Phoenix woke to the sound of trunks slamming shut. "I told my mother to pack my pink hair ties, NOT my purple ones." A shrewd voice huffed. "She knows I HATE purple."
"Why? I think purple is a lovely color." A second voice joined. Phoenix pretended to be asleep, she wasn't ready to face the world just yet. She thought that if she stayed in bed she could keep pretended she was still Phoenix Macdonald, and not Phoenix Malfoy.
"Yeah? Well you didn't have people calling you 'Violet', 'Amethyst' and all other Purple-related-names under the sun because your parents decided to name you Lavender." The first voice grumbled.
"Be quiet," a third voice spoke up, "Phoenix is still asleep."
"Well she should be getting up soon," That was Hermione, she recognized her voice from the train, "we have our first classes immediately after breakfast."
"I'm not going to wake her up." Lavender said.
"Me either." Said the second girl.
"Good." Phoenix thought, bitterly burying herself further under her blankets. The dormitory door opened and closed, Phoenix assumed Lavender left.
"They're rather loud," the third voice from before said, "and rude." The floor creaked and Phoenix could almost feel a body on the other side of her bed curtains.
"Don't." Hermione sighed, "she had a long night last night. Finding out she wasn't who she really was probably hit her really hard."
Phoenix paused in her brooding. Perhaps Hermione wasn't as snobbish as she originally thought, either way the body by her bed moved away. "Alright, I just hope she doesn't get in trouble for sleeping in." The dormitory door opened and closed again.
"If Lavender and the other girl left, and now that girl left," Phoenix tried to remember the names on the plaque outside the door, "then it should just be me and Hermione in the room." Sure enough, seconds later there was knocking on one of her bed posts. "Yes?" Phoenix croaked out, her voice raw from crying all night.
"Oh," Hermione sounded surprised, "you're awake." Phoenix said nothing, "Look I," she trailed off, "I honestly don't know what you're going through, but I don't think you should miss class because of it." Phoenix snuggled further into her pillow, "You need to get up." Suddenly, Hermione threw back the curtain in front of Phoenix's face.
She flinched and instinctively covered her face with her blankets. Hermione's hair was just as bushy as Phoenix remembered it to be from yesterday. "Seems it wasn't just a bad hair day." Phoenix thought, peeking out at the bright light of the dormitory.
"Get up." Hermione ordered.
"And why should I listen to you?" Phoenix demanded, sitting up. Hermione was staring to get on her nerves, something that usually never happened with her. Phoenix always wanted friends, but now she was starting to regret every want she'd ever wanted in life.
"Because whether you listen to me or not, you are going to get up for class regardless because that is who you are." Hermione said as a matter-of-factly.
"And who says that's who I am?" Phoenix crossed her arms challengingly. A cool breeze blew across her face, stinging her face where she'd never bothered to wipe her tears away. Before Phoenix could look for the source of the breeze Hermione spoke up again.
"You left all your school books and notes on them scattered around your bed last night." Hermione looked at her unamused, "I know you are just as eager as I am to start learning magic." Phoenix's confident, squared, stance faltered and deflated a little.
"Alright," Phoenix threw the covers off herself, she turned, ready to clean up the mess she'd made the night before when she saw none. "I thought you said," Hermione stopped, she was halfway out the door when she turned back, "I'd left a mess."
"You're welcome." Hermione pursed her lips disapprovingly, "I cleaned it up before anyone else woke up."
Phoenix's cheeks got hot, "Thank you." She quietly mumbled. Every time she wanted to dislike the girl she went and did something that made Phoenix feel bad for wanting to dislike her in the first place!
Hermione looked genuinely caught off guard, she opened and closed her mouth a few times before nodding once, "You're welcome." She turned and closed the door behind her, leaving Phoenix the entire dormitory to herself to get ready.
Changing out of her robes and clothes from last night, Phoenix slipped on her Hogwarts uniform, noticing that the school had given her gold and red ties. She managed after a few tries to get a semi-decent looking, tie shape made around her neck. She took her hair out of what remained of her braid from yesterday. After brushing her hair and holding it back with a black hair band, she carefully braided her hair and let it fall over her shoulder. She made her bed after getting dressed and walked down to what she hoped was an empty Common Room.
Instead she found Harry, Ron, Percy, Fred and George, and a few other people she didn't recognize waiting for her.
"I tried to get them to leave." Harry began.
