Chapter 38: The Day of Thanks

Phoenix laid in bed asleep. The sweet smell of Piper's cooking filled the air. Her stomach rumbled. Rolling over, Phoenix took a deep, slow breath. The scent of celery and onions joined the air. She couldn't help but smile. She looked forward to what lay ahead. Phoenix took in another deep breath. 'It smells wonderful! Oh, how I miss Aunt Piper's cooking!' Phoenix thought, rolling back onto her stomach.

"Phoenix... Phoenix..."

'Is that Katie? Doesn't she know I am on London time still?'

"Phoenix!" The voice tried again.

'Katie is persistent. I should get up before she pours water on me.'

Phoenix slowly opened her eyes and saw Katie holding a pitcher of water.

"Awww, Phoenix! I was looking forward to dowsing you. I haven't got to do that all year!" Katie whined.

Phoenix looked at her drenched twin. Her shoulder link brunette hair was sticking to her face. Phoenix couldn't help but laugh.

"What is so funny?" Katie asked.

"Phoenix!" the strange voice called again.

"Henry got to you first?" Phoenix laughed. Before Katie responded, Henry ran into the room. He knocked into Katie, causing her to fall on Phoenix, the pitcher of water dowsing them both.

"Callie, maybe you can wake her up?" the voice asked.

"HENRY!" the twins yelled.

"Mom told me to wake you both up!" He said dashing out of the room.

The calico cat hopped onto Phoenix's bed, slapping Phoenix on the face with her paw. Phoenix didn't move. Callie put her cold nose on Phoenix's hand. She still did not move. Callie hopped on Phoenix's back, went up to her neck, put her nose on her skin, and laid there kneading. It made Phoenix move a little, but not enough to wake her up.

When Phoenix didn't budge, Callie did one last thing. She got up and positioned herself in the opposite direction. Callie stretched big, her claws out, and dragged them towards her.

Phoenix looked at Katie, a sharp pain going down her back.

"OKAY I'M UP, I'M UP!" Phoenix yelled, shaking Callie off of her.

"Finally! I wasn't sure if you were ever going to wake up. You must have been having a wonderful dream." Hermione said loudly.

"That was all a dream?" Phoenix asked, rubbing the claw marks on her back. "It felt and smelt so real." she continued, disappointment in her voice.

"Well, since you are awake, I think it would be best if you got ready. Harry and Ron are waiting in the common room."

"What time is it, anyway?" Phoenix said getting up to change. She pulled her clothes from her trunk and quickly got dressed.

"Well, it is only six thirty, but Ron looks like he will faint if he doesn't get his breakfast. You know how he is, and we would have plenty of time before class starts."

"Okay then, let's go." Phoenix put her hair up in a ponytail, grabbed her bag, and followed Hermione to the common room.

Hermione was not joking. The moment Ron saw the two of them; he headed straight to the portrait hole. Faint was in his eyes.

"Well, aren't we hungry?" Phoenix grumbled.

"Why are we grumpy?" Harry asked, his smile a mile long.

"Hermione woke me up from a wonderful dream." Phoenix said with a little of disappointment in her voice.

"Oh? And what was the dream about?" Harry asked again, a smile still on his face. The three of them headed over to the portrait hole where Ron was and walked out.

"Well, I guess I miss my Aunt Piper's cooking so much I dreamt about Thanksgiving. Our family always spends the holidays at the manor, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas." Phoenix stated as they walked to the great hall.

"Thanksgiving?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, Thanksgiving."

"It's a muggle holiday Ron." Hermione stated, seeing the confusion Ron still had.

"A muggle holiday?" Ron asked, still confused. He looked over at Harry to see if he heard right. Harry nodded. "Is it the holiday were muggles shoot off fireworks?"

"No Ron, that would be New Years." Harry said.

"Or it could be the Fourth of July." Phoenix chimed.

Ron looked at her quizzically. "Why would muggles need to set off fireworks for the fourth of July?"

"Well, it really is just an American holiday."

"Why?"

"Because for us Americans it is to celebrate our Independence," Phoenix filled in Ron.

"Independence from what?"

"Um..." Phoenix wasn't sure what to say without filling Ron in completely with American history.

"Ron, it is muggle history. Don't stress over it." Hermione said.

"Yeah, you would just get a headache. Too many things have happened in the muggle world." Harry piped up.

