CHAPTER 42
PHINEAS BLACK
“This kid.” James laughed and shook his head.
“His childhood must have been a real hoot.” Remus nodded.
As Ryan and Harry walked back toward their common room, Ryan stopped abruptly with an odd look on his face. Harry turned to his cousin and watched as he unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt.
“What is it?” Harry asked.
After unbuttoning his shirt, Ryan pulls out Salazar Slytherins locket. The locket was glowing green again.
“Uh-oh.” Peter gulped.
“That can’t be good.” Ryan murmured.
“Blood...” Harry turned around when he heard the gasping voice echo around him. “I want blood...”
“Hazza.” Ryan called out to his cousin as Harry began to walk toward the sound of the voice. “Hazza!”
“They all must die. Kill... Kill... Kill! Time to kill.”
“Why is he still heading towards that voice?” Cathy questioned.
Harry turned a corner and came to a corridor that was flooded with water. Ryan came up behind him soon afterward.
“Maybe we should call a teacher or—ew!” Ryan commented at the splashing water he stepped into.
“Ryan.”
The young Chaos Castor looked up and saw what Harry was looking at. Justin Finch-Fletchley was lying on the floor, rigid and cold, a look of shock frozen on his face, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. And that wasn’t all.
Next to him was another figure, the strangest sight Harry and Ryan had ever seen. It was Nearly Headless Nick, no longer pearly-white and transparent, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. His head was half off and his face wore an expression of shock identical to Justin’s.
“What the hell?”
“How is a ghost petrified?” Regulus looked surprised and worried as did everyone else in the audience.
Harry bent down at Justin and touched his petrified hand.
“Hazza, we need to go. Like right now.” Ryan said.
“Caught in the act!” Filch’s shouting alarmed both Harry and Ryan. “I’ll have you out this time. Mark my words.”
“No!” Harry denied. “Mr. Filch! Y-you- you don’t understand!”
“We can explain everything. This isn’t as bad as it looks.” Ryan declared.
Sadly for them, Professor McGonagall arrived soon after Filch did.
“That is not good.” Sirius murmured.
"Oh!” The transfiguration teacher was startled at the sight that awaited her.
“Professor... I swear we didn’t!” Harry tried to tell her.
“This is out of my hands, Potter.” Professor McGonagall said unfortunately.
They marched in silence around a corner and she stopped before a large and large stone griffin. Professor McGonagall made Harry and Ryan stand near to it.
“Professor Dumbledore will be waiting for you. Sherbet lemon!” she said. This was evidently a password, because the griffin began to turn and move upward like an elevator.
“I always wondered where the headmasters’ office was.” One of the first years said.
Eventually the two second years found themselves in what they assumed was Dumbledore’s office. Of all the teachers’ offices Harry and Ryan had visited, Dumbledore’s was by far the most interesting. Harry thought that if he hadn’t been scared out of his wits that they were about to be thrown out of school, he would have been very pleased to have a chance to look around it.
It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames.
Across the room was a large shelf that was holding various objects of different shapes, sizes and materials. But right at the top of the shelf was a shabby, tattered wizard’s hat — the Sorting Hat.
“Orion?”
The two boys looked over to the wall and there they saw the portrait of a man with eyes as dark as his black hair, a pointed beard and thin eyebrows.
“Who is that?” Cathy wondered.
“Oh god.” Sirius groaned.
“Oh. Hello gramps.” Ryan greeted the portrait.
“What are you doing here?” The portrait enquired.
“Oh, just being accused of being the heir of Slytherin and attempted murder.” Ryan joked.
“Are you? The heir of Slytherin that is.”
“Of course not.”
The portraits eyes narrowed at the locket around Ryan’s neck. Ryan realized what the man was looking at and quickly buttoned up his collar again.
“Who is that?” Harry asked.
“Who’s this?” the portrait questioned as he sized Harry up.
“Why does he look sort of familiar?” James enquired.
“Gramps this is Hazza my cousin, Hazza this is my great-great-great grandfather Phineas Black.” Ryan introduced the two.
