DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and Co are owned by the ever fabulous JK Rowling. The only thing I own is Phoenix and various other originals you see running around.
CHAPTER TWO
"Right Here For You"
July 31, 1981
Diary,
Harry's first birthday was today. He looks so much like James, it's frightening. He has Lily's eyes though, exactly her eyes. A good thing, because I always told her that her eyes were her best feature. Phoenix enjoyed hanging out with someone her own age, or at least near her age. I do wish I could give her more opportunity to be with other children, but her safety is priority. Sometimes I wonder if joining the order was worth going in hiding, but then I remember that I want Phoenix to grow up in a world without fear, and it's all worth it.
Sirius was at James and Lily's tonight diary. I didn't expect him to be there, although I should have known. He's Harry's godfather, something he takes seriously. I wonder what he'd do if he knew Phoenix was his...I'm sure he
Oh dear, Phoenix has set the cat on fire again.
I smiled slightly, running my finger over the words my mum wrote. It made me feel closer to her, reading her diary. I'd also been spending more time with my father – and getting used to calling him that. We were taking things slow, getting to know each other, and he was telling me about our family's history, his history, and his memories of my mother.
My horrifically painted grandmother, Walburga, was also eager to get to know me. She had a tendency of flitting through portraits, trying to find me and telling me about the different marriages she wanted to arrange for me. Luckily, she was a portrait and portraits didn't have rights. She did get annoying though, so I spent most of my time in the portrait free rooms – the kitchen, the bathroom, and the Twins' room.
Fred...that was another change over the last few weeks. He started acting even weirder, holding doors open for me, pulling out my chair when I went to sit down, carrying things for me...it was strange. He was also a little less talkative than he usually was, but he was smiling more. So...weird.
Luckily, Hermione came to headquarters a week after we did, and she was more than willing to talk things through with me. I also became friends with one of the aurors in the Order, a girl named Tonks. Between Hermione, Tonks and Ginny, I was more than able to get all of my familial and Fred-related drama off of my chest.
At least...whenever we weren't cleaning. And we were cleaning a lot. The house hadn't been used for years, and Kreacher had gone around the bend and hadn't cleaned anything, so it was up to us to get the place looking habitable again. I didn't really mind, considering it was my ancestral home. Underneath all of the dust and grime, the house was gorgeous, albeit a bit darkly decorated. I'd have to redecorate when I got the chance.
"Nix! Can you come here a second, please!"
I marked my place in mum's journal, then set it beside me on the bed, before following the sound of Hermione's voice.
"Yeah 'Mione? What do you need?" I said, leaning against the doorframe. Hermione was sitting on her bed next to Ginny and Ron was sitting on Ginny's bed. They all had troubled looks on their faces. Pig was zooming around their heads.
"Fred and George just told us that the order is going to get Harry tonight. Did you know about that?"
I shook my head. "Sirius didn't tell me anything about it, but I'm not surprised. He was attacked by dementors."
Ron nodded. "See 'Mione, I told you. They're trying to keep it a secret."
She rolled her eyes. "Honestly Ronald, why would they do that? We're his best friends. It's not like we told him any of the things they made us promise not to tell."
Ginny caught Pig as he looped around her head and started petting him. "I expect they don't want us trying to go along."
Ron spluttered. "I'm his best friend! Of course I'd try to go along!"
I rolled my eyes. "Molly wouldn't let you go Ron. You know that."
"They're saying it's dangerous," Hermione added.
"What's dangerous?" A voice came from behind me. George squeezed past me and moved to sit next to Ron on Ginny's bed. Fred leaned on the other side of the doorframe, nodding at me. A weird feeling twisted in my stomach, and I had to look away.
"The order moving Harry tonight," Hermione explained.
"They want to go along," I added.
George laughed. "Mum will never let you go Ron."
"That's what I said."
"We should go, George," Fred suggested. "We're of age." I gave him a dark look and he quickly added, "and Nix should come along of course."
Ron scowled. "Why should you guys go? He's my best friend!"
