Chapter 25: Memory Dust.

It was the next day at lunch. Harry was telling Ron, Phoenix, and Hermione about his Quidditch practice with Wood, when Professor McGonagall came walking up. "Miss Matthews, would you come with me, please?"

Phoenix gave a questioning look towards her friends before responding. "Okay Professor." She grabbed her bag and followed McGonagall out of the great hall.

They walked down the corridor in a fast past. It looked as though McGonagall was on a mission. Phoenix was behind trying to keep up with McGonagall.

'Where are we going? Are we going to her office? Is she taking me to Dumbledore? Does he know about me? Would he accept the same explanation as everyone else did about Malfoy?'

Phoenix couldn't take it any longer. The silence was killing her. Phoenix stopped. "Um, Professor?"

Professor McGonagall stopped and turned around. "Yes, Miss Matthews?"

"May I ask where are we going?"

"You have a visitor in the Headmaster's office." And with that, McGonagall turned back around and continued toward Dumbledore's Office.

'A visitor? Who on earth could it be?'

There were more twists and turns until they stopped in front of a gargoyle statue.

McGonagall said the password, and the gargoyle moved, revealing a spiral staircase.

"This is where I leave you, Miss Matthews. I have other things to tend to." Then Professor McGonagall left in a huff, leaving Phoenix alone.

Phoenix looked at the staircase and leaned inside for a look. It looked as though the stair case never ended. She shrugged and stepped inside. The staircase spiraled itself up, the statue closing behind.

Seeing the door to Dumbledore's office, Phoenix stepped off the stairs and walked toward the cracked open door. Phoenix heard the familiar voice of Dumbledore. She slowly walked closer, listening in, not wanting to interrupt the conversation.

"She is fitting in nicely, already has friends. She is a very bright student. Very confident in what she knows and very knowledgeable. I believe she will be one of our brightest students next to Miss Granger."

"That sounds great. I'm glad she is doing well."

Phoenix shifted a little more towards the crack.

'No! It can't be her! Why would she be here? I didn't call for her!'

"I hope…."

"I believe we have a visitor."

Phoenix heard Dumbledore say cutting off the visitor. The door slowly opened, and Phoenix heard Dumbledore calling to her. "Come in Miss Matthews, we have been expecting you."

Phoenix walked in as innocently as she could. Professor Dumbledore was behind his desk. A woman was sitting across from him, her back towards Phoenix.

Closing the door behind her, and the woman turned around. She had shoulder length dark brunette hair with a small wave. Her eyes were across between green and gray. The woman was wearing gray slacks with black high heels. Her top was a black button up blouse with a white tank top underneath.

Phoenix did not expect to see her. This woman was her whitelighter. This woman was none other than her Aunt Prue.

Seeing the looks the two gave each other, Dumbledore stood to excuse himself. "I will leave you two alone."

"Headmaster, you don't have to go. I was hoping if you would allow Phoenix to show me around the castle while her and I talk? If you don't mind."

"Of course not," answered Dumbledore, "Miss Matthews take all the time you need. I will tell Miss Granger to take notes for you."

"Thank you, Headmaster." She mumbled never taking her shocking eyes off of her Aunt.

Prue stood up, as did Dumbledore, and headed towards the door.

"It was wonderful to meet you headmaster."

"It was an honor to have met you, Ms. Halliwell." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes.

'Honor? What did Professor Dumbledore mean about that?' Phoenix wondered. She opened the door and allowed herself out, followed by Prue. They walked down the corridors in silence. Phoenix couldn't figure out why her Aunt was there.

'Is she just checking up on me? Do the Elders need something of me? Is mom in trouble?!'

They walked around the students, who were trying to get to their classes, as they remained silent. Prue looked around for an empty corridor. As she saw the last student turn the corner, she looked at her niece. "This way," dragging Phoenix by her robes. "Are one of these classrooms being used at the moment?"

"I think this one is empty. Why?"

Prue ignored her as Phoenix opened the door. It was the History of Magic room and no one was insight. Professor Binns was out of his office. They were in the clear for whatever reason.

