Disclaimer: The usual; the plot and Phoenix are mine, the rest is thanks to J.K. Rowling

Werewolf Queen: Thanks so much for your review, and I'm glad you're liking the story

Discoveries

The whole room suddenly went silent. Everyone, including the house-elf who had just brought the tea Narcissa requested, was staring at Bellatrix, who held a defiant look on her face.

"You're-I'm your-you're-what!" Phoenix babbled incoherently, but no-one was paying attention.

"She's your daughter?" Narcissa whispered.

Bellatrix nodded, turning around and beckoning Phoenix closer to her. Phoenix began walking up shakily to her new Mum.

"How do you konw?" Narcissa asked bewilderedly.

Bellatrix sighed. "Small signs such as a growing bump and labour pains, Cissy."

"I meant, how do you konw this is her? She could be anyone."

"Don't you see the resemblance, though? And I just konw. Call it maternal instincts if you want, but I know that this girl is my daughter. Your niece," she added pointedly to Narcissa, who was now staring at Phoenix, picking out Bellatrix's traits in the sixteen-year old.

"Umm, Minny has your tea, Miss," squeaked a house-elf suddenly.

"Set it down on the table, Minny," Narcissa ordered. The house-elf obeyed, and exited. Narcissa turned to look at her son.

"Draco, could you take-sorry, was it Phoebe?"

"Phoenix," the girl replied.

"Yes, of course. Draco, take Phoenix up to one of the guest rooms, I need to talk with Bella. Now," she said in a demanding tone. Draco snapped out of his shock, and left. Phoenix presumed she was to follow.

As they left, Bella was gazing at her sister intently, wondering what Narcissa needed to talk about.

Narcissa closed the door behind her, and advanced on her sister threateningly. "All right, Bella. Just what the hell is going on?"

"Okay, everyone, this meeting is in session," announced Dumbledore to a room full of Aurors and Harry, Ron and Hermione. The room silenced, and everyone looked up at Dumbledore expectantly.

"Does anyone have any idea why I might have called for a last-minute meeting like this?" The Aurors looked blank. "I trust, then, that none of you are aware that there was a rather mysterious Death-Eater attack in Derbyshire last night?"

"Whoa, are you serious?" exclaimed Tonks.

"How come we weren't told?" enquired Lupin.

"It was a well-planned, yet last-minute raid," explained Dumbledore. "You see, Voldemort-" Everyone except Harry shuddered at the name.

"Voldemort-" Dumbledore continued. "-sensed a threat to him in this particular village. A girl of sixteen years. How or why he thought she would pose as a threat, I do not know. She is not even in Ministry records."

"Anyhow, to be continuing, he ordered an attack on her home, and wanted the Death-Eaters to bring her to him, alive and preferably unharmed. Oh, not for perversed reasons, I can assure you," Dumbledore added, noting the looks of questioning and disapproval as to why Voldemort would want a sixteen-year old girl alive, and 'preferably unharmed'. (A.N. eeeew!)

"The Death-Eaters somewhat failed their mission. After killing off her entire family, one-it was Nott, I believe-cornered her, but she somehow managed to escape, leaving Nott dead. That is the last anyone has seen of her. Unfortunately-"

"Dunno why you're bothering with her, Albus," growled Moody. "Muggles go missing all the time, and are usually-"

"Oh, she is no Muggle, Alastor."

"Albus, if the girl was really a witch, shouldn't she be on Ministry records? Even if she wasn't, she should have been registered," piped up Tonks.

"You know as well as I do that the Ministry makes sometimes grave errors. And I fear this one to be very dire."

"But, why, Professor?" asked Hermione suddenly. "Why does it matter so much if we know where she is?"

"Think about it, Miss Granger," drawled Snape. "Someone deemed important enough to launch a planned attack, yet also worthy enough to be killed by the Dark Lord himself? Someone of that much threat to the Dark Lord is of more importance to us."

Hermione looked back down at the table, embarrassed to not have thought of it herself.

"What's the girl's name?" questioned Harry, suddenly. All this sounded only too familiar.

"Severus?" Dumbledore looked at Snape, hoping for answers.

"I'm afraid the Dark Lord does not enlighten us with such details, sir."

Harry looked disappointed. Everything so far fit. All he needed was her name.

'It was probably just a coincidence,' he decided. 'Besides, 'Phoenix Melody could have meant anything. Like, the song of a phoenix?' he thought feebly. He doubted it, but he had had enough for one day. He decided to just forget about this 'Phoenix Melody'. It probably wasn't even important anyway.

"So, do you konw anything that's been going on?" Draco said, suddenly, snapping Phoenix out of her dream. "Has my aunt said anything to you?"

"No, nothing. I was just as shocked as you when she said she was my Mum."

"So, you have no idea about any of this?" Phoenix shook her head, wishing this boy would just get to the point.

"You mean you have no idea what you are?"

Phoenix pretended to think really hard. "Last I looked, I was a human. Which is more than I can say for your behaviour," she said sarcastically.

"You really don't know what I'm talking about?" Draco sneered, his famous smirk crawling its way onto his pale face.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Draco-or whatever your name is-will you either shut up or just get to the bloody point?" Phoenix snapped.

"Merlin, how retarded are you?" Draco retaliated glaring at her again.

"Excuse me?" Phoenix whispered dangerously.

"You don't even know you're a witch, damnit!"

Phoenix stopped dead. Why did everyone keep calling her that? "Why has every freak I've come across this evening called me a witch? Is that just some sad nickanme between you lot, or something?"

"Oh, for God's sake, girl. Look, here use my wand, and just say 'lumos'," Draco said, offering his ebony, dragon hearstring core wand (A.N. I know handing over his wand is un-Draco like, but he hates being ridiculed, and she doesn't have a wand yet, so what else can he do?).

Phoenix took it, and said "lumos", feeling utterly ridiculous. To her surprise and Draco's glee, a ball of light appeared at the tip of the wand. Phoenix looked shocked for a moment, but managed to regain her composure.

"It's just a trick," she told herself. "It doesn't mean anythin',".

Draco sighed. She was hard to persuade. "You konw what, you're right, that spell's useless. Say 'knox'." Phoenix did so, and the ball of light vanished.

"Now what?" she said grinning. Even though he was crazy, she thought the whole situation was kind of funny.

"Follow me," replied Draco, leading her up another flight of stairs, and down a long corridor. He finally stopped at a door at the end of the hallway.

"Try opening the door," he said, smirking again. Phoenix tried, but to no avail.

"Problem?" grinned Draco evilly. He was really starting to enjoy tormenting her.

"Well, Draco, it appears to be locked," she replied in a just-as-sarcastic voice.

"Say 'alohomora'." Phoenix laughed.

"Okay, but I cannot believe the crazy words you're making me say. Alohomora!" she said, flicking the wand for extra-effect. To her great surprise, she heard a loud click! She looked at Draco, astonished, and without instruction, tried opening the door again. It swung open, revealing a fairly big room, containing a tidy four-poster bed, a polished fireplace and an antique chest of drawers.

"It must be a timed-lock, or something," Phoenix uttered, her logical brain trying to make sense of it.

Draco snorted. "A timed-lock? On that old door? I don't think so!" Phoenix stayed quiet, her mind reeling.

"Believe me, yet?"

"Yeah," Phoenix whispered.

The hall began to spin, and she started falling before her world turned black. She landed in Draco's soft yet strong arms, easily supporting her. He picked her up prorperly, and laid her down gently on the bed.

"Trust me, cousin," he whispered. "They'll be a lot more where that came from."

So, what do you think? Good? Boring? Makes no sense? Please let me know!