"Our best friend, Ronald." Hermione corrected, looking through a stack of books on the windowsill.
"None of you are going." We all turned to see Lupin standing behind Fred and I. This announcement caused everyone to protest of course.
"But we're of age!"
"Harry's my best friend!"
"I want to go!"
"I'm excellent at curses!"
He raised his hands, waiting until we'd all stopped shouting. "I don't know how you found out," he paused to glare at Fred and George, "but none of you are going. This is a mission for Order members only." His tone was final and none of us protested. Finding it a lost cause, I started walking back to my room, Fred and George right behind me.
"You're still going, aren't you Nix?" Fred asked once I'd shut my door behind us.
"Course I am. I assume dad really wants to go but he can't, so I'm the next best thing."
George flopped down on my bed and picked my mum's journal. "Ooh, a diary. Anything scandalous in here, Nix?"
I rolled my eyes. "Probably, but it's not fresh scandal. That's my mum's diary."
"Was she hot?" He asked seriously. I smacked him. Fred looked uncomfortable in his spot by the door.
"How are you going to go along with them without getting caught? " George asked, setting the book back down.
"Disillusionment Charm on me and the broom. They won't even know I'm there."
"Nice," Fred grinned. "And by the time they figure out you're there, you'll already be with them!"
I nodded. "Exactly. But it'll only work if no one tries looking for me before they leave. Can you guys create a diversion?"
George snorted. "Is Merlin dead?"
I grinned. "Excellent."
It was almost too easy.
Fred and George had gotten into a screaming match with Walburga and I had slipped out the front door, Disillusioned and hidden from view, along with the new Firebolt 2 my dad had ordered for me just last week. ("No daughter of mine is flying a Comet when there's a new Firebolt out!")
It was difficult, staying far enough behind that Mad Eye's magical eye couldn't see me but close enough that I could still follow them, but fate must have been on my side because I made it there without incident.
After landing in the muggle's yard and parking my broom next to the others, I slipped in through the back door, startling Emmeline. "Hey Em."
"PHOENIX PANDORA MCKINNON! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" She squawked.
I grinned. "You forgot Black."
Lupin made his way through the group toward me, shaking his head. "You're just like your parents," he sighed. I continued to grin cheekily. "You know Molly is going to lecture when you get back, correct?"
I nodded. "I'll take my chances. Sirius couldn't be here so it's only right I take his place."
Harry came down the stairs with Tonks, his trunk levitating in front of them.
"Oi! Hey Harry!"
He waved at me. "What're you doing here? I didn't see you earlier."
I grinned sheepishly. "Snuck in a minute ago. Didn't want to get left behind."
"I'll be having a word with your father, Miss McKinnon," Mad-Eye growled. "We need to get a move on though."
Harry gave me a curious look at the mention of my father but I was swept away with the group before I had chance to explain. Emmeline had a vice-like grip on my arm. "Oi, Em, you're going to break me."
She gave me a stern look. "You'll be lucky if that's all you get. This is a dangerous mission! You shouldn't be here."
"But I am, so count me in," I said stubbornly. She sighed, then let go of my arm.
"You're just like your mother."
"So I've heard."
We made it back safely, so I'm not sure why everyone was so worried. Our main problem was Mad-Eye trying to get us to fly through clouds. Good think I thought to wear a cloak.
Molly was waiting inside, just like Lupin had predicted and wow, she looked angry.
"Phoenix Pandora McKinnon," she hissed, careful not to wake up the paintings, "You and I are going to have a long chat once the meeting is over. Show Harry up to his room." She hugged Harry, then hurried into the kitchen with the others.
"Step quietly, you don't want to wake anything up."
He gave me the same curious look I'm sure I wore when someone first said that to me and I waved my arm. "Come on, I'll explain when we can talk at a normal volume." I pulled out my wand and levitated his trunk so that we wouldn't have to carry it, then led him up the stairs to the second floor. "This'll be your room you share with Ron," I explained, nudging the door open with my foot. "Come on."
I put the trunk up against the windowsill, ignoring the loud shriek as Hermione greeted her friend.
