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"You have a what?" Ron screamed despite the warning Harry had given him
"Harry that was really, really dangerous!" Hermione lectured.
"Keep your voices down!" Harry hissed.
Then he sighed and said, "I know that it was dangerous, but you don't understand. The phoenix.. there is just something about it. I know I can trust it."
"So wait.. you have a real, live phoenix that comes to you randomly?" Ron said with a mixture of awe and disbelief.
"Yes." Harry said for the umpteenth time.
"No, Harry you can't trust it! It could be a trick!" Hermione nagged.
"That is why I wanted to talk to you." Harry said, his voice even lower.
"You think it is a fake?" Ron said with slight disappointment.
"I think... I think that Professor Blair is an animagus... I think the phoenix is her." Harry admitted.
"It is impossible Harry." Hermione replied. "Firstly she isn't on the list..."
"She could be an illegal one." Ron interjected.
She shot him a withering look and continued, "And even if she was an unregistered animagus, she couldn't be phoenix. Phoenix are magical creatures; and an animagus, registered or no, cannot become a magical being. It is impossible."
Harry looked down. "There is still something about her... something.."
"Inhuman." Hermione finished for him.
"Yeah, I have noticed it to. She seems to have this... feeling." Ron added uncomfortably.
"I know what we should do." She said suddenly.
Both boys turned to her.
"Professor Blair said that we can ask any question in class right?"
"Right," They both replied in confused unison.
"And she seems to have an affinity for fear." Hermione continued.
"So we are going to ask her what her fear is!" Harry suddenly caught on.
"Precisely."
§
Hermione wasted no time when they walked into the fiery room.
"Professor Blair." She raised her hand.
"Yes Hermione," Blair answered.
"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" The bookworm continued.
"You have just done so; I see no harm in another." Her eyes glittered playfully.
"You are always talking about fear, how we need to only be afraid of fear itself and how all fears are connected... But what is your fear?"
The class' eyes fell upon the young teacher.
Professor Kryeen only cocked her head and replied with her own question. "Do you want what you can understand or do you want what is unaltered?"
The brunette was startled by this reply; but her quick wit soon recovered. "Both."
"But each contradicts the other, so to have both is to have none." Blair was playing a cryptic mind game with her; and the clever witch was determined to win.
"I want only the pure truth."
The fiery woman eyed her for a moment and then replied, "Sometimes the truth is not so pure."
"But there is always a truth." The teen argued.
Blair looked her over for another moment before saying, "The truth is that I do not fear."
No one understood.
"So you are frightened of fear?" Harry asked.
She smiled at them and replied, "I do not expect you to understand. Your world has built you so that having someone that cannot fear is impossible to you."
"Oh, come on Professor, we told you our fears, be honest." Dean Thomas shouted.
"I am being honest," She replied with a laugh. "But I didn't expect you to understand. You have been taught that everyone fears, and I cannot explain to you the reason and understanding of not fearing. I have given you the truth, whether you choose to except it is your choice."
No one answered.
§
Who does she think she is, 'I don't expect you to understand?' She is a big, fat lier!" Hermione ranted as they crossed the grounds to Care of Magical Creatures.
"Somehow I don't think she was lying." Harry muttered.
"Oh, and Harry I know another reason she can't be your phoenix." Hermione said swiftly.
"What?" Ron asked.
"Her eyes are gold, not blue."
§
The rest of the day went by with Hermione in an ill mood and Harry wondering about his phoenix. He didn't have to wait long, however, because he had a late night guest...
§
Harry muttered in his sleep, tossing and turning until he felt someone shaking his shoulder.
"Ron..." He murmured groggily. "Ron why are you waking me up it is four in the..." He stopped as he slipped on his glasses. Ron was at his bed, mouth agape, pointing wordlessly at the window.
"It's here!" Harry whispered.
Sure enough, the eagle-sized scarlet bird was sitting on the window-sill gazing at the two people awake in the room.
