Spells used in this chapter:
Avada Kedavra (ah-VAH-duh keh-DAV-rah) - killing curse; causes instant death on victim
Episky (ee-PISS-key) - used to heal minor injuries like broken bones and repairing cartilage
Expelliarmus (ex-PELL-ee-ARE-muss) - disarming charm; causes whatever the victim is holding to fly away from their hand
Once the Sorting Hat said "SLYTHERIN!", everyone went wild. Gryffindor was outraged, Slytherin was cheering, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were both complaining that they didn't get the second Potter.But one thing was on the minds of all; how did this girl know so much about magic but had never been to a magic school.
Dumbledore came to the front to speak as the noise in the Great Hall continued. "Students, please get with your respective houses and head back to your dormitories." Everyone groaned but did as the old wizard instructed. Harry gave Phoenix a hug before joining the rest of Gryffindor, leaving the young girl sitting on the stool in front of the stage as the four houses cleared out of the Great Hall.
The teachers started to clear out as well, leaving Phoenix alone. Well, almost; Draco Malfoy decided to stay behind and observe the new Slytherin. She held her elbows as she tried to process everything that had happened. Phoenix glanced around the room as her eyes set on Professor Snape, who had not yet left the room. "How did you know my mother?" She called to him.
"We grew up together." He stated.
Phoenix nodded in understanding, "Wonderful." She looked around the room again as she got off the stool. Her eyes landed on a door behind the head table, and she made eye contact with Professor Umbridge.
Umbridge had a certain look in her eyes that reminded Phoenix of a painful childhood memory. She grimaced and looked away quickly as a flash of her past blinded her. She stumbled, but caught herself on the Gryffindor table. Malfoy stepped out of the doorway, but Professor Snape hurried over to help.
"Are you alright child?" Professor Snape asked. Snape noticed Draco in the doorway and called him over to help.
"I'm fine," Phoenix nodded, "just a childhood memory."
"Yes Professor?" Malfoy asked as he reached the scene.
Phoenix raised an eyebrow at Malfoy, "Weren't you the one I shocked earlier?" Draco glared at her, but immediately stopped when Professor Snape spoke.
"Lead Ms. Potter to the Slytherin dormitory and make sure someone helps her get settled in," Malfoy had a confused look on his face, but winced when Snape glared at him. "Am I understood, Draco?"
Malfoy gulped and nodded. "Come on then." He started walking towards the door, with Phoenix following close behind. They trekked through the halls of Hogwarts, finally making it to the Slytherin dormitory. "How does it feel to be related to the famous Harry Potter?" Draco sneered.
"Well, he's not famous, not to me. I've only met the boy and all I can think about is that I'm not alone anymore." Phoenix admitted as the door opened to the Slytherin dormitory. Most of the Slytherin were already in their rooms, only a few were left in the common room.
Phoenix looked around the room. The whole room was filled with dark grey, black, and green. There was a large fireplace with some couches in front of it. There were hallways etched out in the walls, most likely where the rooms were. "Phoenix?" Malfoy snapped Phoenix out of her thoughts of admiration.
"Please, just Nix." She said, waving off the name.
Draco chuckled, "Can I call you Nixie?"
"If you want to lose your left hand." Phoenix replied sarcastically.
"I'll take it as a challenge then," Draco winked, "the Sorting Hat really did put you in the right house."
"You weren't sure of his decision before?"
"Well, I thought you were going to be like your brother," He scoffed when he thought about Harry.
"So what changed your mind?"
Draco smirked, "The threat about me losing my hand you just gave me." Nix smiled and looked down at her feet. "If you follow this hallway, you'll find your room and the girls in there will help you with everything else."
Phoenix nodded and, as Draco started walking away, she called after him. "Malfoy," He turned to look at her, "thanks for your help."
He smiled and continued walking to his room. Phoenix sighed as she looked down the hallway. The door was cracked and Phoenix could see that it wasn't crowded with girls like she thought it was going to be. There were maybe three girls in the room. She held her head low and knocked on the door before entering.
