NIGHT OF THE PHOENIX

Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure/ vague mystery
Setting: All over the place, including different dimensions, other planets and vague places that fit nowhere.
Main Characters: Harry, Malfoy

Part 4

Malfoy clung onto the back of Harry's robes, whimpering slightly. Harry couldn't help but grin, although he was not very happy with an enemy of his sitting right behind him. Airyglyph flew quite high, the wind whistling through Harry's hair as the hippogriff soared above the clouds. The air was incredibly cold, however, and Harry was starting to go numb with the cold. He shuddered slightly as a particularly strong gust of wind buffeted them. His sudden movement made Malfoy almost lose his grip.

"Hey! Watch it! I almost fell Potter!" Harry grinned to himself, refusing to answer Malfoy's anger. He entertained thoughts of knocking him off Airyglyph's back, dreaming about life without the Slytherin. But he knew he would never get away with it. Instead, he lent over Airyglyph's side, gazing down at the landscape spread out for miles below him. Rivers flowed as if somebody had merely embroidered them onto the landscape, they were so high up, and everything looked so small. Villages flitted by every now and again. Harry found himself wondering where they were. They had been flying for what seemed like hours. Harry felt stiff from sitting still so long. He gave a sigh, shifting slightly on Airyglyph's back. Just then, the hippogriff started sloping downwards, steeply. Harry clung to the feathers that graced his back, shouting at Malfoy to hold on. They were descending steeply now, the ground rushing up towards them. Harry saw a town rearing up as they drew closer. The wizarding town Dumbledore had spoken off! Airyglyph turned in an elegant swoop before coming into a steady landing just outside the town. He ran along the ground for a few steps, before halting. Harry slipped off the hippogriffs back, patting his head gently. Beside him, Malfoy fell off Airyglyph's back, desperate in his effort to escape from the creature. Harry laughed at him, as he lay awkwardly on the ground. Swearing, Malfoy pushed himself to his feet, glaring at Harry. Stifling more laughter Harry led Airyglyph to a nearby lamppost, tying the hippogriff to it loosely. He stroked the creature's neck feathers before turning back to the town. He watched a couple of children playing what was unmistakeably gobstones in the middle of the street.

"Looks like this is the place Dumbledore meant." He said, turning back to Malfoy.

"Let's see if we can find Fawkes and get back to the school."

The boys walked into town, gazing around at the activities. Harry thought about how different this place was from Hogsmeade. It was almost rustic, old fashioned. He found it strange though. Hermione had told him that Hogsmeade was the only complete wizarding town in England. He didn't remember flying over the sea at any point. He supposed that this was more a village than a town. Just a small community of wizards, instead of a large town like Hogsmeade. He pushed the thoughts out of his head though, determined to find Fawkes before it was too late.

Harry and Malfoy walked through the streets of the village, searching. Harry was starting to notice the strange looks they were receiving from the inhabitants of the town. It made him feel strangely uneasy. But he also realised that there was no way him and Malfoy were going to find Fawkes without help. Taking a deep breath, he decided to approach a villager and ask them if they had seen Fawkes. He approached a woman walking the opposite way.

"Excuse Me," he asked, as politely as he could, trying to ignore the look on her face as he spoke to her. "You wouldn't happen to have seen a phoenix around here would you?" At this the woman gave a gasp, and cast a fearful look over her shoulder at a hill behind her, before running away, not answering Harry's question. Malfoy sniggered behind Harry at the woman's reaction. Resisting the urge to thump him, Harry walked back.

"She looked at that hill before leaving. Perhaps we should try looking there," Harry suggested. Malfoy shrugged

"Sure, whatever. Let's just get out of here as soon as we can. This town is so dull." Harry shook his head and turned, walking toward the hill.

They reached the foot of the hill, and, after a long climb managed to get to the top. However, once they were there it was clear there was nothing significant around the hill. Malfoy sat down heavily on the floor.

"Well, Saint Potter, that was a waste of time. Any other brilliant ideas?" he asked, scathingly. Harry cast around the hill, looking for some way to prove himself right. But he saw nothing. Night was drawing on fast now, and the sun was setting in a blaze of colours over to the west. Harry sat down as well, trying to think of the next move. He couldn't help but admire the colours the countryside went under the setting sun, and he rested his head on his knees, watching the sun setting. Malfoy sat to the left of him, clearly bored, his head resting on his left hand. As the last ray of the sun died away, however, he sat up. Harry glanced at him, just as he muttered

"What's that noise?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"What noise? I can't hear anything." Malfoy stood up.

"How can you not hear it? It's a sort of rumbling sound!" Harry stood slowly and walked over to where Malfoy was. Sure enough, as he approached a deep rumbling sound came to his ears, faintly at first, but growing louder as he neared Malfoy. He glanced at Malfoy, feeling apprehensive, when the rumbling died down, and a loud, unearthly screech filled the air, making Malfoy shout out in fear. Harry jumped at the screech and shouted at Malfoy

"It's coming from under the hill! We have to get to the bottom!" With that, he turned and ran down the hill. Malfoy stood for a few moments, the screech filling the air around him, before deciding to run after Harry, unnerved by the screech.

END OF PART 4