"Three up, two across," Mary held Phoenix's hand, looking down at her. Phoenix looked up at her eagerly and nodded. Mary then pulled out her wand and just as she tapped the wall once the door behind them that lead to a pub opened.
"Mary Macdonald?" the two women turned.
Phoenix felt her stomach drop to her feet. Behind them was a large man- "A giant," Phoenix whispered. With dark bushy hair and a beard to match, he wore a dark, heavy looking coat that seemed to be comprised of mostly pockets. His belt buckle was as wide as Phoenix's head, and his shoe probably weighed more than she did.
"Half giant to you," The man said as-a-matter-of-factly.
"Hagrid!" Mary looked torn between smiling and running away.
"Ms. Macdonald? Phoenix?" Harry peeked out from behind Hagrid.
"Harry!" Phoenix exclaimed.
"Harry?" Mary questioned.
"Phoenix?" Hagrid looked at Mary in shock.
Phoenix tuned her mother out and hugged Harry tightly, "What happened? One day you were home, the next-gone!" She pulled back. She couldn't believe she'd just thrown herself at him. Of course, he was her only friend, and his family had all but ran away from home, but hed never done something like that to just a friend.
"Uncle Vernon," was all Harry got to say before Phoenix crushed him in another hug. He returned the gesture. Phoenix could feel his emotions relax as his grip on her tightened. They hadn't seen each other nearly all summer, and Phoenix hadn't realized just how much she'd missed him. Apparently, the sentiment was returned.
"Alright you two lovebirds," Hagrid coughed, the two sprung apart. "Ladies first," Hagrid motioned to the still solid brick wall. Phoenix didn't look at Hagrid, her face burning. She grabbed Harry's hand tightly, turning to watch her mother tap the wall another two times. The brick Mary had tapped wiggled and swiveled, with the surrounding bricks following in time. Phoenix didn't dare blink, watching as the bricks moved to form an archway.
"Welcome," Hagrid grabbed one of Phoenix's shoulders, she could tell from how Harry buckled that Hagrid had also grabbed one of his shoulders, "to Diagon Alley."
The sun was shining bright and warm, "probably due to me." Phoenix thought with a smidge of pride. The small street was bustling with activity, shops lined either side and all sorts of funny dressed men, women, and children wandered around getting their shopping done.
"It was nice to see you, Hagrid, but we must be going." Mary reached for Phoenix.
"Why can't we stay with Harry?" Phoenix adjusted her grip on Harry.
"Harry has to get his own shopping done," Mary said, "right, Hagrid?" Mary pointedly looked up at Hagrid.
"What? Oh-uhm," Hagrid cleared his throat, "of course!" Phoenix frowned and looked at Harry dejectedly.
"We'll probably run into each other again," Mary said as she pulled Phoenix away.
"Okay." Phoenix submitted, she waved back at Harry and Hagrid before turning back around to look at the shops.
"Look!" She could hear a group of kids her age gasp and rush a window, "It's the new Nimbus two thousand! It's the fastest broom in the world!"
Phoenix let Mary pull her along, wishing she had the ability to turn back time so she could look at everything. A plump woman wearing violet robes and red and blue plaid heels haggling for a discount at an Apothecary, an uncomfortable looking family stood next to her, the parents were stiff and straight, and their daughter had hair that was anything but stiff and straight (they looked more out of place than the plump woman). A family of red heads all wearing shabby plaid shirts (none matching the other) looking at discounted books outside a book store. A poor boy complaining to his grandmother (who wore a hideous hat with a dead bird mounted on it) about the toad she'd gotten him.
"Where are we going first?" Phoenix asked enthusiastically.
"Well get your robes first," Mary said, "might as well go in order," though before they reached any sort of clothing store Mary turned completely around and walked away, pulling a confused Phoenix along with her. "Actually, we'll go get your wand first."
"Why?" Phoenix asked, trying to look over her shoulder. It was like before, before Dumbledore visited, when Mary would suddenly turn around and walk away as if running from something. But what could she be running from in such a crowded place? Phoenix only saw a tall man in a black coat usher a younger person beside him into a building.
"I think you'll love getting your wand more than you will getting measured." Mary hurriedly explained. As they walked back down the street, Phoenix looked again at all the shops. The large woman and the family at the Apothecary were gone. The large red head family had moved on to a different store. And the boy and his grandmother (with the still horrid hat) walked past talking about cauldrons and scales.
Suddenly, Mary came to a stop and Phoenix stumbled to a stop beside her. "What is it?" she looked up at Mary who was staring ahead at a store. Phoenix followed her mother's line of sight. All she could see was a tall, thin woman inside a dingy shop. "Who is that?" Phoenix looked back at her mother.
"We'll just be quiet and courteous when we go in," Mary said quickly, "that woman looks deep in thought." Mary's grip on Phoenix's hand strengthened.
"Don't be scared." Phoenix teased as Mary began walking again.
"Nixy," she stopped suddenly again, "You have to understand that I haven't been around this world in years," Phoenix pressed her lips together, ashamed of herself, "This feels as new to me as it does to you. I'm still very jumpy and," Mary sighed, "to be honest, I want to scoop you up and run home, pretend none of this exists." Phoenix could tell Mary was putting the offer on the table, but Phoenix refused.
