Phoenix Tears
Disclaimer: I own nothing here, except for the plot (duh!) and the character Phoenix Melody
(btw, this IS set in their seventh year, but doesn't follow on from HBP, so Dumbledore's not dead, and as far as Harry and everyone else are concerned, Horcruxes don't exist)
Prologue
Anyone in the small, sleepy village in Derbyshire would expect this to be the last place for heinous crimes to take place, such as muggings, burglaries, and even murder. It was because of this low crime rate that the security system of this small village was, well, crap. This was why this girl was such an easy target. This was how the Death-Eaters snuck in undetected and unnoticed.
Phoenix Melody was just your average sixteen-year old (except maybe for her name, but what's that matter?), hanging out with friends, shopping in Derby, worrying about exams, the usual. But there was one small thing that kept her apart from her friends; any day now, she could be moved on. Her parents, the Melodys, weren't her biological parents, but had fostered Phoenix when she was fourteen. They were well-known foster carers, and Phoenix had been sent to them as a last resort, as she had never stayed longer than about two months in one foster home at a time. Let's just say it took a lot of patience with someone like her, so she faced a LOT of rejections, getting meaner and bitchier and more demanding each time.
I know what you're thinking, what the hell would the Death-Eaters want with someone like Phoenix, but did I ever say she was a Muggle? Even though, she didn't know it, Phoenix was actually a witch, who had been missing from Ministry records since her birth, therefore, any wizarding school never knew where to track her down. But Phoenix was actually very important to the Death-Eaters. Well, not so much them, but to their Dark leader, Lord Voldemort (if you don't know who he is, I reccommend reading the actual books before this, cos otherwise there's gonna be a lot of confusion). Okay, on with the actual story part, now that I have Phoenix's background covered.
"Hey! I'm back!" called Phoenix to her foster mum, Georgia Melody.
"Hi, Phoe!" her Mum called back. "Have a good time?"
"Not really," replied Phoenix, entering the kitchen. "Load of riots going on. Protesting against tourists passing through just to get to Derby and that."
"Well, I wish they wouldn't," agreed Georgia. "It's getting bloody annoying. I mean the tourists are bad enough, but do we really need mobs of protestors moaning about it. Just makes things worse."
Phoenix nodded, and headed upstairs to her little room to play loud music. Unbeknown to her, though, she was being watched. She was just dancing around and singing along, when she saw a small rustle of leaves on the big tree outside her window.. A blond boy's head popped out, grinning.
"Hey, Phoe! Love the moves you're bustin'!. I expect the police to pick you up any day now, on charge of hideously embarrassing your family!"
"Get out of here, Denny, you prick!" Phoenix laughed. "I'd like to see you do better!"
"Hey, agree to go out with me, and I'll let you do all the dancing you want. Maybe even a special dance just for me?" he said flirtatiously, batting his eyelashes.
"You have five seconds until I get on that tree and knock you off the branch!"
"Okay, okay, feisty. Just let me proclaim my love to you, then I'll piss off," grinned Denny, bending down on one knee, in the proposal stance. "Oh, Phoenix, you are the most beautiful girl I-"
"Den..." Phoenix sighed.
"No, hear me out. What time we've spent together has been precious, and I want to make every moment last-"
"Denny!"
"Seriously, listen. You are my heart and soul, the apple of my eye. And would you do me the honour of-"
"Den, what's that?" Phoenix's tone had changed, and she was pointing to a black dot, growing larger every second, in the sky.
"Don't try to distract me. Anyway, Phoenix Melody, will you-"
"Seriously, Den, I think you should get off the branch." The bird was now close enough to reveal it's owlish features, but it looked menacing, and was now flying towards the branch just outside Phoenix's window. In other words, towards Denny.
"You're not listening-"
"Den, look out!" screeched Phoenix, as the bird was now soaring down at Denny, talons pointed onimously at Denny's head. The bird crashed into him, striking the boy on the head, and he fell, unconscious, to the to damp grass two storeys
below, blood dripping from his wound.
"Denny!" Phoenix screeched again, poking her head out the window to look down at his lifeless body sprawled across the lawn, but it was hard to make him out, as their street had no street lighting (crap sentence, I know), and the moon being blocked didn't help her case.
Panicking, Phoenix turned on her heel and ran down the stairs yelling "Denny's been knocked of the tree. He needs help!" to no answers. No irate brother complaining he had to 'study' (making out with his girlfriend more like), no screaming baby at being awoken, no frazzled Georgia telling her husband to call for an ambulance. And no William shouting at her for waking the whole village up. The house was... silent, and seemingly empty.
Phoenix gripped the banister, and nervously made her way down stairs.
"Georgia?" she called quietly, making her way into the living room, where she saw a horrifying sight; what appeared to be a dead brother and Dad, and a sobbing Georgia, holding the baby's lifeless form in her arms.
"Georgia, what's happening?" Phoenix asked fearfully. Georgia said nothing, still sobbing.
"Phoe, you have to get out of here! While you still got a chance. Go!"
"A bit too late, I think," whispered a male voice from behind Phoenix. She spun around, and saw a tall, cloaked-hooded man towering over her, pointing what appeared to be a large stick at Georgia. Phoenix looked from the man to Georgia, until she thought she heard the words 'Abara Cadabra' coming from the man. A jet of green light blasted from his wand, and hit Georgia like a bullet. She immediately fell to the floor, dead.
"GEORGIA!" Phoenix screamed again, tears of fear and hurt rushing to her eyes, and leaking out. She went to check her foster mum, in hope that she was just unconscious.
"You won't find a pulse," the man whispered, in a humorous tone. It was then Phoenix noticed he was surrounded by several other cloaked figures, all laughing quietly.
"You sick sons-of-bitches!" Phoenix shouted angrily. The laughter stopped and the atmosphere turned menacing. One man lunged, but Phoenix missed his grasp by running into the kitchen next door.
Phoenix was now face-to-face with her tormentor, still sobbing hysterically.
"Don't make me force you, Phoenix," the man opposite her threatened. Phoenix stared at him, where she thought his eyes would be.
"Why does your leader want me so badly?"
"Beats me," the Death-Eater said, pointing his wand at her again. "One last chance, Phoenix."
"No. I'm not going anywhere!"Phoenix screeched for the third time.
"So be it," the Death-Eater whispered, raised his wand and shouted "Stupefy!"
A jet of red light emitted from his wand, and flew towards Phoenix. She raised her hands in defence, and looked away...
Any wizard walking outside at that time would have heard a male voice shout "Stupefy!" and wander who was on the receiving end. What they wouldn't expect was for the same man who had cast the spell, scream as death took him...
I know it's a really long prologue, but this part is actually really important to the rest of the story! So, keep reading, and I hope you enjoy! And please review!
