~ Chapter 36: Subtle Allusions ~
Friday, 8th September. Fenix's bedroom…
Fenix woke up to a series of bell-like sounds that rang about her room. She sat up tiredly and massaged her aching shoulders. She looked at the wall clock and crawled out of bed. The next time I go patrolling in the Forest, I'm not going to wear any goddamn cloak, she thought resolutely. She walked slowly into her bathroom and washed her face. Fenix had gone on a night-till-dawn patrol with the Potions Master yesterday. They had a too-close encounter with Bane and his band of centaurs. The two adults got out of the Forest intact when morning arrived, but had suffered several deep scratches as the centaurs loosened a wave of arrows blindly into the Forest. Other than that, occasionally passing unicorns and several other things that Fenix couldn't identify-- not that she wanted to-- it was quite a calm night. Fenix's visions still bothered her and Remus advised her to be ready for the unexpected. Fenix gave a small sigh and changed into her Hunter gear, while the Elementals braided her hair tightly.
Remus knocked on the office door and entered when it opened. "Fenix?"
"I'm inside!" Fenix called out and he poked his head warily into the bedroom. His face lighted up in a loving smile as he waited for the Elementals to finish styling the Fire Master's hair.
"Are you going to supervise their Quidditch practice now?" Remus stepped forward to her and gave her a very tight hug, squeezing the breath out of her.
"Yeah…Remus…I can't…breathe."
: You're so small, lover. : Remus kissed her lightly on her lips. Fenix made a face at him and looked at him worriedly.
"Do I have to bring the broom along?" Fenix asked uncertainly and he gave a light chuckle as he nodded. They spent several minutes just holding each other before Remus let her go regretfully.
: I have to go and get something to eat before I go on my patrol. : His mindvoice brushed her mind lightly and she gave him a grin.
: Okay then. Have a good dinner. Be careful, Remus. : Fenix answered, smiling brightly at him.
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Harry rode his Firebolt around half of the pitch, looking dubiously at the group of Slytherins. The air had a certain chill to it and Harry was glad that he had worn his cloak to keep him warm. He climbed higher into the air. He was still keeping a close eye on the Slytherins who were all huddled around Professor Snape then abruptly diving down towards Ron and Dean, who were looking at the Greenies warily.
"Feeling edgy, aren't we?" Harry commented, squinting his eyes down below and smiled in relief as he saw the small, lithe form of the Fire Master. She stepped onto her broom and glided up toward the stand where Hermione and Neville were seated, watching the pitch in anticipation. Fenix spent several minutes with Hermione before flying off to meet the Gryffindor players. She nodded to Dean and Seamus, who will be Beaters, and gave Harry and the Weasleys a grin. Alicia and her Chaser, Katie Bell had just arrived and soared upwards. She gave the two new arrivals a friendly nod and zoomed off toward the Slytherins.
Snape was giving his students very severe warnings and had finished just as Fenix reached the group. Malfoy blinked in surprise when he saw Fenix giving him a very thoughtful expression just before Snape dived down to release the Bludgers and the Quaffle. The Potions Master handed the Quaffle to her and she duplicated it before giving the Slytherins the original Quaffle.
"I have jinxed the Bludgers," Snape informed her and she nodded. One round Bludger followed Fenix almost like a dog and she raised an eyebrow at the Potions Master.
: The spell will disengage in four hours, which is more than they got to practice, : Snape explained, as he left the pitch to let his students practice.
Fenix flew to the opposite side of the pitch and aimed the Quaffle to Alicia. "Are you guys ready to do some fancy flying?" Fenix yelled out, and the players arranged themselves around the pitch. "You guys will practice on your own for an hour or so, then you people will have a friendly match against the Slytherins! Any objections to that?"
"No!" they answered back and she sent the Bludger on its way to bludgeon the players.
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It was six-thirty in the evening, with the Slytherins ahead of the Gryffindors by two points. Harry was racing high up in the pitch, chasing after a lightning-fast Snitch feverishly. Fenix's heart almost jumped up in her throat when Harry recklessly dived toward the ground, clearly intent to get the Snitch, even if it meant that he would suffer broken bones.
"Does he always do that, Hermione?" Fenix asked worriedly as she watched a Quidditch game played by two teams.
"Almost all the time…" Hermione had turned her attention on Montague, passing the Quaffle to Warrington. The latter aimed for the loops but Ron saved it, and Harry ducked in time to prevent himself from getting a concussion by a speeding Quaffle. Ginny deftly caught the Quaffle in her arms and passed it to Alicia. The Captain had to shake off the much bigger Montague who was tailing her dangerously. Seeing no other choice, she dropped the Quaffle to Katie and the Chaser scored a goal. In all of the action by the Chasers, the Gryffindor Beaters were really getting a workout as they prevented the Bludgers from coming close to their teammates.