The three girls stopped and looked at her. After a second of silence, Phoenix spoke. "Draco said that this is where I needed to go." She explained. The girls smiled and pointed to a bed, like the others, with a trunk in front of it and a parcel on the sheet. The comforter was python green and the under-sheets were dark grey. The trunk in front of the bed had the Slytherin logo on the front and the Hogwarts logo on the top.
Phoenix picked up the parcel and started to open it. There were Slytherin robes, a bag that Phoenix forgot in her rush to come to Hogwarts, a few books for the year, and some galleons and sickles and knuts. Amongst everything in the parcel, there was a card on top of the robes with Phoenix' name on it.
She opened the stationery and smiled when she read what was on the card;
Ask Harry for the 'Marauders Map' and tell him to show you around 'cause old Padfoot found a few good places you should see. Make sure you don't hurt anyone as...well...you know. I hope you won't cause any trouble for the headmaster, he's a good man. Make sure not to blow anything up this time. Glad you met your brother Nixie! Here's just a few of the essentials you'll need to get through the year. Have a great time darling.
~S & R
She tucked the card under her pillow and grabbed the bag. As she looked up, she saw that the other girls were watching her. Taking this cue, she placed everything in the trunk at the end of the bed and quietly said a spell that would keep prying eyes away from...well...prying.
She turned and looked at the three girls. "My name is Phoenix, but you can call me Nix." She said awkwardly. The girls finally smiled and welcomed her.
"I'm Elsa." The girl had short hair, dark brown, and brown eyes. She looked nice enough.
"Crystal." Long blonde hair and green eyes.
"And I'm Nyssa." The last one had light brown hair and grey eyes.
"Nice to meet you ladies." Phoenix smiled.
"You as well." Crystal said.
"So how are you so advanced at magic when you haven't ever gone to a magic school?" Elsa blurted.
Nyssa smacked Elsa's leg, "You don't just come out and say it like that Elsa!"
"No, it's fine," Phoenix smiled, "I stayed under the radar with a close family friend and he taught me everything I know."
"Have you used the Patronus charm yet?"
"Yes."
"What is it?"
"You'll have to wait and see."
"What about Harry, did you know he existed?"
"No, I didn't. My caregiver thought it was best for it to be like that."
"Do you have a scar like Harry's?"
"Yes, it's on my wrist." Phoenix showed the girls the identical lightning scar to Harry's. They gasped and giggled, and continued to hound her with questions until they all became tired and fell asleep.
ll~+~ll
As Phoenix fell asleep, she thought she was free. Free from the nightmares that once held her hostage. She thought she was safe and protected now that she was at Hogwarts. But she was wrong. As Phoenix fell asleep, her nightmares awoke.
The dream was almost the same as any other night; the Dark Lord comes into her mind, whispers in her ear and she sees his plans. But this night was different. This night, there was a battle. A battle between Harry and Lord Voldemort. It was in a graveyard, there was another boy there with auburn hair and a golden yellow shirt - probably a Hufflepuff.
Voldemort raised his wand and screamed, "Avada Kedavra!" The Hufflepuff boy was hit and instantly died.
"CEDRIC!" Harry screamed.
Harry turned and screamed at Voldemort as different curses continued to be cast.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Avada Kedavra!" Harry and Voldemort were in a duel for a good time, neither one giving up. Until Harry ran over to the boy and grabbed what looked like a cup and instantly disappeared.
After this happened, Lord Voldemort looked up and searched the grounds with his snake-like eyes. When he landed on the spot Phoenix was watching the battle from, he grinned a mischievous and evil grin. "Phoenix." He whispered. Suddenly, he turned into Death Eater form and flew right through her, teasing her and repeating her name. "PHOENIX!" This voice was different, it was familiar.
Phoenix' eyes flew open as she sat straight up in bed. She was panting and breathing heavily. She looked around the room to see her roommates still sleeping. They couldn't have called her name, the voice was male. Phoenix knew the voice, she just couldn't remember whose it was.
Phoenix decided she would take a walk around the castle, not knowing that Hogwarts had a rule about going out of your house dormitories at night. She got out of bed, grabbed her wand, and put her jumper (British term for sweater or sweatshirt) over her pajamas.