"Yeah 'Mione, he gets it. Let the boy breathe, alright?" I moved to sit down on Ron's bed, not really feeling like getting through the welcoming hugs to try and leave. Plus Old Lady Black couldn't get in this room, giving it a major advantage to the halls. I tried to make myself look busy so I didn't get roped into any conversations.
"…how come you two are allowed to know everything that's going on-?" I looked up awkwardly at Harry's question, no longer able to concentrate on Hermione's book collection.
"Oi…Harry, keep it calm alright? They don't know everything…" It was no use though. Harry started shouting anyway. I hated to admit it, especially seeing the miserable look on Hermione and Ron's faces, but Harry had a point. He should at least know a little bit about what's going on. Hermione managed to get in an apology though and it placated him a bit.
"Is anyone going to bother telling me what the Order of the Phoenix -?"
"It's a secret group," Hermione explained.
"It's all the people Dumbledore worked with to fight against Voldemort last time," I added.
We told him all we knew, which wasn't much. Mainly it was who all we had met, and that they were guarding something, we didn't know what. Hermione was just starting to explain about our cleaning when Fred and George apparated in.
"Hullo Harry," George grinned.
"We thought we heard you," Fred added, coming over to sit next to me.
"I think everyone in London heard him," I said, rolling my eyes.
"I take it you passed you apparation tests?"
"But of course," Fred grinned.
"They've been doing that for weeks now," Ron said, annoyed.
I gave the twins a dirty look. "At least they doing apparate into your room when you're asleep."
Ginny came into the room and sat down on my other side. "Hey Harry. I thought I recognized that yelling." She turned to the twins. "The ears aren't going to work. Mum put a charm on the door."
"Imperturbable?" I asked.
She nodded. "Tonks told me how to check. I've been chucking Dungbombs at it from the top of the stairs and they just fly away from it."
I laughed. "Kreacher's going to be upset."
"It's not like he cleans now," Fred pointed out.
"True. All he does is hoard things."
"Did you know he took a pair of Bill's gloves last week?" Hermione added from the other bed where she was sitting with Harry and Ron.
"Bill's here?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, he got a desk job at Gringotts," Ginny explained.
I smirked. "And a bed job at Fleur's apartment." The twins laughed. Ron went red around the ears. "He's been helping her with her 'eenglish.'"
"Are Charlie and Percy here too?"
Fred shook his head. "Charlie's in Romania still. Dumbledore wants to try and recruit international wizards. And Percy…well, don't mention him to dad."
Fred and George explained the big fight to Harry while I stood up, stretching. "My clothes are still damp from flying through that cloud, so I'm going to go change into something else for dinner."
Nodding to Harry, I hurried down the hall to my room, finding Kreacher roaming around it. "Kreacher, what are you doing in my room?"
He bowed low when he saw me, an adoring look on his face. "Mistress Phoenix! Mistress Black sent me to see if you had returned from your journey safely."
"I have, thank you for your concern."
"Does Mistress Phoenix need Kreacher to do anything for her?"
I looked down at my clothes. "If I set a basket of clothes in the hallway, will you wash them for me?" He nodded eagerly. "Then I will leave them out there soon. You can go now."
He bowed low, backing out of the room. I chuckled to myself as I shut the door behind him. Why did Sirius complain about him all the time? He was actually rather helpful.
CRASH.
"Oi," I muttered to myself. "That'd be Tonks wouldn't it?"
"Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers!"
"And there goes dear grandmother." I sighed, knowing I was still on portrait duty. Quickly pulling on a jumper, I hurried out of the room and down the stairs. Spotting me, Walburga stopped her screeching for a moment.
"Phoenix dear! Get these unworthy creatures and traitors out of our house. They're besmirching the name of Black!"
I shook my head sadly. "Oh but Grandmother, I can't. I don't have the power to do that." I put on a face like I just had an idea. "But oh, if you could find me a suitable husband, I could marry and the estate would fall into my hands and I could bring back the nobility of the family name."
