You've finally made it to where Phoenix's story actually starts. If you skipped the first three chapters (which, again, were mostly optional) all you need to know is that Dumbledore kidnapped Phoenix Malfoy and dumped her with Lily's former friend/dorm mate, Mary Macdonald, who has raised her as her own.
"Phoenix?" Mary looked at her watch, "Are you ready, dear?" she walked through her empty flat to where Phoenix was standing, looking sadly at her empty room. "Nixy? What's wrong?"
"Do we have to move?" Phoenix looked up at her with large, sad, gray eyes.
Mary frowned, "I'm sorry, sweetie," she kneeled down to Phoenix's height, "but mommy's gotten a better job, in a better place, and we'll have more time to spend together." The promise didn't make Phoenix smile. Instead she sighed sadly, clutching her raggedy stuffed owl closer to her chest. "Come on, love," she tucked Phoenix's hair back. It was always escaping from the braid Mary would put it in. Mary only felt marginally bad for lying to Phoenix.
After she'd disappeared from the wizarding world, Mary had taken Phoenix far away from her little cottage in Edinburgh. The pair moved around often, mostly whenever Mary suspected someone else knew who and what she was. So far, it'd seemed like she'd been able to pass undetected. She taught Phoenix very little about magic and taught at local muggle schools to give Phoenix an education should she choose to leave the wizarding life, like she had. Of course, whenever Mary thought of Phoenix going to Hogwarts she would seize up, her hands shake to the point she could hardly hold onto anything. Everything would come apart if Phoenix found out the truth.
So, when Mary received a letter with a Hogwarts wax seal, she had stayed up late, going over all her options.
Dear Miss Macdonald,
I hope you've enjoyed your vacation, however, the time has arrived where I must call upon you to help us once again. As I'm sure you're aware, Mr. Harry Potter is approaching the age for magical education. We would like for you to keep an eye on him, as well as introduce him to Miss Malfoy. You are being relocated to Little Whinging, Surrey effective immediately. We look forward to seeing Mr. Potter and Miss Malfoy the September following next.
A. Dumbledore
First, Mary was furious that Dumbledore had referred to Phoenix as "Malfoy". "After all the fuss he made of calling her Phoenix Macdonald at the meeting." Mary downed a glass of firewhisky. It burned and warmed her insides as she poured another glass. Second, Mary could not believe that Dumbledore had found her, or even been following her. "Nothing gets past him." Mary slumped back in her chair, studying the shot glass she'd emptied again.
Mary shook her head, it had taken a few weeks to get everything in order, but she decided to once again trust Dumbledore. Mary took Phoenix's hand, "I promise, you'll love our new home." Mary frowned as she opened the car door for Phoenix. A thousand 'what-ifs' ran through her head. What if she and Harry didn't get along? What if whoever Harry was staying with didn't like her? Would they let Harry still be friends with Phoenix? What if Harry had grown up just as arrogant as his father? Mary shook the negative thoughts out of her head, she'd already decided she was moving to Surrey, there was no turning back.
Towing what little belongings they had, Mary drove away from what had been their home for the last two years. It slowly began to rain as they left London, Mary glanced back at Phoenix who was frowning out the window. Mary hadn't told Phoenix about how rare her magic was, she just supported Phoenix and every emotion her life gave her. It wasn't a very long trip from London, but the drive felt like signing a death contract. Phoenix and Harry were going to meet for the first time they could remember. Phoenix would learn soon that she wasn't, in fact, a Macdonald, but a Malfoy. Mary would be seeing the son of her dead best friends for the first time in years. What did Harry even look like? Did he still have shaggy black hair like his father? Were his eyes still as bright as his mother's? Was he a perfect blend of Lily and James? Or-
"Mom, you're drifting." Phoenix said from the backseat. Mary carefully steered the car back into her lane, "are you okay?" she asked.
Mary smiled lightly, "Yes, sorry, dear."
"Are you still going to work in the muggle world?" Phoenix asked, "or can we go to a magical place?"
Mary gave a cautious laugh, "I'll still be working with muggle children. Phoenix, remember? I haven't seen any of my magical friends for a long time, so it would be weird for me to just go back."
"But the longer you wait, the weirder it'll be." Phoenix argued.
Mary sighed, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, "I suppose you're right." She smiled back at Phoenix. But Mary knew she would never see them again.
