Disclaimer: I am just burrowing Harry and Snape for my plot...they're still JK Rowling's creations...

Chapter Two. Flight of a Phoenix

Modern Day England, 4 Privet Drive, Surray

Everything was still inside the house at 4 Privet Drive. So still waiting for the eye of the storm to pass, waiting for the inevitable.

Out of the four residence of four Privet Drive, only one knew of the encroaching storm. And even if he had the courage to say something, he knew he would not be heard.

Harry Potter lay in the dark, even when the lumpy mattress became too much for him. He remained deathly still. It seemed so unfair that he was still alive, when Sirius was… gone…

Harry didn't have the courage to ask the questions that plagued him. What happened to Sirius? And why was such a dangerous artefact at the Ministry of Magic? Why had he believed the nasty house elf… why had he believed himself… why did he fall for the trap set up by Lord Voldemort?

Harry felt his anger rise inside of himself. He did not have any hate left for Lord Voldemort… all his hate was aimed at himself…

Why? Why? Why?

To turn his thoughts away from such depressing notions, Harry turned and counted the dots on the dark ceiling. 'One, two, three, four…'

'If Dumbledore had enough brains to warn me…'

Why? Why? Why?

'…if I had tried harder at Occlumency…'

Why? Why? Why?

'…if only I had the brains to check Sirius' mirror…'

Why? Why? Why?

Overtired Harry turned over in his bed and cried unreservedly into his pillow. He placed his pillow over his head so that anyone from the order who was spying on him could not hear his tears.

The pain was becoming steadily worse. Instead of the numb feeling of disbelief, which he had been feeling since Sirius… passed away… there was a tear in his soul. The pain instead of being emotional started to be physical. He spent his days, head bent down at the yoke doing everything his disgusting uncle bid him. Working himself into the ground, just so that he could no longer feel the pain.

This summer he had not even bothered to read the Daily Prophet. It seems he learned his lesson from the pervious summer. Hermione and Ron, sent him letters from the place they were last summer. But once again they could give no news of what was happening at the Order Meetings.

He had also received a few notes from Dumbledore and Lupin. But what had really surprised him was a note from Professor S. Snape. It shocked him. A large barn owl swept in at breakfast time, setting off his uncle in a storm of abuse at the bird. Harry honestly thought Snape sent the bird at the most inconvenient time just to get him into trouble. He was probably sitting in his dark miserable dungeon having a good laugh.

Harry remembered the rising feeling of trepidation he felt as the owl haughtily stuck out its scrawny little leg for Harry to take the letter. He could have sworn the bird was giving the characteristic frown of Snape.

Harry had opened the letter to find a one line note.

'Don't go wandering.
Professor S. Snape
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.'

Harry had ignored the note the very day he had received it. He worked hard most of the morning and finishing early he had taken a break. He had woven through the maze of streets and ended up at the park. He sat moodily on the bench, and scrawled carelessly into the loose dirt with a long stick. Harry was bored of the summer holiday retinue.

In a fit of rage he had thrown the stick with a snarl.

"My aren't we in a pleasant mood?"

Harry knew that oily voice anywhere. He turned slightly to become face to face with Snape. Instead of his characteristic cloak, Snape was wearing a pair of tight black jeans and a polo shirt. Harry couldn't stop his smirk at the professor's appearance.

Snape's eyes had narrowed in irritation and Harry wiped the smirk off his face quick smart.

"Didn't you receive my letter, Potter?"
"I received it," Harry confirmed lightly.
"Then why did you choose to disobey it…"
Harry opened his mouth to make the reply he was so desperate to make. But aware that he was alone with Snape he shrugged listlessly. "It seemed like a good idea…"
Snape had scowled in his usual manner. Harry knew exactly what the professor was thinking.
"Get home…" Snape pointed in the direction of 4 Privet Drive.

'I am not a dog,' Harry thought but he stood and sighed, dusted off his pants and started walk back home.

"Remember Potter I am watching!"

So Harry returned home to his chores and boredom.

Harry gritted his teeth as he remembered how Snape had spoken to him. It wasn't a puppet to be used and abused by the order. Surely Dumbledore was aware of that.

Harry choked back the rest of his tears and rolled back to stare at the roof again and started counting dots again…

'One, two, three, four, five…'

'…. Seventy- five, seventy- six, seventy- seven…'

Harry was disturbed by an other worldly cry he instantly recognized as the cry of a phoenix. He sat up in time to see Fawkes the phoenix land lightly on his bed.
"Fawkes, what are you doing here?"
The phoenix stared at Harry with large compassionate eyes… and dropped a letter on Harry's bed.

Harry ripped open the letter with steady hands, a small coin dropped onto his sheets. He turned to the letter which comprised of two pieces of parchment.

'Quickly. The coin is a portal to somewhere. No time to explain circumstances. Come as soon as you receive this note….I've written a note for your relatives…'

The note itself was unsigned. The handwriting was vaguely familiar. But Harry knew it wasn't Dumbledore's or Lupin's. He had seen it before, but where eluded him… And who else but Dumbledore had access to the phoenix.

Harry glanced at the other piece of parchment, the same scrawled writing. 'Harry has been taken into the care of us. He'll be back next summer…'

'God willing,' Harry thought as an afterthought.

"Well," Harry said glancing at Fawkes, "I guess I have no choice…" The phoenix trilled in reply and leapt to the window and back into the sky. Harry watched the beautiful creature go and then clutched tightly onto the coin.

He felt a pull behind his naval and closed his eyes… next moment he fell onto his backside onto the stone steps of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"I said come as soon as you received the note," an oily voice said behind Harry, "Obviously you are incapable of following directions."