Somehow later in the game, Ginny had lost control of her broom and Fenix sped off and managed to slow the girl down before she hit the stands. The Slytherin Beaters took the opportunity to aim a flying Bludger at Ron. Fenix felt Ron's pain as the boy spiraled downwards, knocked unconscious by the pain.
"Ron!" Hermione yelled, abandoning her seat and quickly rushed down to the pitch.
Fenix hastily created a net to catch the falling, oblivious Weasley and sped toward the unconscious Ron. Harry was filled with anger and was contemplating whether he should jinx the Beaters when the Snitch suddenly appeared within sight and Harry grabbed it. It was an easy catch and he gripped the Snitch tightly in his hands as he quickly dismounted from his Firebolt. They were lucky that Ron only suffered minor injuries or Fenix was likely to get violent herself. She Healed Ron on the spot and meanwhile, Snape instructed Malfoy to get a stretcher to transport the now awakened, and winded Weasley to the hospital wing. Fenix was very icy all the way as they neared to the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey waiting anxiously to inspect the Weasley.
"Seriously…I'm all right…" Ron protested feebly.
"Nonsense," Fenix muttered and warned the Gryffindor prefect. "Never try to argue with the healer."
"I think we both can get along just fine," Madam Pomfrey replied absently as she ushered Ron to a hospital bed, Hermione anxiously tailing behind the nurse.
The moment Fenix and Snape stepped out of the wing, they began an intense discussion privately using mindspeech and she finally turned to stare at the Slytherins calmly.
"If you people can't keep practicing without trying to sabotage the other, I'm afraid we'll have to split the three-hour constraint. So while the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws are happily and fruitfully using their three-hours of practice harmoniously, these two teams will suffer from lack of practice during the Quidditch games," Fenix rattled off, staring at each of the students impassively. "So what is it going to be people? For Merlin's sake, you're all schoolmates!" She stared disgustedly at them. The group of Slytherin players mumbled an apology to Snape, Fenix and the Gryffindors before sending Montague off to the hospital wing to apologize to Ron on their behalf. "And they had better not take that apology back," Fenix said grimly and Snape smiled faintly at the diminutive, commanding woman. "What?" The Fire Master shot a penetrating look at Harry who was looking at her in amusement.
"Nothing…" Harry put on an innocent expression. He casually opened his palm and the Snitch hovered above his palm, golden wings flickering like a hummingbird in flight.
"Gryffindor wins the friendly match," Fenix said flatly and went off into the hospital wing, leaving Snape to take care of his students and making sure that the Snitch was kept back in its place.
"Follow me back to the pitch, Potter." Snape turned round, picking up his broom and Fenix's, and marched off toward the Quidditch pitch. Dean and Seamus took upon themselves to prevent any more mischief from the Slytherins by following Harry.
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Saturday, 9th September. Early morning…
Fenix paced restlessly in her office, anxiously waiting for Remus to get back from his patrol. She was not really able to get much sleep last night. Her dreams were frequently haunted by the scary encounter of the centaurs and shadows that flitted in and out of the huge trees of the Forest. She felt Remus's unmistakable presence at the back of her mind and quickly opened her door.
The werewolf gave a small smile at her as he stepped into the office and chuckled when Fenix hugged him, carefully holding his tender waist. She instructed him to get a bath and then she would see to his injuries.
: I seriously think it was a bad idea to have McGonagall traipsing about the Forest trying to do a job meant for professional scouts. It's rather absurd actually. The Forest is much a rougher terrain at night since we could not even patrol with any kind of lights, : Remus spoke to her lightly as he bathed. Fenix quirked up a smile as she got out a robe for him to use. The silent bedroom was occasionally filled with the soft purring of her wolves.
: Is she all right? : Fenix asked dimming the mage-lights a little, since the room began brightening with sunlight.
: What--oh-- McGonagall? She's all right except for spraining her ankle a little. I wonder why the centaurs are being so provocative. : Remus waved a hand through the bathroom door and Fenix handed him the robe.
: Maybe it's because they don't really like the fact that, Firenze is helping Dumbledore. I don't really know much about their social taboos but Firenze seems to get along quite fine with the students here, : she replied, sitting over the edge of the bed, and faced the window. Birds flew past and a hummingbird hovered outside the window before flying off again.
Remus got out of the bathroom, toweling his damp hair vigorously and sat next to Fenix, feeling refreshed after the bath. A Salamander passed the werewolf a hairbrush and he began combing his hair.
