Disclaimer: If you thought I owned Harry Potter, (at any point during this entire story,) you need therapy!
Author's Note: I'm so sorry about the long wait, but I was suffering from some writer's block and my computer just doesn't seem to like me anymore. Well, I got a very positive response for my last chapter, especially with that evil cliffy! Well, here are the winners of my little guessing game: Risen from the Ashes, Peachesxx, greenandsilver22, and .devioustricks. I guess I did better at foreshadowing than I thought! A lot of you were really close though! Okay, so I'm planning on just writing one (or two) more chapter(s) after this and no epilogue. I just know that this story is coming to a close at this point. This chapter is definitely going to be long, (like over 5,000 word count) just like the last one. Anyways, REVIEW!
Previously on Phoenix Flames:
"Professor, she will be all right . . . won't she?" asked Draco not knowing whether to fully believe Madame Pomfrey's words or not.
He looked down at them with sad uncertainty, "I'm afraid that is something that even I could not tell you Mr. Malfoy, as I don't know. It's up to her now as to whether or not she'll survive. Now, I must ask you a very important question. I need the identity of the water elemental that attacked Miss Turoe."
Blaise responded, "Well, at first we thought it was Lavender Brown, but it was someone far more powerful than that. It was . . ."
Chapter 17 – The Phoenix Awakens
"Hermione . . . Hermione . . . Hermione, get up. Now!" a voice demanded.
Hermione opened her eyes hesitantly. "What do you want?" she asked to no one in general. Her eyes widened when she saw who she was talking to. "Who the hell are you?"
"Come on Hermione, you can't be that far gone yet. Who do you think I am?" said the form in front of her smirking.
"You're me, but . . . that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever unless I'm dead." Hermione looked up in surprise, "I'm not dead am I?"
"You aren't exactly dead yet, but you're also not alive either. We're currently in the process of an elemental healing, which is why you are here instead of somewhere else. Your spirit is trapped right now as it were in your own mind because you were being careless and nearly got me killed. So I am given the obligation of baby sitting you until the healing takes effect and you make a decision as to what you are going to do about this situation. And you are partially correct, but I am not you per say. My name is Ashtoreth; I am the phoenix that resides in you, an extension of yourself. I indwelt you the first time you died and our spirits merged. And ever since then, you have also been a phoenix, with all of my powers to help you become stronger."
"The first time I died?" Hermione deadpanned to the spirit. "You're joking me right?"
"Absolutely not. I do not joke. You have died twice before this particular time. The first time was when you were just born. You were a stillborn as they deemed you. But the truth in the matter was that the human soul will linger with the body for a short while and I needed to find a body to indwell. A baby's body to be precise. You were just the ticket I needed. You agreed to host me and in return I agreed to give you my powers. You came into the powers much later than I would have expected or liked considering your personality. You have grown out of that personality though; when your parents died, your heart hardened. You have now extended to the other extremity of your personality-"
"What does this have to do with anything?" Hermione interrupted. "And, how do I get out of here?"
"Have you no respect child? I must explain some things about your situation before I feel that you can make an educated decision about where you will go from here. Now as I was saying . . . you have shut out virtually everyone so that you wouldn't be forced to suffer the pain again. You said that you didn't want to cause others pain the last time we met like this. You don't remember it though because you weren't in this process then. Elemental healing rituals make it so you have to make the conscious choice of whether or not to stay alive. Frankly, it's the worst idea I've ever heard of in my lifetime. That is beside the point though. Even though this process is impeding yours, it gives you a chance to learn the truth of what you have become. You don't even realize the fact that you've fallen for that human boy. You've never paid attention to that factor, yet I keep telling you constantly of your growing affections for him . . ."
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"It was-"
"Headmaster Dumbledore!" came a distraught voice in the middle of Blaise's statement. The group of three looked towards the source of the voice and saw none other than Parvati Patil running towards them with tears streaming down her face. "Headmaster Dumbledore, something has happened to Padma!"
"Where is she Miss Patil?"
"Well, I went to look for her in the Head common room because we were going to do our homework together. Then I ran into Blaise and he asked me to get Draco, but he thought I was Pad-"
"Miss Patil, where is Padma?" Dumbledore interrupted.
The three of them just barely discerned the phrase, "She's in the twelve o' clock room." This was said in the midst of sobs and gasps for air.
The trio made their way to the clock hall and set the time for twelve, entered, and found Padma lying on the ground.
"Enneverate," said Dumbledore.
"Where am I?" she inquired looking around.
"You are in the twelve o' clock room Miss Patil." He waited for her to get a clear idea of her surroundings before he questioned her. "Padma, I need you to tell me what happened."
