Chapter 10: The Phoenix Flight.

Harry wasn't the only one who only half payed attention as Professor Maxwell Beck lead the first year students into the great hall for the sorting. He was furious with himself for returning to Hogwarts in the first place. He had never imagined that Snape would still be there when he got back, it was like his worst nightmare had come true. At one time he had seen Hogwarts as the one place where Voldemort would never get at him, and though that had changed dramatically at the end of the previous term, he had always believed Hogwarts to be a good place where good people would outweigh the bad, but suddenly it felt like everyone had betrayed him in some way. He had already made up his mind to leave the second the start of term feast was finished. He would leave and never look back.

Just as the sorting hat had been placed on the three legged stool, before the assembly of first year students, the solid door, at the back of the hall, opened again and three girl, Harry had never noticed before, walked in. All eyes turned toward them but they didn't seem to mind the attention. Each one of them was from a different house, their house scarves wrapped tightly around their necks, even though it was a surprisingly warm evening. They walked in sink with each other, never breaking step, not even when they turned toward their own house tables. All three of them sat at exactly the same time. Every person, including the professors, continued to stare.

"Have you ever seen them before?" Neville asked as he turned away from the Gryffindore girl who had just sat down four people away from him.

"Yeah, who are they and why do I suddenly care," Ron asked Harry, not taking his eyes off the girl at the Ravenclaw table.

Harry shook his head, staring still at the Hufflepuff girl. His mind had been surprisingly distracted from his anger by the three strange girls who seemed to be students at Hogwarts and who had mesmerized the whole congregation in the great hall.

"Honestly, you lot, don't any of you pay any attention at all?" Hermione asked, for the first time taking her eyes of Professor Snape, "they have all been here just as long as we have. The Ravenclaw is Raelyn Randal, we've had Herbology with her every year for six years. The Hufflepuff is Alisianelle Attilan, she's got the second highest marks in Transfigurations," she said.

"Under you, I'm guessing," Ron said a bit defiantly.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "and that one," she said, hushing her voice so that the Gryffindore couldn't hear her, "is Brindalette Beauregard. She is actually a licenced seer, been making prophesies since she was little."

"I thought you didn't believe in the whole Divinations thing," Ron said.

"Its hard not to believe in it when there are prophesies being made all the time, Ronald," Hermione said angrily, "I just don't believe that it is something that one can learn. You either have the gift or you don't," she said hushing her voice once again as Brindalette turned toward them.

Everyone in the great hall stopped staring and turned toward the front when the sorting hat had cleared its throat and sprang to life. It cleared its throat, once more, louder than before, and burst into song.

My duty is simple,

its what I must do.

I'll place you in houses

and leave the rest to you.

Four houses you'll go to,

each different in moral.

But bring them together,

to win the last quarrel.

I've predicted and warned you,

but my words go unheard,

Now our defenses are failing,

and I'll, have the last word.

The castles been invaded,

but not in a visible way.

The intruder is doubt, guilt and betrayal,

that'll not keep the darkness away.

Why have you ignored me,

all these years that have pasted.

My word were simple and binding,

and provided safety that would last.

So if you are smart and resourceful,

you'll heed my last warning.

Your minds and your hearts are most useful,

in this time of darkness and mourning.

But I've said this before,

many, many times in fact,

and, yet, you've not listed.

It was this action you lacked.

Take action my friends,

for through you, we'll succeed.

But ignore it and leave it,

and we'll never be freed.

And at that moment the hat stopped singing and fell limp again on the stool. Everyone in the great hall stared, the hats words had gotten progressively worse through the years but this last one left so many questions. The first years trembled as they watched Professor Beck unroll a long roll or parchment and pick up the hat. He began to call out names and one by one the students walked forward.

"What do you think it meant?" Ron asked, clapping half heartedly for the first student to come to Gryffindore.

"Exactly what it said," Harry answered, "battle is near and if we don't work together and weed out the traitors and the doubters then we'll loose."

"That's not what it said," Hermione butted in, "it said nothing about traitors or doubters."

