Author's Note:
I want to thank all those who have reviewed this story. There are more surprises in store for Harry/Phoenix. I have been an avid Harry Potter fan since I first picked up the book in the local library just after GOF came out. Now I own a copy of all four books and can't wait for the next one to come out. To me writing a fanfic of Harry Potter isn't stealing the idea from Ms. JK Rowling, instead it is like making up new adventures in the Harry Potter realm, a way to escape from everyday life and have fun. So I hope every one continues to read and review as you never know what it might turn up…J
Christmas had past, and it was time for classes to begin. Harry who was now known as Phoenix had stayed pretty much to the Gryffindor common room. It was his first day back at Hogwarts. He had been awake for some time now, waiting for the others to awaken. Beside him resting on his arm was a very rare bird. It was a birthday gift from the Grand Mage. Phoenix was the first human the golden phoenix had seen so it created the bond. Phoenix stroked the golden feathers gently earning a small chirp from his bird. The silence was broken by a sudden gasp as Hermione saw the magnificent bird.
"Harry…"
"Hermione please use my new name, I am much more used to it than the other." Phoenix interrupted.
"Sorry, Phoenix where did he come from?" She asked meaning the golden phoenix sitting next to Phoenix.
"He was a gift, he is also the last of his kind." Phoenix added. Soon Ron and the rest of the Gryffindor's were awake and gazing at the golden phoenix. Phoenix lifted his arm and the golden phoenix took off in flight out of an open window. "Come on guys lets go to breakfast." Said Phoenix cheerfully. The group made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Phoenix, Ron and Hermione were left behind.
"I wonder what Malfoy is going to do when he discovers your alive." Replied Ron.
"Well until Dumbledor announces it I'll keep my hood up. I don't need people staring at me." Phoenix replied as he raise his hood up over his head to cover his face. Being three years older than the other 5th years Phoenix stood a bit taller. Many thought he was a new instructor. But When he sat down at the Gryffindor students table that thought was left high and dry.
"Morning student, I hope you all had a wonderful holiday" Announced Dumbledor, "So lets eat so we can start off the day." With that the golden plates filled with food. During breakfast owl post arrived. Phoenix looked up and saw Hedwig carrying a letter. Landing next to Phoenix she released the letter and began to nibble on the toast he placed next to her.
Dear Phoenix,
Meet me outside my office after breakfast.
A. Dumbledor.
Closing the letter Phoenix looked up to the staff table and found Dumbledor gone. With out saying a word he stood and left the Great Hall to make the appointment. What he didn't realize was that all the teachers except McGonagall and Snape had left the Great hall. Walking down the corridor he found the gargoyle. Just the other side of the gargoyle stood Hagrid.
"'ello there Phoenix, I was waitin' fer ya, Dumbledor wanted me to me ya sos ya could enter the office." Replied Hagrid as he turned to the gargoyle and whispered the password. The gargoyle jumped to the side revealing a passageway with a circling stairway. As they climbed the stairs they never said a word. Phoenix wasn't sure how Hagrid would react when he discovered who Phoenix really was. Reaching the top Hagrid opened the oak door to Dumbledor's office.
"Ahh, glad you could make it Phoenix, please come in and take a seat." Glancing around Phoenix saw the rest of the teaching staff. Some standing and some sitting. Taking a seat next to Dumbledor's desk Dumbledor began. "The reason I have called you here is to re introduce a lost student." Dumbledor nodded to Phoenix which lowered his hood. Gasps were heard and suddenly Phoenix found himself in a bear hug.
"Ha..Hagrid I can't … breathe." Phoenix managed to get out. The half-giant released his tight hug and wiped his eyes.
"I'm just so glad yer okay 'arry." At the sound of his old name Phoenix winced. "What's wrong 'arry why ya wincing fer?"
"I don't go by that name any longer Hagrid, I go by my Mage name Phoenix." Needless to say the room became extremely quiet.
"You're a mage?" One of the professor's asked?
"Actually I am an Ancient Elemental War Mage." Phoenix stated.
"That's impossible," Announced the new DADA professor.
"You are?" Phoenix asked.