"No," She said as gently as she could over the noise of the crowds, "I want to do this."
Mary took a breath, she nodded, and they kept moving. As they got closer to the shop, Phoenix could read the sign above the door. "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C." The woman was still inside, and Phoenix agreed-she did look deep in thought. Mary entered first, keeping Phoenix close to her side. But, Phoenix kept turning and peeking around Mary to look at the woman.
Her hair was mostly platinum blonde, but the crown of her head was black. The black was pulled back to the base of her neck with a green and black bejeweled clasp. She had a sad face that looked aged beyond her actual years. She was very pale, but that only brought out her bright blue eyes more. She was looking at something in her delicate hands, and didn't pay much attention to the two other women.
"I wonder why she looks so sad?" Phoenix thought. She eventually turned away and looked around the small shop. There were rows and rows, shelves on shelves of long, thin boxes. Phoenix felt as though the store were a library for wands, each seemingly placed randomly, yet right in their proper place.
"Ah! Ms. Macdonald!" A voice came from seemingly nowhere, Phoenix jumped and grabbed her mother tightly. There, behind the only desk in the shop, stood an old man who seemed to simply materialize out of the dust.
"Hello, Mr. Ollivander." Mary answered quietly. The man had wild white hair, and despite the heat wave going on outside he was dressed in a thick, red, velvet coat, and a raggedy green scarf was tied tightly around his neck.
Mr. Ollivander circled around the desk, "How is your wand holding up? Maple and phoenix feather, eight inches, reasonably pliant if I recall."
"It," Mary sheepishly looked at her wand, which Phoenix didn't even realize was out, "it gets the job done," she smiled at Mr. Ollivander.
"And I suppose you will be getting your wand today, miss," Ollivander looked between Mary, Phoenix and the woman. He looked as though he were going to say more, but simply let his question hang in the air, unfinished.
"Yes?" Phoenix answered cautiously, the air in the store had stilled.
"Which arm is your wand arm?" Ollivander pulled a measuring tape out of his sleeve.
"Uhm, I'm right handed if that counts?" Phoenix asked Ollivander raised her right arm to stick out from her side.
Ollivander moved away and Phoenix jumped, realizing the tape measure was measuring her arm from finger tip to shoulder. It then measured around her head, the length of her braid, around her knee cap, her height, the length of her arm from wrist to elbow, "Stop that," Ollivander called over his shoulder, and Phoenix jumped again when the tape measure fell to the floor, inanimate once more.
"Ebony, unicorn hair," Phoenix head swam with all the words Ollivander used, and simply took the wand he extended out to her. "Give it a wave." He instructed.
Phoenix felt silly, but looked up at her mother who nodded. As she waved her wand the store bell jingled. "I'll be right with you," Ollivander politely said over Mary and Phoenix's heads. Phoenix gave the wand a wave again and the chair behind Ollivander's desk exploded. Her eyes widened and Mary stepped closer, putting an arm around her.
"I'm sorry!" Phoenix exclaimed, dropping the wand as though it were a snake. It didn't hit the floor, it simply whizzed back to Ollivander's hand. He said nothing as he waved his own wand and fixed the chair. Someone snickered behind them, and Phoenix could feel her cheeks burning bright red.
"Beechwood, dragon heart string, nine inches," Ollivander handed her a second wand.
Phoenix hesitantly waved it, a shelf to their right began to rock side to side, several boxes falling out of place. Phoenix dropped that wand too. Ollivander handed her a third once, but almost immediately snatched it back muttering "no, no, not that one," to himself. As the pile of discarded wands grew, Phoenix could hear the family behind them getting frustrated.
"This is why mudbloods shouldn't get to learn magic." She heard one of them say, the voice sounded young, loud, and cocky. Her head was throbbing. What was a mudblood? Why didn't any of the wands work? What would happen if she couldn't get a wand?
Phoenix ignored them as Ollivander handed her another wand, "Hawthorn, unicorn hair, ten inches," she waved it and all the discarded wands she's tried reorganized themselves for Ollivander. He looked at her, impressed. "I think this is the one." He smiled cheekily at her.
"How much do I owe you?" Mary asked, keeping Phoenix close to her side. Phoenix clutched her wand, looking over the wand. The base was smooth, and almost cool to the touch, but a majority of the length was knotted and rugged. The wand felt warm and natural in her hands.
"Seven Galleons." Ollivander smiled pleasantly at them.
Mary quickly paid for her wand. "What's a Galleon?" Phoenix thought, as she clutched her new wand tightly. She'd ask her mother later.
As they turned to leave, Mary turned Phoenix's head into her side so she couldn't see the other family and they couldn't see her face. She could hear the family muttering about the time and mudbloods. Phoenix ignored everything, all the stores and people had disappeared. She looked at her wand like it was the last drop of water on Earth. She couldn't stop running her fingers over the wand, turning it over one way and then the other.
"Do you like it?" Mary asked gently. She hadn't pulled Phoenix along to their next stop, they still stood outside Ollivander's.
"I love it." Phoenix gripped the wand tightly. The wand felt right in her hand, like her whole world suddenly clicked into place. The world was no longer distant and foggy, everything was clear, close, and real. Her heart thrummed in her chest, the sun beating harshly down on top of them.