Phoenix watched the city line disappear and the suburbs of Surrey come into view. She clutched her stuffed owl closer. She was used to moving, but they'd stayed in London for so long that she thought they'd finally settled down. Then, seemingly out of the blue, her mother had begun getting paranoid again. Every time she began looking over her shoulder when they were out, or when she'd tap her wand discreetly on the doorknob leading to their flat, Phoenix knew it'd soon be time for them to pack up and leave.
What little Phoenix knew of the magical world, she could piece together that her mother was hiding from someone, or something, that had caused her to leave magic behind. All too soon they were rolling up to an unfamiliar house in an unfamiliar neighborhood.
"Number five, Privet Drive." Phoenix could hear her mother mumble to herself. The car stopped, but Phoenix could still feel her insides shaking. Every house on the street looked the same, so how her mother could just pick out which one was theirs was a mystery.
Mary opened the car door for Phoenix, and she reluctantly hopped out. Mary tapped the trailer they'd brought very discreetly with her wand-which was hidden up her sleeve. Phoenix watched as the trailer gave a shudder before falling still. "Is everything inside?" Phoenix asked quietly, not knowing if any neighbors were spying. Perhaps her mother's paranoia was rubbing off on her.
Mary smiled and nodded, "Yes, are you ready to go inside?" she offered her hand to Phoenix. Phoenix looked up and down the street, a dark-haired woman tending to some flower bushes out front glanced over, but quickly looked away once she saw Phoenix staring. She looked up at her mother and nodded, taking her hand.
Mary squeezed her hand, and together they walked into their new home. Walking past the stairs on the right, Phoenix peeked in the sitting room from the first door on the left. Their floral sofa sat facing away from the front window, a small coffee table stood in the middle of the room, and two floral sitting chairs sat facing the sofa. The mantel was evenly decorated, two vases filled with similar flower arrangements sat on either end of the piece, and a garland laid between them. Candles of various shapes and sizes were spaced evenly between the two vases. A few shelves and house plants were scattered on the wall and corners. Continuing down the little hall, Phoenix opened the little cupboard under the stairs. Only a bare light socket hung in the space. Phoenix closed the door to the cupboard and looked at the door at the very end of the hall.
Mary had walked past Phoenix and laid her car keys on the counter in the kitchen. She was busy waving her wand in a circle, putting up protections around the house. Phoenix slowly followed her into the kitchen. Not wanting to disturb Mary, Phoenix peeked out back where a sunroom was decorated with suspended wicker chairs and more plants. A bookshelf took up the far wall in the dining area. All of Mary's school books and other various books the two had collected over the years were neatly organized on the polished shelves.
Phoenix peeked at Mary who was still busily waving her wand. Taking this as an opportunity Phoenix backtracked to the front door where she swung herself around the stair banister and began running upstairs. The first room to the left was filled with all sorts of potion brewing equipment, as well as hundreds of books. There appeared to be an everchanging, colorful mist over the room. Dark, sun blocking curtains were tightly drawn over what Phoenix assumed was the only window. Phoenix's heart excitedly jumped in her chest. Her mother had never let her look at all her magic equipment. She glanced back at the stairs, where unfortunately, Phoenix could hear her mother walking around.
Bitterly, Phoenix closed the door, trying to soak in as much magic as she could before the door latched itself shut. Shuffling to the second room on the right, Phoenix was relieved to find her room, just as it had been at their flat in London. Her white, four-poster bed sat against the far wall. A purple, star patterned, shimmering canopy hung over her, and extended around the room, making it appear as if Phoenix were in a tent. A colorful toy chest sat at the foot of her bed, toys over flowing onto the rainbow shag carpet. Moving pictures of Phoenix and Mary throughout the years sat on a white dresser, and several miscellaneous magical pictures were pinned to the walls.
"See?" Mary was suddenly behind Phoenix, smiling, "I told you everything would be fine." Before Phoenix could respond, Mary was offering Phoenix her hand, "I'm going to introduce myself to our new neighbors, would you like to come with me?"
Phoenix almost instinctively grabbed her mothers hand, but she hesitated. Since when did her paranoid mother ever want to know her neighbors? Did this mean they were finally settling down? Phoenix chewed on her lip, her shoulders dropping. Why here of all places?
"If you don't want to that's okay." Mary said, "I know this was kind of a big deal. We can just have supper and call it a day." She smiled at Phoenix.
