Chapter 20:
Professor Snape's exam for the students is making the Forgetfulness Potions. He wants everyone to brew the potion without the textbook, but the book is there only if someone needs it. Unfortunately, knowing the potions professor, Phoenix knows points will be taken off it if someone used the textbook.
She begins her potion. Two drops of Lethe River Water is gently heated in her cauldron for twenty seconds. Her lips move as she counts the seconds before adding two valerian sprigs into the cauldron and stirring it three times clockwise. Her wand waves over it.
"Leave it to brew for either forty-five or sixty minutes," Phoenix says to herself. "I better check it in forty-five minutes."
The young Slytherin grabs her favorite magazine and begins to read it while waiting on her potion.
Pansy sits near her, confused as to why Phoenix is reading a magazine during her finals as her potion begins to brew on its own. She pulls out the textbook for the section of the potion and notices that Emberson did each step, possibly correctly.
"Why does she have to be perfect?" she growls to herself, glaring at her.
About forty-five minutes later, Phoenix checks on her brew and notices it's ready. Two measures of Standard Ingredient and four mistletoe berries are placed on a mortar, so the ingredients are crushed together into a medium-fine mixture by a pestle. Phoenix drops two pinches of the mixture into her cauldron, where she stirs it five times anti-clockwise.
She takes a deep breath to calm her nerves before waving her wand to complete her exam.
Her potion is now an orange colour.
"Excellent work, Miss Emberson," Professor Snape tells her in her usual cold tone, surprising her a little.
She didn't notice his presence because of her being so focused on her potion.
A soft smile curls up on her face as she nods to her professor for a thank you.
During lunch, Phoenix had to check up on a couple of things with the forest, and with Leith, so she once finished up with her food, she informs her friends that she will meet them for the last class of the year.
Leith is doing good along with the forest as Phoenix begins her way towards the Transfiguration classroom when a scream echoed throughout the corridors. It sounds like a girl's scream.
Phoenix runs towards the direction of the scream and notices it's coming from a girls' washroom, followed by cries. "Hello? Are you alright?" she asked who it was.
"Go away, Emberson!" a very familiar female voice speaks up.
"Parkinson?" Phoenix asked.
"I said, go away, Emberson!" she screams out from a stall.
"Parkinson," Phoenix speaks in a calm tone. "I know we have our differences and hate each other, but we are still human." Silence. "Now, please come out."
It takes a few moments, but Pansy finally appears out.
Phoenix's eyes widen in pure shock.
Pansy's skin is now rainbow-striped, and her short black is now pure white.
"Whoa," Phoenix utters out. "That's either a hex or a prank."
"I'm ugly!" Parkinson screams out, entering back into the stall.
"Beauty is in the eye of the holder," Emberson says with a sigh. "Everyone's beautiful in their own way, it's just the right person who will know you're magnificent." No response. "I can help you return back to yourself if you let me to." She waits for a few minutes and nothing. Phoenix sighs and walks away.
"Wait," Pansy speaks up, opening the stall again. "Emberson, help me."
A smirk curls up on Emberson's lips when she hears that. "Okay," she turns around to Parkinson, "it's going to take a little bit, but you will return to your old self."
Pansy nods her head with tears in her eyes.
The raven black/dark grey-haired girl positions the other Slytherin girl in front of the mirror. They both see the insane reflection in which Parkinson looks away.
"I know it's horrible, but I need you to see your reflection," Phoenix tells her softly.
Pansy can sense the concern and worry in her voice, for real. Pansy looks back up and notices Phoenix's hands has a blue glow around them. She watches Emberson comb her hair with her fingers. The light turns the white hair back into its usual dark colour. Just before the hair entirely turns back, her skin begins to remove the rainbow stripes.
"Why are you so nice to me?" Parkinson asked, really confused.
"I want to apologize," Emberson stunned her. "I know with me being rude when we first have made you mad at me. So, I'm deeply sorry for it." Her head lowers a little as she continues to comb her hair. Her voice softens. "There's no need to forgive me immediately, but if it's alright with you, I would like for us to end the first year with a better note than it did for the beginning of the year." Phoenix combs her hair a couple more times before speaking again, "There. Everything's back to normal now." She gives her a soft smile at the now fully normal Pansy Parkinson before leaving.
"Wait," Pansy calls for her. "Are you real?" she asked, being skeptical at this kind gesture, especially from a pureblood Slytherin.
Phoenix stops for a second before turning her head with a cunning look on her face. She flicks her hand for a goodbye before leaving while saying, "Have a good holiday, Parkinson." And with that, she disappears into the hallway.
Parkinson runs after her, but she couldn't find her. "What's with this girl?" she asked herself, mumbling.
Phoenix meets up with the boys in a nearby hallway. The Malfoy gang is walking towards the Transfiguration classroom together, but she has her head down, really nervous. She wants to get this exam over with because it's something she really doesn't want to do.
"You okay, Phoenix?" Draco asked her softly.
"I'll be fine once we are done with this exam," she admits, looking up at him.
"Still worried about the mouse?"
"Yes, Draco, I am," she sighs.
"It's going to last for a few seconds, and it'll be done," he tries to assure her.
"But anything can happen in a few seconds," she says, then looks at the palms of her hands. "Am I sweating?" the young Slytherin girl asked about to panic a little.
Draco groans, annoyed. "Goyle, Crabbe," he speaks up to them. They turn back towards him. "You two go ahead. We'll catch up."
They nod their heads before turning around, heading towards their next class.
"First of all, calm down, seriously you're panicking over nothing, and second of all, are you really that concern about the mouse's safety?" he asked as she wipes her hands on her skirt.
"Yes, I am concerned about the mouse's safety, and also, I don't have Outstandings in Transfiguration," Phoenix looks at him nervously.
"What's your grade in it?"
"Barely Exceeds Expectations."
"That's good, though," he says, not understanding why she's worried about her grade.
"T-True," Phoenix agrees.
"Come on, you're passing the class anyways." He gently grabs her arm and drags her towards the classroom.
Professor McGonagall explains everything for the Transfiguration exam. The students have to turn a mouse into a snuff box. She walks around to experience their performances personally. When she came across Phoenix Emberson, she observed.
Phoenix stares at the little creature with concern and worry in her eyes. Her body wasn't shaking on the outside, but the wiser woman can tell she's freaking out on the inside. The first-year Slytherin girl whispers, "Forgive me, little one." She takes a deep breath and performs the cast.
The little creature turns into a perfect snuff box - no whiskers, no tail, just an ideal golden snuff box.
Emberson freaks out a little on the outside and quickly turns the snuffbox back into its regular mouse. "Oh, my gosh, are you alright, little guy?" she asked softly, scared that she possibly hurt the mouse and quickly checked on the mouse's aid.
"The mouse is all right, Miss Emberson," Professor McGonagall tells her firmly. "I always make sure that the creatures we use for teachings purposes are all safe and sound." And with that, the professor leaves to check on everyone's performances.
"But, there's always that possibility," Phoenix mumbles under her breath, gently stroking the mouse's head.
Draco was watching the whole thing and actually felt…..sorry for her?