Pain. Such pain. Hot, blinding white pain, and then, heat, warmth, and then
nothing.
Auria's eyes flew open, and began searching madly through the darkness. Slowly she became aware of her body. Her skin was hot and tender and every muscle tingled. She was lying face up on something soft and flexible. Auria closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath of cool air feeling it refresh her lungs.
Without sitting up Auria moved her hands along the cold stone floor, feeling for her wand. Her left hand closed around it and dragging it slowly towards her muttered, "incendio." The torches burst into flame, once again illuminating the entire room. Auria scrunched her eyes shut against the blinding light. Very slowly, without opening her eyes, Auria stood up. She swayed for a moment and flexed her aching muscles. Then she opened her eyes and gasped.
She was standing in the center of the room completely naked. Her skin was red and slightly patchy, but was as smooth as a newborn baby's. On the floor where she had been lying, stood a pile of ashes, the shape of her body was still imprinted in them.
"Of course" she thought to herself, taking a calming breath. "Reborn out of the ashes."
Looking around the room, Auria noticed that her school clothes were still heaped on the floor. Just has she was pulling on her cloak something fell out of her pocket. Bending down, Auria saw that it was her watch. It read 3:30 am.
Sighing with relief Auria put it on. It would be hours before everyone would be up wandering the school. Auria picked up the mirror from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and propped it up against the back wall. But instead of looking into it, Auria turned around and faced the passageway leading out.
"This is it," she thought to herself. "All those months of preparation."
After taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and concentrated very hard on the animal she was to become. It was a strange, painless sensation. Auria could feel herself getting smaller, her skin beginning to change and the insides of her body rearranging. When it was complete she opened her eyes, the room now in incredibly clear focus. With another deep breath she turned around and faced the mirror.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If Auria could have smiled at that moment she would have. There, staring back at her was a pure white phoenix, the ends of its wing and tail feathers deep blue. The eyes were the same bright blue as her own, but with a new found intensity. Her beak and feet were a soft yellow.
Auria stretched out her wings and then quickly tucked them back in. It suddenly occurred to her that she had absolutely no idea how to fly. She walked back into the center of the room and looked up.
"The ceiling is fairly high," she thought to herself. Deciding that she had gone through too much to chicken out now she opened her wings and pushed off the ground. Auria soared up into the air and began circling the room. It was the most amazing feeling, unlike any broomstick ride she'd ever been on.
"Such freedom, such fun" she thought to herself, as her wings automatically adjusted to a turn. She was so happy that she felt like singing, so she did. What came out of her beak surprised Auria so much that she nearly fell to the ground. It was the most beautiful music she'd ever heard. Each unearthly note echoed off the walls, creating a harmony no human voice could ever hope to achieve. It was the phoenix song, and it filled Auria with hope, courage and determination. After singing for a few minutes longer she flew back down to the ground. She transformed back in a human and adjusted the mirror so that it lay face up in the middle of the room. Then she changed back into a phoenix.
Before taking flight Auria concentrated on becoming invisible. Suddenly, as she pushed off from the ground she was surrounded by a burst of flame. Auria flew around and around the room again, all the while watching for her reflection in the mirror below. To her delight there was none.
"This will be a useful tool," she thought to herself.
Next Auria decided to test her strength. She dove down towards the ground and grabbed the cauldron handle in her feet. The cauldron felt like it weighed no more then a feather as she lifted it higher and higher.
Finally, after having decided that her powers were fully intact she landed softly on the ground and changed back into herself. Gathering up her things she headed towards the passageway. Just before she entered its darkness the last page of her notes slipped out of her hand. Picking it up she realized that there was a paragraph at the bottom she'd forgotten to read.
"One may have a magical animagus if they meet the following requirements. Firstly, the creature must WILLINGLY give a representation of both its body and soul. A special understanding must be established between the wizard or witch and the creature. Secondly, the ancient spirits must deem the intentions of the wizard or witch to be for the greater good. Thirdly, and lastly, the element power of the wizard or witch must match that of the creature they are intending to become. If all the requirements are not met then the person will be killed in the process of becoming an animagus. One must possess great strength, knowledge and power to have a magical animagus. Rarely do those who attempt this form of ancient magic survive, yet those who do go on to do great deeds.