“Hello.” Harry greeted politely.
“What sort of name is Hazza?” Phineas asked rudely.
“Rude bloke, isn’t he?” Remus said.
“It’s actually Harry. Ryan’s the only one who calls me that.”
“Ryan?”
“That’s me.” Ryan told his great-great-great grandfather. “Remember Ryan is short for Orion?”
“I never understood why that mother of yours insisted on such a ridiculous nickname. As if the name wasn’t short enough as it was already.”
Ryan looked at Harry. “My family has a tradition of naming their children after celestial bodies. The nicknames names we got were to make us sound more normal.”
“You are a Chaos Castor.” Phineas Black stated. “You shouldn’t have to bring yourself down to the same level as those beneath you.”
“Charming.” Cathy commented.
“Why is his portrait here?” Harry asked.
“All the former headmasters have a portrait of themselves left behind after their reign.” Phineas told him.
“Regardless of how much they were well deservedly hated by the students.” Ryan muttered.
“What was that boy?” Phineas yelled.
“Nothing, I didn’t say anything.” Ryan lied.
“That attitude of yours hasn’t been properly…” Harry walked away from the portrait as it started to chastise Ryan.
He cast a wary eye at Ryan and Phineas. Surely it couldn’t hurt if he spoke to the hat. Just to see… just to make sure it had put him in the right House.
He walked away from the pair and toward the shelf where it was placed.
“Bee in your bonnet, Potter?” the hat spoke.
“I... I-I was- I was just wondering if you’d put me in the right house.” Harry said.
“You’ve been wondering whether I put you in the right House,” said the hat smartly. “Yes… you were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said before —” Harry’s heart leapt —“you would have done well in Slytherin —”
Harry’s stomach plummeted.
“You’re wrong,” he said loudly to the still and silent hat. It didn’t move. Harry backed away, watching it. Then a strange, gagging noise behind him made him wheel around.
“Hazza?” Ryan walked over to the boy and they both turned to see standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit-looking bird that resembled a half-plucked turkey.
“What is that?” Evan asked.
Cathy sat up excitedly at the sight of the creature.
Harry stared at it 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.
That was just what they needed, for Dumbledore’s pet bird to die while they were alone in the office with it, when 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 smoldering pile of ash on the floor.
“Well…shit.” James said.
Everyone in the audience who wasn’t aware of the abilities of a phoenix stared at the screen in shock. Dumbledore chuckled to himself quietly.
The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very somber.
“Professor,” Harry gasped. “Your bird — I couldn’t do anything — he just caught fire —”
“You can’t blame us for this too, can you?” Ryan questioned.
“That’s his first question?” Frank looked a bit offput by Ryan’s reaction.
“Excellent question.” Walburga said in Ryan’s defense. “They are being accused of murder, the last thing the need is another death to be blamed for.”
To their astonishment, Dumbledore smiled.
“It was about time.” he said. “He’s been looking dreadful for days; I’ve been telling him to get a move on.”
Both Ryan and Harry looked astonished by Dumbledore’s reaction.
“Fawkes is a phoenix.” Dumbledore told them. “Phoenixes burst into flame when it is time for them to die and are reborn from the ashes. Watch him…”
Ryan and Harry 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.
“Yuck.” Sirius said in disgust.
“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, Harry had forgotten what he and Ryan were there for, but before it all came back to him 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 the dead rooster still swinging from his hand.
“Professor Dumbledore, sir! Wait! Listen! Professor Dumbledore, sir, it wasn’t ‘em!” Hagrid said.
“Hagrid.” Dumbledore held his hand up.
“In fact, I’d be prepared ter swear it in front o’ the Ministry of Magic!” the half giant declared.
“Hagrid!” Dumbledore yelled at Hagrid. “Relax. I do not believe that Harry or Ryan attacked anyone.”
“Well, of course you don’t, and...” Hagrid trailed off when the headmasters’ words finally registered in his head. “Oh... Oh, right. Well, I’ll, umhum. I’ll just wait outside, then.”
Several chuckled at Hagrid while the half-giant looked both proud and embarrassed at his actions.