"I . . . I don't know. I just remember getting a note saying that quidditch practice was cancelled because Su was sick. So I told Parvati that I would meet up with her after I was done with the patrol. After that, I don't remember though."
Blaise and Draco were just barely able to contain their rage having known what had happened immediately following.
"You don't remember what happened . . ." Draco stated flatly.
She looked at him bewildered, like he was accusing her in that simple phrase. "Well . . . no. I guess you could say the details are sketchy after that point."
"You don't remember how when we were patrolling just after that, you kept complaining that I wasn't wearing my badge. So I blew up at you and I went to go find it?" said Draco like he was ineffectually telling a narrative that she should already know every intricate detail of.
"No, I think something else happened," she said as though some of the memory was coming back with a painfully sluggish nature.
"Something else, like what, Miss Patil?" interjected Dumbledore.
She was silent for a moment as though trying to recall. "I ran into Lavender Brown . . . she asked if Parvati was around. I said that she wasn't, but I would be seeing her just after my patrol with Draco. Then I went to the Head common room so I could get him so we could just get the patrol over with."
That sounded as though it would be completely normal, except that something seemed to be missing from the account.
"Was there any more to that conversation with Lavender?" asked Blaise.
She paused again. "No I don't think there was because I just went to get . . . Wait, no, she asked me if I knew about Parvati being a water elemental. Though I thought the question in and of itself was random, I felt it was harmless so I said, 'why wouldn't I? We're twins; we have the same magical powers.' Then she said she didn't know I was an elemental. I said, 'Yes, I am; but I'm even more powerful than Parvati because she hasn't focused on training her abilities like I have.' After that, I don't recall what happened until just now. Everything went completely blank."
'Interesting,' thought Blaise. "Had you considered that Lavender Brown might have cursed you?"
Padma looked at Blaise like he was crazy. "Lavender Brown would never do anything like that! I know we're not the best of friends like she and my sister are, but we're close enough that I could tell you from experience that Lavender doesn't have an evil bone in her body."
Draco nearly snorted having known that you could never trust anyone judged solely off of how they appeared to the public. "And you tell me, does this sound like something you would do? Complain about my not wearing my badge and near the end of the patrol make me go get it. Well that seems like something that is just irritating and you might do if you're provoked enough, but that's far beside the point."
Blaise thought that Draco was spending just a little too much time on a moot point and cut in, "And then we can only speculate about what happened after that, but I think it goes something like this though; you give Phoenix a note telling her that there was quidditch practice when there in fact, was not. After that, you were hiding out in the locker room just waiting for her, and I'm assuming that you turned on the showers so there would be moisture in the air. And when she got there, you were being attacked by her. Draco and I had come in by this point and tried to make her stop. What happened next, you might be wondering? Well, this is my favourite part of your transgressions, you made a shield of water to protect yourself and when the heat waves stopped, you attacked her with the shield of icy water. You said you could kill her if you wanted to, but you weren't going to. And then you said, "See you in Hell Granger," with a very eerie laugh. Any of this seeming familiar like something you would normally be doing?"
Padma was becoming distressed by the recount of the events she couldn't even remember, "I didn't mean for any of that to happen, I would never attack Phoenix of my own free will, and I would never call her Granger. I would have no reason to call her that when she's not Hermione. And as for my attacking her, the whole point of being a water elemental is defense, not offense."
"Miss Patil, I have a theory as to why this is happening. It might be just a wild goose chase, but I have the feeling that Miss Brown used the Imperius Curse on you earlier this evening. That could account for your lack of memory about what happened during the phase when you were blacked out."
"Yeah, maybe, but I just can't believe that she would do that. She couldn't have," said Padma with conviction.
"I know of one way . . . get Lavender in here. Also, get some Veritaserum from Snape so she can't lie about any of it," said Draco like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"A very good idea Mr. Malfoy, let's do that and put an end to this guessing game," said Dumbledore as he went over to the fireplace that was in the room. In using the floo network, he called to Snape.
"Albus, what is it? I don't mean to sound rude, but I'm watching over my niece right now."
"This has everything to do with Miss Turoe's current condition. Severus, would you kindly bring a bottle of Veritaserum, a bottle of Stordimento potion, and bring Miss Brown in here?"
Snape nodded stiffly, and the floo connection shut off.
It was ten minutes later that brought the typical entrance that was associated with the Potions Master as well as the footsteps of one Lavender Brown, who followed sullenly in his shadow.