"I think I'm hungry." Phoenix held her stomach. Even though it was just barely past noon, Phoenix felt very tired.
"Why don't you put Chica up," Mary suggested, petting the stuffed owl's raggedy head, "and we'll have supper made?" Phoenix nodded and carefully threw her toy on her bed. Phoenix followed Mary back down to the kitchen where Mary got busy waving her wand. The day was like any other for Phoenix. Her mother charmed the kitchen to make magic, sometimes doing things by hand if she didn't trust the instruments, and Phoenix sat watching the street from the front window. The rain that had followed them from London was slowly easing into a light mist, the sky had turned orange even though it was still fairly early.
Back in London, Phoenix loved to people watch. She liked to make up the lives of people passing by. A man in a rush was a man late to his first child's birth. A child screaming at their mother was a child who was tired from walking all day. A group of young women were young witches looking for cute wizard boys. A stray cat was looking for her elderly masters who'd been long gone. A woman jumping around the street had just received news that she was being promoted. A group of tourists were fulfilling items on their bucket list. Sometimes, the lives and stories were happy, sometimes they were sad.
But here, in Surrey? On Privet Drive? There was no one. Everyone had the same car, the same front garden, the same house, the same boring lives. Phoenix gave an overdramatic, loud sigh. She wanted to go someplace magical. She knew her mother had run away from that life, but if she could just have one day to see what the magical world was like, Phoenix could easily live content. "Just one day," she wished, watching the empty street with an empty gaze.
Then, it happened. Rather, something happened. A car came swerving around the corner and slammed on the brakes outside the neighbor's house. A large woman stepped out of the car, the car leaning and shaking as her weight left the vehicle. She then opened the back door to her car and pulled out a fat bulldog. Her neighbors seemed to know the woman as they had come outside and given her hugs and kisses. Two of her neighbors were as large as the woman, while the one who had been watching earlier with the dark hair was as thin as a stick.
Phoenix turned away, not caring too much about her neighbors.
Just as her eyes reached as far as her window would allow her to see, a cat seemed to materialize out of nowhere. One moment it hadn't been there, the next, it was slowly walking down the street. It looked from house to house before it finally settled on a corner and sat, watching the street. Phoenix's excitement quickly drained as she realized the cat was nothing special or important.
"Phoenix! Supper!" Mary called. Phoenix turned away from the window and hurried to the food.
"The neighbors have a visitor." Phoenix reported to her mother.
"Do they?" Mary said, looking over paperwork for her new job, "did you see what our neighbors looked like?" She forked the vegetables on her plate.
"Big." Phoenix held her arms out on either side of her body, mimicking making her body a ball.
"Phoenix." Mary scolded.
"Well they are." Phoenix waved her fork as-a-matter-of-factly, some potatoes fell onto the placemat, which Phoenix quickly wiped away. "Except," she forked the rest of the potatoes into her mouth, "for one, who is really skinny!" Phoenix sucked in her stomach and sat up as straight as she could, holding her hands upright on either side of her body, making herself appear skinnier.
"Don't talk with your mouth full." Mary took a bite of ham.
Phoenix forked a mouthful of vegetables in her mouth, "Don't talk with your mouth full." She coyly repeated, making sure to spit vegetables at her mother. She laughed at the unimpressed look her mother gave her.
"You know," her mother stuffed some potatoes in her mouth and leaned towards Phoenix, "it's very rude to talk with your mouth full, you could get food on everyone," she copied Phoenix's earlier move, making sure to spit potatoes at Phoenix. The two girls couldn't help their giggles that soon erupted into roaring laughter. Each tried to stuff their mouth fuller than the other and scold each other on how rude it was to talk with their mouths full.
Eventually they finished eating and cleaned up. "How about some dessert to celebrate a relatively easy move?" Mary suggested.
"Bertie Bott's?" Phoenix suggested.
"Oh, you know I don't like Bertie Bott's." Mary complained. Phoenix pulled Mary into the sunroom, enjoying the warm summer heat.
"Please!" Phoenix jumped up and down, Mary smirked and pulled a box out of seemingly nowhere. They sat in the suspended whicker chairs, passing the box of Bertie Bott's every flavor beans back and forth.
"Okay," Mary showed the pink bean to Phoenix, "what do you think?"
"Bubblegum?" Phoenix suggested.
Mary looked at it, "maybe soap?"
"Ooh! Or candy floss!" Phoenix excitedly bounced in her chair.
