The Phoenix's Daughter
The stars were twinkling brightly, though Cassandra's world was looking bleak. She had lost her mother. Apparently by getting hit by a drunk driver. It wasn't all that uncommon, but it was suspicious, considering that she had lost her father only a month ago, and now her mother? It was very suspicious.
Cassandra continued to look out her window beside her bed, letting the cool breeze gently caress her face, as her tears went unchecked down her cheeks. She didn't care if anyone saw her tears, she was just a young girl of ten.
Cassandra rolled over on her side to look at the closed door to her room, hearing muffled voices coming from beyond the door. Cassandra carefully got up from her bed and walked over the boards that didn't squeak and opened the door just enough to let her right eye to see down the small hallway.
"Headmaster, why are we here?" Came a deep melodious voice.
"My dear, Severus, we are here because there is a young girl who had just lost her mother and father in just a month. Don't you think that's a little suspicious?" Asked a grandfatherly voice.
"I admit it is highly unlikely and very suspicious. Do you think it is the work of the Dark Lord?"
"I have no doubt that it is, Severus, but as to why he's attacking this family is beyond me."
"Albus, the Dark Lord doesn't care what family you are in, if you are standing in his way, or even a muggle, he will get rid of you. You should know that about now."
"Severus, you don't understand, this family has something special."
"Define special, Albus, my patients is waning."
"Severus, take a closer look at this place, what do you see?"
A tense silence filled the air after the man, Albus asked the question. Cassandra opened the door even more, almost daring to put her head out, but after seeing the back of an old man, dressed in what she thought was a bathrobe or something, she quickly ducked her head back in.
"Are you saying, Albus, that she, that orphan girl, holds the key to winning this war? What about the Potter's?"
She heard the man, Albus, sigh. "I don't know, Severus, she may just be one part of the key. Her birthday is only three days away."
Cassandra covered her mouth with her hand, trying hard not to that the gasp get out. She looked over at the calendar that hung above her dresser to see her birthday circled in red. She read it once again.
It was true, only three days till the end of July. Sure, there was probably many people with the birthday of July 31st. Why was she so special? And how come the old man knew her birthday?
"Something must have caused the Dark Lord not to finish what he has started." commented Severus.
"Yes, there is. Remember what I said there was something special about this particular family?"
"Yes."
"The family's blood, Severus. This family, however it happened, is carrying the blood of a phoenix."
"A phoenix? Please tell me you're joking. There's no possible way."
The old man chuckled, "Severus, my dear boy, I'm not joking. I'm serious. I don't know how, but the child, and it appears, only the child is carrying the blood of a phoenix."
"Why don't you just ask the child then? Maybe she has a clue on how her blood might…have…healing powers…Oh Merlin! That's why the Dark Lord killed her parents! She's an orphan, she basically up for grabs! Albus, we must do something!" exclaimed an unknown voice of a woman.
"Yes, Minerva, that's why. And that is why we are here." At those words, another tense silence ushered, then it was suddenly broken by a huge yell.
"No, Albus! I will not take care of that girl! I am spying on the Dark Lord, there's no possible way for me to keep her secret!"
"Albus, Severus is right, maybe I should take care of her,"
"Minerva, as happy as I am to hear you say those words, you are too busy with being my Deputy Headmistress, being the Transfiguration teacher, and being the Head of House of Gryffindor. Yes, Severus, I understand that you are also a teacher, and Head of House of Slytherin…" Cassandra could hear him travel out of thought, and she peaked her head out of the door once again, seeing the woman who had spoken. She was strict looking, her hair tightly up in a bun on her head, and her glasses perched on her nose. Her robes, as Cassandra were now calling the strange clothing these people seem to be wearing, were a dark green, with black lining.
Cassandra could see that only the old man had his back turned toward her, the other two looking straight at the old man.
The second man, wasn't what she called handsome. He looked slightly ill, his skin a shade paler than her creamy peach skin, as her mother called it, his eyes so dark that she considered them to be black. His nose, a little too big for his face, and seemed to be broken at least three times. His hair, is what made her crinkle her nose. His hair seemed oily, and was just barely grazing his shoulders.
Cassandra looked at herself in the mirror that hung beside her door. She wasn't what she called herself pretty either. Skin that was too pale, though she spent most of all her time outside, she never seemed to get less pale. Her eyes, she had to admit, were extraordinary, they were a dark amethyst, that clashed with her rust colored hair.
Cassandra stepped out further, no longer wanting to be talked about, and not wanting these strange people in her home any more. She wanted to mourn in private, she wanted to scream and yell, and break things without having to touch them to make them explode.
They haven't noticed her yet, they seem to be talking, but no sound was coming forth. How odd, maybe they lost their voices?
She crept closer and the strict woman noticed her first. She waved what appeared to be a stick.
"Albus, it seems we are no longer alone." Albus turned around and smiled at Cassandra.
"Hello my dear, did we disturb you?" Cassandra looked into the old man's eyes, watching them twinkle in his deep blue eyes.
"No sir, I've been awake since…" Cassandra looked up above the old man's head to look at her family clock, showing the pictures of her mother, father, and herself. Her eyes misted over and a few tears slid out of her eyes without her noticing, "two in the afternoon Wednesday." She said, looking at the old man, noticing that the twinkle in his eyes seemed to have dimmed.
"Are you saying dear, that you haven't slept in two days?" He asked kindly and with concern. She noticed that he had looked at the man that seemed to be named Severus.
"Yes sir, I haven't slept since I was told that my mother had died."
The old man nodded, and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "If you don't mind, Miss O'Reilly, we need you to come with us."
Cassandra wrinkled her nose, she hated it when people used her last name. She didn't hate it, but she hated the Irish jokes that she had heard from the neighboring children.
"Sir, if you don't mind, I rather not be called by my last name. I would like it if you would call me by my first, Cassandra." Cassandra said, looking up at Albus.
"If you wish, Cassandra." Cassandra smiled and looked to the other two. "And if you don't mind, Ma'am and sir, if you would do the same?"
The strict woman smiled, softening her looks, "Very well, Cassandra." Cassandra smiled up at her and looked toward Severus, waiting for his response.
"Very well, Miss Cassandra, if you must insist." Severus drawled, his lips curling up in a slight sneer that Cassandra mentally shrug as his attempt at smiling.
"If I am to go with you, can I ask if I'm to stay there, or will I be back here?" Cassandra asked, looking to Albus, to Minerva, and to Severus, awaiting her answer.
"You will stay with us, but it won't be easy living where we are going," Albus said, giving a clear warning to her that she might have to fight to keep living where they were supposed to go to.
"You're saying that I might have to live with someone I might not trust, someone who wants my blood, correct?" Cassandra asked, she had no doubt in her mind that Albus, Minerva, and Severus, though Severus didn't show it, were all concerned about something.
"You are correct, child. How much have you heard?" Minerva asked, peering at the child above her spectacles.
Cassandra shifted from foot to foot, looking down at her feet before looking up at each and everyone. "Almost all of it. I know that I carry the blood of the mythological bird, phoenix, that there's someone called the Dark Lord, who might be responsible in my parents death, and that he is after me because of my blood." She said, nearly all in a rush. She didn't want to tell them that she had overheard, but she couldn't help it, they haven't been quite after all.
Albus sighed and looked toward Severus and Minerva, nodding at something that only he can hear.
"You understand that you're in danger?"
"Yes sir." Cassandra was getting slightly nervous on where these questions were heading.