"Yes it did Hermione," Harry said hotly, "I listened this time."

"No, Harry, you are taking it to literally," she said calmly, "it said the intruder is doubt, guilt and betrayal, not literally a person, its something that we could all be carrying."

"Don't be ridiculous," Harry said looking at her fiercely, "it was talking about Snape."

"I don't think so," She said looking once again up at the staff table, "something else must be going on there if he is still here."

"He's evil, Hermione," Harry nearly shouted.

Hermione didn't answered him this time. The sorting had finished, the new students had taken their places and for a second the great hall began to swarm with noise again. Harry turned away from her furiously and looked up at the staff table. The members of the Order of the Phoenix were seated calmly, though they looked very serious and extremely tired. Past this table, the professors looked just as gloomy as the Order and yet a terrible grin cross Snape's face as Harry's eyes fell upon him.

Almost suddenly everyone in the great hall seemed to notice the connection between Harry and Snape. A small group of Slytherins had noticed first and started the chatter again. Questions grew louder and louder as people tried to make themselves heard. For a moment, as the hat spoke people seemed to have forgotten that Snape was even there, but now it was all rushing back in on them. Though, only a small group of older Slytherins seemed to be happy about his return, the rest of the hall showed fury. The hats warning now echoed with that of the students anger and fear. The first years simply sat staring in fear as the hall erupted into anger.

"Silence, all of you," Professor McGonagall yelled but it took a few moments for an uneasy silence to fall over the crowd of angry students. They all seemed to judge and curse each other. No one was trusted. The hats song had done exactly what it had spoken against. McGonagall shrugged to her fellow Professors and fell back into her chair and waited for the congregation to settle.

Slowly the hall became quiet, calm had not returned as fear had taken hold of the students, but a silence had begun to develop.

Harry however was furious. He had stood up when the noise and the shouts had risen in the hall and now he could not sit down. He couldn't take his eyes of Snape, who merely grinned at him over the fearful gaze of the students. Harry had always hated the man, but loathed him now. He had seen him kill Dumbledore, he had heard the retched word come out of his mouth and he saw the sick green flash and the man run away from what he had done. The seen was clear and vivid in his mind once again, like it had all just happened. His hand shook, as they did now, to hear Dumbledore address Malfoy. To see him weakened by what they had just been through and to see Snape kill him, without warning and without remorse. He had attacked an old injured man and then left, he was a coward, more of a coward than Harry would every let himself be. He would face it head on. He stood now, with his wand aimed at Snape.

"Mr. Potter, kindly take you seat," McGonagall said as everyone was staring at him now.

"This can't be happening," Harry said as he looked at his friends, absolute horror in his face.

"Please don't make a scene," Hermione whispered.

"He killed Dumbledore!" Harry yelled, his wand aimed dangerously on Snape.

Hermione lowered her face into her hands.

"Does no one care that he is a murderer?" Harry yelled again, his voice continually rising in volume.

"That is quite enough, Harry," McGonagall said as she stood once again.

"No!" Harry screamed, "no, it's clearly not enough that he has killed Dumbledore, he's still here and you all still trust him. Are you blind?"

"Harry, please stop," Hermione said desperately.

"I will not!" He yelled, rounding on her now, "I can't believe you would just sit there and take this, just let it happen, is that what you want me to do?"

"What can we do?" Ron asked as he took, the now sobbing Hermione in his arms.

"Fight to the death," Harry said his eyes burning with rage as he turned his attention back to Snape, "I'll fight to the death because I know that I have to but clearly I'll have no help from here. You talked me into coming back, what a fool I've been," he yelled and turned toward the great solid doors to the entrance hall.

"Where do you think you are going?" McGonagall yelled as she came away from the staff table.

"I'll not stay in any place where they harbor Death Eaters," he said as he now aimed his wand at McGonagall, "and you'll not stop me from leaving,"he hissed at her, "I can't trust any of you anymore," he said loud enough that it echoed off the walls.