The door to Ollivander's opened and Phoenix felt the family walk around them. Suddenly, she was falling forward. Phoenix let out a cry and tried to hold her wand above her so it wouldn't break. She expected to hit the cobblestone ground with a sickening crack, instead, she found herself falling into Hagrid's large arms.
"Are you alright?" Mary was down beside her. Phoenix looked around in bewilderment, the boy from the blonde-haired family was looking back at her with an arrogant grin on his lips and mischievous glint in his eye. Mary was looking over her arms and knees as Hagrid set Phoenix down on her feet. Lucky he and Harry were right there to catch her.
Phoenix just looked at the boy, she felt as though she were looking in a mirror, her own eyes staring right back at her. She fell back against Hagrid whose stomach rumbled as he said something. She was torn between anger and confusion as the boy stopped walking, turning back towards her to squint questionably at her. The boy's parents stopped and looked back at their son. They looked just as haughty, pale, and blonde as their son. The mother looked at Phoenix first, and her stiff face dropped and even from a distance Phoenix could tell she'd gasped. The father looked next and Phoenix could see a mix of emotions cross his face.
Suddenly, Phoenix was up in someone's arms, bouncing as whoever held her ran away from the blonde-haired family. Sound, sights, and thoughts returned to Phoenix as she was whisked away. Mary turned into a store and set Phoenix down, "Are you listening to me?" her mother asked, grabbing her shoulders.
"Yes." Phoenix said suddenly, blinking in shock.
"I was asking if you were okay and you were just," Mary waved her hand in front of her face, "gone!"
"I'm sorry," Phoenix wasn't sure why she was apologizing. Her head was still swimming and everything suddenly throbbed with pain.
"This was obviously too much for you to take in," Mary stood up, "you're not ready for Hogwarts."
"What?" Phoenix looked up at her, "No! I AM ready!" She insisted. She could feel tears burning the corners of her eyes, her mother wasn't truly serious about her not going. Was she? Not after finally opening up about magic and teaching her. Phoenix sniffed and squared her shoulders, "I'm going. I'm not scared of magic, like you are!"
Mary looked as though she'd been slapped, "I have every right to be afraid of magic!"
"Oh yeah?" Phoenix challenged, she wasn't sure where her anger was coming from, but she didn't care. How could her mother let her get so excited, even going as far as to buy her a wand, just to take it away from her? "Why?" she demanded.
"Because I've lost loved ones to it." Mary was seething through her teeth. Her voice had dropped to a deadly whisper, "because I've killed people with it." Phoenix felt her blood run cold, a freezing wind whipped through Diagon Alley. People who had been sweating seconds ago were enjoying the cool breeze. "Because powerful, dangerous people want to take you from me for your powers."
Phoenix looked away, ashamed, and terrified. Her mother, her sweet natured, plant loving, skilled teacher, was a murderer. "No!" Phoenix tried to reason with herself, "Maybe it was in self-defense."
Mary was looking at her wand, "I've killed and harmed so many people with magic." She looked at Phoenix, "I don't want you going down the same path I did."
"I won't," Phoenix wanted to tell her. Instead, she just waited to see if Mary would say anything else. After a moment, the chilly wind passed, and Phoenix could feel her heart rate slowly lowering.
"Let's finish your shopping, and go home." Mary said, she turned away and waited for Phoenix to take her hand.
"Do you have your robes?" Mary asked, leading Phoenix through King's Cross station.
Phoenix went over the contents of her trunk in her head, "Yes." She answered. She glanced at her mother, she wasn't dressed for her usual teaching job as it was Sunday, but she still looked nice to Phoenix. She wore a long sweater dress that Phoenix knew Mary wore only when she was worried. Mary also had on a thick fluffy jacket even though the only thing chilly was the September wind. Phoenix's excitement warmed her and the station.
"Do you have your wand?" Mary asked, one hand on the trolley that Phoenix was struggling to push.
"Yes." Phoenix called over the noise of the busy morning. King's Cross was bustling with activity, people leaving on trips or coming back loitered around the platforms.
"All your books were packed?" Mary looked around.
Phoenix wondered if she was looking for someone, or trying to avoid someone. "Yes." She answered automatically.
"Your cauldron, vials, scales, and ingredients?" Mary looked lost in thought as she slowed down.
"Yes, yes, yes, and yes." Phoenix nodded off each item. She didn't understand why the school didn't simply supply the students with all the items they would need, but supposed it was just for safety. "Still," Phoenix leaned against her trolley as Mary had stopped and was looking around, "this is too much for me to carry without the trolley." She thought.
"Alright," Mary walked around and stood behind Phoenix, "We'll go together, okay?"
"Together? Where?" Phoenix looked at the trains on either side of the platform. Neither train looked particularly magical, not like the one her mother had described to her. Scarlet in color with students all in their Hogwarts robes rushing for an open compartment.
Mary leaned down and rested her hands on Phoenix's shoulders and pointed ahead at a brick wall between the platforms. "Platform nine," she pointed to one train, "platform ten" she pointed to the other train, "we need platform nine and three-quarters." She stayed leaned over, propping herself up with her hands on her knees.
"But," Phoenix looked around, "I don't see platform nine and three-quarters." She looked at her mother, "I thought you said it was between nine and ten?"
"It is," Mary smiled, and moved her finger to point at the wall between the platforms, "we just have to get there."