Before opening the door, Phoenix checked to make sure her new friends were sleeping. Seeing as they were, she opened the door quietly and walked out. As she passed into the common room, she tripped over a rug and landed on the ground with a thud. Realizing there were people that probably heard that, she ran out the door of the Slytherin dormitory.
Taking a deep breath, she made her way down the halls of Hogwarts. As she was walking, she heard a noise, a crash to be specific. Knowing that she should probably hide, she ran to the nearest curtain and hid herself behind it. She saw Harry coming down the stairs with a troubled look on his face.
"Harry?" She called out as she stepped out from behind the curtain.
Harry looked around for the origin of the voice until he saw Phoenix and let out a sigh of relief. "Phoenix, it's just you. Good." Phoenix smiled. "What are you doing out of bed?" Harry asked.
"Is there a rule against it?"
"Yes actually. We're not allowed to be out of our house dorms at night." Harry explained. Phoenix nodded in understanding and they stood there for a few seconds in complete silence.
"Harry," Phoenix started, "who's Cedric?"
Harry's eyes widened as he got a pained look on his face. "He was a Hufflepuff student here," Harry's voice cracked and hitched as he continued speaking, "he was in the Triwizard Tournament with me last year and...Umm...he died. After we completed the final task, we were transported to a graveyard where Voldemort fought me and...h-he killed Cedric." Phoenix' eyes widened as she started breathing heavily. "Why do you ask?"
"I just saw that," Harry looked at his sister, confused, "th-that specific thing that you just told me about. I saw that fight in my dream."
"That's weird," Harry pondered the thought.
"What is?" Phoenix asked.
"I had the same nightmare. In my dream, I replayed that night."
"Then how did I see it?"
"I haven't the slightest idea, Phoenix." Once Harry said her name, Phoenix knew it was the voice in her dream. The familiar voice that she couldn't remember.
"Harry," She straightened and looked at her brother questioningly, "was I in your dream after that?"
Harry looked surprised, "Yes, actually. You were. How did you know?"
"I heard you calling my name. In my dream of course. That's what woke me up." She explained.
"Maybe we have some sort of twin connection?" Harry suggested laughing.
"Maybe we do." Phoenix agreed. They shared a quiet laugh and then Harry noticed something.
"Phoenix, what happened to your leg?" Phoenix looked down at her legs and noticed that her ankle was swollen. Then, she remembered what happened as she made her daring escape from Slytherin's common room.
"I tripped over a rug as I was leaving the common room."
"Let me fix that for you," Harry said as he got out his wand. "Episky." Phoenix' ankle stopped swelling and reset itself to it's regular state. Even the bruises around it started to go away.
Phoenix looked up at her brother and smiled. "Thanks Harry."
"Do you remember them?" Harry blurted.
"Vaguely," Phoenix scratched her head and sighed, "We were only babies, Harry."
"I know, I just wondered if you remembered them more than I did." Phoenix nodded and smiled. Harry gestured for her to join him as they walked about the castle. "So were you on your own this whole time or was someone taking care of you?"
"Someone was taking care of me."
"Who? Why didn't they take care of me too?"
"I don't know if you know him, but Remus Lupin."
"REMUS?!" Harry screamed.
"Hush yourself Harry James Potter, do you want to get us both in trouble?!" Phoenix scolded.
Harry gulped, "Are you sure you're my sister and not Hermoine's?"
"Well brother, I didn't choose you now did I?" Phoenix replied sarcastically.
"So anyways...on with growing up with Remus."
"Right," Phoenix replied. "So, that night, I was playing around with dad when he heard a noise and went to take me upstairs to be safe with you and mum, but it was too late. The Dark Lord had burst through the door and dad pushed me behind him and grabbed his wand. I however, wanted to see what was going on so I walked out from behind him and Voldemort tried to kill me. But dad...h-he picked me up and turned his back to Voldemort, putting h-himself between m-me and V-Voldemort." Phoenix' lip quivered as a stray tear started to fall down her face.
Harry put a hand on his sister's shoulder and then enveloped her in a hug. "Then, h-he tried to kill me but my hands were in front of my face because I was crying and he tried to kill me too but since dad sacrificed himself, he wasn't able to. When he hit me, it did leave the mark, but when it rebounded off of me, he dodged it. He didn't learn his lesson when he tried to kill you and killed himself instead."