"Professor Williams."
"Okay you say that it is impossible for me to be an Ancient Elemental War Mage, why?"
"Because the last Ancient Elemental died with no heir." He stated.
"Ahh yes Merlin, it is said he died with out an heir, but that isn't true. He did marry and bore a child with a woman called Nymaway. They had a girl named Harriet, who married Doric Greenthumb when she was about 30, They had a daughter. The oldest living witch known. She married a young man named Dodric Gryffindor, for some 20 years they could bear a child until one day During a mighty war These two escaped to a far off mountain range where all kinds of phoenix' lived. The built a home and soon they had a child they named Godric. Unknown to this small family this place had a different time than that they were once in. One day a band of dark wizards attacked their house. They ended up killing Godric's parents and left him to die. Hours after they left a golden phoenix flew down the mountain finding the young child barely alive. It burst into flames and healed the young child. During the healing the golden phoenix used up all his energy. Falling on top of the child still a flame it burned an outline of a golden phoenix. Exactly like the one Merlin had on his chest. Several days later the child awoke only to find himself among a group of witches and wizards. The raised him and taught him. Years later he left their home and decided to build a school for children who had been born with magic. And so was born along with the other three founders Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.' Sitting back he watched as the information seeped into the minds of those there.
"So if you are an Ancient Elemental War Mage then you would have the mark." He stated.
"Yes I do, but don't ask to see it." Phoenix stated.
"Now that we all know Phoenix is back I believe it is time for everyone to head to class." Dumbledor stated. Everyone stood and left. Phoenix walked down the corridor to his first class which was his most hated class Potions but this was not just one period but two. And it was with Slytherin. He had just sat down when Snape entered.
"Alright, I hope everyone is ready for this semester. To start off with we are going to make a very strong truth potion known as Veritaserum, the ingredients are on the board. Now Phoenix you are with Mr. Malfoy, Granger with Goyle, Weasley with Crabb, Longbottom…" Finally the entire class was split up into twos and began to work on the potion.
"So Potter, you decided to use a different name." Draco sneered.
"Don't call me that." Phoenix replied. As Phoenix turned to get his knife to slice up some lizard tails Draco added ordinary chalk dust, which suddenly caused the potion to hiss. Spinning around Phoenix looked at the potion. "What did you do Malfoy?" But before he could answer the cauldron began to shake. Malfoy had backed away from the cauldron just in time as it exploded. But Phoenix wasn't so lucky. He had been trapped against the wall when the cauldron exploded dousing him with what ever the potion was.
"What is the meaning of this!?" Yelled Snape as screams of shear pain coursed through the dungeon. The ingredient that Malfoy had purposely added had turned the potion into a very strong acid. Phoenix' clothes were gone he was nearly nude laying on the floor writhing in pain as the acid ate away at his skin. Unfortunately Snape had no cure. Suddenly the mark on Phoenix' chest shined with brilliant light. His screams of pain were slowly diminishing. The burns were healing right before every one's eyes. The runes Phoenix had hidden began to glow golden. Slowly Phoenix began to stand. Turning to Malfoy he spoke.
"Why did you do it, you knew that adding chalk to the potion would turn it into acid." Snap turned sharply glaring at Malfoy. But before he could do anything a loud crash caught his attention. He looked back to Phoenix who was no longer standing buy down on the floor unconscious.
"Every one out, Malfoy you stay, Granger go get Pomfrey and Dumbledor." Snape snapped. Grabbing a general neutralizer he poured it on what was left of the acid so it would top eating up the floor and anything else it touched. The acid had totally removed every stitch of clothing from Phoenix' body. Snape removed his robes and covered the naked boy as Poppy and Dumbledor entered the room.
"Severus what happened?" Poppy shrieked seeing the acid burns on the floor and surrounding furniture.
"It seems that Mr. Malfoy wanted to have some fun by adding Chalk to a Veritaserum potion. Which I am guessing he didn't know would turn it into an extremely potent acid." Dumbledor looked at Draco Malfoy who was white as a ghost and shaking from fear.
"Oh my, this is very strange he doesn't even have a burn on him, though every bit of his clothes are gone." Stated Poppy.