"Okay, Aunt Prue, we are in the clear. What is it you need to talk about?"

Prue said nothing. She grabbed Phoenix's arm and orbed out. When they orbed back in, they were in San Francisco on top of the Golden Gate Bridge. "Okay, now we can talk." Said a mad Prue.

'Why did she orb me here? She never orbs me here unless she is mad at me. What did I do?' Phoenix gave her aunt a confused look. She did not understand why they were there.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!" yelled Prue.

"What?!"

"Don't play innocent with me, Phoenix! You know exactly what I am talking about!"

It finally clicked with her. She couldn't believe her aunt was freaking out. "Hermione?"

"Ding! Ding! Let's give her a prize!"

"But…"

"No buts! The Elders want me to wipe her memory with memory dust."

"Why?"

"Because she found the Book of Shadows! They think she will expose us. If not on purpose, it will be by accident. But I know you better than that. I know you helped or planned on her find it."

"But Hermione doesn't deserve to get her memory wiped! She did nothing wrong! It was all me! I did everything!"

"You know I have to do something."

"Why? Why do you have to do something! Maybe you can leave this one alone!"

"Because we can't be exposed!"

"Exposed! Aunt Prue! I'm in a freaken wizard's school! Or better yet, I'm in a world Full of Witches and Wizards! What exposure would there be? No one blinked an eye at Magic School!"

"Phoenix you know I have to. We can't put more people at risk. This wizarding world differs greatly from ours. We don't know how they would react to our world. The Eld….."

"Since when did you listen to the Elders!? You never listened to them! I remember all the stories you, Aunt Piper, and Phoebe told us!"

Prue kept quiet. She had no response to that.

'When did I start listening to the Elders?'

"Please, Aunt Prue! I had my friends at Magic School to talk about magic! Or at least Wandless magic! If you wipe Hermione's mind with memory dust, I wouldn't have anyone to talk too!"

"It would protect her in the long run!"

"Aunt Prue! Protect her from what!"

"It would protect her from demons! You have your brother and sister to call."

"They are not at Hogwarts! They are at home! You had Aunt Piper and Aunt Phoebe!"

"Yes, I did and…."

"And you told Uncle Darryl, and mom got to tell Uncle Glen!"

"We had to tell Darryl something. We kept running into each other at his crime scenes and such. The issue with your mother, well, I wasn't around!"

"Then you told Uncle Andy!"

Mentioning Andy shocked Prue. She never got over his death, even if she didn't show it. She still believed it was her fault he died. She cried the first time she saw him. He was the first person to meet her when she died.

"Aunt Prue Pleeeaaassseeee! I need someone to talk to! Hermione was excited about it! Don't punish her because of me. Don't take that excitement from her. If I know her, she will find out about it, eventually. Please! You Never listened to the Elders before. Why are you starting now?"

"I was part of the Charmed Ones. Now, I'm a whitelighter, your whitelighter!"

"You still are a Charmed One! Or at least part of you! You tell me to trust my instincts. How can I, if you won't even follow yours anymore!"

Prue stood back, allowing Phoenix to cool off. It was hard for Prue. She was not only Phoenix, Katie, and Little Henry's whitelighter; she was also their aunt. Balancing the two sometimes got difficult. She knew how Phoenix felt. Sometimes she felt alone, not able to talk about her powers with people other than her sisters.

Prue let out a heavy sigh. "Okay fine, I won't sprinkle memory dust on Hermione. I will allow Hermione to know. But, if you tell Harry and Ron, yes, I know," she stated as Phoenix looked at her shockingly, "let me know first. I gave you this one. Now your mother, tell her. And I wouldn't dwell on that if you don't want to feel her wrath!"

"Thank you! Thank you! This means so much! You were always my favorite aunt!"

Prue rolled her eyes, knowing very well that it was only a suck up statement. She grabbed Phoenix's arm and orbed their way back to Hogwarts. Or at least that was where Phoenix thought they were going.