I winked at Harry as grandmother nodded. "You're right dear, I shall speak to the others and get on with the arrangement." She reached her hand out, almost as if to pat me on the head – or to strangle Sirius who had just come out of the kitchen, I couldn't tell – and then walked out of her portrait. Harry looked completely confused.
"I see you've met my mother," Sirius said, putting his arm around Harry's shoulder.
"Your mother?" He looked at me, puzzled. "But that's your grandmother." I nodded, amused at the sight of Harry connecting the pieces. He turned back to Sirius. "Are you related to Phoenix's mother?"
Sirius laughed. "No, definitely not. Although, that didn't stop my family from their marriages…"
He looked at me again. "Then are you related to her father?"
I giggled. "No Harry. He is my father."
His eyebrows furrowed. "Really? Are you serious?"
"No, but I am." I groaned at my father's lame pun.
"Come on Harry, we'll explain it over food."
"So you didn't know Sirius was your father until you met him?" Harry asked later, after we had told him the story.
I shook my head. "Nope. Not until Lupin saw me next to an old portrait of Narcissa, then Kreacher obeyed my commands and then mum's journal confirmed it and..." I waved my hand. "Loads of stuff."
Harry had a weird look on his face, like he was a little put out but also betrayed. I shrugged and went back to my butterbeer. The emotions and tormenting thoughts of the Boy who Lived weren't my problem, especially since I didn't even do anything.
"Have a good summer so far?" I asked, trying to be polite.
He scowled. "No, it's been rubbish."
Sirius smiled slightly. "Don't know why you're complaining."
"What?" Harry asked, clearly shocked.
"A dementor attack to break the monotony? Sounds like fun. A deadly struggle for my soul, the law against my every move. At least you got to get out. At least you could leave your house. I've been stuck inside for over a month."
"Why?"
"Because the Ministry's still after him of course," I pointed out.
"And Voldemort knows about my being an animagus so that's out as well. Dumbledore doesn't seem to think there's anything for me to do for the order."
"At least you know what's going on," Harry said sullenly.
"Oh yeah, it's definitely worth it," my dad said sarcastically. "Listening to Snape going on about how he's risking his life for the cause, telling me how nice it must be for me to just have a lie in everyday."
"Stupid git," I muttered. "He's always asking us about the cleaning in that condescending tone of his."
"What cleaning?"
"Trying to make this place fit for human habitation," dad waved his hand, indicating the kitchen and the house beyond. "No one has lived here for ten years, not since the old bat died."
"Not including Kreacher of course," I added.
"Yes but he's gone crazy, taking orders from a portrait. He hasn't cleaned in ages."
Dung cut in to ask dad something about the goblets and I turned to Harry. "Try not to talk about the Order to Sirius too much, alright? He's been feeling unneeded."
Before he could answer, Molly's shrieking distracted us. We looked up just in time to see a large cauldron of stew, a flagon of butterbeer, a heavy wooden breadboard and a giant knife come hurtle through the air, straight towards us. Not even wasting a second, we all dove away from the table. I glared at Fred, about ready to yell at him but Molly beat me to it.
"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE BOYS. THERE WAS NO NEED – I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS – JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO USE IT FOR EVERY LITTLE THING!"
"We were just trying to save a bit of time!" Fred said, pulling the knife out of the table where it landed, dangerously close to where my hands had been. "Sorry Nix, didn't mean to do you an injury." Molly pulled him back over and lectured them at length as Dad, Harry and I laughed. It was funnier now that we were no longer in danger, like most Twin Incidents were.
For a moment there were only the sounds of chairs moving, butterbeer being poured and stew being passed around. Molly mentioned the writing desk in the drawing room to Sirius; Tonks started doing her nightly nose changes for Hermione and Ginny; Arthur, Bill and Lupin started discussing goblins and Fred, George, Ron, Harry and Dung were laughing at one of Dung's stories. It seemed weird that after nearly seventeen years I'd get that family moment I always dreamed about but it was finally happening. As odd as they were – Dung especially – this was my family and I loved them.
