Entry for "Fairytales" at "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges and Assignments)"

Extra Credit Task: In Sleeping Beauty the Princess is always cursed to sleep for 100 years. Write about what it would be like to wake up after those 100 years. Maximum 1000 words.

Entry for the "Chocolate Frog Card Club" at "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges and Assignments)"

(Gold) Phoenix; Challenge: Incorporate Fawkes the Phoenix into your story.

Albus felt as if he was dreaming, though the way his heart was pounding hard against his ribcage told him that he was perfectly awake.

"Ariana...," he breathed in surprise, his blue eyes wide as he stared at the young girl he had seen die nearly 100 years ago, when he still had been a young man. She had not changed at all, she smiled at him with the same vacant sweetness as she had always done back then, her light brown locks flowing softly over her shoulders.

"Albus," she sighed, looking happy and just as surprised as he did. "How old you've become..."

A sweet giggle escaped her as she gently touched his long, white beard and Albus released a nervous, breathless laugh, still too flabbergasted to say anything.

"I am so happy to see you, Albus," Ariana exclaimed as she suddenly threw herself into his arms, tears filling her eyes that were as blue as the of her brother. "I don't know what is going on, I just suddenly woke up here and I have no idea why... But you, Albus, you surely know what happened..."

Albus looked at her, unable to express that he just had no idea why something like this was possible. No one could reawaken the dead, that was clear to him, but still, his little, sweet Ariana was standing in front of him. Suddenly, tears started to also fill his eyes – the painful memories of her dying in front of his eyes were flooding him, all the guilt he had felt for nearly a century...

"Ariana...," Albus sobbed, now finally closing his arms around her body. "I am so sorry... I... I was so selfish, and it was all my fault..."

"You cannot change the past," Ariana whispered to him. "After 100 years, it is time to put this to rest, Al..."

Fawkes landed gently on Albus' shoulder and rubbed his head on his owner's cheek as if he tried to support Ariana while calming him down.