athena had forgotten what they were there for, but it all came back to her as Dumbledore settled himself in the high chair behind the desk and fixed Harry with his penetrating, light-blue stare.
Athena wondered when would be a good time to intervene. She knew that the story would be better coming from Harry, she had already spoken for him after the first event of Mrs Norris. However she wanted to make it clear that Harry shouldn't be blamed for this. She felt it was her duty.
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 head and a dead rooster swinging from his hand.
"It wasn' Harry, Professor Dumbledore!" said Hagrid urgently. "I was talkin' ter him seconds before that kid was found, he 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 him, I'll swear it in front o'the Ministry o'Magic if I have to."
"Hagrid, I--"
"- yeh've got the wrong boy, sir, I know Harry never--"
"Hagrid!" Called Dumbledore loudly. "I do not think that Harry attacked those people."
"Oh," said Hagrid, the rooster falling limply at his side. "Right. I'll wait outside then, Headmaster."
And he stomped out looking embarrassed.
"You don't think it was me, Professor?" Harry repeated hopefully as Dumbledore brushed rooster feathers off his desk.
"No, Harry, I don't," said Dumbledore, though his face was somber again. "But I still want to talk to you... alone"
Athena looked up in surprise. Dumbledore was looking directly at her. She supposed there wasn't much more that she could do now considering that Dumbledore evidently didn't believe that Harry had petrified Justin. She nodded and walked out of the room.
Hagrid was still standing outside of the office holding the rooster in his hand,
"What's wrong with the roosters?" Athena asked,
"They're all dying" Hagrid replied, "somethin killin them I'suppose"
"Oh that's terrible" Athena frowned wondering what creature would murder roosters.
Before she could ask anymore questions, Harry came out of the office looking tired,
"What did he talk to you about?" Athena asked,
"Just asked if there was anything else I wanted to tell him"
"Was there anything?"
"No" Harry murmured however Athena sensed that this wasn't the truth.
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A/n
Words - 1747
Published - 3rd May 2021