"Severus, if you would please make some tea. And Mr. Zabini, Mr. Malfoy, and Miss Patil, if you would please give the rest of us some privacy, that would be most appreciated," said Dumbledore looking pointedly towards each of the aforementioned.
Padma, Draco, and Blaise obliged, but rather reluctantly. None wanted to leave in the event that Lavender was discovered to have caused the whole mess in the first place.
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Before Hermione could interrupt her she said, "I am aware that phoenixes as a rule do not feel emotion with a few minor exceptions, but that does not mean I don't encourage the emotions of you, my human counterpart. Especially not when those very feelings are destroying you by keeping them locked up inside and hidden away from everyone including yourself. I also think that those guidelines you live by are leading you down the path of self-destruction when you have been so blatantly contradictory in how you follow them. That isn't to say that they are wrong, but no one should ever force themselves not to love just because of a silly set of guidelines. Even if it is to honour the memory of your parents."
"What do you mean I'm forcing myself not to love? Of course I love people, and I wouldn't deny myself that privilege just for the sake of the rules that my parents gave me."
"And yet you have. You are aware that even your mother and father didn't follow those guidelines right? The point of those guidelines has been lost on you for years . . ."
"What are you talking about? Of course my parents followed those rules! I know I may be naïve at times, but my parents wouldn't lie to me about following the rules. They always taught me to follow the rules unless there was a just rationale in not doing so," Hermione reasoned.
"All of these years with those two boys have really made you thick in understanding certain nuances of conversation; you do know that don't you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Use your common sense, girl! Haven't you been paying attention to the word you've been using compared to the word I have been using? What you are so strictly following are guidelines, and your parents taught them to you as such. You have blown it out of proportion all of these years so that you have considered them rules instead. The point of them giving you that book was not for you to treat those words as though they were the be all and end all guide to your life. Even the book says that they are simply guidelines, you know suggestions; so what was it that was lost in translation to your head in reading and hearing that?"
"Nothing was lost; it does call them rules in the book. You've seen it too . . . it says that there is no punishment for breaking the rules, but they should still be followed. I have the entire thing memorized and it does in fact call them rules twice."
"Yet that was the only time it was mentioned, meaning that breaking those rules is justified if you are aware of how judge a good relationship from a bad one. And I think you are fully capable of doing so. Not to mention that I'm afraid to say I do agree with Terry Boot's comment . . . those rules are psycho bull shit and you know it."
"I am still curious as to how this is supposed to help me get back to the real world," Hermione interjected.
"It won't. But you need to hear this because everyone else has been telling you and you won't listen. For all intents and purposes, this is an untimely, but convenient intervention in regards to your current lifestyle. So listen carefully because I have you here with me until I have been restored, and only then can you leave since it is me that your professors were attempting to heal in the first place. The only choice you get in this matter is whether you will live or die, but if you die you will leave behind all of those who love you and you will also force me to find another host. If you choose life, things will be different for you this time, much like the last time when your personality changed, although I cannot begin to say what will change about you this time. But I highly recommend against the second option considering your soul would be forced to stay as it is now, just floating in the abyss of your dead mind with nowhere to go to for all of eternity . . ."
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Blaise looked over to Draco and noticed the worry that marked his features, "She'll be fine Drake, if there's one thing I know about her it's that she's too damn stubborn to die like that."
"I know. But the chance still stands that she might not make it. And I don't want her to die not knowing . . ."
"Not knowing what?" Blaise was playing coy and Draco knew it, but he couldn't help how he reacted to the statement.
"You know damn well what I'm talking about Zabini, so don't try and bait me, it won't work."
"I don't know what on earth I did to deserve such a negative response out of you two today. First with her, and now it's you," he said in mock hurt.
"Good, you deserved it with all of this nonsense . . . trying to get people to tell you things you already know the answers to . . . God knows you deserve a beat down too . . ." he said cynically.
"Oh, she already took care of that too . . ."
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"Please take a seat Miss Brown," said Dumbledore congenially.
Lavender complied and looked at the Headmaster calculatingly.
"Would you like a cup of tea?" at her nod he turned to Snape and said, "Severus if you would please."
Snape set a small teacup in front of each person and took a seat next to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore took a sip of his tea and waited for Lavender to do the same. He set the cup down and looked at Lavender serenely.
"Miss Brown, have you ever heard of a man named Jack Willis?" he asked very suddenly.
"Sure, who hasn't? He's the leader of the Black Widows, but he's supposed to be in jail right now," she answered wondering where the conversation was going.
"Supposed to be?" asked Snape.
"Well, as the story goes; he shot Hermione Granger three times and got sent to jail. But he was able to escape because it was a muggle prison he was sent to. He had to lay low for a while though."