"What is the element power?" Auria thought to herself. "Guess, I'm lucky it matches a phoenix's.
Auria quickly stuffed the notes into her robes and looked down at her watch. It read 5:30 am. Auria knew that she would have to hurry back to avoid getting caught by Filch, who usually began his rounds at the time. She slipped on the invisibility cloak and with a quick spell turned off the torches. Upon reaching the end of the passageway she tapped the stone wall eight times and snuck back into the classroom. Fifteen minutes later Auria collapsed onto her bed exhausted.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Auria wake up, wake up. You're going to be late" said Lily, shaking her awake.
Groaning Auria rolled over and looked at the clock. It read 8:45 am. By the time she sat up, Lily had left to go to class. Auria dressed very slowly and sleepily made her way down to the common room. Sirius was sitting on a couch waiting for her, holding a big stack of toast. As she sat down beside him, Auria noticed that he looked rather tired as well.
"Didn't sleep much later night either?" he asked her yawning.
She shook her head.
"Here," he said handing her the toast. "I brought this for you."
"Aw, thanks Sirius" she said leaning into him.
"You're welcome," he said putting his arm around her and closing his eyes.
"Done" said Auria a few minutes later. "Come on, we'd better go to class."
Sirius lazily opened his eyes. Auria grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. Their faces were now only inches apart.
"Did you do something different?" he asked her.
"No" she replied, slightly confused.
"You're skin looks like its glowing and" he let go of her hand and stroked her cheek. "It's REALLY soft."
"New cream" she replied smiling.
As they headed to class Sirius couldn't help but wonder if her eyes were different too. They seemed brighter, more intense, like there was a fire behind them. He shrugged it off, thinking that it must have been some trick of the light. It would be a month before he would truly find out the reason.
Auria knew that she would have to tell Sirius about her becoming an animagus eventually. She would need him to help her discover if she could use the most powerful and useful of the phoenix's magic.
Auria's eyes flew open, and began searching madly through the darkness. Slowly she became aware of her body. Her skin was hot and tender and every muscle tingled. She was lying face up on something soft and flexible. Auria closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath of cool air feeling it refresh her lungs.
Without sitting up Auria moved her hands along the cold stone floor, feeling for her wand. Her left hand closed around it and dragging it slowly towards her muttered, "incendio." The torches burst into flame, once again illuminating the entire room. Auria scrunched her eyes shut against the blinding light. Very slowly, without opening her eyes, Auria stood up. She swayed for a moment and flexed her aching muscles. Then she opened her eyes and gasped.
She was standing in the center of the room completely naked. Her skin was red and slightly patchy, but was as smooth as a newborn baby's. On the floor where she had been lying, stood a pile of ashes, the shape of her body was still imprinted in them.
"Of course" she thought to herself, taking a calming breath. "Reborn out of the ashes."
Looking around the room, Auria noticed that her school clothes were still heaped on the floor. Just has she was pulling on her cloak something fell out of her pocket. Bending down, Auria saw that it was her watch. It read 3:30 am.
Sighing with relief Auria put it on. It would be hours before everyone would be up wandering the school. Auria picked up the mirror from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and propped it up against the back wall. But instead of looking into it, Auria turned around and faced the passageway leading out.
"This is it," she thought to herself. "All those months of preparation."
After taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and concentrated very hard on the animal she was to become. It was a strange, painless sensation. Auria could feel herself getting smaller, her skin beginning to change and the insides of her body rearranging. When it was complete she opened her eyes, the room now in incredibly clear focus. With another deep breath she turned around and faced the mirror.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If Auria could have smiled at that moment she would have. There, staring back at her was a pure white phoenix, the ends of its wing and tail feathers deep blue. The eyes were the same bright blue as her own, but with a new found intensity. Her beak and feet were a soft yellow.
Auria stretched out her wings and then quickly tucked them back in. It suddenly occurred to her that she had absolutely no idea how to fly. She walked back into the center of the room and looked up.
