Chapter 17 Truth
Hermoine knelt at Ron's side.
"Hermoine?" he whispered hoarsely. She could see pain in his eyes.
"Sh, Ron, don't talk. Dumbledore's on his way. He's got to be. Hang on."
"It hurts," Ron whispered.
"I know," Hermoine tried to keep back her tears. "Oh Ron. please, don't die." Ron tried to grin, but he winced in pain.
"Hermoine, I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I am sorry about everything."
"Ron, you can't talk like that!" she cried. Tears welled up in her eyes. He shuddered in pain. "Ron! No!" Tears poured down her face.
Then, the most extraordinary thing happened. Her tears began glowing pearly silver. They touched Ron, and he began to glow. His wounds began to heal, his burns disappearing.
"Ron!" she cried. He sat up. She threw her arms around him, weeping against him.
"Hermoine!"
Hermoine felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked around in wonder. She was in Mrs Coeur's class room. Dumbledore stood behind her, a soft smile on his lips. Ron looked about, confused.
"Where are we?" he asked.
"You came here for homework help," Dumbledore told him. "Don't you remember?"
"Sure," Ron replied. "I think I got it, Professor Coeur," he called to her. He left.
Dazed, Hermoine stood. She looked from Professor Dumbledore, to Mrs Coeur, to Patrice.
"You!" she cried out, running toward Patrice. Dumbledore held out his arm, catching Hermoine as she stumbled. Patrice looked away, but there was a satisfied smile on her face.
"You passed, Miss Granger," Dumbledore told her with a smile. Hermoine looked up at him.
"I passed?" she repeated. "Passed what?"
"It was all a test," Mrs Coeur told her gently. "I've been testing all the students, but you are the only one who has shown herself to be one of us."
"What?" Hermoine's head reeled.
Patrice handed Hermoine her wand. Hermoine snatched it back.
"Your friends were never in any danger," Dumbledore told her softly, "but we needed you to think that."
"Why, Professor?" Hermoine asked. "Why put me through that?"
"To discern if you truly had all the gifts." Dumbledore turned to Patrice.
"You did a good job, young one. You even had me fooled." Patrice grinned at the praise. Hermoine shook her head.
"Somebody explain what is going on here!" she cried.
"You are the newest member of the Phoenix Order," Patrice said simply. "Welcome, sister."
Hermoine stared blankly at Patrice.
"I thought that was just a legend," she murmured. She looked to Dumbledore. "Professor, I thought these tests were to replace the O.W.Ls."
"They do, because as a member of the Phoenix order, you are not required to take the O.W.Ls," he smiled. "You didn't notice there was anything wrong with the wand Professor Coeur gave you?" Hermoine shook her head. "It is nothing more then a piece of wood, a muggle-made prop for Hallowe'en, actually." Hermoine blinked.
"But, the spells," she protested.
"The magic came from you. From inside. We always knew you were special Miss Granger, but you are the first muggle-born witch in fifty years to be a Phoenix."
She turned to Patrice.
"What was your roll in all this?" she asked. Patrice grinned.
"I am a Phoenix Daughter, Sub-commander. It's my job to train the new recruits found at this school."
"Then, are you really my age?"
"Sure," Patrice grinned. "I have been training since I was eleven years old." Hermoine stared in disbelief. Her head reeled.
"Patrice," Mrs. Coeur said, "I think you should take her to your dorm. She looks dead on her feet. Tomorrow, the two of you will come to my office, and we'll make sure everything is set. Goodnight, Hermoine."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hermoine had a headache when she awoke in the morning. Crookshanks rubbed up against her.
"I had a rough day yesterday," she told the cat. "I hope yours was better." The cat purred contentedly. Hermoine glanced at the bed next to hers. Patrice wasn't there. Hermoine wondered if it could have all been a bad dream, but she doubted it.
The book Harry had given to her for Christmas jumped back into her head. She dug it out of her trunk, and flipped to the section on the Phoenix Order. She began to read.
"Members of the Phoenix Order are so by birth," the book said. "A person is not of the Phoenix Order unless they can do three things. Exclusion of one of these means they are not truly of the Phoenix Order. Firstly, they can heal with their tears, much like a real Phoenix does. Their tears are as highly sought after as those of a true Phoenix, as they can even bring a person from the brink of death.
"Secondly members of the Phoenix Order can cast spells without their wands. These range from the simple to the complex, depending on the power that the Phoenix hold. This is the most common ability that non-Phoenix members may show. A Phoenix, with proper training, can cast any spell they have already learned without the use of their wand. This makes them deadly in combat."
Hermoine shook her head. She remembered healing Ron with her tears, as he lay dying from the blast of the fire. Then, she remembered throwing the woman back, walking through fire, and throwing lightning. She knew that she could do the first two things. Still, that left the third. She flipped through the remainder of the section on using magic without wands.
"Thirdly," she read at last, "all Phoenix members have a unique ability to speak to two animals on a telepathic level. The first is a phoenix. All Phoenix members have the ability to speak to a phoenix. Any Phoenix member watching another Phoenix speaking with the mythical bird will see the other engulfed in flames." Hermoine thought back to their first Magical Creatures class of the year. She understood why she had seen Patrice burst into flame. Patrice must have seen her, too.
Hermoine went back to reading.
"The other animal that a Phoenix may communicate with is their familiar. The familiar chooses the wizard or witch, not the other way around. The familiar may come at any time during the wizard's life, but once they are coupled together, their lives become bonded, and the animal will age as the person does. The Phoenix member will also be able to transform into this animal without difficulty, and will learn of the nature of their familiar by happenstance." It went on to list familiars, and what having each familiar meant.
Hermoine flipped to the section on owl familiars, realizing that Athena was most likely Patrice's familiar. "Owls represent wisdom and magical prowess. They are third least common of all familiars, despite being depicted most often by muggle legends. Those with owl familiars are more powerful then those who have a dragon familiar, but less powerful then those with cat or phoenix familiars." Hermoine shut the book. She'd look on Athena with new eyes now, that was for sure.
Patrice came in, her hair wrapped up in a towel.
"Ready, Hermoine?" she asked, flinging the towel onto her bed. Hermoine took a deep breath.
"Yes," she replied at last, coming to her feet. "I guess I am." Patrice smiled warmly. Hermoine looked away. She just couldn't trust Patrice anymore. Not after the test.
"Ron broke up with me," Patrice told her. Hermoine's eyes snapped to Patrice.
"Why?"
"Because, he and I were not meant to be. He took your side." Hermoine could not help but smile.
"We've been friends for a long time," she told Patrice.
"That's not it, Hermoine, but if you can't see it, then no amount of talking on my part will show you. Come on, Coeur is waiting."