"Do you know what happened to Hermione after that?"
"Yeah, she was sent to the Wizarding Witness Protection Program. She assumed the identity Phoenix Turoe and sent letters to Harry, Ginny, Ron, and I saying that she wouldn't be coming back ever. But she's back in school under her alias as Phoenix with some sap story about how she came to be here basically."
"I am assuming then that you did not believe this story?" asked Dumbledore trying to slowly bring about the topic he was truly wanting to talk about.
"Well no of course not, I knew she didn't have an adopted sister, and it seems rather too convenient that she just showed up when she did."
"How did you know that her family had never adopted a child?" asked Snape accusingly.
"Well, because anyone who happens to be involved with the Black Widows in any way knows the Granger family. You know, the parents were dentists as a cover-up, the mother was a squib . . . father was a muggle . . . a son in the Scorpions . . . and a daughter with a magical talent that could possibly be comparable to Rowena Ravenclaw. But there was never any mention of an adoption. It was a pathetic lie and anyone with any brains at all should have been able to figure it out. Even without the inside knowledge from the Black Widows."
"So is that to say that you're in the Black Widows?"
"It would seem that way wouldn't it?" she took another sip of her tea.
"Did Jack Willis have you spy on Hermione and try to kill her?" asked Snape cutting directly to the point.
"Yes . . . yes he did. But he asked me to make it inconspicuous looking with no evidence to point to me."
"So what is it you did to make this death seem inconspicuous?"
"Well, I had remembered Parvati once telling me that she was an elemental. I knew that to vanquish a fire based creature, you would need to use a water elemental and I planned to use Parvati to do so, but I had to get it so Hermione would be alone first. So I figured out the Ravenclaw quidditch schedule and put something into Su Li's food this evening so he would be incapacitated. Then I made sure Hermione wouldn't be able to find out that there would be no practice. The fact that her brother kept her out until after dinner took care of that. I had some second year Ravenclaw give her a note that there was practice. But when I needed to get to Parvati I couldn't find her . . . so I used Padma instead. Either way it worked perfectly."
"Thank you Miss Brown. That is all. Would you kindly return to Gryffindor tower so I can discuss this with Professor Snape?"
"Certainly," she responded amiably and leaving immediately.
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Much time had passed in silence following the sentiment. "I didn't mean to frighten you child; it's just that you must be aware of the consequences should you choose to die like you wanted to earlier. But the time has come now for you to make a choice. It is my hope that you will choose to live and take to heart what I have told you."
"What that in summary, I'm just a mindless idiot who has no love in my heart because of a book?" she remarked.
Ashtoreth smirked at the summation, "Something along those lines . . . Now make your decision. . ."
"I have already chosen," she said as though she didn't need anyone to tell her what to do . . .
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"What are we going to do Albus?" inquired Snape.
"That, Severus, will remain for Miss Granger to decide when she wakes up."
"You assume she will awaken then?" Snape asked with a faint glimmer of hope hidden deep in his eyes.
"I have a feeling she will recognize that she still has much left to accomplish. I think she will also realize that she has crippled herself emotionally and rectify the situation. But Severus, I would advise you to be well prepared to cope with an emotional breakdown on her behalf."
"What makes you say that Albus?" he said with a slight smirk adorning his usually hardened features.
"You know how impetuous Mr. Malfoy can be when goaded with the right stimulus," he said with a knowing twinkle lighting his eyes with the ever familiar mischievous glint he was so well known for.
"You are aware of it too then . . ."
"I think one of us should also convince Mr. Malfoy to tell her. It is unfair of him to keep her in the dark . . ."
"Albus, ever the romantic . . ."
"That is not what I meant Severus . . ."
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"Drake, are you going to tell her about . . . you know . . ." Blaise indicated Draco's arm.
Draco looked down at his fully clothed arm as though expecting to see through the material there. He conscientiously pulled the sleeve down further, paranoid that it would show. "She'd kill me. Not literally, but you know what I mean."
"You don't need to tell me twice. I still think you should tell her."
"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Zabini, I need a moment with the two of you in private," said Dumbledore coming up behind them.
They walked over to the hospital wing and stood by the door, "What is it sir?"
"I must inform you that your assumptions about Miss Brown were correct. But before you try to do anything rash, it is not for you to decide what to do, it is for Miss-"
"Albus! I have wonderful news . . ." said Madame Pomfrey as she slammed the doors open in a rush and noticed the group of three collaborated by it.
"Yes Poppy, what is it?" he asked.
"She has awakened!"
This instantly caught the younger boys' attention and they began to rush the door.