"Only one way to find out." Mary popped the bean in her mouth and immediately made a face, "salmon!" she cringed and shuddered as the bean went down. Phoenix laughed, reaching for the box. Suddenly, a dog began barking furiously next door. "Sounds like one mean dog." Mary said, Phoenix peeked over Mary's shoulder, noticing a small, quick shape that hid up in a tree. "Okay," Mary got her attention, "your turn!"
Phoenix pulled out a green and brown bean trying to tune out the dog barking, "Hmm? Maybe grass?"
"Or vomit." Mary smirked, leaning back in her chair and sipping her pumpkin juice.
"Or," Phoenix dragged out the word, "Maybe cabbage?" She popped the bean in her mouth and nearly spat it out, "Vomit!" she fanned her tongue. The bean felt like it was burning a hole in her tongue.
"You have to swallow, or you lose." Mary laughed. Phoenix stubbornly swallowed the vomit flavored bean. Phoenix started to hand the box back to her mother when Mary stood suddenly. The dog next door had not stopped barking and Mary looked towards their shared fence. "Hold on a second, Nixy." She stepped out of the sun room and walked over to the fence. Phoenix followed at a distance, afraid the dog would break through the fence somehow.
"Sorry about the dog." A voice called from the tree. Both Mary and Phoenix jumped with surprise, looking up at the tree.
"Hello?" Mary called, a small, black, scruffy-haired boy, with round glasses too large for his face, peeked down at them through the leaves. "Oh!" Mary exclaimed, holding a hand out for Phoenix. She took it, looking up at the boy in the tree.
"Sorry about the dog," the boy repeated over the barking.
"What happened?" Mary asked, her voice was shaking.
"I accidentally stepped on the dog's paw." The boy admitted. Phoenix looked at him curiously, he was so small she doubted he could have hurt the dog if he'd actually stepped on it. The rain from earlier had all but stopped, but rain still clung to the tree and made the boy wet.
"Why doesn't someone call it away?" Mary asked. The boy said nothing, Phoenix looked at the tree, if the boy was careful he could climb around the tree, drop into their yard, and escape from the dog.
"Could you jump down over here?" Phoenix asked.
"Phoenix." Mary looked back at her with tight brows, she turned towards the boy, "sorry, we're new." She explained, "we just moved in."
"I know." The boy said, readjusting his grip on the tree.
"Oh," Mary looked at Phoenix and shrugged. She turned back to the boy, "Well, I'm Mary, and this is my daughter, Phoenix." The words came out fluidly, with no hesitation. Phoenix waved at the boy. "What's your name?" Mary asked.
"Harry." The boy responded, glancing down at the dog.
Mary nodded slowly and said nothing for a minute. Phoenix looked between her mother and Harry, wondering if they were just going to watch him get snipped at by the dog, or if they were going to do anything to help. Finally, Mary took a breath, "I think you should do as Phoenix suggested, why don't you try to climb around and jump down over here?"
"I don't know." Harry seemed unsure, as if he didn't trust total strangers who just moved in next door and met him while he was cornered in a tree by a vicious dog.
"Or I could go talk to your," Mary hesitated, "parents." Phoenix looked at the back of her mother in confusion. Who else would the boy be living with if not his parents?
"I live with my aunt." Harry said, "and uncle," he added, "and cousin," under his breath. Phoenix felt her cheeks go red, of course. How could she forget? Even she didn't live in a typical family, it was always just her and her mother. No father or siblings. Just the two of them running from a world Phoenix so desperately wanted to belong to. Why would she just assume everyone lived with their parents? Phoenix looked at her shoes with shame. Maybe something happened to his parents. She couldn't believe how stupid she was. Looking back up at the boy in the tree, Phoenix cautiously stepped closer to her mother.
Mary just nodded, "well, you're welcome to hop down over here. Just let me know, it's a far fall and I wouldn't want you to get hurt." Phoenix watched as Mary moved one arm behind her back, flicking it towards the house. Phoenix looked back and noticed how the house was magically cleaning itself in silence, moving anything remotely magical away, and cleaning the house to look presentable, even though they'd just moved in. She looked back at Harry.
"Did you want me to ask your aunt to call the dog off?" Mary asked.
"No." Harry admitted so quietly it was hard to hear over the dog. Mary looked back at Phoenix and shrugged, she shrugged back. There was no use in being outside if the boy didn't want their help. "Okay," he said after a pause, "I'm coming over." He then disappeared into the foliage.
