Claire Silva stood before her mirror in her bedroom. She was twenty three years old living alone in a small flat in Lisbon, Portugal. It was a warm, clear night in mid May. The full moon was bright in the night sky and stars sparkled in a night time canopy over the city.
"How could things get this way?" she asked herself, staring into her own blue eyes in her reflection. Claire was unsure how or why things had turned out this way, but the fact was, they had and she could neither control nor change them. Reaching to her neck, she gingerly stroked the necklace she was wearing there. "My heart resists everything…" she continued. She looked down at her necklace; it was a gold chain with a brilliant red stone pendant. On the pendant was the carving of a great bird with the inscription, O Meu Amor é Como a Fenix Vinda das Cinzas; My Love is Like A Phoenix from the Ashes.
Suddenly, Claire felt a wave of dizziness wash over her and the room begin to spin around. She took a step away from her mirror as her world faded to black….
Voices…. She could hear voices. She groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Her head hurt and she felt nauseas. Moving carefully, she looked around finding herself in what appeared to be a jail cell. It was dark, dank and mouldy. She could also sense a presence of great evil in this place.
Confusion! Fear! 'Where am I? Why am I here? What the hell happened?' were the questions that flooded Claire's mind. The voices were coming closer and she could hear them quite clearly now. They were speaking in English not Portuguese. Claire also got the distinct impression the speakers were immensely pleased about something.
The cell door swung open and two men dressed in black approached her. One of them had long platinum blonde hair and carried himself with arrogant self assurance. The other towered over her. He was a dark, intimidating presence.
"Well I see you've already woken up. The Dark Lord will be pleased," the man with the blonde hair smirked.
"You've made a mistake," Claire said shyly in English. "What do you want from me?" Her voice was shaky, more so than she would have liked.
The men laughed at her and the dark one reached out and grabbed her by the gold necklace around her neck.
'How dare they!' she thought to herself, feeling her blood boil. She kicked at the men and flailed out with her fists angrily.
The blonde man stepped back, glaring dangerously at Claire and nodded to the dark man. Taking his queue, the taller one struck Claire hard across the face. She fell to the floor. He followed with a sharp kick to her stomach knocking the wind out of her and curling her into a foetal position. The beating continued while the blonde one stood in the shadows and laughed. He laughed! An eternity later, her audience of one ended her assault with a word. As painful as the beating was for Claire, it was his promise that she would be entertaining them again in the near future that left her trembling in fear.
Later, she lay alone on the cell floor, knowing she could not escape this nightmare. She was a girl who always came out on top, always had the answers, but not this time. For the first time Claire felt helpless ……terrified and helpless.
It was like any other Monday at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The students were all talking animatedly to each other, discussing yesterday's Quidditch match over breakfast. Headmaster Dumbledore was chatting jovially with Professor McGonagall. Professor Snape glowered at the end of the table, obviously still disappointed over Slytherin's defeat.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table, eating their breakfast. Hermione sighed in disgust as Ron shovelled eggs and pancakes into his mouth. She delicately cut her pancakes. "Are you two prepared for your N.E.W.T.'s?" she asked.
"Absolutely, Hermione," Ron's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"Ah, it's mail time!" said Harry, changing the subject and looking up at the swarm of owls flying through the Great Hall.
"I hope mum sends us more of those chocolates!" Ron said happily.
"Honestly, Ron, that's all you think about. Eating, eating and more eating! The N.E.W.T.'s are just one month away! We have to start reviewing!" Hermione said in her bossiest tone.
"'ay ov me 'Ermione!" said Ron speaking around a mouth full of eggs.
"Will you two stop it! Look, isn't that odd? Dumbledore is getting mail here in the Great Hall. That must be a first," Harry said, pointing at the Head Table.
A beautiful black owl flew in and headed in Dumbledore's direction. It circulated the Headmaster for a moment before landing on his plate. It dropped a small black parcel and flew off.
"That is strange," Hermione commented. " But not as strange as a seventh year who still hasn't reviewed for his N.E.W.T.s with just one month to go!"
"Bloody hell, Hermione…." Ron started, but Harry tuned the pair out. He watched Dumbledore carefully unwrap the black parcel. Harry felt the colour drain from his face as he watched the Headmaster turn pale and start to shudder. The noise of the Great Hall was deafening and it seemed no one else was paying attention to Dumbledore but himself and McGonagall, who had her hand on Dumbledore's shoulder.
Harry turned to Ron and Hermione who were still bickering. "Look!" he whispered to his best friends. "Look at Dumbledore." Ron and Hermione stopped arguing and looked at the Head Table.
"Is there something wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked nervously.
Harry turned his head back but Dumbledore was already on his way out of the Great Hall, closely followed by Professor's McGonagall and Snape.
"He received something by owl and went pale when he opened it." Harry said anxiously.
"What do you think he got?" Ron asked, swallowing a mouthful of food.
"I don't know, but it must have been important, he was very upset," Harry glanced around.
"The entire staff looks worried," Hermione said, taking a good look at the Head Table. "Dumbledore so upset after receiving a strange parcel that he has to leave and now they're pretending nothing is wrong…odd"
Harry could feel the Great Hall stir all around him; the students were getting on their way to their first classes of the day.
Hermione stood up and grabbed her school bag. "Let's go, it's time for Herbology and we don't want to be late."
Albus Dumbledore sat in his office as he looked down on the black parcel. After twenty four years, was it really possible?
Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall strolled into his office, but Dumbledore was so lost in thought he barely acknowledged them.
"What's happened, Headmaster?" Snape asked.
"Albus are you all right? What could you have received to put you in such a state?" Minerva's voice showed a great deal of concern.
Dumbledore looked up at them, his eyes lacking their characteristic twinkle. He took a deep breath. "I've just received this!"
He took a gold necklace from the black package the pendant was made of a crimson jewel with a phoenix on it. Inscribed upon it was 'O Meu Amor è Como a Fenix Vinda das Cinzas'.
"Just what is that?" queried Snape as he sat forward.
"It's beautiful…." Minerva said, astonished.
"This is something that's quite impossible after twenty four years," Dumbledore said sadly. "I gave this necklace to a beautiful woman twenty four years ago. I loved her very much and this necklace was proof of it."