"Run at the wall?" Phoenix asked, "I love magic," she bounced excitedly.
"Are you ready?" Mary stood back up, placing both hands on Phoenix's shoulders once again. Phoenix nodded eagerly, "run." Mary whispered. Phoenix could feel her mother on her heels as she ran for the wall. She almost expected someone to run into her, she expected to hit the wall and crash, she expected a thousand horrible scenarios, but she did not expect to go through the wall. It felt as though a cool blast of wind whipped past her face, and there it was.
The scarlet steam engine. Parents and students shuffled around saying their goodbyes. Phoenix felt her heart stop for a moment, tears of joy blurred her vision. Magic was a part of her life, and yet she never in a million years expected to be going to a school to learn magic. She must have looked silly, looking at the train with tears glistening in her eyes, but she didn't care.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Mary said behind her, Phoenix felt her skin tighten as she jumped at the break in concentration. She blinked the tears out of her eyes, nodding and not once looking away from the train for fear it would disappear. "Let's take care of your trunk and find you a compartment." Mary took the trolley from Phoenix's slacked grasp. She followed her mother with quick steps, looking around and trying to memorize every face she saw.
A boy was standing, surrounded by his friends as he slowly cracked open the box he was holding. The group closed in around the box before Phoenix could see what was inside. "You've got all your books, and quills?" a mother asked her daughter, the daughter groaned confirming by telling her mother she had double and triple checked that morning before they left. Phoenix smiled, glad to know she wasn't the only one who went through a checklist before leaving. Mary steered the trolley to one end of the train, a man in a conductor's uniform smiled.
"Good morning." He beamed, "Ah, is that for me?" he clasped his hands together and pointed them down at her trunk.
"Yes," Mary answered. Phoenix looked at the man, he looked like any muggle conductor with a uniform that matched the scarlet of the train, and gold trimmings that matched his shimmering gold eyes.
The man easily hefted her trunk off the trolley and Phoenix gasped in delight, looking at her mother in awe. Mary smiled gently back at her and allowed the man to mark down her name, "How long will it take for me to get my trunk back?" Phoenix asked curiously, she leaned forward ever so slightly to look in the train car. The car seemed to go on forever, with rows and rows of shelves all filled to the brim with other identical trunks and luggage.
"Oh, not to worry," The man had a slight northern accent, he grinned at her, "The trunks will be taken to your house dormitory once you're at the castle."
"It's her first year," Mary wrapped an arm around Phoenix, and Phoenix could feel her pride and worry.
The man looked excited, "It is?" he squatted down to Phoenix's level. As he did, Phoenix noticed just how tall and lanky the man was. Now that he was on Phoenix's level she could just see a tuff of dark hair peeking out from under his hat, and his cheeks were dotted with light freckles. "Do you know what house you'd like to be in?"
"Gryffindor, like my mom." Phoenix beamed excitedly.
"Ah," The man stroked his chin with one gloved hand, "Gryffindor, house of the brave." His golden eyes sparkled. "I'm sure you'll do well in whatever house you get, love," he reached forward and tweaked her nose.
Phoenix giggled, something about the man was very charming and magical, making her all the more excited to get to Hogwarts. Mary and the man exchanged a few pleasantries before another student came up and the man waved them both goodbye.
"He was nice." Phoenix smiled, feeling warm and fuzzy from her encounter.
"He was." Mary stopped at one of the doors, "alright, on you pop." She gently pushed Phoenix towards the door, "the first compartment to your right looked empty when we passed." She said.
"You're not coming on board with me?" Phoenix stopped in the door and turned back to the platform. All her warm and fuzzy feelings were gone now that she was in the confides of the train. The sounds of the platform were muffled in the hall of the train car.
Mary shook her head, looking at Phoenix sadly, "I've done my time on this train," she stepped back and looked from the engine to the caboose. Phoenix wondered what her mother was thinking, sensing Mary's doubts and fears. "Is that a part of my magic?" Phoenix wondered to herself. Mary looked back at Phoenix and stepped to the door, kneeling down to be eye level with Phoenix. "Now it's your turn to ride, and make it a journey." She said quietly.
Phoenix smiled, she thought of her wand, and all the classes she'd be taking, of all the friends she could make. "Harry," a voice in Phoenix's head whispered. Her smile dropped, she scanned the crowd behind Mary for the scrappy, black haired boy.
"Phoenix?" Mary looked at her. Phoenix looked deep into her mother's dark brown eyes. Mary was looking over Phoenix as if she'd never see her again.
Phoenix smiled, "I'm coming back for Christmas, don't forget." She said, "we can bake the muggle way all day when I get back," she promised. "And I'll write you every day." Mary laughed softly. Phoenix paused, "You'll write me too, right?"
Mary pulled Phoenix into her arms. Phoenix wrapped her arms around her as tightly as possible. "Every day, Nixy," Mary ran her hand over Phoenix's braided hair, brushing the stray hairs back, "Every day."
Phoenix buried her face in her mother's fluffy jacket. This was it. She wasn't going to be with her mother, something that had never happened in her life. It had always been just her and her mother. Having no friends, Phoenix was never invited to sleep overs or parties, she had never spent a night away from home-much less a night away from her mother. Now, seemingly overnight, Phoenix would be far from her mother, far from her bed, far from home, "But I'll be learning magic." Phoenix told herself, which was enough for her to pull away from the hug.