"Bloody hell, it is real!" Ron gasped finally.
"Yeah, what do you think, I was hallucinating?" Harry asked tartly.
Ron didn't reply; he just watched as it glided gracefully to the bed and landed between them.
"Have you named it?" Ron asked.
"No, I tried; but I found out that I wasn't too good at naming." Harry whispered ruefully.
"Wait till Hermione finds our that I saw it!" Ron said gleefully.
The phoenix didn't seem bothered by Ron's presence, but it kept nudging Harry to get out of his bed.
"Okay, okay," Harry slipped as quietly as he could out of his bed and followed it.
The phoenix flew out the window for a second, and then returned with a black shape nearly three times its size.
"What is that?" Ron asked in hushed tones.
"I don't know." He replied as he scooped of the large bundle. "It is furry."
"Give it back we don't know what that is!" Ron raised his voice a little.
"Shut it!" Harry warned. "I'll give it back to..."
But the phoenix had already departed, finishing its purpose this night.
"I guess I will have to keep it till morning, it isn't moving," Harry said reluctantly as he slipped the large dark mass into Ron's over-sized suitcase.
"Leave some room for it to breath!" Ron hissed as he zippered up the suitcase.
"Right." Harry replied uncertainly as he left a small hold unzipped.
"That thing better be friendly." Ron muttered darkly as he climbed back into bed.
§
Ron's scream awoke Harry. He sat bolt upright in his bed.
"What?" He murmured groggily.
"Harry, the suitcase... it's moving!"
Sure enough, Ron's over-large suitcase was rolling around the floor, seems busting.
Suddenly, the suitcase flew open and a large, furry black dog appeared; quickly changing into a familiar man with a handsome tan face and clean black hair.
"S-sirius?" Harry choked.
"In the flesh." Sirius said with a smile.
"But...how..."
"I was rescued from death." He said happily.
All his curiosity seemed to fall away as he ran up and embraced his godfather, tears stinging his irises. "It was my fault you died if I hadn't... I am so sorry!"
"It isn't your fault Harry." Sirius soothed. "Besides I am back now. He saved me."
"Who?" Harry asked.
"Lord Voldemort." His godfather said in awe.
Harry was to stunned to move. "No... Voldemort kills people. It wasn't him... It couldn't have been him."
"No Harry, you have been lied to. We have all been lied to! Voldemort saves people. Dumbledore kills people." Sirius replied.
"No... your wrong." Harry took a step back.
What is happening? My godfather hated Voldemort.
Suddenly his crimson bird came into view, and a voice erupted from its golden beak.
"Wake up, Harry!" It cried.
"Harry, she is trying to take you away. Stay with me; we can be happy together; get into lots of trouble!" Sirius exclaimed with a wolfish smile.
Harry turned away from the phoenix. Of course he would choose Sirius over it.
"You cannot lie to yourself Harry. You know this isn't real. You must wake up!" The voice called again in a disembodied sense from the silent bird.
"Harry!" Sirius screamed his name as he fell under the veal.
"No!" Harry roared, running towards it.
"He is dead, now WAKE UP!" The voice screamed, and Harry saw something pull him hard away from Sirius and the phoenix. In a blur, he saw Voldemort's hand reaching out to him, and Bellatrix laughing cruelly.
§
"WAKE UP HARRY POTTER!" A familiar voice roared in his ear.
"Sirius!" The dreamer bellowed as he opened his eyes. His breathing was shallow, and he was drenched in sweat... sitting in his bed.
It took a moment for everything to register. It had been a dream. Voldemort had tricked him into a dream, and he had used Sirius.
Then he looked around. To his surprise, he saw Blair standing near him, removing her wand from his forehead. She obviously liked muggle clothing because she was wearing a tank-top and short shorts. Her dark scarlet cloak had been hastily thrown on top.