"You all need to leave Phoenix alone." Percy said over the clamor of students rushing over to Phoenix. Her fingers and toes went cold, she could almost feel her ears turning pink.
"Is it true you're the lost Malfoy?" An older girl with bronze skin asked.
"What was your kidnapper like?" One of the Weasley twins asked.
"Did you really live next door to Harry Potter?" The other Weasley twin asked.
"Did you grow up like a muggle?" A boy slightly older with tawny hair asked.
Phoenix could see the gold and red wall paper swirling behind everyone, and her vision grew narrow and dark. She could see Percy elbowing his way through everyone that had crowded around her, "Excuse me, I'm a prefect!" he shouted at people. "Move aside!"
"Please, leave me alone." Phoenix whispered over the noise of people. Her legs felt frozen in place, she couldn't run back up to the dormitory, or try to make a break for it. More people kept coming, asking more questions.
"How did Draco act when he found out?" The third unidentified voice from Phoenix's dormitory asked.
"You went to Dumbledore's office? What was it like?" A boy with dreadlocks asked.
"How come the Sorting Hat didn't put you in Slytherin?" An older boy with slicked brown hair asked.
"Please," Phoenix pleaded, suddenly, Percy and Harry were in front of her.
"Go!" Percy ordered, "You've all had your fun. Can't you see you're stressing her out?"
Harry was looking her over, "what happened last night?" For some reason his question was like a sip of cool water in the desert. Her vision slowly came back, and she was no longer swaying on her feet.
"I'm a Malfoy." She whispered. That whisper was all it took for those quieted down by Percy to start a frenzy again.
"A Malfoy in Gryffindor?" Two girls looked at each other fearfully.
"This can't be happening!" A boy whined, covering his eyes with his hands.
"There must be a mistake!" An older boy angrily grunted.
"They ought to re-sort you." Someone spat.
"Enough!" Percy shouted over them. Phoenix looked up at the older Weasley in mild dread. Why was he sticking up for her? Especially after keeping him up last night. Phoenix hugged herself, hot angry tears burned the corners of her vision. "Phoenix is a Gryffindor. She's one of us," Percy defended, "which mean we look after her." He pointedly looked at the okder students in the group.
"Phoenix?" Harry put a hand on her shoulder. Phoenix bit her lip, all she'd ever wanted in life was to have friends, and learn magic. That's all she'd ever wanted and last night all her dreams had been snatched from her. Just because she wasn't who she thought she was. Her lip quivered, and her vision went completely blurry. "It's alright." Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders comfortingly.
"You've had your fun now?" Percy glowered at those still in the Common Room watching her, "making a young girl cry when she's already very upset?" The room was so quiet, Phoenix could hear her tears drop onto the plush carpet under her feet. "You best hope I do not tell McGonagall about this morning."
"Come on, Percy," someone said, "you wouldn't risk losing House points on the first day of school,"
"Try me." Percy articulated slowly. There was silence again, only the low crackle of the fire, and Phoenix trying hard to silence her cries filled the room.
"Well," one Weasley twin said, "you heard the man."
"Yeah," the other said, "show's over, move along. Go get your breakfast before classes start" There was grumbling and Phoenix could hear the shuffling of feet as people walked out of the Common Room.
"I'm so sorry about them, Phoenix." Percy said, kneeling down in front of Phoenix. Through her tears, she could almost see Percy's sincere concern.
"Yeah, real sorry about them." One of the twins stressed.
"I meant you." Percy glanced back over his shoulder at the other Weasley boys. "We should all hurry down," he glanced at a grandfather clock in the Common Room, "don't want to miss breakfast on the first day."
"More like miss your chance to scold people with your Prefect powers." One twin wiggled his fingers as though casting a spell. Percy said nothing as he lead the way out of the Common Room.
"Sorry about everyone." Ron said, walking beside Phoenix. She looked at him, most of her tears wiped away on her sleeve, "When Fred and George heard we were waiting for you," Ron looked over Phoenix at Harry, "they waited too." Then he added, "and started telling everyone." Harry held onto the stair banister and one of Phoenix's arms as the stairs swung to a different path.
"Don't blame this on us, Ronniekins." One of the twins turned and towered over the three.
"We had no idea people would stay to interview the lost Malfoy." The other twin stood beside the first.