"Be careful," Mary called, "it rained earlier." Suddenly, Harry dropped from the tree and Mary jumped with a start, "Oh my! Harry, I said to let me know, I would have caught you." Harry had fallen completely to his knees. He stood up and wiped the mud off himself, being careful to get as much off as possible.
Now that they were on even ground, Phoenix could tell he was about her age, and his clothes were several sizes too big. "How'd you get that scratch?" Phoenix pointed at Harry's forehead. She hadn't meant to blurt that out, and she immediately felt the heat leave her body. The mark looked like a lightning bolt, and sat smack dab in the middle of his forehead.
"Phoenix, don't point." Mary gently pressed Phoenix's hand down and shot Harry and apologetic look.
"My parents died in a car crash when I was little." Harry moved his hair to cover the mark, "I was left with this scar."
"Oh, I'm so sorry about that." Mary said tensely, she guided both children back inside. "Well, Harry, you're welcome to stay, but I think you should be getting back to your aunt and uncle." Mary held Phoenix's shoulder tightly.
"Thank you," Harry said, looking around their house, "I think," he looked towards the front door, then looked towards his house, "I can stay?" he repeated gently.
Mary nodded, "Of course."
"Can I?" Harry asked again. Phoenix wanted to scream at him, of course he was welcomed. Maybe it would get that dog to shut up, and maybe Phoenix could make her first friend. She wouldn't have to wait for school to start up to make friends, she wouldn't be lonely!
"Yes, Harry." Phoenix answered for her mother. "Come on! Let's be friends!" she held her hand out to Harry. This was it, if she couldn't even be friends with the scraggly, beanpole boy next door then she'd never make friends in this snobbish neighborhood. Phoenix swallowed hard, Harry was just looking at her, his bright green eyes sizing her up. Perhaps she'd come off too strong. Or perhaps he could tell she was a witch. Did muggles hate witches? She felt her hands and toes go cold.
Before Phoenix could dwell on the thought too long, Harry grabbed her hand and gave her a single shake. "Okay. Friends." He smiled, and infectiously made Phoenix smile.
Mary had the two playing board games (muggle ones of course) until night began to fall. The dog was still barking, but now the three could tell the dog was jumping on the fence. "Are you sure you shouldn't be getting back?" Mary would ask every now and then. And every time, Harry would shake his head adamantly.
Phoenix couldn't believe her luck. She had been so against moving to Surrey, afraid she'd never make friends. Yet, here she was, not even a day into living in Surrey and she'd already made a friend. "What is school like?" Phoenix asked, rolling a pair of dice before moving her marble across a board.
"It's okay." Harry said, "I don't have many friends."
"That's okay." Phoenix shrugged, she'd never had many friends either, and those she'd had were worth more than having everyone as a friend, "sometimes just one or two friends is enough." She smiled at Harry.
"I guess." Harry shrugged, moving his marble around and into the 'home' on the board. "I win." He smiled.
"What?" Phoenix looked at the board, sure enough, Harry had won! "How? I always win!"
"I'm sorry!" Harry quickly began to move his pieces back.
"No!" Phoenix laughed, "Congrats! You earned it!" She reached across the board and gave Harry a playful shove. Her hand hit his hard shoulder bone. "Just how small is he?" Phoenix wondered, did his aunt and uncle even feed him?
"Oh." Harry blushed, "thanks." After they'd grown bored of every game, Mary waited until Harry had excused himself to the bathroom before she transfigured one of the plants in the sitting room into a television. Once Harry had come back, Mary suggested putting a movie in.
"Do you have any preferences?" Mary asked, Phoenix had grabbed a blanket and was sitting on the couch.
"No, ma'am." Harry said, sitting on the opposite end of the couch.
"How about we just put it on TV?" Phoenix suggested, snuggling her blanket. It released a pulse of warmth which made Phoenix sigh with content.
"Alright," Mary switched the TV to a cartoon channel, "I'll be right back, you two." She ruffled Phoenix's hair as she walked out.
"Your mom's really nice." Harry said after a minute. Phoenix looked over at Harry, his skinny body illuminated by the TV screen. "And your house is a lot of fun."
"It's usually not." Phoenix admitted, "we tend to move around a lot."
Harry looked at her quizzically, "Why?" he asked.