Harry was thankful that it was dark because he felt a blush creeping up his cheeks from being so close to his rather attractive professor while she was in her night-clothes.
"What happened?" Harry croaked.
Ron was standing by his side, his eyes wide as he whispered; "We went up to the dormitories and then I heard something pecking on the window. It was the phoenix, just like you said. It seemed really agitated and it kept tapping the window so I opened it. Then it soared over to you and I realized you were asleep... I figured that you had just been really tired, but the thing kept tapping you. Then you started murmuring and it flew out of the room. Next thing I know, Professor McGonogall, Professor Dumbledore, and Professor Kryeen were hear." Ron nodded to the three adults in the room. Blair looked curios, Dumbledore worried; and McGonogall absolutely disgusted at the clothing Kryeen had on.
"Daemon alerted me to go to your room and on my way I met Minerva." Blair filled in for him after his questioning glance. "I told her what had happened and she went to get Albus. I entered your thoughts and told you to wake up."
The boy-who-lived slowed his breathing feeling embarrassed, angry, and sorrowful at the same time.
"Harry." Professor Dumbledore spoke gently to him. His face was lined with concern as he stood in midnight blue wizard robes. "If you have no more questions for either Professor Kryeen or Ron, would you mind coming with me?"
The green-eyed youth nodded and got out of bed, but hesitated and asked. "Professor who is..."
"Daemon is my phoenix." Professor Blair answered quickly.
Black hair shook as he nodded, to exhausted to question further.
§
The last Potter followed Dumbledore up to his office, not really paying attention. The dream kept replaying in his mind, followed my thoughts of Sirius.
He walked in, and only when he heard someone yell, "Harry!" did he snap back to the present.
Lupin shot out of his seat and ran over to them both. Before he could open his mouth Dumbledore waved his hand.
"Harry has had a dream that he will inform us of in a moment. He is fine. No one was hurt."
The boy sat down wearily and Remus gave him a worried look.
"Now Harry, would you politely tell us of your dream?" Dumbledore asked as he settled down.
Scar-face nodded and began. He told them of Sirius and Voldemort and Blair's voice; but not the phoenix. Blair's phoenix.
"Voldemort used Sirius?" Lupin looked very pale.
Dumbledore looked deep into his favored pupil and replied, "It seems so. Now then, are you alright?"
The seeker tried to nod and say he was fine, but the words wouldn't form. Instead he cried out,
"I wanted to stay. It is my fault Sirius died and I want him back!"After the words bubbled out, a lump filled his throat.
Silence prevailed and the orphan looked at the floor, embarrassed at his outburst.
Lupin hesitantly placed his arm on his shoulder and Dumbledore spoke softly.
"It is natural to miss departed loved ones, but remember Harry; as long as you hold those you love in your heart, no one can ever take them from you."
After a pause Dumbledore continued. "Remus I called you here tonight because I have a job for you. Harry is in need of an Occlumency teacher, and his lessons with Severus were less the pleasurable. I feel that I cannot give him as much attention as I wish, and I would like you to do it."
Lupin gave a small smile. "Albus you are very kind, but I cannot allow you to let me in the castle with Voldemort on the loose. The people need to trust you, not worry about a werewolf mauling their children."
"You could have Professor Blair do it." Harry muttered.
A sudden tenseness entered the air.
"Harry," Dumbledore said slowly, "I do not want you spending any time more then necessary with Professor Kryeen. Do you understand?"
He nodded quickly.
"Remus, please?"
Lupin looked like he would argue until Harry added, "I learned twice as much with you in one month then all year with Snape. People have enough to worry about than about who is teaching me."
Remus sighed and relented. "When will I move in?"
Dumbledore beamed. "I can organize it for you in two day's time. Can you be ready by then?"
He nodded and squeezed his friend's son's shoulder. "See you in two days."
As he left Harry felt the scar on his arm subconsciously. He still had to find a way to help Lupin, and he would do it.
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redone: chapters 7 and 8