"Please don't call me that." Phoenix pleaded. Every time the word 'Malfoy' was directed at her she could feel more of her old life slipping away. She hoped with all her heart that her mother would write to her soon. Both twins glanced at each other, clearly not expecting Phoenix to be so gentle with them after finding out they'd told people they were waiting for her.
"What do you want to be called then?" The first twin asked, leaning back up to full height to look down at her.
"My name?" Phoenix suggested, sniffing afterwards. She'd slowly regained the feeling of her toes and fingers, and was wiggling them to make sure she wasn't hurt.
"Oh," The second twin clapped, "I've got one, Freddie."
"So that's George." Phoenix thought.
"Go on then?" Fred turned George around and continued walking as the stairs came to their stop.
"Her name's Phoenix, right?" George wrapped an arm around Fred, as if they were two chums, reminiscing about older days, "Why not call her," George swept his hand out in front of them, "Little Birdie."
"What?" Fred leaned back, "have you gone mental?"
"No, because then whenever she says something we could tell people 'a little birdie' told us." George sounded rather pleased with himself.
"I could report you to McGonagall." Percy turned on his heel to face the group, "Name calling is bullying, which is NOT allowed at Hogwarts."
"Pssh," Fred waved Percy off, "it's not name calling, it's giving her a nickname. Like we did with precious icky Ronniekins." Percy said nothing and continued walking towards what Phoenix assumed was the Great Hall.
"I hate that name." Ron grumbled as the three slowed their pace to avoid any more of Fred and Georgie's shenanigans.
"I think it suits you." Harry smiled mischievously, and Phoenix couldn't help but laugh.
"Shut up, Harry." Ron playfully pushed Phoenix into Harry. The three laughed, and for a moment, Phoenix forgot all about her lunch appointment with the Malfoy's. She forgot, that is, until she walked into the Great Hall.
All eyes turned to them.
"Is that?"
"The lost Malfoy? Yeah. Name's Phoenix."
"And she's with?"
"Is that Harry Potter?"
"Harry Potter? As in the Harry Potter?"
"The same one who defeated You-Know-Who?"
"What's he doing with her?"
"What does she think she can do with him? He's famous for killing her father's dark lord."
"Does no one know how to actually whisper?" Phoenix thought, ducking her head down and letting Harry and Ron pick a spot at the table to sit. She could feel the anxious, high strung emotions in the air, and her own emotions felt like a garbled mess of wires and traps. As food materialized near the three, McGonagall walked past them on the other side of the table.
She did a double-take and stopped, "Oh," she walked back over to stand before them, "I have your schedules here, you three." Phoenix looked at her in surprise, this wasn't the same kind woman who had comforted and told Phoenix to look in her journal last night. This was the same McGonagall that had sternly sorted each student.
"Maybe she just tries to keep things professional in front of everyone." Phoenix thought, watching McGonagall finger through the scrolls she had. "Like mom was with kids who came from bad homes." Another pang in her heart.
"Ah, here we are." McGonagall pulled out three scrolls, "For Mr. Weasley, Ms. Malfoy, and Mr. Potter." She handed them their scrolls. Phoenix wanted to rip into her schedule, but waited for McGonagall to leave before she did so. "By the way," McGonagall looked at Phoenix over her glasses, "don't forget your lunch today." Then, without another word, she walked away.
"Lunch?" Harry turned to look at Phoenix, "your lunch?"
"When is lunch anyways?" Ron opened his scroll.
"We're still eating breakfast, and you're concerned about lunch?" Phoenix asked.
Ron looked at her sheepishly, "what?" he asked.
Phoenix took a deep breath and turned to Harry, "I have to go speak with a Ministry official and the Malfoy's."
"Why?" Harry asked, setting his unopened scroll on the table.
"Ugh, herbology." Ron groaned, looking at his scroll. He rolled it back up in frustration and looked at Phoenix and Harry, "probably to find whoever kidnapped her."
"She raised me like I was her daughter." Phoenix whispered. "She wasn't a kidnapper. Kidnappers are mean, evil people who want to hurt kids. My mom never hurt me, she loved me." Phoenix argued.
"Yeah," Ron took a bite out of a roll, "But you have to admit, they probably want to lock her up. You can't just get away with taking someone's kid, can you?"
Phoenix took another deep breath. Even though her stomach was empty and gnawing at itself, she couldn't bring herself to eat even a bite. No fruits, or any amount of oatmeal and donuts Harry offered got her to budge.