"The ceiling is fairly high," she thought to herself. Deciding that she had gone through too much to chicken out now she opened her wings and pushed off the ground. Auria soared up into the air and began circling the room. It was the most amazing feeling, unlike any broomstick ride she'd ever been on.
"Such freedom, such fun" she thought to herself, as her wings automatically adjusted to a turn. She was so happy that she felt like singing, so she did. What came out of her beak surprised Auria so much that she nearly fell to the ground. It was the most beautiful music she'd ever heard. Each unearthly note echoed off the walls, creating a harmony no human voice could ever hope to achieve. It was the phoenix song, and it filled Auria with hope, courage and determination. After singing for a few minutes longer she flew back down to the ground. She transformed back in a human and adjusted the mirror so that it lay face up in the middle of the room. Then she changed back into a phoenix.
Before taking flight Auria concentrated on becoming invisible. Suddenly, as she pushed off from the ground she was surrounded by a burst of flame. Auria flew around and around the room again, all the while watching for her reflection in the mirror below. To her delight there was none.
"This will be a useful tool," she thought to herself.
Next Auria decided to test her strength. She dove down towards the ground and grabbed the cauldron handle in her feet. The cauldron felt like it weighed no more then a feather as she lifted it higher and higher.
Finally, after having decided that her powers were fully intact she landed softly on the ground and changed back into herself. Gathering up her things she headed towards the passageway. Just before she entered its darkness the last page of her notes slipped out of her hand. Picking it up she realized that there was a paragraph at the bottom she'd forgotten to read.
"One may have a magical animagus if they meet the following requirements. Firstly, the creature must WILLINGLY give a representation of both its body and soul. A special understanding must be established between the wizard or witch and the creature. Secondly, the ancient spirits must deem the intentions of the wizard or witch to be for the greater good. Thirdly, and lastly, the element power of the wizard or witch must match that of the creature they are intending to become. If all the requirements are not met then the person will be killed in the process of becoming an animagus. One must possess great strength, knowledge and power to have a magical animagus. Rarely do those who attempt this form of ancient magic survive, yet those who do go on to do great deeds.
"What is the element power?" Auria thought to herself. "Guess, I'm lucky it matches a phoenix's.
Auria quickly stuffed the notes into her robes and looked down at her watch. It read 5:30 am. Auria knew that she would have to hurry back to avoid getting caught by Filch, who usually began his rounds at the time. She slipped on the invisibility cloak and with a quick spell turned off the torches. Upon reaching the end of the passageway she tapped the stone wall eight times and snuck back into the classroom. Fifteen minutes later Auria collapsed onto her bed exhausted.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Auria wake up, wake up. You're going to be late" said Lily, shaking her awake.
Groaning Auria rolled over and looked at the clock. It read 8:45 am. By the time she sat up, Lily had left to go to class. Auria dressed very slowly and sleepily made her way down to the common room. Sirius was sitting on a couch waiting for her, holding a big stack of toast. As she sat down beside him, Auria noticed that he looked rather tired as well.
"Didn't sleep much later night either?" he asked her yawning.
She shook her head.
"Here," he said handing her the toast. "I brought this for you."
"Aw, thanks Sirius" she said leaning into him.
"You're welcome," he said putting his arm around her and closing his eyes.
"Done" said Auria a few minutes later. "Come on, we'd better go to class."
Sirius lazily opened his eyes. Auria grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. Their faces were now only inches apart.
"Did you do something different?" he asked her.
"No" she replied, slightly confused.
"You're skin looks like its glowing and" he let go of her hand and stroked her cheek. "It's REALLY soft."
"New cream" she replied smiling.
As they headed to class Sirius couldn't help but wonder if her eyes were different too. They seemed brighter, more intense, like there was a fire behind them. He shrugged it off, thinking that it must have been some trick of the light. It would be a month before he would truly find out the reason.
Auria knew that she would have to tell Sirius about her becoming an animagus eventually. She would need him to help her discover if she could use the most powerful and useful of the phoenix's magic.