"You do know, that you might have to fight?"
Cassandra looked confused, "In what way sir? I know how to wrestle, I know a little of Kung Fu, and I know how to box, is that what you meant, sir?"
Albus and Minerva chuckled, while Severus just smirked. Cassandra could see the nearly invisible shaking of his shoulders, suggesting that he was laughing as well.
"No, my dear, you will find out in three days time. Don't you worry. Now, we must get to Hogwarts, take my arm, and don't let go." Albus said, brandishing his arm out to Cassandra to take.
Cassandra wrapped her arms around Albus' arm tightly, to where she looked like she was hugging his arm.
"Now, close your eyes," Albus said, and Cassandra felt a tugging sensation above her navel, the sensation of the world spinning underneath her made her nauseous, and suddenly, her feet hit ground again, and after opening her eyes again, she clamped her hands to her mouth, to keep her from losing whatever was left in her stomach on Albus' floor.
Albus took one look at Cassandra, and quickly summoned a bucket for the poor girl. He turned away as he heard her retch into the bucket, but soon she was left with dry heaving. Albus felt sympathy toward her, being new to apparation, could take it's toll on someone with a weak stomach, or someone who got motion sickness.
After Cassandra was done dry heaving, Albus banished the bucket and the substance that was in it before leading her to a chair across his desk, where Severus, Minerva, and what looked like a nurse was there, along with a fire-like bird.
"Sir, I thought phoenix's didn't exist," Cassandra said, confusion very apparent in her voice.
"Cassandra, what you consider myth, is very much real in the Wizarding world." Albus said, smiling gently at Cassandra, leading her over to the phoenix.
Welcome my child. I hope you are feeling well?
"Yes I am, thank you."
Cassandra felt the eyes of the people in the room on her, but didn't care, the phoenix was talking to her!
The phoenix gave off a musical note, passing for a laughter. I see that you can understand me, my child. I can also see that you have my blood running through your veins.
Cassandra was confused. "What do you mean, that I have your blood in my veins? What I mean is, is it actually your blood?"
Fawkes gave off another musical note, signifying that he was laughing. Oh my dear child, of course I mean that it is actually my blood that runs through your veins. I saved you from a terrible death, but to do so, I had to give up mine in return. It's very complicated my dear, but the end results, I am happy to see, is that you have grown into a wonderful phoenix child.
Fawkes flew off his pedestal and landed on the chair that Cassandra was sitting in, leaning over, he gently rubbed his beak against Cassandra's cheek, letting loose musical notes that signified his welcome, and love toward his child.
"Does that mean you're my father then?" Cassandra asked, stroking Fawkes feathers.
In some ways, yes, in others, no. I am only your father when we're talking about a phoenix and its child, but in your human form, and I in mine, then no. You are only my child in blood, which is phoenix blood. You are still human, my child. So that makes it to where I am not your father.
Don't be sad my dear, I'll find you a suitable human father to look after you.
With those words, Fawkes sang, and wrapped his wings gently around Cassandra in what was considered a hug.
At last, when Fawkes unfurled his wings away from his phoenix child, he placed a single wing on the backside of Cassandra's right shoulder blade, placing a single fire feather to the skin to mark Cassandra as his.
With a gasp of pain from Cassandra, and a soothing musical note from Fawkes, it was done. Cassandra would now, and always carry the mark of the phoenix.
The mark, was in the form of a single phoenix in flight, the mark was a light pink color, as though Cassandra had been born with it already on her shoulder.
Albus, Minerva, Severus, and Madame Pomfrey watched all of this transpire with looks of awe and shock. Albus and Severus were the first ones to recover, soon to be followed by the other females.
Now everyone will know that you are my child. And that I will always protect you and your loved ones. Now, rest, trust your heart on who you can trust. I will look for someone to be your human father. With a parting musical note, Fawkes took flight and flew out of the open window.
"Good luck!" Cassandra called out, feeling for the first time, since the terrible news of the deaths of her parents, happy. She had finally found a home.
Severus cleared his throat to gain Cassandra's attention.
"Will you like to tell us what has transpired between you and that bird?"
Cassandra smiled, and let her left hand touch the still sensitive skin that Fawkes burned with his mark.
