An excerpt from the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them2047 revised edition by Capricorn Lovegood-Scamander:
Muggles are able to see some of the magical creatures in our world (dragons, unicorns, etc), and be able to feel the presence of less familiar ones. But of all the magical creatures in our world, only two can be bound (i.e. familiars) to Muggles. One of which was the recently confirmed Crumple-Horned Snorkacks (CHS), which apparently will only attach itself to Muggle fantasy authors, hence why Muggles get magic right sometimes. The other is the Phoenix. Like the CHS, it attaches itself to an artist but unlike the CHS, a Phoenix will only attach themselves to singers, composers or musicians.
The CHS is a capricious creature who doesn't form any permanent attachment to authors. The Phoenix, on the other hand, bonds for life with Wizards or Muggles, only leaving at the death of its bonded. They are attracted to strong emotions. Some prefer sorrow and others joy. The song a Phoenix sings conveys the form of emotion that they are attracted to.
The only known exception to the Phoenix rules of attraction is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. No one knows why this exception was made and if Dumbledore knew he never told.
Italy, 1924
The Phoenix has been called many things in its life. His last bonded had called him 'Song Bird'. The last bonded had been a Muggle who could never see him but could hear the Phoenix 's tenor voice. The Phoenix sang often to its Muggle, and the man noted the songs down, using them in his masterpieces. For many years they did this, but as his Muggle's life came to an end the Phoenix sang its soul-song. It was a song of sadness, a song that conveyed the fault of ego. A song that told that ego would doom us if we did not crush it. For that was the emotion that attracted the Phoenix, the time when we realize our ego will defeat us, unless we defeat it.
The Muggle called that song Nessun dorma. He then laid down his pen, and wrote no more.
Germany, 1945
The Phoenix had been alone many years. He had encountered many composers and singers, even a few musicians, but none of them quite sounded right to his soul-song. Some were far too egotistical, others felt they had so little self-worth they killed themselves with drugs and alcohol.
Some the Phoenix found were even locked in strange cages with many other humans. So many were locked away in the cages they did not have enough food. It was as if the other humans wanted to preserve the artistic ones but then decided to let them rot away. The ones in the strange cages were so filled with fear and despair their souls had been crushed. The Phoenix feared that the caged humans would never make art again and wanted to help but was driven off by the horror. As he flew over Germany, he saw many signs of a great Muggle battle. Distressed, he started to turn away, to leave the area of death but as he turned he saw a strange sight in all this Muggle chaos…a magical battle being waged.
Landing he watched the two men fighting. One had long auburn hair, the other short blond hair. They threw curses at each other. Both possessed great arrogance that the Phoenix could almost taste. The auburn one was coming to terms with his arrogance, while the blond one still believed in it.
Maybe this is the one, The Phoenix thought hopefully. Suddenly the two began to yell at each other. The Phoenix listened closely.
"We were fools Gellert! 'For the greater good' doesn't give us the right to take away the freedom of others! It doesn't give us the right to kill them!" the auburn one said.
"Nonsense, we are stronger, smarter, better in every way! It is we who should rule, not the weak wizards or the foolish Muggles!" the blond one shouted back, almost foaming at the mouth with rage.
The Phoenix could tell that the auburn-haired man was losing his arrogance and becoming aware that he must defeat himself to triumph. He was not an artist of any kind, but somehow it didn't matter, he was the one. The Phoenix flew to the auburn-haired wizard, singing a song, lending the wizard the strength needed to defeat the other.
The battle ended. As the magic settled, the auburn-haired wizard looked to its bonded. "Hello. Thank you. Who is your bonded? He must be a true artist for you to be so powerful." he asked curiously
Humans! The Phoenix thought with a sigh. Doesn't he realize what's right in front of him?
Scotland, 1997
His human had died. He flew over the pristine marble tomb that would house his human for all eternity and sang his soul-song then the Phoenix left, it was time to find his new master.
He had thought it would be the young boy, the one who had a soul hidden in him. He was not an artist, but neither was his old bonded. But the Phoenix felt no pull from him. Nor was it the fallen man, the one whose heart was forever with the doe girl. He may not have been an artist with a melody but with his liquids and plants he was truly a master. It was not the tartan woman who played the Mountain Dulcimer, or the bushy haired girl who sang in her church choir (the bushy haired girl already had the demon cat that had tried to eat the Phoenix once anyway). So on he flew...out over the water and over the land. Returning to where his first bonded, a Muggle (before the auburn-now white-haired wizard) had lived.
A/N: Other stories by me can be found at my LJ under myene 01, at any of the Sycophant Hex archives, the fanfiction .net archives, and at the hpfandom .net archives. At and at My LJ will have all my fics, the other archives are spotty.
Beta by ulyferal
