I may not be able to update for a long time because I'm going away for New Year and I don't know if there will be internet. Also, I have six exams in January so I am going to be revising for them. Sorry about that and I will update when I can.
xXThe Solaris MaidenXx – Thank you for your amazing review, and please continue to do so. I hope you like this chapter and continue to read. Thank you again.
Simplewhiterose – I hated the fact in Harry Potter that Draco is mean about muggle-borns so I thought I should make it so that, even though he doesn't actually like Hermione, he doesn't mind Luke going out with her. I had to put a Glee reference in there because I love Glee. If you like fanfics about Glee, then my friend, Jasmine – whose fanfic name is MuchFaberryLoveX – writes some really good ones. Luke is going to tell her he is a Demi-god soon, I'm not sure when yet. But it will probably be in the chapter after this. Thank you for reviewing and please continue to do so.
Percyjacksonfan135 – Thanks for your review and for telling me who you think Harry is going out with. Soon everyone – like Ginny, Ron and Hermione – will also find out who his secret girlfriend is. Again, thanks for reviewing and I hope you continue to read the story.
The Tears of a Phoenix
Hermione:
It was the day after the party and I was sitting by myself in the Gryffindor common room. Everyone else had gone to the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmede for a few drinks and probably wouldn't be back for at least half an hour. Meanwhile, I was thinking about my father's words to me before I had left the Hogshead.
"The final ingredient belongs to Dumbledore."
I had decided that he was probably talking about our potion, but what belonged to Dumbledore that we couldn't get usually?
I had no idea what that could be, but I racked my brain all the same. Before I came up with an answer, however, Gin entered the common room.
"Come on, Mi, there's an Order meeting."
An Order meeting? Why hadn't I heard of this before? The Order of the Phoenix was having a meeting? A Phoenix, that must be the final ingredient, and from what I'd researched for extra credit, Phoenix tears had healing properties.
"Yes," I crowed, getting a weird glance from Ginny, who demanded, "What?"
"Oh, I'll explain later," I murmured, following her out.
It didn't seem like she wanted to talk as we made our way to Dumbledore's office, something was clearly wrong.
"It's not good news," she told me, although I'd already figured that out. I didn't say so, however, and allowed myself to be ushered inside.
All the Order was already there, except for Tonks and Kingsley – who were probably on some Auror mission. Everyone looked so sombre; even Fawkes looked like he wanted to cry.
"What's going on?" I asked; my voice loud in the silence. No-one replied; no-one even seemed to realise I was there.
I was about to reiterate the question, but Gin put her hand on my arm, smiling softly as she said, "Tonks and Kingsley…"
She trailed off and I suddenly understood.
"They're dead," I murmured, my voice barely more than a whisper in the silence, "How?"
It was only then that Dumbledore moved, he raised his eyes to mine and said, "They died on an Order mission, because of this, the Order is finished."
I stared at him in shock. We'd had casualties before, but no-one had ever mentioned quitting. Dumbledore had never seemed like a quitter before, and I was about to let him become one.
"Okay, I won't say this hasn't come as a shock…"
Every eye turned to mine, frowning in confusion and annoyance, but I continued.
"…They were good friends to all of us, but they wouldn't have wanted us to quit. We've had casualties before, but no-one has quit. You may want to quit, but I won't until Voldemort is brought down to size." I paused for breath and noticed how everyone's eyes had become as wide as saucers. They were silent for a long time, before Harry nodded resolutely.
"I agree, we can't stop now. If we stop, we die, and I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to die just yet."
"Me too," Gin whispered, putting her hand in my own.
I grinned at them, but it seemed that there was even more bad news.
"Remus was tortured like Neville's parents," Harry whispered, "He was tortured into madness."
I nodded, this could prove an opening.
"Okay," I muttered, "Professor, could I please borrow Fawkes and go to St Mungos?"
"Of course, but why?"
"I'd prefer to tell you afterwards," I told him, "Gin, Ron, Harry..?"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Ron answered for all of them and as one, we stepped into the fireplace.
"So, what's this about, Mione?" Harry asked as we appeared in the same room as always, with Fawkes the Phoenix on my shoulder.