"Oh!" Mary reached into one of the many hidden pockets on her jacket, "I almost forgot." She pulled out a small journal." Mary looked thoughtfully at the journal, Phoenix glanced between the book and her mother. "When I was your age," Mary gripped the book tightly, "And my parents brought me here, my mother pulled me aside and gave me a journal." Mary flipped the journal over, holding it out to Phoenix. Phoenix's eyes widened in shock, her mother never talked about family, whatever had gotten into her that made her open up Phoenix hoped it continued. "She told me," Mary continued, "to write down everything that couldn't fit in a letter, and everything that could fit in a letter." Phoenix let Mary slip the book into her hands, Mary's hands laying over Phoenix's. "She told me her mother did the same to her, and that her mother had done the same to her, and so on."
"Wow." Phoenix whispered.
"I found it easiest," Mary said quietly, as though telling a secret, "to pick a day of the week, and just write down what's happened over the past week." Phoenix held the book tightly. Mary looked over her again, "I can't believe this is actually happening." She whispered softly. "My little girl, going to Hogwarts."
Phoenix smiled, before she could say anything a wave of students boarded the train as more flooded onto the platform. "Here," Mary hugged her tightly again, "do me proud." She whispered in Phoenix's ear.
Phoenix nodded against her mother's shoulder, "I love you, mom."
"I love you, Phoenix. Never forget that." Phoenix could almost hear her mother's heart break. Mary smiled at her, looking torn between crying and smiling. "Now, go," Mary gently pushed Phoenix further back on the train, "get a seat before they're all taken."
Phoenix was thankful the compartment her mother had pointed out was still empty. She sat the journal on the seat and hopped up on the seat herself. She opened the window and leaned out, grabbing Mary's outstretched hand. Mary was crying, but her smile was wide. Phoenix smiled back, she didn't need magic to know her mother was just as anxious as she was. The whistle blew and Mary's grip on Phoenix tightened.
"I love you." Mary said again, the tears now freely falling down her face and onto the platform.
"I love you too, mom." Phoenix said over the rush of students finding a seat. As the train lurched forward Mary tried her best to hold onto Phoenix. Phoenix's eyes widened, her mother wouldn't be so irrationally scared of her leaving that she'd hurt herself trying to follow, would she? Before Phoenix had finished the thought Mary's tight grasp released her. The train was now out of the station. Mary's waving hand was lost in the sea of parents waving their children off. And then, as Phoenix leaned dangerously far out the window, the wind just starting to pick up and blow her braid around her, the train rounded a corner and the station was gone.
"Phoenix!" A voice called behind her, a pair of arms wrapped around her, "what are you doing out the window?" she was pulled back and Phoenix turned as she was tumbling off the seat.
"Harry!" She fell on a second boy who was standing in the middle of the compartment. They both fell with an oomph and a thud against the carpeted floor. "Sorry," Phoenix pushed herself off the boy, completely embarrassed with herself. The boy said nothing, pushing himself up as Phoenix got off him.
"Ooh looks like ickle Ronniekins has a girlfriend." A new voice said. Phoenix's head snapped up to look at two lanky, freckled, and red haired identical boys.
"Doing better than you, Georgie." The second boy said. Phoenix blinked in surprise, they must have been twins, but even still their voices sounded eerily similar.
"I don't even know who she is." The boy she'd fallen on said. Phoenix jumped back bumping into Harry who simply went limp and fell back on the seat.
"I'm sorry!" Phoenix insisted, looking at all the boys. The boy she'd fallen on looked almost like a smaller version of the two boys in the compartment doorway. "I didn't mean to."
"It's okay, Phoenix." Harry said gently.
"Listen," One of the twins said, all three in the compartment looked at them, "We're going down to Lee's compartment."
"He's got a giant tarantula." The other said eagerly. Now that Phoenix looked between the three red-haired boys she noticed small differences. While the twins had narrow noses, the younger boy had a wider nose, and the twins weren't as freckled as their younger brother.
"At least, I'm guessing they're brothers." Phoenix thought, trying to compare the younger boy to each twin.
"Fine." The boy Phoenix had fallen on mumbled.
"Harry," Phoenix's head snapped around to look at the other boy, "Did we ever introduce ourselves?" one twin asked.
"Fred and George Weasley," the other said, Phoenix looked back at them, "And it seems you met Ron."
"But," The first said, "Incase you didn't know," he nodded to Phoenix, "This is our younger brother, Ron."
"Nice to meet you." Phoenix and Harry said at the same time, Phoenix blushed and looked at the very interesting pattern on the seats. The twins said their goodbyes and left, closing the compartment door after them.
"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted so suddenly Phoenix jumped. Ron sat down across from Harry, enthusiastically bouncing on the seat. Phoenix sat next to Harry, looking between the two.
Harry nodded and Ron leaned back with a sound of amazement. "Sorry?" Phoenix looked curiously at Ron, "am I missing something?"
"He's only the most famous wizard of this century! Aside from maybe Dumbledore." Ron exclaimed.
"Famous?" Phoenix laughed, "what are you talking about?" she looked at Harry who was awkwardly avoiding her gaze. "Harry?" she questioned, leaning over to try and look him in the eye, "Is there something you're not telling me?"