"You can't starve yourself." Harry said, stubbornly throwing down his napkin, "I won't let you."
"I know." Phoenix sighed, she had no energy to argue, "I just," she hugged herself, "can't stomach the thought of food." She looked between Harry and Ron and nearly gagged at Ron. He had both cheeks stuffed with bread, and a slab of ham was hanging out his mouth.
Ron guiltily swallowed the food he had in his mouth, "Sorry." He offered, Phoenix shook her head and unraveled her scroll. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays she had Herbology from nine to eleven. Then, on Mondays she didn't have another class until Charms from two to four. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, she had Defense Against the Dark Arts from nine to eleven, and then Transfiguration from one to three. On Wednesdays after her Herbology class, she had nothing until History of Magic from one to four.
Phoenix's eyes widened in worry, she remembered her mother talking horribly about the professor. "Though, maybe he's been replaced. Surely they wouldn't keep a ghost and would let him move on?" Phoenix thought. Phoenix's heart sank further as she kept reading.
On Wednesdays at midnight she had to go to the Astronomy tower.
"Midnight?" Phoenix groaned inwardly.
She had a blank space on her Thursday schedule after Transfiguration that said "3:30 see House Notice Board"
Then on Friday she had double Potions, one class from eleven to twelve, with a lunch break, and then a second lesson from one to two followed immediately by a Charms class from two to four.
"Let's compare." Harry said, reaching for Phoenix's schedule. Phoenix turned and took Ron's schedule from the table, handing that to Harry as well.
"Do we have classes together?" Phoenix asked.
"We have all the same classes." Harry said, comparing the lists, "I wonder if they did that on purpose."
"Probably." Ron said, leaning over to look at Harry, "We're all first years, probably put all the Gryffindor's in one class so we can all get to know each other."
"That's pretty smart of them." Phoenix agreed. "Especially if we're to live together for the rest of the year." She thought of her mother, "it's nice to know who you're living with."
Ron looked away, but Harry laid a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "I'm sure things will go well." He said. Phoenix said nothing, looking at her schedule and dreading lunch's arrival.
"Now, if I were herbology," Ron said, stretching as he stood up, "where would my class be?"
"Outside?" Phoenix answered, her and Harry standing as well.
"Let's find out." Harry said, grabbing their schedules and turning around. The three walked out of the Great Hall, books, bags, ink, and quills in tow.
Phoenix spotted Hermione confidently walking down a corridor. "One moment," she broke away from Ron and Harry, "Hey, Hermione?" The other girl stopped in shock, Phoenix slowed her walk as she got closer, "are you going to herbology?" she asked.
"Yes." Hermione nodded, "Neville told me he's very excited to start in the class."
"Yeah," Phoenix remembered Neville being the boy who lost his toad, "anyways," she began again, "do you know where the class is?"
"I asked Professor McGonagall, and she said it was out back," Hermione pointed down the way she'd been going. Harry and Ron walked over, "the class is in a greenhouse, although I don't know why they expect us to take care of very important plants. In my opinion, I think the first year should just be technique."
"Did you want to walk to class together?" Phoenix gripped the strap of her bag tightly. She'd never so blatantly asked to be in someone's company before. Most of the time people simply joined her, or ignored her.
"What?" Ron asked behind her before Hermione could answer, "We can find our own way there, right Harry?" Harry nodded.
Phoenix looked between Hermione, and Ron and Harry in confusion, "but she says she knows where the class is."
"She's a first year, like the rest of us." Ron rolled his eyes, "No way she can know. Com'on Harry." Ron pulled Harry's shoulder and turned him the opposite way.
"Harry." Phoenix called out.
"We're going to find the class," Harry said, looking back, "are you coming with?"
"No," Phoenix shook her head, "Hermione said she knows where the class is. Why waste time looking for it and risk being late if someone knows where it is?"
After looking between a determined Ron and confused Phoenix, Harry said, "Because we can find it on our own."
"Boys." Hermione huffed after the two had walked away.
"I'm sorry." Phoenix frowned, turning back around, "but is it okay for me to walk with you?"
"Of course." Hermione smiled. When she did, her teeth didn't look as big, it was only when she was talking, or breathing with her mouth opened that their size stood out. Phoenix gripped her bag tighter, she felt ashamed for judging Hermione's appearance. The two awkwardly smiled at each other before Phoenix motioned for Hermione to lead the way. Hermione blushed but turned down the corridor where she'd been headed and started walking. Phoenix quickly caught up and kept in step with her.