"Just seconds after he was hit with the potion that mark on his chest began to glow reversing the injuries. Before he passed out he asked Mr. Malfoy why he did what he did."
"I see, well Mr. Malfoy, it seems that playing a joke has not only nearly cost a student their life but your houses house points as well. Also I am removing you from the house Quiditch team." Dumbledor said sadly, as he very much disliked doing it but he had to. "Now lets get Mr. Phoenix up to the hospital wing, Severus please inform Minerva that we will need some clothes from his belongings. Mr. Malfoy you had best go onto lunch." Poppy had taken her wand and use a spell to lift Phoenix' body up and carry him up to the hospital wing. He still had Snape's robes wrapped around him.
A few days latter Phoenix had finally woke up. He knew he was in the hospital wing. He remembered how he got there in the first place. Looking around he saw his god father Sirius Black sitting in a chair beside him. He smiled to himself as the older man slept. Setting up he realized he was nude. Looking around he found a small stack of clothes that he knew were his. So standing up he reached over and got dressed. Looking at himself he felt good. Walking over to his Godfather he shook his shoulder, which startled him making him fall out of the chair.
"Huh? What? Harry!" he exclaimed, wincing at the use of his old name he let it pass as Sirius grabbed him up into a tight embrace. "I am so glad you're okay."
"I am too, Snuffles." Phoenix said with a snicker. "I only have one thing to ask of you, please don't call me Harry, it's not my name anymore, it's…" Before he could say his name some one else did.
"Phoenix," said an excited voice that belonged to Hermione. "Your awake."
"Yeah that's kind of obvious." Snickered another voice that belonged to Ron.
"Ahh I am glad to see that Mr. Phoenix is finally awake" Stated Dumbledor, "How are you feeling?"
"Like new almost, I'm a little stiff but all in all I am okay." Suddenly the door burst open revealing a very angry man. When the smoke cleared they all saw Lucious Malfoy.
"Dumbledor you have gone too far." He yelled. Rage evident in his eyes. "I demand that you re-instate Draco back on to the Slytherin house team."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy but I can not do that. It is punishment for nearly killing a fellow student." Phoenix pulled his hood up over his face as Dumbledor spoke. Stepping out from behind Dumbledor he watched the scene.
"Who was it that he supposedly almost killed?"
"Mr. Phoenix was the student who nearly died from the incident." Albus said.
"Who in bloody hell is Mr. Phoenix? I don't remember any one named Phoenix."
"I am Phoenix, Mr. Malfoy." Phoenix stated standing next to Dumbledor.
"You don't appear to be near death."
"That is true sir, but that is because I was healed."
"By whom?"
"Me, I have the power to heal many types of injuries."
"…"
"I believe Mr. Malfoy that you should leave so we can return to school business." Dumbledor stated.
"Watch your back Phoenix, you don't want to cross me." And with that he turned and left.
"Well that seems to have gone well, I believe Phoenix it is now time for Transfiguration." Dumbledor stated as he left.
"Accio Transfiguration books." Phoenix stated and with a pop his books were in his hands.
"Today class we are going to start on how to become an animagi. Or turning yourself into an animal. First I will call each of you up and cast a spell on you that will show a type of shadow of your animal. Okay first is Hermione Granger." Hermione stood and walked to the front and waited. McGonagall waved her wand and whispered a spell and beside Hermione was the image of a snow tiger. The next person was Ron, He was an eagle. Class continued on until it was Phoenix' turn. He stood and walked up to Professor McGonagall.
"Professor, you don't need to do that spell I am already an animagi." Before she could say anything Phoenix shimmered and where he stood was a Golden Phoenix. He shimmered again and became himself.
"Very impressive, Mr. Phoenix, you may sit, unless of course there is more."
"Yes Professor there is." For the rest of the class he turned into a stag, a large black dog, an eagle, hippogriff, a unicorn, fire lion, a small dragon (which he explained would be bigger if he was outside) and many more animals. In the end he had more than two hundred forms. What he didn't explain was that being a War Mage he had the ability to turn into any animal he met.