"It's alright Phoenix," Harry said rubbing her back. "Tell me more about Remus."
She nodded and wiped her eyes. "Remus came to visit that night and when he saw what happened, he ran into the house and saw dad laying on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, and he fell to his knees and yelled in anguish. Then he saw me wrapped in dad's arms, with the scar on my wrist and whimpering and he picked me up, trying to comfort me."
Phoenix took another breath as Harry held her tighter. "He called for mum but she didn't answer. He thought he had an echo when he heard someone call for mum as well, but when he turned around, someone was coming to the house." They started walking again. Phoenix had her head on Harry's shoulder and Harry had his arm around her. "He panicked and transported us somewhere. I'm guessing it was his house. There was another man there, I hope you know him, Sirius Black."
Harry's eyes widened and he grinned, letting go of his sister. "I know Sirius!"
"Good, I'd be shocked if you didn't know your own godfather," She grinned as they found a nice window to stop at. "Remus is my godfather."
"So why didn't they mention you to me, and why did they not mention me to you?" Harry asked.
"At first both of them thought you were dead. But when they heard differently, and that you were at Hogwarts, Remus reached out and taught here, and Sirius broke out of Azkaban. Which is one of the other reasons why they didn't mention me. When Sirius was taken to Azkaban, he and Remus thought it best to keep me a secret."
"So why are you here now? Why come out of hiding now?"
"It's not safe for me anymore."
"What do you mean?"
Phoenix sighed. "Someone figured out who I was. Remus told me to run and run far and Sirius suggested Hogwarts. I knew a little more than I was letting on about Hogwarts earlier; I know a lot about this place."
"So they just sent you on your way?" Harry asked.
"Well, they guided me some of the way, but then the Order of the Phoenix called and they had to choose; one Phoenix or the other."
"That's an odd coincidence." Harry laughed.
"No it's not. Mum and dad named me after the Order."
Harry clutched his stomach as he couldn't contain his laughter. "You're named after everything aren't you. Professor McGonagall, the Order. I don't know where 'Rubella' comes from though."
"Rubella is an fourteenth century name. Ruby is short for Rubella." Phoenix explained.
"So I can call you Ruby?" Phoenix nodded. "Can I call you Nix?" Again, she nodded. "What about Nixie."
Phoenix sighed, "Only you, Remus, and Sirius can call me that."
"So tell me more about how you got here." Harry said.
"Well, I traveled here mostly in human form, just transporting myself in short doses, but then I was ambushed by Death Eaters and I traveled the rest of the way in Animagus form. But when I got to Hogwarts, I thought people might be scared so I walked in as a human."
"Wicked," Harry then realized what she said. "Wait did you say 'Animagus'?"
Phoenix cringed, "Yes."
"You're an Animagus?" Phoenix nodded. "Wicked! Hermione will be so glad to meet someone that's also an Animagus! She was so fascinated with Sirius and his Animagus when he was here. I apologize in advance if she pounces on you like a tiger wanting information."
"I'm flattered."
"So did Remus and Sirius decide to help me instead of you when they choose the Order?"
"No, they decided it would be safer for me to be where you weren't and once you got to Hogwarts, you would be safer with me than you were without me." Phoenix explained.
Harry groaned, "So they made you a bloody babysitter?"
"No, I am more skilled in magic than you are. I know more advanced spells. They thought it the best way to protect us both."
"When did you leave?"
"Right before everyone got to the safe house. Arthur and Molly were a bit sad to see me leave without saying hello but I explained I would see them again."
"Wait, the Weasley's know you?"
Phoenix sighed, "Yes Harry, but don't be mad at them for not telling you."
Harry chuckled. "I'm not. I'm just glad I've met you now."
"Me too, Harry. Me too."
"We should probably get back to our dorms before Filch and Mrs. Norris catch us."
"Brilliant idea," Phoenix turned to leave but Harry stopped her.
"We might not have any classes together, so rendezvous here tomorrow night. Same time." Harry decided.
Phoenix nodded and smiled. "Goodnight Harry."
Harry returned the smile and started walking to Gryffindor tower. "Goodnight Nixie."