"Remember how I said my parents died in a car crash?" Harry sheepishly turned back to look at her, "It turns out Vol-" Harry saw Ron flinched and stopped, "A very bad wizard known as You-Know-Who killed them. He tried to kill me but didn't." He pushed his hair back and showed his scar off. Phoenix blinked, she'd gotten so used to seeing the scar she didn't even notice it anymore. "He gave me this scar."
"My mother talked about a bad wizard." Phoenix thought aloud.
"Do you remember anything about it?" Ron asked, Harry shook his head. Although Ron looked disappointed he didn't stay so for long. "How do you know Harry?" he turned to Phoenix.
"Me?" Phoenix asked, "I live next door to him."
"You live next door to Harry Potter?" Ron asked amazed.
Phoenix nodded, "Oh! Sorry, I'm Phoenix Macdonald." She introduced.
"Wow." Ron breathed, "it must have been awesome living next door to Harry Potter." Phoenix wanted to laugh. Harry didn't even know he was magical until just a few weeks ago. Ron apparently had no idea the kind of treatment the Dursley's gave him. "I heard you went to live with Muggles, what was that like?"
"Horrible." Harry admitted.
"Not everyone was horrible." Phoenix argued.
"I didn't know you were magic, too." Harry said, "so yeah, most were horrible." He looked back at Ron, "at least my aunt, uncle and cousin were."
"Were?" Phoenix asked. The houses of London and the suburbs around it were gone, and now fields of lush green were rushing by. The rock of the train on the tracks had become so familiar that Phoenix hardly noticed it.
"Hagrid scared them so much they didn't bother me at all the past few weeks." Harry nodded.
"Hagrid?" Ron asked what Phoenix had been thinking.
"He's gamekeeper for Hogwarts." Harry answered. "He gave me my letter and was with me that day at Diagon Alley." Harry turned to Phoenix.
"Oh!" Phoenix exclaimed, "The giant!"
"Half giant." Harry corrected. "Remember?"
"So, what about your family?" Ron turned to Phoenix. "Are you muggle-born or," he trailed off, the question was obviously very cautious but genuinely curious.
"It's just me and my mom." Phoenix said, gripped the seat, "We're both magic. And I know my mom's family is magic. I don't know much about my dad, but my mom said she met him at Hogwarts, so I guess he's magic too."
"I bet you know loads of magic then?" Ron asked.
Phoenix shook her head, "my mom was scared of magic. She only used it to clean and cook."
"No wonder your mom's food tasted magically good." Harry mumbled thoughtfully. He and Phoenix shared a look and laughed. Ron looked between the two with confusion.
"Anyways." Phoenix said, "I don't know much, except for what I taught myself."
"I bet I'll be the worst in class." Harry blurted.
Ron shook his head, pursing his lips in disagreement, "You won't. There are loads of kids who come from muggle families. Everyone starts off the same."
"Thank goodness." Phoenix gave a sigh of relief. "What about you?" she asked.
"Me?" Ron shrugged, "if I do good it won't matter."
"Why not?" Phoenix asked curiously.
"I've got five older brothers." Ron humorlessly said. "My oldest brother Bill was Head Boy. Charlie was quidditch captain. Percy's a prefect." Ron ticked off his hand, "Fred and George joke around a lot but still make good marks. If I do good no one will care because they've done it all before me." Ron admitted, though Phoenix could tell he was ashamed of feeling bitterness towards his brothers.
A little after noon, just around an hour of traveling, a plump woman came by pushing a cart. She opened the compartment door, "Anything from the trolley dears?" Phoenix shook her head politely along with Ron who held up a lump of food. Harry on the other hand jumped up and went to look at the cart.
"I brought sandwiches." Ron mumbled looking dejectedly at the lumpy food in his hands.
"I'll take a few of everything." Harry eventually said, he dug into his pockets, pulling out coins and paying the woman. She let him grab any combination of sweets and treats, and thanked him before closing the compartment and moving on.
"Hungry?" Phoenix looked at Harry's load in shock.
"Starving. The Dursley's didn't let me eat this morning." Harry admitted, laying his cache out on the two seats. Phoenix just looked at all the food, some she recognized-like Bertie Bott's, Pumpkin Pasties, and Licorice Wands-other she didn't. Phoenix looked at Ron who was unwrapping his sandwiches.
"She always forgets." He mumbled, "corn beef." He wrinkled his nose in disgust.
"Here." Harry held out a Pumpkin Pasty. "We'll trade."
"No," Ron shook his head fervently, "it's all dry and," Harry was having none of it as he pushed the sandwiches out of Ron's hands and slapped the pasty down in his now empty hands.
"You too," Harry nodded to Phoenix as he ripped into a Licorice Wand.
"What? Why? I'm not hungry." Phoenix lied. She so desperately wanted a box of Bertie Bott's, she wanted Harry to try them.
"You always shared your stuff with me." Harry nodded to the treats, "take whatever."
Phoenix didn't want to seem so eager to grab the box of every flavored beans. Instead she slyly slid it to rest under her leg, and reached for an odd, blue, hexagonal shaped box. "What's this?" she turned it over in her hands.
"You don't know?" Ron asked, bits of black cake flying out of his mouth.