That night, after dinner, the adults finally told us some information about the order. Not a lot, but enough to get us thinking. I felt guilty though, as my dad and Molly rowed about whether we should know anything or not. It was difficult, trying to change my family dynamics without hurting anyone. I wanted to be close to my dad, but I didn't want to hurt Molly and Arthur.
And the conversation... "A weapon. Something he didn't have last time." A weapon? What exactly was this weapon? How would it be used? It definitely sounded like they didn't want him to have it. Was it something that could control large groups of people, almost like a blanket Imperius curse? I froze for a moment, imagining the horrors of waking up one day and having everyone under Voldemort's spell.
I dressed for bed quickly, just in time too. Fred and George apparated into my room a second later. "Guys!" I hissed. "What if Molly hears you?"
George shrugged and moved to sit on my windowsill. "She just checked on us a moment again. I don't think she'll be back up tonight."
I threw my hands up. "Alright, but it's your heads that will be rolling, not mine."
Fred grinned and sat on the edge of my bed. "What do you think the weapon is?"
"I dunno…it sound horrible though."
"It's got to be if You-Know-Who wants it," George pointed out.
"Do you think it's a way to kill a lot of people at once?" Fred asked.
I shook my head slowly. "No…I don't think he wants to kill if he doesn't have to, not with Pureblood
families dying out." I thought of the Wizard Nobility book I was reading the other day. "I think he'd rather be able to control large groups of people."
The twins nodded. "You're probably right Nix," Fred said.
George agreed. "Should have known a Black would be able to figure it out. You've got all that evil mastermind locked away."
I swatted at him, and he laughed, then apparated back to his room. Fred sighed. "Ignore him. He's an idiot." He stood there for a moment. "Well…Night Phoenix," he said awkwardly.
I raised an eyebrow. "Night Fred." He looked at me for a moment, then apparated out as well.
"He's a mystery, that one," came a voice from the portrait on my wall. Delia Greengrass, read the plaque underneath it. I nodded.
"He is," I said, before climbing under the blankets and turning off the light.
"Where are you going Phoenix?"
I turned around to see Fred staring at me, an odd look on his face. "I'm going to get a glass of water."
George apparated next to his twin. "We can't let you do that Phoenix." His voice was flat and emotionless and a chill ran down my spine.
"You guys are freaking me out."
A hand grabbed my arm from behind. It was my dad. "Join him Phoenix. Join Voldemort's army."
"No!" I screamed, pulling away from him. What was going on?
Fred grabbed my other arm. "If you don't join him, you will have to die."
I screamed, sitting upright in my bed. "No!" I looked around, sure I'd see them all gathered around my bed but I was alone. Even Delia's portrait was empty. It was just a dream.
There was a rap at the door and I cleared my throat. "Come in," my voice shook slightly. I rubbed my eyes, trying to hold back the tears.
Fred came into the room, closing the door behind him. "I heard you scream," he said, a worried look on his face. "Are you alright?"
I nodded, realizing I was still shaking a little. "Bad dream." He sat down on the edge of my bed and held his arms out. I moved closer to him and hugged him, letting him rock me back and forth. I hadn't realized how scared I was until I felt it start to slip away.
"Dream about the weapon?" He asked. I nodded. "I had one too."
My voice was quiet when I spoke again. "I'm scared Fred. I don't want him to win."
"I know," he said, smoothing his hand over my hair. "None of us do."
We sat like that for a few minutes, him smoothing my hair and me trying to calm my breathing. When he pulled away, I grabbed his wrist. "Stay with me, please?"
He hesitated for a moment but I must have still looked pretty shaken because he agreed. "Alright," he said. "Move over."
I scooted to the other side of the bed and he laid down where I was a second ago. Once he looked situated, I moved closer, laying my head on his chest and pulling the blankets up around us. He kissed the top of my head and I looked up at him curiously, but he only shook his head.
"I…nevermind. It's late."
I shrugged, then snuggled closer to him, feeling sleep coming on quickly.
There were no more bad dreams that night.