"A moment if you would please. I think you should prepare yourselves before you see her. She does not look quite like herself anymore."
"Nothing could shock me about her," they said in unison. They hurried into the hospital wing to be met with a sight that neither of them had quite expected.
Hermione noticed the two gawking boys and smirked, "What, do I have something on my face?"
She noticed her accent was gone. It had reverted back to her old British accent.
They were rendered speechless by the girl in front of them. Madame Pomfrey came in and chuckled as the two stood there mouths open. "You may want to take a look at this . . ."
She handed Hermione a mirror and she stood up to receive it.
Hermione shook her head, looked at the boys, and then looked at the mirror, which she promptly dropped. She didn't hear the glass shattering as she thought about what she had just seen.
Her face was the same, but her eyes had become golden and her hair had become straight and red, and it glowed like fire with even the slightest hint of light. She lifted a hand to feel her hair and came in contact with a texture so smooth and silky she had doubts that it was even her hair; after all, her hair couldn't be that soft even when she'd had it done professionally. Her hand drifted slightly down to her skin, which changed slightly lighter than the almost olive colour it had become, to a very light tan that seemed to glow with her inner fire. She could swear it felt almost like velvet.
She then looked down and realized she was in one of those ridiculous gowns meant for long term patients that covered next to nothing. She blushed slightly and went back to the bed and pulled the covers up to shield her legs from view.
"Headmaster Dumbledore, may I speak to her alone please? It's really important," asked Draco very quietly as the Headmaster walked into the room.
He smiled that knowing smile and said to everyone, "I really need to discuss something with Mr. Zabini and Poppy," said Dumbledore giving them a pointed glance.
"Of course," they said leaving the room, but not before Madame Pomfrey could hand Hermione her dry clothes.
Hermione looked at Draco and smiled, "That was odd."
Draco nodded silently and looked towards the door as she changed into her much warmer clothes.
Hermione looked over at Draco and said, "Would you care to join me over here? I'm decent now."
He walked over to the chair beside the bed and sat down.
"What's with the silent treatment Draco?"
"Nothing. It's just that I was really worried about you. We all were. And . . ." he trailed off, not really knowing what he wanted to say.
"And what?"
"And . . . I don't know . . . I was just really worried about you."
"Draco, what's the matter? You look really nervous," Hermione was feeling slightly anxious as well with his fidgeting, so she grabbed his hand and squeezed gently to reassure him.
He jumped slightly but smiled at her. "I have something that I want to tell you, but I don't really know how to say it. I'm not entirely sure how you'll take it either."
"Try me. I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think."
Taking a deep resolving breath, he plunged ahead without thought of consequence. "I should have told you this from the moment I first figured it out; I . . . I love you . . . there I said it. I love you."
Hermione felt her mouth drop. She couldn't say she hadn't expected it, but it was still shocking to hear.
"Well, are you going to say that you love him too . . . or just sit there with your mouth hanging open?" said Blaise as he walked back in the room.
"Were you just listening to that entire conversation Zabini?" said Draco looking at the Italian wearily.
"Yeah, in case you made a complete ass of yourself," he said with a smirk. "But, I'm taking the focus off of you two now. Well, I suppose I'll just be off then . . . carry on."
Draco watched Blaise leave and then turned back to Hermione to find a solitary tear sliding down her cheek. "What's the matter?"
She stood abruptly and walked to the door of the Hospital Wing, shadowed all the while by Draco. She turned around once she was out of the room. "I can't," she said weakly.
"Why?"
"There are things about me that you have no clue about Draco. How can you say you love me when you don't even know me? I don't know if I love you or not. I don't even know what love is anymore. I just . . . I can't," she concluded lamely and turned on her heel to leave as swiftly as she could.
Draco caught her arm and pulled her to him. He did something very unexpected then and bent down and caught her lips in a kiss, but just as suddenly, it was over. He spoke passionately, "Damn it Hermione! You can't pretend you don't feel anything and then keep hiding from your emotions so they don't catch up with you. This might be brash of me to say, but you can't say you haven't felt something towards me in all of this time."
With that, he turned and left. Hermione just barely had time to register what had happened just then as she saw Harry, Ron, and Ginny standing in the middle of the hall way in shock.
She couldn't deal with all of it anymore and there was only one person who could help her logically sort this out, she took one look at her friends and she ran . . .
A/N: Okay, I don't know if you will all be happy with that or not, but it'll have to do. Just remember to review! There's only a little bit left after this! Oh, and if you want an idea of what Hermione looks like now, just google the phrase: phoenix endsong 3 and do an image search. Anyways, PLEASE REVIEW!