"The phoenix blood that runs through my veins, is the exact same as the phoenix that left this room, Sir." Cassandra said, looking out the window, wanting more than ever to be able to fly and be with her phoenix father.
"What else did Fawkes say my dear?" it was Albus that spook the question that was on everyone's mind.
"He said that since his blood runs through my veins, it makes me his phoenix daughter, though I am still very much human. He's gone to look for a human father, but he will and always remain my phoenix father. Confusing I know. I don't know if I quite understand it myself." Cassandra giggled, feeling the mark send a tingling sensation up through her shoulder to her entire body.
"Dear, I heard that you have trouble sleeping?" A nice motherly, but strict woman said, kneeling in front of Cassandra, her eyes showing the concern openly in her bright green eyes.
"Yes, it's true." at those words, and remembrance of why she was having trouble sleeping, let out a strangled sob, and cried into her hands. Her sobs shaking her entire body.
Her sadness was powerful, for objects in Albus' office started to quiver and shake, everyone in the room, excluding Cassandra, eyed the objects, and Cassandra herself, carefully. They knew the power of grief, but to lose one's parents at such a tender age of ten, was terrible.
Severus, Minerva and Madam Pomfrey eyed the objects warily as they started to shake even more as another gut retching sob sounded from Cassandra.
Fawkes, the ever faithful phoenix father, flew in, and landed on the arm rest of the chair that Cassandra was sitting in. Trilling softly, he gained Cassandra's attention. He wrapped his wings over Cassandra, singing a lullaby in her ear as she continued to sob. Soon her sobs quieted.
Fawkes trilled softly once again, rubbing his beak against his phoenix daughter's cheek, giving any comfort that he could give her, and took off once again to find someone who could give her all the attention a father should give his child.
Albus, Severus, Minerva, and Poppy watched the phoenix leave, thankful to him for quieting down his apparent child, and flying once again to find her a suitable human father for her.
"What will we do, Albus?" Minerva asked, going over to Cassandra, lifting her up gently from the chair, before sitting down, placing the small child in her lap. She was quite distressed on how little she weighed, and beckoned Poppy to her side at once.
Poppy silently cased a diagnostic spell on the child, letting it list the things that were health worrisome.
Underweight, malnourished, a few broken bones that had healed wrong, insomnia. Poppy sighed heavily. Though the list wasn't long, the list offered questions in wondering just how long the malnourishment was, and how exactly had she gotten her broken bones. Poppy was afraid that Cassandra's parents weren't the loving ones, but looking at Cassandra, and her tears of pain and grief for her parents was enough to put those doubts to rest.
"Poppy, can you reverse what is wrong?" Minerva asked, noticing that the medi-witch was silent as she saw the list floating above the child's abdomen.
Poppy smiled at Minerva. "Yes, its just going to take a while. She is defiantly underweight for her age, and malnourished. And she might have insomnia, but thankfully all these can be dealt with. Now, let's get her into the infirmary, where I can monitor her symptoms." Poppy said, leading Minerva, and Cassandra, who was still in Minerva's arms, out of Albus' office and down into the infirmary.
"Albus, are we really trusting a phoenix, a bird no less, in finding a suitable father for that child?" Severus asked, his voice hinting in disbelief.
"Yes, Severus, we are. Since Fawkes seems to be the phoenix father to Cassandra, then he is rightfully equipped to find a suitable human father for his child." Albus said, his voice tired, and Severus was able to see just how old Albus was.
'He's defiantly not as young as he used to be.' Severus thought to himself as he took the chair that Minerva had left just minutes ago.
"Severus, I know that I've asked so much from you…"
"Albus, if Fawkes can't find a father for his child, then I'll ask the bird to see if I'll qualify, but if, and only if, the Dark Lord returns, you'll have to find her a safe place to keep her, for I will not allow her to be near me when I'll be spying." Severus said, his sentence giving the headmaster no room for argument.
"Very well, Severus. If and only if, Fawkes can't find a father, you will be Cassandra's, if, and only if, you start spying again, I'll set up a safe place for her to be living in." Albus said, knowing that he couldn't argue with his potions master, and friend with this subject.