"Dunno," Phoenix lied with a shrug. Somehow, they'd both stopped leaning on opposite ends of the couch, and were now sitting facing each other. "Why don't you want to go home?" she asked in return.
"They don't like me." Harry glumly mumbled, "that's why they let the dog bark and chase me up the tree."
Phoenix had never heard of such cruelty in her life. Sure, she'd sometimes pictured cruel lives for the people she watched in London, but she never thought a person could actually treat another person with cruelty. She scooted closer to Harry, throwing the edge of her blanket on his lap, "Well, they're just stupid." She said, after making sure her mother wasn't around. "I think you're smart and funny. You beat me in games, and made me laugh a lot." Phoenix reasoned.
"Thank you." Harry played with the edged of the blanket.
Both awkwardly turned to watch the TV in silence. An hour later, there came sharp knocks at the door. "Mom!" Phoenix called absent-mindedly. She could hear her mother shuffling around upstairs, "the secret magic room," Phoenix thought, trying not to appear too excited at the thought of her mother doing magic. Harry was glancing nervously towards the door, Phoenix watched as he tensed up as if ready to bolt. She gently laid her hand on top of his, "It's okay." She smiled.
"Hello?" She heard her mother answer the door.
"Hello, I saw you just moved in today," A small, elderly female voice came from the door.
Harry groaned, throwing his head back against the couch, "That's Miss Figg."
"Who?" Phoenix asked.
"She watches me whenever my aunt and uncle leave for the day." Harry explained, then he leaned closer and whispered, "she smells like cabbage and owns a lot of ugly cats." Phoenix laughed softly, as if they were trading secrets.
Suddenly the door closed, louder than either child expected and they jumped. Phoenix wondered what could have made her mild-mannered mother so angry. Mary stood in the doorway to the sitting room and looked at both children with a tired, content look. "Sorry about that. It was a neighbor introducing herself."
"Was she nice?" Phoenix asked.
"For a first meeting, she seemed a little rushed." Mary said, walking over, "Harry, I think it's time for you to head home."
"Oh." Harry sounded disappointed.
"Don't worry," Mary ruffled his hair, "I'm sure your aunt and uncle will let you come over whenever you like."
Harry said nothing and Phoenix watched as Harry tried his best to hold back tears. Phoenix wrapped her blanket around him, it warmed them both and Harry immediately calmed down. "Okay. Is it okay if I go back over the fence?" he asked.
"Why not go to the front door?" Phoenix asked, and she suddenly realized the dog was still barking out back, "the dog is still barking." She pointed out.
"I just feel better going that way." Harry said.
"Okay," Mary didn't sound convinced, "just this once. Next time you go out the front door." Harry nodded in agreement and took Phoenix's blanket off his shoulders. He wrapped the blanket around Phoenix and hopped off the couch. Phoenix followed with the blanket held around her shoulders like a cape. Mary hoisted Harry onto her shoulders with ease, from there Harry grabbed onto the fence and stood on top of the thin wood.
"Thank you again." Harry said, looking back quickly before he started to lose his balance. He quickly turned back and, as if like magic, jumped back into the tree.
"Mom, did you," Phoenix began to exclaim, but Mary quickly turned around and gave Phoenix a look that made her skin crawl with ice. Mary rushed Phoenix back inside and closed the door, suddenly it was as if every charm settled back down over the house. The barking dog was silenced, and the house was deathly still.
"Sweetie, I don't want you telling Harry anything about magic," Mary kneeled down and took her shoulders, "am I clear?"
"But, did you see him jump?" Phoenix said, looking over her mother's shoulder at the tree. It was too dark to see if Harry was still hiding in the leaves. "Is he a wizard?" she asked her mother.
"You can't tell Harry anything about magic." Her mother reiterated. "Do I make myself clear?" she asked slowly, emphasizing each word.
"Clear." Phoenix admitted defeat with a sigh. Her shoulders slumped. Here she thought she had found a magical kid her age who she could confide her worries in. Her mother must have been truly frightened of the magical world if she didn't want her talking about magic to Harry.
"I need to do a few things," Mary stood suddenly, "I think it's time you went to bed." She got behind Phoenix and gently pushed her towards the stairs. Phoenix sulked up the stairs, one hand on her blanket-cape, the other on the stair banister. When she got to the top, she only paused momentarily at her mother's magic room. What about the magic world scared her mother so much?