Disclaimer: Not mine.

Phoenix stands

Chapter Four

By Felflowne aka Espion

As Harry walked back towards Phoenix, with Malfoy and Elly following him, he realised that a thought was nagging at his mind, but every time he tried to focus on it, he lost it. Irritated, he walked on.

**

'Neville?'

Harry called up into the branches of the oak tree.

'Is that you, Harry? Hang on!'

Neville clambered ungracefully out of the tree.

'Library in a tree… Oh yes, great idea,' he said testily as he brushed green stuff off his trousers.

He looked up, his face suddenly freezing as he realised who were standing behind Harry.

'Hello,' said Elly timidly, 'I'm Elly. I was wondering if I could borrow a book from your library.'

Neville just looked at her, then at Harry, who gave him a pleading smile. Neville seemed to shake himself.

'Certainly,' he said stiffly, 'feel free to look around.'

'Thank you,' said Elly in a tiny voice, reaching up for the first branch, but she was too short. Malfoy gave her a leg up and then she disappeared into the leaves.

'Are you going too?' Neville enquired icily. It was now common knowledge that Malfoy was in Phoenix, and Harry had been right in his prediction that it wouldn't go down well. Neville hadn't come face to face with Malfoy, however, until now.

'I don't know,' Malfoy said, 'do you have any books on curses… please?'

Neville blinked.

'Fourth branch up,' he said dumbly, and Malfoy nodded to show that he'd heard, and climbed up after Elly.

Neville turned to Harry.

'Blimey, he's changed,' he muttered. Harry nodded.

'Yeah, he has,' Harry agreed, looking up into the branches.

'What about the girl?' Neville asked, trying to sound careless, but unable to hide the edge which appeared in his voice.

'Elly? She's a good kid. Had a really screwed up childhood.'

Harry turned to Neville.

'Give her a chance Neville. She's not everyone's cup of tea, but she's trying.'

Neville didn't say anything.

Harry turned and laid a hand on the library, preparing to climb up.

Neville suddenly spoke.

'All right, I'll give her a chance.'

'She really is OK, y'know,' Harry said. Neville sighed deeply.

'Consider this a favour, Potter.'

Harry grinned.

'Thanks Neville.'

And then as he laid his other hand on the trunk it came to him, the nagging thought which had evaded him a few minutes previously.

Back in the forest, when Elly had been explaining about Tom's father, Malfoy had called him Harry.

**

'Where've you been?' Ron grumbled, as Harry sat down.

'Around,' Harry replied. 'I went to the library.'

Ron looked at him.

'You weren't with Malfoy, were you?'

Harry looked up in surprise.

'Yeah, I was actually. How'd you know?'

Hermione came in.

'I saw you Harry, sorry.'

Harry shrugged.

'Doesn't bother me,' he said lightly, and it really didn't.

Hermione handed him a bowl with pasta in it.

'Carbonara,' she said. Harry smiled. He was hungry.

'Thanks, Hermione,' he said gratefully.

Hermione took a seat next to Ron, sliding him his bowl.

'Where's Malfoy staying?' she asked suddenly.

Ron rolled his eyes.

'I don't know,' Harry said honestly, 'maybe with Elly?'

'No, he's not,' Ron replied, 'she's with Ginny, remember?'

'So?'

'Ginny would've said.'

'I guess.'

'Oh, who cares?' Ron said harshly. 'In all honestly, I don't.'

'Ron, that's unfair,' said Hermione, before Ron could speak again, 'Harry says he's changed a lot. He did rescue Tom and Elly from Dox.'

'Why didn't he bring them all, then?'

Hermione paused, lost as for an answer, so Harry spoke.

'He tried,' he said, looking at his food, 'but all the rest were killed.'

A depressed silence fell over the three friends.

'Geez,' said Ron eventually, 'brutal.'

They finished their food in silence.

**

'Aww, how sweet!' The little girl held out her hand to the squirrel, who sniffed it.

'Oh, look, it's really tame!' cried her friend, drawing closer.

'Ooh! There's another one!'

'They're so adorable! Oh, look, it jumped onto my shoulder!'

'Their fur's a bit weird,' said a boy, pointing at the swirl of black fur on the squirrel's otherwise soft dusty grey coat.

'Oh, be quiet. Look, there're so many! Where did they come from?'

**

'There were never this many squirrels before,' said Hermione, looking out of her tent. Just outside, Ron was playing with one.

'They really are tame,' Ron commented, as the squirrel tried to get into his pocket.

**

'G'Morning, Neville,' said Harry, looking up at the stressed out librarian, who was fending off a small furry creature trying to nibble his ear.

'Bloody tree-rats!' he cried, 'we're infested!'

A squirrel ran over his hand, and he jumped in fright and tumbled out of the tree.

'Wingardium Leviosa!' Harry cried quickly. Neville turned in the air and managed to get to his feet.

'Thanks Harry,' he said.

'It's OK,' Harry said, and then, turning around, he said, 'Hello Malfoy.'

Malfoy stepped forward. He had a book under his arm.

'Hello, Potter. This book didn't have an answer in it. Shall I put it back where I got it from?'

'No, no,' Neville blustered, grabbing it, 'I'll do it… Oh get away from there!' He swiped at a squirrel who was nibbling at the book lift rope.

'Squirrels?' said Malfoy faintly.

'Yeah, cute aren't they?' said Harry, ignoring Neville's yell of 'NO!', 'and they're really tame. Look.'

He held out a hand and a squirrel jumped onto it. It squeaked in protest as Malfoy grabbed it.

'Hey! You're hurting it…' Harry's voice trailed off when he realised how pale Malfoy had gone.

'Look…' he said, tracing a finger over the strange swirl in the squirrel's fur, 'it's the symbol.'

The squirrel stopped struggling.

'What symbol?' Harry muttered crossly, 'and let the poor thing breathe, you'll kill it!'

'Dox.'