: I could really do with a massage, : Remus said almost wistfully and the Fire Master gave him a sidelong look.
: Okay, then. Why don't you get comfortable on the bed? : she suggested, her eyes twinkling mischievously with the morning sun. Remus gave her a boyish grin and did as she had proposed.
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In the library…
Harry and his friends were going down to the library to try to finish up their Charms and Potions homework. They met a couple of their fellow schoolmates along the way and Luna Lovegood attached herself to Ginny, discussing deeply about their Defense homework. Conversations died as they entered the library, and went straight for the study tables. To their surprise, they found the Potions Master and the Fire Master seated on a table, totally engrossed in their reading.
Harry turned to look at Hermione and she shrugged, making her way round to the Fire Master. "Can we join you?" the girl whispered and Fenix nodded absently. She stopped reading for a moment to stack up the books that she had already read, creating some space for the students.
Harry sat next to Fenix, facing Ginny who had already begun to leaf through the pages of her copy of Defensive Spells as she sat down. The Fire Master seemed to behave almost as if she was a student herself, making notes and several drawings of a plant, labeling it meticulously. The Potions Master whispered to her occasionally, and she listened attentively as her hand scribbled down his narrative. Half an hour passed in silence when Harry suddenly gasped and it turned into a cough. Ron patted his Harry's back in concern.
"You all right, mate?"
Harry nodded and Ron looked curiously at his friend's blushing face. Harry whispered dubiously. "Ron, do you think this information should be written down for the Potions essay?" He jabbed his finger on a passage from the book of A List of Stimulants. The red-haired Weasley read the passage about the berries of the Magnolia Projectivilien and about ten minutes later, the Gryffindor prefect's face burned, turning into the color of his infamous red hair.
"Found something interesting?" Fenix's curiosity perked up, as she felt the boys' deep-set embarrassment. She looked up from her book and massaged her neck slowly. The boys kept silent, not even looking at the Fire Master or Hermione, who was looking at her friends with dry amusement. "I think I smell something incredibly fishy…" Fenix said softly and quickly grabbed the book Ron was holding. Her eyes quickly scanned the contents and absently fought off Harry's attempts to retrieve the book.
Within the first paragraph, Fenix was able to determine why the youngsters looked totally embarrassed. It seemed that the berries, which have the most recommendable properties of a good stimulant to enhance alertness, and stabilizing the physical, mental and emotional sides of the human-- if used in combination with other herbs like the Yellow Vetch. However, if the berries were consumed on its own, it will have a tendency to stimulate the physical desires of human beings. The Fire Master almost laughed at the detailed information of the passage.
She gave a crooked smile at the two youngsters, who looked back at her nervously. "I think you guys ought to include it in your essay. But in a more…ah…condensed form." Her eyes glinted wickedly as Harry exchanged an incredulous look with Ron. "What are you guys making anyway?"
"Vigilencia," Hermione whispered absently, feverishly writing down on her parchment.
Fenix gave a sidelong look at the oblivious Potions Master. "From the sound of it, it sounds like you guys are making a concoction to promote vigilance." Fenix leaned back on her chair, watching Snape lazily, who seemed to be ignorant of the whispered discussion. : Give your eyes a rest, Sev. The words will still keep blurring even if you force your pupil to focus, : she said cheerfully then watched the boys gravely. "You people better prepare the potion carefully, all right? You don't want to be responsible for promoting…hmmmm…accidents, do you?"
"Professor Snape?" Ron piped out and the Potions Master gave the red-haired Weasley an inquiring look. Ron gulped, his face still flaming hotly. He turned to the Potions Master and asked softly, "How would we know if the Vigilencia gives out the desired results?"
"You test it," Snape answered calmly, and stared at the boys with interest, unconsciously following Fenix's suggestion.
"We know that," Ron said almost impatiently, "but how?"
"You will drink a portion of your sample," Snape answered, giving Ron an amused look as if he could not believe that he had to state the obvious.
"What?" Harry yelped out and several 'shushes' were heard from all around the study corner.
"Bloody hell…" Ron cursed, tiredly rubbing his eyes.
"Stop being such a naive teenage boy, Ron." Hermione gave a sly smile at her partner before continuing her essay. "You do know that we'll come across things like that sooner or later."
Fenix winked at the girl and returned Harry his book. The youngster took it back rather sullenly. He gave a sigh of resignation and flipped the pages to find the passage again. He read it carefully once more, and determinedly blocked off his un-boyish thoughts that sprang out suddenly. He spent the next several minutes to find the words that would summarize the whole passage as blandly as possible. He had the feeling that not even Snape would want an explicit write-up. God, just state the facts! But I can't find the words to! I know! Harry took his notebook to begin his draft.