"Chocolate Frogs?" Phoenix read, "It's not real is it?"
Ron shook his head, "go on, turn it over. I'm missing Agrippa." Phoenix turned the box over as Ron talked, Harry grabbed a different box of Chocolate Frogs.
"Artemisia Lufkin," Phoenix read, "First witch to become Minister of Magic." Phoenix looked at the portrait of the woman. She wore brilliant emerald robes over a dark pink dress, and her grey hair was swept back into a low bun.
"Watcher!" Ron shouted. Phoenix screamed and dropped the box. The chocolate frog, which had been still before, was suddenly jumping around. "Catch it!" The three stood up and tried to catch the bouncing chocolate frog. Unfortunately, it managed to slip out the small crack they'd left open from the window. "Shame." Was all Ron said as he settled back down, "but it is the card you really should want." Phoenix settled back in her seat, sitting on the Bertie Bott's box she'd nearly forgotten in her shock of moving chocolate.
When she held the box in her hands, Phoenix thought fondly of eating the treats with her mother. "Back before she was so open about magic," she thought carefully opening the box, "this was all I felt I had of the magic world."
"I've got Dumbledore!" Harry exclaimed, looking at his Chocolate Frog. He just let the chocolate frog go, more interested in the card than the sweet.
"Careful with those." Ron said, his eyes wide. Phoenix looked at him in surprise, "they mean every flavor."
"I know." Phoenix smiled fondly, "My mom and I used to eat these on special occasions, as kind of a game." She smiled as she poured a single, yellow bean into her hand. "I usually had better luck than her." She popped it in and immediately puckered. Harry and Ron burst into laughter, "Lemon!" Phoenix toughed through the sour, juicy taste the bean let out and swallowed it.
"Go on then," she shoved the box at Harry with a challenge, "you try one!"
"Alright." Harry gladly accepted the challenge and reached in. He pulled out a light brown bean with specks of purple, red, and darker brown.
"Could be bad." Ron watched with anticipation.
"Only one way to find out." Harry said, suddenly sounding very nervous. Phoenix watched eagerly, secretly hoping the bean would be bad so she could have a laugh. Harry threw his head back and dropped the bean in his mouth. When he brought his head back to look at them, he was chewing pensively. Once he swallowed he smiled, "Toast!" He exclaimed.
"Here," Ron reached over and reached into the box, pulling out a green bean.
"You have to eat the whole thing!" Phoenix challenged. She didn't trust a single green bean that came from the box. No good flavor ever came from a green bean.
Ron suddenly looked as though he wanted to throw the bean back, but Harry pulled the box away from him, "No gives backsies." He said.
Ron groaned, but cautiously pushed the bean in his mouth. Phoenix and Harry watched on the edge of their seats, but Ron refused to bite into the bean.
"Go on!" Phoenix egged him on. "We both had a bean."
"Chew, chew, chew!" Harry chanted.
Ron gave them both a glare, but slowly bit down into the bean. He sounded like he was gagging as he quickly swallowed the bean, "Sprouts!" He grabbed a Cauldron Cake and shoved it in his mouth, fighting to get the wrapper off so he could eat it in one bite.
They passed the box around. Phoenix had gotten fudge, cheese, toothpaste, cherry, trout, spinach, leather, and marshmallow. Ron had tried eggs, plastic, vanilla, hot chocolate, candy floss, crab, steak, and paper. Harry got coconut, baked beans, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine, and tried a grey one that Phoenix and Ron refused to touch-which was pepper.
Outside, the neat fields had turned to wild forests, rushing riversides, and dark green, breathing, rolling hills. The sky was pink as the sun began to sink below the horizon.
"Do you mind if I check on my rat?" Ron asked.
"Not at all." Harry answered for the both of them.
Phoenix was popping several small handfuls of beans in her mouth as Ron stood up and reached for a crate in the overhead rack. The mixture of flavors, good and bad, made Phoenix want to sigh and throw up all at once. One of the novelties of the beans that she loved. Ron pulled a small, scraggly lump out of the small metal cage.
"This is Scabbers." Ron held out the sleeping rat for them to see. He sat down, "He's not much, I got him from my brother Percy."
"He's awful looking." Phoenix blurted.
"Yeah." Ron admitted unabashedly. "he might die and no one would be the wiser." He looked at the rat with a mixture of fondness and disgust, "He's old, and missing a toe," Ron pushed back the matted fur around one of Scabbers feet. Sure enough, he was missing one of his little toes. "George said he can turn yellow."
"What?" Phoenix asked.
"Look," Ron pulled out an old looking wand. The wand looked as though it'd been through war, and a bit of silver light was peeking out the end. "My brother Charlie's old wand." Ron explained when he saw Phoenix looking at his wand in alarm. "Sunshine," Ron waved his wand but nearly choked on his words when the compartment door suddenly opened.
A girl already wearing her Hogwarts robes was standing in the doorway. She looked irritated and determined, with lots of bushy brown hair, and large front teeth. "Has anyone seen a toad?" she asked. "A boy named Neville's lost his."
"No." Ron answered, and Harry and Phoenix shook their heads.
"Oh?" The girl looked at Ron's wand, "Are you doing magic?" she entered the compartment and sat next to Ron, eagerly. "Let's see it then."