"I'll tell you later. Gin, go and get Remus. Ron, would you and Harry ask Damien if he managed to get the unicorn hair that I asked for?"
Once they'd all left, I quickly took the remaining potion that we had made last time we had visited, and then I sat down to wait.
I didn't have to wait long. It was only a few minutes later when Gin returned with Remus. He was stumbling absentmindedly and didn't even seem to realise that we were there.
"Lie him on the bed," I ordered quietly as the two boys returned with the unicorn hair. I quickly added it and turned to the Phoenix on my shoulder.
"What are you doing?" Harry demanded as Fawkes jumped down and put his head over the potion.
"What do Phoenix tears do?" I asked cryptically as the first of the pearly liquid vanished into the potion, turning it a beautiful blue colour.
"Phoenix tears have healing powers," Harry murmured as Fawkes flew back onto my shoulder and I took the potion over to Lupin.
"Hear it goes," Ron murmured, frowning in nervousness as I pinched Remus' nose to force it to go down.
At first nothing happened and I felt an unfamiliar sinking sensation in my chest. For once, Hermione Granger, Brightest Witch of the Age, had failed at something. It was not a sensation I liked to feel.
I turned from them and smashed my fist into the wall in frustration. All of our preparation had been for naught. Or had it?
"You know you'll break your fist doing that," a weak voice said from behind me. I whirled around to stare in surprise at Remus, who was definitely back to normal.
We had succeeded.
"When does it need to be completed?" I asked, business-like, as the other three hugged our old Professor.
"In only a week's time," Gin replied, "How did you find out about the Phoenix tears?"
"Long story," I grinned, "Maybe I'll tell you some day."
XxX
Luke:
"Have you actually started on the assignment Dumbledore set us?" I asked Draco as we sat in front of the fire, "Because it's due today." We had been sitting here for the past fifteen minutes and Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle had joined us ten minutes ago.
"Actually yes," Pansy replied while Draco and I turned to look at her in surprise, "I know, but it is good, and we don't have time to come up with a new one."
"What is it?" Draco hissed in annoyance.
"Well, we decided to make the draught of living death but modify it so that it actually kills the victim."
"Do you want to get kicked out?" Draco demanded, practically foaming at the mouth.
"No," Pansy smirked, "But if the victim is given the antidote, which we have also made, then it will bring them back to life. It is more effective than the draught of living death because it actually kills its victim but if they are given the antidote within six months of taking the potion, then they will live again."
"This is a really good idea," I stated loudly, "How have you tested it?"
"On Death Eaters in Azkaban. We killed a few, but the results are very satisfactory."
I wrinkled my nose at the obvious glee in her voice. She clearly wanted to become a Death Eater, but didn't mind killing a few to get what she wanted.
"Would everyone make their way to the Great Hall to decide on which groups will go on the trip."
"Here it goes," I murmured, unconsciously repeating what Mione had said in St Mungos. Of course, I didn't know that so it didn't bother me as we made our way out of the dungeons.
"Wonder what Wonder-boy cooked up," Draco stated loudly as we neared the Great Hall, seeing Mione, Potter, Weasley and Weaslette ahead of us.
"Maybe he finally figured out how to kill the Dark Lord. Oh wait, him and Weasley don't have a brain between them."
"I thought you hated him," I whispered, earning a, "Shut up," from the youngest Malfoy. Potter whirled around and gave us a dirty look before following his three best friends. I felt slightly bad for Potter, but didn't dwell on it as we also entered the Great Hall.
The tables had been moved to the sides, to make room for a large stage where each group had to present their idea. McGonagall was giving everyone numbers as they entered, and that would be their order.
Our group got given number 13, and I couldn't help but feel slightly nervous at being given the unlucky number, but maybe it was only unlucky for muggles. Maybe Witches and Wizards felt differently.
We had to sit at our house table and once everyone was there the first group, Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas stood to present their idea. It was stupid and appeared like the boys had just let the girls do whatever they wanted. As the two girls were the most gossip-driven girls in Hogwarts, their idea mainly consisted of who was going out with whom. Again I reiterate, stupid.