: Fenix, can you help me? : Harry asked imploringly.
: She may not, : Snape answered severely and Harry cursed himself for not switching into private mode.
"Hermione, do you have any idea if this library has a copy of a dictionary?" Harry leaned forward as he whispered to his friend. Hermione simulated a thoughtful expression, then imperiously pointed her quill at a particular bookshelf not far from the table. Harry muttered a soft 'thanks' before he briskly moved off.
Fenix had resumed her reading by the time Harry had found a dictionary he was comfortable with and sat down, trying to find milder definition of some important words from the passage. Twenty minutes later, Fenix closed her book and gave a long sigh. She turned a new page of her notebook and began to create references of the books that she had been studying. Hermione had already finished her Potions homework and was giving herself a treat by reading a book while her two friends were still struggling over their essay.
The Fire Master decided to treat herself too. She gathered all her books and placed them neatly on a trolley before returning to her table and conjured up her sketch nook and several sets of pencils. Snape turned to stare at her for a moment and then ignored her. She began to draw happily, giving the paper some random strokes and an image suddenly took place. Harry inspected his essay carefully and nodded with satisfaction, getting up to place the dictionary back into its proper place. He happened to glance at Fenix's drawing and suddenly leaned over her shoulder.
: You must be getting fonder of him, : Harry said teasingly as he found himself staring at a sketch of Professor Lupin, whose pair of eyes was almost twinkling. : You're good. : Harry's mindvoice was tinged with wonder as he studied the sketch's right side and saw the Professor in his werewolf form, and the intelligence in that particular form really showed.
: Thank you. : Fenix looked up to give him a shy smile. : His wolf-form is rather charming, don't you think? :
: I don't know. Women look differently on people for some reason. : Harry shrugged and Fenix shook her head in mock disappointment. : Well, it's true, isn't it? :
Fenix sighed and showed her sketch to Hermione who whispered in amazement. "Wicked…"
The Fire Master gave the girl a sidelong look. : Seems like I'm not the only one getting fonder of one's partner, : she observed, studying her sketch of Remus with a peculiar smile on her face.
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Later that night…
Fenix was having trouble getting to sleep. Again. She kept tossing about the bed and finally sat up, swearing silently. She got out of bed and made a pallet for the wolves, advising them to sleep on it rather than on the bed.
: I don't want to trouble you guys any further, : Fenix said tiredly, her irritation surfacing in her mindvoice. The wolves nodded and curled themselves on the makeshift bed. Winky appeared suddenly, holding a glass of warm milk in her hand, looking at the Fire Master sympathetically
"You shouldn't trouble yourself this late, Winky." She nonetheless accepted the glass of milk gratefully and drank it all down in a single gulp.
"Winky is not troubled at all, Miss Maxwell," the house-elf said diffidently, smiling at the Fire Master kindly. She took hold of the glass and Fenix murmured a 'thank you'. The house-elf disappeared instantly.
Fenix crawled back onto the bed and sat cross-legged on its center. She began meditating, to calm herself and finally felt that she was ready for bed. The meditation did help in making her sleep, but it did not give way to pleasant dreams. Fenix wandered aimlessly in her dream, only aware that she was searching for something in her dreams. She felt a moment of vexation when she had the feeling that she was searching for several someone. Her dreams drifted back to the original setting of her visions. She was back in the dungeon and walked carefully in the dark corridor. There was a sudden scream and Fenix woke up. Her heart was pounding furiously in her chest, and her throat was dry. She gathered her wits back and propped herself up on her elbows, reaching a thought to her chief Elemental.
: Krill? :
: Yes, Fenix? :
: Did anyone just scream? : She asked anxiously. : Or was it just in my dream? :
Krill took several moments to confer with his kind and his co-Elementals and answered that she was dreaming. Fenix nodded her head to herself, and lied down, staring at the ceiling with a sense of helplessness. That was a bit unnerving. I've never dreamed someone screaming my surname and then my name before. Fenix fought off the sudden chill that suddenly broke over her body. It sounded like a boy, whose voice was already broken but it did not sound like it was Harry. She remained awake for most of the night, thinking deeply about a lot of things. A sudden idea struck her mind suddenly. She summoned her Sylph immediately.
: Aelwyn, would you help me pass this message to Cadriel? I want him to charter the movement of every Death Eater or Dementor they come across or spying on. Cathal will know what to do, and the Elves will probably get my idea straightaway, : Fenix said urgently. It was after this conversation with her Elementals that she managed to fall into a dreamless sleep.
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