Ron blinked, taken aback. He looked at Harry and Phoenix, she could see Harry shrug next to her. Taking another breath, Ron pointed his wand at the sleeping rat on his lap, "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow." He raised his wand, "turn this stupid, fat rat yellow." He waved it down at Scabbers. A flash of light crossed Scabbers body and the rat woke with a squeak, however, Scabbers was just as brown, ratty, and ugly as before. He was no more yellow than Phoenix was muggle.
"Are you sure that's a real spell?" the girl asked, looking very unimpressed. "I've tried a few simple spells myself, and they've all worked for me." Ron angrily shoved the startled rat back in his cage. He didn't look at the girl. "For example." She pulled her wand fluidly out of her robe. Harry and Phoenix sat as far back in their seat as they could, looking at the girl wide eyed. "Oculus Reparo." Phoenix watched as Harry's busted, taped up glasses tweaked and fixed themselves.
Phoenix didn't know why this burned her so much. "Maybe because you should have offered when you first saw them broken." A voice in her head said, "but I couldn't have at the time. He didn't know what magic was." She argued with herself, "I'd just gotten so used to them being broken nothing looked out of place."
When Harry took his glasses off to inspect them the girl let out a very audible gasp, making everyone look at her in surprise again. "Holy cricket! You're Harry Potter!" Harry nodded slowly, sliding his glasses back on his face.
"I'm Hermione Granger." The girl finally introduced herself. "And you two?" she looked at Phoenix and Ron, unimpressed.
"Ron Weasley." Ron yanked at a bite of Licorice Wand not caring that he was talking with his mouth full of food.
"Phoenix Macdonald." Phoenix mumbled, trying to look anywhere but at her compartment mates.
"Pleasure to meet you all." Hermione said, then she stood with a flounce and started to leave, "By the way," she turned back one last time, "you had all better change into your robes, I expect we'll be arriving at Hogwarts soon." The three slipped their robes on over their clothes, not bothering to change into their uniform as classes wouldn't start until the next day.
A familiar voice rang across the train. "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes. Please leave any personal luggage you may have with you on the train. It will be taken to the school separately." It was the same person who had taken Phoenix's luggage. The three squeezed together by the window, looking up at the now deep purple sky. In the distance twinkling lights danced on a hill side, disappearing between trees as the train slowed to a stop.
Ron and Harry stuffed the last bit of treats into their pockets, not wanting to waste any of the precious candy. Phoenix peeked out of the compartment and saw other students were standing in the hall, ready to step out once the doors opened. "Come on," She pulled at Harry and Ron's robes. "We'll be swept away if we don't hurry out." The doors to the train all slid open and everyone rushed out onto the tiny station platform. What had been a pleasant day back at King's Cross had turned into a chilly night up north. Phoenix huddled herself between Harry and Ron all three were shivering, but sticking close together. Ahead, a lamp bobbed over the heads of moving students.
"Firs' years! Firs' years this way!" a voice boomed over the crowd.
"Hagrid." Harry beamed, he moved first, pulling Phoenix after him. Phoenix grabbed onto Ron and pulled him after her, and the three weaved their way through the throng of students. Phoenix tried to look beyond the platform, but only saw dark trees. Everything looked wet, as though it had recently rained, and that only added to the chill of the night.
"Whoa." Ron stumbled to a stop beside Phoenix, the two looked up at Hagrid's massive form towering over the crowd.
"All right there, Harry?" Hagrid asked, he beamed and nodded politely to Phoenix and Ron. "Nice to see you again, Phoenix." Phoenix smiled and nodded politely back.
Before any more words could be exchanged Hagrid turned around, sweeping his lamp over their heads, "Firs' years! Firs' years this way!" Harry, Ron and Phoenix followed closely behind Hagrid. The rest of the students went down a separate path just off the station platform, but the first years followed Hagrid down a steep narrow path. "Watch yer step now." Hagrid called over his shoulder, holding his lamp high to illuminate the path as best as he could.
Once or twice one of them would slip, but the other two would grab for a support them. "Don't fall on me again." Ron teased, though she could tell he also genuinely meant it.
"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec." Hagrid threw over his shoulder. The reached the bottom of the path and rounded a corner. Harry, Ron and Phoenix stood to one side behind Hagrid so they would be able to see, and as they finished their turn around the bend Phoenix could hear a collective gasp over the group. The path led to a small, pebbly beach, which gave just enough space for the students to fan out behind Hagrid and get a look at Hogwarts. Phoenix's heart pounded so powerfully in her chest she was scared it would simply burst with excitement and anticipation. Hogwarts was a vast castle with many turrets and towers, perched on the edge of a hill overlooking the great dark lake before them. The windows twinkled against the dark sky so beautifully that Phoenix had to blink a few times to convince herself that the castle wasn't made out of the night sky itself.
"No more than four to a boat." Hagrid instructed, pointing his lamp at a fleet of boats on the shore. He got in his own boat and waited patiently. Harry and Ron quickly grabbed a boat, waving for Phoenix to join them. She slipped in the front of the boat, taking hold of the lantern that hung over the front of the boat. Phoenix didn't look back to see if a fourth student joined them. Her sights were on Hogwarts and the future that awaited her in its surely grand halls.
"Everyone in?" Hagrid twisted and turned in his boat to do a head count, "right. Forward!"