It didn't seem like five minutes before our number was called and I walked on trembling legs to the podium. I had never been nervous talking in front of great crowds of people before, but maybe it was the fact that all of these people were magical and, in their eyes, I was worse than a muggle because I wasn't even human. Of course, only a select number of people knew that I wasn't human, and that was how I liked to keep it.
"What is your idea?" Dumbledore asked from the teachers table at the front of the room.
I turned to Pansy and nodded my head slightly, indicating for her to speak. She gave me a dirty look but began anyway.
"Our idea was to make a potion much like the draught of living death, only it actually kills people…"
I tuned her out, watching the Professor's carefully. At first, all apart from Dumbledore and Snape appeared shock and slightly disgusted that Pansy would go to these lengths to win the competition. But then their expressions became appraising as she finished and gave them a smug smile before we took our seats again.
All I knew for certain was that we were going on the trip. It was obvious by their expressions.
XxX
Hermione:
I was waiting somewhat patiently at the Gryffindor table as number after number, group after group, had their turn and then returned to their seats. Finally number 24 was called, and I stood up, along with my group – minus Harry – to introduce our idea to the teachers.
"What is your idea?" Dumbledore asked, his blue eyes twinkling. He knew what our idea was; he just didn't know that we had succeeded.
"Our idea was to make a potion to cure those tortured into magic using the Cruciatus Curse," Gin explained while I quickly set up our equipment on the table I had conjured moments before.
Everyone began to murmur amongst themselves but a raised hand from Dumbledore stopped them. Once the hall was quiet once more, I poured some of our lavender-smelling potion into a small beaker and Ron explained what ingredients were in it.
I turned and nodded at the doors, which opened to admit Harry and Neville's parents, Frank and Alice Longbottom.
I quickly conjured up two beds for them to lie down on, while Harry left again and returned moments later with a cured Remus Lupin.
"How..?" McGonagall asked, staring at him in shock, "Remus..?"
Remus didn't say anything, however, and moved to stand next to Harry, completely silent. I turned to look and Neville, giving him a small smile, before tipping the potion down first Alice, and then Franks, neck.
At first nothing happened, but this time I wasn't scared that we had failed, because I knew we hadn't.
Suddenly, they both sat up, staring around in confusion, and then Alice's eyes travelled the length of the room to rest on her son. Neville jumped up with a yell and attacked both of his parents in a hug.
"That is our idea," Harry concluded, taking the notebook and placing it in front of Dumbledore, "And all of our notes are in there."
Dumbledore could only nod mutely as we took our places.
Everyone else went, and soon the headmaster rose to face the rest of us. All conversation ceased abruptly and Dumbledore began, "We have decided on our four winners. The first, from Hufflepuff, is Ernie MacMillan, Hannah Abbott and Justin Finch-Fletchley." There was polite applause from the Hufflepuffs, most of whom were jealous that they hadn't been chosen, and loud applause from the other houses – except Slytherin, obviously.
"The second, from Ravenclaw, is Cho Chang, Marietta Edgecomb, Michael Corner and Luna Lovegood." Again, there was polite applause from the Ravenclaws, while Cho was positively beaming with pride.
"The third, from Slytherin, is Draco Malfoy, Luke Castellan, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle and Pansy Parkinson." This time the Slytherins led the cheering for the most popular people in their house, while everyone else fell silent, feeling sorry for the unlucky few who had to go with them.
"Now I'm kind of hoping we won't be chosen," Ron hissed in my ear and I laughed, silently disagreeing with him as, if we did win, I would get to be with Luke.
"Last but not least, from Gryffindor, are Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, and Hermione Granger."
We got the biggest applause of all, which I was slightly glad for, and revelled in. I turned to grin at my team-mates and they, in turn, smiled back.
"We will not tell you where we are heading, but you will be staying there for the rest of the year, and will need to pack your possessions tonight. You leave in the morning. Thank you to everyone who participated."
"So, where do you reckon we'll be going?" Gin asked.
I had an idea, but I hoped it wouldn't be correct. I didn't want it to be correct.