Silence was thick and deafening as he stood with his wand aimed at his Professor. Hagrid had gotten to his feet, to come to the aid of McGonagall, before Harry moved again and as soon as he realized, that he had been frozen in rage, he lowered his wand, turned and walked toward the door once more.

He had nearly gained the exit, of the great hall, when a crack as loud as thunder echoed in the hall. He turned suddenly, his wand at the ready, as a screeching sound filled the vast room.

A flash of golden light, like fire streaking through the enchanted ceiling, flew from above the black curtain, that hung over the staff table and all around. The brilliant stream of fire flew around the great hall, the brightness of the light made the students shelter their eyes. All at once, the fiery light shot at Harry and became solid. The students gasped to see a great red bird emerge from the flames. Another great screech filled the hall before the bird landed sharply on Harry's shoulder.

The bird was like fire itself, warm against his cheek. It cooed into his ear. The Phoenix song, that only Harry could hear, calmed him entirely. He lowered his wand as everyone continued to stare.

"It is not yet time for you to leave Hogwarts, Harry," a calm, familiar, voice filled the great hall.

Hagrid reached up, over his head, and grasped the edge of the black curtain. With one quick tug the fabric fell away from the magic that held it in mid air and a great painting was revealed.

The calm, familiar, face of Albus Dumbledore looked down, through his half moon spectacles at the great hall. He smiled at a group of trembling first years. His eyes sparkled, blue as the sky and his bear was white as snow. He was dressed in his favorite purple dress robes, that bore silver stars all around them. The robes moved as he breathed. He looked as he did when he lived and he looked happily down at the students and the school he had loved so dearly.

The students, in the hall, had gasped at the sight of the larger than life Dumbledore, but as the Phoenix song grew louder and louder, from the bird perched on Harry's shoulder, a calm fell over the hall. All eyes were now fixed on the great portrait and silence had fallen once more.

"Harry, Fawkes has chosen you once again as his charge but this time he has also chosen you as his guardian. It is now your duty to protect and serve him as he will you. It is very rare that a Phoenix would return to the place of the death of its previous master, but Fawkes, like many other, knows how important you are to the history of magic. You two have a bond already, one that has been developing over your years at Hogwarts. He has returned, as you have, to finish what you have started, that is not only your magical education, but your destiny," Dumbledore said and all eyes were once again on Harry, "you'll never be without your Phoenix. They are very loyal and loving companions and as you have learned they carry very strong magic," He said as Fawkes ruffled his wings on Harry's shoulder and settled in. His clawed feet squeezed tightly to Harry's shoulder, "now, would you please take your seat, there is still much to say."

Reluctantly Harry took a seat at the Gryffindore table, coming back into the center of the great hall and placing himself opposite Ron and Hermione.

"Please feast," Dumbledore said, "for only after you are all well nourished will I spoil the mood with the hash truth of what is to come," he said.

The golden plates, on the tables, were suddenly filled with food and the pitchers were filled with drink. Slowly people moved to fill their plates, and even slower the chatter began to rise again in the great hall. It was the most uncomfortable Harry had ever felt in a feast at Hogwarts, it was even worse than the yule ball he had, had to endure in his fourth year. The weight of Fawkes on his shoulder was nothing compared to the weight of the guilt he now felt for yelling, as he had, at Hermione and the rest of his friends. The silence in their small group had not yet relinquished its grasp on the feast. Slowly he reached across the table for a roll, he didn't feel much like eating, and broke bits of it and fed them to Fawkes.

"You need to keep your strength, Harry, eat something please," Hermione whispered across the table.

Harry looked up suddenly to see her bright brown eyes, and tear stained face looking back at him, "I'm sorry," he said. He couldn't think of anything else to say to her. She had always worked with him, always been there for him and was one person, he knew would fight to the death with him, though that wasn't really what he wanted from her. He only wanted to see his friends stay safe.

She kicked him under the table.

"Ouch," he said as he looked fearfully up at her.

A very small smile crept onto her face, "Alright you are forgiven now," She said and reached out for a plate of chicken.

Harry couldn't help but smile, and suddenly his appetite was back.