All of it owned by JK Rowling except Phoenix and the new kids
5
Phoenix learned about the other students. The other Gryffindor boys besides Tam were Arlan Comfren, Chandler Temple,
Jason McArdell, and Brett and Brian Avin, the only twins in Gryffindor since the legendary Beater-Prankster Weasley twins,
who left the year before. All of the nine other Gryffindors were marvelous, and Phoenix gradually forgot all about what
Riddle had asked her to do.
It had turned out that History of Magic, which had only begun on the next week, was something Phoenix knew nothing about.
It was infernally boring, the ghost that taught it, Professor Binns, droned on and on. He would have been wonderful as
someone payed to put people in trances, but was horrible as a teacher. This had to be one of the less important aspects of
magic Riddle had told her about. She had to agree.
Phoenix was glad when the Headmaster didn't request her to talk with him, she had lain awake all Saturday night thinking of
something to say to him, but nothing could come to her.
****
On Sunday, a message was posted in the Gryffindor common room. First year's flying lessons were to be held on
Thursday afternoons. They would be learning with Hufflepuff, out on the grounds.
This brought on another wave of Quidditch talk—Phoenix now thought she understood the game.
Thursday afternoon was cloudy and slightly gusty. The trees on the grounds and in the Forbidden Forest rustled in a
strange symphony of clattering and shaking strains. Phoenix's weather spells told her it would rain during her lesson, so she
put a water repellant on her robes before she went outside.
Kara was going on and on about flying. How her sister had flown, the best ways to control your broom, and so
forth.
Twenty brooms lay on the rippling green sea of grass. Kara went for the shiniest broom, Chris took one with a worn
handle, and Phoenix just grabbed the broom in between the two of them.
A witch in Quidditch robes came out before them, standing like an army drill sergeant. "My name is Madam Hooch,
and I will be teaching you youngsters how to fly. First things first—stand next to your broom and yell UP!" Ready, one, two,
three!"
"UP!" Kara, Chris, and Phoenix's brooms all lept into their hands, as did Tam's, the Avin Twins', and three of the
Hufflepuff students'.
"Just pick up your broom if it didn't come, dears, and we'll start flying. Grip the handle, and you'll rise a few feet.
On my whistle again. One, two," TWEEEEEET!!!
All of the students rose up. "Very good!" yelled Madam Hooch from below, "Go a bit more, while I go and get my
broom."
Phoenix watched Kara do loop-the-loops on her broom. She imitated, as did Chris. Madam Hooch had only been
gone about five minutes before the clouds burst into a flash storm. Nobody cared, really, all though all but Phoenix were
getting soaked to the bone.
It was still more time before Phoenix saw a narrow shaft of lightning headed into the lake. "Everybody get down!"
she shouted, "We're prime targets for that lightning!"
All of the girls went down, but quite a few of the boys were still up in the air. "No way!" Chandler Temple called
down to her, "No danger!"
Another bolt of lightning struck the trees nearby. All of the boys except Chandler came down. She would have to
drag him down, most likely. She mounted her broom, eyes blazing like red coals.
"Chandler, come on,!" she told him, circling alongside, "This is danger—"
People on the ground screamed. Lightning had struck a sapling right below the pair of them. Phoenix raised her
wand, would she have to fight lightning? She could feel with some magical sense—the clouds were ripping—the lightning was
coming—it was going to hit them—
Phoenix didn't know what she did, she felt like she was hurling part of herself and her magic against the lightning
flashing toward her. She was sending sheer magic out of herself now, to push Chandler out of the way—but it was draining her, and it hurt like something was being ripped out of her--
She hit the ground with a dull thud and blacked out.
****
It was misty and foggy. Swirling colors darted around her, she felt a floor, but saw only more fog.
Then Riddle appeared, wand raised. "Hello, Phoenix Argent," he said, voice cold and silky, "It appears you are
having a little problem."
"No, I'm not having any problems, I'm just fine—"
"If you are 'just fine' then why haven't you brought me the Potter boy yet? I really expected better from you…
Crucio!"
The pain came in the expected rush, she screamed, loud and long, until Riddle lifted the curse. "I hope that teaches
you a lesson about being more prompt, Phoenix. There is a change in our plan, and you must be exactly on time.
"On Easter, you must bring Potter. I will meet you at the Manor as was planned before, at some point earlier than
seven o' clock in the evening. You will wake now, to be cared for whatever you did to yourself to put you in a state I could
reach you in." He dissolved slowly, and when he was completely gone, Phoenix awoke.
She was in the hospital ward at school, in a crisp bed with drawn curtains.
Phoenix's mind and body awoke with a jolt. What had happened to Chandler? What had happened to her? She felt
fine, maybe whatever her spell had done had drained her.
Then she went back to sleep.
****
Phoenix woke up when Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, came bustling in. "What happened?" Phoenix asked the bustling
matron, "Is everyone fine?"
"Oh! You're awake! Yes, everyone is fine, although I don't know how you managed to just force Mr. Temple away like that. Madam Hooch saw lightning streaking straight for yourself and that Temple boy and then saw him pushed out of the way. You were knocked out, and Mr. Temple fell off his broom as well. The rest of the class is fine, if a little shaken. Personally, I see no reason why you shouldn't get up and go."
"Great. Er—where're my clothes?"
"On the table there, change behind the curtains. You can leave when you finish dressing, and take care." Madam
Pomfrey walked out of the room.
Phoenix knew she had been thinking about something before she fell asleep. Ah—Riddle. Easter was a long way
away. She'd have plenty of time.
All of the first years were waiting nervously in the Gryffindor common room. Liz and Kara looked like they had been
crying, Chandler looked overcome with guilt, and Tam was looking horrified and shocked. She felt sorry for Tam, who
looked the most pathetic of the lot.
"Phoenix!" Chris yelled, jumping up from a loveseat she was sharing with Kara, "You're all right!"
"I'm fine, Madam Pomfrey says there isn't any harm done."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Phoenix, I really was an idiot!" Chandler cried, "I'm really sorry, really really really—"
"It's fine, Chandler. I wasn't hurt so it doesn't matter. Its just something friends would do for each other."
That word had more magic than any other. Friend.