"Not many people have talked to me." Hermione admitted after a few silent seconds.
"I wish people would stop talking to me." Phoenix blurted, immediately cringing after she'd spoken, "I just mean," Phoenix tried to explain, "with the whole Malfoy thing, and me not being me." She took a shaky breath, "I just want to be left alone."
"I'm sorry." Hermione said awkwardly. Phoenix didn't blame her. What were you supposed to say to someone who just found out their whole life was a lie?
"I'm not used to so many people paying attention to me." Phoenix mumbled.
"Sorry?" Hermione asked, looking over at her. They were walking by an outdoor courtyard now.
Phoenix looked at her, surprised Hermione was still paying attention, "Well, before yesterday, the only people who really paid attention to me were Harry, and my mom, who wasn't actually my mom." Hermione said nothing, she just looked Phoenix over with her big brown eyes, "I'm not used to this kind of attention." She took a breath, "and it's the worst kind of attention too." Phoenix added with a whine. "All I wanted was friends and magic." She held out her hands as though they were scales. Hermione took a turn away from the courtyard, Phoenix followed. "And now that everyone knows my life is a lie," she trailed off letting her hands drop.
Hermione was silent for a while, Phoenix worried she may have spoken too much, revealed too much about herself. "Great, I've made her uncomfortable." Phoenix wanted to throw her bag and all her supplies in the lake she'd crossed last night.
"I'll be your friend." Hermione said quietly. Phoenix looked at her, but Hermione didn't look back. "I didn't have very many friends at my old school. Everyone said I was too bookish, and my teeth were too big." Phoenix said nothing, "they teased me because my parents are dentists and my teeth are horrible."
"That's awful." Phoenix whispered.
"I got used to it." Hermione shook her head, pushing her hair out of her face.
"You shouldn't have to get used to it." Phoenix argued.
"Neither should you," Hermione turned into a small alcove and began descending a spiral staircase, "only having Harry and your," she trailed off. "Only having two people care about you." She started over, "I've got loads of family."
Hermione talked about how, even though all her aunts and uncles had more than one child, her parents were the ones to stick with just one. Phoenix smiled, wondering what her life would have been like if her mother had married a muggle man and started a family. "Because there was no way mom would marry a wizard, not after hiding from them." Another pang in her chest. Her mother hadn't been on the run because she was scared of magic, she was on the run because she was scared of getting caught with Phoenix.
The greenhouses were in sight now from the windows in the tower they were climbing down, and each greenhouse was overflowing with thick roots, vines, and branches. The stairs emptied into a hallway, where greenhouse walls stood on either side. A canopy of leaves blocked the sun, and they had to peek in each greenhouse before finding the one they were supposed to be in.
The two were early to Herbology, although not as early as Neville, who was already dressed in a long, dirty, thick robe and thick, dark gloves. "Professor Sprout said to put those on." Neville nodded towards a small rack with similar robes and a table with several sets of similar gloves right next to it. Phoenix and Hermione set their bags down next to Neville's and helped each other into the heavy robes. There was a set of tables pushed together running down the length of the room, with a single table running the width of the room at the front of the class. There were stools all along the tables length, and all sorts of strange gardening tools Phoenix had never seen before were laid out on the tables.
"Was Professor Sprout here?" Phoenix asked, Neville nodded, "what's she like?"
"Really sweet." Neville beamed, "she said we were learning spells before we before we began working with plants." He paused, "have either of you used your wand yet?" Phoenix shook her head but Hermione proudly nodded. Before long, other first years began making their way into the greenhouse. Harry and Ron were last to arrive, just moments before Professor Sprout did.
"Good morning, class." Professor Sprout was a plump little woman with her wavy grey hair escaping the bun she had knotted at the base of her neck. She wore a raggedy, torn hat, and equally ratty and torn robes covered in dirt. She had on long thick gloves that looked as though they'd been patched so many times they were more patched fabric than original fabric. "Good morning, class." She said again, tapping her wand against the table.
"Good morning, Professor." Phoenix echoed back with the class.
"Yes, good. Good morning," Professor Sprout said again, "My name is Professor Sprout, and I'll be your herbology professor here at Hogwarts."