“Yes.” Dumbledore smiled as Hagrid turned around and left the headmasters office.
“You don’t think it was us, Professor?” Harry asked.
“No, Harry. I do not think it was you or you either Ryan... But I must ask you both, is there something you wish to tell me?”
“Nope.” Ryan said immediately.
Dumbledore looked to Harry and stared at him sternly.
“No, sir. Nothing.” Harry said.
“Very well, then.” Dumbledore said softly. “Off you go.”
The two boys headed toward the exit and as they walked past a shelf, the camera’s view was darkened as it was covered by the shelf and when it was no longer blocked, the scene showed a street with the lights on at night.
“Another scene change.” James said.
“We all know what that means.” Marlene looked at Lily and smiled excitedly.
Soon Cathy, Lily, Regulus and Severus came into view. The night wasn’t silent as the sound of music was filling the air. They all looked slightly older, especially Cathy who looked different in this scene as her hair was now much shorter when compared to the other flashback scenes.
“Oh, I remember this!” Cathy said excitedly.
“How old are you in this?” Fleamont asked his daughter.
“Uh…fifteen I think.” Cathy answered.
“Wait.” Regulus stopped in the middle of the street. The other three stopped as well and turned to him. “I don’t think that this is a good idea.
“Oh, come on, Reg!” Cathy whined.
“What if someone recognizes us?” Regulus said. “What then?”
“We’ll lie and say that they were mistaken.” Cathy told him.
“If it helps, we can even use fake names.” Lily suggested.
“I think fake faces would be more effective.” Regulus said.
“No, she’s right.” Severus spoke up for her. “If anyone sees us and askes, all we have to do is say that we’re someone else and then they think that it’s just some weird coincidence we look alike. I mean let’s face it, who’d believe that the four of us know each other let alone actually hang out.”
“I certainly don’t.” James murmured.
“Plus, it’s a party.” Cathy nodded. “People’ll just think that they were smashed or something. Ooh! I just had a brilliant idea!”
“I’m probably going to regret asking, but what is it?” Regulus enquired.
“Well, building on Lily’s idea of fake names, let’s make up something so similar to ourselves that people wouldn’t believe anyone who’ll repeat it.”
“How do you mean?” Severus asked.
“For example,” Cathy looked at Regulus with a coy look on her face, “my name is Rachel Black and I’m the perfect daughter when you compare me with my rebellious older sister…Cecilia Black.”
“What?” Sirius looked annoyed.
“Cecelia Black.” Regulus laughed. “Oh, that’s good.”
“That is the dumbest cover I have ever heard.” Euphemia said.
“But you have to admit that if you heard someone else tell you about it you wouldn’t believe them.” Cathy challenged.
“Lily.” Cathy looked at the redhead expectantly.
Lily shrugged and gave in. “I’m…Siobhan Snape. I’m wicked good at chemistry and I came here with my best friend…”
Lily looked to Severus to carry on the story.
“L-Lyle Evans.” Severus said.
“Lyle?” Lily looked surprised at the name that Severus had chosen. “Couldn’t you have picked a name that didn’t make me sound like my parents were farmers.”
“Lyle’s parents are farmers.” Severus told them. “He also lives with his older brother…Patrick.”
Several people in the audience laughed and chuckled at the entire conversation.
“Does Lyle usually talk about himself in the third person?” Regulus asked.
“Yes, Lyle does.” Severus said without missing a beat.
The four of them all cracked out some laughter. When the laughing faded away, they all looked at Regulus.
“And who, kind sir, might you be?” Cathy asked.
Regulus shrugged and decided to join in. “I’m…Keith Potter.” Regulus said.
“Yes!” Cathy clapped.
‘Whoo!” Lily cheered.
“I live with my two very old parents and an older sister named Jane Potter.” Regulus finished.
“Yes, you do!” Cathy laughed. “Come on, let’s get to that party, it looks like it’ll rain any minute now.”
“Do you always make fun of us behind our backs?” James questioned.
“Every chance we get.” Cathy smiled.