Chapter 2: First Impressions
Phoenix read through the letter several times, taking in all the information that would have looked like nonsense a day ago. In her mind she tried to imagine walking into a bookshop and asking for the books listed on the letter and wondered if they'd actually have them, or if she'd be locked up for being mentally ill. She read the dates again and noticed something, 'Erm, Professor… today is the 13th of August, I've missed the deadline for replies…' Professor McGonagall just smiled, 'Your mother already sent us a reply. She was adamant that you'd be attending. Quite a person, she was, I remember her Transfiguration classes vividly; she was never very good at the subject, but she always managed to make everything hilarious, and it was all quite unintentional.' Phoenix smiled, picturing her mother turning a frog into something and having it croak and hop out of the window afterwards. 'Anyway, I think I've talked at you quite long enough. A representative from the school will be here on the 17th to take you down to London. As for finding everything on the list, you'll be in very capable hands when it comes to that. Now I must speak with your father and get the rest of this sorted out, so could you please send him in your way out?'
Phoenix found herself leaving her room somewhat against her will, as if her body had taken it upon itself to carry out the professor's orders. As soon as she left the room, her father came out of his and stared at her, 'Who is she and what does she want?' he asked, 'She's a professor at a wizarding school, and she needs to talk to you in private.' Phoenix replied, watching her father's expression as it resonated anger, surprise, fear and curiosity all at the same time. His Adam's apple throbbed as he gulped nervously, edging his way over to Phoenix's room, hands fidgeting at his sides. Carefully, he pushed the door open and walked in, the door closing behind him. Phoenix could hear nothing from outside, almost as if the two occupants were communicating with their minds or using sign language.
The minutes crept by and Phoenix was left pacing the landing, thoughts whizzing through her head. A series of sharp knocks on the front door broke her concentration and she froze. Didn't the professor say that everything was being dealt with? Had something gone wrong? Was this all just a complete set-up? Curiously, she crept down the stairs, her bare feet staying warm even as she descended the cold wooden stairs, dodging the creaky penultimate stair and landing softly upon the smooth stone floor. A second series of knocks rang through the room and Phoenix crept to the door, keeping low behind the kitchen surfaces, stopping at the edge to poke her head around. A young brown-haired man dressed in a repulsive vomit brown suit stood nervously at the door, looking over his should at something behind him. Bright blue light bounced off his face at regular intervals and Phoenix gasped as a man in a black helmet and luminescent green jacket appeared next to the first man.
Phoenix shot back around the kitchen counter was the policeman scanned the interior of the house. Phoenix poked her head back around as the policeman turned and signalled to someone else. Seconds later, a crash sounded on the door followed by the crunch of splintering wood and the spraying of pieces across the kitchen floor. Two more crunches later the door swung inwards and Phoenix was met by a force of noise. The sirens of several police cars whined away, as well as the bickering between several men, one Phoenix assumed to be the nervous one she first spotted, 'I'm telling you, there's nothing going on here and it's official, speak to your Prime Minister or something, he'll tell you!' the squeaky young voice said, 'I'm sorry mate but you're loony, I dunno what you've taking, probably some new-fangled drug all the kids keep finding around the place. Now if you don't shut up about all this magic and wizardry I'm going to have to have you arrested. Oi! Niel! Kev! You're free to search the house! Cuff anyone you find and bring em out!'
Two pairs of heavy boots hit the stone floor of the room and Phoenix froze to the kitchen counter and shut her eyes. A few more steps and they'd find her. Those steps drew ever closer. Three away. Two away. One away; this was it.
'Freeze! Put your hands on your head and don't cause us any hassle, we won't hesitate to use tasers!' Phoenix opened her eyes and saw Professor McGonagall stop at the stairs, her demeanour remained calm and controlled, but Phoenix's father was positively furious, his neck bulging with purple veins that threatened to explode at any moment.
'Evan, what is the meaning of this? Didn't I tell you what to say to them?' Professor McGonagall said to whom Phoenix assumed was the young man still standing at the door.
'You have the right to remain silent, miss, anything you do say will be given in evidence in a court of la-' Phoenix heard something fall to the floor as the professor raised her wand. A second noise signalled that Evan had also drawn his and targeted a second policeman. The sound of something hitting stone outside assured Phoenix that Evan was having a good go at the police.
'Phoenix, get up.' Professor McGonagall said in a clam but authoritative voice. Phoenix obeyed and turned towards the splintered and broken door, and then to the doorway, where Evan had ducked and was conjuring objects in front of him to catch the tasers on, 'Phoenix, listen to me. These men aren't dead, but you'll be in deep trouble if the Ministry find you here. You'll be leaving for the Leaky Cauldron with Evan, our resident Charms teacher, where you'll await a person named Kingsley Shacklebolt. He's nice enough, and is a close friend of mine, as well as the current Minister of Magic. He'll fill you in on what's going to happen and advise you on things. After that you are free to stay at the Leaky Cauldron until the 1st of September. Evan is going to be your assistant instead from now on and will help you obtain your school items. Good luck and see you in September.'
Professor McGonagall strode past a shaking Phoenix and tapped Evan on the shoulder, taking over from him. As Evan got to Phoenix, loud cracks emitted from the garden and a plethora of people appeared out of nowhere, each of them wearing jet black robes with silver lettering. The remaining policemen froze and were tended to by a few of the mysterious people, the rest walked over to professor McGonagall, ready to shout and pointing wildly at Evan and Phoenix, 'Hold on to my arm, tight.' Evan said to Phoenix. She clutched the proffered arm and her head jerked back. Her body felt like it was trying to be ripped away from Evan and colours flashed before her eyes before she felt a cold floor beneath her feet. She waited for the room to stop spinning and come into focus, and realised she was still clinging to Evan's arm as if her life depended on it. She coughed and let go, looking around at the morbidity of the room. A single four-poster bed sat in the middle of the far wall, flanked on one side by a chest of drawers, and on the other by a tall wooden wardrobe.
Evan walked to the bed and sat down on it, breathing heavily. He looked up at Phoenix and pointed at the wardrobe, 'Just in case, Minerva had some clothes put in here. You might want to get dressed.' Phoenix looked into a dusty mirror and yelped, she had been in her pyjamas all this time, 'Damn, you look good.' Phoenix turned her head to Evan, who had his face buried deep in a book, and then back at the mirror, 'Did you say that?'. Evan spoke without even looking up, 'It does that sometimes, some of the mirrors here are quite perverted; gotta have a word with Tom about fixing that.' Without further ado, Evan slid the book into a pocket inside his suit and got up off the bed, 'In fact, I think I'll do it now, leave you alone whilst you do whatever you need to do,' he pulled his wand out and flicked it at the bed sheet.
Phoenix watched the sheet fly over to the mirror and drape down over it, muffled curses were still being uttered underneath. Evan pocketed his wand, dipped his head at Phoenix and left the room. Phoenix sighed and started to undress. The room began to shake, slightly at first and then violently as something rattled past the room. The bed sheet over the mirror slid off slightly, and Phoenix saw her half-naked reflection staring back at her, 'Ahhh, that's better.' The mirror said. Phoenix dashed over to the mirror, using one hand to cover herself up and the other to drag the bed sheet back over. With a sigh she pulled the mirror off the wall, ignoring it's foul-mouthed objections and placed it face down on the floor. She proceeded over to the bed and sat panting on it, surprised at the weight of the mirror. As far as she was concerned, the first impressions of the world of magic were far from ordinary.