"Okay then, what is Thanksgiving?"

"Thanksgiving is a celebration when everyone gets together and has a big turkey dinner! Kind of like Christmas, but a different meaning behind it." Phoenix started. "Aunt Piper and Melinda cooks everything. They are the cooks, and Aunt Piper does not let anyone near the kitchen along with not eating anything until dinner. You can snack, but not much."

"Why?" Ron asked. He couldn't imagine not eating until dinner.

"So, we can have enough room for the Thanksgiving meal. Oh, and the meal! I can taste it now! Aunt Piper wakes up extremely early to cook. Turkey is the first thing you smell. And it is worth the wait! It comes right off the bone. It is moist and tender. The ham is glazed just right with her special sauce, and it too melts into your mouth."

Phoenix looked over at her friends before she continued. Hermione listened with interest, Harry looked like he was getting hungry, and Ron had drool coming from his mouth. She couldn't help but laugh.

"The mashed potatoes are creamy and fluffy and the peas and corn are buttered just right. The stuffing has the right amount of celery and onions and not dry at all, the rolls are warm and right out of the oven, oh and then there is dessert!"

At the mention of dessert, Ron's stomach made a way into the conversation. His stomach growled so loud it sounded like the lion representing Gryffindor. Harry, Hermione, and Phoenix started laughing while Ron turned as red as his hair.

"What? I am hungry. The way Phoenix is describing everything; I'm surprised I haven't eaten her."

"So, let me continue before you do that. The desserts are worth every ounce of sugar. The pumpkin pie has the right amount of spices, the juices from the cherry pie fill your mouth, and the crust is perfect. Oh, how I miss her cooking." She said with sparkles in her eyes.

"And when is this Thanksgiving?" Harry asked. He wasn't sure when they held it; he just knew they had the holiday.

"We do not hold it on a specific day. It is always on the fourth Thursday of November." replied Phoenix.

"Uh... Phoenix, I believe that would be today." Hermione and Harry said.

"Maybe that is why I dreamt it. Man! Now I will have to wait until Christmas for her cooking."

When they made it to the great hall, the subject changed. Instead, they talked about Nicolas Flamel and Quidditch. Phoenix silently listened. She let the boys do most of the talking, Hermione pipping in once in a while until it was time for class.

Phoenix was bummed for most of the day. It was the first time she felt homesick. She glanced behind her and saw her three friends whispering. She didn't know why, nor cared. Her stomach growled for her Aunt Piper's cooking, especially the mashed potatoes. They were her favorite.

When it was time for dinner, the four of them left the library. Phoenix turned the corner towards the great hall until she heard Hermione hollering at her.

"Phoenix this way."

"Why? The great hall is that way? I thought Ron was dying of hunger?" Phoenix asked confused. 'We have been here long enough to know where the great hall is. Are they getting something? Did Hermione forget something?' Letting out a sigh, Phoenix followed, catching the smiles Hermione and Harry were giving.

"Has everyone left?" asked Harry to Ron when he came out of the portrait hole.

"Yeah, everyone has left and everything is ready."

"All right, let's go."

"What have you guys been doing?" Following Harry, Phoenix entered the Gryffindor common room. What she saw amazed her. "Wow! Is this what you guys have been whispering about! How did you pull this off?!"

"We have special permission from Professor McGonagall to use the common room. She had the kitchen to fix everything like a Christmas meal since they didn't know what Thanksgiving was." Hermione responded.

The Gryffindor common room had a small table filled with food. The food was everything she wished for and more. She ran over to the dessert table, finding a pie with her name on it.

"The food may not be your Aunt Piper's, but the pumpkin pie is." Harry said.

"How?"

"Ask Hermione. I think she owled your family, but I'm not sure."

Phoenix went over to Hermione. "Well, Hermione?"

"When I went back to get my books before charms, I saw some orbing lights. The whole pie appeared on your bed with a letter from Katie. I sent a letter to her early this morning hoping I would receive it on time, but I forgot you said that you both had telekinetic orbing."

"Wow, thank you."

"Let's eat!" Ron rushed to the table, grabbing his utensils.

"Yeah, let's eat."

The four of them gathered around and sat at the table in the common room. It would be the first Thanksgiving meal Phoenix had away from home and the first for her friends. She smiled as everyone filled their plates.

"Thanks again, guys."